PC Gaming E3 2021 Showcase
Sunday, June 13, 2021, 2:30 PM PT

Naraka: Bladepoint
The PC Gaming showcase started with a trailer for Naraka: Bladepoint. While the gameplay trailer covered much of the same content we've seen in the past, it highlighted that Naraka is shaping up to be the most popular play-testing title on Steam with 1 million players ahead of its official launch on Aug. 12, 2021. The battle royale game in a fictional setting is rooted in feudal-era Japan and has an emphasis on short-range combat and hand-to-hand combat in the shoes of a ninja or samurai.

Dodgeball Academia
Dodgeball Academia is an interesting-looking title that reminded me of Nintendo's exclusive indie game, Golf Story. Taking control of a student — a dodgeball student, to be precise — in what looks to be vibrant, hand-drawn comic visuals, you must prevail through dialogue and dodgeball combat encounters. It appears that you'll face teams of adversaries and bosses on the dodgeball pitch to fight (or throw) your way to the top. If that piqued your interest, it's releasing soon in August 2021 and may be another great sports indie RPG.

Chivalry II
A short segue leads to Chivalry II, which was just released for PC. The PvP medieval combat game launched to some critical acclaim, but that seems to not be the end of it. As Chivalry II creative director Steve Piggott confirmed in a short interview, the current state of the game is the base for what's to come. New maps and scenarios seem to affect the way the game is played, with the promise of at least doubling the size of the game in future free updates. New content will vary in size, from new weapons and gear to a map update that includes a port and castle to seize and destroy. If you are already enjoying Chivalry II, there is more to come shortly.

Rawmen
Food puns and chaos ahead with a colorful indie title, Rawmen. The food-themed arena fighter looks familiar in its movement system, which is reminiscent of Splatoon, as fighters slide around the arena and throw buckets of food at each other. It supports 2-8 players in several game modes, such as defending a chowder port or rolling around in a giant meatball. It's frantic and colorful, but it doesn't have a fixed release date yet.

Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 has received several showcase spots across E3 2021, and the PC Gaming Show is no exception. While it provided a few glimpses of further game footage, this interview-style trailer focused more on the story and universe of Dying Light 2. We learn that, after the virus emerged, the government chose to drop chemicals on the city to eradicate all life, creating dangerous zombie-like creatures on the ground and a thriving human population on the rooftops. Protagonist Aidan and his sister Mia were used as research subjects until they were eventually separated. Now, decades later, Aidan finds hints that Mia might have survived. While it's not the only storyline, it seems to be one of the major drivers behind Aidan's adventure. We'll know more when Dying Light 2 releases on Dec. 7, 2021.

Humankind
Humankind, Sega's next big strategy game slated for Aug. 17, introducing PC Gaming Show host Frankie Ward as one of the in-game NPCs that you can square off against. Beyond some production and gameplay clips, the show didn't have more updates about Humankind, but thankfully, it won't be long until we can play the finished product.

They Always Run
They Always Run is an intriguing mix of genres. The 2D action platformer is set in a science fiction Western setting that features Aidan, a three-armed mutant bounty hunter. The trailer showed some messy combat scenarios that leverage your extra arm. As a bounty hunter, you are hunting down targets across the universe, so a complex story is likely to unfold as you complete contracts. Action, animations and enemies looked great, somewhere in between titles like Mark of the Ninja and The Messenger. There's no firm release date beyond sometime in 2021.

Orcs Must Die! 3
The FPS tower defense series, Orcs Must Die!, has been around for years with two very solid entries and a third installment around the corner. In a mix between interview and gameplay showcase, we saw some of the new features in Orcs Must Die! 3. There will be two campaigns, with its main story taking place 25 years after Orcs Must Die! 2. The other big update is the inclusion of outside battles on large-scale battle maps that significantly change up the experience from its usually claustrophobic interiors. With it comes War Machines, which can create major effects like tornados, and War Guardians, which are unique NPC warriors to fight alongside you. If that weren't enough, OMD3 also has a randomly generated Scramble mode to keep things fresh. Orcs Must Die! 3 is almost here with a release date set for July 23, 2021.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong
When Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong was announced during the presentation, I almost made the mistake of not paying full attention, since I expected another Vampire: The Masquerade visual novel. Developed by Big Bad Wolf, the studio behind The Council, Swansong looks to be a proper 3D adventure game with RPG elements. The CGI trailer showed off one of the three playable characters in the final version and some gameplay glimpses. It looked similar to both The Council and the Telltale Games titles. It doesn't have a solid release date yet, so we'll have to wait for updates down the line.

