Summer Game Fest 2024: the 4 best games

With Summer Game Fest over, it's time to take a look at some of the show's biggest hits. I'm not talking about the most exciting revelations, but rather the best games I was able to play. The SGF space was full of interesting games, some from high-profile studios and others from indie groups. And there were some games that were surprisingly fun that I only discovered by simply picking up a controller and playing.

Although I've seen trailers for Capcom's sumptuous game, I was never quite sure what it was about. I thought it was a generic hack-and-slash game disguised as the richness of Japanese mythology, but I was surprised and frankly delighted to discover that it's a tower defense game. Your job is to protect a shrine maiden as she works to purge corruption from the land. The game is divided into two sections: day and night. During the day, you traverse a town rescuing the inhabitants from the corrupting infection. At night, you protect the shrine maiden from demons as she slowly makes her way through the village purging it of evil.

I really enjoyed Kunitshu-GamiThe new twist on the genre. The villagers you rescue become part of your army and you assign them jobs to help defend the maiden. The Woodcutter is a powerful melee attacker who functions as the first line of attack, while the Monk uses his holy power to freeze demons in place, making them easy targets. Once the fight is over, there is a base building element that allows you to upgrade and unlock jobs and acquire new powers for your warrior.

I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to play. Kunitshu-Gami. I love strategy games, especially when they're decorated in such a richly ornate art style. I found myself looking at everyone's clothes, noting the details and wondering what meaning each little piece had. It launches on July 19 on Xbox, PlayStation and PC.

I'm not an Star Wars person – but Star Wars Outlaws It was enough to intrigue my Force-agnostic ass. My practice was divided into three parts: ship-to-ship combat, stealth combat, and platforming. Since children (i.e. me) crave fighter ace (x.com/BandaiNamcoUS/status/1803080642080473426″>Thanks Bandai Namco.!), I decided to test the boat first. Before leaving, I had to do a small stealth section to get to my ship that involved a couple of hacking minigames. Hacking minigames are usually tedious and terrible (looking at you, Mass effect), but I enjoyed both, especially the data spike minigame that involves spinning a glass in time with rhythmic clicks.

Once in space, I had a great time. The controls were very responsive and I didn't feel like I had to fight to keep my target in front of me like in other aerial combat games. I also enjoyed how the game doesn't automatically reorient you if you flip the ship, because it's space and there's no up or down. Towards the end of the demo, there was a moment where I flew from space to the surface of a planet, and everything seemed very fluid, a real “you can go anywhere” moment (although I'm sure there's some game). developer deceptions involved).

For the stealth mission, I wasn't very stealthy, often blowing up an enemy instead of distracting them with Nix, my axolotl-like pet. It turns out that Nix is ​​very useful as a distraction and recuperator. You can have it bring in the weapons your enemies have dropped when you need a little extra firepower. Your main weapon is a simple blaster equipped with special ammunition; The default blaster setting eliminates humanoid enemies, while the plasma setting is effective against droids. During an encounter involving a shallow water source, I thought it would be smart to shoot the water with plasma in hopes of electrocuting any enemies in it. Unfortunately, the game didn't work out that way.

The platform section was the weakest part because it didn't really provide much new. There's a grappling hook I can use, but other than that, my scoundrel Kay Vess just runs, jumps, and climbs bright yellow railings and ledges like anyone else. Overall, she once again pleasantly surprised me. Star Wars Outlaws launches on Xbox, PlayStation and PC on August 30.

arranger is a puzzle game well suited for mobile devices, which might explain why it took pride of place at the Netflix booth. You play as a messy girl named Jemma who has a peculiar way of moving through the world. As you slide your finger up and down or side to side, the world moves with it, either horizontally or vertically, moving everything on that axis along with it. You use that unique move to solve puzzles or get around insurmountable obstacles. To Jemma, a closed door means nothing: she can move on to the other side once she reaches the end of a row or column.

One thing I appreciate about games is that you're always in conversation with the developers; I enjoy when I can hear their voice in the way they design their games. There was a time early on where I didn't know how to solve a pressure plate puzzle. Confused, I left the room only to find two strategically placed flower pots. I didn't know yet that you could carry items from one room to another, so seeing the pots gave me an “Aha!” very obvious (and audible). moment. The developers could have left me a flower pot or other object in the room to make the puzzle easier, but I would have missed out on the opportunity to deepen my understanding of the game's mechanics.

arranger comes out for Switch, PlayStation, PC, and mobile devices via Netflix on July 25.

Playing Astrobot I was happy. Of course, I enjoyed all of the games I've highlighted here, but Astrobot was the one that made me laugh and kick like a 10 year old being given free rein in a candy store. A platform game with pets, in the year 2024… maybe we'll be back! Astro jumps, kicks walls and can float in the air evoking the feeling of Mario. But although the game is mechanically similar, Astrobot it feels exceptionally charming. Astro chirps, squeals, claps and waves: his enthusiasm and happiness are so contagious that it's impossible not to hurt your face when you smile while you play.

Scattered throughout the bright and cheerful levels are robots to rescue, some of which represent characters from PlayStation's past. I loved moving the camera around in search of off-the-beaten-path places and figuring out the best way to get there. Each time I was rewarded with a collectible or a secret robot that needed to be rescued. Different levels also contain different movement abilities similar to the special power-ups you can find in Mario. An ability that inflates Astro like a balloon, allowing him to float to areas out of his reach. Another involves a dog acting as a jet engine that launches Astro through sturdy glass or bounces him off special platforms.

Astrobot, just for sheer charm, is my game of the show. It launches on September 6 on PS5.