Nexon's Project Magnum now known as The First Descendant

Gaming

Dead Island 2 had to ‘start from scratch’ to deliver better carnage

In a shocking resurrection at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, Dead Island 2 came back from the dead. Despite having been in development for a decade, the version of the zombie action game coming in February has much fresher blood than what was teased in 2014. That’s because in 2018, development passed to a Deep Silver Dambuster Studios team that was content to start from scratch to create their own vision of the game.

“We thought it had loads of potential for characterful locations,” creative director James Worrall told me during an interview at Gamescom. "But when it came to the actual gameplay engine, what we really wanted to laser focus on was the up close and personal melee combat. There are guns in the game – gunsies are for funsies! – but it’s all about the melee combat … and to do that, we had to start from scratch.”

Gaming

AEW: Fight Forever delivers N64 nostalgia at a cost

A Wrestler knees his opponent in the face.

The rise of All Elite Wrestling hasn’t just been great news for wrestling fans looking for an alternative to WWE; it also stirred up excitement for fans of wrestling games. Those who grew up with playing games like WWF No Mercy on Nintendo 64 have been waiting for a return to arcade-style wrestling, something that 2 K’s simulation-focused take on WWE doesn’t deliver. All Elite Wrestling: Fight Forever, the promotion’s debut game, looks to return us to those nostalgic glory days.
AEW: Fight Forever | Showcase Trailer 2022
But don’t get too excited just yet. While new footage premiered this week showing off a full match was promising, playing it was a different story. I took the game for a spin at Gamescom and walked away unsure of what to expect from the final product. While its approach to arcade wrestling has potential, AEW: Fight Forever is going to need a fair amount of polish before it hits the ring. A good gimmick can only get you so far with a crowd.
Taking bumps
To properly test the game, I pit Kenny Omega up against Adam Cole -- a dream match, no doubt. What’s immediate off the bat is that AEW: Fight Forever really isn’t trying to emulate the live TV experience. Wrestler entrances aren’t recreated, as the camera only shows the character models walking down the ramp for a moment before hitting the bell. There’s no ringside commentary, so you’ll just hear the roar of the crowd and some bumps while playing.
Some fans may enjoy that stripped-down approach, especially if they don’t really care about the simulation aspect of games like WWE 2K22, but that lack of extra detail does leave the experience feeling a little empty. If large ideas like that are missing from the final game, what others might get cut from the roster?

None of that would matter if the core wrestling was spot on, but I’m not entirely sold on the game’s N64-throwback style. During my match, it felt like I was mostly just throwing strikes as I mashed the attack buttons. The right trigger is a dedicated Irish whip button, hilariously, but I otherwise found it difficult to stumble into a big spot. If I ever got onto the top rope, it was an accident. And if I ever managed to jump off it, I could not tell you how to reproduce that.
(I'd return to the demo later in the week with the intent of treating it like less of a pick-up-and-play experience. When I took a more deliberate approach in my Hikaru Shida vs. Paul Wight match, I still came out with similar feelings. The game's reliance on grappling to set up flashier moves particularly stands out, as it makes most big moments feel telegraphed. I don't think that's bad and WWF No Mercy fans might adore it, but it does feel a little at odds with the explosive, unpredictable nature of the actual wrestling show its based on. WWE 2K22 feels like an AEW game and AEW Fight Forever feels like a WWE game.)
My match didn’t look nearly as fluid or clean as the one THQ Nordic showed off at Gamescom.

Gaming

Everything announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022

Sonic looks surprised in a Sonic Frontiers trailer.

