Gamescom 2020 has officially begun with the Opening Night Live event. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the event marks the start of the first all-digital Gamescom after the physical event in Cologne was called off due to COVID-19.
The night began for the online with a short pre-show. Hosted by Kyle Bosman, the pre-show included a host of announcements and reveals:
- Scarlet Nexus is an action RPG from Bandai Namco set in a distant and bleak future,
- Quantum Error will be bringing the chills to PlayStation with a cosmic horror story,
- Ford is working to make their gamer concept car, Project Fordzilla P1, a reality,
- A new trailer for DiRT 5 showcased some of the vehicles and modes coming to the game, along with teasing something dubbed Vampire,
- Jurassic World Evolution will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in November.
There was also a short interview with Geoff Keighley about the challenges of putting together a digital-only show and how the team at Gamescom were committed to going ahead with this year’s altered events in the current global climate.
First up on the main show was the newly revealed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Announced a few days prior, fans got another look at what they can from expect from the game. Creative Director Dan Vondrak appeared on the show to explain how the game will tie into the existing Black Ops canon, confirming that fans will see some familiar faces when the game launches in November.
There was also a clip from the early stages of the campaign shown, with several key figures being briefed on the rising threat of Perseus.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is scheduled to be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 13, with a release on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 scheduled for Holiday 2020.
There were a few teaser trailers to reveal new content and games from a variety of studios. Among the first collection shown were:
- Unknown 9: Awakening is a next-gen title from Reflector following a young girl in India named Haroona as she discovers new supernatural abilities,
- Doom Eternal’s first DLC, entitled The Ancient Gods: Part One, will be released on October 20,
- BioWare showcased some early footage and concept art from Dragon Age 4, along with the announcement that Solas would be making a return to the series,
- Surgeon Simulator 2 was released on the Epic Games store during the show, as was confirmed by an appearance from Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown from Back to the Future,
- Clockstone and Headup have announced that Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead will be their next project,
- Crime-fighting duo Sam & Max will be making a return with a VR reboot,
- A series of new animated shorts will give fans a look into the new realms of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, which has been given an October 27 release date,
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is a new strategy game coming from Gasket Games and Focus Home,
- A new difficulty and collectables called Flashback Tapes will be among the new challenges in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
- A new cinematic trailer gave fans another look at the world of Outriders
- The warring houses of Necromunda: Underhive Wars – Orlock, Esher and Goliath – were unveiled in a new trailer
- Tuxedo Labs’ new title Teardown is a co-op heist game with a fully destructible environment,
- The eerie world awaiting Mono was showcased in a new trailer for Little Nightmares 2,
- WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler will be joined by NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo on WWE 2K Battlegrounds.
Next up was some announcement about upcoming Star Wars projects. First was Star Wars Squadrons. Scheduled to release in October, Opening Night Live showcased the first look at the game’s campaign, which will see players make their way through a new story from both sides of the conflict. Featuring 5-on-5 battles and iconic locations and characters from the saga, players will be able to choose their side as they play.
Next was the announcement of a collaboration between Star Wars and The Sims 4. Launching on September 8, The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu is a new game pack featuring new skills, build and buy items and new locations. The first look trailer also revealed that some familiar faces will appear in-game with this pack.
Finally, there was a new trailer for the upcoming Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Featuring all nine films, the collection will now be released in early 2021 and there will also be editions released for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 4.
Next up was another selection of trailers and previews:
- The voice cast for psychological thriller 12 Minutes will include James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Defoe,
- A new Mafia: Definitive Edition story trailer dropped ahead of its release in September,
- Lemnis Gate is a new first-person turn-based strategy game coming to current and next-gen consoles and PC in 2021,
- Override 2: Super Mech League has been announced for a Holiday 2020 release,
- Chasing Rat Games’ new project is Struggling, a physics-based co-op platformer,
- Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition will be launching on Steam and the Microsoft Store on October 15,
- The next release in the Dark Pictures Anthology will be Little Hope on October 30,
- Fans got a first look at the gameplay of the atmospheric Chorus.
Among one of the most anticipated parts of Opening Night Live was the first look at Fall Guys: Season 2. Following the record-breaking launch of the multiplayer caper, fans have been eager to see what developer Mediatonic has in store moving forward.
The new season, which Is yet to have a confirmed release date will have a medieval theme, with new costumes and games inspired by the Middle Ages. Among the new additions will be castle locations, catapults, movable platforms, and a host of costumes including wizard and dragons.
The final group of trailers and previews included:
- A closer look at the origins of Wasteland 3’s Liberty,
- The announcement that Factor 5 is working on a Turrican Anthology,
- Magic-centric battle royale Spellbreak will be launching September 3 with full console and PC crossplay,
- The new Stasis abilities were showcased in a new trailer for the upcoming expansion to Destiny 2, Beyond Light.
Rounding out Opening Night Live was in-depth looks at new titles from the Medal of Honor and Ratchet & Clank franchises.
Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond will see the franchise move to VR, with a new story crafted by interviews with WW2 veterans. Putting players in the middle of wartime Europe, the new story trailer showcased how the game will play with no cutscenes – having been deliberately filmed that way by developer Respawn – as the story unfolds.
Speaking at Opening Night Live director Peter Hirshcmann explained that the game will follow a three-act structure, with players being recruited into the OSS before joining resistance fighters in France, culminating in have a role in the D-Day landings by infiltrating the secret weapons labs of the Nazi regime.
Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond is currently scheduled for a Holiday 2020 release.
Last up was an extended look at the PS5 gameplay for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. First announced during the PS4 Showcase in June, this uninterrupted gameplay demo put the titular heroes in the middle of the city of Megalopolis. After a brief confrontation with Dr Nefarious, the demo showed how players will be able to manipulate their environments by using tears in the fabric of reality to traverse through locations.
The large rift jumps seen in the reveal trailer were also shown before showcasing a variety of different times and locations that will be featured in the game. The demo then ended as the reveal trailer had done – Clank encountering a female Lombax. While developers Insomniac have not released this character’s name, it was confirmed that she will be playable during the game. Marcus Smith from Insomniac, joined by Game Director Mike Daly, also confirmed that this new story is an extension of 2013’s Ratchet & Clank: Into The Nexus, but that new players will be able to enjoy the game as a standalone adventure.
The two also confirmed that the game will be launched in the same window as the PlayStation 5, but did not give a specific date.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is scheduled for a Holiday 2020 release on PlayStation 5.
Gamescom 2020 continues across streaming platforms until August 30. Watch Opening Night Live in full below.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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