From hidden indie gems to the return of a cringey excess, here’s what we saw in Cologne Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images; 2K Games; Ghost Ship Publishing Every year, opens the doors to the Koelnmesse expo hall in Cologne, Germany. It’s a week-long, in-person organized by the German Games Industry Association where developers show their upcoming projects to the public, conduct interviews with , and fans flock in to buy merch, play demos, and show off their creative cosplay. It began in 2009 as Europe’s answer to the now-defunct E3 and gets more than 300,000 visitors each year, making it the largest video game expo in the world.
A big expo needs big games, and this year we saw more of hotly anticipated titles like , , , , and finally got our hands on . With so many people gathered under one roof, a huge live show, and hundreds of game demos, there are plenty of phenomenal sights to see. So, if you couldn’t make the trip to Germany or you were just too busy waiting in line for , here are some of the best, worst, and most WTF moments of Gamescom 2024.
Best: Fighting Off Viking Raiders Riding Dinosaurs In ‘Dinolords’ “A medieval dinosaur game” is already a strong elevator pitch, but isn’t just in the Jurassic Period. During a hands-off live demo of the latest version of the game, we saw how it blends elements of action-RPGs and real-time strategy to deliver an experience that feels fresh even before you see your first dinosaur. You control an 11th-Century Engl.