Summer Game Fest delivered some exciting reveals of upcoming games for 2024 and 2025, from the Xbox Games Showcase to indie-focused streams like Devolver Direct and Day of the Devs. And the art in some of the upcoming releases has me excited about games again.
While the demise of E3 could be a sign of decline in the gaming sector, some of the upcoming releases suggests something of a creative resurgence, particularly among indie developers in particular. Here are the games I'm most looking forward to. Also see our pick of the best games consoles and the best indie games in 2023.
01. Doom: The Dark Ages
We'll start with the one big-studio big-budget game that actually looks exciting. Ubisoft's Doom might be an old franchise now, but the darker fantasy theme of Doom: The Dark Ages, full of hellish medieval scenery, looks incredible There's some brutal weaponry (check out that bone-chewing gun!), and we'll even get to fly on a dragon. Yes, it's ludicrously over the top, but this looks like the just what the franchise needed to keep it fresh.
02. Neva
On a very, very different note, Neva was perhaps the most beautiful game featured at Summer Game Fest. It looks like Nomada Studios has even surpassed the painterly style of 2018's Gris. Our protagonist Alba journeys with a wolf cub through a decaying world in this graceful, elegant platformer.
03. South of Midnight
Part of the Xbox Showcase, Compulsion Games' South of Midnight is another game with a beautiful art style. It has a handcrafted look, lots of details and folk influences from the America deep south. The maquette-like designs and stop-motion inspired animation look set to enhance the magical setting. This action adventure will be released in 2025.
04. Mixtape
The lavish soundtrack might steel some of the limelight on this intriguing game from Beethoven & Dinosaur, but the art direction is sumptuous too. The dreamlike stop-motion look creates a hazy nostalgic vibe.
The characters seem to be strong too, and it appears we get to play through the moments that shaped them as we guide them through their last high school adventure together. It appears to be set more in the era of mix CDs than mix tapes, but it features a bunch of 1980s classics as well as tunes from the 1990s. I can't wait to see what the gameplay is like.
05. Atomfall
Rebellion's Atomfall looks like a British Fallout. That alone was enough to get my attention, and the trailer has me hooked even more. Details like the local pub and red phone boxes suggests a nostalgic British sci-fi aesthetic drawing on things like classic Doctor Who and folk horror for an eerie retrofuturistic feel. It looks like a fascinating world to explore. Oh, and there are robots with flame throwers!
06. Possessors
From Heart Machine, the creators of Hyper Light and Solar Ash, this 2D side-scroller involves escaping a “sprawling, flooded city overrun with surreal interdimensional horror.” The atmosphere and art style look wonderful.
07. Thank Goodness Your Here
This one isn't new: we first mentioned Yorkshire studio Coal Supper's Thank Goodness You're Here! last year as one of our highlights from Gamescom due to its quirky provincial setting, hand-drawn animation, real voices and non-stop double entendres. But now we have a firm release date (August 1), and the latest trailer confirms an appearance from Matt Berry in this bizarre slapstick comedy.
08. While Waiting
Presented at Day of the Devs, Wholesome Games' While Waiting looks like an unusual antidote to the constant thrills of some of the biggest games. It's a game that's all about... well, waiting.
"Clear the game by doing nothing as you except the power of acceptance and patience in over 100 scenarios," we're told. We have to do nothing in a series of real life situations that involve waiting, like waiting for a bus to arrive. That could be infuriating, but the style of animation makes the game look soothing and even meditative.
For more game news, see our pick of the best AAA games coming to MacBooks this year (yes MacBooks!). See the best current prices on game consoles below.
