Gamescom 2022 has kicked off with Opening Night Live. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the event included a whole host of announcements about new and upcoming games.
Everywhere
Up first was Everywhere, a new IP from Build a Rocket Boy Games. Showcasing a variety of different locations, character styles and gameplay options, the game is currently in development, with the studio hoping for a 2023 release.
It wouldn’t be an Opening Night Live without a whole host of teaser trailers throughout the show. The first selection included premieres of titles currently in development:
- Dune Awakening is a survival MMO set in the world of Frank Herbert’s epic novel,
- There was a new trailer for Lords of the Fallen 2, now renamed The Lords of the Fallen,
- Moving Out 2 – a sequel to the 2020 co-op caper – is officially in development and will include both online and couch co-op.
There was also an announcement from PlayStation that a DualSense Edge controller, which will have customisable elements, is coming but no release date has been confirmed.
The Callisto Protocol
Up next was a new look at gameplay from The Callisto Protocol. This sci-fi survival horror’s latest look featured the player character trying to navigate their way through an area while trying to stay hidden. Glen Schofield of Striking Distance Studio also explained a little more about one of the enemy mechanics – mutations – in which some enemies will have tentacles which have to be dealt with quickly to avoid a tougher challenge. The gameplay demo concluded with a trip down a waterlogged area with a surprising ending.
The Callisto Protocol is currently scheduled for release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC on December 2, 2022.
The next round of previews and premieres took players on a journey through a whole host of worlds and epic stories:
- A new Hogwarts Legacy trailer gave fans a glimpse into the consequences of Dark Magic,
- New Tales from the Borderlands was officially confirmed with a new trailer full of the franchise’s signature humour and action,
- Dying Light 2’s first major expansion, Bloody Ties, will be launching this October,
- Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale is a seafaring adventure currently in development for console and PC,
- Tactical FPS Marauders will be coming to Steam Early Access in October,
- The next chapter in Destiny 2, named Lightfall will be launching in February 2023.
Gamescom Awards
Ahead of the full ceremony later this week, Opening Night Live co-host Melek “m3lly” Balgün was on hand to announce three of the winners from this year’s Gamescom Awards:
- Most Wanted PC Game: Metal Hellsinger
- Most Wanted Microsoft/Xbox Game: The Last Case of Benedict Fox
- Most Wanted Sony/PlayStation Game: Lies of P
The rest of the categories – including Best Sports Game, Best Ongoing Game and Best Indie Game – will be announced during the Gamescom Awards on August 27.
Sonic Frontiers
Sega has officially confirmed that Sonic Frontiers will be launching on November 8 following an earlier leak. The game’s latest trailer takes a closer look at the game’s story, with teases of potential villains, locations and even a glimpse of Amy being trapped inside a mysterious device. The trailer also showed that the game will feature a mix of 2D and 3D levels through which Sonic can travel and collect the classic golden rings.
Sonic Frontiers is currently scheduled to be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC on November 8, 2022.
Another stacked lineup of games presented new trailers for players to get a glimpse of what is in store:
- Under the Waves is a new narrative story set in the 1970s from Quantic Dream and Parallel Studio and is currently scheduled to be released in 2023,
- The new trailer for Goat Simulator 3 showcased all the humour and mayhem fans can expect to see when the game launches in November,
- Return to Monkey Island’s latest trailer was hosted by a very familiar face and confirmed the game will be released on September 19 – International Talk Like a Pirate Day,
- Friends v Friends will have players gathering cards to take down their friends in combat.
Moonbreaker
Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica, showcased the world premiere of their latest IP – Moonbreaker. Scheduled to release on Early Access in September, Moonbreaker is a digital tabletop strategy title with a story crafted in collaboration with Wheel of Time novelist Brandon Sanderson. In the game, players will be able to build combinations of teams to take on their foes, with the option to even paint each unit in their own style to stand out from the crowd.
Moonbreaker is currently in development and is scheduled to be released on Steam Early Access on September 29, 2022.
Up next was the next set of premieres and previews.
