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The Big Games of Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live

The Big Games of Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live

Gamescom 2020 is now officially underway!  The show may be virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean the fun has been pared down.  That was evident with the airing of Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live, a showcase of trailers and more from presenter Geoff Keighley.  There were a ton of games featured, from brand-new reveals to updates on previously-announced titles.  The 2-hour event is definitely worth watching if you have the time, but if you’d rather a look at the best of the best, we’ve rounded up the biggest news and announcements for your pleasure.

Even though we just got the debut full-length trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War earlier this week, Activision was ready to showcase another tantalizing look at the game.  This time around, the publisher shared what they dubbed a “Perseus Briefing Cinematic,” which gave us a look at some of the political intrigue and mystery going on behind the scenes.  The cinematic also once again featured none other than President Ronald Reagan, who appears to be pulling the strings for your team of operatives.  There’s still a lot to learn about this one, but the drip-feed of info so far has been extremely engaging.

In the first of the new reveals for the night, Reflector Entertainment debuted a trailer for Unknown 9: Awakening, a game they’re calling a “paranormal mystery.”  In the trailer, we see a young girl who hides something in a wall as she’s being chased by bullies.  When the bullies catch up to her and move in to attack, the girl activates a latent ability that not only slows down time, but also shows her what moves the bullies are preparing to make.  She uses this second sight to avoid the onslaught and save her skin.  Soon after these events, we see someone reaching their hand into the wall to take whatever the young girl was hiding.


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Supplemental info shared after the trailer reveals the young girl to be named Haroona, and she’s one of nine different people who harness mysterious abilities.  These nine people make up the Leap Year Society, and we’ll get to dive into each of their lives in Unknown 9: Awakening, which comes to Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2021.

Bethesda and id Software showcased the first story DLC for Doom Eternal, called “The Ancient Gods Part One.”  This DLC takes place right after the mainline game’s story, where Samuel Hayden sends the Doom Slayer on a mission to different hellscapes.  As you might guess, the Doom Slayer is going to face all-new enemies along the way, making for his toughest challenge yet.  Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One hits Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 20th, 2020.

In one of the biggest videos of the evening, Electronic Arts and BioWare gave another super early look at the next Dragon Age game, which fans are calling Dragon Age 4.  It’s clear that the game has a very long way to go, but BioWare was eager to show that the project is still moving along.  The video gives us a behind-the-scenes look at some voice acting, concept art, and more.  There’s no release date for this title just yet, but hopefully BioWare continues to show these little snippets to keep fans happy.

In a reveal that no one saw coming, a new Bridge Constructor game is in the works, and it features a collaboration with the multimedia sensation, The Walking Dead.  For those who haven’t played Bridge Constructor games before, the experience is exactly as it sounds.  You work with parts of a bridge in order to connect gaps for safe passage.  This time around, it looks like you’ll have to deal with zombies while also planning your perfect bridge.  Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is due out this year, and it’s coming to iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC.

The dynamic duo are back!  In another surprise reveal, we learned that Sam & Max are stepping back into the gaming limelight with Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual.  Just as the title says, this Sam & Max outing is going to be a Virtual Reality experience.  Outside of a very quick reveal trailer, no other details are shared.  We’re not quite sure when this one will launch, nor do we know the VR devices that will be supported.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, the eight expansion pack for World of Warcraft, finally has a release date.  A new story trailer was presented, and it eventually confirmed that the expansion is set to launch on October 27th, 2020.  This expansion was revealed back in November of 2019, so fans have been patiently waiting for quite some time for a launch date.  Thankfully, we’ll all be able to step back into Warcraft’s world soon enough.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time got some time on the big stage, which was used to reveal new “Flashback Tape” levels.  These levels take us back to the early 90s, before the first Crash Bandicoot game even released.  The stages feature Crash and Coco when they were test animals for Dr. Neo Cortex, and they include some absolutely devious puzzle platforming action.  Even gaining access to these levels presents a challenge, as you have to find hidden tapes in regular levels, and they’ll only be around to collect if you don’t die!

