Animeph

This year again, we were happy to visit Gamescom, the world’s largest public gaming convention. It is a good place to talk to developers, meet gamers, buy merch and get an idea of upcoming relevant new games from some of the industry’s biggest publishers. From innovative new titles to highly anticipated sequels, this year’s event was packed with exciting announcements. Here’s our rundown of the most notable reveals and updates.

Hoyoverse (formerly Mihoyo), the creators of Genshin Impact, unveiled a promising new title and showcased it’s current very successful Gacha/Mobile game roster:
Zenless Zone Zero: An unreleased new action RPG set in a futuristic semi-retro city. The focus seems to be more on dynamic combat, smooth animations and a distinctive, stylish aesthetic. The demo seemed interesting and Hoyoverse with it’s mayor budget and development experience will surely be able to deliver for fans of the genre.
Honkai: Star Rail: A new space-fantasy RPG, “Honkai: Star Rail” combines strategic turn-based combat with an expansive, immersive universe. The playstyle of this game is more suited for mobile and was able to mirror Genshin’s success without offering the same expansive open world experience, instead focusing on a slightly more mature story and more end game content.
Honkai Impact 3^rd: Hoyoverse’s earliest breakthrough title was playable and showcased at the both. With it’s rich story-telling and cinematics, this game layed the foundation for Genshin Impact. It is still supported with new stories and content, but unfortunately show’s it’s age in terms of graphics and gameplay. With the conclusion of the long running first major story arc, HI3rd will need to convince old and new players, that the announced new main cast and major updates for part2 are still worth trying in 2023.

Square Enix didn’t disappoint with their exciting reveals, particularly for fans of RPGs:
Final Fantasy XVI DLC: Following the success of Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix announced an expansion pack, promising to extend the story with new characters, quests, and challenging boss battles.
Dragon Quest XII: The latest entry in the long-running Dragon Quest series was teased. The game is set to introduce darker themes and a more mature narrative, along with the franchise’s signature turn-based combat.

Bandai Namco showcased a diverse array of games, with something for every type of gamer:
Tekken 8: The latest entry in the iconic fighting game series, “Tekken 8,” promises enhanced graphics, new gameplay mechanics, and a roster of both returning and new fighters.
Blue Protocol: This action MMORPG caught the eye with its anime-inspired graphics and engaging combat system. “Blue Protocol” promises an expansive world filled with quests, dungeons, and cooperative play.

Sega brought an impressive lineup to Gamescom 2023, with several standout announcements.
Sonic Superstars: A new 2D platformer in the iconic Sonic series, “Sonic Superstars” features classic gameplay with modern visuals and new mechanics. Players can expect cooperative multiplayer modes and fresh environments to explore.
Persona 6: The next installment in the beloved Persona series was officially announced. While details remain scarce, the teaser promised an engaging new storyline, captivating characters, and the stylish, turn-based combat the series is known for.

THQ Nordic brought several exciting titles to Gamescom, including:
Alone in the Dark: A reimagining of the classic survival horror game, “Alone in the Dark” aims to modernize the franchise with updated graphics, a new storyline, and atmospheric gameplay.
Outcast 2: The long-awaited sequel to the cult classic, “Outcast 2” features an open-world sci-fi adventure with an emphasis on exploration and narrative-driven gameplay.

Creative Assembly made waves with the announcement of their latest historical strategy game:
Total War: Pharaoh: Set in ancient Egypt, “Total War: Pharaoh” offers players the chance to control powerful armies and build vast empires. With detailed historical accuracy and complex strategic gameplay, this title is sure peak the interest of fans of the series. The demo gameplay did not seem as innovative as previous titles, but we are sure there will be improvements upon release.

Cygames presented gameplay for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, an action RPG based on the popular mobile game. It features stunning anime style graphics, fast-paced combat, and a richly detailed world. The game supports both single-player and cooperative multiplayer modes. The gameplay demo on display was very promising and we encourage fans of the genre to check it out.

CD Projekt Red had a notable presence with the reveal of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, an expansion to their ambitious sci-fi RPG. The expansion promises new storylines, characters, and gameplay mechanics and addressing player feedback from the original release. Updates and fixed will also be available to the main game in an expansive 2.0 update for free.

Hello gamers! We are back to Gamescom after a two years pause because of the covid pandemic. That’s why we were very excited to get back to the holy halls of this convention in cologne. Our expectations were very high visiting the center of gaming once again. The whole city was celebrating Gamescom with cosplayers, bars and events coming together around these eventful days.

