Every Game Shown at Summer Games Fest

By the time this comes out it will almost certainly be outdated, but here is the list and my initial impressions.

Mortal Shell II (2026) — 6/10
Very cool trailer. While it seems like a Dark Souls game in terms of aesthetic, with grotesque and twisted beings in a dark world, it is not a FromSoftware title. The monster and character designs truly speak to something sinister in the world, but the included combat clips are much more gorey than you would see in Soulslike gameplay. While it could be that the featured clips are not representative of the gameplay, if they are accurate to player experience, I could see it having a fast paced hack and slash environment somewhat similar to Doom Eternal. However, I find this unlikely as the first Mortal Shell was a Soulslike R.P.G., meaning combat will probably consist of unsuccessful dodges and yelling at a stamina bar to refill.

Galactic Battle V: Death Star Sabotage (June 7th) – 0/10
Special event that already happened. The visuals look cool, but I’m not interested in the Star Wars franchise.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (June 2025) – 10/10
The game has already come out by this article’s release, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be happy about it. To begin with, Hideo Kojima is an icon of the video game industry. The mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid, is back with his sequel to Death Stranding. He’s one of the best at storytelling, but his games also have a unique sense of humor about them that can balance the heavy atmosphere of a desolate and isolated landscape. For example, in his newest game you can obtain a rabbit hat of real-life Japanese VTuber Usada Pekora. Once equipped Sam Porter Bridges, the main character, will say only “Peko” while delivering precious packages through strong winds and earthquakes for the survival of humanity.

Chronicles: Medieval (Early Access 2026) – 3/10
I’m personally not a big fan of tactic simulators or medieval settings, so I’m not very interested. However, it does seem to have a more in-depth approach to tactics games that I’ve previously seen, and it has some of the most beautiful graphics I’ve seen for a tactics game. While the usual approach to this genre places the player in an omnipotent, birds-eye view position, Chronicles has you as a commander on the ground. Additionally, it utilizes geographical layout to its advantage in creating natural complexity that I see often disregarded in army battle simulators. Still, it seems too early for it to be announced as only early access will come in the coming year.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds (September 2025) - 9/10
Am I gonna play this game? No. Almost certainly not. But I think just its existence is important. First of all, there are so many characters I care about in this game: Jet from Sonic Riders, Hatsune Miku from Hatsune Miku Colorful Stage, and probably Goro Majima from the Yakuza series. To see Sega embrace their catalogue and leverage their widely beloved franchises in a Smash Bros style crossover is fun. Second of all, it’s cross-platform and you can race through Minecraft. Third of all, Nintendo needs competition. With Mario Kart World already out to mixed reviews and an $7/80 price tag, a cheaper racing game could be what drives prices down for Nintendo Switch 2 games if the free market is to be believed. Furthermore, from my experiences with Sega’s mobile games (read: Hatsune Miku Colorful Stage) they provide more active support than Nintendo’s Mario Kart team which is actively killing its online scene. Perhaps with their success, they can set a good example and we can hope to see a decrease in game prices overall. However, I have to keep my expectations low because what will most likely happen is that they’ll just also slap a $70 price tag on this game. In the end, my rating can only be justified by “Yay! Hatsune Miku!”

Code Vein II (2026) – 6/10
Another nitty gritty Soulslike sequel. With a post-apocalyptic future reminiscent of the future in Sonic ’06 the Silver the Hedgehog comes from, the world and monster designs look cool. My only exposure to Code Vein was through the lens of its character customization, so I do expect for that small part of the game to be quite robust. The gameplay itself looks like a nice action-y combat experience, but my lack of familiarity with Soulslikes tempers my excitement. It seems like it’ll follow the classic story of restoring some ancient claim to power to save a lost world.

End of Abyss (2026) – 7/10
The trailer gave me Little Nightmares vibes. You play as a small little guy (of ambiguous gender) in a world of enemies that look like mutated humans generated by A.I. Adding to the Little Nightmares comparison, these enemies are of course much larger and faster than you. The gameplay also seems quite similar as it centers around walking “forward” in a mysterious apocalyptic world.

Mouse P.I. for Hire (late 2025) – 10/10
Employing the black-and-white rubberhose style, Mouse P.I. for Hire draws on the aesthetics of classic animation to flesh out a rodent-based first person shooter. The trailer provides immediate appeal with the amazing voice acting, starring legendary Troy Baker, the voice of Joel in The Last of Us and Booker DeWitt in Bioshock:Infinite, as Jack Pepper. Speaking of Bioshock:Infinite, the gameplay seems somewhat similar albeit slightly more 2-D with a wide variety of satisfying weapons to use. This indie noir game seems promising.