While we already knew about Little Nightmares II, Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live marks the first time that we’re getting to see gameplay.  The trailer shown gave a glimpse of returning character Six as they work with the newcomer Mono in order to survive in the shadows.  Get ready to sneak and puzzle your way to the Black Tower when Little Nightmares II launches on February 11th, 2021.

While the focus in Star Wars: Squadrons is going to be its many modes of online play, the game will also feature a sizable single player campaign where you can earn your stripes.  This campaign has you play as two opposing pilots in the Galactic Civil War, which takes place shortly after the second Death Star was destroyed.  The missions these pilots take relate directly into how the war plays out in the end.  Get ready for spy missions, frontal assaults, and lots of droid screaming from this solo component.

Twelve Minutes was revealed a year back, and it caught quite a bit of attention due to its unique story, which features a man who’s somehow stuck in a time loop.  While the plot was intriguing in and of itself, a new trailer for Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live announced some major star power behind the game.  Hollywood A-listers James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe have all been announced for the voice cast, and they’re sure to add a level of authenticity to the experience that’ll take things to the next level.  Twelve Minutes was previously announced for Xbox One and PC, but the new trailer also confirmed an Xbox Series X launch down the road.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition has been a long time coming.  Believe it or not, this remaster was announced all the way back in August 2017!  Three long years later, we finally have a release date for the game.  Fans who’ve been chomping at the bit for this one can look forward to snagging it on PC come October 15th, 2020.

Saying that Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is the biggest game right now is not hyperbole.  The game has managed to break Playstation Plus records, and it’s already attracted millions upon millions of players.  Devolver Digital and Mediatonic have a surefire hit on their hands, which is why they’re eager to keep the ball rolling with some new content.  

The Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live gave us a taste of what’s to come by revealing a Season 2 update for the game.  Next season is going with a medieval theme, which includes wizards, dragons and knights skins, stages with drawbridges, castle turrets, and giant axes, and new platforming challenges.  While excitement is riding high, the trailer stopped short of announcing a release date, so we’ll have to hang tight for that info.

The Medal of Honor series has been away for quite some time, but Respawn Entertainment and EA are bringing it back with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.  While the game wasn’t originally planned for VR, Respawn made the decision to shift things over to the Virtual Reality space shortly after development started.  

Gamescom’s new trailer gives us a look at some of the story elements of the game, which takes place in Europe during World War II.  Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is slated to launch later this year.

A new trailer for Destiny 2’s upcoming Beyond Light expansion shows us what experience has to offer.  The video detailed the Shadebinders, Revenants, and Behemoths, which are new subclasses that will be introduced with the expansion.  Things will get icy and dicey when you visit the moon of Europa in Beyond Light, which launches on November 10th, 2020.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds, the unique spin-off title from 2K, got a new video showcase, which revealed the commentary team taking the virtual desk.  Players will be able to hear WWE Legend Jerry “The King” Lawler and NXT play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo call the shots as the over-the-top-rope action plays out.  With more than 70 WWE Superstars joining the roster along with an extensive create-a-wrestler mode, fans should be able to live out their DDT dreams in more ways than ever before.

Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live also gave us our very first look at gameplay from LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.  While the game itself looks much like previous LEGO Star Wars games, this time players will be able to experience all 9 mainline Star Wars films in one gaming extravaganza.  On the negative side of things, the new trailer also confirmed that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been pushed out of 2020, and will now launch in Spring 2021.  As consolation, it was announced that both PS5 and Xbox Series X were added to the platform support, which already included PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live wrapped in grand fashion by sharing another look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.  This title has been the go-to game to highlight the power of PS5, as the combination of the platform’s horsepower and SSD allows for multiple game worlds to be generated at once, all without any loading times.  The closing segment featured a much longer look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which gave fans a chance to check out even more insane gunplay action.  Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is set to release exclusively on PS5 sometime without the console’s launch window.


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Kevin Cassidy has been covering all things Nintendo for over 15 years now and has been leading the weekly GoNintendo Podcast for just as long. Kevin is also quite passionate about pro wrestling, anime, comic books, and more! You can reach Kevin at kcassidy@gonintendo.com, or follow him on Twitter via @GoNintendoTweet.