Summer Game Fest

I'm going to be doing this one differently from Skulls, see which one I prefer.  Last time, I treated this almost as a react section, giving almost a blow by blow.  This was a lot of work though, and, in case you didn't know, I've got a lot of content dropping right now!  Additionally, I think it robbed me of the ability to actually truly react to the trailers, as I was either pausing or typing out reactions as they played.

But I think a blog like this works best if I soak in the preview, then give a response.  After all, this isn't a react video, even if my reaction is what I'm trying to portray.  And though I occasionally get tempted from watching other content creators, I know I don't want to edit videos.  And at the end of the day, this is all for fun.  So let's see how I enjoy this style.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

I'm getting some fun Metroidvania vibes from this.  The stylized graphics and animation looks good, and there definitely appears to be some tight 2D gameplay here.  Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Ubisoft for many different reasons.  So I'm not going to be looking into this game, or Ubisoft Forward.

Mortal Kombat 1

I'm actually keenly interested to see how well they do this in universe reboot.  It potentially shows a way for long time franchises to keep things fresh while still holding on to thing fans love.  The kombat itself looks fantastic.  It feels very MK with fantastic animations and great rhythm and flow to the matches.  I'm not sure about the cameos though.  It kind of feels like they wanted to make a newer roster without every legacy character in the game, but still wanted to give fans ways to use their favorite characters.  While I like the mechanic on paper, it doesn't look like they're doing anything tag fighters haven't done before.  So it really makes me wonder why they didn't just make the new MK a tag fighter.  

Maybe they feel this is a good halfway point.  You might be able to get the same variety and creativity a tag fighter can give you, while still having the punch and pacing of a one on one match.  Either way, this is a game I'd like to give a try.  I still need to get some time in with MKX and MK11 too . . .

Path of Exile II

The title that has absolutely dominated my game time, that I'm trying desperately to put to bed so I can both focus more on other things and get some more gaming in, is getting its "sequel" soon.  As a fan, I've known about this for some time and have been following every scrap GGG has given us.  I'm still astounded at this gameplay reveal, though.  It not only looks so much better, but the gameplay feels better too.  I'm definitely worried this game could suck me back in forever.

Exoprimal

Gotta say, this took me off guard.  The sight of an android Ryu facing down a triceratops threw me.  Capcom has honestly been nailing it, and I need to give their games more of my attention.  I've heard mixed things on Exoprimal, but they've definitely piqued my curiosity.

Dead By Daylight: Nicholas Cage

Another one I really wasn't expecting.  I dabble in this game from time to time, but until I get more time to play it I probably won't drop any more money on it.  Still, having Nick on stage was an interesting experience.  He's definitely selling his new adventure in gaming well.  Hopefully he has fun, makes some money, and comes back for more.

The Witcher: Season 3

Our last season of The Witcher with Henry Cavill.  The Witcher's loss, 40K's gain.  I really like Season 1, but only really enjoyed the Geralt and Ciri portions of Season 2.  I just don't feel this show has done the political intrigue aspects well.  Hopefully Season 3 will be better.

Witchfire

This looks cool, though the motion of the game feels off for some reason.  Might be because they're trying to do something new with how an FPS plays and feels.  I like the strange, Age of Sail aesthetic though.

Crossfire: Sierra Squad

We got some of this with Sony's showcase, and while it looks good I'm still worried.  As much as everyone wants to do them, FPS in VR can be brutal!  I doubt with my migraines I'll ever actually get to play one.  Maybe Sony's figured something out though.  I'm definitely hyped for more co-op VR experiences though!

Remnant II

I liked the whole modern verses fantasy vibe the trailer started with.  But then they just kept adding more and more and more, and it became a mess.  There's nothing that feels cohesive about this presentation, and the combat felt kinda generic.  I'll need to see something else to get me interested here.

Sonic Superstars

I caught you at the beginning of the trailer, wolf!  This new 2D sonic looks pretty good.  I heard mixed things about frontiers, and I think maybe Sega is hoping to go back to basics to draw older fans like me in.  I definitely wouldn't mind putting some time in with a new 2D Sonic, especially with friends.

Honkai: Star Rail

Gacha games are evil, but damn miHoYo knows how to make them look good!  As much as I might be curious about them, I know better than to let myself get sucked into another live service game, let alone one so well designed to empty my bank account.

Lies of P

This looks so good!  The Victorian art style is filled with visual intrigue and fits the Souls Like vibe so well.  If they get the combat and progression down this could be a serious contender.

Sand Land

I've heard good things about this Manga, and the game definitely looks like fun.  My only concern from the trailer is enemies seemed a little spongy, and there wasn't a lot of visual interest in the setting.  But I'm at least a little curious.

Annapurna Interactive Showcase

Okay, this is one of the best publishers currently in business.  I'm definitely curious to see what they've got setup!

Throne and Liberty

This is one I've been following a bit.  Unfortunately, from current previews, NC Soft is doing their NC Soft thing.  So this isn't going to be anywhere near as good as it looks.  It will be yet another pay for power MMO.

Warhaven

This looks interesting, giving me some Dynasty Warriors vibes.  There were a few moments in the trailer where the art styles got messy, though.  I want more info on this one.

Party Animals

This looks like silly fun and I'm almost certainly going to play it some with my niece.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

This game hasn't really shown me anything interesting.  I've heard better things about Dead Island 2, and honestly there are just so many zombie games.  My friends and I have plans to play the new Alpha test for 7 Days to Die tomorrow!

