On June 8th, the third iteration of Summer Game Fest went live, showcasing a wide array of new games and updates to in-development titles. It was a two-hour mixed bag of content that offered something for every kind of gamer, but we came away feeling a little empty and disappointed. For many, it seemed like this year’s Summer Game Fest just wasn’t all that exciting, which is weird, considering it was the first one in history that saw a live audience attend the showcase.

There were no announcements that shook the ground beneath our feet, and for the most part, what was shown was already known – it was just a trailer offering up a different perspective of things, for example. In the wake of E3 being cancelled, shows like the Summer Game Fest are so important to gamers the world over, but was this year’s showcase… Boring?

We Need to be Excited

It was just a few weeks ago that the PlayStation Showcase was broadcasted, and we didn’t give that event a stamp of approval, either. Retrospectively, it was probably the better show, as Summer Game Fest came and went with very little to offer in the way of brand-new games that are on the horizon.

There are plenty of showcases coming in the weeks ahead, but at present, expectations are somewhat soured. There’s a general belief circulating around the gaming industry that suggests no developer or publisher really has anything remarkable to share. There’s nothing in the works that could really wow us at the moment – there’s plenty that could be announced, but a lot of it seems to be gaming pipe dreams.

Everyone is waiting for that GTA 6 reveal that’ll proceed to absolutely break the internet, for example.

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On Sunday 11th of June, the Xbox Games Showcase and the Starfield Direct event will go live, and that’s now what’s drawing the attention of gamers the world over. It’s down to the likes of Xbox to really deliver on a jaw-dropping show, as PlayStation and Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest may have both already failed.

What Was Shown During the Summer Game Fest?

In the two-hour window, plenty of games were showcased, even if there wasn’t anything that stole our hearts and minds away.

It all began with a reveal for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, an all-new platformer from Ubisoft. There was a lengthy gameplay demo of Mortal Kombat 1 which looks fantastic, but we knew it was coming. There was also a short exposé on a collaboration between Exoprimal and Street Fighter 6.

Path of Exile 2 – the long-awaited update to the 2013 game – saw an update drop in the form of a super-short trailer, and Dead by Daylight’s partnership with Nic Cage was talked about as the man himself took to the stage. For the fans of live adaptations, The Witcher: Season 3 had a brand-new trailer uncovered during the showcase, with a preface being delivered by the cast.

Witchfire, a seamless first-person shooter, had a new trailer drop and an early access release date was revealed – this game has been in development since 2017, so that was quite exciting. There was a fresh trailer for Remnant 2 that showcased the game’s cooperative abilities, a rebuilt Sonic game was uncovered, and Lies of P picked up a release date trailer.

There were plenty of indie games showcased during the show, along with new content for Amazon’s MMORPG, Throne of Liberty, and a gameplay launch trailer for Crash Team Rumble. It was the perfect stage for Alan Wake 2 and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, and an all-new zombie-slaying game called Toxic Commando.

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And arguably the jewels in the crown of Summer Game Fest, Spider-Man 2’s release date was revealed as October 20th, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth got a new trailer.

But Wait, There’s More

Personally, it seemed to be a case of quantity over quality during the Summer Game Fest showcase, as there were dozens of trailers, but very few of them really moved the audience.

Fortnite’s Wilds update saw a global premiere take place, and Call of Duty’s Vondel map was uncovered in a one-minute-long trailer. There was a brief glimpse at Immortals of Aveum, the Twisted Metal movie received an exclusive sneak peek, Star Trek Infinite had a new trailer released, and the ghost-hunting adventure, Banishers, also received an update.

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So, as you can see, there were plenty of games either announced or updated during the Summer Game Fest, but how many of them really rock you in terms of excitement or anticipation? There were promises of a grand finale that would fill us with exhilaration, but many fans were left stirring in disappointment when it was revealed to be a Final Fantasy VII trailer.

What’s Next? More Disappointment?

As we’ve mentioned, there’s an Xbox Games Showcase on June 11th which’ll be immediately followed by a lengthy update on Starfield, widely considered to be the most highly anticipated game of the year, if not the decade so far. There are high expectations that this’ll blow things out of the water, delivering something that – finally – gets gaming fans excited.

There’s also plenty of potential for groundbreaking reveals to take place during the Xbox Games Showcase. It’s a matter of the ball being well and truly in Xbox’s court as we move towards the weekend. It’s great timing for Microsoft’s gaming arm, as the bar has been set low by PlayStation and the Summer Games Fest, allowing Xbox to well and truly take advantage of the hunger of gamers the world over.

For instance, we could see updates on Gears of War, Halo, Forza, Fallout, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, or any number of franchises that Microsoft now owns or supports through acquisitions and partnerships. It’ll be exciting enough to see Starfield updated in broad strokes, but the Xbox Games Showcase really is the icing on the cake for the weekend ahead.