E3 2021: PC Gaming Show Roundup

I’m willing to bet you folks know the drill by now. Another E3, another PC Gaming Show. Ninety minutes of announcements about upcoming PC games, hosted by Sean Plott, newcomer Mica Burton, and Frankie Ward. I’ve covered this song and dance for the past two years here on Phenixx Gaming, so I vote that we skip my usual preamble and get right to the announcements. I’m sure you’re all looking forward to learning about everything that was announced during the show, and I’m partially as eager to tell you about all of it.

First up, we’ve got a title by the name of Naraka: Bladepoint. Based on what little was shown of its gameplay during the PC Gaming Show, Naraka appears to be a martial arts-themed Battle Royale title with some spell-casting elements. There will be different pre-order bonuses for this title based on whether you purchase it from Steam or the game’s official website. Naraka: Bladepoint is currently scheduled to release on Thursday, August 12th, 2021.

Second up was an offering from Humble Games entitled Dodgeball Academia. This title appears to be a 2D, team-based dodgeball game in which every playable character has unique abilities to benefit themselves and their team. In case this helps pique your interest, PC Gamer described this title as “NickToons meets dodgeball.” It’ll supposedly be coming to various consoles sometime this year, though that’s the closest we currently have to a concrete release date.

The third announcement focused on the hotly-anticipated Chivalry II. This part of the show began with a foreword from Steve Piggott, CEO of Torn Banner Studios. Chivalry II is out now on the Epic Games Store and will presumably come to Steam eventually. While he held the proverbial conch shell, Mr. Piggott explained that the game will go to different eras in the Medieval period.

It’ll feature such things as more refined armors, more refined atmospheres, and different experiences. Torn Banner and Tripwire Interactive claim that the game will receive quite a bit of post-launch support, including new weapons and maps. On a final note, one of Chivalry II’s developers made the rather bold claim that “the game is going to at least double in size for free.”

Up fourth on the show floor was a new, exceptionally brief look at Rawmen. The game’s time in the limelight was essentially just a gameplay trailer with virtually nothing else to go on. There was no release date announced, either. In light of that, I suppose it’s a good thing Keiran has already written a preview of this title if you find yourself curious to learn more about it.

Fifth, we were presented with an examination of Dying Light 2, beginning with a look at the game’s lore. Its main character is one of many children undergoing involuntary “medical research,” along with his sister, Mia. Dying Light 2′s protagonist’s primary quest seems to be finding his sister. Other than that, virtually the only thing announced about this title is its current planned release date: December 7th, 2021. Let us hope that date will not live in infamy as far as its developers are concerned.

This year’s PC Gaming Show’s sixth announcement was a new look at the so-called “Civilization killer,” Humankind, which is published by Sega and developed by Amplitude Studios. The only real “major” reveal concerned the fact that the game will apparently contain an AI persona based on PC Gaming Show co-host Frankie Ward. However, I should also mention that the game is now reportedly in a closed beta state, which started right as the show was in the process of airing. Humankind is currently slated for release on Friday, August 17th, 2021.

Immediately after Humankind‘s fifteen seconds of fame was Alawar Productions’ They Always Run. This title looks to me like a futuristic, 2D, side-scrolling version of My Friend Pedro where you appear to play as a bounty hunter of some description. I’m afraid that’s essentially all I can report to you about this title as things stand right now.

Right after They Always Run proceeded to, well, run, there came a look at one of the (surprisingly few) games for which I’m actually excited this year. This one takes the form of Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! 3. It’s been nine years since the last Orcs Must Die! title released on Steam, so it would be one heck of an understatement for me to say this one was a bit of a pleasant surprise.

The game was showcased during an interview with its lead design director, Jerome Jones. Orcs Must Die! 3 will still have co-op, a la its direct predecessor. Its main story campaign reportedly takes place about 25 years after the second game. There will also be a bit of a spin on the traditional formula in that there will be levels where you fight orcs and other notable enemy types both indoors and outdoors.

You’ll also be able to put to use new so-called “War Machines,” like catapults and giant tornadoes. There are also “War Guardians,” which have their own attacks and special abilities (and appear to me as though they’re knights on steroids). Orcs Must Die! 3’s current slated release date is Friday, July 23rd, 2021.

Up next at the show was Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong. There wasn’t much shown about this title, except that its plot appears to center around a rather traumatic game of hide and seek. There was no hint of even the loosest possible release window for Swansong, either. However, in case you can glean more from its brief time in the limelight than I can, you can check out its trailer below.

After the Vampire: The Masquerade series performed its swan song (see what I did there?), there came an appearance from GigaBash. Not much was said about this title (I’m starting to sense a theme here), but it appears to be a four-player all-out brawl “based on Kaijus,” according to the trailer’s narrator. If you’re interested in checking out some giant monster mayhem that has nothing to do with Godzilla or any of his pals, have a look at GigaBash below.

Up next was a title with a fairly interesting premise by the name of Lemnis Gate. According to its game director, James Anderson of Ratloop Games Canada, Lemnis Gate is a “turn-based first-person shooter.” Each turn lasts 25 seconds, and despite what other players may see and do during their turns, you may have an opportunity to counter their plans and strategies.

