Summer Game Fest 2022 Kickoff Recap

This type of showcase happens twice a year, and each time I never know what to expect. Some years, the Summer Game Fest (and Game Awards) are full of exciting announcements. Other times we have weird performances and lackluster reveals. Let’s see how Summer Game Fest 2022 started out, with the Summer Game Fest 2022 Kickoff Live event.

The proceedings began with Street Fighter 6, which premiered new gameplay footage. Additionally, Capcom revealed the presence of Guile as a playable character, even keeping his ridiculous flat-top haircut. I have to admit, the new vibe for Street Fighter 6 is funky and interesting. I might actually play this one after a while of falling off the franchise.

Next, fans of the Aliens franchise are likely to be very excited. Aliens: Dark Descent was announced, showcasing a trailer that details lots of Xenomorphs and potentially squad-based top-down gameplay. Not a lot of details were given, but Aliens: Dark Descent will release in 2023 for PC, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Following the spooky space-horror vibe, next up came some coverage for The Callisto Protocol, which got a new trailer at the State of Play last week. Summer Game Fest showed off some premiere gameplay. The trailer they showed was exceptionally gory and was basically an extended version of the previous one. They also showed off raw gameplay footage, which seems visceral and intense. The Callisto Protocol will release on December 2^nd, barring any delays.

Drifting away from horror for a bit, the next segment showcased new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gameplay. Modern Warfare 2 will release on October 28^th, though I don’t really think it’s quite as game-changing as the development team thinks it is. Anyhow, the level they showcased was interesting enough and showed off environmental kills such as molotovs, explosive barrels, and typical gunplay. I’m sure fans will be satisfied when the game releases.

People that Pre-order will also get access to the Open Beta early if that’s your thing. The team behind Call of Duty also revealed enhancements to visuals for Call of Duty: Warzone. They teased new Warzone content both for Current and Next-gen players as well as a mobile version.

The next segment was a bit of a surprise. 30 years after the first game was released, Flashback 2 has been given a world premiere trailer. I’m not even 29 yet, so I have absolutely no clue what this franchise is about. However, Microids is publishing Flashback 2, which looks to be a run-and-gun platformer or potentially a Metroidvania. Flashback 2 will release across all major platforms this Winter. I’m pretty curious about this one, it looks cool.

Another blast from the past, though not nearly as far, the next segment brings new information on Witchfire, which was announced in 2017 at The Game Awards. Witchfire is a dark fantasy shooter that will be coming to Early Access soon. A gameplay trailer was showcased, and the game has a very Bioshock vibe. It also feels like (deep cut reference incoming) Darkwatch if you ever played that game back on the PS2.

Next comes an all-new announcement for a game called Fort Solis, from Black Drakkar Games and Fallen Leaf. Fort Solis will be coming to Steam and seems to be a space-based thriller. Expect a lot of narrative thrill rides in tight spaces, as the game is set on a mining colony on Mars. Not much else is known just yet, but there will be more info to come.

Another debut announcement came next, with a game called Routine. Also set in space, Routine is a horror game that seems to put you at odds with rogue (or evil?) androids. Routine is developed by Lunar Software, with Raw Fury publishing. It will release on PC and Xbox consoles at some point.

Next up, The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) popped in to reveal a new trailer for DC’s Black Adam film. The trailer looks interesting enough, but with how messy DC’s film universe has been, I can’t exactly say I hold out much hope for this one. Black Adam will release on October 21^st, 2022 in theatres.

After that interlude, we got a trailer for Outriders: Worldslayer, which seems to be an expansion to Outriders. Outriders: Worldslayer will have new content, and can be purchased together with the base game or as an upgrade for those who own the original release. Outriders: Worldslayer will release on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles on June 30^th, 2022. Pre-ordering now gets you 48 hours early access to the game.

Then, we got a rapid-fire Nintendo Switch montage of games coming soon to the platform. This includes:

Splatoon 3 – September 9^th
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak – June 30^th
Cuphead in “The Delicious Last Course” – June 30^th
Capcom Fighting Collection – June 24^th
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – July 29^th

Fall Guys took the stage next, showcasing a commercial for the new multi-platform release and Season 1, which starts on June 21^st. Fall Guys will now be on all major consoles beginning with Season 1 on June 21^st.

