At this point, it’s almost tradition that Gamescom Opening Night Live draws to a close with a collective sigh. Again I send my prayers to the stars that the OmniGeoff may one day concede – and this goes for the equally interminable likes of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards – that shorter, more focused is always better. Imagine the sustained enthusiasm you could generate without all that flaccid, glassy eyed filler! And so in that spirit of relative brevity, here’s a quick list of some of the slighty under-the-radar announcements from this year’s show (and pre-show) that managed to get us quite excited.
Denshattack!
Denshattack! reveal trailer.Watch on YouTube
One of a couple of Opening Night Live standouts relegated to the pre-show warm-up, Denshattack! is the work of developer Undercoders. And it’s easy to imagine the studio’s pitch for this one as ‘what if Jet Set Radio but runaway trains?’, given its cell-shaded aesthetic and tricking, grinding action would be pretty familiar if it wasn’t for the fact it switches out skateboards for graffiti-strewn, gravity defying locomotives.
Story wise, it sees players rail-riding across Japan, traversing vibrant countryside and urban city sprawls, all in a quest to defeat the sinister Miraidō corporation. You’ll ollie and kickflip in a bid to win over rivals and rack up points, with everything from magical mecha girls to moving castles making an appearance too. It looks an absolute blast and it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next year.
Valor Mortis
Valor Mortis trailer.Watch on YouTube
I’ve fond memories of developer One More Level’s cyberpunk action-parkour adventure Ghostrunner. Or at least, I’ve fond memories of its first couple of hours, after which everything is lost in a bright red haze of pure fury. The point, though, is it was Pretty Good (Eurogamer’s Bertie Purchese said it more eloquently in his review), so there’s every reason to be curious about what One More Level is doing next now the Less Good Ghostrunner 2 is behind it.
And that, it transpires, is Valor Mortis – a gory “first-person action Soulslike” that’s arriving next year. I appreciate there’s a general air of Soulslike fatigue about these days, but Valor Mortis does at least attempt to carve its own niche with, firstly, that shift in perspective, and also a pretty distinctive set-up. It’s the 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars are raging; you’re a soldier in Bonaparte’s Grande Armée and also, regrettably, dead. Until, that is, you awaken on a battlefield ravaged by a mysterious supernatural plague, former friends and foe now twisted into awful abominations. Expect a combat-focused adventure incorporating the likes of parries, dashes, and some pretty brutal finishers when Valor Mortis comes to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next year.
Death by Scrolling
Death by Scrolling announcement trailer.Watch on YouTube
For readers of a certain age, Ron Gilbert needs no introduction: he’s the writer and designer best known for his point-and-click adventures, including Maniac Mansion, Thimbleweed Park, and, of course, the legendary Monkey Island series. Every now and then, though, Gilbert strays outside of those genre bounds; there’s 2013’s puzzle-platform adventure The Cave, for instance – made in conjunction with Double Fine – and now there’s Death by Scrolling.
Developed by Gilbert’s Terrible Toybox studio, Death by Scrolling has the air of a top-down 16-bit RPG, but there’s seemingly a lot more to it – it is, after all, described as a “rogue-like vertically scrolling RPG”. Your ultimate goal – playing as one of several characters, each with their own unique perks and abilities – is to race upward through endless levels in order amass enough money to pay the Ferryman and escape Purgatory. That involves battling enemies, swiping gems, grabbing power-ups, completing side quests, and a spot of shopping, all while outsmarting the ever-pursuing Grim Reaper. There’s no release date for Death by Scrolling yet, but it’s coming to PC.
Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster
Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster announcement trailer.Watch on YouTube
Sorry to keep calling you out, people of a certain age (and I include myself in this increasingly withered demographic), but here’s another name that’s likely to get old-timers a-flutter. Outlaws, developer LucasArts’ fondly remembered – if, perhaps, oft-overlooked – Wild West FPS is making a return, courtesy of remaster specialists Nightdive Studios.