Game of Thrones: War for Westeros – 2/10
I don’t care about Game of Thrones. Also the trailer for this real-time strategy game showcased zero gameplay which leads me to think that it is much less exciting than the epic battle shown.

Atomic Heart II – 4/10
Futuristic first-person shooter rpg. Beautiful and diverse settings, including some awe-inspiring space stations. The announcer took care to put emphasis on the role-playing elements and player freedom, so possibly a well-written story waiting for those who play.

The Cube: Atomic Universe (2026) – 4/10
From the same studio as the previous game we get another futuristic first-person shooter rpg. However, unlike the previous single-player entry, The Cube is a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game which advertises custom guns created by personal combinations of parts.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion – 5/10
The artstyle looks amazing, 16-bit and well-animated. Hectic combat using a cast of 15 iconic Marvel characters. I do fear that if it’s more than $20 it’s not worth it.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (2026) – 6/10
Another Soulslike, this time with more Japanese influence in the setting and characters. Most notable to me, is the presence of a snarky rival character. Another cool game, another Soulslike I won’t play.

Felt That Boxing – 8/10
Punch Out meets the Muppets, in this comedic boxing game. Every character is a puppet and it instantly becomes clear that this is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m interested to see how it plays as I feel that this game could truly benefit from the Wii’s motion controls. With many mini-games involving repetitive motions, I think that being able to punch with your puppet could bring a level of immersion to this game that would make the puppets even more surreal. Though with the use of Unreal Engine 5, it would be possible to mod it for VR, so maybe one could live out their puppet Rocky dreams. I hope that it will inspire more puppet based games in the future.

Killer Inn – 8/10
Multiplayer social deduction game. Set in a large inn, players are split into wolves and lambs. Each team will try to eliminate the other, but each player only knows their own role. Beyond standard guns as weapons, Killer Inn introduces other hazards like the opportunity to poison others or place traps. The atmosphere perfectly fits the murder mystery genre, and playing with the right group of people is sure to delight.

ARC Raiders (October 30th, 2025) – 5/10
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, ARC Raiders is a third-person shooter that allows for singleplayer and multiplayer action. What stands out to me is the PvPvE (player vs player vs enemy) combat, but not much else. I’m not familiar with the franchise, but it somewhat reminds me of Fallout.

Dune: Awakening (June 10th, 2025) – 1/10
I really don’t care about TV/movie franchise games. It’s kinda cool that it’s an MMO.

Chrono Odyssey (Playtesting June 20th-22nd, 2025) – 7/10
Another Soulslike, but this one has time stop mechanics and demonstrates cooler movement options. The setting is once again a gritty doomed world, however, I would argue that slapping Chrono onto things does make them slightly cooler.

Wuthering Waves 2.4 – 0/10
I thought this was Honkai Star Rail, another game I don’t care about, and really that just goes to show you how much all of the mobile/PC anime open world look the same. Looks fun enough.

Mio: Memories in Orbit – 7/10
Techno-futuristic Hollow Knight. The movement demonstrated actually leans more towards what we’ve seen of Silksong platforming than Hollow Knight (which is not a complaint). Additionally, the atmosphere is much different with lasers and evil robots waiting to be fought. The demo is currently available, and I can see it facing intense plagiarism accusations upon release. To be clear though, I do not think that there is any plagiarism in the game. I just think they are heavily inspired which is perfectly fine.

Out of Words – 8/10
Stop motion is back, baby! This co-op puzzle platformer features Kurt and Karla, who can’t speak, navigating the fantastical world of Vokabulantis populated by beautiful handmade backgrounds and vaguely British NPCs. It promises an emotional story and a lesson on communication. Fans of It Takes Two or Split Fiction will probably enjoy it.

Mafia: The Old Country (August 8th, 2025) – 4/10
Another dramatic trailer. My impression of this game, is Red Dead Redemption meets Italian mob. However, that could just be because the slide showing the release date had a guy with a horse.

