With no E3 taking place this year, Summer Game Fest has taken centre stage this year. Taking place in Los Angeles, with an in-person audience for the first time, the show kicked off what will be a full week of events, announcements and a few surprises for gamers.
Prince of Persia
The first announcement was the reveal of a new game in the Prince of Persia series. Set to release in January 2024, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action-adventure platformer with a vibrant art style and similar vibes to the original Prince of Persia titles.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is scheduled to release on console and PC on January 18, 2024.
Mortal Kombat 1
Up next was one of the previously announced presentations – the first look at gameplay from Mortal Kombat 1. As explained by Ed Boon, the game is a reboot of the series following on from the story of Mortal Kombat 11 with some familiar faces on new journeys as the new timeline and universe take shape.
The new trailer also gave fans a look at some of the brutal fatalities, which have become a staple of the franchise, as well as the new Kameo fighters that players will be able to combine with main roster fighters to create new combos and gain the upper hand in battle.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from September 19.
Trailers and Teases
It would be a games fest without a host of trailers and previews coming thick and fast.
- Path of Exile 2 released a new trailer, showcasing a mage character battling against monsters, before revealing that more details on the RPG will be coming on July 28,
- Exoprimal will be released on July 14, with a Street Fighter 6 collaboration coming this fall,
- Witchfire is the next project from the team behind the Vanishing of Ethan Carter and will be launching in Early Access this September,
- CrossFire: Sierra Squad is coming to PSVR later this year.
- The first trailer for season three of The Witcher was unveiled.
Dead by Daylight
Up next was the latest from Dead by Daylight. In the game’s upcoming expansion, which releases in July, players will be able to play as none other than Nicolas Cage, who joins the game as a new survivor. Taking to the stage at the YouTube Theatre, Cage explained that he had been looking for a different kind of project to take on and that the game’s “museum of horror” style drew him to join the game. He also explained a little more about how his character fits in, saying it is a heightened version of an actor named Nic Cage who thinks he is heading to a filming location.
Dead by Daylight is available on console and PC now, with the Nic Cage expansion set to launch on July 25.
Previews and Indies
The next batch of trailers had more than a few surprises:
- Remnant 2 has confirmed a July 25 release date with a new story trailer showcasing some of the game’s new locations,
- Coming this Fall is Sonic Superstars, which seems the classic worlds of past Sonic titles given a fresh new look and even some co-op gameplay,
- Honkai Star Rail will be coming to PlayStation 5 later this year and PC players will see some new faces with the upcoming update,
- Lies of P will now be released on September 19 this year, with a two-chapter demo available to play now,
- Bandai Namco will be bringing the world of Akira Toriyama’s Sand Land to PC and console,
- Players can now sign up for a testing session of Throne and Liberty, the MMORPG coming from NCSoft,
- The “deadliest Summer season ever” is coming to Dying Light 2 later this month,
- Party Animals will be coming to Xbox and PC on September 20,
- Crash Team Rumble released a new trailer ahead of the game’s release this month.
There was also a teaser trailer for Annapurna Interactive’s upcoming showcase with some hints of what to expect when it airs on June 29, along with a look at Warhaven, one of the many games which will be playable during Steam Next Fest from June 19-26.
Alan Wake 2
After the reveal at the recent PlayStation Showcase, up next was a more in-depth look at Alan Wake 2 with Geoff Keighley being joined by Remedy’s Sam Lake to explain a little more about the game’s story, setting and new playable character – FBI Agent Saga Anderson. While investigating a murder case, Saga soon realises that there is more to this case and how it may be connected to Alan Wake and his works. This is while Wake himself is trying to escape the nightmare dimension and the creatures which haunt his every moment.
Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC on October 17, 2023.
Previews Part Three
The third round of previews may not have been the longest, but certainly provided enough to get excited about:
- Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2’s new trailer revealed that the game will feature up to 3-player co-op and returning protagonist Titus when it releases this winter,
- Yes, Your Grace’s sequel, entitled Snowfall, is currently in development for a release in 2024, with the reveal trailer showcasing some of the decisions players will face in ruling their kingdoms,
- John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a new first-person horror shooter with an 80’s vibe coming from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment in 2024,
- Jason Isaacs is joining the cast of Balder’s Gate 3 playing Lord Enver Gortash, the designer of the Steel Warriors as revealed in a new trailer ahead of the game’s August release date.
