Gamescom 2022 has kicked off in Colonge, Germany and brought with it a new slew of video game announcements. New games were announced, we got new looks at upcoming titles that were already announced, PlayStation unveiled a new controller, and much more.
Much of the news came via Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live presentation, with some publishers also making announcements around the same time. For those of you who have yet to catch up, here’s a recap of the biggest video game news that happened:
Moving Out 2 announced
One of Australia’s recent video game phenomenons was Moving Out, a chaotic local multiplayer game where you attempt to move furniture in and out of properties while trying not to cause too much damage (or, you know, cause as much damage as possible). A Moving Out sequel was announced as part of Opening Night Live.
Moving Out 2 will feature whole new worlds and challenges. The announcement trailer featured a picturesque holiday destination, a space station, a whole array of bizarre contraptions and machines designed to make your life that much harder.
Read: How ‘Moving Out’ entertains us while the world stays in
Moving Out 2 is being published by Team 17, and will launch in 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
Return to Monkey Island release date announced
The long-awaited next chapter in the seminal adventure game series, Monkey Island, had a release date announced. Return to Monkey Island will release on 19 September 2022, which is by no small coincidence, International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Designed by series creator Ron Gilbert with the involvement of key Monkey Island developer Dave Grossman, Return to Monkey Island is a direct continuation of Ron Gilbert’s interpretation of the world, and features the return of Dominic Armato, the voice of series protagonist Guybrush Threepwood.
A new trailer was debuted at the Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live, featuring a new look at the game’s locations, art style, and the return of Monkey Island salesman Stan S. Stanman.
Preorder details were also shared; doing so will get you ‘Free Horse Armor’ which has absolutely not practical in-game use – a jab at the infamous horse armor of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, one of the earliest examples of paid content for video games.
Return to Monkey Island is being published by Devolver Digital, and will release on 19 September 2022 on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Dead Island 2 finally has a release date
Zombie action game Dead Island 2 has long been in development hell, first announced in 2014 and being passed around multiple studios since. A new trailer featuring a release date for the game finally debuted at Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2022. Dead Island 2 will finally (probably?) arrive on 3 February 2023.
The game is being developed by Deep Silver studio, Dambuster, and will see you fight to reclaim Los Angeles from hoards of zombies with a brutal combat system, if previews are to be believed.
Dead Island 2 will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Epic Games Store.
PlayStation announces new PS5 DualSense Edge controller
Rumours of a ‘pro’ version of the PlayStation 5 controller have long been circulating since Xbox paved the way with their premium and feature-packed Xbox Elite Controller, which is now in its second iteration. Now, the curtain has been lifted, with the company officiall unveiling the DualSense Edge controller for PS5.
Although it keeps the formfactor of the PS5’s standard DualSense controller, the Edge features a number of bonus features, including lever buttons on the back of the controller, the ability to adjust analog stick deadzones, alter the travel distance of the triggers, save multiple controller profiles, change out the analog stick caps, and more.
The features should hopefully please those who require a little more finesse when playing console games, especially for those who are particually invested in competitive shooter games.
No release date or pricepoints have been announced for the PS5 DualSense Edge controller at the time of writing.
Sonic Frontiers gets a release date
The curious new Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic Frontiers, had its releae date officially revealed during Gamescom 2022, after a several unfortunate leaks. Sonic Frontiers will release on 8 November 2022, and the game received a new story-focussed trailer to mark the occaision.
The gist is that Sonic has a discovered a whole new world, which justifies the game’s new free-roaming sections. While the game received some criticism about its supposed new directions in early previews, the story trailer reveals the variety of gameplay experiences contained in it – side-scrolling action features, as do a variety of more colourful locals, which should hopefully quell those upset about the idea of spending too much time in the grassy plains that have featured heavily up to this point.
Sonic Frontiers will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch on 8 November 2022.
New Tales from the Borderlands officially revealed
A brand new entry in the Borderlands narrative adventure series, Tales from the Borderlands is coming. New Tales from the Borderlands will continue the legacy started by Telltale Games, focusing on some of the periphery characters of the wider Borderlands universe, rather than action-packed journeys of Vault Hunters.
A brief look at the game revealed that Rhys, the protagonist from the original Tales of the Borderlands (do we call that one ‘Old Tales from the Borderlands’ now?) has a small part to play in this new story, but ultimately the game focusses on three new protagonists: Fran, Anu and Octavio.
