Well, it’s that time of year again! The time when all the big names and small names in the gaming industry gather in one place and get us gamers excited for what’s to come in our favorite pastime! Yep, it’s SUMMER GAME FEST 2025 and I have to say? Compared to last years which, in my opinion, was a really dull and disappointing show, this one was way better by a mile. Sure, there were some games that didn’t interest me, personally, but, overall, this was a really good show and I want to highlight some of the bigger announcements and ones that may be of interest to you!
Let’s start off with the first big announcement: Mortal Shell 2. The sequel to 2020’s Mortal Shell which I had no idea existed, though I suspect that was because I don’t recall seeing any advertisements for it or hearing anyone talk about it, this one looks to carry the original Dark Souls style of gameplay, but with the added addition of firearms to the mix. So, you know, like Bloodborne (Spoilers: Sorry, everyone, no Bloodborne PC port or Bloodborne 2 announced). I really dug the visuals they showcased here, looking really grotesque yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time and, yeah, the gameplay looks solid, too. How it compares to the original, I don’t know as, again, I never played the original so I can’t comment on it. What I can comment on is the trailer’s choice of music. Normally, you’d expect gothic music or some epic orchestral music with this style of game. But this game did something better: BEHEMOTH! Yeah, the Extreme Metal band themselves! Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of that genre, but it was still nice to hear something other than hip-hop and orchestral music. The game isn’t due out until 2026, but you can sign up for the beta, which will also launch in 2026 (Steam exclusive, sorry console gamers) and give it a try! As for me? Well, if I ever find the time and want something different in my catalog to play, I’ll probably pick up the first one to see if I’m missing out on a hidden gem.
After some more gaming news and announcements, including a new look at Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, we then got a new look at the upcoming Sonic Racing Crossworlds. According to the trailer, this is slated to be the “Biggest Sonic Racing Game Ever” and will feature cross-platform play with other consoles, which the lead developer preface this by saying unlike other racing games, which I can only assume is a dig towards the newest Mario Kart, going by how many reacted, but don’t quote me on that. The gameplay looks to be an improvement over the past entries and it does look like the vehicle transformation from Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is making a return, judging by the few clips we see of Sonic’s vehicle turning into a monster truck. The one thing I do find a bit interesting is that while most of the characters are driving, a few of them, namely the birds from the Sonic Rider games, are seemingly relegated to their airboarders. I’m curious to see if it’s just them who are stuck with the boards or if anyone can use them. We also got a look at a few guest characters, including Hatsune Miku and Steve from Minecraft, which I’m always a fan of guest characters and I dig (pun intended) the Minecraft world they showed off. It does look like a fun title and I may end up picking this up when it releases this September and I’m also curious about the other guest characters they have planned.
Following that, we got a first look at a few new titles like Jurassic World Evolution 3, which accidently got leaked out via a few store listings (whoops…) and though it does look to be fun, I never really got into the Jurassic Park series as I was always a Dinotopia fan. But then we got to the first announcement that got me excited and I know this isn’t really a furry themed game, but I wanted to gush for a bit, so bare with me: ATOMIC HEART 2! I loved the original Atomic Heart from 2023 and it was a game I waited years to play, so seeing we’re getting a sequel that includes driveable vehicles AND more zany weapons? Yes, please! Heck, that’s not the only Atomic Heart news we got as we also got an announcement for a game called The Cube: Atomic Universe, which is slated to be an MMORPG set within the Atomic Heart universe, hence the name. While, normally, I skip MMO games (barring a few exceptions), I’m looking forward to playing this one! Unfortunately, neither game has a release date yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if neither one comes out until 2027 at the earliest, though if they hit 2026, I’d be impressed.
Following that bombshell, we also got a new look at Marvel Cosmic Invasion from Tribute Games, the makers of the excellent TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, and this one is also a 2D Action Side Scroller that looks to have the same level of polish their previous titles included. The main draw for this trailer, though, are the two new playable characters: She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon. From the trailer, it looks like She-Hulk will be the heavy brawler-type character and, no doubt, the subject of many male fantasies and Rocket will be a fast striking and gun-toting little trash panda we all know and love. I am very happy they didn’t use the design from the Guardians Of The Galaxy game for Rocket, here, as that was probably the worst he looked. That aside, the game looks fun and I did enjoy their previous efforts with Shredder’s Revenge, so I am looking forward to playing it when it comes out, supposedly, this year but don't’ be surprised if it doesn’t launch until next year.
