Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Summer Game Fest 2023

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created in WrestleCorp. However, not only will I be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series, but also video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll be giving my thoughts on Summer Game Fest that happened on June 8, 2023.

Before I start, not every game that was shown in this presentation will be talked about as I will mainly talk about games that I care about and am interested in. If the games you care about and are interested in don't show up here, don't take it personally, have nothing against the games, but they're not just for me or it's just that I don't have much to say about them except cool. However, if you are happy with the games that you care about and are interested in that I'm not or nothing to say about it, good for you and I'm happy for you.

Anyway, let's get started!

If you're wondering what Summer Game Fest is, you can check that out with my last year's thoughts on the show itself here: Summer Game Fest 2022 Thoughts

With E3 not happening this year once again, this is one of the biggest gaming events of the summer so did Summer Game Fest delivered this year? In addition, will also be talking about Days of the Devs and Devolver Direct as there were some really good-looking indie games that should be talked about as well so giving them a spotlight here.

Let's get to it!

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action-adventure platformer developed and published by Ubisoft. The game will be released on PC, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4, on January 18, 2024.

Despite a lot of criticism of the game, for me personally, this game looks great to me as it's something different from Ubisoft and it's a type of art style that they have not used in a long time which stands out compared to their other franchises which I appreciate. The gameplay reminds me a lot of Rayman too which I appreciate a lot as well. Even though I see a lot of people hate it, I personally like it where it could be really good. Either way, looking forward to this game in seven months.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. The game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC, on September 19, 2023.

This game was announced before, but we actually got official gameplay for the game and it looks incredible. I really love the new designs for the characters and from the interview that Geoff Keighley had with Ed Boone, the director of Mortal Kombat 1, this is a reboot of the series with a different timeline which is why the name of the game is titled Mortal Kombat 1. I'm very curious to see which direction they'll go with this reboot of the series and I'm excited to see it. Looking forward to playing it in three months.

Exoprimal is a third-person shooter developed and published by Capcom which will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC, on July 14, 2023. In addition, the game will have a Capcom collaboration with Street Fighter 6 this fall.

Oh wow, the game hasn't been out yet, but they're already setting up collaborations with this game which is nice to see. Seeing Ryu and Guile in this genre of game is quite cool so I'm very curious about how that will turn out. Looking forward to this collaboration when it comes out this fall.

Dead by Deadlight is an asymmetric multiplayer survival horror online game developed by Behaviour Interactive where it's currently out on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. There will be a new update on the game where a famous American actor and film producer, Nicolas Cage, will be appearing in the game as himself on July 25, 2023.

Holy crap, I can't believe they actually got Nicolas Cage in a video game! That's wild. I'm surprised that Behaviour Interactive even has the money to afford Nicolas Cage to be in this game which is wild. Either way, good for Behaviour Interactive for getting Nicolas Cage in this game even though I questioned the quality from the trailer we got, but we'll see if it improves when it comes out next month.

Sonic Superstars is a platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The game will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, later this fall.

I've been waiting for a new original 2D Sonic game for a while and we finally got one as it looks great. Granted, this game is not developed by Christian Whitehead, the developer of Sonic Mania, but by Sonic Team so that's disappointing. However, I'm not going to write the game off since the trailer we got looks great as we get playable Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in this which is nice. Plus, the fact that we can switch from classic to modern art styles in this game is awesome. Looking forward to playing this when it comes out this fall.

Honkai: Star Rail is a role-playing gacha game developed and published by miHoYo as it will be coming to PS5 Q4 of this year.

From what I've played with Honkai: Star Rail, it's a lot of fun as it's basically Genshin Impact to me except in a space setting which is awesome. If you don't want to play this game on PC or mobile, you can play this game on PS5 later this year so if you enjoy Genshin Impact, you'll probably enjoy Honkai: Star Rail.

Lies of P is an action role-playing game developed by Round8 Studio and published by Neowiz Games. The game will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC, on September 19, 2023.

