The Summer of Gaming, or Summer Game Fest, is a major festival where plenty of well-known video game developers and indie studios come together to show off what they've been working on. It's an exciting event for video game fans and this year's event has delivered when it comes to bold and brave trailers.
From cinematics to gameplay, these teases have given a great look at what fans can expect from some upcoming video game titles. While some of these trailers act as an announcement for a previously-unknown title, others give a much closer look at hotly anticipated franchises. Audiences have already watched these trailers countless times attempting to mine further details from them.
10 Star Wars Outlaws (2024)
With the rumors and teases of an open-world game in development at Ubisoft set within the galaxy far, far away, fans were eager to find out more about this potential project. The trailer for Star Wars Outlaws certainly didn't disappoint. It immediately introduces audiences to Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment's take on the Star Wars criminal underworld of scum and villainy.
The trailer does a fantastic job of debuting lead Kay Vess and her pet companion Nix, who join the ranks of Star Wars underdogs. The trailer is fast-paced and clearly sets the action during the reign of the Imperials after the events of Empire Strike's Back. The gritty and dark tone seems to be following in the footsteps of Star Wars stories like Rogue One and Andor.
9 Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023)
Ubisoft has promised that they are taking the Assassin's Creed franchise closer to its roots in the latest installment. Assassin's Creed Mirage is one of the most anticipated releases from the franchise because of its back-to-basics approach to the material. The trailer didn't disappoint in showcasing those elements.
Assassin's Creed Mirage's CG trailer is cinematic in its scope and beautifully shows off Baghdad, where the adventure will be taking place. There were nods to free running and the classic stealth combat that made the series so famous. But the mechanics of the game were overshadowed by the gripping story, another staple of classic Assassin's Creed titles.
8 Fable (TBC)
The Fable series is experiencing a reboot of sorts with the latest offering from Xbox and Playground Games. While plenty of details concerning this fantasy RPG are being kept under wraps, the cinematic trailer definitely helped to set the tone of the piece.
In one of the most unexpected moves of Summer Game Fest, Richard Ayoade was featured in Fable's light-hearted in-game trailer. With Ayoade portrayed as a giant, it gave a quick glimpse of a difficult but humor-filled action sequence that gamers will expect to play through themselves.
7 Starfield (September 2023)
Starfield is drawing ever closer to its release date and Summer Game Fest successfully drummed up some final hype for its launch. Developed by Bethesda, the science fiction-infused RPG features a gloriously expansive open world. Plus, it boasts the ability to switch between first and third-person perspectives.
While Starfield clearly has a fanbase waiting to get their hands on the final product, the trailer did a fantastic job of jumping further into the narrative. It provides a snapshot of the different worlds, characters, robots, and ships players will encounter. It acts essentially as a round-up of the game's greatest hits. This slightly less-focused style helped the trailer to stand out, with stunning gameplay clips throughout.
6 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (December 2023)
After delivering some of the most visually stunning blockbusters of the last few decades, Avatar is now heading to gaming consoles. And it looks even more beautiful! Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft used Summer Game Fest to release an updated trailer for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
The latest Avatar tease gives players a better sense of the character they'll be controlling. The lead is a Na'vi reestablishing themselves in Pandora's culture after living a life as a soldier for humanity. It's an intriguing premise and the extraordinary visuals promise an open world that will aim to deepen the series lore more than the big-screen iteration.
5 Mortal Kombat 1 (September 2023)
After the events of Mortal Kombat 11, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games are rebooting the Mortal Kombat world and going back to number 1. Online multiplayer and an intense story mode have been promised for the fighting title and the trailer gave a better glimpse at what to expect.
Mortal Kombat 1's gameplay trailer demonstrated the title in all of its gory glory, so much so that the trailer is age-restricted on YouTube. With cinematic set-ups and a snapshot of some of the game's fantastic combos, this was a really extensive look at fan-favorite characters in action. The trailer also hinted at further campaign details, which now has the freedom of playing with a newer continuity.
4 Sonic Superstars (2023)
Whenever there's a promise of a new Sonic game, fans begin to speculate about which of the franchise's many great characters might be involved. The Sonic franchise has had many ups and downs, but Sonic Superstars' trailer indicates that SEGA is returning to what it does best.
The trailer for Sonic Superstars shows off its roster of characters, its chaotic platforming levels, and its brand-new visual style. The trailer is fun, nostalgic, and clearly a love letter to the running games of yesteryear. With a retro soundtrack to complete the tease, Sonic Superstars is immediately more exciting after this showcase.
3 Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024)
Ubisoft is back to work on the Prince of Persia franchise after many years. The Summer Game Fest gave the company the opportunity to showcase its latest iteration of the franchise as part of Ubisoft Forward. The 2.5D action-adventure title is quite visually different from what players might have expected.
An animated trailer for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown gave a glimpse of a stylized cinematic look that may further influence the game. While the mechanics of the title are mostly hidden, the narrative is on full display here as Ubisoft takes Prince of Persia in an unexpected direction. Monsters, magic, and hard-hitting combat have left audiences intrigued to see more.
2 Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (2023)
The Warhammer franchise has plenty of fantastic games in its archives. This fictional world of war and brutality will continue to expand beyond the tabletop experience. Space Marine II from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment had another trick up its sleeves which was showcased during the Summer of Gaming.
The trailer for Space Marine II demonstrated its chaotic co-op gameplay. While clips of Space Marines fighting back against their beastly prey were exhilarating, they were complemented well by cinematic sequences that opened up the narrative further. The combination of these elements was enough to demonstrate how much fun players will have with the third-person shooter, especially when they play together.
1 The Witcher: Season 3 (June 2023)
The Summer of Gaming is mostly about video games. However, some franchises that are receiving small screen iterations made their presence known at the festival. The Twisted Metal adaptation for example had a clip of its own to release. The Witcher Season 3 also debuted its trailer.
Netflix is supposedly taking more of its influence for The Witcher from the books rather than the games. But it didn't miss the opportunity to show off the monsters, magic, and mayhem of its beloved fantasy series. With Henry Cavill stepping down after Season 3, there's more intrigue than ever as to how the show will develop.