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!

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Mothmen 1966 – July 14th, 2022

Mothmen 1966 is a ‘Pixel Pulp’ – a visual novel featuring a fusion of exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics – set amongst the strange occurrences of the Leonid meteor shower of 1966.

For me, this is a nosedive into nostalgia. Growing up where Mothman was the neighborhood boogie man story, I cannot wait to see this take on the iconic lore. It features an incredible color palette that mimics the eerie nature of the story and evokes a sense of unease and a marked “off”-ness. The pixel art is incredible from each screengrab and gameplay video—you truly see the artistry poured into each panel. Visual novels are underrated, and I seriously think this game might be the one to make you dip your toes in the genre if you haven’t already. It comes out soon, but if you’re already itching to play, they have a demo out now (and currently sitting in my download folder). – Moth (@m_othball)

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Outriders Worldslayer – June 30th, 2022

Survive the campaign and you’ll face even greater horrors in the Trials of Tarya Grata, the brand new endgame. Which partnered with Ascension Points offers a new long term progression system for the most committed players.

Finally, push hard through the new Apocalypse difficulty tiers, with each step up to level 40 increasing the chances of obtaining incredible Apocalypse gear and its game changing third mod slot.

Outriders by People Can Fly (love the name, btw), and I have a history. No, not a history that can span the decades or one of the epic Norse Saga proportions. So what is this history, you ask? Make yourself comfy, and please, lower your expectations as I regale you with my first encounter with the 3rd person Looter Shooter Co-Op (I play solo) Outriders.

Last year Outriders dropped a hefty demo on consoles that let you play quite a bit of the game. Like, a sizable chunk that honestly was enough to help you decide if you wanted it. Be that as it may, I literally only made it 10 minutes enough before I said, nope. – Also, Nope by Jordan Peele looks dope – I gave Outriders the littlest of time to impress me. Why? Well, I have a lot of problems. But, this time around it was the game having problems. The connection kept dropping, stutters all over the place, crashing, and all those unpleasantness. So, I stopped and went back to Destiny 2. Now, I’m not an avid Destiny 2 player, but I’ve played since Destiny 1’s first alpha. I even got the T-Shirt you could buy if you were part of that. Nonetheless, I was looking for that new looter shooter that helped me live out my retail therapy. At that time, it wasn’t it.

Then a year went by, and I gave Outriders another chance (around the beginning of this month, in fact!) And holy shit, I loved it! It was exactly what I wanted and ran amazingly, besides one hard crash I had. Even better? I started the month that the first big expansion drops! So what a damn great time to play. Especially since a lot of new stuff is being added with the end game getting big updates as well. That said, I am ever excited to beat the main story of Outriders and then move on to Outriders Worldslayer. – Jason Jeffords Jr. (@JJRwrites)

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Season: A Letter to the Future – TBD

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and let yourself be carried away by the great journey of Season, a third-person atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game. Explore the world through the eyes of a young woman. Collect memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away.

I was going to originally talk about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines II, but recently came across a game that I just needed to write about for this column (not like I have to worry about Bloodlines II’s release date getting close, anyway), and that game is Season: A Letter to the Future.

The first thing that caught my eye was, of course, the visuals. Season has a cell-shading art style that makes it not only attractive but expressive, even in its peaceful stillness. It complements the colorful landscapes and somewhat cartoony characters in a way that I don’t feel could’ve been achieved with another art style. 

But even more than the art style, I was amazed by the atmosphere of the game. Your objective is to document the world you inhabit, which seems to be taking place long after the world as we know it now had its time, in order to prepare for a new beginning. It is a wonderful, unique premise that tells you a lot about what you can expect from the game. But I’ve been even further captivated by the gameplay shown during the Summer Game Fest, which almost feels like being in a trance. There’s melancholy, amazement, and affection for the world we are being presented with, which is about to completely change, even if it’s for the better. It seems like the type of experience where I can just play and reflect in silence at the same time I absorb everything the game wants me to feel. I can’t wait to experience the story the developers have created with Season: A Letter to the Future. – Gabrielle Cazeaux (gabrielle_doo)

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Live A Live – July 22nd, 2022

This storied RPG by director Takashi Tokita, known for his work on CHRONO TRIGGER and FINAL FANTASY IV, has been revitalized in the stunning HD-2D visual style and is releasing outside of Japan for the first time. Each story is set to a rearranged version of the original soundtrack overseen by KINGDOM HEARTS series and FINAL FANTASY XV composer, Yoko Shimomura.

My momma would always tell me, “Jason, you want too many damned games and things.” I mean, this is the absolute truth. Another one she always told me, “Stop making that face, or you will be stuck ugly.” If only I listened to that second one.

Yet as we look back at my history, it reminds me of a game I didn’t hear of in the past that instantly interested me when it was announced; Live A Live.
Live A Live does something that I completely love, and no, it’s not teleporting me to another world that makes me forget the terror of living on this one. Instead, it uses my favorite graphic style in recent years; HD-2D. I will ABSOLUTELY play anything done in this style. I’m serious. Wanna give me a bathroom simulator like this? Hell yes, I’ll buy multiple! Any RPG not going 3D, should be done HD-2D. I even want all older J/RPGs done in this style. Think of your favorites in this gorgeous style? I actually got to get water because damn, I’m thirsty! – Jason Jeffords Jr. (@JJRwrites)