Gamescom 2025 was my second time attending the event (and James’ first – check out his vlog of the events here), both as an individual fan and as a representative of Shenmue Dojo. The previous year had been more casual — with great conversations with people like Ryan Payton and Michael Huber, among others — but there wasn’t a strict Shenmue focus in 2024.
2025 was different. This time, there was a Shenmue release to cover, and that brought with it a challenge that James and I were determined to meet head-on. We wanted to strike the right balance between enjoying our personal time at the show — trying out other games and soaking up the atmosphere — and fulfilling our responsibility to ensure the Shenmue community received the best coverage possible. That was especially important given that my decision to attend had been made at the very last minute.
Needless to say, we put together a solid plan of attack for the day. And despite a few unexpected bumps along the way, we achieved what we set out to do with our Shenmue III Enhanced coverage. Without giving too much away ahead of our interview release with ININ Games, we left Gamescom reassured and excited, safe in the knowledge that everyone involved is working incredibly hard to make Shenmue III Enhanced a success.
The openness and time ININ gave us far exceeded our expectations and proved invaluable — not only for us personally, but for the community as a whole. It’s rare to see that level of access and transparency from a company, and it’s something that deserves to be commended. When it comes to Shenmue, even a little openness goes a long way.
A huge thanks goes out to ININ Games for their time, hospitality (including providing James and me with tickets), and all their efforts throughout what was clearly an extremely busy few days.
Hands on with the Games!
Metal Gear Solid – Delta
Releasing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on 28th August, the first game I tried at the event was Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater. As someone who has always enjoyed the original games, I was keen to see how this modern remake compared and whether it stayed true to what made the series special.
The version I tested was running on PC — specs below:
At the start of the demo, you’re greeted with a series of screens to customise your experience. There are various performance options available (for this demo, Quality Mode at 60FPS was enabled) and, more notably, a choice between the classic top-down MGS camera or the newer, over-the-shoulder style more familiar from MGS V. Naturally, the modern mode was selected — and off we went!
As with any MGS title, the opening cutscenes are lengthy but play a key role in setting up the story. However, given that this was only a 20-minute demo, I skipped them to get straight into the gameplay. What followed was a very solid experience on PC (with none of the reported issues seen on PS5) and a game that immediately felt familiar.
The first few minutes ease you into the controls before you retrieve your bag and continue with the mission. As you progress, you’ll encounter guards who can be dispatched either using the CQC system or a tranquilizer gun. Both mechanics worked smoothly and felt satisfying.
One slightly disappointing aspect is that the controls haven’t been modernised much from the PS2 original; by today’s standards they feel a bit clunky, though you can adapt to them fairly quickly. On the other hand, the presentation is excellent, making great use of Unreal Engine 5 to bring the jungle setting vividly to life.
Overall, if you loved this game back in the day, you’ll likely enjoy it all over again. If you’re new to the series, it’s a fantastic introduction — just be prepared for plenty of cutscenes!
Sonic Crossworlds Racing
SEGA’s latest attempt to regain a foothold in the kart racer genre launches at the end of September across all major platforms. A network test is set to go live on 29th August to ensure the online components are ready, and it’s clear SEGA has ambitions of turning this into an e-sports contender.
The amount of IP crossover here is both commendable and a little overwhelming. With such a vast library of franchises to draw from, the roster is shaping up to be extensive — perhaps even chaotic at times. That said, there was never any doubt that we’d want to jump in and see it for ourselves.
We tested the PS5 version and had the honour of competing on the SEGA Stage as a team of four. After selecting our characters, we were dropped straight into a Grand Prix format: win races, earn points, and aim for the championship. It’s a simple setup, but a tried-and-true formula for games of this genre.
Crossworlds Gamescom Booth
The game itself felt fairly solid, though a little underwhelming based on the demo we played. The kart handling was a bit on the light side and occasionally unresponsive, with the drift mechanic not quite hitting the mark. Weapon usage also felt inconsistent in terms of effectiveness, making the overall balance seem slightly off. That said, there’s still time before release for these aspects to be refined and tightened up.
On the positive side, the stage design is excellent — a brilliant representation of the Sonic universe throughout — and visually the game is shaping up really well. It’s also worth mentioning that the build we played did crash halfway through the second race, which hopefully will be ironed out ahead of launch.
Overall, the game feels like it has the potential to develop into something really special, but at the moment (dare I say it) I still prefer the tight gameplay and chaotic fun of Mario Kart.
Silent Hill F – Video Presentation Booth
Silent Hill F launches on 25th September across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. At this stage of development, there hasn’t been much gameplay shown. The trailers look fantastic and capture the survival horror atmosphere well, but ultimately the proof will be in the gameplay. Would more finally be revealed here?
Unfortunately, the answer is no — there still wasn’t much gameplay shown in this presentation. Instead, the focus was on the main character, Shimizu Hinako, and a series of unsettling horror sequences as she ventured deeper into the reality-altering fog. The visuals were impressive and, importantly, captured in-engine, but they didn’t shed light on how the game actually plays.
Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake nailed the core feel of the survival horror genre. Silent Hill F will need to do the same if it wants to resonate with fans. With so little gameplay revealed so far, there’s understandable trepidation about whether that will happen.
Silent Hill F Booth
The booth itself was superbly crafted and interactive, complete with fog effects poured in during the presentation to heighten the eerie atmosphere. However, while it set the mood perfectly, it ultimately left more questions than answers. With the release date fast approaching, fingers crossed we’ll see more actual gameplay soon.
Metroid Prime 4
With no release date yet attached to Metroid Prime 4, I was keen to see how things were coming along with this game. The demo on show offered a 15-20 minute look at the new game and it is safe to say things are moving along nicely.
For the purposes of this demo, all booths were set up to use the Switch 2’s mouse functionality (don’t worry — the full game will fully support controllers!). It was a novel idea and, having not played a game with a mouse for around 20 years, it felt like a real blast from the past. It did take a little getting used to, but once accustomed to the controls, they felt solid and responsive, perfectly showcasing the potential of the game.
Gameplay-wise, things don’t differ too much from previous Metroid Prime titles. It’s still a first-person adventure where you blast enemies, solve puzzles, collect items, and take down bosses as you progress through each area. One thing the series has always nailed is the balance between challenge and frustration, and that remains true here.
The boss fight featured in the demo required precision and timing to deal maximum damage, while making full use of Samus’ abilities to survive. It was challenging without ever feeling unfair — exactly what you want from Metroid Prime.
As for performance, the game ran super solidly at 1080p/60FPS with little to no noticeable drops. In fact, the demo impressed me so much that I pre-ordered the game on the spot!
Noteable mentions
Resident Evil 9 – Requiem – While we didn’t play this due to the insane queue, the booth looked great and speaking to a few people on the ground it seemed like there’s real excitement for this game
The demo introduced Grace Ashcroft, a more vulnerable protagonist, navigating an abandoned hospital while being stalked by a light-sensitive creature. Gameplay focused on stealth, timing, and survival rather than heavy combat, with Capcom showcasing seamless shifts between first- and third-person perspectives.
While most hands-on impressions were very positive — some even calling it their most anticipated game of 2026 — there were a few reservations. A handful of fans felt the stalker mechanic seemed familiar and worried it might lose its scare factor over time. Still, the consensus is that Requiem captures the psychological horror vibe the series is known for, and anticipation for its release has only grown.
Lego Batman
As already mentioned from our ONL Review this title already stood out as one of the best the show had to offer. Once again, the queues for it at Gamescom were absolutely packed — and judging by the reactions on the show floor, that hype was well deserved.
From the footage shown online, the game evokes strong Arkham Series vibes but with a charming Lego twist. You’ll explore different areas and buildings, sneaking up on criminals and taking them down while making full use of Batman’s iconic gadgets to stay one step ahead.
What makes this game even more exciting is its scope. It promises to cover a wide breadth of Batman’s history — from the early comics right through to film and TV adaptations. Combine that with the trademark dry humour of the Lego series, and you’ve got the makings of a winning formula.
General Experience of Gamescom
Last year I commented on how well organised the event was, but this year there were some noticeable missteps. While entry to the venue itself was incredibly smooth, actually getting to play games wasn’t as straightforward. This was due to the wristband system being in effect — something that, A) no one seemed to know about until the day, and B) no one knew where to actually get them. The result? A frustrating half-hour spent wandering around just to find an age-confirmation wristband before being allowed to play. Why these weren’t more immediately available, and why communication about them was so poor, is a real head-scratcher.
Beyond those minor issues, Gamescom remains a fantastic event — and this year it felt even bigger than last. The major players like Nintendo and Microsoft had an enormous presence, which is always welcome at shows like this. Here’s hoping 2026’s installment brings even more surprises… and maybe, just maybe, that long-awaited Shenmue 4 announcement!
Thank you’s
As always the days events cannot go to plan without the help, support and flexibility of everyone involved:
James Brown – For being super understanding when it was confirmed that I would be attending. All that groundwork during and prior paid off in what was a great time with ININ Games.
Check out his vlog of the events here:
James Macke and Adam Merza – for being flexilbe when my appointments changed, impacting our plans later on.
Heiko Kaspers and Felix Wagner (ININ Games) – for giving James and I tickets to attend and giving up a substantial amount of your time to talk to us. The Shenmue 3 Enhanced project wouldn’t be where it is without you. I know how challenging the build up to Gamescom was and to even get to the announcement was down to sheer determination.
Flagship – For chipping in and helping us out where you could on the day!
The Shenmue Community – James and I are always incredibly grateful for the sheer volume of support we’ve received over the years. Coming out to Gamescom, we felt a real responsibility to make sure we covered everything the right way. In my case, that even meant leaving my three-month-old at home (with my wife) for two days to help make this happen. The understanding and patience shown while we put together our Gamescom content is something we truly appreciate.
Likewise, a big thank you to the Shenmue fans we met on the show floor — your kind words and messages of support mean the world to us. It’s always humbling to hear such encouragement, especially when things have been as busy as they are right now. I said this last year and I’ll say it again: this site will not rest until Shenmue’s story is complete!
