My Summer Game Fest 2021 Kick Off Top Selections
I was very impressed with this whole Summer Game Fest 2021 Kickoff show. It had a lot of stuff packed in, but the following games were the most interesting to me. I was genuinely surprised by how many new games were announced during this show, but most surprised by the Elden Ring announcement (of course). I have my criticisms of the Game Awards show every year, but I have little to complain about with this, so kudos Geoff Keighley. Below I’ll briefly discuss why I like each of my selections, but there will be more trailer coverage to follow later.
[Editor’s Note; Game details will be added later to each game due to the large volume of coverage to keep track of during E3 season.]
Elden Ring
Elden RIng is the long awaited title from FromSoftware that we haven’t seen much of for over two years, but that drought is finally over. We have a release date in January 2022, plus a full trailer to go with it. It looks exactly like a FromSoftware game would, but with many intriguing action sequences that looked much more interesting. This was awesome to see be shown just because Geoff Keighley was so hyped for it and it was a big get for his show that I wasn’t expecting. I will definitely talk about this more moving forward.
Lost Ark (USA)
Lost Ark is the isometric Korean MMO that we’ve been waiting for in the west for years. I am personally very hyped for this and can’t wait to try it out in the fall. It’s free to play, which is awesome, but I’m more looking forward to seeing how the MMO experience is for an isometric game.
Tribes of Midgard
Tribes of Midgard is a game I somehow missed when it was first announced, but it looks like an isometric version of Valheim with an art style that I find visually pleasing. The boss battles seem very interesting, big and well done, especially for an isometric experience. This is definitely very high on my list to play when it comes out in July.
Sable
Sable is a game I’ve had on my list for quite some time. I really like the art style and exploration aspect shown in the game. It gives me a lot of Journey vibes and I can’t wait to play it.
Metal Slug Tactics
Metal Slug Tactics came out of the nowhere for me. I’ve never been a Metal Slug fan due to the genre, but I am a big tactics fan and can’t wait to see what this one has to offer. I was really impressed by the presentation of the game and mixture of cutscenes and gameplay shown in the trailer.
Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise may be the first game in the Tales franchise I ever consider playing. I was really impressed with the gameplay and presentation of the story. Let’s see how this one turns out.
Planet of Lana
Planet of Lana has a very charming presentation, plus a puzzle element to go along with Lana and her companion friend that looks like it will be an interesting story. The art direction that can be seen just in the trailer is more than enough to catch my interest and make me want to know more. This is definitely on my radar for 2022.
Two Point Campus
From the same folks that brought us Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus puts you in charge of building a campus. I think this can be interesting and I’m looking forward to seeing all the wacky academic stuff that can happen.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a standalone game that has its own universe and is supposedly different than Borderlands in gameplay. I never played the Tiny Tina DLC, but I am intrigued to see what this game has to offer, especially with big names like Wanda Sykes and Andy Samburg associated with the game. I can’t wait to learn more about this.
Salt & Sacrifice
Salt & Sacrifice is a sequel to Salt & Sanctuary, a ‘Souls’ inspired 2D game that a lot of people looked over. This new version looks much better graphically, plus it has local and online co-op, a welcomed addition! The fighting also looks much more refined and better than the original. I look forward to learning more about this game.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a game that I somehow overlooked until now. I admit I’m not familiar with the lore of this, but I am intrigued by the action gameplay. plus this will be going to Xbox Game Pass. so I’m I’ll be trying it out. This game looks like it will be a lot of fun in multiplayer and even better to play with friends. I’ll definitely be playing this soon when it comes out June 22, 2021.
