Gamescom 2023 round-up

Well, that’s a wrap for Gamescom 2023. And while most of our predictions were hilariously off the mark, one certainly did come true - the reveal of PlayStation Portal (nice name but our lawyers will be in touch, Sony!). 

The new handheld may be a disappointment to those expecting a genuine successor to the PS Vita - it’s there to stream games from your PS5 at home - it still looks mighty useful for those of us who don’t always have access to our home’s main television.

Away from hardware, a lot of focus fell on Starfield and its imminent release. There was a Gamescom exclusive extended gameplay preview introduced by the king of Xbox, Phil Spencer, and Starfield’s Game Director, Todd Howard. A stunning live-action trailer set the scene perfectly and really got us excited for the game’s release on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Elouise’s hopes for a new MMO came true with more details revealed for Wayfinder - a massively multiplayer RPG that promises to combine World of Warcraft with Destiny. It sounds like a winning combo but if it comes off, we fear we may never see Elouise in the office again.

New trailers and fresh gameplay are the cornerstones of any games industry event and this year’s Gamescom certainly didn’t disappoint. Here’s a selection that caught our eye:

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• STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Official gameplay trailer. It may have been delayed until early 2024 but the eagerly anticipated and super spooky FPS is firmly at the top of our wishlist.

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• Bō: Path of The Teal Lotus - Official feature trailer. Gorgeous hand-drawn Metroidvania with roots in Japanese folklore. 

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• Lies of P - Gameplay. This new soulslike game based around Pinocchio releases in just a couple of weeks. Six minutes of new gameplay were shown off at Gamescom, culminating in a boss fight with a huge steampunk baddie. 

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• Off the Grid - Official gameplay trailer. First gameplay for the dystopian battle royale that’s headed up by Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9 and Gran Turismo.

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• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - Preview. We’re big fans of the long running Yakuza series so we were delighted to see new gameplay of this spin-off game. More Kazuma Kiryu is always welcome. 

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• Little Nightmares 3 - Reveal trailer. Winner of Gamescom’s best trailer / announcement and, with its scary-cute art style, it’s easy to see why. 

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• Path of Exile 2 - Druid gameplay walkthrough. It’s almost 10 years since the original PoE and the hype amongst ARPG fans for the sequel is through the roof. It’s still someway off - a beta is planned for next June - but it’ll be interesting to see how it gets on up against the genre daddy, Diablo 4. 

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• Deathground - Official gameplay trailer. Survival horror with dinosaurs? Sign us up.

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Plenty of games to add to our wishlists, but what about you? What’s got you excited for the year ahead? Let us know over on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.