The famous games reporter Geoff Keighley also hyped up the event in advance with his pre-Gamescom show. It was amazing to see so many companies came to show their new products, technology and merch. A lot has changed since the last Gamescom before covid and new ways of gaming had emerge since then. It was very exciting to see new consoles showing their upcoming games and tools to provide even deeper emersion and experiences. Sony and Microsoft showed us the power of their new consoles and the devices around the console like the new upcoming VR glasses for Playstation 5 and the possibility to create even more realistic worlds. It was clear to see how the two big console companies are going separate ways to catch the audience. While Sony wants to connect the gamer into their network with exclusive games, Microsoft intendeds to commit their customers with a very competitively priced Gamepass gaming subscription. It seems like a new trend of gaming is not buying and owning games anymore, but to stream or rent them on demand similar to Netflix. I don’t know if i like this idea, but for now it offers alternatives to different audiences.

We also got the tell you about the games we experience at Gamescom in the press area. I have to say this year was a big year for the RTS (real time strategy) genre. Never before did we encounter that many new upcoming RTS games. Creative Assembly, the creators of the Total War Franchise, oferred us an exclusively look at what they plan for the future of their magnus opus Total War Warhammer 3 We are very exited and expect a lot to see in the upcoming future. From new factions and the immortal empire map to the reveal of a new historical title the list of new features was very exciting.

Moving on, THQ Nordic had a very promising collection of releases to present this year as well. And as a great RTS player myself, I was very exciting of getting my Hand on their new upcoming game Tempest Rising. This is the unofficial successor of the legendary Command and Conquer franchise. After a briefing about the development of the game, we got our hands on a playable demo of it. It plays amazing and you get the nostalgic feeling of playing the original classic immediately, but with modern graphics and improved gameplay. We cannot wait to see the release of this game. The Valliant or Spellforce Conquest of Eo were also two great upcoming Strategy games to look out for.

In Valliant you play a group of medieval mercenaries and have to fight a lot of small but meaningful skirmish battles against enemies in order to progress in this story driven tactical RTS.

Spellforce Conquest of Eo is a turnbased 3X strategy game based on the magnificent world of Spellforce. In this Prequel of the RTS game Spellforce you take control of the armies of one of ten great mages in this world and have to Conquer Eos, like the name of the game suggest. It plays like the little brother of Heroes of might and Magic. For all of you who like this genre, do keep an eye out for this game.

Another great thing about this years Gamescom was the revival of many oldschool games. Such as Alone in the dark, the legendary Horror survival games from the 90ies. Also Outcast 2 is one of two sequels we were looking for this Gamescom. Both are genre defining milestones on their own. Modern open world games rooted from Outcast and horror games like Resident Evil are inspired by Alone in the Dark.

If you like fighting games or anime games as we do, Namco Bandai is always a very important Publisher to look out for. At Namco Bandai we could lay hands on their upcoming fighting game for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Fans of this classic should definitely take a look. Sadly they didn’t have new information on their hit upcoming fighting game TEKKEN. However, they do have a new One Piece RPG. One Piece Odyssey looks like a JRPG based on the license of this great pirate manga from Oda Eiichiro. It has rather simple mechanics, but might be a interesting buy for younger audiences. Usually we would also mention Square Enix and Namco Bandai in one sentence, but unfortunately this year Square Enix did not have anything new to show. Surely in 2023 they will have news on their multiple ongoing Final Fantasy games and hopefully maybe even a glimpse of something new for the Nier universe.

It was also fun to take a peek at some of the smaller and new studios and their developments. Do take the time to kook around and you might find some hidden gems like the upcoming Cyberpunk actiongame Berlin 2087 or the upcoming DarkSouls-like game Lies of Pi. With the power of modern game engines, small Indi-developers are catching up to the big industry leaders and are compensating their lower budget with passion, original new ideas and responsiveness to the community.

Speaking of Anime, what would Gamescom be without anime and cosplay and a lot of merchandise? We dived into this the two big floors full of shops and merch. If you visit Gamescom, it is definitely worth it to stray a little from the gaming halls and take a peek into the shopping floors, as well as cosplay and entertainment areas. Below are some pictures.

What can we say. It was great to once again visit the German center for gaming and nerd culture and get to meet with people who loves and share your hobbies and passion. A great thanks to all the cosplayers we were able to speak to and photograph. Lots of very beautiful and well made costumes. All in all it was a pleasure to visit Gamescom 2022 and we will see you again next year.

To my great astonishment, due to the ongoing Corona pandemic the Dokomi convention was one of only a few conventions that were allowed to happen in 2020.