First released in 1997 – around the time LucasArts was dipping its toes in new genres after dominating the point-and-click scene for so long – Outlaws aimed to build on the success of the studio’s beloved Star Wars: Dark Forces by taking the FPS to hitherto unseen frontiers. Namely, the cowboy ones. According to Wikipedia, it was perhaps the first shooter to introduce a sniper zoom and one of the first to feature a gun reloading mechanic, but my own memories – which don’t extend much further than a well-worn cover disc demo – remain positive but decidedly hazy. Nightdive’s remaster, which also includes 1998’s Handful of Missions expansion, promises the likes of high-resolution textures, redrawn art, crossplay multiplayer, and gamepad support, and it’s coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch this year.
Unbeatable
Unbeatable final trailer.Watch on YouTube
If you had a vague sense of déjà vu when Unbeatable popped up during Opening Night Live, you’re not the only one. A quick trip down memory lane (Google) confirms Unbeatable was first announced back in 2021, when it got a whole bunch of people, including me, excited for the very first time. It had a fantastic demo, released to promote what would go on to be a successful Kickstarter, after which it was time for developer D-Cell to knuckle down.
Four years later, and the rhythm adventure where “music is illegal and you do crimes” is back. Unbeatable promises “big emotions” and “arcade-flawless rhythm gameplay” as the story of Beat and her band unfolds, charting their efforts to gig and stay one step ahead of the cops. “Half the game is walking around and taking things at your own pace,” D-Cell says of Unbeatable’s story mode. “The other half is trying to keep up with ours.” It’s also got an “unlimited” arcade mode featuring a “entire double album” of music, alongside acoustic versions, and remixes. Unbeatable looks and sounds like a winner, and it’s coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, on 6th November.
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes trailer.Watch on YouTube
The only thing I can remember about Battlestar Galactica, apart from that cool swishy visor thing the robots did in the original series, is that woman in red spending bloody ages pretending she wasn’t real. Which is to say I’m not exactly an leading expert. And yet there’s something about Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes that’s caught my eye. For starters, it’s by Alt Shift, the team behind well-received tactical rogue-lite Crying Suns, and it’s promising an interesting mix of turn-based and real-time action too.
Officially a “story-rich tactical roguelite”, Scattered Hopes plays out in two distinct halves. On one side, you – a Gunstar Captain attempting to rendezvous with the Battlestar Galactica – have a galaxy to traverse, navigating planets and points of interest turn-by-turn, all while dealing with tough dilemmas. You’ll need to juggle the sometimes opposing interests of different factions, perhaps, or manage dwindling resources, or try and identify impostors onboard. With every decision, the Cylons draw nearer, your choices impacting your chances of success when battle inevitably comes. At which point, real-time space combat (with tactical pause available) takes over, players deploying squadrons, missiles, and more in an attempt to last long enough to engage their FTL and scarper. It all sounds pretty neat and Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is aiming for a Q1 launch on PC next year.
Bubsy 4D
Bubsy 4D trailer.Watch on YouTube
Okay, look, Bubsy might not exactly – or even remotely – be a byword for quality as far as video game platform mascots go, but credit where credit’s due; his name has managed to linger far longer (like a bad smell perhaps), compared to the largely forgotten likes of Socket, Rocky Rodent, Awesome Possum, and Vexx. After two so-so 2D platformers in the 90s and the absolute nadir that was Bubsy 3D in 1996, most would assume the titular bobcat would have hung up his jumping boots for good (pedants, please note I am aware Bubsy doesn’t wear shoes). Instead, he inexplicably returned two decades later for two more middling side-scrolling platformers. The legacy of Bubsy, to reiterate, is not great.
And yet! I’m absolutely fascinated by the prospect of Bubsy 4D, and not just because of the bobcat’s almost admirable refusal to bow out gracefully. Rather, this latest entry in the mascot’s dubious back catalogue is the work of indie studio Fabraz, which, if you’re unfamiliar, has made some pretty enjoyable games – including Demon Turf and Slime-San. Plus, it’s upcoming Demon Tides looks good too. So it’s an enticing pairing. As for Bubsy 4D, it’s got rolling, jumping, gliding, a bunch of evil sheep, a bunch of evil robot sheep, vibrant 3D worlds with a sort of old-school air to their design, and I really like the music in the trailer. Bubsy 4D doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s coming “soon”, and I am cautiously optimistic.
And those are our Gamescom Opening Night Live picks that might have got a little lost. Do feel free to add your own favourites in the comments below.