Fran is a frozen yoghurt store owner who gets around in a rocket-powered hoverchair, and already is ingrained in Borderlands lore. Anu is a scientist, and her brother Octavio is a street-smart kid, who provides comic relief.
New Tales from the Borderlands will launch on 21 October 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Nintendo Switch.
Gotham Knights gets new trailer, earlier release date
In a bizarre turn of events, upcoming DC Comics action game Gotham Knights has recieved a new release date – but instead of being delayed to 2023 like just about every other video game, Gotham Knights will actually be released earlier than expected. It’ll now release on 21 October 2022.
A new trailer was revealed during Gamescom 2022, which showcased the game’s enemies – including Mr Freeze, Clayface, and Harley Quinn with a whole new look.
You’ll take on these foes as one of four different Batman heroes, who are picking up the pieces after the his death. Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, and Batgirl will all sport different fighting styles, and have the ability to team up for higher-powered attacks.
Gotham Knights will release on 21 October 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
A new look at The Callisto Protocol
The team at Striking Distance Studios, which is made up of a number of key figures behind the Dead Space franchise, revealed another look at their spiritual successor to the sci-fi horror series, The Callisto Protocol.
A new trailer foucsed on various melee and ranged combat abilities, as well as a new ‘mutations’ mechanic, which sees enemies quickly transform into more vicious opponents if you don’t take advantage of the brief window to stop them from doing so.
The game looks positively terrifying, and given the prestige of the people behind it, it’s one we’re certainly keeping an eye on.
The Callisto Protocol will release on 2 December 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Atlas Fallen announced from the developers of The Surge
Deck 13, best known as the developers of The Surge – an interesting sci-fi take on the Dark Souls genre – have revealed their next game. It’s called Atlas Fallen, and it’s a fantasy action RPG that takes place in a sand-covered world populated with enormous creature.
Interestingly, the combat system in Atlas Fallen will apparently quite different from the methodical one of The Surge, with a focus on being more agile, fast-paced, and flashy, though still requiring some level of skill and timing to perform perfectly.
Atlas Fallen will be available in 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The Lords of the Fallen announced
The Lords of the Fallen was announced at Gamescom 2022, a game from the developers who brought you Lords of the Fallen (wow, that’s not confusing at all). It’s touted as a ‘spiritual successor’ to the studio’s original take on the Dark Souls genre, which was still steeped in dark fantasy, but was a little more accessible for those not quite ready to take on the FromSoftware brand of things.
The Lords of the Fallen will feature online co-operative multiplayer, as well as the ability to invade the games of other players as an antagonist. While the announcment trailer didn’t feature any actual footage of the game, it did feature a Danzig track, so consider us interested.
The Lords of the Fallen is currently planned for sometime in 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.
Dune is getting a survival MMO, Dune: Awakening
The revival of Dune in cinemas certainly has injected new interest in the franchise. There’s already the strategy game Dune: Spice Wars, and now a survival MMO called Dune: Awakening has been announced at Gamescom 2022.
Developed by Funcom (Conan: Exiles), the game will apparently throw thousands of players in a shared instance of the planet Arrakis, encouraging them to build bases and survive, to eventually form alliances, harvest resources like spice, and survive the trecherous world – sandworms aplenty here.
Though it had a rocky launch, Funcom eventually turned Conan: Exiles into something loved by many, so there’s hope that a lot of the lessons learned in that game can be transposed to Dune: Awakening.
Dune: Awakening currently has no planned release date, although you can sign up for the beta. It’s planned for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Hogwarts Legacy gets a new trailer
A new trailer for Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming open-world action adventure set in the Harry Potter universe was revealed at Gamescom 2022, and it explores the darker side of the wizarding universe. It appears that Hogwarts founder Salazar Slytherin will be a key part of the game’s narrative, as will the spider Aragog and several nasty creatures.
The trailer also revealed that students in the game will be able to perform forbidden curses in the game and torture folks, which is pretty wild.
Hogwarts Legacy naturally comes with a lot of baggage, given the much-publicised prejudices of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, so it’s worth considering that if this game does pique your interest.
Hogwarts Legacy is due out on 10 February 2023, and will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version of the game is planned for a later date.
This article is constantly being updated … check back soon for more
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