We also got a look at a new indie boxing game and this one already has people talking. Called Felt That: Boxing, the game is, basically, a Muppets Boxing video game. All the characters are styled after muppets in both look and animation, with the latter shocking the heck out of me. Like, if you showed me this without telling me this was a game, I’d thought it was a new Muppets movie or, at the very least, a R rated parody of a movie. Now, I will say that while it looks good, the gameplay, from what they showed, doesn’t look that good. In fact, I’d equate it to those FMV games from back in the day like Prize Fighter or Supreme Warrior. That is, you’re basically interacting with an interactable movie and you just gotta time your presses right. Back in the day, I think this would’ve been an interesting game as CDs were all the rage back then, but now? Eh, it’d be a hard sell, despite its unique style and idea. No release date was announced, outside of it being a PC exclusive, but, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say we probably will be stepping into the ring later this year or early 2026.
Another game I want to mention is Towa And The Guardians Of The Sacred Tree. Long name aside, the game is poised to be a roguelike and, according to the site: On their quest to restore peace, play as Towa and the Guardians as they explore far-off lands threatened by Magatsu’s evil influence. In a world where even splendor hides a lurking threat, courage is the only way forward. As Hitoshi Sakimoto’s melodies guide the way, a breathtaking yet untamed landscape unfolds where the fight to save Shinju Village begins. The gameplay, from what I saw in the trailer, kinda reminds me of Hades in a way and I don’t mind that as Hades was an awesome game so I’m all for more games taking inspiration from it. I also like the artstyle and I already see the Koi character and Shiba-Inu characters getting tons of fan-art before the game releases, especially the Shiba and I don’t blame them. I usually tend to avoid these styles of games, but the game does look fun and I do look forward to checking this out when it releases this September on all platforms.
Following that and another look at the upcoming Wildgate, which is basically Sea Of Thieves In Space, which I might be checking out as it does look right up my alley (especially since, until June 16th, there’s an Open Beta going on Xbox, PS5, and PC), we got a trailer for a game called Into The Unwell. Set in a world inspired by 1930s rubber-hosed animated characters, this roguelite sees you and/or two friends sent to a disgusting world by a goat demon and must escape. I do like how this style of animation is making a comeback, though I will admit that I do wish the game was solely 2D as it being in 3D does make the rubber-hose animation seem a bit off (which is weird cause Hotel Transylvania, a movie, did the same type of animation perfectly, so I’m not sure why games are having this issue). That being said, I don’t know if it’s just in the footage they showed, but the game’s combat does look just a bit generic. I didn’t really see anything, outside of it being a roguelite, to really make it stand out from the crowd. I understand the whole ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, but sometimes? Sometimes you do want just a bit more fries with your burger, if that makes sense.
Finally, we had one more announcement and, if Atomic Heart II was the appetizer, then this was the main course. After being told we’d have to wait a bit for news on the next entry, Summer Games Fest came to a close with the first trailer for Resident Evil: Requiem aka Resident Evil 9! From the looks of it, we’ll be in the shoes of Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil: Outbreak, as she’s sent to investigate why these dead bodies have been showing up, which seems will take her to the craterous ruins of Raccoon City. When the trailer first started and it showed glimpses of Alyssa via a flashback, I thought this was Silent Hill 2 Remake DLC being announced (Heck, the name Ashcroft didn’t even register in my head at first) and I was intrigued but slightly disappointed…mostly cause I’ve yet to even play any of the Silent Hill games, especially the remake. But, when the ruined R.P.D building appeared, everything just clicked and, when I saw the logo? You’re dang right I got excited! I’ve been a fan of the RE franchise since the original RE4 on the Wii and played and loved most of the games (except Resident Evil Zer0, that gameplay was just bad) and seeing this one return to the series' most iconic location gets me all types of excited. We did also get some post-show news regarding the title, like how it can be played in either first person or third person at launch and that there is a second playable character that is “fully armed”. I've seen many say that this could be Leon or Chris but, from my own knowledge, I’m betting either Barry or the return of Billy from Resident Evil 0, which the latter I think would be cooler to see. Now, I heard rumors that this could be a ‘finale’ of sorts to the main Resident Evil storyline and, if that’s the case, then I’m curious to see how it’ll pull it off. But, as usual, don’t put too much faith in the rumor mill (remember what happened with Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness? Everyone thought Tom Cruise was going to be in it as a Tony Stark variant and that turned out to be false so, again, just take everything said in a rumor mill with an atom of salt).
If I had to grade this show, it’d be a solid four out of five paw prints. Sure, there were some games that weren’t for me and some questionable moments, but, overall? Unlike last years that almost put me to sleep, this year was a solid step up and probably one of the better SGF shows since the year Dead Island 2 made a comeback announcement. If I had to pick my personal highlights of the show, it’d be Atomic Heart II, the new gameplay for the horror FPS title ‘ILL’, that amazing Street Fighter 6 trailer featuring Kenny Omega dressing up as the new characters, and Resident Evil: Requiem. If the trailers showcased during this event is anything to go by, then 2025/2026 are shaping up to be some incredible years of gaming.
