As quick as it started, Summer Game Fest is over. The industry gave us a close look at what they’ve been cooking up and it didn’t disappoint. But what stood out above the crowd? Our writers chose their favourites coming out of the seemingly endless showcases.
It should be noted that Gamer Social Club wasn’t present at SGF (maybe next year!) so these are based purely off what everyone else saw in the trailers. With that said let’s see what everyone chose.
007 First Light
Mark Pell, News Editor
When IO announced they’d be developing a new Bond title, few would have disagreed they were the ideal custodian of the IP given their Hitman credentials.
But what they revealed at the State of Play blew me away. The Hitman stealth DNA looks like it will translate beautifully to 007’s first game in almost 15 years. Combine that with explosive car chases, MI6’s arsenal of weapons to play with and that Bond theme tune, we’re in for an action-packed romp.
The British gentleman, the Aston Martin, charming relationships with Q and M (and inevitably, a lady or two) – First Light looks like it’ll have it all.
Keeper & Void Martyrs
Harry Glynn Jones, Lead Guide Editor
There are a select few game studios I hold close to my heart, and one of those is Double Fine. So to see their next game, Keeper, shown off at the tail end of the Xbox Showcase 2025 was a big deal for me! It is great to see one of the most imaginative and versatile studios continue to make intriguing titles. Keeper definitely matches that description, and thankfully, we won’t have to wait long to experience it for ourselves. Like always, I got exactly what I wanted from Double Fine; something I didn’t expect.
Grimdark survival horror with space nuns. Got your attention? Because Void Martyrs sure had mine when it appeared at both the PC Gaming Showcase and the Women-Led Games 2025 Showcase.
Developed by Mac n Cheese Games, you take on the role of a novice astronaut nun who has been sent by the Universal Church to repel a biomechanical plague. The idea of navigating giant space cathedrals, scavenging for resources, all while you must balance your faith against your will to survive, has me eager to learn more. I am a sucker for blending sci-fi and religious themes in art and media, so Void Martyrs is something I know I don’t want to miss.
Invincible & Marvel Tokon
DeMandre Pressley, Contributor
Being huge on fighting games I was treated to not one, but two very impressive looking titles that mean a lot to me personally for different reasons. Marvel tokon fighting souls looks to carry on the legacy that marvel has in fighting games in a way that hasn’t been tried before and Invincible being helmed by a studio that captured lightning in a bottle with killer instinct 2013, a game many fans now tout as one of the most important fighters ever made due to how much it introduced that’s standard today.
Both games speak to me on a very personal level, as well as marvel superheroes back in the early 90s, is what heavily got me into the genre along with Marvel vs Capcom 3 being my first competitive game. On the other end, killer instinct is the game that made me as a competitor so it’s original developer helming a franchise that I’m a huge fan of is something I’ll have my eyes on heavily both as a fan and a competitor.
Clockwork Revolution
Andrew Cooper, Contributor
As a long time fan of the Bioshock series, nothing peaked my interest more than the steampunk setting of Clockwork Revolution. The trailer started off as a relatively tame looking adventure, but it quickly turned into an intricate looking RPG with in depth weapon customization and a very interesting time concept that I was instantly hooked by. It’s a shame we have no definitive release date, but I’m hopeful it ends up as good as it looks.
Call Of The Elder Gods
Dan Jackson, Owner
Call of the Sea was a surprise hit for me back in 2020. It’s stunning world and great puzzles was packed into a tight, short package that struck a chord with me. I wasn’t really thinking about a sequel but after the debut trailer of Call of the Elder Gods it has vaulted to the top of mind.
From what we can tell so far it looks like developer Out Of The Blue is really expanding on the first game. I’ll be interested to see how they tie the story all together and what kind of stunning worlds that they can make with a bit more experience and budget.
Vikki McGowan, Lead Review Editor
One of the games I was particularly excited by Call of the Elder Gods at the Future Games Showcase. I’m a huge fan of H.P Lovecraft and (despite being a bit of a scaredy cat) eldritch horror. I absolutely loved Call of the Sea back when I played it at the end of 2020. Even though the first game didn’t really leave much room for a sequel with the main character, there was a much bigger overarching mystery about the world and the role of the Great Old Ones in it. The whole Cthulhu mythos isn’t hugely represented in games outside of titles that lean much more on the horror aspects, so I’m thrilled to see more games cover it in fun and unique ways.