It’s been reported that the game will feature several modes, including “classic Deathmatch.” There’s a planned open beta sometime in July. Lemnis Gate will be launching on PC as well as current and previous-gen consoles on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021.

Twelfth, we have a game entitled Next Space Rebels. To me, this title seems to be akin to Kerbal Space Program, except with humans and an in-universe parody version of YouTube for some reason. That’s virtually all that was announced about Next Space Rebels during this year’s PC Gaming Show, save for the fact that it’s currently slated to launch sometime this Fall.

Thirteenth on this rather lengthy list of announcements was Wartales, developed and published by Shiro Games. This one appears to be a new medieval Tactical RPG. Yet again, not much more than that was said about Wartales during its brief stint on the show floor, but there does exist a trailer for it. You can check that out below if you’re so inclined.

Fourteenth in chronological order, there was the “world premiere” of Ixion, which is reportedly coming sometime in 2022 from developer Bulwark Studios and publisher Kasedo Games. According to its Steam Store page, “Authorized by DOLOS AEC, you will guide the Tiqqun space station onward in a perilous journey to find a new home for humanity. Station infrastructure, population management, exploration, survival […] These responsibilities fall to you.” You can check out the trailer for Ixion below.

Fifteenth was Far: Changing Tides, from the creators of Far: Lone Sails. The former appears to be a direct sequel to the latter, but this potential connection wasn’t specifically stated or acknowledged. In fact, very little about Far: Changing Tides was acknowledged during the show aside from a new trailer, which you can watch here if you’re interested.

Sixteenth was another “world premiere,” this time focusing on a game by the name of Lakeburg Legacies. Developed and published by Ishtar Games, this title appears to be a city/citizen management game of sorts where you’re tasked with essentially serving as the matchmaker among your town’s citizens. I must admit, I’m a bit miffed at this title right off the bat because its trailer references what I consider to be a ridiculous Internet meme. I present as evidence the game’s reveal trailer:

Right after that was an exceptionally brief look at a new event taking place within Tripwire Interactive’s Killing Floor 2 entitled Interstellar Insanity. If you’ve played Killing Floor 2 at all, I’m willing to bet you’ll know what to expect just from the title of this event alone. Yes, there are now apparently zombies on the moon. You know just what to do about that.

Up next was a look at MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. I thought this title’s showcase was rather surprisingly late in the show considering it was the sole game about which the hosts wouldn’t shut up. Heck, there was even a giveaway arranged that would provide one lucky winner with a custom, Intel-powered gaming PC based on one of what is apparently called “houses” within the MechWarrior universe. Regardless of all the technical jargon that flew right over my head, here’s the game’s reveal trailer and subsequent developer interview.

Nineteenth at the show was a game entitled Silt. This title, in my mind, has a similar aesthetic to Limbo but appears to allow you to possess undersea creatures to help you solve puzzles. There wasn’t so much as a hint at a potential release date announced, though the game will reportedly be coming to Steam at some point.

Twentieth was a quick look at Hello Neighbor 2, which is reportedly coming sometime this year. As you might expect, this title seems to be quite similar to the original, though this time your character is with the press in some way, rather than just some guy who wants to see what his weird neighbor might be up to. You also have the potential misfortune of watching the titular Neighbor have a shower during the game’s reveal trailer. If that’s your bag, you can check that out below.

Twenty-first was Jurassic World: Evolution 2. For what it’s worth, this game seems to be a significant expansion on everything the original had to offer, none of which I know because I haven’t played that title. It’s reportedly coming sometime this year, though no release date was announced during its time on the metaphorical runway.

At this point in the show, there came an unusually brief showcase from New Blood Interactive. New Blood’s Dave Oshry announced an expansion for Amid Evil titled The Black Labyrinth, and several others listed below.

Ultra Kill
Fallen Aces
Unfortunately Spacemen
Dust
Kyle is Completely Famous
Faith: The Unholy Trinity

New Blood Interactive’s final offering was a game by the name of Gloomwood which is apparently their new flagship title.

Up next came what was, in my opinion, a painfully over-hyped “special message” from Valve co-founder and CEO Gabe Newell himself. This “special message” is the entire reason the New Blood showcase was cut so short, much to Dave Oshry’s chagrin. What really upset me about this portion of the PC Gaming Show was the fact that I held out hope that Mr. Newell might shed some light on the idea of new Steam hardware that might be in the works. Instead, all we got was an almost insultingly quick reminder that the Steam Next Fest is nearly upon us.

Moving on, following what I consider to be the lowest point in the entire PC Gaming Show was the reveal of a game by the name of Soulstice. I’m afraid that all I can tell you about it right now is that looks quite a bit like Darksiders to me. However, considering it has the word “souls” right in its title, I’d imagine it’ll be quite a bit more difficult than it may let on. Soulstice will reportedly be coming sometime in 2022.