The last time we saw anything from this game was back on Gamescom Opening Night Live last year so great to see this game again with a confirmation release date which is nice. A Soulslike game featuring a retelling of Pinocchio got my interest when they first showed it last year and the fact that we're getting a demo for the game right now as well is very cool. Looking forward to playing the full game when it's released in three months.

SAND LAND is an action role-playing game developed by ILCA Inc. and published by Bandai Namco as it will be a video game adaptation of the manga of the same name. The game is set to be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in the future. 

It's been a long time since I last read the SAND LAND manga, but from what I remember, it was good and the art style is so iconic being Akira Toriyama, the manga artist of the Dragon Ball series. The gameplay looks quite fun and this makes me want to go back and continue to read the series so good job Bandai Namco. Looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out when it's released.

Throne and Liberty is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by NCSoft and published by Amazon Games. The game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, in the future.

This game looks very gorgeous and the fact that this game is being developed by a South Korean video game company is quite cool. It looks to be a fun MMORPG and we'll see how this game will turn out when it's released in the future.

Crash Team Rumble is an online multiplayer video game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision. The game is set to be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One, on June 20, 2023.

This looks to be a fun spinoff game for the Crash Bandicoot series and I'm just glad to see Crash back in some capacity which I appreciate. Really hope this game does well so we can get more Crash games in the future, but definitely want a new mainline platformer for Crash down the line so hope this is the start of that. Until then, looking forward to this game in two weeks.

Alan Wake II is a survival horror game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games Publishing. The game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, on October 17, 2023.

We saw footage of this game back at the PlayStation Showcase two weeks ago, but we got more footage here with more gameplay which I appreciate. It looks great and the horror is definitely there so I love that a lot. This game has the potential to be really great and hope it lives up to the first game and we'll find out soon enough in four months. Looking forward to it.

Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall is a cinematic kingdom management game developed and published by Brave At Night. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and Switch, in 2024.

I remember the original game of this being fun and this looks to be a sequel with more content which I appreciate. We'll see how this game will turn out when it comes out next year and it's your duty as king to make the right decisions.

Baldur's Gate III is a role-playing game developed and published by Larian Studios. The game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, on August 31, 2023.

We have seen this game multiple times in past presentations and it continues to look good as Jason Isaacs will be playing Gortash in the game where he did a fine job in his role. We'll see how the game will turn out when it comes out in two months.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an action-adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game is set to be released on PS5 on October 20, 2023.

Despite not seeing anything new with this game since most of it was shown at the PlayStation Showcase two weeks ago, we got the box art which I expect with both Spider-Mans being there as well as the release date of the game which will come this October as I'm excited for that. Though, according to the interview that Geoff Keighley did with the director of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Brian Intihar, he said that Venom is not going to be Eddie Brock which is quite interesting as it looks like they're taking a different approach from the comics, and movies. Looking forward to seeing how this game will play out when it comes out in four months.

Palworld is a multiplayer monster-collecting game developed and published by Pocket Pair Inc. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X and PC in January 2024. 

I remember seeing a beta of this in the past and it looks like the game has come a long way since it started which is impressive. This is basically Pokémon with guns and I love it. Very curious to see how the full game will turn out when it comes out in seven months.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. The game will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and PC, on November 9, 2023.

Oh wow, didn't expect another Like a Dragon spinoff so soon after we got Like a Dragon: Ishin! earlier this year, but I'm here for it. This spinoff is back to the traditional Like a Dragon gameplay with the beat-em-up and Kiryu Kazuma is playable once again, but it looks like he forgot his name or erased his name which is quite interesting. Either this is a prequel to Yakuza 0, or something else. Regardless, I'm down for another Like a Dragon and looking forward to this one in five months.

Fae Farm is a farm simulation game developed and published by Phoenix Labs as the game will be released on Switch and PC, on September 8, 2023.

The last time we saw this game was back in the Nintendo Direct of September of last year so great to see more of it as it looks to be a fun and charming game to just farm and play with friends online which I'm totally down for. Looking forward to seeing how this mix of Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon games will turn out in three months. 

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is an action game developed by Sand Door Studio and published by Quantic Dream as it will be coming to PC later this year.

