There might not be an E3 this year, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t getting any video games to check out this month. Summer Game Fest is back and this year they’re pulling no punches. Major franchises, indies, and games from each of the three major consoles, plus PC, were all on display throughout one of the longer showcases we’re going to see this month. What that meant though was plenty of time to see gameplay, developer interviews, and plenty of trailers and reveals. It was the exact celebration of video games that anyone would want to see. So let’s not waste any more time and jump into what we learned from Summer Game Fest 2022.
The Callisto Protocol
At first glance, The Callisto Protocol looks and feels like every single action horror game that has come out recently. Here’s a third-person over-the-shoulder view, zombie-like monsters, and enclosed environments. After seeing gameplay, it still felt like that but it did accomplish its main selling point which is reminding everyone that this is the unofficial sequel that the first Dead Space game never really got. While Dead Space went off in a more action oriented direction with Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3, The Callisto Protocol focuses on providing that extreme interstellar horror that fans loved so much about the first game.
The inspiration from Dead Space is very apparent throughout the entire gameplay trailer. The main character has their health bar visible on the back, the player can shoot off limbs, and enemies need to be finished with a stomp once they hit the ground. The inspirations could not be any more clear and that’s okay because many fans have been wanting another game like this for years, so hopefully it meets their expectations when it releases in December.
Modern Warfare II
Summer Game Fest brought us a full gameplay look at Modern Warfare II. The first thing that is noticeable is just how good everything looks. Despite the level being so dark and gritty, every raindrop is visible, and you can see the emotion of each character as they move through the mission. Characters move naturally, and that section where everyone lines up on the stairs together is a really cool use of character animation, and for Call of Duty fans this is exactly what they want to see.
The big selling point of the trailer is that the entire engine that Modern Warfare II is running on is going to be what future Call of Duty games are on from this point forward. Similar to the last few games were all connected to Warzone in some capacity, the devs working on Call of Duty want each game to feel connected in some way. If each game looks as good as this one, there will be a lot for fans to be excited about.
Witchfire
What if you took DOOM (2016), made the gameplay a little more methodical, added magical powers, and then gave it a unique look? Well, you would have what we saw out of Witchfire. This fast paced first-person shooter had all the style and substance of a game that only mowing down demons with gunfire can replicate. Unfortunately, it’s only just now about to enter early access so we probably won’t be getting the final product for a little while longer.
That said, this looks like a fun game to get in on while it’s in the Early Access period. There’s a lot of fun potential in this trailer and getting the chance to experience every new addition before launch is going to be a treat for quite a few players. Don’t let Witchfire slip by unnoticed.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
Remember how cool and unique Cuphead was when it first came out? A game with the art style of classic cartoons, a score fitting of the setting, and extremely challenging gameplay that left every player aching for one more run? Cuphead was a masterpiece and now everyone is going to get the chance to play through even more of it with the latest DLC, The Delicious Last Course. As an aside, that is a great double use of an acronym and whoever named it that deserves a raise.
The Delicious Last Course will star Ms. Chalice as she goes on an adventure featuring all new bosses, levels, and scenarios. They might not be calling this a sequel, but it certainly feels like one with all of the new content that is on the way for Cuphead fans. It’s also a great opportunity to get back into the game now that the TV show has been renewed for a second season.
Honkai: Star Rail
Remember when Genshin Impact came out and it was a very blatant clone of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Well, clone or not it did extremely well and its popularity has spawned a new game in the same style. Honkai: Star Rail is an action sci-fi game with a similar art style to Genshin Impact, but an entirely different gameplay system to set it apart. The action looks fast and fun which is necessary for a game like this one.
The thing about Honkai: Star Rail is that, just like Genshin Impact, it’s going to have a Gacha system for pulling new characters to use. That means if there’s a characters you really like and want to use then you better hope you pull that character by random luck. Of course, you could spend money to get more pulls and a higher chance at the character but this gambling like system is a hard sell for some players. It’s a shame too because the game is pretty much guaranteed to be a fun time.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
What if Ninja Turtles games were good again? That’s the hope that many fans have when they’ve seen gameplay for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Everything about it from the art style, to the music, looks like they’ve hit their assignment out of the park, but we will only know for certain once the game is finally released.
Thankfully, we’re gonna have that way sooner than expected. Summer Game Fest shocked everyone when they announced that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge would be releasing on June 16 alongside Casey Jones as a playable character, and six player multiplayer. There is so much to be excited about here and we can’t wait to finally play it.
The Last of Us Part 1
So this was awkward. The final reveal of the event was supposed to be the often rumored remake of The Last of Us. The only problem is that PlayStation accidentally leaked it hours before Summer Game Fest began. Like professionals, everyone involved managed to pivot and instead of getting fans excited over shock value, they spun it to be about how they’ve improved the game and what can be expected in the upcoming TV show, with a few jokes about the leak thrown in.
As for the game itself, it takes an already gorgeous looking game and makes it look even better. Everything from the character models to the lighting has an extra layer of polish that just wasn’t available on the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 HD version. With a September release date, and a PC port in development, we won’t have to wait too much longer to experience one of the best stories in gaming all over again.