Operation Backlog Completion 2025

Not-E3 2025 Part 4: Wholesome Direct

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with:
Jun 072025
 

Table of Contents

State of Play
Summer Game Fest
Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story
IO Interactive Showcase
Wholesome Direct
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show

Wholesome Direct

Today’s showcases kicked off with the Wholesome Direct, always a good source of cute games and other interesting indie game ideas. They always show a ton of them, so this year I’m going to focus on the personal highlights for me. Check out the full showcase if you want to see the rest.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar was featured early on, and not only was it a surprise to see a somewhat big-name game there, it also looks really cute and interesting to me. I haven’t really gotten into the Story of Seasons series, but I really like how this one looks.

I’ve also never played Luma Island, but it’s getting a new pirate-themed update that looks interesting.

The next game that really stood out to me was Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell, a miniature detective game inspired by stop-motion animation. It currently has a Kickstarter campaign, so I’ll definitely check that out.

Squeakross: Home Squeak Home looks like a cute combination of puzzles and home decoration, and I was surprised by the announcement of Monument Valley III. I played a little bit of the first Monument Valley, but never much more. Still, it’s a series I’d like to try again someday.

Then there was Big Hops, a 3D platformer starring a little frog. It also is currently on Kickstarter, so I’ll take a look at that one too.

Little Kitty, Big City is getting new content, and I have to admit that Tales of the Shire is starting to look nice even though I was skeptical about it when it was announced. The “cozy horror” game Haunted Paws also looks like it could be fun.

Another big surprise came in the form of Milano’s Odd Job Collection. Besides it being another title from Marvelous, what makes this so surprising? It’s actually an unlocalized game from 1999, now being brought to modern platforms and translated for the first time!

The foraging adventure game Out and About looks interesting, especially since it teaches you about real plants, and Muri: Wildwoods seems like it could be fun, too.

Overall, there were some nice games and unexpected surprises in this year’s Wholesome Direct. Which games stood out to you the most?

Not-E3 2025 Part 2: Summer Game Fest

 Video games  6 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jun 062025
 

Table of Contents

State of Play
Summer Game Fest
Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story
IO Interactive Showcase
Wholesome Direct
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show

Summer Game Fest

Summer Game Fest is an interesting showcase, since it can be hit or miss for me despite effectively filling the void left behind by E3. I went into today’s showcase filled with hopes and dreams, including delusional Ace Attorney hopes as always.

Well, my hopes and dreams didn’t come true, and it was one of those shows where there was a lot that didn’t interest me. As a result, I’m just going to focus on the personal highlights for me, so check out the full showcase if you want to see everything.

They started with a trailer for Mortal Shell II. I never played the first Mortal Shell, and I didn’t think it was popular enough to get a sequel, much less one used as the opener for Summer Game Fest. Still, it’s interesting to see.

Speaking of games I haven’t played yet but have a passing interest in their sequels, Death Stranding 2 was featured in a segment that wasn’t exactly thrilling, but provided a look at a couple new characters. It kind of felt to me like a scene from a drama.

The next game that stood out to me was another unexpected sequel, Code Vein II. While not as exciting as what I hoped for when they said Bandai Namco was announcing a new action RPG (new Tales game when?), the trailer was pretty cool.

It felt like a showcase for unexpected sequels (just not the ones I want the most), because Atomic Heart II was announced, too. It’s also getting a multiplayer RPG set in the same universe called The Cube, so that game must have been more popular than I thought.

We also got a new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I really hope this game is good, and so far the trailers have made me optimistic.

Now, there were rumors going into this showcase that Square Enix would announce a new game. I had a lot of hopes for that, too, so it was a bit disappointing that it turned out to be a social deduction action game, Killer Inn. Not quite a game for me…

Mio: Memories in Orbit looks like it has potential, and I have to admit to being interested in Lies of P’s DLC “Overture” even though I still haven’t played the main game.

The next game to catch my attention was described as “DDLC meets Silent Hill,” which… it doesn’t actually look like to me. I don’t know why he said that. Regardless, Fractured Blooms looks pretty neat.

Mina the Hollower, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, and Blighted all look pretty interesting, too.

There was also a weird interval where they teased a Resident Evil announcement, only to say they weren’t quite ready to announce it yet. We’ll get back to that.

