Over the last few decades, the gaming industry has grown exponentially. From home consoles to the PC market and even mobile gaming, the industry continues to push its boundaries. As it does, more high-profile events like The Game Awards crop up, each of which announces a slew of new experiences. While it may not be the oldest convention, Gamescom is certainly one of biggest.
In 2022, Geoff Keighley hosted his own Summer Games Fest event and Gamescom Opening Night Live, with plans to host his Game Awards at the end of the year. His Gamescom opener was a packed two-hour live event full of new game reveals and looks at some highly anticipated titles. From reveals like Atlas Fallen to long-awaited titles such as Hogwarts Legacy, Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 seemingly had something for everyone.
Everywhere
The first Gamescom World Premiere came in strong with an ambitious title called Everywhere. After a vague trailer, the game's director hinted that the game may be like a Dreams-esque, GTA-inspired experience that mixes a variety of different genres.
Dune Awakening
Another World Premiere, Dune Awakening had an impressive-looking cinematic trailer, capturing the same lofty aesthetics of the recent Dune movie. The final title card read that Dune Awakening will be an open-world survival MMO, which suits the sci-fi saga perfectly by presenting an explorable universe with Sandworms and Freemen throughout.
The Callisto Protocol
Though The Callisto Protocol has had a few trailers so far, this latest one was by far the most impressive, showing a new feature called "Mutations" in which the game's monstrous foes can transform into even worse abominations if the player doesn't dispatch them fast enough. While Dead Space DNA is very much present, this trailer showed more unique mechanics like a stealth takedown, and more of an emphasis on melee combat - including a dodge mechanic. If this trailer is anything to go by, it seems like The Callisto Protocol may have some more cinematic sequences, most of which will likely end in viscera being strewn across the screen.
The Lords of the Fallen
The first Lords of the Fallen was one of the earliest, and arguably one of the most disappointing Soulslikes. While it may have dropped the number from its title, this new Lords of the Fallen is certainly a sequel, though the cinematic trailer doesn't give a great indication as to what's changing.
Moving Out 2
A sequel to one of the most chaotic co-op games in recent years, Moving Out 2 looks to be upping the ante and providing even more wild environments for players to move furniture through. For any fans of Overcooked, Moving Out is certainly a series worth checking out.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy received a new trailer in which players got a good look at the Forbidden Forest, as well as some new mystical creatures. It was also confirmed that the unforgivable curses, along with some other dark magic spells, will be in the game, with the player-character choosing to either learn the Cruciatus curse or have it used on them. The long-rumored Thestral mount has also been confirmed, along with a slew of other pre-order bonuses.
New Tales From The Borderlands
In a controversial move, Randy Pitchford took to the stage to announce the upcoming New Tales From The Borderlands, a narrative-driven series originally helmed by Telltale. An October 21 release date was provided for the game, which sees a new group of three loudmouthed misfits attempt to break into a Vault - the usual Borderlands fare.
Dying Light 2 - Bloody Ties
Dying Light 2's first paid story DLC showed off a new gladiatorial-like arena. A few creatively chaotic weapons were also on display, and the DLC received a release date of October 13, fitting Techland's five-year roadmap well.
Sonic Frontiers
The rather divisive Sonic Frontiers got a trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. This trailer looked significantly more colorful than the last few, with some vibrant environments being showcased, most of which made the odd floating platform design look relatively normal. A November 8 release date for Sonic Frontiers was also finally confirmed.
Under The Waves
A new game published by Quantic Dream, Under The Waves is yet another narrative-driven adventure revolving around an underwater deep diver, set against the backdrop of a 1970s techno-futuristic environment. As players explore the wrecks and caves underneath the ocean, they'll learn more about main character Stan's grief.
Goat Simulator 3
Goat Simulator 3 is back, and this latest trailer shows some incredibly absurd mechanics in play, from head-enlarging weapons to human cannons, to a full-on yoga retreat session and being swallowed whole by a whale. This is certainly a Goat Simulator game, and it knows exactly what fans want.
Return to Monkey Island
Ron Gilbert's Return to Monkey Island launches on September 19. Along with showing off more of the game's bold art style, this latest trailer also proved that the series' humor is still intact, with Stan S. Stanman promising that pre-orders come with free horse armor that has absolutely no effect on the game at all, a little jab at Oblivion's infamous DLC.
Moonbreaker
Set in an original universe by author Brandon Sanderson, Moonbreaker looks to be a turn-based tactics game that uses detailed tabletop minis as character models. In a unique move, these models can even be painted in-game, ensuring that each player will have their own customized units. Moonbreaker's paintshop looks extremely in-depth, with different types of brushes, paints, and decals available to use. This marks quite the departure from Unknown Worlds' last title, Subnautica, with the studio's creative director saying that Moonbreaker is more like "XCOM meets Hearthstone."
Friends Vs Friends
One of the most stylish trailers from Gamescom Opening Night Live, Friends Vs Friends introduced its vibrant and over-the-top world. It seems like Friends Vs Friends will be a first-person shooter intended to be a party game. The real hook is that Friends Vs Friends gives players a deck of cards, each of which determines the player's abilities, much like recent release Neon White.
Lies of P
A Soulslike based on the tale of Pinocchio, Lies of P's new trailer showed off some detailed Steampunk environments, weapons, and bosses, which go quite some way in setting Lies of P apart from the rest of the genre. It was also confirmed that Lies of P will be heading to Xbox Game Pass day one.