Gigabash
The dark gray images of The Masquerade were quickly washed away by colorful, large-scale destruction. Gigabash is a multiplayer arena brawler where you battle for dominance against your friends. The trailer showed several in-game moments with monster battles on large-scale city maps from an isometric viewpoint. While not much information was shared, the footage was limited to four-player battles, and it seemed that movement on the actual maps was limited to a specific area — likely due to the low player count. This doesn't have a solid release date yet, but it'll eventually hit the PC and PS4.

Lemnis Gate
Lemnis Gate is one of the more interesting titles shown, although it was hardly a new announcement. The game plays in a 25-second time loop, requiring players to take turns playing through the same loop as different characters, layering them on to push back your opponent. A short trailer showed off action with some teleportation and shield abilities that seem to be a subset of what you're doing within this mix of a multiplayer shooter and intense chess game that otherwise retains most of the game modes we already know and love, like deathmatch. A short developer interview refreshed everyone on how the game is played and announced that Lemnis Gate will release Aug. 3, 2021, on PC with a beta slated for July.

Next Space Rebels
Ever wished you could finally combine a YouTube simulator and Kerbal Space Program into one game? No? Well, Next Space Rebels looks like exactly that. A trailer intersecting gameplay with some YouTube clips showed off the humble beginnings of an amateur rocket engineer. You start by building small rockets in your garage and work your way up to proper interstellar travel devices, all while building a follower base and generating much-needed money to find the operation. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but if you're intrigued, you'll be able to pick it up sometime in Fall 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.

Wartales
Wartales is one of the new announcements and probably one of the more intriguing ones of the show. It's a medieval RPG where you'll lead a band of mercenaries to earn a few pennies in a country divided by outlaws and rival factions. The reveal trailer showed quite a bit of footage, which was mostly in line with a usual CRPG with some decent turn-based combat. While it hinted at some sort of base-building and potentially larger threats or creatures to face, not too much detail was shared, except that we can expect the game to release in 2021.

Ixion
Yet another space game reveal but thankfully neither a roguelike nor an action game, Ixion is a rather deep settlement management game set in space. The fully animated reveal trailer did not offer much insight into what gameplay might look like, but it's fair to say that it will feature the usual staples of the genre and, hopefully, a few twists when it arrives sometime in 2022.

Far: Changing Tides
The next trailer is the announcement of a sequel. Far: Changing Tides is introduced with some atmospheric shots on and underwater, as the small protagonist commandeers a huge ship to explore the world. On the surface, this looks very much like its predecessor Far: Lone Sails, which debuted to strong marks. This title might also be worth a look for those who like atmospheric side-scrolling games such as Limbo or Inside, since it borrows much from those games. It will drop for consoles and PC in late 2021.

Lakeburg Legacies
The next one up is Lakeburg Legacies, a game that looked like the usual city management sim if it weren't for its hand-drawn art style. The focus here isn't necessarily on building but to ensure the people in your village do their best work. Your job is to not only assign them jobs but also to couple them up and build a strong family legacy that can carry your city to success. Located somewhere between a visual novel and a city sim, Lakeburg Legacies looks decent with a few fresh ideas; the only thing it's lacking is a release date.

Killing Floor 2: Interstellar Insanity
Killing Floor 2's Interstellar Insanity update is going to drop on June 22, 2021. The announcement was commemorated with a short clip showing a new Moonbase map, new weapons, and new weekly challenges.

MechWarrior 5
Sponsor time. The PC Gaming Show was very noticeably sponsored by MechWarrior 5 and contained almost a full five-minute interview with Community Manager Daemon Katz talking through the game and the legacy of the franchise. The most prominent talking point was its newest DLC, Heroes of the Inner Sphere, which was released two weeks ago with a new campaign mode and content.

