Wow, did we see some amazing games at Summer Game Fest. Honestly, this was a very tough list to make as so many games were deserving. We saw incredible shooters, visceral horror, compelling combat, and amazing innovations in so many games. We also got to see some sequels that weren’t just iterative, but look to take their series to the next level. The term “spoiled for choice” hardly covers it – this is just some of what we saw at SGF that we had to make sure took home some recognition for their incredible work.
Ron Burke’s Picks
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis by
Crystal Dynamics, Flying Wild Hog - Best Adventure Game
Ron Burke
A surprisingly faithful remake of the original, despite an incredible graphical uplift, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is going to introduce a whole new generation to the origin story of Lara Croft. Yes, it’s hokey at times, but this one hits just right. Amazon and Flying Wild Hog are doing good work here, so it’s great that they have the next half of a year to finish what they’re cooking.
Pre-order Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis now!
Star Wars: Galactic Racer by Fuse Games - Best Racer
Lyra Moreno
What years is it? The fact that we’re getting not only a podracing game, but a good one is unreal. The game is fast, dangerous, and surprisingly story-driven. Developer Fuse Games is delivering a true podracing experience that is effectively ripped directly from the silver screen. Yes, it’s roughly 27 years late, but wow are we in for a treat.
Pre-order Star Wars: Galactic Racer here!
Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 by Creative Assembly - Best Strategy Game
Engine upgrades and improved AI brings the grimdark future to the Total War series. Seeing Ork boys and the Astrum Militarum duke it out on massive battlefields that take the Total War series to a whole new level. 40K has a huge array of dangerous weapons to unleash, and seeing them come to life like this makes me more excited for a Total War game than I’ve been in a long time.
Wishlist Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 now!
Alien Isolation 2 by Creative Assembly - Best Horror
Ron Burke
We got our first look at Alien Isolation 2, and let me tell you – it’s time to wear the brown pants. The xenomorph is more dangerous than ever. The fact that I couldn’t even complete the demo successfully should tell you everything – this game is going to deliver incredible graphics, a compelling foe, and more terror than ever before. We don’t have a release date for this one yet, but what we’ve seen shows that Creative Assembly knows exactly what made the first game so terrifying.
Wishlist Alien Isolation 2 now!
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival by Saber Interactive - Biggest Surprise
Ron Burke
I would have thought it’d be impossible to properly capture the visceral auditory and visual assault on the senses that is Hellraiser, but Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is precisely that. More than just a name, this game takes things back to the horror of the first few movies, with the Order of the Gash and their Hellpriest leader, Pinhead, at the fore. It’s a game built without rules and restraint, and it’s going to shock and surprise people in ways that might just awaken bits in them they didn’t know. I’ve seen a brief look at the sights they have to show us, and this October, all will be revealed.
Wishlist Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival now!
SEED by Klang Games - Biggest Innovation
I’m as shocked as you. This is a game built with AI as its heart and soul. Everything about this game functions because of the AI at its core, and somehow it won me over. It’s not built with AI, but built on top of it – it simply couldn’t exist without it. Every “seedling” (the game’s inhabitants) interact, gossip, fight, love, and more based on their isolated AI algorithms that interact with one another. Start a rumor, watch it grow. See opinions change and the ripple in the pond of the society you’ve built. Watch as your fledgling society grows into full government with rules and order, and all without your guidance. A grand social experiment, this is what would happen if you gave The Sims unlimited knowledge and more than a decade of unrestricted development to take the game wherever the AI takes it. Seed is beyond ambitious, and the only game I can confidently say is using generative AI in an ethical way. It wins my Biggest Innovation of SGF, hands down.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve by Bandai Namco Aces Inc. - Most improved sequel
I’ve enjoyed every Ace Combat game, but I can’t tell you much about my wingmen other than that they don’t listen all that well. The team at Aces are looking to change that. Yes, the game will be photorealistic and gorgeous, but with greater emphasis on storyline and character development, your wingmen matter. You spend more time with them, and you care about their wellbeing. Moreover, they also listen to your commands as squadron leader, and they are incredibly effective in the sky. Ace Combat has always been a rock-solid arcade action game, but Ace Combat 8 is bringing a whole lot more to the table than pretty graphics this time around.
