Here Are Some Highlights of Summer Game Fest Kick Off for E3 2021

Summer Game Fest kicked off E3 on June 10, and there have been so many announcements, reveals, and just news items. I’ve decided to skim through some of the items I’ve seen from the event and share some of the highlights with you. We’re going to kick things off with Metal Slug Tactics from Dotemu and Leikir Studio in partnership with SNK for PC. The game will be a tactical game with some rogulite elements sprinkled in and fun pixel art. Also, Tee Lopes is composing original music which is sure to be amazing.

Metal Slug Tactics reunites Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma as they lead the Peregrine Falcon Squad into a new battlefield through dynamic, strategic combat. Players wield classic METAL SLUG weaponry, leveraging skill trees, perks, and a super attack-fueling adrenaline system to outwit and demolish flanks of the series’ signature villains.

SEGA shared a new trailer for Endless Dungeon. In this game, you’re shipwrecked on a space station and must recruit heroes and fend off wave after wave of enemies. This looks like a lot of fun and will be available on PC and consoles in 2022. Fans can sign up for the mailing list to get a free skin at release.

What's the deal? Well, you're shipwrecked on a mysterious space station. You'll need to recruit a team of heroes and protect your crystal against never-ending waves of monsters. Or die trying, get reloaded, and try again!

If you want to play a photography game that doesn’t involve Pokémon, check out TOEM with pretty black and white hand-drawn animation. The game is set to release later this year on Steam with a demo launching on June 16.

Set off on a delightful expedition and use your photographic eye to uncover the mysteries of the magical TOEM in this hand-drawn adventure game. Chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape!

Speaking of hand-drawn gaming, Greak: Memories of Azur was announced by Team17 and Navegante Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This adventure game has you playing three siblings simultaneously as you fend off enemies and solve puzzles.

With the lands of Azur overrun by the deadly Urlags, players will need to alternate seamlessly between the three siblings to best navigate the increasingly hostile environment and flee Azur. Greak offers up agility and the ability to fit where others will not, Adara wields arcane magic to devastating effect, and Raydel’s skill in battle and specialised gear make them a fearsome trio for the enemies invading their home.

SEGA and Two Point Studios also announced the university management sim Two Point Campus which will launch on PC and console in 2022.

In Two Point Campus, you'll be tasked with building and running your very own campus environment, where the decisions you make will shape the lives of the students you enrol and the staff you hire. For the first time, build in the great outdoors as you develop your very own campus grounds, buildings, and surroundings. Lay down dorms, pathways, hedgerows and more with new easy-to-use creative tools. The only limit is your imagination (and your in-game bank balance).

The fun doesn't stop there! The people of Two Point County have slightly different priorities when it comes to education, meaning your students get to enjoy a wide range of hilariously unusual courses such as Knight School, where they'll learn jousting and practise the noble art of chivalry. The less martially inclined can hone their skills in Gastronomy, and collaborate on all sorts of oversized culinary delights, like gigantic pizzas and equally humongous pies.

If you want to build your own dinosaur park, Frontier announced Jurassic World Evolution 2 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. This time, players can build parks outside of Muertes Archipelago after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and features Jeff Goldblum and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Claire Dearing respectively. The game launches this year.

In Jurassic World Evolution 2, for the very first time, players will build their parks beyond the confines of the Muertes Archipelago. The game is set immediately after the Earth-shattering events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and will immerse players in an original Jurassic World story as they lead efforts to control, conserve and contain dinosaurs alongside an iconic cast of characters from the films, including Dr. Ian Malcolm (voiced by Jeff Goldblum) and Claire Dearing (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard).

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware shared a new gameplay trailer for Elden Ring which looks so sick! The world of Elden Ring was created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin, so it’s something to consider checking out. Fans will be able to play the game on January 21, 2022 via PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S with free upgrades to next-gen consoles if you purchase the current-gen version.

A new world filled with fantastic tales and lore has been woven by Hidetaka Miyazaki – creator of the influential and critically acclaimed DARK SOULS video game series; and George R.R. Martin – author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Players will embark on a journey across a meticulously handcrafted world dripping in blood and deception brought upon by a variety of characters with their own unique motivations for helping or hindering the player’s progress, adversaries with profound backgrounds, and fearsome creatures. Throughout their adventures, players will choose the fate of this cursed land by unravelling its secrets and myths.

Featuring a vast and seamless landscape with natural weather and time-of-day progression, players will become fully immersed in the world of ELDEN RING as they begin their journey and choose on their own path. Traverse on foot or horseback, alone or online with friends across grassy plains, suffocating swamps and lush forests. Ascend spiraling mountains, enter breathtaking castles, and witness other sites of grandeur on a scale never seen before in a FromSoftware title. ELDEN RING’s role-playing and customization options allow players to define their own unique playstyle. Experimentation is encouraged with a wide variety of weapons, magical abilities and skills found throughout the world; enticing players to follow previously unexplored progression paths.

Bandai Namco also went on to release new trailers for Tales of Arise and The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Tales of Arise will launch on September 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Tales of Arise carries the DNA of the much-loved Tales of franchise while also introducing advanced graphics and an evolved combat system to help push the series into the future. A new “Atmospheric Shader” developed by BANDAI NAMCO Studios adds subtle touches to the look and feel of the world evoking a hand-drawn painting. Combat has also evolved, allowing for a better sense of spectacle and direct player feedback based upon their actions. The graphics, combat system, characters, and story all work together to present a vivid and realized world that will immerse players as they are transported to the many environments and biomes they will explore throughout their time with Tales of Arise.

House of Ashes will launch on October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The place… Iraq. The time… 2003. In the shadow of the Zagros mountains a military unit comes under fire from Iraqi forces. The resulting firefight causes an earth tremor where both sides fall into the ruins of a buried Sumerian temple. With all communication with the outside world severed, our protagonists are trapped in a terrifying underworld they must navigate to escape - unaware that something ancient and evil has awakened in the shadows and has found new prey to hunt. Horrific discoveries and impossible decisions now face the survivors as they strive to escape the terrifying threat they’ve awakened. Will they each prioritize their own survival, or put aside their fears and personal rivalries to fight together as one against these underworld monsters?