This week I was fortunate enough to head over to Cologne, Germany, to attend Gamescom 2026, one of the world’s biggest gaming conventions. But with only a limited time on the show floor, I knew I had to lock in and play as much as possible in just a single day.
In just over nine hours, I got hands-on with 7 upcoming games, including Alien Isolation 2, Metro 2039 and Silent Hill: Townfall. Plus, I also caught an extended 50-minute presentation for The Witcher 3’s new expansion Songs of the Past. With plenty to talk about, I’ve put all the new games I played at Gamescom 2026 into an internet-friendly ranked list.
One note before diving into the list: while I did get a 30-minute hands-on session with Stuntman: Hollywood, my impressions are embargoed, so that game isn’t included in my ranking. Otherwise, here’s everything I played at Gamescom 2026, ranked from “not sold yet” to “I need the full game now.”
Everything I played at Gamescom 2026, ranked
7. Crazy Taxis: World Tour
It’s been more than 20 years since Crazy Taxis got a full console release, and World Tour brings the arcade racing series back into the spotlight, soundtracked by the tunes that defined the franchise (Yes, The Offspring are included). I got to play 30 minutes, and within moments, I was nitro-boosting through packed city streets and drifting around tight turns.
It’s all good fun, and as somebody who played the PS2 port of the original extensively, quite nostalgic, but at the same time, even in this relatively short hands-on session, repetition started to creep in quickly. Passengers routinely ask to be dropped at the same destinations, and the green-haired protagonist, Axel, repeated the same handful of voice lines ad nauseam.
Crazy Taxis: World Tour seems primed to be throwaway fun, but I have concerns about its staying power. I’m not sure it’ll hold players’ attention for longer than short sessions. Maybe the full experience will offer more variety.
Crazy Taxis: World Tour launches in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past
I’m being a little cheeky by including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past, because I didn’t play this new expansion for the acclaimed RPG. Instead, I got an extended look at the upcoming third major DLC. But it’s easily one of the biggest titles at Gamescom 2026, and the public interest is high. The word on the show floor was that the booth wait time exceeded five hours on Thursday, which isn’t even the convention's busiest day.
So, considering I adore The Witcher 3, why is Songs of the Past ranked lower on my list? That’s simply because, while I have no doubt it’ll be a high-quality RPG experience, based on what I saw, it's just more Witcher 3. That’s a very compelling pitch, but the presentation didn’t have that one “wow” moment that I was looking for. Something that would neatly showcase why The Witcher 3 is getting a new expansion, 12 years after its launch.
Like any self-respecting RPG fan, I'll be returning to The Witcher 3 for this expansion next year, so don't take this as a major knock on its potential.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past launches in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
5. Persona 4: Revival
Persona 4: Revival isn’t necessarily a game that demos well. Even with a chunky 60 minutes to explore this remake of the beloved 2008 RPG (which was already expanded and remastered as Persona 4 Golden in 2012), that’s no time at all when you consider a proper playthrough will run you 100+ hours. But because I’ve already completed the base Persona 4, I was able to get my bearings quickly and enjoy all the ways Revival polishes things up.
Much like 2024’s Persona 3: Reloaded, the biggest compliment I can give Persona 4: Revival is that it takes an already great game and gives it a visual overhaul that matches modern standards. The beloved characters, setting, and core gameplay are retained (though the new “Prime Time” ability in combat boosts your options), but everything is prettier and more stylish.
I’m confident this remake will offer newcomers the perfect chance to step into the world of Persona 4, and returning players will also itch to head back to the cozy setting of Inaba.
Persona 4: Revival launches on February 18, 2027, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
4. Hellraiser: Revival
Hellraiser Revival might be the most violent and graphic game I’ve ever played. The developers did not hold back. We’re talking buckets of blood, guts and body fluids. In fact, there are scenes here that I can’t even describe for fear of making readers feel a little bit queasy. It’s most definitely a game that some will find in bad taste. Hellraiser: Revival won’t be for everybody.
