Summary
Summer Game Festis over for another year, and what a weekend it’s been. Year after year, the event proves that the community simply can’t get enough of the biggest game news in the last 12 months in one hefty chunk. Geoff Keighley’s team is thankfully more than happy to oblige,offering players a huge wad of revealsthat, for many, ensures that Summer Game Fest lives up to the hype.
Summer Game Fest delivers trailers and reveals in place of the now-defunct E3 expo, and its timing seems perfect as the likes of Devolver andXbox get involved with their own presentationsto make the entire weekend feel like an event that can’t be missed. They’ve certainly managed to do so, and2024 feels like a genuinely fantastic year for the show sharing trailers for games that players have been desperate to see come to life.
Star Wars Outlaws Preview: Rogue Fantasy Done Right
Star Wars Outlaws is every bit the rogue fantasy it promises at first glance, with a cheeky protagonist and lots of promise underneath.
10Blumhouse Games' Horror Collection Looks Terrifying
Jason Blum is clearly a man without fear, and that fearlessness has led him to an all-new art form. Blumhouse Games was revealed with an appearance from the man himself and Creative Lead Louise Blain,announcing a collection of horror titles that defy genre and aesthetic expectations.The reveal flexed trailers for Vermila Studios’Crisol: Theater of Idols, Perfect Garbage’sGrave Seasons, Eyes Out’sSleep Awake, Cozy Game Pals’Fear the Spotlight, and Playmestudio’sThe Simulation.
It gets better, still, though — the biggest reveal from the trailer comes fromSam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg, working together on a title calledProject C. The visionary creators are coming together for the first time in a brand-new horror experience. Blumhouse is on top of the movie world, and itmight be about to dominate video games, too.
9Alan Wake II DLC (That Dropped The Following Day)
Sam Lake’s appearance at any showcase, following his marvelous involvement in the iconic Champion of Light dance at last year’s Game Awards, is a true delight. This year, however, he pushed the envelope, stepping on stage replicating the dance once again, with some big news to share regardingAlan Wake II’s long-anticipated DLC. He revealed that it would benamedNight Springs- but it didn’t end there.
The trailer featured a look at playable lookalikes of Rose, Tim Breaker and the Federal Bureau of Control director Jesse Faden, fighting their way through their own short adventures. The best was yet to come, though, as Sam Lakerevealed that the DLC would be in fans' hands in less than 24 hours and that it would be included on physical Deluxe Editions of the game, expected in the Fall.Sam Lake simply doesn’t miss.
Alan Wake 2
Set thirteen years after the events of the original title; Alan Wake 2 sees the return of the titular protagonist in an all-new survival horror adventure. Trapped within an alternate dimension that allows him to manipulate events based on his writing, Alan attempts to write his way out of his prison by crafting a new tale of horror that traps FBI agent Saga Anderson. Players will switch between both characters, trying to escape a neverending nightmare riddled with supernatural forces.
8Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind Has Nostalgic Retro Vibes
The resurgence of cabinet-style arcade games has been a real treat for the retro gaming community.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeproved that the genre still had legs, andStreets of Rage 4was evidence enough that not only can the genre come back, but it can come back truly better than ever. And Summer Game Fest wasn’t about to let us go without another new side-scroller to be excited for.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewindbrings fans back to the arcade cabinet in a story that sees the Rangers up against Rita once again, only this time with the help of the futuristic Robo-Rita and a plan to use time-travel to end the team once and for all. The trailer for the game boasts riffs, rumbles, and a retro flair that fans are fizzing with excitement for. It’s about time someone gave the Rangers the respect they deserve, and this very well may be it.
7Perfect Dark Is The Return Of An Underrated Classic
One group of gamers has been wondering just what’s going on with the long-expectedPerfect Darkreboot that has promised to offer new life to the classic series. Another, on the opposite side of the community, has been wondering what it could play to fill theDishonored-shaped hole in its hearts while the franchise sits dormant. The reveal ofPerfect Darkat Xbox’s Games Showcase killed both birds with one brilliant stone.
Offering players a peek at the sleuthing and sly gameplay ofPerfect Dark, The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics revealed astunning visual style that has smashed expectations. The spy thriller isfull of fun gadgets and great takedowns, perfectly filling the hole that long-time and new fans of stealth games have been waiting for. The trailer didn’t reveal a release date, but one thing’s for sure — it can’t come a moment too soon.
6Starfield: Shattered Space Is A Scary Addition
It was bound to take a lot to win players over once again after the launch ofStarfield,which saw a slow trickle of players leaving day by day, and Bethesda knows this. It’s good news for players, too, asit seems that the game is about to lean hard into exploration, interdimensional nasties, and spooks galore in the upcomingShattered Space DLC.Offering players new areas to investigate and strange holograms to interact with, the DLC has revealed that Bethesda has aces up its sleeves that players couldn’t have predicted.
