Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft)
Starfield, No Man’s Sky, Star Citizen – you get the feeling that space games can only disappoint fans’ expectations. And what if the Star Wars brand is in the title and blockbuster producer Ubisoft is on the product? The result will be available very shortly after Gamescom, because Star Wars Outlaws will be released on August 30th for PS5, Xbox Series and PC.
Players slip into the role of the scoundrel Kay Vess, who is reminiscent of Han Solo, and not just in her outfit. The game is set between Episodes V and VI of the Star Wars film series, and Kay Vess fights her way through various criminal syndicates. Initial previews of the Ubisoft open-world game in a galaxy far, far away give cautious optimism that expectations will not be disappointed this time: lots of sneaking, lots of shooting, exploring and fighting in space. Prices start at around 70 euros.
Civilization 7 (2K Games)
The Civilization series has been around for more than 30 years. The grand strategy game from 2K, in which you accompany a civilization from its beginnings to the near future, will enter its seventh round next year.
Players take on the role of a historical ruler. They found cities, wage war, or form alliances with other civilizations. What’s new is that the civilizations in the game develop over the three eras of antiquity, the age of discovery, and the modern era. This also means that players choose a new civilization when they change eras. The cities that are founded now spread even further across the map with districts.
The game will be released on February 11, 2025 for PC, Xbox Series, PS5 and Switch. After the launch, it will continue to be developed for years. With its predecessor, Civilization 6, this mainly meant that new features and mechanics were introduced with paid downloadable additional content (DLC). The main game costs from 70 euros.
Dune: Awakening (Funcom)
With the huge success of the films, the games in the Dune universe are also becoming more lively again. Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival MMO (multiplayer online game) that takes place directly on the desert planet – but without the actual protagonist of the series, Paul Atreides.
Instead, players can create their own character and use it to survive in the desert world of Arrakis. Or maybe even dominate it. To do this, you develop your skills, collect equipment, and talk to heroes from the books and films, just like in a role-playing game. Build a base, explore the world, compete against opponents and other players – the PC game, which is due to be released in spring 2025, promises all this and more. Nothing was initially known about the price.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Bethesda Softworks)
Another film hero who has finally found his way back into a video game is Indiana Jones. The Great Circle takes place between the second and third parts of the film series. Indiana travels to places like the Vatican, Egypt and Thailand – and is on the trail of one of the “greatest mysteries of all time”, as the game’s announcement texts repeatedly emphasize.
In terms of gameplay, the game will probably be classic action-adventure fare and ironically reminds us of the Uncharted games, which themselves were heavily inspired by Indiana Jones. One big difference: players mostly control Indiana from a first-person perspective. They solve puzzles, climb around, swing the classic whip and fight Nazis. The latter is hardly surprising, as the game comes from the Wolfenstein development studio MachineGames. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be released on December 9th for PC and Xbox Series and in spring 2025 for PS5. Prices: from 70 euros.
Avowed (Xbox Game Studios)
Despite the unpronounceable title, Avowed is considered a great role-playing game hope. Behind it is Obsidian, the development studio of Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. The latter also created the game world for Avowed – only now in the first-person perspective and no longer in a top-down view. Players take on the role of a magician who is sent to an island to investigate a mysterious plague. Difficult decisions that players have to make were promised in advance, and as a result, several possible endings. Avowed is due to be released on February 18, 2025 for Xbox and PC. Prices start at 70 euros.
EA Sports FC 25 (EA Sports)
Is there much more to say about EA’s football simulation – other than that some still refer to it by its former title, “FIFA”? Much of the gameplay is unlikely to change: you still control a football team to victory. With perseverance or an investment of money, you can put together a dream team in Ultimate Team mode. In Career mode, you can work your way up either as a professional or as a manager.
New is the five-on-five game mode called Rush, which takes place on a smaller playing field. And: There are new German-speaking commentators. Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld and Jan Platte are the successors to Frank Buschmann and Wolff-Christoph Fuss. EA Sports FC 25 will be released on September 27th for PC and current consoles, prices start at 70 euros.
Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)
If you prefer chasing giant monsters instead of football, Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds is probably the right game for you. Here, too, the basic gameplay will probably not change much compared to its predecessors: As a professional monster hunter, you kill ever larger and more defensive creatures. With the resources you gain, you get new equipment that can then be used against even larger monsters. You are accompanied by several characters, including the cat-like creature Palico. Monster Hunter Wilds is due to be released in 2025 for Xbox, PS5 and PC. Prices have not yet been announced.