In the meantime, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks neat, but what stole the show for me was the arrival of a new trailer for RGG Studio’s Project Century, or as it’s now titled, Stranger Than Heaven. And remember how the first trailer showed a 1915 setting? Well, the new trailer shows a 1943 setting instead. Time travel? An immortal protagonist? (Perhaps he just ages very well?) Two stories in different time periods? I have no idea, but I’m so curious.

(Those blue eyes are definitely significant, I’m convinced of it. This trailer drew too much attention to them for it to just be something stylistic.)

Finally, Summer Game Fest ended with the announcement of Resident Evil Requiem, aka Resident Evil IX. Yes, despite them saying they weren’t ready to announce it yet, they announced it. I have no idea what they were going for there.

I’m a little nervous that Resident Evil Requiem might veer too far into action, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

In short, this wasn’t exactly a thrilling Summer Game Fest for me, but at least there were a handful of great announcements. Don’t forget to check out the full showcase if you want to see everything I skipped over, and let me know what the highlights for you were!

Not-E3 2025 Part 1: State of Play

 Video games  8 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jun 042025
 

Table of Contents

State of Play
Summer Game Fest
Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story
IO Interactive Showcase
Wholesome Direct
Future Games Show
Xbox Games Showcase
PC Gaming Show

State of Play

Shortly after I blogged about the “Not-E3” schedule, we got one new addition to the list – a State of Play announced for today! States of Play can be pretty hit or miss, but I crossed my fingers and settled down to watch.

They started with a new Lumines game, Lumines Arise. Next up was one that feels like it was announced ages ago, Capcom’s upcoming science fiction game Pragmata. It looks like an interesting game, with two characters you control at once, and it’s set for 2026.

The third game shown was a new game from Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, an action game called Romeo is a Dead Man. It looks very bloody and very strange. I don’t quite know what to expect from it.

Speaking of blood, we also got a new trailer for Silent Hill f! I’m cautiously optimistic for the upcoming new Silent Hill game, and although I’m not entirely sold on the gameplay, it looks like it could be fantastic. Not only that, but it’s coming out on September 25!

And also speaking of blood (again), the game shown after Silent Hill f intrigued me from the start, and even more so when it turned out to be a Bloodstained prequel, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. I haven’t played the first game yet, but I will one of these days.

There was a new trailer for Digimon Story: Time Stranger, which continues to look interesting to me even though I don’t have much experience with the franchise. It will be out on October 3.

Hot on its heels was an announcement that’s been rumored for years now, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. This Final Fantasy Tactics remaster includes both an enhanced and classic version of the game and will be out on September 30.

There was a new trailer for Baby Steps, which doesn’t especially interest me, and for Hirogami, an origami-styled action platformer that looks like it might be fun. After that came trailers for Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and Cairn, and then the announcement of the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater got a new trailer, and then a surprise was revealed – Nioh 3. I haven’t played any of the Nioh games, and they might be a bit too difficult for me, but I have to admit they have a lot of style.

It won’t be out until 2026, but there’s a PS5 demo available for a limited time.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was announced for VR fans (not me), and a first-person adventure game called Tides of Tomorrow. Then it was time for Astro Bot to take the stage once more, with 5 new levels announced. Maybe it’s a good thing I haven’t played yet after all; by the time I get around to it, they might be done adding new content.

The next game, a pirate game called Sea of Remnants, didn’t look too interesting to me at first… and then I saw turn-based combat and got interested… and then I learned it’s a f2p game and lost interest again. That’s how it goes sometimes.

Sword of the Sea, the other hand (was this the “sea” section of the showcase?), looks beautiful.

They spent a little time talking about FBC: Firebreak and new PS+ Classics, and then it was time for IO Interactive to show 007 First Light for the first time.

Despite not being a fan of the Hitman series or a huge James Bond fan, I’ve been curious about this game for a while, so it was nice to finally see it. Bond himself looks a little bland to me, but I’m actually pretty interested. It’s due out in 2026.

They technically showed Ghost of Yotei next, but it was mainly just to say they’ll be giving a better look at the gameplay in July.

Finally, they concluded with Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, which is probably very exciting for fighting game fans (not me).

All in all, it was a pretty good showcase, even if there was nothing that has me jumping up and down in joy. Our Not-E3 2025 is off to a fine start, so let’s cross our fingers for exciting announcements as we head into Summer Game Fest!

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