Gamescom 2025: What's Coming For Us Gamers?

GFEditorials

: Written by Sean Phillips; Category: Editorials; Published: 01 September 2025; Hits: 239

Gamescom 2025: What's Coming For Us Gamers?

Gamescom 2025 has come and gone and, with it, a slew of new and exciting games for gamers of all types to get excited over! While the show itself was just OK - I do feel like Geoff Keighley has a weird track record where one show is bad but the next show is good - the games shown were anything but just OK and I want to take some time and, well, highlight some of the more notable ones that were showcased this year, along with news we’ve all been waiting for (Spoilers: It’s not Half-Life 3).

bubsy 4d 1tlor

To start with…well, there’s no dancing around this one: Bubsy is back! Again…Again! Yep, the feline whose games, according to the internet, are considered to be a mixed bag is back with Bubsy 4D, the official follow-up to the PS1 title ‘Bubsy 3D in…Furrbiden Planet’. Right out of the gate, I love how the trailer acknowledged that its past endeavors were not good (including giving poor Bubsy PTSD with 3D, which I got a chuckle out of) and this game does seem to be trying to be a well-made title, with a plot centering on Bubsy trying to save the world’s sheep population. The gameplay looks to take inspiration from past Bubsy titles, like the ability to float and glide…hang on, is Bubsy half flying squirrel? Possible genetic mutations aside, another new ability shown was one that makes him fat, allowing him to roll like he’s in Super Monkey Ball. I also like how the environment has this sorta arts and crafts theme going on, kinda like Yoshi’s Wooly World in a way, and how one of the unlockable costumes is, literally, his Bubsy 3D look. Speaking of that, it seems the game has another in-game store where you can also obtain moves, with one called ‘OG Coyote Time’, which grants you a few extra steps off a ledge. As someone who never played the series at all, I like what I’m seeing with the game and I’m curious about this new entry. Also, the developer is a well-known one, having made the Slime-San series and Demon Turf, so I’ve no doubt the game is in good hands. We’ll have to wait and see if this is the game to finally break the Bubsy curse when it launches next year but, if you don’t feel like waiting, then you can pick up the Bubsy Collection when it launches on all consoles next month from LimitedRunGames, which includes the aforementioned Bubsy 3D.

Keeper Game

Another game I want to highlight and one I think could be the next great hit from DoubleFine Studios is Keeper. According to the official site, the game is set on an island where a forgotten lighthouse suddenly awakens and, taken with a mysterious sense of purpose and joined by a spirited seabird, it embarks upon a heartening tale of unlikely companionship, an odyssey of mystifying metamorphosis, and an unexpected journey towards the center of the island, into realms beyond understanding. Definitely a far cry from their other titles (Still waiting on Brutal Legend 2), but the premise alone got my curiosity almost immediately. The artstyle, for one, is downright gorgeous. It has this almost Tim Burton-meets-Oddworld vibe I get from it with just a hint of American McGee's Grimm (Which is a fun title, by the way, and one I don’t hear anyone talk about anymore). There’s also the fact you’re playing as a sentient lighthouse, so the game gets +10 for a creative protagonist. Thankfully, we won’t have long to wait as the game releases this October 17th on PC and Xbox Series X/S, as well as being a Day 1 release on Game Pass.

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And, lastly, regarding notable games? It finally happened. After what felt like decades of waiting and false hopes, we FINALLY got the news we wanted: Silksong, the sequel to Hollow Knight, is FINALLY coming out in September and, from the trailer alone? It looks like the wait will be worth it, if the trailer is anything to go by. Beautiful hand-drawn characters and more varied and colorful environments, a more refined combat system that seems to emphasize speed, and a plot that, I have to admit, I feel like I’m going to be more invested in then the original game. From the descriptions, the game will be centered on Hornet, the former princess of Hallownest, who is captured and brought to the Kingdom of Pharloom, and soon begins a quest for the kingdom’s peak and learns about her past along the way. I enjoyed the original Hollow Knight back in 2017 and, like everyone else, was anticipating the follow up for, again, what felt like decades, so seeing something that was once on the verge of being called vaporware finally getting a release date is really refreshing nowadays. I do hope the game lives up to the hype as it’s rare for a game to have this long of a development cycle and come out with glowing reviews. Hollow Knight: Silksong releases September 4th, 2025 on ALL systems and Day 1 on Game Pass.

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Now, what about the non-furry games? Were there any that were announced that were interesting? Well, yes there were and the first I wish to highlight and prepare to bear witness to quite possibly the longest named game you’ll ever see. It’s called Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant or PVKK (don’t ask me how to pronounce that name, please, I had a heck of a time trying to remember the dang game). From the developers of Dome Keeper, this game sees you manning a massive planetary defense cannon from the comfort of your home/bunker using the most detailed and in-depth control system outside of simulators, as well as following orders from your superiors, including drinking tea. There seems to also be a loyalty system in play as, similar to games like Papers Please, you can either follow the regime with no questions asked or begin snooping around and learning the truth, which involves exploring the bunker that the developers describe as having ‘escape room-style puzzles’, along with defending your bunker from invaders. I have to say, the game’s premise reminds me of the short ‘Cannon Fodder’ from the ‘95 anime ‘Memories’ with just a sprinkling of Papers, Please and I wouldn’t be too surprised if the developers took inspiration from both in designing the game. I’m actually quite curious about this game, not just because of its long name, but because I kinda want to know more about the world the game inhabits and find its little secrets. Also, any game that allows you to take control of a massive cannon is already awesome, in my book. PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant launches next summer on Steam with no word on a console release.