Silt
Silt — and I'm sorry to use this comparison again — looks a lot like Limbo and Hollow Knight with its dark and moody tones. You control a diver who can mind-control fish to solve puzzles and, presumably, find a few mysteries along the way. It looks properly dark and disturbing, showcasing some disquieting imagery and atmospheric environments. It'll be released sometime in 2022 on PC.

Hello Neighbor 2
Hello Neighbor 2 also got a new trailer. Building on the first game, the sequel will feature a much larger open world and an evolving AI opponent. While mostly a mood piece, the trailer showed some gameplay. In need of a tool that the creepy neighbor possesses, we can see the player setting up a can of paint on a door frame so the neighbor gets soiled with paint, causing him to take a shower and leave the tool unattended. It's going to be interesting to see how well this adaptive AI works when the game releases for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC this year.

Jurassic World: Evolution 2
The short showcase trailer for Jurassic World: Evolution 2 was introduced by game director Rich Newbold, who once again confirmed that the title is set after "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" and will contain original licensed characters from the movie and their respective voice actors. It will not be restricted to Isla Nublar, either, but with several new locations across the world and featuring a range of new creatures both in the air and underwater. Jurassic World: Evolution 2 will release sometime in 2021 on most platforms except the Switch.

New Blood Interactive
Publisher New Blood Interactive showed off a small segment that name-dropped its titles that are currently in development, such as Amid Evil, Dusk '82, Fallen Aces, Faith: The Unholy Trinity, Gloomwood, Kyle is Completely Famous, Ultrakill and Unfortunate Spacemen.

Gabe Newell/ Steam Next Fest
New Blood Interactive is quickly cut short, or rather upstaged, by an interruption from Gabe Newell. He's promoting the Steam Next Fest, which begins on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, and features demos of many upcoming titles directly on Steam.

Soulstice
After a few rapid-fire announcements and games we have already seen, Soulstice is another new announcement trailer. It doesn't only have "soul" in the title, but it also looks like a Dark Souls-inspired game. The footage looks like something between Bloodborne and Devil May Cry, including slow and methodical combat, aerial combat, and a few skirmishes, including boss battles. It's not a AAA release, but if it has good controls and a decent combat system, Soulstice could be a promising title when it releases in 2022 for PC.

Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate Demon Hunters
A PC Gaming Showcase without any Warhammer-related content? Unthinkable! While it didn't show much, the short CGI trailer for Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate Demon Hunters set the mood of what to expect from the title. Published by Frontier, the game is going to be a reboot of the Chaos Gate franchise and will release for PC in 2022.

Pioner
If it weren't introduced, the trailer for Pioner could have easily been mistaken for a title in either the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. or Metro franchises. The lengthy trailer showcased its grim postapocalyptic wasteland and some shooter mechanics, such as full weapon customization on the fly that looks very close to what was found in Crysis. Anomalies, monsters, and a floating girl look like this could amount to an interesting shooter. The question is how well it fares in comparison to its bigger-budget rivals when it releases for PC.

Eve Online
Eve Online got a small update announcement that introduces Eve Academy. Games on the scale and complexity of Eve naturally have an issue onboarding new players and guiding them to where they find the most value and fun in the game, which may be solved by the new Academy content. Be an Enforcer, Explorer, Industrialist, or Soldier of Fortune and use the Eve Academy content to learn how to play and advance in your chosen path. It's not the most exciting update for existing players, but it's helpful for those looking to enter Eve Online for the first time.

Lumberhill
Lumberhill is one of the few games in this showcase that was released on the same day. In this chaotic online multiplayer title, you and a fellow lumberjack need to chop trees and guide animals to complete tasks while under constant assault by Mother Nature and … dinosaurs. It is already out for the PC with a Switch version coming in Q4 2021.

Arboria
Apart from having a game logo and title that is incredibly difficult to read, Arboria looks like an intense combat roguelite that takes place in a dark fantasy world. You battle grim monsters and discover loot as you push through procedurally generated stages. The game is currently available in Early Access on Steam, with a full release announced for August 2021.

