"Stellaris" promises an exciting new direction from dynastic intrigue, "Gears of War" goes large on retrospective generosity, and "Star Wars" proves to be one of the biggest draws at the world's largest video game expo, Gamescom.
1. Star Wars Battlefront
Perhaps the biggest name at Gamescom, Electronic Arts gave its most anticipated, non-annualized new release a prime-time presentation segment. Developer DICE is well known for the "Battlefield" series, which mixes vehicular and infantry combat, and EA offered a look at how air combat will work in "Star Wars Battlefront," with X-Wings, TIE Fighters and other starfighters swooping over craggy landscapes engaged in a 20-person aerial skirmish.
2. Dinklebot's done
A cache of new information about another sci-fi franchise, "Destiny," dropped during Gamescom but was led by the revelation that "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage would no longer be on board as AI companion Ghost. Instead, it's Nolan North, known for the "Uncharted," "Assassin's Creed" and "Call of Duty" games, who'll play the floating robot going forward, not just in the new content of September's well-anticipated expansion and overhaul "The Taken King," but also replacing the Dinklebot's original lines too.
3. Gears of War franchise remaster
Microsoft made the most of its time at Gamescom in the absence of both Sony and Nintendo, with a solid games line up and some interesting hardware announcements too. Most notably, August's "Gears of War Ultimate Edition" for Xbox One is spearheading its backwards compatibility drive; those who purchase it before the end of the year are in line to download playable Xbox 360 versions of the other four games in the series too.
4. World of Warcraft: Legion
Blizzard Entertainment's rare Gamescom presentation was in honor of a sixth expansion for iconic MMO "World of Warcraft." The studio is promising a lore-filled trip for veterans and newcomers alike, with a new type of playable character and a new land to explore. With Duncan Jones' "Warcraft" movie out mid-2016, there's plenty of opportunity to court a wider audience too.
5. Stellaris
The team at Paradox Development Studio is better known for blending detailed historical recreations with player-created dynastic intrigue in "Crusader Kings II" and "Europa Universalis IV," so grand galactic exploration "Stellaris" represents an exciting new possibility. It's been announced for Mac, Linux and Windows, but after former PC exclusives like "Divinity: Original Sin" and Paradox-published "Cities: Skylines" were announced for consoles at Gamescom, expectations are shifting.
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