But that is also true of the Hellraiser movie franchise, so I commend the team at Saber Interactive for staying true to the horror series. In terms of gameplay, it takes inspiration from the modern Resident Evil games.
It’s a first-person survival horror where you explore detailed environments, searching for keys and lock combinations to explore yet more rooms. The grotesque sights make Hellraiser: Revival stand out, and my hands-on preview concluded with a section clearly inspired by the (in)famous PT demo, which was novel.
Perhaps it says something disturbing about me, but Hellraiser Revival’s commitment to graphic violence had me intrigued and eager to see what even more horrific sights are found within the full game.
Hellraiser: Revival launches on October 8, 2026, on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
3. Metro 2039
In my mind, Metro has always been a story-first franchise. The shooter series, based on the written works of Dmitry Glukhovsky, is all about the morally grey characters and bleak post-apocalyptic Moscow. Curiously, my 25 or so minutes of Metro 2039 were largely stripped of narrative beats. The preview focused on gunplay as the new protagonist, known as the Stranger, assaulted an enemy hideout.
The fundamentals of the shooting felt fantastic; every shot fired was punchy, and I particularly became attached to the game’s shotgun, which hits enemies hard. I ran through the hideout more than once, letting me experiment with a stealthy and a guns-blazing approach. I still have many questions about Metro 2039’s narrative, but perhaps this fourth installment in the series will be the one where the gameplay matches up with the narrative quality.
I also want to acknowledge that the game comes from 4A Games, a Ukraine-based team. So, when you consider they’ve been working on the title during Russia’s invasion of the country, it adds real-world weight and makes what they appear to have produced all the more impressive.
Metro 2039 launches in February 2027 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
2. Silent Hill: Townfall
I don’t want to downplay my pre-Gamescom interest in Silent Hill: Townfall. I love survival-horror (as this list probably tells you), so any new installment in the long-running series has my attention. However, I wasn’t expecting to love the 90 minutes I spent creeping through Townfall’s setting of St. Amelia, a (fictional) resort town in Scotland, quite so much.
Maybe it’s just that as a Brit, any game set in the U.K. appeals to me, but Silent Hill: Townfall was my biggest (pleasant) surprise of Gamescom. Its unsettling atmosphere was stellar, and because I got to play from the very start, its cryptic narrative really hooked me. Konami seems to be all in on the Silent Hill series now, and while 2023’s Silent Hill 2 Remake set a high bar, based on what I played, Silent Hill: Townfall could reach a similar level of quality.
Oh, and the decision to set the game in 1996 appears another inspired choice; the use of CRT technology adds to the spooky vibes, with the protagonist, Simon, having access to a pocket device with both gameplay and narrative functions. I'm glad the full game is less than a month away.
Silent Hill: Townfall launches on September 24, 2026, on PC and PS5
1. Alien: Isolation 2
If you know me, you’d know that Alien: Isolation 2 was likely always going to be my top Gamescom pick. 1979’s “Alien” is my favorite movie of all time, and the first Alien: Isolation was practically my dream game. I gave up hope of a sequel years ago, so when it was unceremiously confirmed in a social media post in October 2024, I was genuinely dancing around my home.
I didn’t expect it would be playable already, but at Gamescom 2026, I got to experience the 30-minute prologue chapter, and it was everything I wanted. Based on this early preview, it doesn’t seem like a sequel that will radically change the formula, but the shift to a planetary setting, rather than a claustrophobic spaceship, could be enough to inject freshness.
The short-and-sweet demo was heavy on atmosphere, and while the Xenomorph only appears briefly, my palms were sweating as I crept through the detailed level to avoid becoming alien chow. I also adore how Isolation 2 connects to the first game. The Xeno here is the one that Amanda Ripley fired out the airlock in Alien: Isolation. That's genius!
Alien: Isolation 2 launches TBA on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
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