- Lies of P is a Souls-like game based on the story of Pinocchio and set in a dark Belle Epoque-style world,
- Stranded: Alien Dawn was revealed with a first trailer outlining the game’s survival sim storyline along with some of the landscapes of a new world,
- Atlas Fallen will have players harnessing the powers of sand when it is released in 2023,
- Homeworld 3’s latest gameplay trailer showed players how they will be able to use their environment to their advantage against their space-faring foes,
- There was a first look at the new Sumeru region and its inhabitants which will be part of the next update for Genshin Impact
- There was a new cinematic trailer for MiHoYo’s next title, Honkai Star Rail, which dropped some clues about the game’s main storyline,
- A new gameplay demo for High on Life featured a boss fight and some colourful takes from the game’s anthropomorphic weaponry,
- Hardspace: Shipbreaker will be coming to Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in September following on from the game’s PC launch earlier this year.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Following on from the game’s initial reveal, there was a fresh look at Telltale’s upcoming title based on The Expanse. While details of the plot are still being kept under wraps, this latest trailer gave fans a first look at some of the characters they will meet in the game, which will follow a group of scavengers after a job gone wrong. There was also a glimpse of some of the zero-g gameplay which will also feature in the game.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is currently in development for a 2023 release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Gamescom Goes Green
Over the past few years, Gamescom has been part of a global initiative “Playing for The Planet” in collaboration with the United Nations to try and combat the impact of climate change and has become the first climate-friendly gaming event.
As part of this, Gamescom added a new award celebrating the efforts of gaming companies around the globe. This year’s award was won by Ukie, the UK’s trade body for the games and interactive entertainment industry.
More information on Gamescom’s commitment to sustainability can be found on its website.
The next round of trailers and previews were up next in the show with another great mix of upcoming titles:
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space is an adaptation of the 80’s horror franchise which is coming in early 2023,
- Scars Above is a dark sci-fi-themed action game centred around the appearance of an alien ship above Earth,
- The first game from the newly formed Something Wicked Games will be a supernatural-themed open world RPG titled Wyrdsong,
- Two new civilisations – The Malians and the Ottomans – will be coming to Age of Empires IV in the next update in October.
Gotham Knights
Next was a new trailer for Gotham Knights, this time focusing on some of the villains who will be making an appearance in the game. The trailer gave us another look at the previously announced villains, including Mr Freeze, the Penguin and the Court of Owls, but it also confirmed that Harley Quinn and Clayface will be part of the rogue’s gallery going up against the titular team when the game launches.
It was also announced that the game’s release date has changed, moving up from October 25 to October 21.
Gotham Knights is scheduled to be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
The last batch of premiere trailers had more than a few surprises to share:
- Where Winds Meet will put players into an open-world RPG set in China’s Ten Kingdoms era,
- The latest trailer for amusement park sim Park Beyond showcased more of the construction mechanics along with various options for buildings,
- Phantom Hellcat is a hack-n-slash set inside a cursed theatre,
- Crossfire X’s Babylon update will be launching this week,
- An extended trailer for Blacktail showed the good and bad side of witchcraft, with altered worlds and shifting perspectives,
- Dorfromantik, a building strategy title from German team Toukana, will be coming to Nintendo Switch following a successful launch on Steam,
- The Outlast Trials showed off some new gameplay along with the announcement that a closed beta is coming at the end of October,
- Embark, a studio formed by former members of the Battlefield dev team, have unveiled their new project: a competitive gameshow shooter named The Finals
There were also two announcements of projects outside of game development. Firstly, Hideo Kojima appeared in a special video message to announce that he is launching a new podcast. Launching on September 8, Brain Structure will be available in both English and Japanese and will feature insights into his creative process, guest contributors and a regular news feature hosted by Geoff Keighley.
Second, Mini and The Pokémon Company have collaborated to create a special themed Mini Aceman concept car. The car, which is fully electric, includes a gaming mode in which the cockpit display will light up with a Pokémon-themed UI, with users able to connect their consoles to the car. The vehicle will also have an external projector to watch movies on, among other uses.
Dead Island 2
Rounding out the show was Dead Island 2 with its first trailers in eight years. The first trailer showcased Jacob, who is one of six playable characters in the game, as he travelled from his home base to gather supplies, bashing a few undead along the way.
A second clip gave players a look at the gameplay, which will feature a lot of close-quarters melee combat, as characters fought to survive on the street of Los Angeles, which has now been overrun with infected. The game was also given a release date of February 3, 2023.
Dead Island 2 is scheduled to be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Watch the Opening Night Live presentation in full below.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.