gamescom 2024: 10 (More) Games We Checked Out

Year after year, gamescom provides an incredible opportunity for us to explore a wide array of exciting video games, offering something for every type of gamer. The event showcases major titles with dedicated previews and in-depth interviews while also highlighting lesser-known gems. We’ve compiled a detailed round-up of standout games, categorized in alphabetical order, for quick reference. Whether you’re into indie games or big franchises, gamescom never disappoints in presenting an eclectic mix of titles that capture the imagination and excitement of gaming enthusiasts worldwide.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a side-scrolling shelter survival game that fans of something like This War of Mine will instantly recognize. Having played about 30 minutes or so of an alpha build, I’m happy to write that I liked what I saw, even though I don’t yet see it bringing something necessarily new to the sidescroller formula. But, for New Zealand-based developer studio PikPok, mostly known for their efforts in the mobile space, the PC-only game seems like it will mark the next big leap ahead. I’m not quite sold, but I’ll be paying attention to Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days when it releases on Steam Early Access in 2025.

Koira

I mentioned Studio Tolima’s Koira , an adventure game inspired by Journey and Princess Mononoke in which you befriend a lost puppy, in my gamescom round-up article from last year. So it’s with good reason I’m bringing it up again: I actually played it this time around. After my time with the demo, which is now available on Steam, I’m more confident than ever that this will be a good game. It may not be the most mechanically interesting, but for those looking for a heartfelt story, Koira is definitely one to watch. I’ll certainly be playing when the game releases on 17 April 2025.

MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

The games included in the MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are known crowd-pleasers, especially Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes , and it’s satisfying that, after playing for about 30 minutes, it seems that the port will do them justice, too. In terms of features, this collection is very similar to previous efforts from Capcom in that it offers online play, training modes, adjustable difficulty, original artwork and even never-before-seen development documents.

Purists might find some technical issues, but for most people, myself included, what I played will do just fine. MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics releases on 12 September 2024 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC. Oh, and it’s going to be Steam Deck verified, too.

Monster Hunter Wilds

And since I mentioned Capcom, Monster Hunter Wilds was undoubtedly the best game I’ve played at gamescom 2024 – and I’m writing this as someone who’s only briefly spent some time with the franchise. I was so impressed with the sheer magnitude of Wilds’ world and beasts and how they interact together that this is now absolutely one of my most anticipated 2025 games. My only real worry is performance, as the game chugged on PS5 and struggled to keep a 30 FPS frame rate. If there ever was a game that really needed the much-rumoured and now-confirmed PS5 Pro , Monster Hunter Wilds is it.

OPUS: Prism Peak

I wasn’t shown more from OPUS: Prism Peak , an upcoming visual novel game from Taiwanese studio SIGONO, than what is publicly available , but after speaking with representatives from publisher SHUEISHA , this latest title in the loosely connected OPUS franchise seems like it will be the most ambitious yet. Other than the graphics, which are now 3D rather than 2D, you can safely expect Prism Peak to follow the other two games in having a fascinating and incredibly written story. And, yes, judging by the trailer, OPUS: Prism Peak will probably make us all emotional when it eventually releases on PC and Mac.

The Eternal Life of Goldman

The Eternal Life of Goldman was my favourite surprise of the whole show: a frame-by-frame animated platformer inspired by myths and fairy tales in which you play as an old man using his cane like a pogo stick. If this sounds bananas, that’s because it totally is – in a really good way. I was particularly impressed by the fact that the cane could be customized, with the player being able to swap and replace each of the three components that make it up at any given moment.

The reason for doing so is that each part offers something different, such as AOE attacks or the ability to jump higher. Nevertheless, I definitely think that fans of Cuphead and Capcom’s Ducktales should, in particular, anticipate The Eternal Life of Goldman when it releases on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series and PC.

Sonic x Shadow: Generations

Sonic Generations is by far one of my favourite Sonic games: I really adore it. This being said, I would have been content with just a remaster. Still, Sonic Team decided to sweeten the deal and further mark 2024 as the Year of Shadow by adding a whole new chapter, focused on the ultimate lifeform, to what became Sonic x Shadow Generations . After about 30 minutes with some of these Shadow levels, I’m happy to write that I was surprised by how much I liked them.

Not only that, but I was also pleased by the fact that the developers were unafraid to really tap into Shadow’s lore and even reference his previous standalone game, 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog . Sonic X Shadow Generations releases October 25, 2024, on PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series and PC – and you can bet I’ll be playing it on day one. If, however, I haven’t convinced you yet, CGMagazine’s editor-in-chief, Brendan Frye, has a full preview of Sonic X Shadow Generations available to read by clicking here .

Starship Troopers Extermination

This inclusion might be bending the rules slightly, but, just before gamescom itself, I had the opportunity to attend a digital event for Starship Troopers: Extermination , a first-person sci-fi action shooter set in the franchise of the same name. The event itself consisted of a presentation hosted by project lead Peter Maurice and lead game designer Chaz Barker, a video of around 15 minutes of new gameplay and a Q&A session with the two devs just mentioned.

With the game currently in Early Access, the questions I asked revolved around the two issues which seem, at least according to some Steam reviewers, to have already plagued it: performance and latency. As a response, I was told that the team in charge of Extermination over at Offworld is hard at work on the servers, doing the best they can to ensure a smooth experience for players once the 1.0 release drops in October.

They also mentioned the numerous plans they have beyond launch, plans that involve new game modes, new locations, additional fan-favourite enemies, and more. In any case, whereas I, for one, still find myself drawn to something like Helldivers II , those antsy to kill some bugs in Starship Troopers: Extermination can do so right now.

UNYIELDER

UNYIELDER , from debutant studio Trueworld, is a greatly enjoyable roguelite and boss-rush shooter. This mouthful of a combination makes for an experience which looks and plays like the brainchild of Ghostrunner and Neon White , even though it lacks the production value and polish of either. It definitely needs more time in the cooker , and I’m really happy it’s going to get it. UNYIELDER will release on Steam in 2025.

Urban Myth Dissolution Center

The last game on this list is the visual novel Urban Myth Dissolution Center , developed by Hakababunko. As the title implies, the story revolves around solving a variety of paranormal cases, each more otherworldly and uncanny than the last. The particular case I got to figure out was not the most interesting, but even so, I was more drawn to the superb pixel art style, which, through its nuances of deep blue, gives the game almost a noir feel. As such, I’ll definitely be eager to play more of Urban Myth Dissolution Center when it releases on Switch and PC in February 2025.

And those are 10 of the best (other) games we played at gamescom 2024 ! For all of our coverage from the show, including previews for titles such as Civilization VII and Little Nightmares 3 and interviews with developers such as Takaya Imamura and Coralie Feniello, click here . Until then, as always, danke gamescom!