There were plenty of games I played at Gamescom that were just sneak peeks, or short hands-off previews. While news about these games is still a bit short on the ground, or it’s still early days in development, here are some more details about a few hidden gems and quieter titles that I played during the event.
Gori: Cuddly Carnage
Gori: Cuddly Carnage is an indie hack and slash game developed by Angry Demon Studio, where you play as a cat on a rampage, hacking and slashing your way through a host of demented unicorns and other nasty creatures. Oh, you also have a sweet skateboard. Combat was slick, and I felt powerful as the little kitty, with a bunch of power-ups, combo moves, and lots of visceral carnage on the screen.
King Arthur: Legends Rise
King Arthur: Legends Rise is a new game from Kabam. The studio is generally known for mobile game titles, but this is the first to launch concurrently on PC and mobile. Developed by its Seoul studio, this is an intriguing take on Arthurian myth, reimagined with a host of characters that can be earned in this sprawling RPG game. My time with the game at Gamescom had some lofty promises of territory control and endgame activities, but what I did see was pleasantly surprising – interesting turn-based combat, nods to mythology (especially fun and fresh when interpreted from a South Korean perspective), and an update schedule that suggests a lot of content coming in the future.
Zenless Zone Zero & Honkai: Star Rail
Zenless Zone Zero again shows that Hoyoverse are the champions of introducing new IP. I didn’t get to see much of the game at Gamescom, but the small glimpse of boss battles, world exploration, and character design were enough to convince me that this is another game that will eat hours of my life. It’s a fun cyberpunk setting this time around, but it’s still a Hoyoverse game: bombastic costumes and aesthetics, lots of chitting and chatting from its characters, and action combat. I also got a glimpse of the new Honkai: Star Rail update and yes, I did redownload the game and play it for several hours. It’s just that sort of game.
Tormented Souls 2
Tormented Souls 2 is the follow-up to the successful Tormented Souls from 2021, a classic fixed-perspective horror game from Dual Effect and Abstract Digital. There have been some big upgrades on the original game, mostly in the form of its engine – the studios made the switch from Unity to Unreal Engine 5, which brings new graphical fidelity to Caroline Walker’s terrifying adventures. Though I didn’t get to see much at Gamescom, I suspect fans of the original will enjoy it.
Songs Of Conquest Siege Mode
Sitting down with the developers of Songs Of Conquest was a treat, and getting a chance to revisit a game I haven’t played for a while was also a pleasure. Developed by Lavapotion, this ode to Heroes Of Might And Magic is a labor of love – incredibly detailed, well thought-out out, and balanced alongside feedback from a very dedicated community. Its new Siege update allows players to finally attack walled fortresses and towns, and the promises for an eventual 1.0 release sound great. Development doesn’t end with the full release of the game, though, as the devs confirmed they have more planned for the future.