CONTROL: Resonant was the very last game I got my hands on at Summer Game Fest. It was also the very last game I scheduled an appointment for. Little did I know that I was saving the best for last…

Dark Souls has inspired countless games that have taken its hardcore gameplay structure and iterated on its high skill ceiling and item scarcity. Regardless of whether some enjoy such mechanics, the gameplay has become highly influential for studios of all sizes when creating their own experiences. One such game that excels in this is the upcoming first-person soulslike, Valor Mortis. I was fortunate enough to play through a couple of levels during my demo session, and I came away thinking it was one of my highlights of the show.

Developed by Velan Studios, this new take on the series looked very impressive upon its reveal. A free demo was announced in the latest Nintendo Direct and immediately became available to download from the Nintendo eShop. I recently had the chance to play it, and I came away eager to play more.

If you fancy board games, cafes, or board game cafes and perhaps even flirted with the idea of running one yourself for whatever reason, then Dragon’s Brew should be on your radar.

The Walking Dead has a hell of a past with video game adaptations and unless there’s something big in store for the final release of Streets of Survival, it’s looking to stay that way.

Developed by Yarn Owl Studios, Demi and the Fractured Dream is a game very much inspired by The Legend of Zelda, specifically The Wind Waker. Judging from the trailers alone, the toon-shaded look is dazzling, and the protagonist even wears a colorful cloak. The short demo at SGF took us through a small dungeon that felt like a tutorial, but there was nothing particularly challenging about it.

ProbablyMonsters has commanded more attention over the past few months for its unique and varied game output. This year’s Summer Game Fest was a demonstration of this approach, with one of two titles being a story-driven action game that involves beating up Nazis. On that premise alone, it was difficult to turn down the chance to try out a game with a simple but brilliant beat, but I was also interested to explore the uniquely stylized world that ProbablyMonsters had built for this title.

In Forever Ago, you play as an old man named Alfred who has lived quite a life. In the short demo I played, Alfred stops at a gas station that he appeared to have a more than passing connection to. While he’s really just there to grab a few supplies and snacks for the road, Alfred can’t help but think about a previous visit he’s made to that exact same years ago.

With a reported runtime of ninety minutes to two hours, Bub is a short but meaningful narrative adventure game. The developers at Paperfrog, Case Jernigan and Todd Anderson, used their own experiences as struggling artists as inspiration for this evocative indie gem.

At Summer Game Fest, Capcom hosted a behind-closed-doors presentation of a new section in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, along with a separate one-hour demo of another section, and while there are some blemishes we didn’t notice before, the game still looks like yet another winner and was one of the best experiences to be had at Play Days.

My misconception aside, Lazy River is a co-op crafting roguelike game where you and up to three friends must survive an infinite lazy river plagued by water-soluble zombies and security robots gone rogue. You must craft a raft, build weapons, and survive the lazy river to escape. 

River City Saga: Journey to the West is one more River City/Kunio-kun fans than roguelite fans in my opinion as the elements from that series really make this game worth playing. For raw action roguelite enjoyment, there are better games for sure.