The Coolest Games We Played At Summer Game Fest 2023

Less than one year removed from his most well-received 3D entry in decades, Sega’s Blue Blur is hoping to deliver a strong 2D entry to bolster the brand’s recent resurgence. Sonic Superstars gives players the same 2D action they know and love from the classic run of Sonic games, as well as Mania. In addition to branching paths and the best 2D physics we’ve ever seen in a Sonic game with modern visuals, players can also play four-player co-op and utilize a new suite of Emerald Powers.

For more on Sonic Superstars, check out the reveal trailer here, or our full, hands-on impressions here. –Brian Shea

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals feels like returning to a familiar place in a great way. I’ve known about Oxenfree II: Lost Signals for a couple of years – since it was announced in 2021 – but it wasn’t until I went hands-on with it during Summer Games Fest that it dawned on me just how long it’s been since Oxenfree first came out.

It looks beautiful and features some excellent voice acting. While it plays largely the same as the first Oxenfree – walking, talking, and using things like a new walkie-talkie or radio to communicate with others on the sequel’s Camena Island while selecting dialogue choices to add flavor to seemingly pre-determined conversations – it’s fluid and feels like exactly what you’d expect out of a sequel to Oxenfree. I only got a taste of the story to come, but my 30 minutes of hands-on time ended with an event that reminds me that at the heart of the Oxenfree series is strange phenomena and spooky happenings. 

I’m excited to see what this appetizing taste is teasing in the full game when Oxenfree II is released on July 12. 

For more on Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, be sure to read my full impressions here. –Wesley LeBlanc

Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle game where you use outdated technology to manipulate your reality. The core gameplay mechanic on display during my demo is the ability to hold up a photo, drawing, or painting and transform it into reality wherever you were holding it from your viewpoint. During my playtime, I cross gaps by creating rooms and rotating a photo of a bridge to create a ramp that lets me reach the roof of a building.

These forced-perspective puzzles create trippy effects that I never got used to during my short time with the game, but the perspective-based puzzles were so enthralling that Viewfinder immediately catapulted to the top of my most anticipated games of this summer. Thankfully, if you want to check it out for yourself, you can play a demo right now, or you can simply wait just longer than a month for the full release on July 18. –Brian Shea

In Hauntii, you step into the role of a ghost who has arrived in the afterlife exploring to learn more about your past life. While that typically sounds like the setup for a cozy experience (particularly with the serene-yet-striking art style you see in the image above), Hauntii leans closer to an atmospheric twin-stick shooter with enemies and obstacles to blast through.

However, that doesn’t mean you should expect bullet-hell-style gameplay. Instead, you use the twin-stick combat to solve puzzles and “haunt” objects. I use this to haunt a hillside, which does little to progress my playthrough. But by possessing a nearby turret, I’m able to crack open a previously impenetrable reservoir of resources and load up on health and shards. I enjoyed my time with Hauntii, but we have a bit longer to wait, as Hauntii is scheduled to arrive on PC (including Steam Deck) and consoles in Q2 2024. –Brian Shea

From the creator of the critically acclaimed Chicory: A Colorful Tale comes Beastieball. This Pokémon-inspired adventure subverts traditional team-building and role-playing mechanics by framing it all through the lens of a turn-based volleyball RPG experience with team member recruitment mechanics. 

While it’s difficult to truly grasp the merits of an RPG during a short demo, I love how the game pays homage to the basic Pokémon formula, complete with wild-creature encounters. And yes, the battles play out as turn-based volleyball games with each turn allowing for three actions. Beastieball sunk its hooks in me quickly, and I can already tell it might be a favorite indie title of mine when it comes to PC and Mac in 2024. –Brian Shea

Each successive entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise feels like a big deal, but Mortal Kombat 1 feels monumental even among the long-running, beloved series. Representing a new era for the franchise, Mortal Kombat 1 brings its brutal-yet-beautiful combat forward, while adding new levels of depth in the form of a new Kameo system where you bring a classic version of an iconic character to perform various moves. 

You can read our full hands-on impressions of Mortal Kombat 1 right here. –Brian Shea