This year’s Gamescom started off with a bang, as a number of big publishers have unveiled new entries in classic PC series as well as ports of acclaimed console releases.

Here are some of the hottest new announcements, in no particular order:

Age of Empires 4

First up, Microsoft revealed that Relic Entertainment is working on Age of Empires 4, finally giving fans a new entry in the acclaimed real-time strategy franchise after a long hiatus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYwZ6GZXWhA

We don’t have a release window for Age of Empires 4, but Microsoft has also revealed that they are working on 4K remasters of Age of Empires 2 and 3, which will join the Definitive Edition of the first Age of Empires in the Windows 10 Store.

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition

Square Enix surprised PC gamers worldwide when they decided to launch the latest entry in the long running Final Fantasy series as a console exclusive release, but it seems they have changed their mind now, so Final Fantasy XV will get a PC release early next year, featuring high resolution textures, 4K (and 8K) support, as well as the full Season Pass content.

Gamers will be able to get this new and improved edition of the acclaimed Japanese action RPG on Steam, Origin and the Windows 10 Store.

Aside from the features described above, the Windows version of Final Fantasy XV will also support a number of Nvidia specific enhancements:

• NVIDIA Flow – creates vivid, combustible fluid, fire and smoke.
• NVIDIA HairWorks – creates dynamic, life-like hair and fur for characters, animals and monsters that inhabit the game.
• NVIDIA ShadowWorks – enables characters to cast shadows on themselves.
• NVIDIA Turf Effects – creates life-like grass and vegetation in the game environment.
• NVIDIA VXAO – adds depth and realism based on the physics principles shadows and light.

Fear Effect Reinvented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLG3VLiNnlw

Yet another surprise from Square Enix, as the indie publishing arm of the giant publisher, Square Enix Collective, announced today that they are working with French studio Sushee to remake the original Fear Effect, once again captivating horror fans around the world. Eagle eyed readers will quickly remember Sushee as the name of the development studio behind Fear Effect Sedna, the successfully Kickstarted new chapter in the Fear Effect saga.

Originally released in 2000 for Sony’s PlayStation console, Fear Effect was critically acclaimed for its great script and cinematic graphics, and it quickly garnered a cult following of passionate fans who convinced both Square Enix and Sushee that developing a full remake would be a great idea.

As support for Fear Effect Sedna quickly built up steam, we realised how much love Fear Effect as a franchise still had amongst gamers.

At the same time, we realised that as well as offering established fans something new with Sedna, it would be great to introduce fresh players to Fear Effect by remaking that first great adventure. Fear Effect Reinvented will capture the same spirit and atmosphere as the original game, but it’ll bring it into the present with drastically improved visuals, tweaked controls and other exciting extras.

Fear not, however. Those original fixed camera angles will remain in place, albeit playing host to some brand new high-definition visuals.

Benjamin Anseaume, founder of Sushee.

Fear Effect Reinvented will hit PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Attack on Titan 2

Koei Tecmo may not be known for the excellence of their PC ports, but the company has been working steadily to improve their presence on our platform of choice. One of their best Steam releases was A.O.T. Wings of Freedom, a third person action game based on the popular Attack on Titan anime series, and fans of that title will be happy to learn that the Japanese publisher has been working on a sequel, to be released early next year.

A.O.T. 2 will build upon the same fast paced combat mechanics featured in the prequel, letting players once again don the Omni-Directional Manoeuver Gear to take down gigantic Titans.

According to Koei Tecmo, we’ll get more information in the coming weeks.

Jurassic World Evolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWagBjDMwTU

Hot on the heels of Planet Coaster and Elite: Dangerous, Frontier Developments announced this week that they are working on Jurassic World Evolution, a sci-fi title based on the iconic film franchise. Players will have to build and maintain their own Jurassic World park, creating new breeds of dinosaurs, constructing new attractions and trying to avoid catastrophic security breaches.

Jurassic World Evolution will be released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Summer 2018.

BioMutant

What do you get when you mix martial arts, intelligent raccoons and bright futuristic environments? You’d be forgiven if you said Guardians of the Galaxy, but according to THQ Nordic, the real answer is BioMutant, Experiment 101‘s upcoming open world, post-apocalyptic adventure.

Created by a team made up of ex Avalanche Studios developers, BioMutant will let us travel a world in turmoil as a creature highly reminiscent of a raccoon. As the titular BioMutant, we’ll be able to change our character’s appearance and abilities with mutations, bionic limbs and an assortment of sci-fi weaponry. A real-time combat system inspired by Wushu martial arts will be supplemented with firearms, letting us play the game however we want.

BioMutant does not have a firm release date, but we know it will be out on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.