This game looks like a lot of fun and I really like the art style for this game as well. I like the fact that you can have multiple copies of yourself to fight alongside you against a horde of enemies which is quite cool. Very curious to see how this game will turn out when it comes out later this year.

Immortals of Aveum is a first-person shooter developed by Ascendant Studios and published by Electronic Arts. The game is set to be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, on July 20, 2023.

We saw this game back at the PlayStation Showcase two weeks ago, but we got even more gameplay here and it's looking great. The story seems to be interesting and the characters seem to be cool as well. Very curious to see how this game will turn out as it comes out next month.

Fortnite has a new chapter coming in for Season 3 Chapter 4 which will feature Optimus Prime from Transformers in the game as it's available now on all platforms.

Whether you like it or not, Fortnite is still popular and continues to get huge each and every day and this new season chapter is no different. Seeing Optimus Prime in this game is quite cool and the crazy crossovers continue. We'll see who else they will add in the future.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the sequel to the action role-playing game, Final Fantasy VII Remake, developed and published by Square Enix. The game will be released on PS5 in early 2024.

Yes, the rumors were true and I love it! Man, been waiting for more Final Fantasy VII Rebirth news ever since they showed it off back at the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary stream last year and it looks amazing. The open world looks incredible, the fact that you can ride Chocobos is awesome, Red XIII looks fun to play as, Yuffie looks to be a part of the story now which I love, and I'm very curious to see where the story goes from there since it's not a one-to-one remake, but a reimaging where anything goes and I'm here for it. Plus, the fact that the game has two discs is letting me know that this game will be massive. Very curious to see where they will end Rebirth for the third and final game, but until then, early 2024 can't come soon enough.

Beastieball is a turn-based volleyball-like sport game developed by Wishes Unlimited as it will be coming to PC in 2024. 

Man, this game looks like a lot of fun as it's basically a RPG mixed with volleyball which is quite cool. Love the art style of the characters that they have especially with the animals as the animations they do with those characters look quite charming and have a lot of personality. I did enjoy Wishes Unlimited's other games like Wandertsong and Chicory: A Colorful Tale so I expect this game to be fun as well. Looking forward to this game when it comes out next year.

Hyper Light Breaker is a 3D co-op action role-playing game developed by Heart Machine and published by Gearbox Publishing. The game is set to be released on PC in the future.

I have to say that this game definitely got my attention as it's a mix between Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with its open world and Dead Cells with its art style and gameplay combat which looks great. This game has a lot of potential and hope to see more of it in the future.

Viewfinder is a mind-bending first person adventure game developed by Sad Owl Studios and published by Thunderful Group. The game is set to be released on PS5 and PC in the future.

This looks to be a fun game where you get to take pictures of the environment that you're in and anything that is related to games like Pokémon Snap, I'm down for. Looking forward to seeing more of this game in the future.

Hauntii is a single-player adventure game developed by Moonloop Games LLC and published by Firestoke. The game is set to be released on PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Switch in 2024.

I have to say that this game looks really great as I really love the art style of this game and the fact that it's handdrawn is really impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out once it comes out next year.

Cart Life is a simulation game developed by Richard Hofmeier and published by Adventure Game Studio. The game is set to be released on PC in the future.

Originally, this game was released back on PC in 2013 before it got taken down until now as it looks the game is going to be re-released again on PC in the future. Never had a chance to play this, but from the looks of it, it looks to be a fun street vendor simulation game with an interesting story and the graphics reminds me of classic Game Boy games so I appreciate that. Looking forward to trying this out once it's released.

Helskate is a skateboarding action roguelite game developed by Phantom Coast and it will be released on PC in the future.

Man, this game is like a mix of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding and Hades in terms of riding a skateboard doing tricks while also having action-based combat with roguelike elements which is really cool. This game has the potential to be something good and hope to see more of it in the future.

Henry Halfhead is a quirky sandbox avdenture game developed and published by Lululu Entertainment as it will be released on PC in the future.

