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After the death of E3, the Summer Games Fest and its series of shows have completely taken over the June slot. This means the past week or so has been a glimpse into the near future of gaming, at least in regards to the big summer showcases. So, with that in mind, how did the event go? It was a bit hit and miss in my opinion – most major shows seemed to be about release dates rather than new game reveals. That’s still something though and most of the games shown looked nice.
The event has become less of an event than a major umbrella of the Summer Games, with the showcases now becoming more boutique-like and focused. The publisher-specific events were more about in-depth gameplay, like the ones for Starfield or Assassin’s Creed Mirage. It’s good because it gives you more time to focus on the games, although it makes the shows a bit scattered. And I still don’t approve of Summer Game Fest putting two TV show trailers between the games – including one for the new season of The witchr, a show only indirectly related to games.
Of the games we saw, my favorites (if I had to pick them) were Mortal Kombat 1, Star Wars Outlaws, and the Apollo Justice Trilogy. While we knew at least the first two were coming, it was still a joy to see them in action (and of course I’m always just happy to have more Ace Attorney). And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled to see my old friend Assassin’s Creed return to its roots. Starfield looks cool too – I think it will be a bit much for me, but a new IP from Bethesda is definitely worth a try.
But if I had to pick a winner out of all the showcases, it would be the Wholesome Direct. There we have a ton of games, most of them indies, that fit right in with the show’s mandate. We expected fun, friendly games, and we got a lot of them. And not all the same fun game. There was Sticky Business, a game about running a TikTok-style sticker shop; Lakeburg Legacies, a matchmaking sim for villagers; and 90s anime style farming game Fields of Mistria. If you’re in the mood for fun games, the show had something for you – and it certainly had enough for me.
What to play this week
What’s new:
- Layers of fear
- F1 23
- Dordogne
- Park further
- Trap Of Porcupine
- Jack Jane
- ProtoCorgi
New on subscription services:
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Xbox Gold)
- The Super Spy (Prime Gaming)
- Top Fighter (Prime Gaming)
- Steam World Dig 2 (Prime Gaming)
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (GeForce Now)
- Jet Dragon (Apple Arcade)
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