Right after that was a game I’ll never know how to properly punctuate when typing it out, namely Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Demonhunters. Despite my self-proclaimed status as an all-around complete and total nerd, it may surprise you to learn that I don’t know the first thing about the Warhammer 40K universe. As such, all I can tell you about this title is that it’s reportedly coming sometime in 2022.

Entrant number twenty-six was a title that, according to host Sean Plott, “draws on the lineage of games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” It’s known as Pioner. No, you didn’t read that incorrectly, that spelling mistake in the word “pioneer” is apparently completely intentional. I’m afraid I don’t have much more to report about this title right now, but perhaps you can glean more information from its reveal trailer than I could.

Twenty-seventh was a new look at EVE Online, which explained the various ways you can make a living in the game and perhaps even shape the game’s economy. Helping you along with this process is the game’s new in-depth tutorial, known as EVE Academy. I personally have never been able to get into games like this or Elite: Dangerous, but perhaps EVE Academy will be just the leg up I require.

Right after that, there came a title known as Lumberhill, which is actually out now. It comes to us from the team of 2BIGo, ARP Games, and All in! Games. It’s a title in which lumberjacks strive to complete their tasks with nature working against them every step of the way. If that sounds interesting to you, you can have a look at the game’s trailer below.

Up next was a new title from All in! Games, whose title I couldn’t read at first. After some brief research, it turns out the game is actually known as Arboria rather than the odd-looking scribble I thought it called itself. Anyway, the game calls itself a “3D action Roguelite” which features procedurally generated dungeons. It’s currently slated to reach Steam sometime in August 2021.

Thirtieth was Tinykin, developed by Splashteam and published by tinyBuild. This title immediately struck me as something that looks quite a bit like Pikmin, but it seems to be set in an actual living environment such as a house. If that appeals to you, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while yet. The closest thing we currently have to a release window is sometime next year. In the meantime, here’s its trailer to help you see why I described it the way I did.

Right after that was Chernobylite, a dark, gritty, Survival Horror Shooter from developer The Farm 51. Chernobylite will reportedly be making its way to Steam on Wednesday, July 28th, 2021 according to its reveal trailer. I’ve included a link to the game’s trailer below if you want to have a look at it for yourselves.

Thirty-second up on the show floor was a title known as SacriFire. As is also becoming a PC Gaming Show tradition, very little information was made available about this title during its screen time. It’s apparently starting life as a Kickstarter campaign, but that’s virtually all I know about it aside from its trailer.

We’re in the home stretch now, my friends! Thirty-third was Icarus. If I’m not mistaken, this title was actually first revealed at a past PC Gaming Show that I’ve covered, but I could be remembering incorrectly. In any case, Icarus will be coming on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021. Here’s its trailer in case you’re curious or, if it was indeed revealed at a past PC Gaming Show, you’ve forgotten what was revealed about it.

Thirty-fourth was Mechajammer. I’m afraid that I’m honestly not sure what to make of this title based on what was shown of it during its brief time in the limelight. There’s no hint of a concrete release date for this game either. The closest we got to anything like that was the notion that Mechajammer will supposedly be coming “soon.”

Next up on stage was a title known as The Wandering Village. This game’s title seems succinct, as it appears to be a game about a village on the back of a dinosaur-like creature. For all of our World of Warcraft players out there, the game’s trailer immediately struck me as something similar to the concept of Pandaria, except without all the anthropomorphic Shaolin pandas. You can see for yourself in its trailer below.

Thirty-sixth was Death Trash, an intriguing-looking title that will be coming to Steam Early Access on Thursday, August 5th, 2021. I say the game looks intriguing because, unless my eyes deceive me, Death Trash’s trailer appeared to depict its protagonist vomiting, then placing their vomit in their pocket and subsequently announcing, “That’s just what I needed.” I certainly don’t know what to make of that, but perhaps you will.

The third-to-last game at this year’s PC Gaming Show takes the form of a spiritual successor to Heroes of Might & Magic II entitled Songs of Conquest. Originally announced at 2019’s PC Gaming Show, this title comes our way from developer Lavapotion and publisher Coffee Stain Studios. It’ll reportedly be out sometime in early 2022.

The penultimate title given some screen time this year is known as Citizen Sleeper, reportedly coming sometime in 2022. In this game’s trailer, various denizens of the in-game world seem quite insistent on waking you up for some reason. I suspect that reason is not so that they can have you grab a brush and put on a little makeup if you catch my drift. All I can say with certainty right now is that I’ve got my eye on this title, at least for the time being.

Finally, Project Warlock 2 was given what felt like its ten microseconds of fame. This game, based on what was displayed in its reveal trailer, strikes me as what the original Doom might be like if Doomguy could cast spells in addition to his massive arsenal of guns and chainsaws. If that description tickles your fancy at all, Project Warlock 2 will reportedly be making its way to Steam sometime next year.

There you have it, folks! That’s another year’s PC Gaming Show under my belt. I have to say, I’m disappointed enough by the vast majority of the games showcased during its ninety-minute time allotment that I’m actually glad the show is over. I’m quite curious to know what you thought of 2021’s PC Gaming Showcase, however, so please feel free to share your opinions with me in the comments!