To kick off Gamescom this week, Geoff Keighley hosted its Opening Night Live event, a two-hour gauntlet of video game announcements and trailers, including many not made in the US. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of the most interesting games – if you like, watch the full video here. We’ve also covered some of the show’s biggest news in other articles, including Hideo Kojima’s new Spotify podcast, the release date of Return to Monkey IslandSony’s new Edge controller and even a Pokémon concept car.
Everywhere
Everywhere – a game that will have either great or terrible search engine optimization – started the program. In the featurette, the developers of Build a Rocket Boy, including former Grand Theft Auto game designer Leslie Benzies, teased an open-world game where players can create their own stories and build their own universe.
Dune: Awakening
In addition to a strategy game and a Fortnite crossover, the world of Dune also gets an open-world survival MMO. dubbed Dune: Awakening and made by the same studio that made the Spice Wars RTS, the short clip shows someone who appears to be an elderly Paul Atreides reciting the famous “Fear is the mind-killer” speech while about to take a ride on a sandworm. Beta Signups are Available here but there’s no word yet on beta dates, release dates, or whether the game will finally see Paul turn into a sandworm.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy, the prequel game to Harry Potter that has suffered from persistent delays, has a new trailer. In it, a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff investigate the mystery behind the Unforgivable Curses in the hopes that they can be used to save lives. The trailers show students fighting zombies and what looks like a choice system ala Telltale’s The living Dead series.
Under the waves
Under the wavesDeveloped by Parallel Studios, is a single-player story game published by Star Wars: Eclipse studio Quantic Dream. Evokes the mysterious deep-sea exploration vibes of ABZÛ, somaand Subnautics, Under the waves focuses on sadness, isolation and the otherworldly wilderness of the open waters.
Goat Simulator 3
The sun is shining, tongue out. The developers at Coffee Stain Studios brought some much-needed levity to Opening Night Live with the gameplay trailer of Goat Simulator 3. Blow, baa and ragdoll your way through the world and make all kinds of goat-flavored jokes. Out November 17 on Xbox, PlayStation and PC, Goat Simulator 3 supports four-player online or local co-op.
High in life
High in lifethe “Rick and Morty game without Rick or Morty’ featured a new boss fight while testing the limits of how much the general public can tolerate a talking gun. The consensus? Few. Imagine dying repeatedly during a tough boss fight and Morty voice actor Justin Roiland repeating the same dialogue to you until you win. No, thank you.
moonbreaker
moonbreakerthe latest game from Subnautics developers Unknown Worlds Entertainment, arguably the show’s most interesting game. According to his websitethe game a turn-based, real-time strategy game on the table with single player, competitive multiplayer, cooperative multiplayer, and roguelike elements. It is a miniatures based game that summons physical strategy games on tables such as warhammer that allows you to customize your units without the tedious process of physically painting tiny figurines until your fingers start to cramp. moonbreaker gets early access on September 29 on Steam.
Deep Silver / Dambuster games
Dead Island 2
Doesn’t evoke exactly any of the emotions that are in predecessor reveal trailer, Dead Island 2 ended Opening Night Live with a madman to reveal and gameplay trailer. Dead Island 2 has been firmly in development hell since 2014 and has switched studios multiple times. It’s set in a zombie overrun LA known as “Hell-A” (get it?) and the game’s website describes it as “the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible.” Both trailers definitely play that gore-up with all sorts of squelching, wet sounds as rotten body parts explode across the screen. Disgusting. The game will also be the first to feature Amazon’s new Alexa Voice Control technology. Dead Island 2 launches — for real this time — on February 3rd on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.