Everything You Missed From Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022
Gamescom kicked off in a big way last night. The gaming convention - perhaps one of the last of its kind along with the slow death of E3 and the sharp rise of Summer Game Fest - revealed a huge wealth of titles on August 23.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 opened with a presentation from Geoff Keighley himself, which gave us a peek into the future of gaming for the rest of this year, 2023, and beyond. Although many games leaked beforehand, there's a lot to tread back through - so here's everything you might have missed at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022.
High On Life
High on Life is the new game from Squanch Games, and it just got a gameplay reveal after its recent delay to December 13. Here, we saw Justin Roiland playing a myriad of characters in the showed-off boss battle. It's unfathomably ugly, but hey, it's the Rick & Morty guys with some familiar voice talents from the likes of Roiland, J.B. Smoove, and Tim Robinson. Maybe it'll at least make some good fart jokes.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game
In a reveal that nobody really saw coming, Killer Klowns From Outer Space are joining the trend of isometric horror games. Coming from the creators of Friday the 13th: The Game, this 3v7 multiplayer puts on a pair of baggy pants to honour the 1988 cult classic. Deeply bizarre, we know, but that only makes us more compelled.
The Callisto Protocol
The spiritual successor to Dead Space returned to the floor, as The Callisto Protocol brought the gore. Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 showed off some new gameplay that saw the game's lead character pop the heads of some baddies, slide down a shaft Rayman 3D style, and then get eviscerated by a giant fan. Tasty!
Sonic Frontiers
We got a new teaser trailer for Sonic Frontiers with a peek at the Breath of the Wild-inspired Sonic game. The latest gameplay tease came alongside a reveal that the open-world title will be launching this November. Many fans feel it looks half-baked, but we'll leave it up to you to decide. We'll bet that furries are gonna love it regardless, though.
Lies of P
The Bloodborne-esque retelling of Pinocchio lifted a lid on its gameplay for Lies of P. Gamescom gave us a look at Lies of P's UI and a further exploration into its topsy-turvy victorian old wives' tale world. There was also the rumoured confirmation that it's coming to Game Pass. Either way, it was very weird and very cool.
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights got what felt like its 30th trailer, revealing that Harley Quinn and Clayface will be appearing in-game as baddies. Who knows how they'll shape up in the face of the Court of Owls, but we'll just have to wait and see how they play into the game's narrative. Opinions are still split, and whether this lives up to the legacy of Rocksteady's Arkham games or not, Warner Bros. Montreal is clearly doing its own thing.
Goat Simulator 3
Goat Simulator 3 turned up in typical Goat Simulator fashion - showing off medieval goats casting magic at each other, crashing into each other in cars, and wreaking havoc upon the NPCs of the world. We literally couldn't ask any more of the game, to be honest. As Keighley himself suggested, Goat Simulator 3 looks like it threw the kitchen sink at the long-awaited sequel.
The Outlast Trials
The latest Outlast game got its reveal at long last, confirming that the game will be entering beta in the coming months for a few lucky fans to get involved before the game comes out. If you fancy getting scared sh*tless, go nuts.
New Tales From The Borderlands
As per leaked details, the sequel to Tales from the Borderlands got a glossy trailer. Even though original developer Telltale has kicked the bucket, Gearbox's latest outing has basically just slapped the word "New" on the box. The New Tales from the Borderlands trailer revealed some bonkers and creative gameplay, but also stays true to the Tales gameplay that we recognise - and it looks like it's going to be a real treat for fans.
Hogwarts Legacy
Possibly the biggest title of the bunch was the Harry Potter-themed romp that is Hogwarts Legacy. The Wizarding World showed off (briefly) some more gameplay, explaining to players what they can do if they follow the path of a dark wizard.
The Hogwarts Legacy Gamescom showcase offered a slither of gameplay and a lot of cutscenes that expanded on the dangers of embracing the dark side in a trailer that has riled up some fans and excited others. 2023's GOTY or just another Cyberpunk? Let's wait and see.
Dead Island 2
And of course, as leaks had prophesied, Dead Island 2 finally got its re-reveal in a pulpy, bright blast of gore. The game's cinematic trailer is a lot of fun, and following it, we got a little tease of the gameplay that takes the player across LA. Even if it's true that Los Angeles isn't actually an island, it's about damn time Deep Silver delivered the goods after Dead Island 2 was originally handled by Yaeger Development all the way back in 2012.