The Gamescom 2019 Opening Night Live livestream brought tons of announcements and trailers for some of the most anticipated upcoming games, including a Modern Warfare alpha announcement, a new Death Stranding trailer, Need for Speed Heat gameplay, and the first Gears 5 story trailer. But among these bigger announcements was a host of news for smaller, under-the-radar games. Read everything below for the Gamescom Opening Night Live highlights you may have missed.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Season of the Undying Story Trailer | Gamescom 2019
Bungie unveiled a new Destiny 2 trailer during the Gamescom Opening Night Live show. The trailer revealed the new season of content beginning with the launch of the Destiny 2: Shadowkeep expansion, titled Season of the Undying. The season appears to focus on the Vex, Destiny 2‘s time-travelling robot faction. In the trailer, Vex are seen being constructed in some kind of underwater facility, emerging and marching through a portal into the Black Garden — the Vex world that housed the final boss of the first Destiny‘s story campaign. We already know the Destiny 2: Shadowkeep raid will take place in the Black Garden, so it’s possible that the Season of the Undying’s content will play off of this fact, introducing loot or side missions related to the raid. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s Season of the Undying will begin on October 5, soon after Shadowkeep launches on October 1.
Comanche Reboot Gameplay Teaser and DCL – The Game | Gamescom 2019
THQ Nordic revealed Comanche during the Gamescom Opening Night Live show, a reboot of the military helicopter simulation series from the ’90s. The reboot will feature objective-based multiplayer, close-quarters drone combat, and a variety of helicopters with unique special abilities. Comanche enters early access in 2020, though THQ Nordic has opened registration for the game’s alpha now. Comanche is just the latest in a long string THQ Nordic franchise revivals. The company previously brought back Red Faction with Red Faction: Guerilla Re-Mars-tered, the Darksiders series with Darksiders 3 and the upcoming Darksiders Genesis, and Destroy All Humans with remake of the original game that is scheduled to come out next year. In fact, THQ Nordic apparently had 48 unannounced games in development as of May 2019.
Along with the Comanche reboot announcement, THQ Nordic announced DCL – The Game, which brings the professional drone-racing competitions of the Drone Champions League to the video game world. The DCL – The Game trailer appears to show both first and third-person gameplay, allowing players to race through digital versions of DCL tracks. The game is set to release in winter 2019 or early 2020, and it’s coming to PC and consoles (but “no handheld systems”).
Erica Launch Trailer | Gamescom 2019
A new trailer for the PS4-exclusive thriller Erica revealed at the Gamescom Opening Night Live event, showcases the game’s ambitious take on full-motion video adventure gameplay. The game aims to seamlessly blend live action video with interactive elements, allowing for players to use the Erica mobile app or the PS4 controller’s touchpad to do things such as untying a ribbon and opening a door in real time. Players will piece together the truth behind the death of the titular protagonist’s father, making choices and dealing with the consequences. Although Erica was originally announced in 2017, the new trailer showcases a new main actor and a much more refined style. Erica is available now on the PlayStation store for $9.99.
Port Royale 4 Announcement | Gamescom 2019
Kalypso Media revealed the newest game in the Caribbean management sim series, Port Royale 4. Port Royale 4 puts players in the role of a young governor who will need to develop supply chains and conquer rival nations to grow a settlement in the Caribbean, dealing with pirates and privateers in turn-based naval battles to keep settlements safe. The game will feature four single-player campaigns, each following a particular nation, and it will take place in a large game world with 60 Caribbean cities. Port Royale 4 is planned to release in Q3 2020.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain Announcement | Gamescom 2019
Announced at the Gamescon Opening Night Live show, Remothered: Broken Porcelain is the sequel to 2018’s Remothered: Tormented Fathers. The sequel continues the events of its predecessor and takes places in the Ashmann Inn. Throughout the game, players will relive memories from their characters past and experience new horrors at the Inn. Players must discover the truth of the Ashmann Inn, which are guarded by stalkers, that live within the walls. Survival won’t come easy and carefully planning your moves will be key because one wrong move could mean death.
There will be a couple of new features and mechanics highlighted in Remothered: Broken Porcelain, like new gameplay and storytelling elements that aim to give new life to characters and create an even more haunting experience. Broken Porcelain will be released sometime in 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Iron Harvest Trailer | Gamescom 2019
Set in the alternate reality world of the 1920s, Iron Harvest takes place just after the events of the Great War. Showcased during the Gamescom Opening Night Live show, cities are finally beginning to be rebuilt and the countryside is beginning to recover from the events of the war. However, in the middle of this peaceful time, a new threat appears that could throw the world into yet another war. The game will feature a total of 20 missions that take place over the course of three campaigns across Europe. There will be nine heroes featured in the game that players can take control of throughout the story.
Iron Harvest will feature co-op play, which will allow players to team up with a friend for the journey. Players will be able to play with a friend for as much, or as little, of the game that they would like. Additionally, each of the three factions will have three heroes who have their own set of abilities, offering a variety of tactical options to players. Iron Harvest is set to release on September 1, 2020 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
The Cycle Announcement | Gamescom 2019
Announced at the Gamescom Opening Night Live show, The Cycle is a competitive quest shooter that is aiming to create a new genre of gaming, PvEvP. According to developers, The Cycle is a game unlike any other that will mix elements of player versus environment with player versus player. There will be three unique game modes that players can take part in across the world of Fortuna III. This world is full of resources, aliens, and other Prospectors, like you, who are exploring the world in hopes of becoming rich.
Players will be able to engage in fights with other Prospectors or with different characters in the environment. Faction jobs will serve as one of the main ways to develop as a Prospector, allowing players to grow their reputation and upgrade their equipment. Perhaps one of the biggest elements in the game is known as the Storm, which is a giant radiation storm that spreads across the planet on a daily cycle. This means that players will only have a limited amount of time to explore and gather resources, so you better make the most of it.
While no release date for The Cycle was given, it is currently in early access on the Epic Games Store and can be downloaded for free.
The Epic Games Store Reel | Gamescom 2019
- Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (8/27/19)
- Borderlands 3 (9/13/19)
- Control (8/27/19)
- Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (10/4/19)
- Magic the Gathering Arena (2019)
- Mechwarriors 5: Mercenaries (12/10/19)
- Oddworld Soulstorm (2020)
- Shenmue 3 (11/19/19)
- The Outer Worlds (10/25/19)
Most are probably familiar with some of the bigger names on that list, like Borderlands 3 and The Outer Worlds, however, it’s possible that there are a handful of games that you’d forgotten about. Additionally, the Epic Games Store reel also reminded players that it would be giving away a free game every week in 2019.
