Yesterday morning, we possibly witnessed the epic conclusion to this year’s season of games, with the annual videogame awards show – The Game Awards 2020. Hosted by industry titan – Geoff Keighley, the awards ceremony was unlike no (any) other events this year, and featured musical performances from renowned artists, top-shelf celebrity appearances, plentiful awards and a whole bunch of new game reveals. Broadcasted from 3 different studio locations (Los Angeles, London and Tokyo), this year’s event did not have an in-person audience and was held in an online digital fashion, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the missing ambience, what Geoff was able to pull off here, with the professional studio setting and the well-organized event breakdown was quite impressive, and deserves every bit of praise! We wouldn’t be mad if he kept one of the trophies for himself.
Now that we’re done brown-nosing, onto the huge announcements:
The main-event kicked-off with a bang, as Bandai Namco revealed their latest character addition to their popular crossover fighting game roster – Sephiroth. The trailer starts out with a bunch of Smash fighters being pushed-back by an invisible, evil force on the battlefield, which is then revealed to be the main antagonist from Final Fantasy VII. As the silver-haired SOLDIER descends into the playpen, we see some gameplay footage showcasing the talent he brings to the table. Understandably, the long and cold Masamune is his primary weapon of choice as we see him slicing down incoming opponents with it. Additionally, we also get a look at his superbly-powerful elemental attacks and his one-winged form, before he takes on Cloud in a 1v1 battle. Sephiroth is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as part of the second Fighter’s Pass, later this month.
Microsoft Studio’s The Initiative has revealed an all-new secret agent thriller set in a near-future world – Perfect Dark. The cinematic trailer does not give away much other than setting up the outlandish world and its characters, as we fight our way through hordes of enemies and automated turrets. As of now, it isn’t clear whether the game is a complete reboot or a sequel to the 2005 shooter – Perfect Dark Zero. The game is still in its early stages of development, and hence offers no details on the release window.
Turtle Rock Studios, creators of Left 4 Dead and Evolve Stage 2 have unveiled their latest 4-player cooperative zombie shooter – Back 4 Blood. The trailer takes you to Quebec City in Canada, where a biologist examining a never-seen-before parasitic worm, falls prey to his curiosity. As the infection starts to spread gradually, we are taken into the plague-ridden streets of America where everyone is screaming for their lives. We are then given our first look the characters we’ll be playing as, as we take on an army of zombies using guns, axes and whatever the hell we can find and craft. The team also released some pre-alpha gameplay footage, which looks and feels awfully similar to the Left 4 Dead games, in terms of mechanics. Only this time, there are giant zombies involved. Back 4 Blood drops on 22 June 2021, on the current and next-gen consoles, and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
A Cyberpunk 2077 car called “Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech” is making its way to Forza Horizon 4 on 11 December 2020, for free.
If you’re one of those people who still needs their Dead Space itch scratched, then Callisto Protocol is sure to be up your alley. Set on Jupiter’s dead moon Callisto in the year 2320, The Callisto Protocol is a next-generation, third-person survival horror game that challenges players to escape the maximum-security Black Iron Prison and uncover its terrifying secrets. The Callisto Protocol will be out sometime in 2022 on Windows PC and unspecified consoles.
Following its initial announcement in July, Fatshark has finally revealed some gameplay footage for the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. Set in the hive city of Tertium, players will be teaming-up in groups of four, and face off against massive hordes of the undead; a heretical cult known as the Admonition, who seeks to seize control of the planet Atoma Prime and lay waste to its inhabitants. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be out on the Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC via Steam, sometime in 2021.
Fullbright, award-winning creators of Gone Home and Tacoma have announced their new IP – Open Roads. Starring Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever, the plot follows a mother and daughter, as they embark on a road trip adventure to explore a series of long-abandoned family properties, trying to uncover buried memories, through a unique and engaging interactive dialogue system. Open Roads is set to drop next year on Windows PC via Steam and unspecified consoles.
Last year, Disco Elysium, the groundbreaking table-top detective RPG bagged the most trophies during The Game Awards. This year, the team is back to announce a newer and much-improved version of the game. Titled – “The Final Cut”, the upgrade includes super-cool features such as full voice acting, new political vision quests and more freedom to do as you please. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut comes out in 2021 March, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, AppStore, Google Stadia and Windows PC via Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store. Existing owners of the game will be getting the upgrade for free.