Lego Voyagers – 8/10
This game looks so fun! The graphics are wonderful. It looks like Minecraft with shaders on, but made of Lego of course. Furthermore, the gameplay really takes advantage of the uniqueness of Lego to create its puzzles and platforming segments. The movement is truly distinct as you play as a 1x1 brick, and the way you move will change as you attach to more bricks. Additionally, it has taken inspiration from Split Fiction and It Takes Two to have a Friends Pass, so only one person will have to own the game for two people to play together.

Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny (September 30th, 2025) – 7/10
I don’t think anyone was expecting another Nicktoons game. For context, the last Nicktoons game was released in 2008, 17 years ago. However, the franchise is back and maintains the same style of gameplay that the original Nicktoons Unite! (2005) featured. However, the cast of characters is no longer limited to Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner, Spongebob Squarepants, and Danny Phantom. With 15 characters to choose from, including Katara from Avatar and Mikey from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, up to 4 players can battle through a variety of nostalgic Nickelodeon shows.

Lies of P: Overture (June 6th, 2025) – 4/10
DLC for the Pinnochio Soulslike.

Fractured Blooms – 9/10
“Doki Doki Literature Club meets Silent Hill,” is how this game was announced and aesthetic-wise that feels like an apt description, the actual gameplay looks more like a walking simulator, kind of like Gone Home. Similarly, the established atmosphere easily achieves the eeriness expected of a horror game inspired by Silent Hill. There is clearly something wrong with the cozy house you tend to, but it’s not clear what. I’m excited to learn more.

Blade & Soul Neo – 0/10
Generic anime girl action open-world MMORPG with controversy. This remaster is a blatant cash grab with gutted mechanics and poor decisions from the company. The gambling has been increased, and the free-to-play has become even more pay-to-win. The original might’ve been successful and beloved, but the same cannot be said about the remaster.

Blade & Soul Heroes (September 2nd, 2025) – 1/10
Hopefully, a redemption from the failure of Neo, but with the understanding that the company itself is at fault for Neo’s disappointing experience, it would be best not to hope.

Crystal of Atlan x One Punch Man – 1/10
Crystal of Atlan looks like any other action MMORPG (yawn), but One Punch Man is funny.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin – 0/10
Seems like a Genshin style game, but based off of the Seven Deadly Sins anime.

Jurassic World: Evolution 3 (October 21st, 2025) – 2/10
What if Roller Coaster Tycoon has dinosaurs instead of roller coasters?

Mina the Hollower (October 31st, 2025) – 9/10
From the studio behind Shovel Knight, we get another retro style game with a whip-wielding mouse. The combat, exploration, and platforming all looks very clean and fleshed out, like A Link to the Past on steroids. One can also expect a good challenge if Shovel Knight is anything to go off of.

Deadpool VR (Late 2025) – 5/10
The trailer was funny and showcased the classic Deadpool wit. I look forward to seeing clips of Deadpool quips from this game on my Instagram Reels sometime next year. Also, Neil Patrick Harris is Deadpool?

Dying Light: The Beast (August 22, 2025) – 5/10
Did somebody say zombies and human experimentation? Play through one man’s revenge story in this first-person shooter rpg.

Mixtape – 9/10
Set in 1980s suburbia, Mixtape tells the story of three high schoolers reminiscing about their adolescence while heading to their final party together. From the creators of award-winning game The Artful Escape, I expect a well-crafted and bittersweet story that’ll make you cry. I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories, sue me.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree (September 19th, 2025) – 9/10
Gorgeous graphics in this roguelite combat game. With unique combat styles and combinations, I’m reminded of Hades, which I love. I hope that it will maintain a similar hack’n’slash approach. Moreover, unlike Hades it will also offer local and online co-op. I’m genuinely excited, of all the games shown this might be the game that I buy first.

Acts of Blood (Summer 2026) – 7/10
From a team of only 10 developers in Indonesia, this hand-to-hand combat game looks incredibly well made. It also takes the record of most gameplay shown in a trailer which I appreciate. Knowing that hand-to-hand combat can get very messy, it’s impressive how well-telegraphed the characters moves are.

Scott Pilgrim EX (2026) – 6/10
Obviously coming off of the success of the Scott Pilgrim cartoon, this video game utilizes the same art style, though a bit more retro and pixelized, to deliver a 2D beat ‘em up. While I don’t know anything about Scott Pilgrim, the combat does look fast and fun with colorful explosions and a wide variety of attacks.