Crash Team Rumble

This is another one I might end up playing with my niece.  Party games are fun in short bursts.  I'm pretty sure this will hold for a new Crash game.

Alan Wake II

I never played the first Alan Wake, but I've heard really good things about it.  It's burning a whole in my back log.  Maybe it's time to pull it out.  It's nice they're trying to set it up for people to join in who've never played the first.  It has been a while since Alan Wake came out.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

I've already had this spoiled, and yes, it does have me incredibly hyped to get this game.

Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall

I'll be honest, I don't know anything about this.  A shame, cause it looks right up my alley.  I definitely need to check this one out.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

Okay, this looks like it could be a riot.  If anything was gonna get me looking at another zombie game, it would be something like this.  I love the Mad Max feel to so much of this and the absolutely crazy swarms of zombies.

Baldur's Gate III

Anyone who's followed me before knows I'm a huge fan of Baldur's Gate.  I'm desperately waiting for the full release for this.  I'm absolutely hyped!

Spider-Man 2

This looks great!  I may not like Sony, but they absolutely kill these exclusive titles.  And while I'm not fond of them, I'll still play their games when I can.  They're chasing after Nintendo's title for best first party publisher.  

Palworld

This looks a little too on the nose with some its monster designs, but this is still hilarious.  Freaking Pokemon wielding rocket launchers!  But I have obvious concerns considering the publisher here.

Black Desert Online: Land of the Morning Light

I gave Black Desert a try.  I don't think it's bad, though like many MMOs I don't like its monetization.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

It's not by Daedelic, so that's good.  Still, a survival crafter set in the Mines of Moria has the potential to be interesting.  The crafting maybe isn't as free form as I'd like, but we'll see what kind of systems it has.  Also that sounded like John Rhys-Davies, which is a plus.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis

It's a mobile game by Square Enix.  There's going to need to be some serious word of mouth for me to get any hype for this.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

This definitely looks interesting, and Focus has been killing it lately.  But I still need to know more.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

I've heard fantastic things about this series.  I think most are on Game Pass, I should really give them a try.  Another reason to put PoE to bed and not get too sucked into Path of Exile II.

Under the Waves

And here's another one!  This looks absolutely gorgeous!  I love the themes of underwater exploration and how it and the wildlife look realized.  And, of course, there are interesting teasers for a nice mystery in the trailer.

Call of Duty

Sorry, but here's another one you won't get me to show any interest in until some serious things change in both ABK and the franchise.

Fae Farm

I love games like this, and this one looks absolutely adorable.  This one is playing up the magic these games often have.  Be interesting to see how this effects the gameplay these games are known for.

Marvel Snap

If you're looking for a mobile card game, I've honestly heard really good things about Snap.  I'm not gonna get into another one, myself.  This "trailer" is a lot of fun though.

King Arthur: Legends Rise

Not only does this look horribly generic, but there's something off with the animation in the trailer.  Hard to put my finger on it, but there's some weird bending going on in the models.  Pass for now.

Wayfinder

I think we've seen this one at a previous show.  It screams, "We want you to think of Blizzard when you look at our game!"  Unfortunately, that's not a very good look currently.  Another pass for now.

Stellaris: Nexus

Looks kind of like Stellaris meets Sins of a Solar Empire.  I love both of those things!  You have my attention again!

Space Trash Scavenger

Here's another one that's up my alley, at least if it's done well.  With my migraines I often like playing more relaxing builder games.  If this is well done, I'll probably check it out at some point.

Star Trek Infinite

It's Paradox and Nimble Giant.  Did someone show Paramount all the space games that have Star Trek mods and convince them they can make some money?  I'm definitely curious how this will turn out.

Twisted Metal

I'm really unsure here.  I need more information on it, but so far this doesn't feel Twisted Metal to me.

Lysfanga The Time Shift Warrior

As an action RPG fan I'm curious about this one.  Depending on how they do the primary mechanic, this could be a ton of fun!  We'll have to see how this develops.

Immortals of Aveum

We've seen this one before too.  There have been attempts to make a spell caster FPS before with mixed success.  Hopefully, this one can give you a nice mix of movement, control, and direct damage to create your own fighting style.  Unfortunately it's EA, and that's another company I don't support.  Gotta say, the gameplay trailer doesn't give me high hopes either.

Fortnight Wilds

I actually don't have much bad to say about Fortnight.  Epic has legitimately always tried to make this game the best value they can.  It's not my style of game as I'm much more into PvE gameplay, so I'm never going to pick it up.  Well, that's a lie, there are probably some crossovers that might get me to pick it up.  This isn't one of them though, as much as I loved Transformers as a kid.  But otherwise I just don't have much to say on this one.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Having thoroughly played Final Fantasy VII when it was first released, I initially gave this a pass.  Figured I had new games to play instead of playing remakes of games I'd already plumbed completely.  I've, of course, been told that I very much should give this a look.  But I'll probably wait until the series is over and I know if it's worth playing through this new version of the story.

Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this!  Yes, there were games I'm not interested in from studios I'm currently boycotting.  But on the whole there were lots of reveals for new and creative games with plenty of actual gameplay.  Probably my biggest ones, besides PoE2, were Under the Waves, Mortal Kombat 1, and Toxic Commando.  I'm already well enough invested into Baldur's Gate III and Space Marine II.  But there were definitely others I want to try and follow and see how they develop.  Hopefully I can do what I keep telling myself I will, put PoE to bed, and get some new games in.