BioWare has released a new trailer for Dragon Age 4, and oddly enough, it seems like the company is going with different naming strategy, by simply calling it “DRAGON AGE”. The cinematic trailer does not showcase much, other than the vastly perilous worlds and some of the outlandish characters that we might be encountering in the game. One of the characters that makes an appearance in the trailer is everyone’s favourite bald-headed mage – Solas. DRAGON AGE will be releasing on the next-gen systems and Windows PC. No mention of a release window.
Endless Dungeon is a rogue-lite tactical action game set in Amplitude’s Endless universe that follows a top-down approach. You are tasked with recruiting a team of shipwrecked heroes and plunging into long-abandoned space stations to try and defend your crystal against never-ending waves of monsters. Endless Dungeon will be out on the current and next-gen systems, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam. The trailer does not specify a release date.
Pearl Abyss, developers of Black Desert Online has revealed a new in-depth gameplay trailer for their upcoming MMO RPG – Crimson Desert. Set in the fantasy world of Pywel, Crimson Desert follows the tale of Macduff, a mercenary leader trying to reclaim his land. The footage showcases the vast acres of space, where many of the large-scale battles could take place and the ferocious, blood-splattering melee combat. Players can take part in online PvP sessions and take on challenging bosses, puzzles, explore dungeons, and a whole lot more. Crimson Desert is slated for a winter 2021 release on Windows PC and next-gen consoles.
If there was one thing missing from the collectively-adored cooking simulator game – Overcooked!, it would be the ability to play as an actual chef. A chef that far precedes the talents of Gordon Ramsey and Guy Fieri combined. So today, Geoff Keighley announced the latest chef to join the game’s long lineup of culinary masters, the popular Muppets character – Swedish Chef! You can now download and play as the bumbling chef on Overcooked!: All You Can Eat.
Scavengers Studio’s latest project is one of those beautifully crafted and chill experience games that pop out of nowhere during game reveals. Season is a third-person atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game, that is about exploring and recording disappearing cultures. You play as a female traveller from a faraway village that is trying to capture fleeting moments in life using cameras, sketchbooks and recorders. The game will be out exclusively on the PlayStation 5 and mentions no release window yet.
Having seen Vin Diesel drift around in cars for years, the last thing we were expecting was to see him fight dinosaurs. But hey, only a matter of time until they add it to the Fast and Furious franchise! Anyway, Studio Wildcard has revealed a sequel to ARK: Survival Evolved – ARK 2, although we have no idea as to what exactly is different in this iteration. Next-gen graphics and stable servers maybe? ARK 2 is scheduled to be released sometime in 2022. Additionally, we are also getting an animated series based on ARK featuring the voices of Jeffrey Wright, Elliot Page, Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel himself, and many more. You can watch the trailer for it right below.
Mediatonic has announced a season 3 update for Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Set in a winter wonderland, the new season will be adding 7 new levels and 30+ new Christmas-themed costumes, including the likes of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, the Abominable Snowman and a dapper-looking penguin to name just a few. Fall Guys Season 3 drops on 15 December 2020, on the PlayStation 4 and Windows PC via Steam.
Saber Interactive, developers of World War Z have announced a brand-new Evil Dead game starring Ash and an unusual group of friends gathered at the iconic creepy cabin from the 1981 movie. Judging from the trailer, it looks like the game will include both online co-op and PvP modes to choose from, as you shoot and slash past swarms of walkers. Evil Dead: The Game is scheduled to release in 2021, on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 systems.
Capcom’s classic, 2D side-scrolling platform arcade game – Ghosts 'n Goblins is getting resurrected for the Nintendo Switch platform. The new version features revamped graphics and visuals, and better sound design to appeal to the newer audiences, as they take on the role of medieval knight – Arthur to fight incoming hordes of enemies. Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection releases on 25 February 2021.
Upon watching the first 15 seconds of this trailer, we thought what everyone else was thinking – PT or the new Silent Hill game. As it turned out, it was an announcement trailer for Housemarque’s upcoming third-person sci-fi shooter – Returnal. Returnal follows the story of a female space voyager who is stuck in a death loop, where every time she dies, she wakes up on a new hostile planet. In order to keep her sanity, players are supposed to fight hordes of incoming aliens using advanced weaponry (guns or hack-and-slash) and uncover the secrets behind the dreadful cycle. Returnal releases on 19 March 2021, exclusively on the PlayStation 5.
Set in the summer of 1996, Road 96 is an ever-evolving, procedural, narrative-driven road trip game, inspired by Tarantino, The Coen Brothers and Bong Joon-ho. Throughout their journey, players will encounter unique characters, and discover their intertwined stories and secrets. The gameplay will require you to make wisely thought out decisions at every passing mile, that has eventual consequences in the authoritarian nation of Petria. Road 69 drops on Steam, sometime in 2021.
