While Summer Game Fest 2026 may be over, but that doesn’t mean the excitement has died down. Looking back on everything I saw and played, I’m reminded of why I love video games so much. They have this strange ability to surprise you, pull an emotional reaction out of you, and make you want to do nothing but sit down and play until the credits roll.
Putting this together wasn’t easy because I saw and played a lot of impressive titles, but if you told me I could only pick a handful of games from Summer Game Fest 2026 that I can’t stop thinking about, these would be the ones.
CONTROL Resonant
When I played the first Control, it stuck with me so much that I eventually went back and played it again. Now, with CONTROL Resonant, I’m already getting that same feeling. I want to see what Remedy is building here, and after getting hands-on with the game, I’m a lot more excited than I expected to be.
When Remedy first revealed that Jesse was being swapped out for Dylan, my immediate reaction was, “What the heck are they doing?” After playing it, I’ve done a complete 180. The new melee-focused gameplay feels fun, aggressive, and full of potential, especially once more skills and abilities start opening up. And, of course, that classic Remedy storytelling is back. What I saw only scratched the surface, but it was enough to make me want more.
Check out our CONTROL Resonant hands-on preview.
Gundam Rogue Orbit
I’ve been a fan of giant robots and mecha ever since I saw my first episodes of Gigantor, Voltron, and Transformers. Once I discovered Gundam, it became my go-to mecha series to watch and play, which is a big reason why I’m so excited for Gundam Rogue Orbit.
What immediately caught my attention is that it doesn’t look like the usual Gundam game. If you didn’t see the Gundam face or Haro, you could easily mistake it for a brand-new mecha property, or something closer to Armored Core or Zone of the Enders. Speaking of the latter, Gundam Rogue Orbit gave me heavy Zone of the Enders vibes thanks to the speed of the mobile suit, the movement, and the pace of the combat.
Most Gundam games, outside of the Versus titles, don’t usually move like this. That alone has me excited. Actually, excited might be underselling it.
I’m also sorry to the Bandai Namco staff I talked the ears off while they were trying to eat lunch, but I had to tell them how happy I was to see this game.
Check out my thoughts on the Gundam Rogue Orbit reveal.
Clutch
I’ve been a fan of racing games for as long as I can remember, and a fan of cars for just as long, so Clutch immediately spoke to me. It was like KITT talking to Michael Knight, and I was hearing every word.
If you enjoyed what the Forza Horizon series brought to open-world racing, but still miss the storytelling of older Need for Speed and GRID games, with a little Driver sprinkled in, then Clutch is probably going to appeal to you. During my presentation, everything I saw had me grinning and wanting to get my hands on the game as soon as possible.
Thankfully, that did happen. The developers gave me a quick five or six minutes with the game, and while I was only able to play the track racing portion from the R1K, it already felt familiar in the best way. That makes sense given Maverick Games’ background and the talent behind the project.
Sadly, once my time was up, I wanted more. After speaking with the team about what they’ve already built and what they still have planned, the wait to play more of Clutch became that much harder.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
For as long as racing games have appealed to me, air combat games have been right there with them. I’ve been playing Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat series since it was known as Air Combat here in the States. Being a fan of Sega’s After Burner and watching Top Gun about a million times probably helped with that.
There’s nothing quite like jumping into a fully loaded jet, being told to take out enemy aircraft, and then doing everything you can to become the ace of the skies or die trying. With Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, Bandai Namco looks like it has taken everything it learned from Ace Combat 7 and dialed it up even further.
The visuals, the story, the chatter between your teammates during dogfights, the sound of the weapons, and the distress that kicks in when everything starts going wrong all reminded me of why I enjoy this series so much. It is going to feel good to finally get back into the cockpit again.
I think I’m finally going to pick up a HOTAS so I can play this one properly.
Gears of War: E-Day
Sometimes, you don’t need a long explanation. It’s Gears of War: E-Day, and given how long it has been since we’ve had a new Gears of War game to play, that alone is enough to get my attention. This is one of Xbox’s most important franchises, and seeing it return to such a crucial moment in the series has me ready to jump back in.
And thankfully, we’re getting a new look at the franchise, especially since Gears 5 put the future of the series at a very questionable roadblock.
There’s a certain weight that comes with Gears of War. The sound of the weapons, the brutality of the combat, the desperation of humanity trying to survive, and the bond between soldiers who are constantly being pushed to the edge. That is what made the series special in the first place, and E-Day looks like it understands that.
I just wish I could have played it, because damn, that trailer got me excited.
Alien Isolation 2
The first Alien Isolation remains my favorite game based on the franchise, and I still think it captured the terror of being hunted by a Xenomorph better than anything else. It wasn’t just scary because something could kill you. It was scary because you never felt safe. You were always listening, always watching, and always wondering if that sound above you meant it was already too late.
Creative Assembly’s Xenomorph was always on the hunt, and that made the first game so nerve-wracking. After playing a small slice of the sequel, I’m already locked in. I’m ready to be tormented all over again, though I might need therapy afterward.
While I was already excited for Alien Isolation, but getting some hands on, immediately put it on my list. I want that tension back. I want that fear back. I want to be stressed out, hunted, and completely miserable in the best possible way.
Check out my Alien Isolation 2 hands-on preview.
Empulse
If there’s one game I’m worried won’t get enough attention coming out of Summer Game Fest 2026, it’s Empulse. I didn’t even know about it until a friend from The Expansion Pass pulled me aside and told me I needed to check it out. I’m glad I listened.
Tucked away toward the back of the main section, Empulse is a smaller title from 1047 Games, but it has some big ambitions. It combines fast movement, wall running, mechs, and a capture-the-flag feel that instantly reminded me of older arena shooters. There are pieces of Titanfall, Unreal Tournament, and other fast-paced shooters here, but it still felt like it was trying to do its own thing.
After playing a session against one human opponent and several bots, I walked away thinking 1047 Games might really have something here. The movement felt fast, the action clicked quickly, and the whole thing had that “one more match” energy that can make a shooter hard to put down.
This could easily end up being one of the indie darlings of the event, and I’m already looking forward to playing it again.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2
When it comes to the Alien and Aliens franchise, I’m pretty much addicted to the stuff, and the games, outside of the bad ones, are such a great way to stay in that world once the movies are over. When the first Aliens: Fireteam Elite was released, I played the heck out of it with my friends, and I loved it.
Now, with Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, it’s more of what I enjoyed, plus one more player that makes things even more chaotic based on what I played during Summer Game Fest. And honestly, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The AI is much better, the threats are bigger, and visually, the game is looking even better.
From my short hands-on with the game, I can’t wait to dive back into this world and start dishing out damage to those blasted Xenomorphs all over again.
Check out my Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 hands-on preview.
And that’s where I’m at after Summer Game Fest 2026. I saw a lot, played a lot, and somehow still walked away wanting even more. That’s a good problem to have.
For more Summer Game Fest coverage, check out these artices.
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- Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Summer Game Fest Hands-On Preview
- Stranger Than Heaven Hands-on Preview from Summer Game Fest
- Alien Isolation 2 Hands-On Preview: The Xenomorph Is Just As Terrifying As Ever
- Crimson Moon Summer Game Fest 2026 Hands-On Preview Shows A Co-Op Soulslike With Serious Potential
- CONTROL Resonant PS5 Pro Hands-On Preview from Summer Game Fest 2026
- Resident Evil Veronica Director Shares New Gameplay Details And Explains The Remake’s Biggest Changes
- Stranger Than Heaven Hands-on Preview from Summer Game Fest
