To fill the gap left by E3’s absence from this year’s gaming calendar, there have been more than a few trailer-filled video presentations showcasing hundreds of upcoming games. But for a select few creators and critics who were able to make it to Los Angeles, there were also some hands-on preview opportunities to play upcoming games on “Play Days” as part of this year’s Summer Game Fest “not E3” festivities. .
Instead of focusing on the well-known sequels and well-established franchises (which, let’s face it, usually only put a slight twist on their predecessors), we tried to focus on games from lesser-known studios. Here’s a selection of the 10 upcoming titles we’ve played over the past week that you definitely shouldn’t sleep over, especially if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary.
33 immortals
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Planned release: 2024
links: Official site
While 33 immortals’ The Summer Game Fest trailer focused on the game’s 33-player cooperative gameplay. We only had six players for our 30 minute Play Days demo. But that was still enough people to get a feel for how the game combines classic MMO raids with a simple yet effective 2D presentation.
The usual co-op combat tactics all apply here, allowing you to mix ranged attacks from your archers with melee attacks from your sword-equipped warriors, for example. The co-op corner gets a strong boost from a series of partner spells, requiring players to line up in a triangle to activate healing areas or a powerful volley of light arrows.
However, the most memorable part of the demo came after we destroyed the powerful demonic mini-bosses found in portals across the map. The developer warned that we had “made god angry”, and our party was inundated with screen-filling pyrotechnic hazards. This left us all screaming and screaming for the precious little safe space left on a map that was quickly becoming a hellish landscape of flames and falling projectiles, all the while dealing with encroaching enemies.
I’m not sure how well this will all work if you’re not in the same room with your fellow players or if you’re playing with 32 strangers. Still, we have high hopes for any game that gives us an excuse to run from hellfire with our friends.
-Kyle Orland
Cocoon
Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch
Planned release: 2023
links: Steam | Official site
Tired of games that bog you down with hours of extensive tutorials explaining their complex mechanics? Cocoon is exactly what you need. Without a single word or icon, the first few minutes of the game gently guide you through everything you need to learn about the clockwork machine that powers this imposing, intricate world. Then, just when you’ve got the hang of things, you place a puzzle-powered orb on a pedestal, only to discover that the orb contains a whole new world with its own intricate puzzles to solve.
The mechanism of jumping between these fully portable orb worlds was used to great effect for some mind-bending puzzles and even some interesting non-traditional boss fights in my demo. But what makes Cocoon what really stands out is the eco-friendly design. The way the seemingly sterile world moves and comes to life is reminiscent of games Tunic or Samorost, where just seeing how the mechanized pieces fit together is at least half the fun. The slick animations and clever, subtle lighting cues convey a lot of grandeur and emotion without ever saying a word.
-Kyle Orland