Honestly, this game looks very cool and a lot of fun and charming with Henry, the character you play as, being able to go to any object and be that object to do certain objectives and complete them. Very interested to see how this game will turn out and hope to see more of it in the future.

Cocoon is an adventure game developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game is set to be released on PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Switch later this year.

This game was showcased back at the Xbox + Bethesda Games Showcase last year and this game really got my attention with the puzzle solving which looks quite challenging and fun. In addition, with that new trailer that they showed, the fact that there's boss battles is quite interesting. Will definitely have a look at this game once it comes out later this year.

Summerhill is a story-driven puzzle game developed and published by Land & Sea as it will be coming to PC in the future.

Land & Sea also developed the Alto's series and those games are pretty good on their own right so seeing something new with them with this game is great and it looks quite good. The fact that you're basically a sheperd to try to gather all the sheep is quite interesting and the fact that there's a story to it makes it more intriguing. Looking forward to trying this game out in the future.

Eternights is a dating action game developed and published by Studio Sai as it will be set to be released on PS5, PS4, and PC, in September 2023.

The last time we saw anything from this game was back in the PlayStation State of Play in June of last year so glad to see more footage of this game which looks great. This game is basically a mix of Persona with the social simulation aspects with action combat gameplay and I'm totally for it. Very interested to see how this game will turn out in three months.

Mars First Logistics is an open world physics simulation game developed and published by Shape Shop as the game is set to be released on PC on June 22, 2023.

This looks to be a fun game where you get to create your own machines to do certain objectives and the fact that physics will play a huge part of this game, it will definitely cause a lot of rage quits among players playing this, but it's also part of the fun as well. Looking forward to trying this game as it'll be released in two weeks.

Saltsea Chronicles is a story-driven adventure game developed and published by Die Gute Fabrik as it will be coming to PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC in the future.

This looks to be a fun adventure game where you get to explore different islands and get to know more of the characters living in those islands which should be quite interesting. The story also seems compelling as well so we'll see how this game will turn out when it's released in the future.

Wizard with a Gun is an online cooperative sandbox survival game developed by Galvanic Games and published by Devolver Digital. The game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in the future.

This game looks like a lot of fun as you play as a wizard that fights using guns instead of magic which is quite cool in its own right. The fact that this game is also online as well is pretty cool too. Looking forward to seeing more of this game in the future.

The Talos Principle II is a thought-provoking first-person puzzle game developed by Croteam and published by Devolve Digital. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC, later this year.

This game was showcased back in the PlayStation Showcase a few weeks ago, but it didn't get any gameplay, but now we got it and it looks great. It's been nine years since the first Talos Principle game so glad to see that this game is getting s sequel as it looks incredible and the puzzles look like a lot of fun to solve. Great to see a new game in this series and looking forward to playing this game later this year.

Human Fall Flat 2 is a puzzle platformer developed by No Brake Games and published by Devolver Digital. The game is set to be released on PC in the future.

Oh wow! Didn't expect a sequel to this game as it's been seven years since the first game so great to see that a second game is in development here. It's just a fun puzzle game that has crazy physics that can lead to disaster, but can lead to hilarious moments so that's good in its own way. Looking forward to this game once we get more info on it.

Overall, this was a good presentation from Geoff Keighley and his team. Summer Game Fest continues to improve every year by having more variety of games in their shows which I appreciate. Though, I do feel like the interviews with the directors and actors of the game can be reduced, or saved for separate videos after the presentation, but that's just me. Plus, we got to see some cool movie trailers with Witcher III Season 3 and Twisted Metal which is cool. Not only that, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis continues to look great for a mobile game, and hope that comes to consoles in the future. Also, the Day of the Devs and the Devolver Direct were good and fun in their own way so glad to see them getting a spotlight here with Summer Game Fest. Granted, they still have a long way to go if they ever want to reach peak E3 level, but the fact that they continue to improve each year is great and I hope they continue it moving forward. 

You can catch the full presentation of Summer Game Fest yourself with the link below:

What are your thoughts on the Summer Game Fest?

What were your highlights and what games do you really want?

Let me know in the comments below and thank you for reading.