Player 2 Vs Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026
Geoff returns with perhaps the lesser of his three annual showcases, GamesCom’s Opening Night Live. Wedged between the megatliths that are Summer Games Fest, and The Game Awards, it can be hard to have some hits on the run of show given the oxygen that is sucked from the room by the other two events. Nonetheless, Geoff keeps plugging away at it, and with the show now behind us, P2 editor Paul James reflects on all the games shown off.
Pre-Show
Worms Galactic Tactics
Paul: Tactics games are booming right now, and Worms is a very logical franchise to lean into the trend. Keen to see more because it’s been way too long since I’ve played a Worms game, and this looked pretty cool
Train Sim World 7
Paul: Yeah, I don’t care about trains like that. These games have been wildly successful, though, so I hope that community is delighted by what is coming their way
Rollercoaster Tycoon: Wonderworks
Paul: I have a lot of love for Rollercoaster Tycoon from my younger years, and while my interest in these types of simulators has been redirected to the likes of Two Point and its various entries, I can certainly see myself coming back for more of my OG. While it’s in early access, I don’t have any interest, but once we hit 1.0 I’ll check it out
Animo
Paul: We’ve seen Animo a few times over the journey, and each time I walk away from the experience wondering what I just saw. This trailer again told us little to nothing about the game, boasted some poppy tunes that didn’t wash with me, and then dropped a release date for consoles/PC and then mobile that is less than a month away. I presume it’s another Pokemon-like, but excuse me while I wash my hands of any potential interest in this one.
Genigods: Nezha
Paul: Another China-developed action-RPG. I’m a bit disappointed because there were moments where I thought this was going in the PS2/3 God Of War character action direction, but then it became apparent that the game was just going to fit in the same mould as every other game that has come out of the region lately. Some diversity would be good in game design, thanks!
Perceptum
Paul: Old lady horror game. Visually it looks great, but I’ll hard pass on being bullied by this horror title.
Acornia: Mirror Worlds
Paul: I never checked out Tinykin, but I did hear that the game was excellent. Acornia is one that I really loved the look of, and it’s going to be on my to-play list for sure. I love its personality, and it looks like the gameplay is going to be a lot of fun too. Keen to see more.
Valor Mortis
Paul: Souls-likes are hard enough as is without being in first person as well, unable to see the majority of what is going on around you. For that reason, I’ll pass on Valor Mortis. It’s getting a lot of hype though, so I hope those fans love it. It’s not far away!
Tankrat
Paul: Can’t say that Tankrat is going to be a me game, but it’s certainly very different, and we need more of that.
Murals
Paul: That Dlala Studios art style we’ve seen in Disney Illusion Island and Battletoads returns looks excellent with Murals. With their own IP, though, you can already feel the additional flourishes present that perhaps Disney and Xbox wouldn’t allow for. I’m right into it, and I’m keen to see more. Hopefully consoles get added to the list soon though.
Humankind II
Paul: The original Humankind never really hit with me, not when Civ exists, but who knows, this sequel might learn all the right lessons and really stick the landing. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Elta: Defy All Gods
Paul: I was worried that we were getting a full-blown CG trailer for a while there, but Elta really hit its straps when the gameplay kicked in. I like what I’m seeing; it gives of awesome Darksiders vibes, and that little dragon is amazing. Love it! This is the character action stuff that I want to see!
Age Twisters
Paul: The quality of a Josef Fares game doesn’t feel like it has been reached with Age Twisters (largely because they are so chatty in this trailer!), but I’m still down for that couch co-op narrative platforming experience. Age Twisters is still doing some cool stuff, and I want to see more; I just don’t have my expectations set too high for the quality compared to its peers. Would love to be wrong though.
Onimusha: Way Of The Sword
Paul: If there’s a games showcase these days, Onimusha needs to be there. They’re expanding the demo, a week out from release, which is cool but I think pretty unnecessary. Keen to see the game out next week, and hopefully Capcom has nailed this big franchise return!
Mariachi Legends
Paul: Mariachi Legends looks really cool! 2D side-scrolling, Metroidvania elements, a banging soundtrack, and awesome visual style all combine to make this game a must-watch for me. Super keen to see more. Geoff knew he was onto a good one as well, giving the dev some time with Kyle to chat about it, which was great. April 27 has given me something to do next year! An excellent title to close the pre-show with.
