Gamescom is done and over, but we here at CGM are still riding the high we got from some of the games on this year’s showfloor. 2026 has been a crazy year for releases, with titles like The Blood of Dawnwalker, Oribitals and Onimusha: Way of the Sword crushing it this month alone. With gamescom 2026 under our belt, we can safely say that 2027 and beyond are still going to offer some truly amazing titles for gamers.
This year’s show was really well-rounded, with Brendan, Dayna and Eduard taking on more than 70 appointments between them. Some were solo, some were group appointments, some were hands-on, some were live demos, and others were just a chat about what is to come. We played MOBAs, RPGs, strategy titles, builders, and so much more, and today, we have narrowed the list down to our favourite titles from this year’s show.
Here is CGM’s Best of Gamescom 2026:
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Played by: Brendan Frye
It is no secret that I love a good Metroidvania-style game, and while plenty of new titles have tackled the formula, few games from the genre’s foundational series have returned to that style. At least, until now.
It has been 18 years since the last proper 2D Castlevania, and if our hands-on time at gamescom 2026 is anything to go by, the wait was worth it. Developed by Dead Cells veterans Evil Empire and Motion Twin, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse puts players in the boots of Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, as she fights through a burning, monster-infested Paris in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse brings some of the best aspects of the franchise, with a new look and feel, gothic atmosphere, aggressive enemies and labyrinthine exploration, all powered by the fast, fluid combat Evil Empire perfected on Dead Cells (Yes, it is that team). The iconic whip returns as a grappling tool, letting Rose swing across gaps or zip toward enemies for weapon-specific grapple attacks across seven weapon types.
Add in boss-earned Arcana spells, which can be upgraded through Works of Mercy challenges, and equippable relics, and there is real depth beneath the gorgeous hand-drawn visual style. Classic Castlevania with a modern sensibility, Belmont’s Curse easily earns its place among our Best of gamescom 2026 picks. It is also a game I could not stop talking about, even after three full days on a packed show floor.
EXODUS
Played by: Brendan Frye
Sometimes a game comes along that instantly feels like coming home, and EXODUS did exactly that at gamescom 2026. Developed by Archetype Entertainment and headed by former BioWare veteran James Ohlen, this third-person action RPG wears its Mass Effect influences proudly. After an hour with it, we can confirm that the shared DNA shows in the best possible way.
Stepping into the role of Jun Aslan, a scrappy rogue gifted with the power of the Traveller, we were struck by how tight everything felt. Combat blends gunplay with abilities like Petrify, Erupt and time-slowing powers, while companion skills, from Elise’s Knockdown Missile to spymaster Suliman’s Shadow Step, deliver devastating, cooldown-managed punches. Between fights, the banter feels natural, choices shift companion respect in real time, and even a timed demo had us agonizing over dialogue decisions.
Set to launch in April 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, EXODUS already has us hooked on its world, characters and mechanics, making it an easy pick for our Best of gamescom 2026 list, and a title I can not wait to dive back into when it is finally released.
Fable
Played by: Dayna Eileen
No one is surprised that I have put Fable on this list. I have been waiting for the game for what feels like forever, and my Summer Game Fest hands-off preview only fuelled the fire more. I was finally able to wrap my hands around an XBOX controller and go hands-on with Playground’s combat system for Fable, and to say I am in love would be an understatement. Weaving between melee, ranged, and magic feels so fluid that I have no choice but to call it “perfect”.
That, paired with the “living world” they are now showing to the world, gives me so much hope for the future of this game, even if it is delayed until February 23, 2027. Spells like Befowl and even the small bit of dialogue I was able to experience really amplify that Playground is keeping true to the Fable that fans know and love, and I can’t wait to see the whole thing come together on current consoles early next year. Fable is looking pretty damn good, my friends.
Nodus Fall
Played by: Dayna Eileen
Nodus Fall was perhaps the biggest surprise at gamescom 2026. First, this is coming from HoYoverse, who, in my opinion, tends to make one style of game and stick with it. With the upcoming Petit Planet and now Nodus Fall, it looks like the company is starting to take a step back and look at a wider audience. Nodus Fall definitely breaks the mould for their signature style of game, and though there is still a lot of mystery around the title, I can tell you I had a hell of a good time playing it.
