Gamescom 2023 has kicked off, and as always, the day the event opens to the general public is marked by the official opening ceremony (the first days are reserved for developers and designated press). Once again, the Opening Night Live featured Geoff Keighley as the host for the live event, with more than 30 announcements made throughout the evening. Additionally, there was a pre-show hosted by Kyle Bosman, where some games that didn’t make it to the ONL were revealed. Here’s a summary of the most important moments from the event and the pre-show so you don’t miss anything.
Opening Night Live Preshow
Streets of Rogue 2
The hilarious and chaotic roguelite created by Matt Dabrowski is back and looks better than ever in the trailer for its sequel. The first Streets of Rogue already offered endless hours of gameplay, thanks to its procedurally generated maps and total freedom in completing objectives. A world full of life, thanks to its polished NPC AI, various unlockable character classes with unique traits, and an endless supply of weapons, vehicles, and items. Undoubtedly, the original title is one of those must-play games, and its sequel promises to expand the formula even further. Bigger maps, more options, and the introduction of buildable bases ensure that if the first installment offered infinite replayability, this sequel will entertain us until the end of time.
Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior
This intriguing game was first announced during this year’s Summer Games Fest, and we hadn’t heard much about it since. The title marks Sand Door Studios’ debut as a developer, and it appears the French studio is starting strong. During the trailer, we got to see plenty of gameplay accompanied by voiceovers, and it looks amazing. While the graphics are good, what really stands out is the core mechanic. It’s a hack and slash where you can rewind time to summon clones of your past selves to assist in battle, introducing an entirely new strategic layer to the genre.
Endzone 2
The first Endzone challenged players to face an ecological disaster in a post-apocalyptic world, building a new civilization and ensuring humanity’s survival. Combining strategy, resource management, and survival elements, the game allowed players to create colonies and withstand the challenges of a decaying world. The sequel boasts revamped graphics that look more spectacular than ever, updated colonist behaviors, and expanded play areas. The most requested feature from players has also been added—the ability to freely choose the initial location of the first settlement. Endzone 2 is set to release in spring 2024 and will be available on Steam and GoG.
Delta Force
NovaLogic’s military simulator is making a comeback 14 years after the last installment and the re-release of the classic title that launched the series back in 1998. It was presented with a brief but spectacular video showcasing advanced technical improvements thanks to modern technology, including more realistic graphics, destructible environments, and cutting-edge visual effects. The video also teased vehicle control and character classes, each with unique abilities, making it a worthy competitor to Call of Duty and Battlefield.
On the official Delta Force website, details about the four available classes (so far) and its three game modes were shared. These include a cooperative multiplayer mode for three players tackling missions against AI, a massive PvP multiplayer team mode similar to Battlefield, where air, land, and sea must be conquered to win, and a campaign mode based on the classic film “Black Hawk Down.” While no release date has been announced yet, pre-registration is already available on the site. The game will release on PlayStation, Xbox, PC (via Windows Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store), iOS, and Android. Nintendo users seem to be the only ones excluded. It’s unclear if it will feature cross-play, but it’s highly likely.
Opening Night Live
Starfield
Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG is one of the most anticipated games of all time, so naturally, it couldn’t miss the biggest gaming event. Unlike the gameplay shown during the Xbox Games Showcase, this video was a live-action cinematic. To present it, Tom Howard himself took the stage at Gamescom for the first time in his long career.
Little Nightmares III
The third installment of the Little Nightmares series is being developed by Supermassive Games, who previously improved the second installment for Xbox Series, PS5, and PC. The British studio has expanded the gameplay of this platformer, horror, and puzzle classic by introducing, for the first time in the series, the option to play with a friend or with AI if you prefer solo play. We’ll have to wait until next year to see how well the multiplayer mechanics fit into the game. Just like its predecessor, it will be available on all platforms.
Black Myth Wukong
Since the first gameplay (in pre-alpha state) was released nearly three years ago, Black Myth Wukong has captivated audiences worldwide. This striking action game with RPG elements is set in the 16th century and inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, the same story that influenced Akira Toriyama for Dragon Ball. Graphically, it looks stunning thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5, and its polished hack-and-slash gameplay is equally impressive. Game Science, the studio behind its development, has yet to announce a release date, but we know it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. It seems poised to become both an instant classic and one of the most influential games to come out of China.
Tekken 8
During the event, Bandai Namco shared more details about the latest Tekken installment, further fueling anticipation. Before the presentation, Tekken Project director Katsushiro Harada and producer Michael Murray took the stage to reveal new features. Chief among them is Arcade Quest, a new player-focused game mode where you create an avatar, wander through arcades, and compete to become the ultimate champion. At the end of the video, the long-awaited release date was unveiled. Tekken 8 will arrive on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC on January 24, 2024.
Armored Core VI
FromSoftware couldn’t miss out, offering a fresh look at one of their longest-running and most recognized franchises, Armored Core. The sixth numbered entry looks better than ever, with both outstanding graphics and refined, highly challenging combat mechanics. Thankfully, the wait is over, as the game is already available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC through Steam.
Mortal Kombat 1
The beloved Ed Boon, creator of Mortal Kombat, never misses a convention. As in all previous announcements for Mortal Kombat 1, he arrived with a trailer packed full of the best gore we’ve seen in our miserable lives. Each presentation unveils more of the roster, and this time we got our first look at Shao Kahn, along with Motaro, who seems to join the Kameo Fighters lineup.
Alan Wake II
Last but certainly not least, Remedy Entertainment’s celebrated creative director Sam Lake took the stage to reveal new details about the much-anticipated Alan Wake II. Ever since its announcement at this year’s PlayStation Showcase, fans have eagerly awaited updates on this survival horror title. The presentation featured a mix of live-action cinematics, gameplay, and in-engine cutscenes. Fortunately, the wait is almost over, as Alan Wake II is set to launch on October 27. You’ll be able to find it on PS5, Xbox Series, the Epic Games Store, and even Nvidia’s cloud gaming service GeForce Now.
