It’s almost here. Last year’s Gamescom was filled to the brim with hotly anticipated reveals and extended looks at some of the biggest titles to hit the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Wii U. All eyes will be on Cologne, Germany from August 13-17 as we eagerly await some big surprises. Here’s what I’m personally hoping for:
5. Media Molecule’s New IP
After the initial surprise at E3 that LittleBigPlanet 3 was real and hitting store shelves this fall, many didn’t know that the studio behind the third entry was in fact Sumo Digital and not Media Molecule themselves. Instead, Media Molecule has been secretly working on a new title that was only hinted at during Sony’s official unveiling of the PS4 back in February of last year. More recently, the studio released a somewhat peculiar teaser that mysteriously materialized after a glitch affected the project in a questionable way. Many have tried to decipher the weird and enigmatic teaser but we can rest assured that creativity will be center stage once we’re shown a peak of what’s coming next for the Tearaway developer.
4. Quantum Break
Yes, we know Microsoft didn’t publicly live stream last year’s Gamescom press conference and they were absent in 2012, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to stay shut this year while everyone else is dropping megatons. Remedy is one of the most talented studios in the gaming industry and we know about as much about Quantum Break today as we did when it was first announced. Microsoft could release a nice big trailer on Xbox Live during Gamescom’s run to steal a little thunder from Sony and reassert their presence. Microsoft has secured a spot this year so let’s hope we don’t have to wait very long for it.
Editor’s note: Microsoft has confirmed a full unveiling for Quantum Break at Gamescom this year.
3. Quantic Dream’s New IP
We all remember that old man wizard thing that David Cage revealed last year and it wouldn’t surprise me if The Dark Sorcerer turns out to be an actual game. He’s made quite the habit of showing off impressive, narrative-focused tech demos first and then announcing a game not too long after. It happened with Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls so it’s a safe bet that Cage’s next game might involve wizards and magic. It may even be a comedy. But for the love of God, can David Cage hire more writers and editors so he won’t drown himself in his own artistic swamp of nonsensical plots.
2. Guerrilla Games New IP
This may be an E3 2015 thing but why not now? We know that Guerrilla Games are working on an open-world RPG with Fallout: New Vegas lead writer John Gonzalez penning the storyline. We also know it’s an entirely new IP and not associated at all with the Killzone universe. Guerrilla Games always has a strong presence at Gamescom and this year won’t be any different. They announced Killzone Mercenary at Gamescom 2012, let’s hope for a new IP announcement this year.
1. Fallout 4
We can all dream right? It’s been a cruel and discouraging last few years for Fallout 4 hopefuls, from the superbly elaborate Internet hoax to Todd Howard himself saying that the game would take years and years to make. But we still hold out hope. It would be a massive reveal and Gamescom is gradually improving its relevance and importance year after year to the point where some people have already declared it bigger than E3. This could be the big stage for Fallout 4 and it doesn’t even need to show us a release date, just show us that the game is somewhere in development. That’s about all we can ask for at this point.
Editor’s note: Bethesda has repeatedly stated the only games they’re showing at Gamescom are The Evil Within and Elder Scrolls Online, so unless they’re pulling a fast one, we’ll just keep dreaming.
Gamescom opens its doors August 13th through the 17th. The world will be watching as we anticipate big reveals and some long-awaited updated looks on titles such as Rainbow Six: Siege and Bloodborne to spice things up. It’s going to be a great way to close out the summer and propel us into the blockbuster fall season and beyond.