Back to new announcements, the next game was Stormgate, created by Frost Giant Studios. Stormgate seems to be a Doom-esque type of game, with demons in space. It will have a 2023 beta which you can register to join now. According to the interview with the devs, Stormgate will be a Free-to-play RTS, which really doesn’t make much sense from the cinematic trailer, but okay. They revealed two factions, the Human Resistance and The Infernal Host. However, they have stated that there will be more factions to come.

After that, we got an announcement for Highwater, a brand new Indie game from demagog studio and Rogue games. Highwater is a post-apocalyptic adventure-strategy game set in a world that is flooded. It will release sometime in 2022.

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Geoff then took a moment to mention Replaced, developed by Sad Cat Studios. The Belarusian studio intended to have a trailer ready for the Summer Game Fest. However, due to the war in Ukraine, they were unable to get it ready in time. Replaced was delayed into 2023 due to the conflict, as a measure to focus on the safety of Sad Cat Studios’ employees and their families. Our hearts go out to them, and to anyone affected by the war.

Next up, originally showcased at the Tribeca Games Festival, we have American Arcadia. You play as Trevor, a man whose life is being televised, with the viewing public voting up or down. Becoming unpopular will risk you having to run for your life. American Acadia is coming soon to PC and Consoles. I’m weirdly excited for this one, as it has a very “Big Brother is watching” sort of vibe, mixed with a social commentary about cancel culture and social media.

Now, I think I speak for everyone when I say, I wasn’t expecting this next announcement. Goat Simulator 3 got a new trailer and was announced for the first time. Goat Simulator 3 will bring more goat-based carnage to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles this Fall.

Finally, we get to an announcement I’ve been excited about. Marvel and 2K took the stage to reveal more information on Midnight Suns. Spider-Man will be a playable character in Midnight Suns. Additionally, you can pre-order the game now and get a Defenders Skin for Doctor Strange. Venom also appeared in the new trailer, but he seems to be an adversary.

Cuphead in “the Delicious Last Course” got another moment in the spotlight and will be released on June 30^th, 2022. The folks at Studio MDHR brought a new gameplay segment, showcasing a new boss called Mortimer Freeze. Fans of Cuphead are sure to be excited, and whoever recorded that gameplay segment was really good.

Neon White got another moment to shine as well. It was announced last year, but now we have an all-new gameplay trailer showcasing even more of the stylish combat. Neon White will release on June 16^th, 2022 for Switch and PC.

Jacob Zwinel’s Midnight Fight Express took the stage next. The Polish developer showed off his action game with a new trailer. Midnight Fight Express will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on August 23^rd. A demo is available now on Steam, which will be available during the Steam Next Fest as well.

As previously announced, Warframe took some time to showcase information including an announcement for TennoCon in July. They provided information on a variety of things such as new updates. TennoCon will take place digitally on July 16^th. They also confirmed that TennoCon will present The Duviri Paradox during the event. This announcement came with a new teaser, so I’m sure Warframe fans will be incredibly excited.

Next up, Genshin Impact’s Studio Hoyoverse revealed new information on Honkai Star-Rail, an open-world space RPG. They presented a new trailer, which showcases a gorgeous new world to explore. I’m getting some serious Star Ocean vibes from this. More info on Honkai Star-Rail is coming soon.

Hoyoverse also showcased new information on Zenless Zone Zero, which was previously announced. They provided new footage of this urban action game with an all-new trailer. The trailer showcased new characters, enemies, and more, all of which look really interesting.

Afterward, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge got a new segment, with an all-new reveal. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge will include Casey Jones as a playable character. They also announced a 6-player co-op mode either locally or online. Shredder’s Revenge will release on June 16^th, on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

We also got a trailer for a game called Super People, which will go into its final beta phase on August 17^th. I haven’t been following this one, so I assume it is either a team-based shooter or a battle royale. Either way, it seems to be released only on PC right now.

Sega and Amplitude Studios revealed a new DLC for Humankind called Cultures of Latin America. I’m all for multi-cultural experiences, and for a game like this, expanding the number of cultures you can play and experience is vital. It comes with six new cultures and is available now. Humankind is also coming soon to PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Fans of the One Piece anime got a bit of a treat next, as One Piece Odyssey took some time in the spotlight. To celebrate One Piece’s 25^th anniversary, One Piece Odyssey will showcase a brand new JRPG experience where Luffy and the gang are marooned on a mysterious island. It will release this year on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation consoles.

