E3 may not have happened this year, but that didn’t stop indie publisher Devolver Direct from bringing the goods. Wrapping up the storyline is has been cultivating over the past few years, today’s Devolver Direct saw the conclusion of the “Future’s Future’s Future” plot. Gaming’s future has now been changed and we’re all just along for the ride.
This recap isn’t specifically about the narrative Devolver has been playing with. We’re here to talk games and much like past years, the stream was a little light on new announcements. There’s still some cool stuff, though, so let’s cut right to the chase.
Here is everything that happened (game-wise) during Devolver Direct 2020.
Shadow Warrior 3
The first trailer shown off during the stream was the “first-look” reveal of Shadow Warrior 3. Announced earlier in the week, we now have a better idea of what developer Flying Wild Hog is going for. A lot of my predictions were true -such as a grappling hook and wall running-, but I’m surprised at how much this resembles Bulletstorm.
There’s no word on whether or not co-op is being included, but I’m fine with that. Shadow Warrior 2 isn’t exactly good and I’d rather we get more single-player focused games instead of trying to shoehorn in multiplayer elements.
Fall Guys
Following some words about how this industry thrives on HYPE, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida made a surprise appearance to reveal the release date for Fall Guys -Ultimate Knockout-. It will be heading to PC (via Steam) and PlayStation 4 on August 4, 2020. It will likely come to other platforms in the future.
Fake Games
Getting super meta, Devolver began to announce a bunch of fake games. A lot of it was funny stuff, including Getting Down with Bennett Foddy, Sonic Fox’s Furry Fighters 4, and something about Geralt of Rivia being in a bathtub. It was all a bunch of good fun.
Carrion
Back to real announcements, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer joined the blob from Carrion to announce that Carrion would be coming to PC, Xbox One, and Switch on July 23, 2020. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass (likely for both PC and Xbox One) on launch. It looks like a really cool twist on the horror genre, so that will make for a good excuse to subscribe to Microsoft’s service.
Olija
Host Nina Struthers brought a special guest from Nintendo onto the stream - her uncle! Her uncle (the greatest uncle to work at Nintendo) talked about some scandalous happenings with Nintendo’s characters before disappearing in a twist of purple fog. It all led up to the reveal of Olija, a beautifully animated indie title that looks to feature some intense combat. It’s available immediately on both PC and Switch.
Serious Sam 4
Revealed a few months back -something the hosts were keen to point out-, Croteam showed off something of a story trailer for Serious Sam 4. It looks to be another prequel to the saga of Sam Stone. At least we got to see the larger environments and some new weapons in action. It looks like a good return to form for the arena shooter series.
Devolverland Expo
The very final announcement during the stream was for a free marketing game called Devolverland Expo. Since all of us sweaty humans can’t congregate in downtown LA this year, Devolver has created the experience with a virtual tour that you can try for free on Steam. It includes booths dedicated to everything in the Devolver Direct and it lets you shoot things. How fun!
After-Show Games
Once the curtains were drawn on the stream, Devolver sent out a press release revealing that Blightbound would be launching into early-access on July 29, 2020. It’s a multiplayer-focused dungeon crawler in the vein of something like Diablo.
If that wasn’t enough, the publisher would also like to remind you about Weird West. A title from the co-creators of Dishonored and Prey, it is currently scheduled for a 2021 release and it absolutely lives up to its name. This is clearly a western that is weird.
The End, And Some Thoughts
As a stream, Devolver absolutely put on the best show of 2020. With regard to past events, I’m not sure if I believe this is the strongest the company has done. It was absolutely fun and I got a real kick out of that Metal Gear joke, but I’m not sure how much longer this schtick can go on. I don’t know if the ending was signaling something new, but I’m always down to see what Devolver has in store.
Devolver represents what I’d like to see more of in this industry: honesty. The company has a self-aware brand that doesn’t BS its customer base. It signs unique games and takes risks with indie titles that would otherwise be ignored. Most importantly, Devolver knows how to have fun with what are generally absurd ideas.
2021 might feel a little long in the tooth if this same bizarre format is kept, but then what’s the alternative? I don’t want to see another serious, stuffy press conference with a bunch of manufactured hype. I’ll take over-the-top charm versus that any day.
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