Here at GateCrashers, we’re big fans of finding the latest and greatest in video games. It only makes sense to share that love and hop on the Wishlist Wednesday train to bring you our recs for upcoming titles to add to your list of games-to-get-hype-for. Don’t forget to share your own awaited games in the comments!
Thirsty Suitors – TBD
From Outerloop Games comes Thirsty Suitors – a game about culture, relationships, family pressures, and expressing oneself. Can Jala handle her demanding parents, reconcile with her exes, and mend broken friendships in time for her sister’s wedding? Will she be ready for the impending visit of Nani, the family’s terrifying and judgmental matriarch?
I’m an Indian gamer, and while it can sometimes feel a little tricky to pin down exactly what kind of games I enjoy best, there’s no ambiguity when it comes to Indian games. Gimme some Raji: An Ancient Epic, or a little Unrest. Yes, I’m all in for the upcoming narrative cooking game Venba, but the game I’m most excited about that’s even beating down my Gotham Knights anticipation?
Does the concept of battling exes remind me a lot of Scott Pilgrim? Yes, and that’s awesome. Does the prospect of summoning befriended aunties to aid in battle, wielding giant chappals of doom, excite me more than any combat system has in a while? Yes, and that’s awesome too.
Visually, the game looks wild. Wildly bright, fun, acid pop colors, a modern blend of Bollywood and absurdity, a great soundtrack, and, hey, there’s also skateboarding tricks? There is nothing about this game that does not sound like a whole lot of fun, and Annapurna Interactive has never once let me down as far as games go. Thirsty Suitors can’t get here fast enough. – Armaan Babu (@ArmaanBabu)
The Quarry – June 10th, 2022
It’s late summer in the remote forests of upstate New York, and the teen counselors of Hackett’s Quarry have the camp to themselves for one final night. That means no kids, no adults, and no rules. In this thrilling cinematic tale, you control the fates of all nine camp counselors as their party plans unravel into an unpredictable night of horror. With life-or-death decisions around every turn, the choices you make will determine how the story unfolds.
Picture this: it’s 2015 in a hot attic bedroom, where two sweaty teenagers are wiping popcorn butter from their fingers and furiously reloading their last save file in an attempt to preserve their streak of keeping the cast of their favorite horror game alive. If it wasn’t obvious, one of the overheated teens in that attic was me (the other, a lifelong best friend), the quest for a complete eight out of eight survival rate was a success, and the game was Until Dawn.
The cinematic, genre-bending horror triumph of Supermassive Games is best known for its theme of choices. Its utilization of the butterfly effect—the idea that one small decision can lead to huge consequences—gives the player the ability to take the plot into their own hands. Start an argument, and all the characters involved could die. Take the high road, and you might just make it to see the sunrise. Players navigate eight different characters through a night of both serial killer terror and suspenseful monster moments, giving the game a horror movie double-feature feel. It’s important to note that Until Dawn’s biggest downfall is its appropriation of Algonquin folklore and indigenous culture, particularly the use of the Wendigo as the game’s monster and the collectible tribal totems lying around the map for players to find.
Supermassive’s upcoming game, The Quarry, looks to use the same techniques and storytelling features as Until Dawn, this time set in the small-town summer camp of Hackett’s Quarry. Deemed a spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel, The Quarry follows nine camp counselors trying to survive the night, terrorized by the odd locals and the monsters hiding in the forest. Player’s choices will once again be a major part of the game’s narrative flow—so much so that The Quarry will have an astounding 186 different endings for gamers to discover. The Quarry also has the added bonus of a great cast of actors, including David Arquette (Scream), Justice Smith (The Get Down, Detective Pikachu), Brenda Song (The Social Network, Amphibia), and Skyler Gisondo (Booksmart).
Personally, I’m looking forward to enjoying the game’s movie mode, a new feature that lets you sit back and watch the game as its own film, made even better by The Quarry’s stunning graphics. I’m excited to see how Supermassive builds on Until Dawn’s successes and explores all the outcomes in a horror game that looks as exciting as it does downright terrifying. The Quarry comes out on June 10th. – Elle Daniel (@ElleLDaniel)
Soul Hackers 2 – August 26th, 2022
Soul Hackers 2 takes place in the 21st century and is set during a war between the Yatagarasu and the Phantom Society, two opposing factions of Devil Summoners. The story follows two supernatural “Aion” beings named Ringo and Figue, who descend into the human world from their birthplace in the data stream of information, in order to avert a cataclysmic event that they predict will doom humanity.
I didn’t get into the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) franchise until the remaster of SMT III in 2021. Hell, I had barely even heard of the series other than its spin-off, Persona, which I’m not a fan of. That story is for another day. But once I started playing SMT III HD Remaster, I fell HARD for the franchise. It was like Pokemon but for adults and 100 times better. Finding my newest addiction, I went out and bought all the ps2 and all the 3ds games in the franchise I could afford. And damn, some of these are spendy! Did I beat all of them? No, but I have beat a few and put hours into others. Nonetheless, I lived and breathed the SMT franchise during that time, and I still do. Hell, I spend a pretty penny on a jacket that looks like the protagonists from SMT V. Plus, I’ve beaten SMT V twice with more playthroughs on the way.
For those unaware, Soul Hackers is a spin-off of SMT. So when a sequel was announced for 2022, I lost my mind! I will play any games related to SMT; except Persona. Granted, I never finished Soul Hackers, but I enjoyed what I played and got pretty far. That said, I plan on watching videos to catch up on it or just playing through it completely.
Having said all of this, I have only seen the original trailer. Since that first announcement, I haven’t watched anything. I mean, if I know I want the game already, why do I need to watch anything? Plus, it seems they’re going down the same route they did with SMT V and having a trailer for damn near every demon. That is cool, but It’s hard fighting back my demons to not watch all of these
It’s funny; I stepped away from this due to getting stupid sick. The damn brain rot from being sick made me forget what the hell I was typing. Anyways, SHOOT MORE SMT MEDIA INTO MY VEINS. Except for Persona. Fuck Persona. – Jason Jeffords Jr. (@JJRwrites)