Spider-Man 2
After the epic reveal of the first gameplay from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 at the Sony presentation, there were more details about the game revealed courtesy of Insomniac’s Brian Intihan. Along with confirmation of the game’s box art, it was also revealed that the Venom we see in the game isn’t Eddie Brock, or even Peter Parker, with Intihan teasing that all will be revealed in the game’s story.
There was also the official announcement of the game’s release date – October 20, 2023. Also revealed were details of the game’s different editions and the reveal of the pre-order bonus pack featuring bonus suits, gadget unlocks and extra skill points.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be available on PlayStation 5 from October 20, 2023.
More Previews
- Palworld is an animal collecting game with an explosive twist or two coming to Early Access in January
- Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is set in the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth and will be coming later this year,
- Final Fantasy: Ever Crisis is a mobile game set in the world of Final Fantasy VII which will be having a closed beta later this year,
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a new atmospheric action adventure from the developers of Vampyr and will be coming later this year,
- The next chapter of the Like a Dragon series – Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – will be released on November 9 and will mark the return of Kazuma Kiryu to the franchise,
- Under The Waves is an underwater exploration adventure releasing this August,
- Call of Duty’s upcoming season – Vondel – will include new themed levels, including an abandoned zoo, a football stadium and castle settings,
- Xbox and Porsche are partnering to create an exclusive range of limited-edition Xbox consoles to mark the car maker’s 75th anniversary,
- FaeFarm will be launching on both Switch and PC on September 8 and will allow players to enjoy their adventures with both local and online multiplayer,
- Marvel Snap’s new Conquest mode is coming next week and looks to be the game’s biggest update yet,
- King Arthur: Legends Rise mixes Arthurian legend with a squad-based RPG and will be released later this year on PC and mobile,
- Wayfinders will be launching on Early Access later in the Summer,
- Star Trek: Infinite released a teaser trailer ahead of a full reveal on Picard Day (June 16),
- Coming to PC later this year, Lysfanga: The Time-Shift Warrior is a new hack-and-slash game from French developers Sand Door Studio.
Lastly, there was the first look at the live-action Twisted Metal series. In the clip, we see John Doe (Anthony Mackie) meet Sweet Tooth (Joe “Samoa Joe” Seanoa/Will Arnett) in an arcade, where the two quickly get into a fight turned Sisqo singalong.
Also starring Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Richard Cabral (Mayans M.C.) and Neve Campbell (Scream) the series is set to debut on Peacock on July 27.
Immortals of Aveum
A new gameplay and story trailer for EA’s upcoming magic shooter adventure Immortals of Aveum. On hand to explain more about the game was actor Darren Barnet, who plays protagonist Jak, who introduced the trailer.
Following a group of elite magic users known as Immortals, the game follows Jak as he gains access to his magic powers and tries to join the ranks of the Immortals. The clip also introduced players to Sandrakk and the 400-foot-tall automaton known as the “Colossal”, where Sandrakk’s forces have gathered to stop the Immortals in their quest to balance magic in the world.
Immortals of Aveum is due to be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC on July 20, 2023
Fortnite Wilds
Along with a trailer showcasing the Unreal Editor available, Summer Games Fest also had a new trailer for Chapter 4: Season 3 – Fortnite Worlds. In this next chapter, the middle of the map has collapsed to reveal a new jungle-themed area with more than a few surprises awaiting players.
With raptor riding, new life forms, new weapons and the arrival of Optimus Prime on Battle Pass, this new chapter is all about exploring the unknown while still getting that all-important victory.
Fortnite Chapter 4: Season 3 – Wilds will be available on all platforms on June 9, 2023
One last surprise
It wouldn’t be a Geoff Keighley hosted show without one final surprise to close out the show and Summer Games Fest was no different – thanks to the debut of the new trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
While the trailer didn’t give much away about the overall story, it did showcase the party in action – including Red XIII who is a playable character this time around – riding chocobos, exploring towns and travelling through the wider world beyond Midgar while also discussing the fate of Sephiroth, who also makes an appearance in the trailer.
That wasn’t the only surprise as the presentation ended with the announcement the game would be launching in Early 2024 and will be on 2 discs, news which gained rapturous applause from the attending crowd.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is currently in development for a PlayStation 5 release early in 2024.
Watch the showcase 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.