Big announcements from Summer Game Fest
Geoff Keighley's "Keigh3 Showcase" took place on Thursday, its first event with a live audience. While it didn't quite capture the hype or reveals that the old E3 days used to have, there was still enough here that caught my attention. Let's quickly run down some of the big announcements and some of the new titles shown off.
Surprisingly, we got a new Prince of Persia reveal in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, brought to you by Ubisoft Montpellier, of Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil fame. Play as Sargon, one of several warriors imbued with magical powers on a journey to rescue the titular Prince of Persia. This stylized 2.5 Metroidvania is due out on January 17, 2024, on every major platform.
Sonic Superstars was announced with a 2023 release window. Classic 2D Sonic gameplay, except with 4-player local multi-player. This entry also introduces powerups like the ability to ride up waterfalls and the ability to multiply your character into numerous copies through the power of chaos emeralds.
Alan Wake 2 debuted an extended gameplay section showcasing the game's survival horror aesthetic. It was announced that gameplay would be split 50/50 between Alan Wake and a new character, Saga Anderson. Alan Wake 2 releases on October 17 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series as a digital-only title.
My most anticipated title of the year, Like a Dragon: Gaiden, is releasing on November 9th. The game works as a sort of bridge between Yakuza 6 and the upcoming Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, following original series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and what he was up to during the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Akira Toriyama, best known for his specialized art style featured in the Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest series, announced a new project, Sand Land. Based on a manga of the same name, not much was revealed about this RPG, but a small dose of basebuilding was shown off along with exploration inside a tank.
Palworld is well... just do me a favor and go look up the trailer. Imagine Pokemon, cute creatures that evolve into more abstract varieties of themselves, except strapped to the brim with enough guns and rockets to make Call of Duty blush. It's also a farming and building game as well but that's not really the selling point here, is it?
The Lord of the Rings:Return to Moria was announced. Narrated by Gimli himself, we get a quick overview of the daily routines and upgrades you'll be able to acquire through your reclamation journey. You'll be able to help the dwarves reclaim their homeland lost under the Misty Mountains in this crafting survival game launching in fall 2023.
The show capped off with Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth finally getting its big reveal with an early 2024 release window. Sticking to Playstation 5, the new gameplay shown had the party running through surrounding areas of Midgar and Red XIII as a playable party member.
Spider-Man 2 makes a very quick appearance, revealing an image featuring Venom and the same gameplay revealed at the Playstation Showcase. As a birthday gift to me, the game will be released on October 20th of this year.
Mortal Kombat 1 kicked off the event by giving us a 4-minute gameplay breakdown showing off the new kameo assist fighter function, some absolutely gorgeous new maps, and beautiful scenery. In typical MK fashion, we got a few snippets of fatalities. The game will be released on September 19th on PC, PS5, Xbox Series and, surprisingly, Nintendo Switch.
