The first time I attempted to write this piece, I wound up with what amounted to an ex-tended rant about how utterly pointless events like Summer Game Fest have become. I went on and on about AAA publishers showing the same old stuff and using the same old tricks to try and drive preorder sales like usual. In short, I’m not a fan of it or the AAA plain vanilla always online live service…stuff it’s used to promote. All that said, there were some bright spots amidst the showcases, so let’s talk about those!

Doom: The Dark Ages

I was very happy to see that ID Software has still mostly avoided the sickness plaguing
most Bethesda/Zenimax-held companies. Rather than heavily recycling or focusing on
live-service style multiplayer, it’s seemingly still committed to making fun games first
and foremost. So here’s DOOM: The Dark Ages, a prequel that takes players back to the time when the Doomslayer was still an agent of the Sentinels.

I’d say this looks like we’ll be playing the Doomslayer in his prime, but, since he’s always been an unstoppable monster, perhaps it’s better to say we’ll be getting to play him at his most well-equipped. The new moves, combos and weapons all look like an absolute blast to use, and same sense of brutal speed from 2016 and Eternal are still there too! This one is actuallyquite exciting!

Phantom Blade Zero / Black Myth: Wukong

I’ve grouped these two together because I like them for the same thing: cool acrobatic
action! The things you can do in both games look like a blast to pull-off and I’m really loving the overall art styles and creature design. Phantom Blade Zero is looking a bit more fast-paced and skill-oriented, so it’s the one I’m most interested in of the two. Still, Black Myth: Wukong’s story, another adaptation of the old Chinese “Journey to the West” tale sounds like something I’d like to play through.

I’ve never really been interested in reading the original story, nor have I ever really wanted to play through the other numerous reinterpretations of it. (They just didn’t sound interesting, okay?) This time, though, it looks like it’s not going to be yet another loose interpretation and more like an actual adaptation aimed at bringing the story to life like never before, and I’m down for that.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

With Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erd Tree out in about a week or so, I suppose we don’t really need another soulslike game…but I’m absolutely psyched for it all the same. Again, this looks like another fast-paced combat game, but one that seems to take after Bloodborne or even Sekiro rather than Dark Souls or Elden Ring. It’s also another that appears to be based on Chinese mythology, but with an interesting twist. From what you can gather from the trailer, we’ll be playing as a monster slayer who is herself fated to turn into a monster someday.

In fact, it looks like the only reason she’s able to hunt and kill monsters at all is because her transformation has already begun. I can’t help but be intrigued by the gameplay implications and the drama that comes with it. How will she handle her transformation? Is there a way out or is she merely on borrowed time? I want to know, so I’ll definitely be there when this one releases!

So, yeah I guess there’s a pattern here, but what can I say? These are the few gamesthat actually showed me something impressive. Other titles, like the new Indiana Jones game, look like they’ve got some potential, sure. But I gotta see more of them before I’llstart getting excited. I’m sorry, but I just don’t trust most of these big companies to make something that’s actually fun to play, much less worth the inflated $70 price tag.

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What Summer Game Fest announcements caught your eye? Hear anything new about games you’ve already been looking forward to?

Image from the Doom: The Dark Ages Steam page