The week of No-E3 has been packed with events, presentations, and announcements, with the starting shot fired by the Summer Game Fest, once again hosted by Geoff Keighley. The broadcast lasted around two hours, showcasing a gargantuan number of announcements. We’ve prepared a summary featuring what we consider the most relevant news from the event.
No More Room In Hell 2
Zombie games never go out of style, and No More Room in Hell 2 proves it. This sequel is being developed by the original team in collaboration with Torn Banner Studios (creators of Chivalry 1 & 2), who recently acquired the creators of the original title. The trailer revealed excellent visuals, spectacular dismemberments, and highly realistic lighting effects thanks to the impressive Unreal Engine 5. This is an eight-player cooperative multiplayer game, where each player starts isolated in different parts of a massive map. You’ll need to find the rest of the team to increase your chances of survival. According to the official website, players start off armed with only a bottle and must explore to upgrade their weaponry. Additionally, the game imposes a permadeath penalty, forcing players to think twice about risking their lives to save a teammate or fleeing to save their own necks. The game is slated to launch as early access this fall on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. Developers plan to keep it in this state for at least a year to implement improvements before rolling out the final version. Although the price hasn’t been disclosed, developers promise a reasonable early access entry price, which will increase upon the 1.0 release.
Star Wars Outlaws
Massive Entertainment’s visually spectacular open-world title set in the Star Wars universe showcased a stunning new trailer. Unlike last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, which featured only cinematics, and the development team interviews during Comic-Con 2023, this time, the 45-second trailer offered a brief glimpse of gameplay. While the footage didn’t reveal much, what little was shown built excitement. It was also announced that more gameplay would be unveiled during the next Ubisoft Forward.
Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, only in digital format for now. The standard edition costs €80 on consoles and €70 on PC and comes with two additional cosmetics. To gain three days of early access (not confirmed for Xbox), players must opt for the gold edition, priced at €120 on consoles and €110 on PC. This version also includes the season pass.
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
I’m not a big fan of trailers featuring only cinematics, as they usually feel like a ripoff, but this time, they managed to win me over. One of the most iconic strategy game franchises is getting a new installment. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is one of my all-time favorite strategy games, so the announcement of its sequel brought me immense joy.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII debuted with a CGI video showcasing the evolution of human civilizations through time as a constantly changing sculpture, with materials adapting to the passing eras. The aesthetic struck a notable balance, paired with epic music and voiceovers that shaped a trailer that, despite not revealing any in-game footage, perfectly conveys the game’s theme. The trailer wrapped up by saying the game would launch next year, can be added to wishlists now, and will have a gameplay showcase this August. Once again developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K, the game will be available on PC via Steam and for all consoles, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.
Black Myth Wukong
It’s been nearly four years since Chinese developer Game Science unveiled the first trailer for Black Myth Wukong, then in pre-alpha stage. Since then, this promising soulslike, set in 16th-century China and inspired by the novel Journey to the West, has captured widespread attention. Over the months, multiple gameplay videos have surfaced, all looking impressive, with one of the most recent showcased at last year’s Gamescom.
This time, there was no gameplay, only cinematics flaunting the power of Unreal Engine 5. However, the much-anticipated release date has finally been revealed. The wait ends on August 20. Pre-orders are now available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and PS5. The standard PC digital version is priced at €60, while Sony’s console version is €70.
Tears of Metal
Tears of Metal is a cooperative roguelike with hack n’ slash mechanics, featuring impressive hand-painted graphics and a Scottish-inspired setting. You’ll face hordes of enemies, either solo or with friends, with the goal of reclaiming control of your island. Between battles, you can upgrade your camp and unlock improvements.
The game includes over 100 combinable artifacts to enhance abilities, various hero archetypes, and the ability to create squads of soldiers whose power increases with experience. However, if they fall in battle, they’re lost forever. This intriguing mix of genres coupled with excellent aesthetics promises to make the game unmissable. While no release date has been announced, it’s confirmed for Steam, where you can wishlist it to stay updated.
Mecha Break
Mecha fans can rejoice with the announcement of Mecha Break. This vibrant multiplayer game not only lets players pilot robots reminiscent of Macross or Gundam classics but also fully customize them. The reveal video showcased the concepts, animations, and models bringing the game to life, and the level of detail is astounding.
Adrenaline-filled battles take place both in the air and on the ground using various melee and ranged weapons. Cooperative or PVP gameplay promises countless hours of fun. Squads can include 3 or 6 players, and the Steam page teases a 60-player battle royale mode. Pricing and release date are yet to be disclosed.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind
The beat ’em up genre has been enjoying a resurgence, with new entries in classic franchises and adaptations of nostalgic TV shows. This time, it’s the Power Rangers’ turn under the skilled development of Digital Eclipse. The studio has expertise in remastering older titles and crafting new games in retro pixel styles.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a love letter to the arcade heyday, featuring non-stop action, superb pixel art, co-op for up to five players, and endless waves of enemies. But it doesn’t stop there; the game also includes first-person shooter segments styled after classic arcade rail shooters and high-speed driving stages with effects reminiscent of retro favorites like Hang-On or OutRun.
This Power Rangers entry promises to be the ultimate experience for fans of the series and ‘90s kids alike. It will arrive sometime in 2024 on all platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs
It’s fair to say that no recent gaming showcase feels complete without some Alan Wake news. Last year alone, the highly anticipated Alan Wake 2 appeared at the PlayStation Showcase, Gamescom, and Summer Game Fest 2023. Naturally, it returned for the 2024 edition.
Finally, the first expansion for the fantastic survival horror Alan Wake 2 is here. Night Springs introduces three episodes featuring familiar faces from Remedy Entertainment’s universe. These stories are scripts written by Alan himself for the “Night Springs” TV show, which ultimately distort reality.
The episodes feature Tim Breaker (Bright Falls’ sheriff in Alan Wake 2), Rose Marigold (the Oh Deer Diner waitress and Alan Wake’s number-one fan), and Jesse Faden (protagonist of Control and Director of the Federal Bureau of Control within that game). The DLC will be available June 9 on the Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series. Owners of the base game can upgrade to the deluxe edition for €20, which includes this expansion, the upcoming “Lake House” DLC, additional skins, and other extras.
