With the absence of E3 2020, many game developers and publishers have been forced to find accessible mediums to reveal and demo their latest upcoming projects and products. For a titan of presentation like Devolver Digital, this is no problem. Who could forget the E3 2017 press conference that ended in bloody explosion, or the E3 2018 conference that ended with the presenter getting gunned down?
At their most recent Devolver Direct, which was streamed on YouTube and Twitch July 11, the publisher announced several new titles in development, and several amusing but fake ones (like Pikmin 3 Battle Royale and Getting Down With Bennett Foddy).
The first reveal was Shadow Warrior 3, developed by Flying Wild Hog. The original Shadow Warrior was a DOOM-esque first-person shooter released on PCs in 1997, and it was remastered and published by Devolver in 2013. It received a sequel, Shadow Warrior 2, in 2016, and the arrival of Shadow Warrior 3 in 2021 will turn the series into a trilogy. From what Devolver demoed, it seems the game will be an exceptionally bloody experience with a hint of platforming weaved into it.
The second reveal was Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, coming to PlayStation 4 and Steam on August 4. Developed by Mediatonic, Fall Guys is a sixty-person battle royale with a simple premise – don’t fall off of the platform. Of course, the challenge is magnified with the inclusion of platforming segments, obstacles, and a rather wobbly physics engine.
Next up is Carrion, a “reverse horror” game developed by Phobia Game Studio in which players take control of an eldritch mass of mouths and tentacles with one goal – destroy everything before you. As you tear your way through your prison, you’ll evolve and learn new abilities to help you exact your bloody revenge. Carrion will come to Steam, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch on July 23.
Following Carrion is Olija, a unique 2D action platformer by Skeleton Crew Studio. The game is the passion project of Thomas Olsson, who has been working on it for years. It has graphics akin to Devolver titles like Katana Zero or Enter The Gungeon, and looks like quite the intense experience. Players take on the role of Faraday, who wields the Harpoon of Legend as he tackles intense challenges and slashes through hordes of enemies. Olija is set to release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam, and currently has a playable demo out on PC.
Up next is Serious Sam 4, developed by Croteam. The Serious Sam series has been around since 2001, having games released on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and even GameCube. The fourth installment in the main series follows in the footsteps of its predecessors – pick up your gun and shoot anything that moves. It looks gorgeous and it looks like players will have a wide variety of firearms at their disposal. Serious Sam 4 releases on Google Stadia and Steam in August 2020, and on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2021. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Devolver conference without something truly out-of-the-box.
Devolverland Expo, by Flying Wild Hog, was the final reveal of the Devolver Direct, and you can play it right now for free on Steam. It’s a “marketing simulator” set in a virtual expo center, where you can explore booths and check out promotional materials for all of the games I’ve shown in this very article. It’s a brilliant and creative substitute for the usual E3 experience and a massively clever twist on an advertisement.
That’s it for this Devolver Direct – but I’ll be sure to keep my eye out for whatever wild idea Devolver has for their next big conference.