With E3 in the offing, the Summer Game Fest Kickoff was set to be an amuse-bouche of reveals and exclusive premieres, as gaming’s biggest weekend kicks into full swing. Suffice it to say, it was less of an amuse-bouche and more a fully realised starter course, with some huge reveals, incredible musical performances and, of course, ending on a game that has been on everyone’s mind for the last couple of years.
Opening the presentation right on time with gaming’s most recognisable host, Geoff Keighley wasted no time in getting straight to the new announcements. Here were some of the biggest reveals and highlights from the stream.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Presented by Tiny Tina herself, Ashley Birch, this Borderlands spin-off promises chaos and fantasy as you and your cohorts embark on an epic journey to slay the Dragon Lord. Releasing in early 2022, Tiny Tina is dying to be sassier than ever!
Metal Slug Tactics
Paying homage to the legendary series, Metal Slug Tactics sees Marco and the rest of his former squad reunite for a tactical turn-based title that looks to combine pixel art with anime cinematics.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
After what appeared to simply be a brief interview interlude with Hideo Kojima calling in from Japan, he surprisingly presented us with the director’s cut of Death Stranding on PS5. But the announcement didn’t just reveal the game, but also took aim at his former studio, referencing Kojima’s former series, Metal Gear Solid. What does the director’s cut of a game that was already a director’s cut entail? We’ll just have to wait for Kojima to elaborate in due course.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
You know what they say, two Geoffs (or Jeffs) are better than one. As the presentation continued following Japanese Breakfast’s performance of the song Glider from indie title Sable, we were greeted by Jeff Goldblum. Who better than to introduce the sequel to Jurassic World Evolution than one of the series’ most legendary stars. Jurassic World Evolution 2 is said to be more in-depth and immersive than its predecessor. Just don’t get too close to those raptors!
Lost Ark
With Prime Gaming sponsoring the event, it was bound to have a few titles up its sleeve. One seemingly coming out of nowhere was Lost Ark. Already a hit in Japan and Korea since 2018, this MMO-RPG could very well be raised to the echelons of Diablo.
Call of Duty Warzone Season 4
In addition to the plethora of new releases, we also saw expansions for some already expansive series. Warzone’s latest trailer teased an action filled season with the return on Verdansk, Hijacked and everyone’s favourite: zombies.
Among Us
The lockdown hit continues to grow as Innersloth presented its roadmap for the near future of the game. With the promise of Hide and Seek game mode, as well as new roles, skins and achievements, the future, is looking bright for Among Us. Oh, and we even got a little look at a new map, and when I say little, I mean pixels small.
Salt and Sacrifice
The sequel to the hit indie game Salt and Sanctuary was revealed, promising a bleak, desolate world and a whole slew of new bosses. Salt and Sanctuary was hailed as being “the 2D Dark Souls” in terms of tone and difficulty, so Salt and Sacrifice looks set to continue that legacy.
Solar Ash
First teased at the PS5 State of Play, we finally got to see some more gameplay of Solar Ash, a game that looks like amalgamation of Journey’s zen atmosphere, the boss scaling nature of Shadow of the Colossus and the artistic design of Hyper Light Drifter.
Two Point Campus
Following on from the success of Two Point Hospital, the latest of this franchise sees players simulating life as a university student, full of everything you would expect from the uni experience: from raucous parties to silent study.
Smite x Stranger Things Crossover
From Fortnite to Dead By Daylight, Stranger Things is one of the most desirable licenses out there. Now Smite is getting the Upside Down treatment, with the monstrous Demogorgan and Mindflayer duking it out with Eleven and Hopper. They’ll be crossing over in the next battle pass in July.
The Anacrusis
While Left 4 Dead may be getting a spiritual successor in Back 4 Blood, The Anacrusis sees former Riot and Valve developers teaming up to create a game with a similar vibe. Only in this rendition, it’s hordes of aliens you’ll be fighting off in droves.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt
Ever wondered what it would be like to be the ultimate vampire? Well wonder no more! You’ll be leaping great distances and battling an insatiable desire to drink blood with Bloodhunt. A battle royale spin-off of the Vampire: The Masquerade series.
House of Ashes
The latest instalment of the Dark Pictures Anthology and following on from successes as Until Dawn, Man of Medan and Little Hope. Teasing a Pazuzu Edition, House of Ashes looks set to terrify us to our cores, as American and Iraqi soldiers delve deep into a cursed temple.
Planet of Lana
Described by as “being like a watercolour painting come to life”, Planet of Lana’s hand-drawn backdrops look divine and its story an evocative treat, all wrapped in a lovingly crafted 2D side-scroller.
Overwatch 2
While Overwatch 2 is still in development, we’ll take any scraps of info we can. This time, we saw the re-designs of the healer character, Baptiste and everyone’s favourite hacker, Sombra… BOOP!
Monster Hunter Stories 2
While Monster Hunter is renowned for its grandiose action and cooperative fun with your friends as you take down gargantuan beasts, its lore is receiving some much needed attention. Three amiibo were also announced to coincide with the game including: Tsukino, Ena and the Razerwing Rathalos.
Evil Dead
With Bruce Campbell reprising his role as everyone’s favourite demon slayer, Ash Williams, Evil Dead pays homage to its cinematic counterparts with characters and locations taken straight from the movies. If you’re into working with your friends to fend off the hordes of hell, you’re in for a groovy time.
Elden Ring
We may have been starving for the last few years, but let it be known that FromSoftware decided to feed all their dedicated fans by providing us with enough Elden Ring content to have us chomping at the bit to play it. If receiving the gameplay trailer for this immense collaboration with A Game of Thrones author, George R. R. Martin was a cake, then getting the release date of January 21, 2022 was the cherry on top.
Words by Jack Roberts
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