Tinykin
I probably shouldn't play favorites, but if anything is, it's Tinykin. It's a wild mix of Pikmin and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" that speaks to everything I enjoy in indie games. The trailer included some interesting uses for your minions, like building ladders, opening doors, activating things, and blowing up stuff — I hope this isn't an exhaustive list of activities. While characters are displayed in a 2D Paper Mario style, environments are 3D representations of an actual house that must be traversed. The trailer also featured a bigger cast of characters, mainly bugs, so there may also be some RPG aspects to the game. I'm sure we'll see much more once Tinykin releases in 2022.

Chernobylite
Chernobylite has already seen quite a bit of coverage, but the development team introduces a new trailer with footage from the final mission, "The Heist," which is an interesting PR move. The trailer shows some gameplay, including the preparation before starting the heist in-game. Base-building, resource management, and coordinating the attack seem to be some aspects of executing the final mission in this survival-horror RPG. We don't even have to wait very long to find out if the heist is worth the wait. Chernobylite is releasing on the PC on July 28, 2021, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions coming shortly thereafter.

Sacrifire
With its 2.5D pixel art visuals, Sacrifire looks a lot like a JRPG in the vein of Octopath Traveller. It promises an in-depth story campaign and battles that mix real-time and turn-based combat, and it looks like a solid entry in the genre. If it piqued your interest, you can support the Sacrifire campaign on Kickstarter.

Icarus
It's difficult to get people excited for yet another survival/crafting game, but the Icarus release date trailer showed off some intriguing aspects, such as its diverse biomes, which range from areas that looked like the Pacific Northwest to more tropical environments. Since this is a sci-fi game taking place on several different planets, there will be some diversity in the environments as you try to survive and gather resources before your ship takes off without you. The game footage heavily relied on bow combat and the multiplayer aspects. Its release date was revealed to be Aug. 11, 2021.

Mechajammer
It did look like an exclusive reveal, but Mechajammer has been around for a while by the name Copper Dreams. The isometric cyberpunk RPG takes place in an open world, and your goal is to get off the planet. It looks to be an immersive sim with close-quarters, ranged and vehicular combat featured in its trailer. There will be a crew to manage and hordes of monsters to slay, but no release date has been announced yet.

The Wandering Village
The Wandering Village is not a new announcement, and its trailer didn't show much gameplay, but the idea looks different. Zooming out from a small village and city builder grids with produce, the trailer soon reveals a giant, six-legged monster that carries the town on its back across a much larger world map. You have to make sure your town thrives and your villagers survive as you travel through different biomes and conditions. No release date was shared, but The Wandering Village is set to release on the PC.

Death Trash
Death Trash is a pixelated isometric shooter that looks like it uses twin-sticks controls for its gun-driven combat. It takes place in a postapocalyptic world and features some unsettling cosmic horror imagery. It looks to feature both exploration and combat, as well as skill-based character creation, so it may involve some deeper RPG mechanics. Death Trash will enter Steam Early Access on Aug. 5.

Songs of Conquest
After its initial reveal years ago, Songs of Conquest also made an appearance at the PC Gaming Show. Introduced as the spiritual successor to Heroes of Might and Magic, it looks very much like a new Might and Magic game. The pixelated dark art style looks great, and it features the usual gameplay loop that's expected from such a game, including navigating a large world map and encountering events; kingdom management; and screen-filling, turn-based combat within a dark fantasy setting. It won't release until Q1 2022 on PC, but it looks to be shaping up admirably.

Citizen Sleeper
Citizen Sleeper is one of the final reveals of the show. The trailer may not have been entirely clear or action-packed, but it highlighted some interesting aspects. Role-playing in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism is its tagline, and it does take its role-playing seriously. Rolling dice, advancing the story, and interacting with NPC characters seem to be the core of the experience, backed by a rich story and possibly branching outcomes. Its clear tabletop RPG roots and design may not necessarily look exciting, but depending on its depth and freedom, this could be a cool indie title to keep in mind for anyone who's interested in RPGs.

Project Warlock II
The final announcement is reserved for Project Warlock II, the aptly named successor to the throwback action shooter, Project Warlock. From the trailer footage, the second entry begins right where the first one ended. With more action, more guns, and more protagonists. Its brutal, fast and messy combat is heavily inspired by the likes of Doom and Quake, and given the positive reviews for the first game, this one is likely worth a look. Project Warlock II will start its Kickstarter campaign on June 29, 2021.