The trailer didn’t just reveal the DLC, though, adding that a surprise update would be coming to the game the very same night.The game has added fresh locations, bonus guns and armor, and some fresh content from the Creation Kitthat gives players a chance to kit out their bases with some extra flashy furniture. Players didn’t expect much fromStarfield, but they’ve certainly impressed some of the naysayers.
5Gears of War: E-Day Is Classic Carnage
It’s been years since players last saw theGearsseries, and for some, it’s felt like an immense wait. Luckily, though, Xbox were willing to break that tension. The company came through witha remarkable trailer using in-game assetsthat set the tone for a brutal and apocalyptic adventure.
Watching Marcus Fenix grapple with a foe is nail-biting stuff, and as Dom comes in for assistance, it becomes clear that the adventure is going to be an old-school one.Set 14 years before the original games,Gears of War: E-Dayis set to tell the story of the greatest losses for humanity against the Locust’s arrival, and it’sgoing to be bloody, brutal, and bombastic.
Gears Of War: E-Day Brings Back Marcus & Dom In Huge New Prequel
Gears of War: E-Day was revealed during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, showing the major Locust attack that changed the world forever.
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Returns To Indy’s Roots
Offering players anIndiana Jonesgame is enough of a sell, butits first trailer truly madeThe Great Circlefeel like the most essential upcoming adventure title. Luckily, though, there was more to see at Xbox’s Games Showcase, and people got a better look at the baddie-punching action.Indy and his companion Gina are captured by assailant forces searching for clues in the Himalayas, and it ends in a classic slapstick scrap.
The trailer might not have revealed much new gameplay, but it was a reminder of just how impressiveThe Great Circleis set to be. Video games have aimed to replicate the atmosphere of Indiana Jones movies for years, so it’s about time that Lucasfilm gave the real thing a fair budget. Plus, as aboulder escape is hinted at the end, it looks like people could be about to live out the adventure they’ve always dreamed of.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person action-adventure game developed by the creative team at MachineGames. Set in 1937 between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, players take on the role of the titular globe-trotting adventurer/archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones, as he races across the world to stop a dangerous organization from utilizing the power of the mystical Great Circle.
New Indiana Jones & The Great Circle Trailer Confirms At Least One Major Storyline
A new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been shown as part of the Xbox Games Showcase, revealing more gameplay and a new location.
3Fable Gets A New Story Trailer
Fablehas been a long time coming, and finally, players were offered a release window by Xbox ina new story trailer that featured more than they had bargained for.Joining Richard Ayoade in the hall of shocking British sitcom cameos, Matt King, akaPeep Show’s Super Hans, appears as retired adventurer Humphrey. He seems to be a friend and is likely to be a great ally.
The trailer also revealed thatthe game is officially coming at some point in 2025. For long-timeFablefans, this is all they need to keep up their hype for the upcoming fantasy romp. Get ready for a beautiful tankard of mead with no logo in the foam.
2Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Could Improve The Game’s Reception
There has been ample apathy forDiablo IV’s post-launch content, but there’s little that can be said about the cinematic trailers it can turn out. There may be much work for the game to do to win back players from launch, buttheir best shot is withVessel of Hatred, a brand new expansion that shared a new cinematic at Xbox’s Game Showcase.And what a trailer it was.
Featuring the grim, dirty, and dingy aesthetic thatDiablo IVemployed to perfection in its core game, players sawNeyrelle in danger of falling into the icy grip of Mephisto. The trailer is remarkably dedicated toDiablo’s nasty atmosphere, and it even came with the reveal of the new class, the Spiritborn. If players are ever going to get back intoDiablo, it’ll be withVessel of Hatred.
Diablo 4
Players are set to return to the world of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. Set after the events of Diablo 3’s Reaper of Souls DLC, Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, has been summoned to the world and has assumed power in the absence of demons and angels. Lilith establishes Sanctuary as a haven for refugees caught in the crossfire between hell and heaven. Wanting to protect her kind from the recently emerged Nephelem, Lilith is banished to the void. Now she has returned, seeking revenge for the crimes committed against her
1DOOM: The Dark Ages
Obviously.DOOM, post-reboot, has been one of the most celebrated shooter franchises in modern memory andhopes for a new game were soaring high before Xbox’s Games Showcase.And we truly got all that we wanted and more with the trailer forDOOM: The Dark Ages.
Boasting a new fur coat, ripper shield, and even a rideable demonic dragon, it’s hard to feel as though the game hasn’t reached its final, hardcore, bewildering form and was one of the most impressive trailers atSummer Game Fest. The action of the first two games returns in dramatic fashion, with plenty of new toys to play with and new monstrous riffs to memorize. Ripping and tearing has never been so alluring.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Coolest Weapon Is Already Playable In Earlier Games Thanks To Fans
DOOM: The Dark Ages' coolest weapon is already playable in the original game thanks to a quick-thinking and especially talented modder.
Summer Game Fest
https://www.summergamefest.com/
Summer Game Fest is an annual video game event hosted by game journalist Geoff Keighley. During the two-hour live stream, several video game developers showcase their upcoming titles, including game announcements, trailers, and more.
