A few weeks ago, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, all held their annual May/June video presentations to show gamers what titles they can get excited about playing in the coming months and/or years. While these late spring announcements used to coincide with the long-running, world-famous Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, sadly, that event is no more. Thankfully, the video game industry remembers and still carries on the long-standing tradition, with or without a central physical venue to do it from; and as long as they continue do so, we will strive to do our part and cover them. Please read on for some of the highlights.
- Silent Hill 2 - As with the presentations from earlier this year, Sony once again got things kicked off with their May 30th State of Play. Though sadly, with a much weaker presentation than the previous one. Their arguably biggest trailer was for a game they'd already showed at that earlier presentation, and it's a remake at that. Though I'd be lying if I said that myself, and undoubtedly many others, aren't still pumped for this game; and more than happy to sit through any new footage there is for it. At least a release date has finally been provided - - October 8th of this year. I frankly can't imagine a better time of the year to scare yourselves witless with it than in the days and weeks leading up to Halloween.
- Monster Hunter Wilds - Sony's other big video from their otherwise pretty meager collection of trailers was for Monster Hunter Wilds. The latest offering in Capcom's long-running and wildly-popular series looks like a solid new update that appeared to feature a few fearsome new monsters, along with some of the best graphics and gameplay yet seen in the franchise. Eager hunters can look forward to tracking this title down sometime next year.
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Quite the opposite of Sony, Microsoft actually went from worst to first in terms of how their previous presentation compared with their June 9th Xbox Games Showcase; and despite having a number of pretty incredible titles to show off, arguably none could be more hotly anticipated than Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The game is currently in development by MachineGames, the studio responsible for the somewhat recent, highly-acclaimed Wolfenstein games - - a developer that knows a thing or two about how to do gunplay, action set pieces, and battling Nazis correctly. Fans of any and all what I've just mentioned should just go ahead and leave the rest of 2024 open. While a specific release date hasn't been revealed as of yet, you're likely going to want to be ready for action just as soon as it is.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 - Heart of Chornobyl - The showcase also featured the latest footage from the long-awaited 4th installment to the previously PC-only survival-horror/first-person shooter series. The Ukranian-devloped title was originally supposed to have released in 2022 but was understandably delayed due to the unfortunate hostilities in that country. The game is now scheduled to release on September 5th of this year. Here's hoping the game and the war are both finished by then.
- Fable - Despite once constituting the 4th pillar of the Xbox gaming stable (along with Halo, Forza Motorsport, and Gears of War), Microsoft seemingly abandoned the Fable franchise to wither and die on the vine for many, many years. Thankfully, the time has almost come for this criminally overlooked former staple of the console to make its triumphant (and long overdue) return. A fairly lengthy trailer was included in Microsoft's presentation that offered a pretty tantalizing glimpse of what the next installment will look like. While a specific launch date still hasn't been provided, it at least has been narrowed down to sometime next year. It's a fair bet that more than a few would-be heroes are eagerly awaiting this one.
- Assassin's Creed - Shadows - Since very early on in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise I have wished for a title set in one of two epic historical periods - - the American Old West or Feudal Japan. At long last, Ubisoft has seen fit to give me one of those settings; and based on the trailer, Assassin's Creed - Shadows looks to be everything I could have dared hope for. The game appears to make the most of the era as well, by letting you choose to play either as an agile ninja assassin or a formidable samurai warrior. I actually can't remember the last time I was this excited for a new Assassin's Creed game. It's stated release date of November 15th of this year simply cannot come quickly enough!
- Doom - The Dark Ages - After so many similar (yet still awesome) titles, one couldn't help but wonder how much more varied another Doom game could possibly get. More than you might think, it seems, as the latest-announced entry appears to feature a technologically-advanced fantasy setting at least somewhat inspired by the Dark Ages (hence the name). If nothing else, they have my curiosity. Demon slayers everywhere will be able to check out this interesting-looking prequel installment sometime next year.
- Mixtape - One of the more notable, attention-grabbing trailers of the show was for the upcoming Annapurna Interactive-published indie game Mixtape. Featuring a nostalgia-heavy soundtrack of radio hits from the 80s and 90s (and skateboarding), this coming-of-age adventure story looks like a fantastic trip to a time gone by. Those looking to relive a certain era (and those curious to experience it for the first time) will be able to hit play on this Mixtape in 2025.
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership - Nintendo's June 18th Direct was the most recent of the three presentations, and while it may not have been quite as stacked as the Xbox Showcase, it definitely had enough going on to make Sony's look bad. One of the bigger reveals made was for a new entry in the popular Mario & Luigi RPG series. This latest title, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, will be the first installment to appear on a Nintendo home TV console (though technically, the Switch is a portable as well). The game looks great and will no doubt be on a lot of people's holiday wishlists when it appears in stores this November.
- Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - One of the more unexpected, yet welcome, reveals of Nintendo's recent Direct was that of a Capcom collection that will include nearly every single Marvel arcade title they've ever created; including the legendary Marvel Vs Capcom games, both 1 & 2, and the 1993 beat 'em up classic, The Punisher. The Punisher in particular has been somewhat hard to come by, having only ever been ported once - - to the Sega Genesis, back in 1994. Capcom is most definitely gonna take you for a ride (in a good way), whenever this collection releases, later this year.
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Another surprising reveal from the Nintendo show was the long-awaited update on the status of Metroid Prime 4, a game that has been in development for over 7 years! At long last the title seems to be nearing completion, and will supposedly see the light of day next year sometime. Faithful fans longing to once again step into the iconic power armor of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran need not wait much longer now.
- Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - What's a Nintendo Direct without a Mario and/or Zelda announcement? A lackluster presentation is what. Thankfully, this Direct had both; and a truly unique Zelda game at that! In a first for the incredible, long-running series, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom features the titular princess playing the role of the hero. This time around. it will be Zelda setting off on a quest to save Hyrule, as well as her usual savior, Link, the daring-doer in distress. Series fans and independent women everywhere can look forward to journeying forth on this new adventure on September 26th of this year.
Well, that just about covers all of the biggest announcements to come out of this year's annual late-spring presentations (that were formerly known as and/or coincided with E3). We thank you for reading and hope that you're just as excited about many of these upcoming releases as we are. Remember to click the article links to check out the full presentations and/or to learn more about these titles. As always, please also feel free to let us know which ones you're looking forward to in the comments below.
[Images: Capcom, MachineGames, Ubisoft, Nintendo]
 | [AJ Amideo] |