From the amusement park created by the studio behind Tropico 6 and Might & Magic X: Legacy to puzzle and musical shooters from indie developers
Broadcast from the first day of Gamescom could be discouraging: there seems to be a lot of games , but half of them are multiplayer shooters, MMOs and multiverses. There were few interesting and original projects. At the same time, on a special page on Steam, which disappeared almost immediately after the end of the event, it was possible to study the full list of products that the studios brought to the conference. And there were many more interesting games there. We have selected 20 projects of various genres, many of which have demos, and briefly talk about them.
Park Beyond
Coming out : in 2023
Platforms : PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Demo : no
A new game from Bandai Namco and Limbic Entertainment, which in its history has worked on Might & Magic Heroes VI, Might & Magic X: Legacy, Might & Magic Heroes VII and Tropico 6. Their next project is an amusement park simulator in which familiar technology and the laws of physics simply do not exist. This approach allows not only to build unusual attractions, but also to truly enjoy the management of the enterprise. Eurogamer writer Matt Wales notes that the game has room for strategy thanks to a variety of tools and statistics for analysis, as well as micromanagement that constantly keeps the gamer’s attention and does not let them relax.
Phantom Hellcat
Output : unknown
Платформы: PC, PlayStation 4 и 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Demo : no
Slasher-platformer from the company All in! Games ( Chernobylite publisher ). Phantom Hellcat takes place in a theatrical setting that serves as a prison for demons. Evil forces break one of the restraining seals and kidnap the only warden. The main character – a girl named Jolyne – is forced to save her mother from the hands of demons. To do this, she needs to learn fencing techniques (that is, pump skill trees), find magical masks, each of which can be improved, and fight the mysterious Magician. In terms of gameplay, Phantom Hellcat combines 2D platforming with 3D combat. And there are many decorations that change from level to level.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Coming out : in 2023
Platforms : PC and Xbox Series X/S
Demo : no
There are never too many games about demons. The Polish studio Plot Twist, which includes industry veterans who have worked on Dead Island, Dying Light, The Witcher series, Cyberpunk 2077, the Total War franchise and other projects, is now creating a very stylish and colorful metroidvania with tentacles, puzzles and noir. For the company The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a debut project. In it, the main character is a detective who is somehow connected with a demon and is able to penetrate the subconscious of dead people. His task is to unravel the secrets of the sinister mansion, and at the same time find the missing child and find out who killed his parents.
In The Last Case of Benedict Fox there is a place for secret organizations, and cold-blooded murders, and forbidden rituals, and elements from the books of Howard Lovecraft. The journey will be designed in the style of Tim Burton cartoons, and jazz from the beginning of the 20th century will sound in the background.
During the journey, the detective will use classic weapons (a knife with a gun) and demonic abilities (like Ben from the Umbrella Academy), and when interacting with the environment, the main character will be able to build whole combinations of techniques.
Metal: Hellsinger
Released : September 15, 2022
Platforms : PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
Demo : yes
You can write endlessly about the game from Funcom publishing house . Especially if you’re a fan of heavy metal and DOOM Eternal. Shooter Studio id Software consisted of electronic compositions and guitar cuts. The difference is that the game is built on the principle of chess , and it is best revealed at the last level of difficulty.
The Outsiders studio project has a different approach. The authors invited eminent musicians from Serj Tankian from System of a Down and Matt Heafy from Trivium to Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquility and Alyssa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy, recorded an entire album with them, and then turned the melodies into part of the gameplay. The rules are simple: the more often the player shoots to the beat of the music, the more damage they deal. Accordingly, the higher the combo, the stronger the composition acquires new elements (guitar riffs, vocals).
You can be sure of all this soon. The full release of the game is scheduled for September 15th. In the meantime, we invite you to watch the concert with Gamescom, which brought together the above-mentioned stars and 3,000 people in the hall.
Dredge
Coming out : 2023
Platforms : Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5
Demo : yes
You are a fisherman who travels on a trawler across the seas between different islands. Nothing is required of you, except to catch carp, pike and other marine reptiles. True, if you swim very far, you can encounter sea leviathans. Who they are and where they came from – probably this is what the main character will have to reveal. In the process, he will still sell the catch, earn money and upgrade the ship in order to one day catch his goldfish.
Paper Trail
Released : Q1 2023
Platforms : Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Demo : yes
A very colorful and cute puzzle game that only partly resembles Fez and Monument Valley. In Paper Trail, you need to constantly play with the canvases, bend them, unwind them, and then twirl them again this way and that, in order to guide the heroine from one part of the world to another. Over time, the puzzles will become more difficult, the story – more interesting, and the world – more colorful. This is facilitated not only by the flat paper world, but also by the watercolor art design, which captivates from the first second. Not surprisingly, such a game has dozens of awards at various festivals, including Gamescom.
