Gamescom 2015 Round Up – The Best of the Best

As one of the gaming industry’s biggest annual events, Gamescom can always be depended on to whet our appetites for upcoming titles – and 2015’s was awesome!

EA, Bethesda, and more all had a great range of games to present, with eagerly-awaited sequels or reboots making up the bulk of them. Which titles were most impressive, and what do we have to look forward to?

Let’s take a look!

Star Wars Battlefront

This was one of the biggest games to appear at Gamescom – as a reboot of the beloved, smash-hit Battlefront series of team-based shooters, this promises to give players a deeper immersion into that galaxy far, far away than we’ve ever had before. While EA & DICE have made some controversial changes (this is based solely on the Original Trilogy, so there’s no clone troopers, and no storyline-focused single-player campaign), their dedication to capturing the most authentic look, feel, and sound of the Star Wars universe is staggering.

The lack of space-based vehicular combat has been one of the most controversial omissions, but the newly-announced Fighter Squadron mode looks set to provide the aerial fun fans lapped up in Star Wars Battlefront II. Fighter Squadron puts players into teams of 10, with 10 more AI pilots bulking the numbers out: the first team to reach 200 points wins. Heroes and villains – Luke, Han, Vader – can also be played for short periods when special pickups are grabbed. We’ll all have to wait until November to see how well DICE has recreated the movies’ iconic space battles – hopefully, it’ll be a blast.

Fallout 4

Bethesda revealed more of their upcoming Fallout title at Gamescom, with one highlight being the huge range of freedom players can expect when it comes to customising weaponry. More than 50 base weapon types have been confirmed, and more than 700 modifications will be available across them all – this is welcome news for anyone who may have felt a little limited by even Fallout 3’s substantial selection of firearms. This freedom extends to other areas of survival, too: building settlements, growing food, and crafting automated defences are all available to help you stay alive in the wastelands.

Gears of War

Microsoft’s beloved Gears of War franchise is alive and well, but didn’t make much of an appearance at Gamescom. The Ultimate Edition, and Gears of War 4, were announced (with anyone playing the Ultimate Edition by the end of the year receiving all four Xbox 360 games) but, due to Germany’s restrictions, no footage from the upcoming game could be shown. We’re sure Microsoft will unveil some gameplay videos soon!

Need for Speed

Need for Speed’s upcoming reboot looks set to reinvigorate EA’s long-running racing series. Multiple modes are available, including Style, Speed, Build, Outlaw, and Crew – each one takes inspiration from the specialisms of real-life driving icons (such as Magnus Walker and Ken Block), offering different ways to play. The campaign mode will also have a deep narrative, linking races together using live-action cut-scenes.

FIFA 16

EA’s long-running football series takes a huge step with their upcoming instalment – finally, players can use women’s national teams, providing even more choice. Another key addition is the FUT Draft, which focuses on team-building: players can make their dream squads, using draws and in-depth formation management. Will this be one of the best yet?

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst

This long-awaited sequel to EA’s popular first-person free-running action game expands the story & world established around six years ago. The visuals look impressive, and the gameplay promises to be as fast-paced and exciting as in the first instalment – as this is pencilled in for a February 2016 release, we’re sure to see more of this soon.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

It’s a real testament to the popularity of both Lara Croft and the iconic Tomb Raider gameplay that the series is alive and well almost twenty years since it debuted on the PS1 and Sega Saturn.

As the reboot was a big hit with gamers, this follow-up has a lot to live up to. A gameplay demo at Gamescom impressed, giving players the chance to explore a Syrian tomb: an eerie atmosphere is cultivated by skeletons, cobwebs, and insects – the visuals are stunning, and Lara seems as agile & fun to control as ever. From what we’ve seen so far, this should be every bit as good as the previous entry – if not better.

What about the Award Winners?

Check out the full Gamescom 2015 awards below:

Best of Gamescom – Star Wars Battlefront

Most Wanted Consumer Award – Star Wars Battlefront

Best Console Game, Sony Playstation – Star Wars Battlefront

Best Console Game, Microsoft Xbox – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Best Console Game – Nintendo Wii – Super Mario Maker

Best Role Playing Game – Dark Souls 3

Best Racing Game – Forza Motorsport 6

Best Action Game – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Best Simulation Game – Forza Motorsport 6

Best Sports Game – PES 2016

Best Family Game – LEGO Dimensions

Best Strategy Game – Unravel

Best PC Game – Star Wars Battlefront

Best Mobile Game – Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Best Social / Casual / Online Game – Super Mario Maker

Best Online Multiplayer Game – Star Wars Battlefront

Best Hardware (incl. Peripheral) – HTC Vive

Best Indie Game – Cuphead