The First Descendant: Breakthrough (August 7th, 2025) – 3/10
Third-person techno-futuristic shooter. This update seems to be trying to save The First Descendant from its poor performance in its first year. With player participation decreasing, Breakthrough wanted to bring life into a dying game. It seems like it will pay off, particularly for those that have stuck through the first two frustrating seasons.

Scum v1.0 (June 17th, 2025) – 0/10
There was someone’s bare ass in the trailer.

Mindseye (June 10th, 2025) – 0/10
Mindseye first presents itself as a fairly standard third person shooter RPG. Following in the footsteps of Cyberpunk 2077, we have a world with a mysterious protagonist reluctantly harboring a bio-chip. Similarly, it released with numerous bugs and performance issues. However, Mindseye could not be saved by its story, unlike Cyberpunk 2077 and thus is in contention for one of the worst games of the year.

Hitman x Mindseye (Summer 2025) – 1/10
I like Hitman.

007 First Light (2026) – 2/10
Briefly mentioned.

Hitman: Lechiffre from Casino Royale – 7/10
Having already come out, I can confirm that Mads Mikkelsen did a great job, and Hitman is still cool. The James Bond and Hitman crossover just feels natural.

Lego Party (2025) – 6/10
It’s Mario Party but with LEGO. Still, the minigames look fun, and the maps are dynamic enough.

Wildgate (July 24th, 2025) – 5/10
Have you ever wondered what Capture the Flag would be like in space? This game answers this question with online co-op and first person shooter gameplay. Teams of players compete to break into each other’s ships and steal each other’s “artifact.” While the combat looks good, I think it’ll have a hard time maintaining popularity in the long run with more popular online shooters taking their audience.

Blighted – 8/10
Love a 2.5D hack-and-slash.

Ill – 3/10
Survival horror first-person shooter. I am scared. Do not like.

Mechabreak (July 1st, 2025) – 4/10
Mecha fighting game. Probably good for fans of Armored Core. What’s not to love about giant robots?

Infinitesimals (2026) – 3/10
Looks like a third-person shooter taking place in someone’s overgrown lawn.

Street Fighter 6 – 5/10
While I like fighting games, I’m more of a Guilty Gear kind of guy.

Last Flag – 6/10
Almost immediately, I see a lot of similarities to Team Fortress 2. To begin with, it’s an online shooter where you play as different archetypes. There’s the guy with the machine gun, the one with the turret, and even one called “Scout.” However, this game’s main mode is centered around Capture the Flag where each team must either hide or hold onto their flag. One might then make the observation that Capture the Flag is one of TF2’s game modes. I think this game can still differentiate itself though as it showcases more fluid movement and complex maps.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (July 24th, 2025) – 4/10
Coming off of the success of Black Myth Wukong, we get another Chinese Soulslike. Once again we have beautiful graphics and distinctly Chinese aesthetics. It seems like it has also been met with high praise. Many compliment its well-made and diverse combat system and responsive gameplay while others disparage its intensely difficult bosses. Overall, probably won’t surpass Black Myth Wukong.

Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver – 7/10
I don’t know much about the Wu-Tang Clan, beyond that they’re a hip hop group, but I can say that I love a beat ‘em up. The Afro-surrealism mixed with anime aesthetic is very appealing.

Guild War 2 – 0/10
MMORPG update.

Mongil: Star Dive – 2/10
Another Genshin-style anime game, but instead of Paimon there’s a cute cat.

Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2 – 0/10
Wasn’t expecting to see a Nintendo Switch 2 ad, but here we are. I have my doubts on if the console can actually keep up with the intense graphics of Keanu Reeves. Most likely, they’ll have to tone it down a little for the port.

Into the Unwell – 9/10
I love classic animation, and we have another game utilizing its goofiness to offset a more serious and dark world. This game explores a mentally unwell cat fighting his inner demons. The standard squash and stretch is utilized to emphasize damage and telegraph incoming attacks in fast-paced combat. I quite like the look and humor.

Splitgate 2 – 6/10
Online shooter, but now you’re thinking with portals. Very fun.

Stranger Than Heaven – 4/10
This game ambitiously aims to take place across multiple time periods in Japan. First seeing the trailer, I was pretty excited as 1943 Japan is an underappreciated setting and aesthetic. I loved the Jazz music and violent hand-to-hand combat. However, upon learning that it will most likely release in 2027, I have become a lot less excited.

Resident Evil Requiem (February 27th, 2026) – 8/10
Yay! Resident Evil!