Besides strongly limiting the number of visitors there were also strict rules to follow. Specifically, it was mandotory to wear a mask at all times inside and outside. Staff made sure that guests were keeping proper distance when waiting in queus and in general. Additionally, disinfectants were placed at all entrances.

A big thanks to all staff and organizers as I can only imagine the amount of effort that went into planning a fun and safe convention during these times.
Yet, it was unfortunate but expected to see all japanese star guests cancel their appearances this year. Still, big praises to all German guests and performers that put on a show this year. There was also merchendise, food, workshops and lot more to discover.

The convention was certainly not as spectecular as in previous years, but they made the best out of the current situation and gave us a safe and welcome distraction.

Gamescom is Europe’s biggest gaming convention and was able to attract 877 companies and 500.000 visitors this year. We were very happy to attend this year again and fill you in on our impressions as gaming and Japanese pop-culture fans.

In this sense it is fitting to first start with the Japanese game producer powerhouse Square Enix. The upcoming Final Fantasy XV game was omnipresent as Square Enix spent a lot of money in advertising their new title. From what I was able to see and play so far I am looking forward to this one very much. The story and graphics are amazing so far and a related full length CGI movie called Kingsglaive can already be watched as early access. However, the official release of the game was postponed to the end of November. Other notable titles new were Nier Automata and Deus Ex Human Mankind Devided.

Namco Bandai presented their 2 new Beat-’em-up franchises Tekken 7 and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. We were able to play both and they seem rather promising. Xenoverse 2 is implemented a lot of suggestions of the gaming community and is trying to deliver a more engaging multiplayer experience.

Personally I am looking forward to the new Kickstarted sequel of Divinity Original Sin 2. Fans of classic story and character driver turn based RPGs will get their money’s worth. There have been a lot of interesting improvements to the first game, which was already a fan favorite for many. The multiplayer campaign can now be played with 4 friends and each player can choose a unique character background story which will be highly relevant to the plot. They are even times when those backgrounds can demand conflicting decisions from the 4 players forcing them to make difficult decisions and enriching the role-play aspect of the game.

Another promising Kickstarter story driven RPG to come is Torment Tides of Numenera. The developers are trying to capture the spirit of the classic original Torment RPG and seem to do a pretty good job from what I was able to see. In addition, the story is written by my favorite fantasy book author Patrick Rothfuss, who is known for the Kingslayer Chronicles books.

The cosplayers this year also outdid themselves as can be seen in the pictures above. All in all Ganescom was a very enriching experience and I will be certainly attend again next year.

With 4 anime cinema rooms, an outdoor stage and a big theater stage, this year the AnimagiC convention again was able to provide a proper stage for numerous anime screening and the live performance of many show groups and j-pop/j-rock bands. While we were most amazed by the live performance of GARNiDELiA, Kanako Ito and ZWEI also put up a decent performance. Screening highlights were a dubbed version of the successful new movie “The boy and the Beast”, but also an amazing 15 minutes long preview for the Final Fantasy XV Kingsglaive movie.

While the convention itself was a big highlight again, there was a sad announcement at the end of it: Next year’s hosting location will switch from the move from the highest populated union state in Germany to a smaller more distant union state (Baden-Württemberg). While the new location certainly seems large and beautiful, we fear that many fans will now no longer be able to afford the long and expensive travel. We hope that many fans in the area will take this opportunity and visit next year’s AnimagiC convention.

With that out of the way, here are some of the beautiful cosplayers we’ve met:

fate stay night saber cosplay

Last week we were able to visit this year’s Dokomi anime convention in Duesseldorf Germany. More than 400 Shops and exhibitors were present and more than 31.000 fans visited the convention over two days. On the big stage visitors could watch theatric performances, two different cosplay contests and a live performance by J-Pop sensation Shiena Nishizawa, who is known to us for the ED theme of Kentai Collection and the OP theme of Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. We welcome the announced plans to possibly add a third day to next year’s convention.

And as always, here are some pictures:

Hello mates,

here are still some pictures I wanted to share of last years Gamescom. As you can see it is still one of the biggest gaming conventions worldwide. Enjoy:

Last week we visited the AnimagiC anime convention in Bonn (Germany) together with a friend and owner of this German blog. For me AnimagiC is always a highlight because of its rich program and famous guests. This year 8 different groups were performing plays of their own invention; in 4 cinemas visitors could watch the newest anime releases and premieres; and there was live music by Japanese artists Aimer, AiRI, ZWEI and Mashiro Ayano. Especially Aimer has made a very convincing live performance and is known for her music in Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Zankyou no Terror, Bleach and many other animes.
And as always, here are some of the cosplayers we met there.