Main Show
Nodusfall
Paul: A Hoyoverse-developed Soulslike? I’m already not a big Souls person, but then when you add that particular team in there, with their cringey dialogue and gameplay loops that are designed to extract time and money out of you, I’m skeptical about this one hitting with me. Setting my personal tastes aside, I’m sure the game will be hugely successful
Rainbow Six: Tactics
Paul: This is a very logical application of the Rainbow Six IP. A tactics game with all of the tools and tech available, as well as the destruction that we’ve seen in the other titles makes for a very cool tactical game. I thought this was a really cool reveal, and I’m keen to see how this one shapes up when it releases next year.
Gears Of War E-Day
Paul: Oh my lord. I love Gears, and the franchise has always been a bit of a looker, but this was next level. I love how it looks, and I love the tone of this new trailer. Matt previewed it recently and that only fuels my hype further. Would’ve liked a bit of gameplay in this trailer, but that is the only blemish on an otherwise excellent new trailer
Ananta
Paul: So we’re getting that indie good vibes experience, paired with weeby tones and looks and FTP systems? That sure is a mix that doesn’t interest me. Pass
Silent Hill Townfall
Paul: Kudos to Konami who have done an exceptional job in reviving Silent Hill as an IP. After the successes of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill f, you have to sit back and feel pretty confident in the direction of this one. Shoutout to Terry O’Quinn, my Lost-alumni legend who is in this one too!
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Paul: I still haven’t checked out any of the Plague Tale games, and that frustrates me because I know 100% that they’re games to my taste. Maybe Resonance can be the game that gets me going, and then I can get into the other two, rat-infested titles, from there.
Sea Of Remnants
Paul: We’ve seen this one before, and I commented on the cool tone of the trailer, and the team has again stuck the landing in terms of the trailer with their ONL trailer, but I can’t say that I was overly keen on the gameplay, though. It’s not a no, but it’s not a yes yet either.
Crimson Desert
Paul: This game has already been huge this year, and to see more is coming is fantastic. The team has been quite active in their updates for the game, but this one is a bit bigger. Good on them for maintaining the support. I really have to jump into the game soon, but this year has just been nuts
Tides Of Annihilation
Paul: I’m so down for the look and tone of Tides Of Annihilation. I’m still a bit being a bit stand-off-ish about how the gameplay will play in the long term, and whether the flash and flair will hold up throughout the fullness of a campaign experience, but it does look excellent, and I kinda just wish we had a release date already.
Lofsong
Paul: The ideas underpinning the Lofsong experience are pretty cool, and it’s giving of some cool Limbo-style vibes. Super keen to learn more about this one because it has a visual style and that could really win a lot of people over.
Megaman: Dual Override
Paul: The initial reveal of Dual Override was one of the big TGA surprises, but it was great to see the game surface again. I missed the Megaman games when I was a kid but have come to appreciate them a lot more as my access to games has increased. Now I could be there for a Megaman game at a point where I’m interested, day and date with the game’s launch. That’s awesome, and I’m keen to be there for it. The Megaman reference in new Pragmata skins is cool too.
Rayman Legends Retold
Paul: It is awesome to see how the musical platforming systems of the original Rayman Legnds are being translated over to the 3D blown-out world of Retold. The game is out really soon and because it’s a remake or a niche game, I’m concerned it may be slept on by many, but I sincerely hope that it works out.
PubG Ded.Net
Paul: Yeah no thanks. This one wasn’t to my vibe at all. That said, the ridiculous tone of the game will undoubtedly be to the liking of others, and I suspect that this game could do very well with the masses. I’ll let them have their fun.
Once Human
Paul: Not familiar with Once Human, but this brief appearance didn’t really resonate with me. Congrats on coming to console though!
Control Resonant
Paul: Another one that I worry about in this chaotic September/October pre-GTA launch window, ubt three’s no doubting how cool Control Resonant is looking to be. Just hook me up now please Remedy. I don’t want to wait any longer!
The Blood Of Dawnwalker
Paul: Speaking of games that I don’t want to wait any longer for. The Blood Of Dawnwalker is now like two weeks away, and it continues to give all of the right Witcher 3 vibes. Witcher 3 is the best game of the last ten years or so, so my hopes continue to be sky high for what this new IP can be. Can’t wait
Game Of Thrones: War For Westeros
Paul: Shoutout to Playside doing awesome stuff! I do wonder if this game is not a few years too late to capitalise on peak Game Of Thrones hype, but I cannot argue with how cool the game is looking. Keen to see more.
DUST: Origins
Paul: I love Airship Syndicate, and upon finally getting to see what this game is (they’ve been teasing the Kickstarter for about a month now), I’m beyond excited to see what the game actually is. The team hasn’t really veered into sci-fi until now, so I’m excited to see what is possible for them as they branch out. Time to visit that Kickstarter now I think.
