Another year, another iteration of The Game Awards, and with it, a whole lot of new trailers and announcements (and also awards, but they seem to take a back seat, despite the show’s name).
There was plenty of stuff to see in the three-and-a-half-hour show, from new game reveals to updates on highly-anticipated favourites. Also, zombies—lots and lots of zombies, because apparently we’re not finished with them, yet.
Here’s a quick rundown of what was on show:
- Roguelike dungeon crawler Loop Hero announced by Devolver Digital, coming to PC in 2021 (trailer)
- New Caledonia-inspired open-world adventure game Tchia announced by Awaceb, coming to PC and Stadia (date TBA) (trailer)
- Sea of Solitude: Director’s Cut announced by Jo-Mei Games and Quantic Dream, coming to Switch on 4 March 2021 (trailer)
- Narrative puzzle game Shady Part of Me announced and released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (trailer)
- NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… gets a new combat-focused gameplay trailer
- Free-to-play multiplayer dragon combat game Century: Age of Ashes announced by Playwing Ltd, coming to Steam Early Access in February 2021 with a closed beta in January (trailer)
- Sephiroth announced as the next DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, coming December (trailer)
- A new Perfect Dark announced by The Initiative and Microsoft, coming to Xbox and PC (date TBA) (trailer)
- Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, announced by Turtle Rock Studios, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 22 June 2021, with a closed alpha test scheduled for December 17 to 21 (trailer)
- Dark fantasy Robin Hood-inspired multiplayer heist game Hood: Outlaws and Legends gets a new gameplay trailer and a 10 May 2021 release date for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
- Story-driven sci-fi survival horror The Callisto Protocol announced by Striking Distance Studios (which is led by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield), coming 2022 (trailer)
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, a co-op action game from the developers of Warhammer: Vermintide, gets a new gameplay trailer
- Road trip adventure Open Roads announced by The Fullbright Company and Annapurna Interactive, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2021 (trailer)
- Disco Elysium: The Final Cut announced for March 2021 launch on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, and Stadia, followed by Xbox Series X|S and Switch launch in northern summer 2021 (trailer)
- The new Dragon Age gets another teaser trailer offering a look at some of the new locations that will feature in the game
- Rogue-lite action game Endless Dungeon announced by Amplitude Studios and Sega, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC (date TBA) (trailer)
- Open-world MMPRPG Crimson Desert, from Pearl Abyss, gets a new gameplay trailer and northern winter 2021 release window for PC and consoles
- The Swedish Chef from The Muppets is now available as a free DLC character for the very good Overcooked: All You Can Eat (trailer)
- Bicycle road trip game Season announced by Scavengers Studio, coming to PlayStation 5 and PC (date TBA) (trailer)
- Dinosaur survival game ARK II announced by Studio Wildcard, starring Vin Diesel for some reason, coming to Xbox Series X and PC (date TBA) (trailer)
- ARK: The Animated Series announced with plans for a 2022 release, written by Marguerite Bennett and Kendall Deacon Davis and with a voice cast including the likes of Gerard Butler, Michelle Yeoh, Elliot Page, David Tennant, and Russel Crowe
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Season 3 will kick off on December 15 (trailer)
- The Odyssey expansion for Frontier Developments’ Elite Dangerous gets a new gameplay trailer ahead of its early 2021 release
- Outriders gets a new gameplay trailer titled “Mantras of Survival” ahead of its February 2021 release
- Dieselpunk metroidvania F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch is coming to PlayStation 5 at launch in northern spring 2021, alongside previously-announced PlayStation 4 and PC versions (trailer)
- The Evil Dead: The Game announced by Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games as a multiplayer action game, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC in 2021 (trailer)
- Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection announced by Capcom, coming to Switch on 25 February 2021
- Capcom Arcade Stadium announced by Capcom, coming to Switch in 2021 as a free download with 1943: The Battle of Midway included, and additional games available as paid DLC (trailer)
- Microsoft Flight Simulator gets a northern summer 2021 release window for Xbox Series X|S (trailer)
- Housemarque’s third-person roguelike shooter Returnal gets a 19 March 2021 release date for PlayStation 5, as well as a new gameplay trailer
- Super Meat Boy Forever gets a December 23 release date for PC, via Epic Games Store (trailer)
- Another road trip game announced in Road 96 by Digixart, this time focused on trying to escape from an authoritarian regime (trailer)
- Co-op 3D platformer It Take Two, from Hazelight (the studio behind A Way Out) gets a new gameplay trailer and 26 March 2021 release date for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
- The Elder Scrolls Online‘s next year-long event, Gates of Oblivion, unveiled by Bethesda Softworks, with a global reveal event planned for 21 January 2021 (trailer)
- Oddworld: Soulstorm, originally planned for a 2020 release, gets pushed back to northern spring 2021, and also gets a new trailer
- Monster Hunter Rise for Nintendo Switch gets a new trailer, and will get a free demo in January
- Horror western action game Evil West announced by Flying Wild Hog and Focus Home Interactive, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2021 (trailer)
- Bandai Namco’s psychic action game Scarlet Nexus gets a northern summer 2021 release window for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
- Master Chief from Halo is now available as a character outfit in Fortnite (trailer)
- Yakuza: The Remastered Collection and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life are coming to Xbox One and PC on January 28 and March 25, respectively, and will also be included in Xbox Game Pass (trailer)
- Just Cause Mobile announced by Square Enix for a 2021 release on Android and iOS (trailer)
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, a single-player turn-based RPG set in the League of Legends universe, gets a new gameplay trailer
- The next Mass Effect gets a new teaser trailer—emphasis on “teaser”
That’s a lot of stuff to look forward to in the coming year. I’m particularly excited about three very different road trip games in Open Roads, Season, and Road 96, which all look like they’ll explore some thoughtful, emotive themes. Seeing new footage for the NieR Replicant remaster is always a good thing, and it’s good to see the new Dragon Age and Mass Effect still on the radar, even if there isn’t much of substance to show yet. ARK II looks like a disaster, but ARK: The Animated Series looks surprisingly good, and has some impressive talent attached to it.