Pre-order Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve now!
David Burdette’s Picks
CONTROL Resonant by Remedy Entertainment - Best Action-RPG
David Burdette
This might be the best game of 2026, not just Summer Game Fest. I had some trepidation about Remedy yet again trying a new genre. Any of those feelings were washed away the moment I completed my session with Resonant. This action-RPG is smooth, with some of the most fast and fluid combat I’ve ever experienced in a Remedy game. While the map got larger, the engagements got more intimate somehow, as Resonant mimics Devil May Cry’s furious energy. As long as the story can land – something Remedy always nails – this is one of the easiest Game of the Year contenders I saw at SGF.
Pre-order CONTROL Resonant here!
Screenbound by Crescent Moon Games - Most Unique Gameplay
David Burdette
Unique is a tough achievement in gaming. Just about everything you can think of has been done, leaving us in a constant state of comparison. Screenbound can’t be compared to ANYTHING. The dual gameplay that combines a 2D and 3D world has to be experienced to understand it, and it works way better than it has any right to. Crescent Moon has a gem in Screenbound.
Stranger Than Heaven by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio - Most Surprising Combat
David Burdette
RGG Studios has quite the reputation. It’s not just that there’s a new game from them almost annually, it's that they somehow manage to keep things fresh. Stranger Than Heaven might be a new title, but it's a prequel in the Yakuza series, leaving you assuming it’s either going to be a beat ‘em up or turn-based action game. RGG picked the third option – a deliberately paced action game. It’s awesome too; you’re going to have to play it to believe it.
Pre-order Stranger Than Heaven here!
Blood Message by 24 Entertainment Lin'an Studio - Most Stunning Visuals
David Burdette
While it was only twenty minutes worth, I’m looking forward to Blood Message. The stunning visuals of the trailers are enough to garner interest, but there’s a fun action game underneath. My little slice was quite compact, so I didn’t get to see the breadth of the combat or explorative offerings. That said, the potential for Blood Message to rival the likes of a God of War are here. Put Blood Message on your most anticipated list.
Keep yourself posted on Blood Message on their site here!
EMPULSE by 1047 Games - Best Shooter
David Burdette
It almost feels funny writing about this game since it’s technically already out, although in early access. Even so, EMPULSE is electric. The movement is so clean, allowing you to fly around the map and build momentum in a way I haven’t felt since Titanfall 2. Given 1047 Games’ affinity for shooters with Splitgate, the gunplay is excellent. If the team can continue to put out great content and refine the overall experience, they have a chance to break out in the shooter space like Splitgate did.
Lyra Moreno’s Picks
D-Topia by Marumittu - Most intriguing world-building
At the end of the day, when you have an interesting concept that keeps me interested past half an hour, I’m excited. This one took me by surprise as I believed it might be more puzzle game than story, but after this, it might just be a brilliant story and a great puzzle game!
Forever Ago by Third Shift - Saddest Premise
Lyra Moreno
You’re an older man dealing with memories of your former life with the love of your life. Just in the demo we saw some of the saddest scenes of our protagonist trying to handle the loss while remembering the past with fondness. If the rest of the game is as beautifully crafted as the demo, we’ll be in for a sad but amazing story.
Sonic Pico Park by TECOPARK - Best Friends and Family game
Lyra Moreno
Just playing the demo levels, I know for a fact this will be the centerpiece of team streams for months and months. With all the fun and chaos of Pico Park combined with some of the fastest characters in gaming in Team Sonic. Easy to pick up and learn while yelling (or reacting normally) at the people around you. It’s going to be a chaos-filled sonic experience.
Wishlist Sonic Pico Park here!
Star Wars: Galactic Racer by Fuse Games - Best Racer x2
From graphics to gameplay and everything in between, Star Wars: Galactic Racer was my favorite game I covered during Summer Game Fest. A love letter to both the Podracing games of the past plus Burnout? I had only the highest of expectations and they blew me away. The tight turns on planets spewing lava or slamming into the player beside you in the desert, the demo had a lot to show and a short amount of time. The campaign looks to be a fun time, multiplayer should be hectic, and Arcade has PODRACERS. They also brought back racers we know and love. What’s not to get excited about?
Pre-order Star Wars: Galactic Racer here!
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