Atlas Fallen
A fresh IP from creator of The Surge and original Lords of the Fallen developer Deck 13, Atlas Fallen was revealed with a mostly CG trailer, showcasing some huge Monster Hunter-style weapons, two characters working together to fight a series of dog creatures, and a few brief glimpses of gameplay that showed some third-person action-RPG gameplay similar to Deck 13's previous works.
Homeworld 3
One of the most iconic early PC sci-fi strategy games, the Homeworld series returns with Homeworld 3. Based on this trailer, it doesn't seem the series has changed much, with the same general strategy loop shown off. However, the graphics have naturally gotten a lot better since the last mainline Homeworld release.
Genshin Impact 3.0
This Gamescom Genshin Impact trailer showed off some of the game's new playable characters, bosses, and its next area named Sumeru, all coming with the 3.0 update. The new Dendro element was also briefly shown off, being an ability that controls vegetation.
High On Life
The next game from Justin Roiland's Sqanch Games, High On Life received a new look at Gamescom Opening Night Live. This trailer showed off more of its first-person shooting gameplay, including some refined UI, and smooth grappling moves. The game's main gimmick, its talking weapons, were also given the spotlight, with a Roiland-voiced pistol mocking the boss that the player was fighting.
The Expanse
The Expanse, a game by Telltale based on the Amazon Prime show of the same name, received a behind-the-scenes trailer. Despite some rough visuals, The Expanse looks like it might be a solid, slightly experimental Telltale affair, with more third-person action gameplay than previous titles. As with all the studio's ventures, this game's quality will really depend on just how good its narrative is.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Coming out of absolutely nowhere, a Killer Klowns From Outer Space game was announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Though its genre wasn't specified, the executive director worked on Friday The 13th: The Game, so it could potentially be an asymmetric multiplayer game like that.
Scars Above
Third-person sci-fi shooter Scars Above received a very brief reveal trailer at the event. Though it will have its own unique identity, Scars Above seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from Returnal, both in terms of its third-person shooting gameplay and its environments, a lot of which include stone alien monsters with tentacles.
Wrydsong
Perhaps the most cryptic trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live debuted Wrydsong, the first title from developer Something Wicked - helmed by Bethesda alumni Jeff Gardiner. The game is set in an alternate medieval history, and will apparently be an open-world fantasy RPG.
Age of Empires 4 - Ottomans and Malians
With an oddly fitting cover of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" playing in the background, this Age of Empires 4 trailer showcased some new civilizations heading to the game. The Ottomans were first shown off, with the Malians getting a brief look at the end.
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights, one of the most tentatively anticipated titles of the year, got another trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live. This trailer showed off some of the game's villains, including DC Comics staples like Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, and Clayface, as well as another look at the Court of Owls who seem to still be the main villains of the game. The release date for Gotham Knights has also been pushed forward to October 21, from a previous date of October 25.
Where Winds Meet
Where Winds Meet is a third-person open-world action-RPG with a lot of style revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live. Boasting some fluid martial arts, sword-based, and bow gameplay, Where Winds Meet is set in the Northern Song Dyansty, in ancient China.
Hideo Kojima's Podcast
One of the few non-game segments in Gamescom Opening Night Live, Hideo Kojima made an appearance with Geoff Keighley, but not to show off any of the titles he's currently working on. Instead, Kojima announced that his podcast titled Brain Structure is releasing on September 8, exclusively on Spotify. Apparently, Keighley will have his own news segment on the show, and the podcast will be available in both Japanese and English.
Park Beyond
A theme park simulator in a similar vein to Frontier's Planet Coaster, Park Beyond takes things one step further, putting creativity and customization at the forefront. From the look of the trailer, players will have an unprecedented amount of freedom in creating their own shops, rollercoasters, and decorations.
Blacktail
Blacktail is a newly announced first-person shooter that focuses on bow combat, putting players in a dark fantasy world. It seems as though players will face off against a variety of fantastical foes, centered around the legend of the Baba Yaga, each one twisted from their usual fairy tale appearance.
Dorfromantik
A game that gives immediate chill vibes, Dorfromantik got a brief trailer to announce its Nintendo Switch port. This game tasks players with building out their own city, one hexagon tile at a time, all while lo-fi beats play atop a pastel color palette.
The Outlast Trials
First announced at last year's Gamescom Opening Night Live, The Outlast Trials received another trailer this year. As fans would expect, there's plenty of blood, torture, subliminal messaging, and horrifying human dolls, among many other horrors throughout the experience. It was also announced that some fans will be able to play the game later this year via a closed beta.
Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 finally reared its zombie-infested head at Gamescom 2022, years after the game was first announced. A makeshift shotgun with a bayonet played a big part in the trailer, perhaps hinting that some Dead Rising-style combo weapons will be a main feature of the long-awaited sequel. Surprisingly, Dead Island 2 was given a February 3, 2023 release date, which seems soon for a game that went radio silent for nearly a decade - though it has apparently been fully in development for four years with the new development team. In a brief interview after the trailer, it was confirmed that Dead Island 2 is set in Los Angeles.
Further surprising audiences, some Dead Island 2 gameplay footage was then shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live. It seems as though the game is leaning hard into an irreverent, over-the-top tone, with some humorous dialogue and brutal zombie killing. If the game can stick closely to this tone, it may manage to break away from its modern-day competition, Dying Light 2.