Gamescom, the biggest gaming event in Europe, is here once again. Alongside it, we got another reveal-filled livestream organized by Geoff Keighley, the man behind Summer Game Fest Kickoff and The Game Awards. As the final big gaming showcase of the summer, Gamescom Opening Night Live gave developers another opportunity to highlight games they will release throughout the rest of 2022 and into early 2023.
Thanks to leaks and teases from Geoff Keighley, we knew a lot of what will show up at Gamescom Opening Night Live. We saw new footage of The Callisto Protocol, Hogwarts Legacy, High On Life, Gotham Knights, and more, and got official announcements for the new version of Dead Island 2 and the release date for Sonic Frontiers. There were still some fun surprises, though. As such, you should check out this list of every game announced during the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 showcase.
2022 gamescom Opening Night LIVE (ONL): Official Livestream: Sonic, Hogwarts Legacy, Outlast Trials
Dune Awakening announced by Funcom
Dune: Awakening Announcement Trailer
The second announcement of the show was Dune Awakening. It's an ambitious open-world survival MMO set in the universe of that popular sci-fi franchise. Players must try to survive on Arrakis by building bases, finding resources, and fending off enemy factions. While Funcom has teased for a while, it's nice to have confirmation and a cinematic trailer for the game, finally. There's no release date, but Funcom will hold a beta for Dune Awakening before launch.
Lords of the Fallen 2 reemerges as The Lords of the Fallen
The Lords of the Fallen - Announcement Trailer | Wishlist on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S #DareToHope
This year's Gamescom Opening Night Live was good for a game stuck in development hell. The Lords of the Fallen is a follow-up to a 2014 Soulslike that was announced then but stuck in development hell ever since. The new trailer narrated by Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn reintroduces us to the series' universe and confirms that The Lords of the Fallen is in active development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
New Tales from the Borderlands is coming much sooner than you think
New Tales from the Borderlands - Official Announce Trailer
2K and Gearbox unveiled New Tales from the Borderlands, and it's out in less than two months! The narrative adventure game set in the Borderlands universe is a successor to one of Telltale's best titles and features a new cast of characters for players to get acquainted with and make choices for. It clearly has Borderlands' trademark style and humor, and we won't have to wait long to see it all in action. New Tales from the Borderlands launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on October 21.
Sonic Frontiers will actually come out this year
Sonic Frontiers - Story Trailer
While divisive early looks at gameplay made some fans doubt whether or not Sonic Frontiers would release this year, we learned at Gamescom Opening Night Live that it will. A brand new trailer for the game was shown off that confirmed the leaked November 8 release date, which puts the game up against Skull & Bones and God of War: Ragnarok. At launch, Sonic Frontiers will be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is getting a multiplayer game
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game — Official Reveal Trailer
The Director of Friday the 13th: The Game revealed that he is turning the cult classic horror film Killer Klowns from Outer Space into a multiplayer horror game. It launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in early 2023 and is simply titled Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game. Players can currently sign up for a bet on the game's website.
Former Bethesda and Obsidian devs announce a new studio and game
WYRDSONG | Announcement Trailer | Something Wicked Games
Former Bethesda Game Studios developer Jeff Gardiner showed up to Gamescom Opening Night Live to unveil Something Wicked Games. This is a brand new studio made up of former Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment RPGs, and they are making a brand new game called Wyrdsong. Wyrdsong is an occult RPG set in medieval Portugal. While it seems like the game won't be released for a while, Wyrdsong certainly has an intriguing and spooky reveal trailer. If you want to learn more about the game, Jeff Gardiner revealed a lot of new details about Wyrdsong in an interview with Digital Trends.
Dead Island 2 rises from the dead next February
While a leak stole this announcement's thunder, Dead Island 2 was shown off officially for the first time in years at the final announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live. We were introduced to a brand new version of the game, which follows a group of six Slayers as they fight off the zombie threat in Los Angeles with customizable abilities and brutal combat. After over eight years of waiting, players won't have to wait much longer as Dead Island 2 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 3, 2023.
Everything else

A developer diary and reveal trailer shared the first details of Everywhere.
PlayStation unveiled the DualSense Edge, a customizable PS5 controller.
The Callisto Protocol got new gory gameplay and affirmed its December 2 release.
Moving Out 2 was announced with a 2023 release window.
Hogwarts Legacy's new trailer shows off the dangers (and the power) of dark magic.
We got a first look at the Dying Light 2: Bloody Ties expansion and its deadly arena combat. It launches on October 13.
Tortuga: A Pirate's Tale announced.
Marauders' early access release was confirmed for October 2022.
Destiny 2: Lightfall's cinematic trailer was shown off.
Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream unveiled the narrative game Under the Waves.
Goat Simulator 3 received a gameplay trailer highlighting co-op, customization, and the chaos players can create. It launches on November 17.
Return to Monkey Island got a September 19 release date.
Unknown Worlds and Brandon Sanderson unveiled Moonbreaker, a new sci-fi video game inspired by turn-based tabletop games. It enters early access on September 29.
Friends vs. Friends, a card-based shooter, was revealed with a colorfully animated trailer.
Soulslike Lies of P got a new trailer and was confirmed to be a day one Xbox Game Pass title when it launches in 2023.
Haemimont Games revealed Stranded: Alien Dawn, which launches into early access in October 2022.
Focus Entertainment and Deck13 unveiled a new sci-fi IP called Atlas Fallen, coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
Homeworld 3 got a new gameplay trailer.
We got a look at what is coming to Genshin Impact as part of the 3.0 update.
Honkai Star Rail got a new trailer that teased more of the game's story.
High on Life's latest trailer showed off the kooky weapons in action during a boss fight.
Oculus Quest 2 and Level Infinite's game lineup got ads.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker's PS5 and Xbox Series X ports got a September 20 release date.
Xbox Game Pass for PC released a sizzle reel highlighting available games.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series got a dev diary showcasing some traversal gameplay. It launches in Summer 2023.
Scars Above got a new trailer.
Age of Empires IV gets the Ottomans and Malians on October 25.
Gotham Knights' new trailer showed some new villains and confirmed that the game will now release on October 21.
Where Winds Meet was revealed.
Hideo Kojima will release a podcast on Spotify this September. It'll be in both English and Japanese, and the first episode drops on September 8.
Park Beyond got a new trailer, and a 2023 release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S release was confirmed.
Keighley showed off a concept car inspired by Pokemon.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide got a gameplay overview trailer.
Focus Entertainment released a new trailer for the Baba Yaga game Blacktail, which will launch for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S this Winter.
All In! Games revealed Phantom Hellcat, a Nier-inspired action game coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
CrossfireX got a new update that addresses many issues that players have with the game and adds new content.
Dorfromantik comes to Nintendo Switch on September 29.
The Outlast Trials will have a closed beta from October 28 until November 1.
Embark Studios released a teaser trailer for its multiplayer shooter The Finals, which will get a full reveal in September.

Editors’ Recommendations