Opinion - Top 10 Favorite Game Reveals of Summer 2024
My Favorite Reveals of Summer Game Fest Weekend
Summer Games Fest Weekend is the closest thing we have left to E3, after that event seemed to die out. So here are my top ten games and some special mentions that I wanted the most coming out of the weekend.
#10 - Gears of War: E-DAY
This has a chance to go higher in the future, but I really, badly wish this was part six rather than a prequel. With all that being said, I feel this will be a technical wonder when it releases. It will also be good to see the original heroes do their thing. The details that have gone out sound promising: no forced open world, more down-to-earth, elements of horror, and the origin story for a lot of the lore in the franchise. I’m ready to hear more.
#9 - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
On one hand, I like the Indiana Jones movies, but I’m not a fan to the level the people who grew up with it are. On the other, this seems like it’ll scratch some of that Uncharted and Tomb Raider itch that has been missing for a bit in gaming. This looks like it’s following the source material well, and Troy Baker is working his usual magic to sound like a young Harrison Ford. I also like they aren’t showing us too much because it adds to the story's mystery. I can’t wait to punch Nazis later this year.
#8 - Nikoderiko: The Magical World
Coming out of nowhere was this gem at the Future Games Show. This platformer is like if Crash Bandicoot and Donkey Kong Country had a baby. Adding to the excitement is the reveal that David Wise, one of the best video game composers of all time, is doing the soundtrack for it. I love it when small or lesser-known studios surprise people with these types of games, and I am hyped for this. As someone who wants to see more companies try to do more family-friendly games, I’m really happy this is coming, and I’m here for it.
#7 - Winter Burrow
The older I get, the more I gravitate toward smaller indie titles. I knew this was for me when I saw Winter Burrow’s trailer. The concept and plot intrigue me as you play as a mouse returning from the big city, having to survive the winter and rebuild your childhood home. As you advance in the game, the story has some reveals that could get emotional. This is the perfect little game for me to play calmly and take a break from all the big AAA stuff. I’m keeping my eye on this.
#6 - Mandragora
It’s a Metroidvania with a cool art style; anyone who knows me knows I was going to fall for this. This is giving me Castlevania vibes, and considering that the series seems to be on life support, this is the closest I’m going to get to playing something similar. Even if you take that out, I liked what I saw with this game. This one will be a lot of fun and could be a nostalgia trip with a genre I love.
#5 - Fable
My favorite game on the original Xbox was Fable. So, no one is happier to see the return of the franchise more than me. I always considered the series to be Xbox’s Zelda in a lot of ways, and I’m so pumped that a new one is coming out. The game looks incredible from a technical standpoint, but it's going to be the story that determines how great this ends up. Considering their past work, I have a lot of faith in Playground Games. They seem to be getting everything from the series right, even down to the British humor. Hope this one isn’t delayed.
#4 - Avowed
Everyone seems to be mixed on this game, but I am strapped in. I have wanted to get that high fantasy game experience or something similar, and Avowed looks like it will give me that. Obsidian has a history with great storytelling and characters, so I have high hopes for it. This is one of those games I know I will get lost in, and that’s when you know you’ll have a core video game memory. I don’t even mind the art style or everything else people aren’t huge on; I’m ready to sit down and get lost in this world.
#3 - Doom: The Dark Ages
Doom Eternal is one of my favorite games of the PS4/Xbox One era. It felt like I was inside a metal music video. Now, we have a prequel that puts us back into the boots of the Doom Slayer, and this time we are going medieval, literally. This trailer looked nuts in all the good ways; there’s a freaking dragon that you ride, medieval-styled weapons, using skulls as ammo, and the same metal soundtrack that made the previous entries so satisfying. I am ready to rip and tear once again.
#2 - Phantom Blade Zero
We seem to live in the golden age of old Japan and Eastern settings for video games. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima became a trend, and we are getting a lot of similar games. As great as that is for someone who loved those games like me, it threatens to oversaturate the market with repetitive games. Despite this, though, Phantom Blade Zero looks nuts. From what I gather from people who have played it, it looks Soulslike but plays more like Devil May Cry, and it's one of those games that you think is CG, but the fast-paced, crazy combat is real-time. I walked away from the newest trailer wanting it more, and it really sucks that it’s rumored to be aiming for a 2026 release. I can feel it in my bones that I’m going to LOVE this game.
Special Mentions
This list was harder to put together than I thought, but that doesn’t mean a game's absence from it makes me less excited. So before we get to number one, here are some of the games I’m looking forward to just as much as the ones on here.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - It’s been a minute since I was excited for a Call of Duty game, but this one feels like a golden age period Call of Duty game
Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Excited to play my first Dragon Age game if I pick this one up; so far, I like what I see
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 - This one has looked interesting for some time, and I want to support the developers, considering they are fighting off a literal invasion
Mixtape - This one is growing on me the more I come back to it; it seems like one of those story-based games that will stick with you
Perfect Dark - Probably the one that came the closest to being on the list, but I need to see a little more. What we did get, though, makes me confident we are going to get a solid return from Joanna Dark
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - A different take on the traditional turn-based RPG that looks cool, but I feel like I need a story trailer to see how much I want to play it
Nobody Wants to Die - A noir set in a futuristic New York, sign me up
Lego Horizon Adventures - I don’t love the Horizon games like others do, but I think doing it with this style may be what finally makes me get what everyone loves
Deer & Boy - A small indie game that seems pretty emotional and sounds perfect for calm playing time, I’m in
Star Wars Outlaws - My hype for this one started late, but I get more and more interested every time I see it. It’s out soon, so I might go ahead and get it
#1 - South of Midnight
So let me get this straight: a solid studio in Compulsion Games is making a game centered around deep south folktales, with a bit of a gothic theme, with music at the centerpiece, and you’re hunting monsters - there has never been a game that sounds like it was made for me more than this. I love old history, I love folktales, I love interesting stories, and I love monsters. And if that’s not enough, it has an interesting art style with a stop-motion feeling during cutscenes. I mean, come on, this calls to me badly. If there is one negative, I think the combat looks generic, but I'm fine with it if they are hiding more, or it’s more about a story than combat. This is absolutely my game of the entire Summer Games Fest Weekend.
I'd definitely suggest playing some of the Dragon Age games before diving into the Veilguard (but I'm a bit biased), it's worth giving them a try!