Atomic Heart 2 & ILL
Fraser Billington, Community Manager
Something I never saw coming was a sequel to Mudfishs’ 2023 FPS Atomic Heart. I absolutely loved the setting of a futuristic 1950 Soviet Union while fighting off what seemed an unlimited supply of weirdly sexual robots with classical music blaring over the loudspeaker. While Atomic Heart was semi open-world, Atomic Heart 2 has seemed to have taken things bigger with the addition of personal vehicles, maybe? There were some interesting camera angles and squad shots which make me think we could be getting co-op? Only time will tell in the age of Atomic…
Seems like Mundfish took the show for me because their publishing arm Mundfish Powerhouse announced a project from Team Clout that made me hold my breath with excitement. I’m a huge fan of horror. Add some gore and I’m yours. ILL does not look to be for the faint of heart. I have no idea what that poor lad did to get himself in that situation, but the monsters that look truly terrifying, and dismemberment that would have Isaac blushing ILL wll not come soon enough.
Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell
Sean Richards, Contributor
I am always on the hunt for cozy games that do something…different than the normal slew of cozy games that are out there. Imagine my surprise during the Wholesome Direct when I saw the premiere trailer for Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell. Topotes Studio will be bringing out this investigation mystery game as their first foray into game development as a studio. What sold me about this game – the art style. The stop-motion design aesthetic of these cute little toy citizens (did I mention they were all toys?) of Touvoir-en-Thym-et-Pomme just iitches a scritch that I didn’t realize I had. My sincere hope is that Topotes Studio is able to fund their passion project and that we can see Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell comes to gamers in the future.
Planet Of Lana 2
Adam Stewart, Lead News Editor
I was incredibly surprised to see the return of Planet of Lana with Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf when it was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase. The original was absolutely one of my favourite games of 2023. The world that had been built, the art and sound, it was all incredibly crafted. To see the return of Lana and their cute little friend Mui brought a true smile to my face. I cannot wait to get back to that world, solving puzzles, dodging death and uncovering mysteries. We must protect Mui at all costs! Also, where’s my Mui plushie???
Persona 4 & Sonic Racing: Crossroads
Stephanie Richards, Editor
Summer Games Fest has come and gone but there are some impressions that remain. For anyone who knows me, it should be no surprise that I’m looking forward to Persona 4 Revival, no matter how long it may take. Having the rumors and leaks finally confirmed is great, although I’m really interest to see how the remake looks when there is more to see. It does somewhat feel like Atlus said, ‘there are so many leaks, let’s release SOMETHING’. At least now we have confirmation.
The other game I’m very interested in is actually Sonic Racing: Crossworlds. Yes, partially because it has Joker from Persona 5 (see a pattern here?). Mostly because I like that this will have cross platform matchmaking. The ability to play against players on multiple platforms brings up the ability to play with so many others instead of being limited to those who own a certain console. Really looking forward to see how they may improve or bush the boundaries of the racing genre with beloved characters and glad I don’t have to wait too long on this.
Cronus: The New Dawn & Mortal Shell 2
Nathan Lockhart, Media Producer
Cronos: The New Dawn is a game I knew was coming this year. After finally getting to see a glimpse in to its gameplay footage at the Xbox Showcase, it looks to be a promising spiritual successor to Dead Space. In the trailer it appears there is a lack of aim assist which I love to see. The best horror games put you in impossible situations so you struggle to get out of them. I think Cronos is going to nail that goal. Bloober Team has for sure proven themselves that they have what it takes to give us a solid horror game.
The other game that sticks out in my mind from all the showcases is Mortal Shell 2.
When I watched that trailer, no part of me thought, “I recognize this!”. So when the Mortal Shell 2 title popped up, I was genuinely surprised. I didn’t play the first game, but I had seen enough gameplay to know it appears as a standard ‘Soulslike’ game. The trailer showcased a vast array of cool weaponry, gory executions, sickening looking enemies, and a dark artstyle I love! Not to mention the gunplay mixed in to sword fighting looks like an absolute blast!
And that’s everything. We probably could have highlighted a hundred more games but these were some of our main highlights. What were you interested in? Let us know!
If you would like to see our full coverage of the Showcase Season, here is our summary article with links to every showcase we covered.