Exodus
Paul: I’m so excited for Exodus and the other heavily Mass Effect-inspired games that are on the way next year. Exodus is looking great, but I do worry that the systems that were beloved in Mass Effect over a decade ago aren’t going to age as well if replicated in 2027. My hope is that I’m wrong, or that the team has done enough to modernise those systems to be very much relevant in the present day. We’ll wait and see, in the meantime, I’m tempted to pick up the book that is already available. Bring on April
Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons
Paul: I’ve never been much of a D&D fan, but the worlds have always interested me, but felt so hard to get into because of how deep the well goes. Warlock is intimidating fo this same reason but I certainly hope that the gameplay of this title can get me in the door. I’m a big fan of what I saw here from Warlock, so I’m intrigued to see more of the game. The little pet dragon accompanying you is awesome as well. My one concern is about how reliant the game is on ranged magic combat. We saw melee elements, but it definitely feels secondary, so we’ll see how that balance nets out.
1001 Threads of Mizan
Paul: What a striking-looking world! Magic carpets (or something like them) and the game’s cool combat are a great start, while the narrative teases are pretty enticing to me as well. What a debut; I really loved this, and I cannot wait to see more from 1001 Threads Of Mizan. Would love for that demo to extend beyond GamesCom to see what it’s about for myself.
Silver Palace
Paul: More weeby stuff dolled up to look more mature than it really is. The brief shots of combat look kinda cool, but I just don’t care for the presentation of the game and the world.
Monster Hunter: Outlanders
Paul: I only somewhat recently cut the cord on Monster Hunter Now, and now Capcom are tossing another mobile Monster Hunter game my way. What a kick in the teeth. I hope the game is great, and is more like a traditional Monster Hunter that is just in the palm of my hand, rather than what we got from Now. We’ll soon see though
Metro 2039
Paul: Jeez the team loved setting the bleak tone of the game in the way they delivered on stage, There’s a lot of love for the Metro games, but its an IP that I’ve still not gotten started on. I really need to change that ASAP. 2039 is looking great, but also incredibly depressing, and I’m keen to see how this world develops. Gotta get started. Still no release date in an already crowded February, so I wonder if this one will slip a bit.
Hitman: World Of Assassination
Paul: Are we about to take out Snoop Dogg? This could be the thing that gets me into Hitman because he’s an annoying individual that could be fun to take out in-game.
Aion 2
Paul: I have a lot of love for NCSoft dating back to the original Guild Wars, so I always trust their capacity to execute on a game. There is something quite cool about Aion 2, but I think that I need to save myself for Guild Wars 3.
Afterworld: Your Empire From The Ashes
Paul: I would love to know a bit more about what Afterworld is as a game playing experience, because this trailer didn’t really tell me anything about it. For now it’s a game that will just pass me by and I’ll inevitably think that the next time we see it is the game’s debut, because that was completely unremarkable to me.
Petit Planet
Paul: We hadn’t really had much in the cozy game realm in this showcase until now, so this game was a nice change of pace. The aesthetic is perfect for a game such as Petit Planet, but I’m again concerned about the Hoyoverse factor. Hopefully it can overcome that stink.
Mewgenics
Paul: I can’t say that I really cared for the performance, but the news that followed that Mewgenics was coming to consoles was great. I’ve heard the hype but wasn’t keen to play on PC – now the circumstances are changing, and I’m down for that.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2
Paul: I’m going to get my ass kicked by this game regularly aren’t I? I’m pretty keen on the game, and it’s out today, so maybe I jump in and see if I can hack it?!
1666: Amsterdam
Paul: I was pretty interested in 1666 when we last saw it, but the game is in early access, so I’m in no hurry to check it out until it’s basically ready to go. It’s looking great though.
Showa American Story
Paul: Ah yes, beat them to death with the American flag. MERICA! Can’t say I was at all interested by this one
Road Kings
Paul: Road Kings is really going to draw a crowd, but I’m certainly not a member of that crowd. The game looks good for what it is, it’s just not something for me.
Stage Tour
Paul: Lots of musical artists involved in this one that I’m keen on, but I don’t know that Stage Tour is going to take off. Are people keen to go back to plastic instruments again? It didn’t work when we got our last Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, so I’m curious to know what might make this one different? They could just be the right game at the right time though.
Crazy Taxi
Paul: So I’ve been keen to see more of Crazy Taxi, but it wasn’t the multiplayer that I was waiting for, so I was pretty disappointed to see that this was the component that Sega was bringing to the show. We wait and see
Turok Origins
Paul: Cool-looking trailer, but the gameplay teases were so brief. Would’ve loved to have seen a bit more from Turok to help confirm that interest. We’ll keep waiting for more, I guess, and hopefully it can be the best game in the IP yet.