Atlus also showcased new information on Soul Hackers 2, providing a new look at the English voice cast. Soul Hackers 2 will be available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles on August 26^th, 2022. After that, we got another small commercial segment for the Epic Games Store Mega Sale and Samsung Gaming Hub.

Then, Capcom Arcade Stadium 2 took the stage for a quick clip. It showcased games coming to the compilation including Street Fighter Alpha 3, Mega Man The Power Battle, The Speed Rumbler, Last Duel, and more. It will be available on July 22^nd on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.

The last section of the ad break showed off a new commercial for Mario Strikers Battle League. Battle your opponents in chaotic soccer-like action in Mario Strikers Battle League. It releases exclusively for Nintendo Switch today.

After that came a world premiere trailer for Metal Hellsinger, a rhythm-based shooter reminiscent of BPM: Bullets Per Minute. A demo is now available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms as well, so you can try it out for yourself. Admittedly it isn’t my kind of music, and I wasn’t very wowed by the trailer. However, I’m sure some people will love it when it releases on September 15^th.

The Quarry (which launches today) was also showcased. As the successor to Until Dawn, it has some big shoes to fill. However, the Launch trailer they provided seems to have some really great actors behind it, so I’m curious to see how the game goes. You can play it now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

Revisiting an announcement from the Game Awards, Nightingale got a new trailer. This shared-world survival and crafting game looks stunning, and thanks to the Realm Card system, you can influence procedurally generated worlds in ways such as resources you can gather and weather patterns. Inflexion Games’ Nightingale looks to be something that really could turn into a hidden gem. You can wishlist it now.

Saints Row fans also got an unexpected treat, with the Saints Row: Boss Factory Demo. The Boss Factory demo is a full creation suite that will allow you to set up your character and experiment with what the character creation system offers. You’ll be able to customize and experiment with things like skin color, hair color, body proportions, and of course “Sex Appeal” or as I call it, the 3 B’s (Boobs, Butt, and Bulge).

You’ll also be able to get weird with it or stay realistic and create your perfect male, female, trans, or non-binary boss. Happy Pride to Saints Row fans eh? The Boss Factory can be downloaded now on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide was up next, showing off gameplay from the follow-up to the Vermintide franchise, set in the Warhammer universe. Darktide will offer 4-player co-op action against large enemy hordes. Darktide will be out on September 13^th for PC and Xbox consoles. The gameplay looks solid, though I’m not a fan of the grungy, dark aesthetic.

Bloober Team’s next game is a follow-up to Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, called Layers of Fears. Nah, that’s not going to get confusing or anything, is it? It seems like we’ll be revisiting the characters from the first Layers of Fear, though there seemed to be references to the sequel as well. Layers of Fears will release in Early 2023 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The second to last segment was for Gotham Knights, which will be released on October 25^th. This time, Nightwing got a bit of a spotlight, showing off various versions of his costume, as well as his fighting style. Nightwing and Batgirl are my favorites so far, and I’m super hyped to play around as both of them. October 25^th can’t get here soon enough.

Finally, we got a bit of a surprise triple whammy. The Last of Us will be getting a multiplayer standalone title that was originally envisioned as a multiplayer mode for the sequel. Due to the developer’s vision, the game morphed into a standalone title. They haven’t given much info yet, but concept art was shown. The Last of Us TV series also got a bit of a spotlight as well, showing a few screencaps of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey (Joel and Ellie) as well as providing a few teasing bits of information.

The most surprising (to me) announcement was a reveal that they are remaking The Last of Us for PlayStation 5 and PC. Neil Druckmann called it the “definitive version of the original game” and mentioned that they wanted to get as close to their original vision as possible. A trailer was revealed for The Last of Us Remake, which has improved visuals, gameplay, and more. It will release on September 2nd for PlayStation 5 with PC in development, but is it necessary?

With that, the Summer Game Fest Kickoff came to a close. I personally found this year to be very slow and lackluster. However, there’s a lot more coverage to come. We’ll be covering the Xbox Conference, Devolver Showcase, and more over the next week. Stay tuned folks!