Devolver Digital may not have that triple-AAA cloud that a very select few publishing studios have. Still, in addition to their diverse range of games, every year they leave a mark on the gaming community with their headline-grabbing annual showcases. In an industry where sometimes marketing campaigns can appear to be game-by-game, doing the same sorts of things, Devolver’s sometimes over-the-top and creative antics is very refreshing.
With no conventions in recent months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, what better way to mark your annual showcase event than by releasing a game based on your fictional expo? Developed by Flying Wild Hog Rzeszów, and billing itself as a “first-person ‘marketing simulator’ set within an abandoned convention center”, Devolverland Expo is just that.
In this action-adventure game, you break into the convention centre of the mysteriously cancelled Devolverland Expo. You must avoid the advanced security systems to watch and retrieve the remnants of gameplay trailers and promotional video packages from all the games featured in Devolver Direct, and other secrets lost in the expo’s cancellation.
It is easily one of the best marketing projects I have seen from a video game company in recent years, and I would welcome other development teams and publishers thinking outside the box like this during future events and announcements.
Other games unveiled and/or previewed during the Devolver Digital conference include:
Launching in 2021
Shadow Warrior 3 finds Lo Wang and his former employer turned nemesis turned sidekick Orochi Zilla embarking on an improbable mission to recapture an ancient dragon they unwillingly unleashed from its eternal prison. All it will take is the mask of a dead god, a dragon’s egg, a touch of magic, and enough firepower to tear down the encroaching Shadowlands.
Launching in 2020 – Playable Demo Available Now
Olija is a game about Faraday’s quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands. An enchanting action-adventure coming to PC & Nintendo Switch in Fall 2020.
Launching on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC from 4 August 2020
Battle bizarre obstacles, shove through unruly competitors, and overcome the unbending laws of physics to avoid both humiliation and elimination. Leave your dignity at the door and prepare for hilarious failure in your quest for the crown!
Launching on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Windows PC from 23 July 2020
Stalk and consume those that imprisoned you to spread fear and panic throughout the facility. Grow and evolve as you tear down this prison and acquire more and more devastating abilities on the path to retribution.
Launching on Windows PC and Google Stadia in August 2020
Humanity is under siege as the full force of Mental’s hordes spreads across the world, ravaging what remains of a broken and beaten civilization. The last remaining resistance to the invasion is the Earth Defense Force led by Sam “Serious” Stone and his heavily-armed squad of misfit commandos.
Launching via Steam Early Access from 29 July 2020
Blightbound is an online & local multiplayer dungeon crawler that tasks three heroes to venture down from their mountain refuge to face the abominations of the Blight – a mysterious and corrupting fog that enshrouds the land.
Launching in 2021
Survive and unveil the mysteries of the Weird West through the intertwined destinies of its unusual heroes in an immersive sim from the co-creators of Dishonored and Prey.
