Yesterday was the big main Summer Game Fest presentation for 2023, essentially the replacement for E3 as the major trade show for the games industry. Here are some of the biggest announcements from the show.
Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat 1 was initially revealed three weeks ago in a cinematic trailer, but this was our first chance to see the game in action, with a live gameplay demo and a brief interview with series creator Ed Boon. The gameplay showed off also included the hyped-up new Kameo Fighter mechanic, which allows players to summon other characters for assistance similar to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. The game releases September 13.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Square Enix had been teasing more info about the follow-up to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake for a while, and at yesterday’s showcase they delivered with an all-new trailer, showing off exploration of the world outside of Midgar and some brief looks at story cinematics and combat, including some footage controlling Red XIII, a character from the original Final Fantasy VII who was not playable in Remake. The trailer confirmed an early 2024 release window, as well as the physical version releasing on two discs, a nod to the space-saving techniques of Playstation 1 RPGs.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The first announcement of the night was a surprise reveal of a new Prince of Persia game, the first since 2010’s The Forgotten Sands. Even more surprising is the side-scrolling gameplay, a return to the style of the original games from the ‘80s and ‘90s. The game is releasing on current- and last-gen consoles, Nintendo Switch, and PC January 18, 2024
Alan Wake II
Initially revealed at the 2021 Game Awards, Alan Wake II got a new gameplay trailer featuring new playable character Saga Anderson exploring an abandoned cabin and fighting some sort of axe-wielding deer man. The game’s creative director, Sam Lake, also came on stage for a brief interview. Alan Wake II releases on October 17 of this year.
Lies of P
The self-described “soulsborne-like game” set in a dark Pinocchio-inspired fantasy world Lies of P got a new trailer showing off some of the game’s areas and enemies. The big pieces of news from the trailer were a confirmed release date, September 19, and an announcement of a demo for the game launching immediately.
Sand Land
Another surprise reveal was a new action RPG based on the manga series Sand Land, created by famed Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama. Sporting a sprawling desert setting and Toriyama’s distinct character designs, the game comes from developer ILCA and publisher Bandai Namco, the combo that previously released another anime adaptation, One Piece Odyssey, earlier this year. While there is no release date as of yet, the game is confirmed to be coming to Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.
Sonic Superstars
Rumors of a new 2D Sonic platformer in the works were confirmed with a reveal trailer for Sonic Superstars. The game appears to take over the classic style of Sonic gameplay seen in the Genesis games and Sonic Mania, but with a modernized 3D art style. The gameplay trailer included confirmation of 4-player co-op with characters Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, alongside otherwise traditional classic Sonic gameplay with a hint of more modern parkour. The game will release on all major platforms this fall.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
A spinoff of the Like a Dragon series, formerly known as Yakuza, was revealed in a trailer showing off combat against huge crowds of enemies and the return of fan-favorite protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. The game will release on November 9.
Immortals of Aveum
EA Original fantasy FPS Immortals of Aveum is almost here, and the game got a substantial push at the presentation, with a meaty gameplay trailer and an interview with lead voice actor Darren Barnet. The game releases July 20.
Nicolas Cage in Dead by Daylight
In a bizarre surprise, actor Nicolas Cage appeared on stage to announce that he will be playing himself as a playable character in a new update for ongoing multiplayer survival horror game Dead by Daylight. Cage will be added to the game on July 25
Spider-Man 2
While we didn’t see any new gameplay for Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2, we did get a confirmed release date: October 20.
Palworld
Easily the weirdest game at the showcase, Palworld appears to be what can basically be summed up as “Pokemon but with guns.” The trailer showed some open-world gameplay and a wide variety of vaguely derivative monster designs, but these details seem to fall into the background in the face of the much more noticeable fact that the cute creatures are wielding firearms. This bizarre title hits Early Access in January.
You can watch the entire Summer Game Fest showcase here: