By Adam Hood
Welcome to the latest edition of Kirklees Gaming. Today we’re looking at the biggest games and the best trailers from Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Due to the pandemic, Gamescom 2020 did not take place as a physical event, yet, like many of the recent games, the showcase took to the Internet for a digital-only event. Gamescom really kicked it into gear with Opening Night Live, their two-hour-long showcase of upcoming games offering a more detailed look at games already announced, with over 30 different titles.
The show was hosted by Geoff Keighley, who is known worldwide for hosting YouTube’s coverage of E3, The Game Awards, along with Gamescom itself.
During the opening, he noted that the annual Game Awards would follow similar production methods to maintain social distancing amid the pandemic.
While the main event was last week, I wanted to talk about some of the biggest titles I saw at the event and what you can look forward to in the future. If you want to see the full Opening Night Live then click the video below.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
The first major title on this list just so happens to be the first game of the opening night. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a direct sequel to the original Black Ops game. The game takes place in the 1980s during the Cold War, and the campaign will see the return of several characters from the original game such as Frank Woods and Jason Hudson.
The developer has stated that there will be multiple objectives that you will be able to choose from, which is not seen in the other games. There will also be many memorable narrative-driven moments in the game, such as the already controversial scene which sees U.S. President Ronald Reagan giving you a mission.
As someone who has not played the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, I can’t personally speak about how good the game would be. However, from what I have seen from fans and trailers, it looks like it will be a hit. It is also great to see that more support will be given to Call Of Duty: Warzone.
Unknown 9
Unknown 9 is an upcoming action-adventure game from Reflector. The developer has said it is a narrative-driven game, and the protagonist can manipulate the world around her. She will see things such as people’s movements in a ghostly form before they happen to react better. But we only saw a short scene, so what we can learn is not a lot.
The trailer looked interesting. The narrative seems to involve some sort of a mystery as it showed the character hiding something behind a brick in the wall. From the CGI trailer, we can only learn so much, but the trailer was impressive, to say the least. Hopefully, more details are released soon and some gameplay to get a better feel for the title.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1
The Ancient Gods – Part 1 is the new expansion for Doom Eternal, but it has also been confirmed to also be a standalone title. You don’t need to own Doom Eternal to play this game. This would suggest that the expansion is far more extensive than what we expect, and in their own words, it is like a 2 part film, so we will get plenty of content.
The expansion will contain many places to explore and many enemies to kill. You will also see the Doom Slayer and his new arsenal of weapons slay them back to the netherworld. So while you can buy this as a standalone game, I would recommend you buy the previous titles as it has been said the story is excellent.
Dragon Age 4
There are few gaming franchises that I genuinely love and could play forever, and Dragon Age would be on the top of that list. Being someone who has played hundreds of hours of the previous games, when I saw this, I was excited, to say the least.
Developers Bioware teased the next game with talk about how they would ant to be innovative with new characters and concepts for the franchise. Like previous Dragon Age games, it seems to have a similar mix of the environment and civilization’s architecture. They will also be many areas never before seen, but I have my guesses as to their location. The devs spoke about how it will be a story that sees an oppressed group struggling against power.
Unfortunately, we did not see any gameplay. Still, due to the recent track record of games such as Mass Effect Andromada and Anthem, I would hope they’re taking their time. Dragon Age Inquisition was released six years ago. From the look we got during this trailer, we might have at least several more years to go.
12 Minutes
12 minutes that was previously announced at E3 last year, but a new trailer was dropped at Gamescom this year. They feature a man stuck in a time loop and will take place entirely top-down from things’ looks.
The game itself looks great, but what really got my attention was its all-star cast. The game will feature actors Daisy Ridley and James McAvoy in starring roles, as well as Willem Dafoe, who narrates this trailer.
12 minutes is being developed by Luis Antonio and Published by Annapurna Interactive. No release date has yet been announced.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Another year another World of Warcraft expansion, the game that keeps on giving showcased a short but exciting animated film giving a few details of what to expect. Blizzard has said it is the first of four so expect more to come shortly, with the next short scheduled to release on October 27th.
As a massive fan of massively multiplayer online games, I think the expansion has potential. Still, I will need to see more gameplay to be confident about how good it will be.
Surgeon Simulator 2
A game that Doc Brown himself announced himself (no joke), Surgeon Simulator 2, is now on the Epic Games Store. It will contain a story mode and a 4 player online multiplayer. The game is developed by Bossa Studios.
It looks like a fun game with over the top actions, so if you and your friends fancy being a surgeon and having some crazy moments, then this game is for you.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
As we have mentioned in a previous article, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About time developed Toys For Bob. The trailer features a look at the new Flashback Tape levels, which will bring you back to the golden age of the series. So I hope you are prepared for more Crash action and to relive your childhood once again.
Star Wars Squadrons
Also featured in a previous article is Star Wars: Squadrons. We got an extended look at the single-player campaign during the show and showed one of the single-player missions you will complete. Just as mentioned previously, you will be able to play this game in VR to increase the immersion you have in the game.
Teardown
Developed by Tuxedo Labs, Teardown will see you play in a Minecraft style environment in which you can use the fully destructible environment to plan the perfect heist.
The destructible environment really looks good, and they really show that off in the trailer. The developer, in my opinion, was clearly speaking to people’s more destructive nature.
Although that is the aim of the game. We did not see a heist in action, but the destructible environment warrants a closer look. No release date a have been announced for this game.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
This month will see the release of Mafia: Definitive Edition. The trailer focuses on Tommy’s main character as he becomes like a member of the crime family. Like previous trailers, we saw the beautiful new visuals that use Mafia 3 engine. The game is developed by Hanger 13 and will be released on September 25th.
With the slick combat and story from Mafia 3, I expect a lot from the originals remaster, which looks more like a remake.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
With the latest addition to the Lego franchise, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will contain all nine films. The trailer features Luke training with Yoda, pod-racing, and Finn and the rebels facing the star destroyers in Rise of the Skywalker. A cool feature is that it also contains space combat, which is a great addition.
Considering Lego’s sense of humor, I expect an excellent experience for this game. From their previous titles, it will undoubtedly be a love letter to the franchise.
Fall Guys Season 2
After taking the gaming world by storm this summer, Fall Guys premiered the games season 2 during the Opening Night Live. The game will go for a medieval-themed season with new costumes and maps for you to go insane for in this game. The new season will be available this October.
I gotta say, this is one of the best games I have played in a while and is a perfect game to play with your friends and earn yourself a crown as the champion in this Takeshi’s Castle styled game.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond
This is a narrative first-person VR shooter developed by Respawn Entertainment. It is directed by the game’s original lead made over two decades ago, with many key events such as D-day and various espionage elements. The game will be available on the Oculus Rift and Quest via the Oculus Link. So if you are a VR fan, this is the game for you.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2’s Beyond Light expansion is the latest edition to the series, which will add a new power called Stasis. You will have the ability to freeze enemies and deliver finisher blows and the other skills that will change the landscape of destiny multiplayer. I will definitely be giving this expansion a go and hope you do as well.
Also, starting this September, you will get access to all Destiny expansions for Xbox Game Pass. When Beyond Light releases later this year, you will get that with Game Pass too.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
We saw the second piece of gameplay from Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart during the Opening Night Live. The demo showed Ratchet & Clank chasing after the villain Dr. Nefarious. You will see the characters falling through portals and entering combat. Through the gameplay, you will see four new weapons for the game and a new feature that allows you to grapple rifts and use them to transfer across platforms.
As someone who immensely enjoyed the previous title, I am really looking forward to what this has to offer. With the game continually showing the new SSD, I expect many new worlds that take full advantage of the new hardware.
This game is Sony’s poster child for the new PS5 SSD exclusive to the console. Like games like God of War, it will have no loading screens but will load entirely new locations almost instantly. The game is set to release during the PS5’s launch window, but no release date has been announced.
Final Thoughts
Overall the Gamescom Opening Night Live was great. I would recommend you go and watch to see the full library of games shown at the event as I am sure you will enjoy the show.
So I hope you enjoyed this article and have added some new games to your calendar. I hope you stick with us for our next article, and we will see you soon.