Gravhounds
Paul: Can you pat the dog, as a dog? Dogs with guns and squeaky toys wasn’t on my bingo card, and yet, here we are. I dunno if I will check this one out upon launch, but Gravhounds still looks pretty entertaining
LEGO Skylines
Paul: LEGO city building is pretty cool. This is a fantastic way to pair the Cities: Skylines experience with an IP that will ensure the future of the IP. Well done, and I really like it. Keen for more
Transport Fever 3
Paul: There were two of these games before? No thanks.
Exterminauts
Paul: There’s an energy to this game that I really connect with. Extraction shooters in the vein of Helldivers are 100% the multiplayer experience that I can get into, and this game is giving off all of those vibes, so consider me very much interested.
Path Of Exile II
Paul: Hello Diablo? You’ve got another dark fantasy top down action game to contend with that is looking pretty damn cool. Path Of Exile II has been building for quite some time, and the full FTP launch is going to be pretty huge. Really excited to get into it.
Heroes Of Might & Magic III: Remake
Paul: Fuck I love Heroes Of Might & Magic, and it had killed me as a kid that it never came to consoles because I never played it as much as I would like. The second and third games held a huge place in my heart though, and so I’m eager to go back. Strange that this is coming while th the new game continues to build, but I won’t say no to the opportunity to go back. No confirmation of a console launch for III: Remake though, so if they could sort that out, that’d be awesome.
NoLaw
Paul: Some cool immersive sim elements in here, paired with cool stealth and FPS systems; I’m really into what we saw from NoLaw. I would’ve loved to have seen a little bit more, but this was still a pretty great presentation of the game. They now have my interest.
Project Zeta
Paul: Not sure what was going on, why, or even how I’m supposed to play the game, so right now, I just don’t care.
Cinder City
Paul: Cool tone, the text for the title sucks though, it was just really hard to read. I’m keen to see more, but as with a growing number of game in this back half of ONL, the lack of gameplay made it hard to really connect with the game. I’ll wait and see for more.
Ontos
Paul: I’m not a SOMA guy, but I’m near certain that this game is going to do some really big things when it launches. Ontos seems to be hitting on all the creepy horror elements that make the genre so popular, so good luck to those fans who opt into it.
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus
Paul: When you see the developer of Inscryption involved you know that you’re getting something weird that will absolutely subvert expectations. Keen to learn more.
Zoopunk
Paul: This team has chops. I loved what they did with FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch, and they’ve brought the heat once again with Zoopunk. Consider my money, yours, TIGames. Now all I want to know is when.
There Are No Ghosts At The Grand
Paul: “A story-based renovation game” isn’t something that at face value I should be interested in, but There Are No Ghosts At The Grand really appeals to me in inexplicable ways. Keen to see more of this one.
Roco Kingdom
Paul: More teams taking a swing at Pokemon, and while some have hit the mark, this one didn’t provide enough information for me to care. Pass for now.
The Defiant
Paul: War is blood business, and that feeling was well expressed in this trailer for The Defiant. It was such a small tease though, so I’m not yet sold on whatever this game is, but I’ll keep my eyes and ears out for more.
Tarae: The Unbound
Paul: It’s a shame we saw so little of this, because the vibe of Tarae was something I really enjoyed. Surely just a Geoff placeholder for more in the future. I’ll keep an eye out for more, and hopefully it hits.
Like Or Die
Paul: Another NCSoft game. While Aion 2 was to my speed but just not one I would get into, this game was neither appealing to my interests nor something I’d play. I’m sure the game will be great, but it’s not for me.
Final Fantasy VII: Revelation
Paul: How is it that every time a new game in the remake saga comes along, it looks better than the one that came before? Square-Enix has not failed so far, and I so desperately hope that they stick the landing with Revelation after coming this far. So excited to see how the saga ends
The Witcher 3
Paul: A remaster of the best game in ten years announced to come out in mere weeks in an already chaotic September/October? That both fills and breaks my heart. So many improvements and changes, and then we’ve got the DLC that is coming next year. We’re eating so well with the Remaster and Songs Of The Past. I dunno how I’ll be able to fit everything else in! OH, and the remaster is free!
Final Thoughts
Paul: There was a bit of filler, so this ONL presentation didn’t hit the highest levels of some of Geoff’s other shows, but with the way the show closed, I came away very happy. The difference between the highs and lows was pretty huge, but there were enough highs to keep me happy. Thanks Geoff!
