Not-E3 2025 Part 2: Summer Game Fest
State of Play
Summer Game Fest
Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story
IO Interactive Showcase
Wholesome Direct
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show
Summer Game Fest is an interesting showcase, since it can be hit or miss for me despite effectively filling the void left behind by E3. I went into today’s showcase filled with hopes and dreams, including delusional Ace Attorney hopes as always.
Well, my hopes and dreams didn’t come true, and it was one of those shows where there was a lot that didn’t interest me. As a result, I’m just going to focus on the personal highlights for me, so check out the full showcase if you want to see everything.
They started with a trailer for Mortal Shell II. I never played the first Mortal Shell, and I didn’t think it was popular enough to get a sequel, much less one used as the opener for Summer Game Fest. Still, it’s interesting to see.
Speaking of games I haven’t played yet but have a passing interest in their sequels, Death Stranding 2 was featured in a segment that wasn’t exactly thrilling, but provided a look at a couple new characters. It kind of felt to me like a scene from a drama.
The next game that stood out to me was another unexpected sequel, Code Vein II. While not as exciting as what I hoped for when they said Bandai Namco was announcing a new action RPG (new Tales game when?), the trailer was pretty cool.
It felt like a showcase for unexpected sequels (just not the ones I want the most), because Atomic Heart II was announced, too. It’s also getting a multiplayer RPG set in the same universe called The Cube, so that game must have been more popular than I thought.
We also got a new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I really hope this game is good, and so far the trailers have made me optimistic.
Now, there were rumors going into this showcase that Square Enix would announce a new game. I had a lot of hopes for that, too, so it was a bit disappointing that it turned out to be a social deduction action game, Killer Inn. Not quite a game for me…
Mio: Memories in Orbit looks like it has potential, and I have to admit to being interested in Lies of P’s DLC “Overture” even though I still haven’t played the main game.
The next game to catch my attention was described as “DDLC meets Silent Hill,” which… it doesn’t actually look like to me. I don’t know why he said that. Regardless, Fractured Blooms looks pretty neat.
Mina the Hollower, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, and Blighted all look pretty interesting, too.
There was also a weird interval where they teased a Resident Evil announcement, only to say they weren’t quite ready to announce it yet. We’ll get back to that.
In the meantime, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks neat, but what stole the show for me was the arrival of a new trailer for RGG Studio’s Project Century, or as it’s now titled, Stranger Than Heaven. And remember how the first trailer showed a 1915 setting? Well, the new trailer shows a 1943 setting instead. Time travel? An immortal protagonist? (Perhaps he just ages very well?) Two stories in different time periods? I have no idea, but I’m so curious.
(Those blue eyes are definitely significant, I’m convinced of it. This trailer drew too much attention to them for it to just be something stylistic.)
Finally, Summer Game Fest ended with the announcement of Resident Evil Requiem, aka Resident Evil IX. Yes, despite them saying they weren’t ready to announce it yet, they announced it. I have no idea what they were going for there.
I’m a little nervous that Resident Evil Requiem might veer too far into action, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
In short, this wasn’t exactly a thrilling Summer Game Fest for me, but at least there were a handful of great announcements. Don’t forget to check out the full showcase if you want to see everything I skipped over, and let me know what the highlights for you were!
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