Gamescom 2024: European Indie Gems
With 1,462 exhibitors from 64 countries at this year’s Gamescom, we couldn’t help but explore indie titles beyond Southeast Asia. Cologne, the heart of Europe, draws gaming fans from across the continent. As the European indie scene continues to thrive, let’s dive into some standout titles that bridge Asian and European gaming cultures.
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged (United Kingdom)
Revolution Software’s remake of the 90s point-and-click classic holds a special place in our editor-in-chief Andreas’ heart. In an interview, the ever-charming creator of the game, Charles Cecil, shared exciting updates:
In addition to a new art style with up to 4K support and an improved soundtrack, Revolution Software is particularly proud of the new user interface and help system. Broken Sword has a story mode that hints at how to proceed in several stages to reach new target groups. It’s great that this help system can be switched on and off individually – this should break down barriers that were part of the excellent gamer tone in the original. However, Charles wanted to keep us from knowing whether the goat puzzle would also be adapted.
In any case, some background graphics will be adapted to eliminate minor errors from the original: for example, the bar stool in the opening scene has now been visibly damaged by the explosion, and there is now an Egyptian statue in the museum.
Overall, Broken Sword cannot disappoint even in its umpteenth remake and will hopefully convince new players as one of the undoubtedly best representatives of its genre.
#DRIVE Rally (Poland)
This 90s nostalgia is precisely what #DRIVE Rally from Polish developer Pixel Perfect Dude wants to honour. Arcadic rally action sends us worldwide on the hunt for the fastest time. But #DRIVE Rally is pleasantly down-to-earth, focussing solely on classic rally driving from point A to point B, in which you drive alone against the clock, either in individual races or in a championship in which we unlock new cars with the prize money. We can visually customise the rally cars to our liking, but there needs to be accurate tuning.
We liked the driving experience in our play session; it was pleasantly arcadey but still demanding enough to be challenging. We must take corners precisely, as ramming the crash barrier or other obstacles results in a hefty time penalty!
Visually, #DRIVE Rally balances retro-style low-poly and modern resolutions and effects. The varied tracks in different biomes are also lovely; there’s even supposed to be a track in Southeast Asia! Unfortunately, the tracks all felt very flat, with hardly any inclines. According to the developer, this should be different in the finished game, but we have yet to see it. You’ll soon be able to play #DRIVE Rally, releasing on Steam on 25 September, initially in Early Access!
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II (United Kingdom)
Publisher Kasedo Games showed us a mission and parts of the story campaign, but we were not allowed to play ourselves. It is clear, however, that Mechanicus II focuses primarily on tactical battles in the XCOM style, which are already powerful to look at but still need to be more interactive overall. In addition to the lame animations, this is mainly due to the pretty but static 3D environments of the battlefields – a little more effects and interaction options would work wonders here!
In the story campaigns, we not only once again take on the role of the Adeptus Mechanicus against the awakening of a Necron tomb world but will also be able to fight as the Necrons for the resurgence of their dynasty. The two parties differ enough to make both playthroughs exciting and varied. However, once again, the very static conversations and mission briefings could have been more exciting, with their rigid portraits appearing somewhat loveless.
The gameplay framework of Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is already in place and promises tactical depth and finesse, but developer Bulwark Studios should urgently work on the staging – the Warhammer 40k universe has more to offer! Mechanicus II will be released for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
Centum (Estonia)
Centum is a point-and-click adventure from Estonia whose style is reminiscent of the Dark Seed games. In terms of gameplay, however, Centum focuses much more on logic puzzles, which were already quite challenging in the demo. If you don’t pay close attention, it’s easy to miss the crucial clues – so taking notes is a must! Apart from that, we liked the pixel art, which captures the morbid and disturbing atmosphere well, even if the opening wasn’t scary yet, as we had to escape from a room in escape room style.
However, the developers promise that the gameplay will change radically throughout the game and that we are in for a few surprises. The story plays with sci-fi elements and ideas from psycho-horror. Will we be able to escape from the labyrinth in the eponymous 100 days? We’ll find out later this year when Centum will be released for PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X/S.
Descenders Next (The Netherlands)
Descenders Next is a downhill sports game: We whizz downhill with our snowboards at breakneck speed and perform tricks that can make you dizzy! Descenders Next is not a simulation but conveys the arcade feeling of the SSX or Tony Hawk games. After a few attempts, we had the controls down and were chasing points records and the best time down the slope.
Sure, the graphics don’t look breathtaking, but the feeling of speed is excellent. The physics of the game still takes a bit of getting used to and makes for some unintentionally funny situations, but all in all, it’s clear that Descenders Next can be a lot of fun! In addition to snowboarding, other ‘niche disciplines’ are to follow, such as downhill skateboarding.
Did you enjoy this trip to Europe? We really hope so! And if not, don’t worry, we’ll be back to Asia with our next Gamescom article!
