Our standout video games from Gamescom 2025 won’t be what you count on

Gamescom 2025 was fairly the expertise. It was the yr that we lastly acquired concrete launch dates for the long-awaited Hollow Knight Silksong and Bloodlines 2, and the yr that World of Warcraft added participant housing. In some ways, it felt just like the present by which myriad gaming ‘unfastened ends’ have been finally tied up, presumably to dodge the specter of GTA 6, however who cares? We received because of this. While you all watched Opening Night Live from the consolation of your houses – possible judging Geoff Keighley’s completely mid footwear – myself and Jamie, two of PCGN’s intrepid reporters, have been operating round previewing video games and taking names (actually, there have been numerous interviews). After three days of chaos, camaraderie, and numerous espresso, listed below are their high six video games of Gamescom, and so they could not be extra completely different.

You see, right here at PCGamesN we satisfaction ourselves on our potential to cowl an enormous array of PC video games. Jamie is a FPS fiend, who spends his nights popping heads, clutching rounds, and, once in a while, getting a sport of EA Sports FC in. I, against this, am a narrative-driven RPG savant. My time is spent whiling away the hours exploring sprawling fantasy worlds, roleplaying as a vampire, or, on the uncommon (learn ‘not uncommon’) event, hurling abuse at different gamers in League of Legends. It’s no shock, then, that our Gamescom picks are markedly completely different, though they’re nonetheless perhaps not fairly what you are anticipating.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Lauren Bergin: In a shock to utterly nobody, Bloodlines 2 was my sport of the present. After ready a very long time to lastly catch a glimpse of the following chapter of the enduring VTM saga, I’ve acquired excessive hopes for the ultimate launch. While you may learn my full ideas in my Bloodlines 2 preview, having performed the sport’s subsequent quest at Gamescom, the motion simply retains ramping up and the mysteries simply hold spawning. Now that I do know just a little extra about Pandora, I must know the way she suits into this large, sophisticated mess that Phyre’s stumbled into. There’s momentum and pleasure; I can style the blood on my tongue and I would like extra. Plus, the particular look from White Wolf’s model supervisor and LA By Night’s Jason Carl was a welcome shock – nonetheless not completed fangirling, ask Jamie.

Phantom Blade Zero

Jamie Hore: I acquired to expertise Phantom Blade Zero for the primary time at Summer Game Fest earlier within the yr. The motion sport, which finds a candy spot between martial arts-inspired hack-and-slash and soulslike fight, left an enormous impression on me then. Just a few months later at Gamescom, I discovered myself going wild for it over again. A extra fleshed-out demo awaited me this time, permitting for some correct exploration, which included the reveal of one of the vital stunning world maps I’ve ever seen and a few primary however passable traversal. New weapons – and by affiliation, extra mouthwatering fight animations – have been additionally current. But the factor that received me over (once more) was an unimaginable boss combat. Despite it being in opposition to the identical boss I confronted throughout my SGF preview, a call I made earlier within the demo added a brand new (and very difficult) wrinkle to the encounter that blew me away. I will not go into particulars to keep away from spoilers, nevertheless it’s an early indicator of the extent of element S-Game is including to Phantom Blade Zero, and regardless of over an hour of hands-on time, I genuinely did not need to depart the sales space. If PBZ is not already in your radar, it actually must be.

Witchspire

Lauren: In stark distinction to the moodiness of Bloodlines 2, Envar Games’ Witchspire is a colourful, magical fantasy survival sport that takes the spirit of style stalwarts like Valheim and blends it with vibrant, Breath of the Wild-esque aesthetics. As a self-professed crafting hater, I wasn’t precisely trying ahead to an hour of chopping down bushes and cooking meals, however Witchspire’s forgiving mechanics and cute roster of cuddly, collectible critters makes even probably the most boring of chores really feel fascinating. While fantasy typically looks like it takes a again seat in different survival adventures, Witchspire has magic infused into its very soul, and I am unable to wait to play it when it launches subsequent yr.

Anno 117: Pax Romana

Jamie: I’ve performed a good few metropolis builders in my time, however for causes unknown to science, the beloved Anno collection has handed me by. Well, Gamescom compiled 28 years of remorse into one neatly-packaged, one-hour demo. Thanks, Anno 117. The new entry takes place on the time of the Roman Empire, and I used to be given the prospect to attempt the brand new Albion map, which depicts a harsh however stunning Celtic area with dense forests, rocky mountains, and precarious marshlands. While constructing my settlements, enterprise enterprises, and infrastructure was a satisfying, therapeutic problem, I used to be left notably impressed by the brand new mechanic that allows you to determine whether or not to culturally align with the Romans or the Celts. Do you drive the locals into a historically Roman lifestyle, altering the best way they costume and draining the swamps to create extra buildable land? Or do you embrace and settle for the Celts’ traditions by investing in produce they take pleasure in (like cheese, which I additionally occur to take pleasure in) and depart them to farm their sacred lands as they’ve accomplished for years? Anno 117 was my large ‘nice shock’ of Gamescom, and I’m extraordinarily eager to get again to Albion quickly.

Valor Mortis

Lauren: I can brazenly say that I did not fairly count on a soulslike sport to make it onto my listing, however lo and behold, One More Level’s Valor Mortis has accomplished simply that. From the inventive minds behind Ghostrunner, one among my favourite franchises ever, Valor Mortis is hard-as-nails, fusing the style’s conventional ducking, dodging, and parrying with sensible platforming, whereas additionally including weapons. Cast as William, a fallen soldier from Napoleon’s Grande Armée, you need to combat by means of hordes of plague-ridden monsters on the behest of your former patron, who simply so occurs to be wittering away in your head (you must most likely get that checked). In a world the place each second sport is a soulslike motion RPG, Valor Mortis has managed to face out from the gang – and that actually is saying one thing.

Hell Let Loose Vietnam

Jamie: A sequel that we actually did not see coming, Hell Let Loose Vietnam takes the hardcore, super-realistic battles of the primary sport to Southeast Asia. Despite solely a brief quantity of hands-on time, the Hell Let Loose hallmarks have been instantly obvious: exact gunplay that requires set off self-discipline; low ranges of well being forcing you to often discover cowl and take sneaky, covert routes; and wonderful and immersive audio that notably shone once I was pinned down in a tiny shack with enemy bullets whizzing by means of the window subsequent to me and clattering in opposition to the partitions. I’m additionally intrigued by a brand new balancing act between the navy capabilities of the American and Vietnamese armies. If you play on the US facet, you will get entry to highly effective helicopters that may transport troops and be kitted out with weapons. But to counter this, the Vietnamese are in a position to construct networks of tunnels, permitting them to not solely take shelter underground but in addition transfer to new targets undetected. I am unable to wait to see how that shakes out.

So that is our listing of the perfect PC video games of Gamescom 2025. With the Hollow Knight Silksong launch date simply across the nook, and an entire slew of upcoming PC video games so as to add to your listing, it’ll be an amazing few years. In the meantime, nevertheless, keep watch over PCGamesN for extra Gamescom previews and interviews, and ensure to inform us what your favourite reveal was on our Discord – the weirder the higher.