Following its second live event after a brief pandemic break, gaming’s biggest international expo is set to kick off a week of exciting launches, teasers, one-off events, and more.
Broadcasting from Cologne, Germany, Gamescom has routinely pulled in bigger numbers than any other gaming convention across the world, and this year’s massive opening night was no exception:
Hosted by veteran gaming journalist Geoff Keighley, the opening night alone let loose a cascade of amazing new trailers for properties both new and old — giving gamers a taste of what’s to come as we roll into 2023.
Here are some of the biggest highlights from the event so far:
1. Dune Awakening
While the Dune franchise hit mainstream appeal back with Denis Villeneuve’s hugely popular film reboot back in 2021, it was clear that the videogame industry would follow suit, giving some of us old-school fans a chance to rejoice. While the relatively recent 4X title Dune: Spice Wars gave us an immersive taste of the Duniverse’s battling factions, none of us expected to see a large-scale MMO experience set on Arrakis — pretty much the first of its kind.
With plenty of survival elements already baked into the IP’s story and setting, we’ve got our fingers crossed for this one.
2. The Callisto Protocol
Those of you who spent the early 2010s both terrorized and captivated by the Dead Space franchise’s dark, ultraviolent take on sci-fi horror would have perked up within the first few seconds of this trailer.
The team behind that modern classic has now whipped up a new survival-horror experience titled The Callisto Protocol, which puts us in the shoes of Jacob Lee, a prisoner living in the year 2320 struggling to survive in the midst of an alien invasion. While the general gameplay seems a bit too ‘samey’ compared to its spiritual predecessor, this one’s definitely worth keeping on your watchlist.
3. Hogwarts Legacy
Sure, Hogwarts Legacy has had plenty of hype-inducing trailers so far, but none of them have really explored the most unique part about the game, at least compared to other digital Wizarding World outings — this time, you get to be the bad guy too.
If you’re looking to channel your inner Voldemort, you’ll certainly be able to through a new teased questline that allows player characters to dive into Hogwarts’ troubling, secretive past — and maybe learn a few ‘unforgivable curses’ along the way.
4. Gotham Knights
Finally, a good trailer that the fans took well — after facing plenty of controversy for gameplay choices, thematic differences from the original Arkham games, and bloated fan expectations, the new ‘villains’ trailer gives us a solid glimpse into one of the biggest draws of any Bat-game — the roster of compelling baddies we get to fight against.
With repeats through Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze, fans greatly appreciated the return of the much-overlooked Clayface — as well as subtle nods towards The Court of Owls and Two-Face, both of which promise a high-stakes storyline that we’re excited to sink our teeth into.
5. Moonbreaker
A game world written by fantasy titan Brandon Sanderson and created by the Subnautica developers? Yes, please! Opening up with a charming intro from the seminal author himself, Moonbreaker seems like a heartfelt love letter to fans of tabletop RPGs, combining detailed strategy elements with deep customization, and even a high-level painting suite to fuel your inner geek.
6. Lords of the Fallen
A reboot/refresh of the 2014 Soulslike, this trailer may not really reveal too much in terms of gameplay, but oh man was it exciting to watch.
Set to ‘88 metal anthem Mother by Danzig, the new game is set over a thousand years after the events of the original, and features a much larger, beautifully conceptualized world, plenty of questing, and the same high-stakes gameplay loop to keep us satisfied post-Elden Ring.
Gamescom 2022 is set to run from 23rd August to 28th August.
Lead Image: gamescom-cologne.com
