These were our favourite games from Gamescom 2025

Last week, the biggest gaming event in the world, Gamescom, was held once again in Cologne, Germany.

Over the course of five days, more than 370,000 people checked out games from over 1,500 global exhibitors, including giants like Xbox, Nintendo, Capcom and Ubisoft. I got to attend Gamescom 2025, my second time at the show, and was in awe of just how many games there were (especially from Canadians), even though I was only there for two full days and a bit of a third.

And so, while I wasn’t able to check out even half of what I would have wanted, I did see a bunch of games. Here are my favourites.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X

While not a game, per se, Asus’ new Xbox-branded ROG Ally handhelds had a huge presence at both companies’ booths at Gamescom. Thanks to Asus Canada, I was able to check out both the Xbox Ally and Ally X and came away very impressed with both. The latter, more premium handheld especially caught my eye thanks to its beefier specs, allowing it to seamlessly run big games like Gears of War: Reloaded, Hogwarts Legacy and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The fact that the handhelds feature support for both Xbox’s own storefront as well as third-party marketplaces like Steam only sweetens the deal.

We don’t know Canadian pricing yet, but Asus did confirm at Gamescom that the handhelds are releasing worldwide, including in Canada, on October 16, and I can’t wait to secure a retail unit. In the meantime, check out my full hands-on impressions of the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X.

Crimson Desert

Developer: Pearl Abyss
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac
Release date: Q1 2026

Admittedly, I didn’t know much about this one besides it coming from Chinese developer Pearl Abyss, but I came out of my nearly one-hour Gamescom demo rather blown away. Simply put, Crimson Desert is a behemoth of a game. Somehow, it features a staggeringly vast fantasy open-world that you can glide around like Batman, that also still boasts some of the most beautiful graphics you’ve ever seen, especially when it comes to the photorealistic character models. The combat is also surprisingly robust, featuring all kinds of weapons and spells that can be mixed-and-matched. Who knows how well it all comes together, but I’m impressed by the ambition of it all nonetheless.

Keeper

Developer: Double Fine Productions
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: October 17, 2025

Double Fine is arguably the most creative developer within the Xbox family, and its latest game, Keeper, looks to continue that track record, based on a briefing I attended with legendary developer Tim Schafer. Helmed by Lee Petty, the art director on games like Brütal Legend, and produced by Schafer, Keeper is a puzzle adventure game in which you control a sentient lighthouse on an adventure with a spirited seabird. Notably, the game is entirely dialogue-free, telling its story instead through the lively animations and breathtakingly gorgeous art direction that’s inspired by the surrealist, dream-like works of David Lynch and Canada’s own David Cronenberg. (Schafer described the vibe as “weird but chill,” and that’s rather apt based on the presentation.) It looks like we have another Double Fine classic on the way.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: TBA 2026

Perhaps the biggest surprise out of Gamescom was a brand-new Lego game that celebrates the 80-plus-year history of Batman. In Legacy of the Dark Knight, veteran Lego developer Traveller’s Tales tells an original story that draws from everything from The Dark Knight and The Batman to Batman Returns and the Arkham games. What’s perhaps most exciting about this love letter to Batman is how the game features Arkham-style free-flowing combat and stealth mechanics, as well as an expansive open-world that can be explored via Batmobile. Given that we haven’t had a proper Arkham game since 2015’s Knight, this looks like it will scratch a real big itch.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go hands-on before I had to leave Gamescom, but after walking by the phenomenal booth (which featured a giant Lego Batmobile and Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson’s suits, among other things) and checking out some gameplay, I’m absolutely sold.

News Tower

Developer: Sparrow Night
Platforms: PC
Release date: November 4, 2025 (full release, early access out now)

If we’re talking from a pure conceptual standpoint, News Tower would probably be my favourite game out of Gamescom, period. Developed by Rotterdam-based Sparrow Night, this management simulator puts you in the shoes of a publisher who must run a newspaper in the 1930s while facing off against a rival publication run by your uncle. I don’t normally care for management sims, but focusing this around my career of choice is certainly a great way to get my attention, and it also helps that it seems to have so much depth and creativity. In particular, I appreciate that underneath the strikingly minimalist art style is an exploration of the complexities of trying to maintain journalistic integrity while everyone from the mayor to the mob are at your throat. I’ll be there day one.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: TBA 2026

As someone who’s really tired of samurai Soulslikes and open-world games, I love Capcom’s all-killer, no-filler approach to Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This is a largely linear game that focuses on incredibly tight, fluid and intimate combat, creating a satisfying and deadly dance of blades and arrows as you explore its richly textured Edo-era Japan. It’s a much more approachable take on samurai games, offering rewarding action mechanics without feeling overly punitive or bogged down in open-world tedium. All in all, it looks bloody brilliant.

For more on Onimusha: Way of the Sword, check out my full hands-on preview.

Pragmata

Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: TBA 2026

We need more new and unique IPs in gaming, especially on the AAA front, so shoutout to Capcom for giving us just that with Pragmata. It’s a sci-fi action-adventure game in which a spacefarer named Hugh and his android companion Diana must escape an AI-controlled space station and return to Earth. What makes this really original, though, is its compelling real-time mix of combat and puzzle-lite hacking minigames, the latter of which are needed to make enemies vulnerable to attacks. It’s a dynamic system that evolves over time through versatile new weapons and hacking power-ups. There’s nothing quite like it.

For more on Pragmata, check out my full hands-on preview.

Resident Evil Requiem

Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: February 27, 2026

Normally, I’d be wary of including three games from the same company in this sort of list, but what can I say? Capcom is really hitting it out of the park lately. My third and final demo from the Japanese gaming giant, Resident Evil Requiem, was easily my favourite out of Gamescom. In the nail-bitingly tense hands-on, I found myself fleeing from the RE series’ most gargantuan and fearsome stalker enemy yet in the shoes of a refreshingly vulnerable and relatable new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. All the while, Requiem tees up a slew of tantalizing narrative threads, from the larger significance of the Ashcroft family and our grand return to Raccoon City to the long-rumoured role of fan-favourite RE hero Leon Kennedy. February really can’t get here fast enough.

For more on Requiem, check out my full hands-on preview.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

Developer: Sonic Team
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: September 25, 2025 (all versions except Switch 2, which is TBA 2025)

I went into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and came away very impressed. It mixes snappy racing controls with the gleefully fun character crossovers that Mario Kart World was sorely lacking and inventive new features like rival racers and the titular stage-altering CrossWorlds to create a thrillingly dynamic experience. What’s more, the promise of regular post-launch updates, some of which will be free, means that CrossWorlds should be worth coming back to over time.

For more on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, check out my full hands-on preview.

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What games stood out to you the most from Gamescom? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Twin Sails Interactive/Xbox/Capcom