We were put into groups of four to be sent out and take down three bosses of varying difficulties. The way they described things, I thought I was about to get my butt kicked, but we actually did surprisingly well. I took on the role of a very beautiful girl with a bow named Qiong, and watching her move through the battles was stunning. With a few different abilities, I quickly got the hang of things, and really enjoyed the loop of skills I could use to take down the boss. I felt like I was completely in the best parts of an MMO raid, and though I don’t know what the rest of the game looks like, I am very intrigued to see where Nodus Fall lands.
Persona 4 Revival
Played by: Eduard Gafton
Persona 4 Golden is not just my favourite entry in the Persona series; it is my favourite game outright. So, suffice to say that my heart was in my mouth when the inevitable remake, Persona 4 Revival, was announced at Summer Game Fest last year. This being said, all of the nervousness I had about ATLUS remaking something I hold so close to my heart went away once I got hands-on with the game for about 30 minutes.
Indeed, playing through the first awakening scene and through the first few floors of the first dungeon in the game assured me that so much of what I love about Persona 4 – the combat, the music, the art direction – is still here and somehow even better. Nonetheless, I have my reservations about the brand-new English voice cast and about how they’ll handle elements of the original that have aged poorly, but both of these aspects are hard to judge at this stage. One thing is for certain, though: I can’t wait to play more Persona 4 Revival. Bring on February!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past
Played by: Eduard Gafton
As opposed to both FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION and Persona 4 Revival, which are entries in franchises that I’ve adored since forever, I attended the hour-long presentation that CD PROJEKT RED held for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past as a relative newcomer – I’ve only really played about 10 hours of Wild Hunt when it originally came out, more than a decade ago. Even so, I was incredibly impressed by everything on display. From the scale of the world to the graphical fidelity and the narrative chops, Songs of the Past sees CD PROJEKT RED flexing every muscle.
Set to release sometime next year, Songs of the Past will again revolve around perennial badass Geralt of Rivia, who is coming out of retirement one last time in order to come to the aid of trusted poet and teller of tales, Dandelion. What’s more, Songs of the Past will take advantage of all improvements brought forward by the remastered version of Wild Hunt, coming later this month, and will likely set the stage for the next mainline entry, The Witcher 4, which is currently slated for 2028. With back-to-back-to-back launches, the future of The Witcher games is as bright as ever and, if you’re in the same boat as me, there is so much catching up to do.
Tides of Annihilation
Played by: Brendan Frye
Few booths at gamescom 2026 drew crowds like Eclipse Glow Games’ Tides of Annihilation, with fans reportedly queueing for hours. After going hands-on, I fully understand the excitement. Set in a post-apocalyptic London ravaged by an otherworldly invasion, this action-adventure casts you as Gwendolyn, a survivor who can summon the spectral Knights of the Round Table to turn the tide of battle.
Yes, the story is bonkers, the concept is the right level of ridiculous, and that is all part of what makes Tides of Annihilation so unique. The combat is truly special, delivering a fast, flashy, combo-driven experience that recalls Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, but with a more sincere historical-fantasy tone. Gwendolyn chains her own attacks with devastating knight abilities, flipping between equipped knights mid-fight, while dodges and parries keep the rhythm tense.
Despite some Soulslike trappings, including bonfire-style checkpoints and respawning enemies, it feels much more aligned with action games than the brutally difficult titles FromSoftware is known for. An insane, multi-stage Anubis boss fight inside the Natural History Museum served as a magnificent end to the demo and showcased some of the cards Tides of Annihilation has up its sleeve.
Coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, Tides of Annihilation is a stunning, ambitious debut and an easy choice for our Best of gamescom 2026 list.
WARLOCK
Played by: Dayna Eileen
There is a bit of a pattern when it comes to games I love, and it tends to be RPGs. Wizards of the Coast finally gave us a good look at WARLOCK gameplay after an absolutely banging trailer that showed mostly nothing at the beginning of the year. That trailer had me hyped, and finding out Maggie Robertson will be playing the Witch Queen Tasha has me very, very excited. Luckily, the gameplay they showed off really matched the excitement, and now I can’t wait to go hands-on.
My preview was a live demo of basically what you got to see in the trailer at gamescom ONL, only a bit more in-depth. Of course, any time a badass chick is using badass magic, you can’t go wrong, but a big part of what is so interesting about WARLOCK’s magic is that a lot of it is multi-use. In one instance, tentacles were coming out of the wall to create a platform; in another, they were used as a weapon. Invoke Studios said there is plenty like this, and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of chaos I can cause in 2027.