Repentance
Released : November 15, 2022
Платформы: PC, Xbox One и Xbox Series X|S
Demo : no
A new game by Josh Sawyer, the game designer behind Icewind Dale, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas, and both Pillars of Eternity. Pentiment is dedicated to the Middle Ages (graphically, it looks like a book from the 16th century). The authors themselves describe it as a “historical role-playing detective”, where there are many different characters, dialogues and situations that are decided depending on the characteristics or choice of the hero. In the story, a talented German illustrator investigates a series of murders that have been taking place in the Abbey of Kirsau over the course of 25 years, and at the same time faces the social changes that have taken shape in society in recent years.
It’s a peanut
Released : Winter 2022
Платформы: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S и PC
Demo : no
Strategy with single and multiplayer modes, including local co-op. The authors took the drawings of medieval artists as a basis and revived them with ink. This is how swordsman rabbits, spear dogs, cannibal snails, donkeys that blow horns with their buttocks, cat bishops that cast out heretics with prayer, and many other creatures appeared.
The essence of Inkulinati is in tactical battles. You win, earn ink, get the chance to summon even more outlandish characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The battles unfold on the pages of medieval manuscripts. All of them differ from each other in the number of traps and additional features. In addition, you, like your subjects, are able to influence the course of the battle with the help of abilities, whether it is a fist that shakes up the enemy army, or placing an obstacle in the way of the opponent.
Sunday Gold
Released : September 13, 2022
Platform : PC
Demo : yes
The case when traditional elements of point-and-click and RPG games converged in one place, as well as turn-based battles with insanity mechanics, like in Darkest Dungeon. Throw in a comic book aesthetic, a dystopian London, and plenty of colorful characters. Sunday Gold will force the player to carefully study the environment, look for clues, solve puzzles and skillfully combine heroes during the battle. In the story, you control a gang of criminals who decided that they could stop the plans of a powerful billionaire. On September 13, the time will come to find out how good this idea is.
The Fabulous Fear Machine
Output : unknown
Platform : PC
Demo : yes
The strategy, as the authors describe, is in the style of tabloid horror novels. You have fallen into the hands of a real machine of fear, which sows horror, panic and doubt. And it also helps to become more influential, because with the help of it you can become much more powerful. To do this, you must play special “Legends” cards: horror stories (did you try to call the “Queen of Spades”?), Urban myths (do you know the story about “Bloody Mary”? There was a series about her back in Supernatural) and conspiracy theories (the world Reptilians rule, or maybe Freemasons? By the way, we have a video on the topic ). In total, the game will have 80 different stories and legends.
And in order for madness to be regularly maintained in people’s lives, you must send agents, collect resources and keep an eye on the warring parties who also like your car.
10 more games in a couple of offers
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Tin Hearts
An adventure game from the creators of Fable about a brilliant inventor, tin soldiers and the living world of toys. Tin Hearts will have 40 levels with puzzles of different levels, as well as a VR version that will allow you to look at what is happening in a different way.
Edge of Sanity
Survival horror that will appeal not only to fans of the work of Howard Lovecraft, but also to fans of the genre. The game tells the story of a group of scientists who work in the harshest conditions in Alaska during the Cold War.
lego bricktales
A more polished version of LEGO Builder’s Journey with a story campaign, multiple biomes and a limited sandbox mode. The game takes an intuitive, brick-by-brick approach to building any type of building, from decorative structures to functional puzzles, where you build first and then look at the result.
Fall of Porcupine
Adventure game in the style of Night in the Woods. You are a novice doctor who treats his patients for diseases (the whole process is built around dialogues and various mini-games), lives in the city of Porcupine (notable for the ruins of an old castle), and understands that some kind of devilry is going on in the city.
Planet of Lana
A colorful puzzle game with a sci-fi setting and stunning art design. An army of robots has attacked the Earth, and now Lana, along with an animal called Mui, must find her missing sister.
Sandwalkers
A very stylish “bagel” about the Mka tribe, which regularly sends caravans to explore the elemental chaos. The game is built around tactical turn-based combat and exploration of the world (the latter, perhaps, is even more important than everything else).
Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator
A brewing simulator where you have to mix ingredients in the right proportions to make a lager or an IPA. In life, you are unlikely to learn how to body as well, but to demonstrate knowledge or show off during the next drinking bout is quite.
The Knight Witch
Metroidvania with card mechanics that will allow you to develop a character in two directions: a knight or a witch. In addition, the game has a lot of settings that will allow beginners to join the process: from the situational auto-aim system and pointers to cheat codes that change the gameplay.
9 Years of Shadows
Another extremely stylish platform game, but in the spirit of old-school games, which you don’t often see today. By the way, the music for the project was written by composers Mituri Yamane and Norihiko Hibino, who worked on Castlevania, Mega Man, MGS 2 and 3 (they were also added to the game as NPCs).
Potion Tycoon Tycoon
You manage a magic shop, complete orders, experiment with ingredients, and rebuild a laboratory. And yet – you compete with other market participants who are ready to offer your customers much better prices.
For today, that’s all. Tell us which games that took part in the festival are your favorites and what you are looking forward to before the end of the year.
