After a two-year absence, no thanks to the pandemic, Gamescom Asia is finally back and this time with a B2C component – allowing fans and gamers to play demos of upcoming games such as Dragon's Dogma II, Stalker 2, just to name a few.
Capcom owns the biggest floor space at Gamescom Asia 2023, with their competitive Street Fighter 6 Pro Tourtaking centre stage.
Winners of the offline premiers willauto qualifyfor one of the48 positionsatCapcom Cup X. In addition, thetop eight finalistsof each offline premier will split a prize pool of US$37,000.
Expect long queues this weekend over at Capcom's booth. The Japanese publisher has brought out its big guns to the show.
Got a PSVR2? Try playing Resident Evil 4 VR Mode, we dare you.
Capcom has been pushing out key franchises to mobile, notably porting Resident Evil Village for iOS and iPadOS (for iPads with M1 processors and above and iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max models). Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat isn't a direct console port, but if you're curious how the game play is like, check it out at Capcom's booth.
Fancy your chance at the next Capcom Pro Tour? Start brushing up your Street Fighter 6 skills.
Street Fighter: Duel will be available for both iOS and Android mobile devices. I'm personally looking out for this one.
The Indie Zone booth is where independant game developers from across Asia showcase their games. There's a treat for playing the games here: Grab an Indie Wavemaker Rally Card and collect six stamps earned from playing six different games.
Vote for your favourite game this Sunday (3pm) to qualify for a lucky draw and you might stand a chance to win an Xbox Series X and other prizes.
PlayStation is focusing mainly on Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (its latest first-party title) and Gran Turismo 7 at this year's Gamescom Asia.
A couple of Spider-Man 2 figurines (based on the game) are available for photo opportunities too. I'm not sure if they are available for sale though.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available now and you can read our review here, where we called it Insomniac Games' best yet. If you're still in doubt, give the game a try at Sony PlayStation's booth.
This PlayStation 5 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Limited Edition bundle comes with a darn wicked Venon statue battling with Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Mind you, it's taller than the height of the PS5.
And yes, this queue can be expected to be quite long over the weekend.
Bonus shot: What's the guy on the right cosplaying as?
The PlayStation booth also has plenty of PS5 consoles for FC24 (formerly FIFA series). Not a fan of the new franchise name, but the game is still pretty much what you can expect from the now-defunct FIFA series.
By far the most immersive game station. Playing Gran Turismo 7 in VR on the PSVR2, and on a racing cockpit, is arguably how the game is meant to be played.
Within the Capcom booth, there are also two ROG Ally units for you to figure out a critical life decision: To go with the Steam Deck or the ROG Ally.
It's not just PSVR2, but there are also quite a few other VR titles (and using other VR headsets) available for play at Gamescom Asia 2023.
Assassin's Creed Mirage has quite a big presence at the Ubisoft Singapore's booth but surprise surprise, Skull and Bones, which has been in development hell for a while now, is also present.
Be sure to grab some Skull and Bones swags when you're there.
Ukrainian studio GSC is also at Gamescom Asia, and their Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobylis available for play as well. The game is scheduled for a Q1 2024 release. Stay tuned for our interview and impressions of the game.
The studio is also branching its Stalker franchise outside of the gaming medium. There's now a board game, and during my interview with them, there are also plans to do a TV series in the near future too.
Don't forget to get your Stalker 2 goodie bag from her.
Or from them.
Gamescom Asia isn't just about the latest and greatest video games. Tucked right next to the mainstage is Retro City's booth and there are plenty of retro gems (many of them in custom casings) for the attendees to try.
The beauty of these game machines is that many of them support co-op on the same screen, just like this Metal Slug game. Oh, and they are selling pre-loved PS3 and Xbox 360 games too.
If you're tired and hungry from gaming overdose, there are food trucks (sort of) that serve finger food and beer ($10 a pint). I highly recommend the beer.
Expect cosplayers out in full force at Gamecom Asia this weekend.
Gamescom Asia 2023 runs until Oct 22 (Sunday). Regular tickets are available at $25 per person, while Superfan tickets cost $65 (and entitles you to a lucky draw).
Entrance to the seating area of the Mobile Legends Premier League is free of charge.