Hazelight, creators of iconic, story-driven coop games such as A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons has revealed an in-depth look at their latest project – It Takes Two. It Takes Two is a bizarrely fun, rom-com platformer that follows the story of two dolls – Cody and May, created by a child of divorce, who magically come alive. Players are supposed to control these dolls and complete objectives that align with the child’s emotions. The new trailer also introduces us to a crazy book character, Dr Hakim, who acts as sort of a love guru, trying to fix the players’ long-lost relationship with each other. It Takes Two comes out on 26 March 2021, on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam and Origin (EA Desktop App).
Capcom has released a new trailer for their upcoming action RPG – Monster Hunter Rise, which is to be released solely on the Nintendo Switch system. The trailer doesn’t reveal much, other than the densely populated villages and the colourful ambience, its backwaters and the highly satisfying rice cake pounding methods. We also get a look at some of the bigger monsters we could encounter in the vast open-world environment, such as Somnacanth, Royal Ludroth and the Great Wroggi to name just a few. Monster Hunter Rise will be out on 26 March 2021. Furthermore, a demo version of the same will be available in January 2021, for a limited period of time.
Flying Wild Hog, the studio behind the Shadow Warrior reboot has announced a brand-new, FPS vampire-hunting game. Players will be armed with hellish firearms and Wolverine-like metallic claws, amongst a wide arsenal of gadgets to choose from, as they fight their way through deadly ghouls and shadowy vampires that terrorize the American soil. The game lets you indulge in the narrative-driven campaign in both solo and coop modes. Evil West is scheduled to release some time in 2021, on the current and next-gen consoles, and Windows PC.
First revealed back in May during an Xbox presentation, Bandai Namco has finally announced a release window for the action RPG game – Scarlet Nexus, along with some minor details on the story. Set in a distant future, Scarlet Nexus has players take control of Yuito Sumeragi, a new recruit to the OSF, who is aiming to become an elite psionic. Armed with the power of psychokinesis and expertise in hack-and-slash, players will be exploring futuristic New Himuka and uncover the mysteries of a Brain Punk future. Scarlet Nexus will be out in summer of 2021, on the current and next-gen systems, and Windows PC.
Popular online multiplayer social deduction game, Among Us, has finally announced their new DLC – The Airship. The update comes with a new map that features a unique set of tasks, addition of brand-new spawn points, and the usage of ladders and floating platforms for movement. Following its resurrection a couple of months ago, the 2018-released title won two awards, earlier today – “Best Multiplayer Game” and “Best Mobile Game”. Among Us: The Airship drops on Windows, Android and iOS in early 2021.
Known for their glorious explosions and absolute mayhem, Just Cause is now making its way onto the Android and iOS systems. Based on the trailer, it looks like the game will be following a top-down interface, as players take-on missions by piloting attack choppers and the occasionally partaking in gun-games to burst down giant gas tanks. The game will be featuring an original campaign mode, an online coop mode, a 3v3 multiplayer mode and a challenge mode, which we are assuming rewards you with special items. There is no release window for this title.
First announced last year at The Game Awards (2019), Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a turn-based RPG being developed by Airship Syndicate, and is the first single-player venture from within the LOL universe. Set in the port-side city of Bilgewater, it seems like Ruined King has players gathering a team of three distinguishing champions into battle, and exploring hidden caves and solving numerous puzzles, as they try to bring order to the twisted town. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story will be releasing some time in 2021, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
Bioware has released a sneak peek into their next chapter of the Mass Effect universe. The trailer does not showcase much, other than some of the world aspects and a hooded figure, possibly an aged Liara T’Soni, picking up a damaged N7 tag from beneath some snow, before looking into the horizon. The teaser then closes with the words, “Mass Effect Will Continue”. Last month, we had reported that the new instalment was being developed by a veteran team, and that it’s still in the early stages of development.
And that’s a wrap for The Game Awards 2020! A sufficiently smooth-sailing experience with barely any technical issues, that beautifully managed to capture the essence and the role videogames play in our society, especially in tough times like these. On the awards side, The Last of Us Part 2 bagged a whole bunch of awards, including the prestigious GOTY award; you can read more on that and the other winners here. As for the announcements, they were alright. Nothing quite astronomical, although Geoff Keighley did say the words, “Elden Ring!” (x2), thereby confirming its existence. So that was kinda cool!
Also, if you feel like it, you can rewatch the entire TGA presentation right below.