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Another non-furry one I’d like to highlight is Valor Mortis, from the makers of Ghostrunner, which, at first, I thought was going to be a Sleepy Hollow video game from how it started. No, instead, the game is set in the Napoleon era (1799-1815) and sees you playing as William, a soldier of the Grande Armée brought back from a battlefield grave (according to the Steam description) as a deadly plague has swept across the nation, with you being one of the infected. Described as a First Person Soulslike, which that alone got my attention, the game looks to be a nice fresh take on the Soulslike genre. I was personally getting slightly bored of the fantasy Souslikes, so seeing one set in the 1800s is a nice breath of fresh air. Yeah, I know there were the Surge games (great games, by the way, highly recommend them) that were set in the far future, but, again, still nice to see one not set in the typical dark fantasy era. The creature designs also have this Resident Evil meets Scorn look going for them and the shot of the one boss pulling out multiple flintlock pistols was both beautiful, horrifying, and awesome at the same time. The only thing I’m curious/worried about is if the firearms are going to be balanced enough so that the player won’t have to constantly use them and can easily switch from firing a flintlock to stabbing with a sword. I say ‘flintlocks’ but the trailer has your character firing a six-shooter of sorts, so I did suspect there were some liberties with the time period being taken. However, according to some research I did, there were attempts at revolving flintlocks by Elisha Collier back in the early 1800’s, and the weapon shown in the trailer that your character uses is similar to said Collier design, so I guess there are some true to life facts in this game! The game is set for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S next year but if you can’t wait? Right now, you can sign up for a playtest (PC only) at https://valormortis.firstlook.gg/ and check it out come late next month.

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Finally, there’s the latest Lego game in the form of Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight and, if the trailer and previews are anything to go by? This may be the game to surpass the Arkham games. For starters, the map is reportedly larger than Arkham Knight’s world and if that’s the case? That’s going to be insane for a Lego game. Yeah, we had large open maps before like the Marvel series, Skywalker Saga, and, in a way, Lego Island, but the fact this game’s map may be the largest in a Batman game to date has me all types of curious…and, at the same time, slightly worried. I love large open world games but I feel, sometimes, the larger the world, the easier it is to be overwhelmed and/or bored by what’s on offer, so I hope this game is able to fix that issue. Although, according to various press outlets, the game is bringing back the infamous Riddler Challenges and I can already see the PTSD kicking in for many from having to do them in the Arkham trilogy. On that note, I am slightly surprised that the game is only going to have seven playable characters to choose from; those being Batman, Jim Gordon, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul, with each one having unique skills and gadgets to use. While it is disappointing that we won’t have a huge cast to unlock - something I loved Skywalker Saga for doing - it is refreshing to see a small selection of characters for once. I do like how there are various suits to unlock for Batman, a lot of which seem to be deep cuts like his first appearance from 1943 to his rainbow suit from 1957 (Side Note: From my research, the reason he had this suit? It was to distract everyone from the fact that Dick Grayson/Robin had broken his arm. I am not kidding…comics are weird). As for the overall story, it seems the game is poised as a love-letter to all things Batman, detailing his rise out of the darkness to become the Dark Knight. From the trailer, I noticed scenes taken from the various Christopher Nolan Batman movies, as well as the recent ‘The Batman’ with that amazing scene of him walking towards the Penguin’s car after it wrecked. It also looks like the Tim Burton movies, as well as Batman V Superman, are being represented as well in the trailer, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if the game has missions based around Adam West’s tenure. While the game is set for a 2026 release for, pretty much, all consoles, I have a feeling we’ll see another trailer at The Game Awards this December.

If I were to choose my favorite game announcement from this year's Gamescom, it would go to, honestly, PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant cause, name aside, that game looks absolutely incredible and I really can’t wait to get my hands on it. The runners-up would be Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Valor Mortis, Toxic Commandos, Bubsy 4D, and Road Kings. As for the show on a whole? It was perfectly fine. Like I said at the beginning, Geoff Keighley seems to have this tendency to have one bad show, followed by a either good or OK show and this was really no exception to the rule. While a lot of the games shown were cool and there were plenty of games to be excited about, the show on a whole really just lacked any jaw-droppers, to be honest, and the pre-show was a bit on the awkward cringey side. Sure, we got a first look at gameplay for Resident Evil: Requiem at the end and there were the games I mentioned but, overall, nothing really stood out, unlike Summer Games Fest earlier this year. That’s not to say I hated this show, oh goodness no. If anything, I’d give this show a solid three out of five: It’s not bad but could’ve been better. Still, it’s nice to see we finally get a release date for Silksong! Just gotta play the waiting game for Half-Life 3’s release date...anyday now…

Selected List Of Announced Titles:

*Furry/Animal Games in Bold

Bubsy 4D - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjbShdkVOQI

Beastro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkRvq8u2LTk

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPwaRAEQ6HI

Outlaws + A Handful Of Missions Remastered - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPZVH8MdNwU

Denshattack! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6IaYHT1M0g

Keeper - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAwVgTsFfk

Absolum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_NafYlw6w

Black Myth: Zhong Kui - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r1hl2nvAEY

Cinder City - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzd-tFMY9xk

Hela - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv3w2qLguek