The 17 Best Trailers from the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase 2025

Ground Zero by Malformation Games and Kwalee

During the initial airing of the Summer Future Games Show, the technical difficulties had me fighting for my life. The stream would lock up and then randomly jump forward or rewind in an attempt to correct course. However, my bottomless hunger for video game trailers (and my deep love for all things Laura Bailey) made me persevere. I’m not actually complaining. We’ve come a long way with these in the last decade. The days of putting my fist through a 20 piece nuggets while trying to watch a random Konami showcase on choppy McDonald’s Wi-Fi seem to be long gone. 

Again, these are just my brief impressions of some of the trailers that you may have missed. This article covers announcements from both the main FGS showcase and its post-show.

The Explorator 

The Explorator’s stunning environments (and their clockwork spiders) are enough to warrant a deeper look on their own. I’m not sure how I feel about the enemy designs, but early access is available now and it’s only 14 dollars. That feels like a low risk investment for a competent fps with this much character. 

Constance

We may not have gotten any solid Silksong news during the summer showcases, but I’m leaving here with something. 

Obvious inspirations aside (there might be some Celeste in here, as well), I’m completely charmed by Constance. I love this little artist. They remind me of my youngest sibling. 

I also like that a version of Klimt’s The Kiss seems to be a character. 

Call of the Elder Gods 

Call of the Sea was a pleasant, bite-sized puzzle adventure. And while I don’t think about it often, I do remember it fondly. I’m happy to see this sequel lean harder into its Lovecraftian Mythos (in retrospect, it’s kind of odd we didn’t get any update on The Sinking City 2 during these events).

WTF: Waifu Tactical Force

This is exactly what it sounds like, but there are so many fantastic little details present in this trailer (I especially like the Ramune molotov cocktails and sliver of pink moon during the final showdown). 

I love casually picking up shooters for a couple weeks at a time–so I might shoot my shot when this gets a full release. If you’re interested, there’s a playtest running on Steam now. 

Formula Legends

I’m not much of an expert on racing games–but it feels like the genre is experiencing a bit of a drought (if I’m mistaken, feel free to correct me via social media–I need to know what I’ve been missing). That fact alone would have been enough to make Formula Legends stand out. However, this is an arcade racer that aims to teach the history of the sport. Gran Turismo has had similar aspirations, but it seems like there will be less of a barrier to entry here (though you’ll still need to swap out your tires). 

The scrunched, borderline chibi F1 cars are adorable.

Under Par Golf Architect

Regular readers of Tactical Reload will remember that I have an obsession with golf games (but never actually play them). If the golf here feels as good as the architecting, this could be special. Will it break my streak? Probably not, but I do want to check it out. 

Deathground

One of the fastest ways to grab my attention is to include dinosaurs in your project (yes, I have taste), and I’m happy to report that a chunk of this dev diary is dedicated to all the gory details surrounding the creatures. 

This was an excellent showing because I now feel like I have a decent understanding of what Deathground is, how it plays, and what we’re getting at launch (it’s currently scheduled to enter Early Access later this year). I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that it finds its audience. 

Ground Zero

Flesh certainly seems like it’s having a big year. 

Classic survival horror will always get my support, and as I stated a few paragraphs above, dinosaurs are the best (something about this T. rex having no skin makes me giddy).

Send me a copy–let me review this thing. 

Hark the Ghoul

We’re living in a golden era for projects inspired by King’s Field. 

A demo is available now, so if this interests you, there’s no reason to wait to experience the flintlocks, cast of insect characters, and minecarts. Minecarts might be second on my list of favorites behind dinosaurs. 

House Flipper 2 - Scooby-Doo DLC

During this reveal, I remarked that the spooky estate we were touring even had the Scooby-Doo shifty eyed painting–and guess what this was a trailer for? Apparently, I missed the very obvious box of Scooby Snacks five seconds in. 

I enjoyed the first House Flipper for what it was but haven’t dipped into its sequel yet. That might be a perfect thing to tackle during a lazy week this summer. God knows I’m going to do everything in my power to not be outside. 

Moros Protocol 

I’ve seen Moros Protocol multiple times over the course of these events and I can’t get it out of my head. I blame this mostly on its graphical style–low poly models slathered in a chunky layer of neon pixels (or the giant beast holding a flesh mace). 

You’ll be able to shotgun creatures in the chest and watch all the numbers fall out later this year. I’d bet big money that GmanLives reviews this, eventually. 

Deepest Fear

Welcome back Hydrophobia!

It’s obvious from this short developer interview that most design decisions in this immersive sim can be traced back to the game’s complex water system. Enemies can spawn from the leaks and puddles–which means damming up rooms is a constant concern. 

This seems ambitious for a small team but I’ll be cheering them on. 

Phantom Squad

Phantom Squad fuses the adrenaline of Hotline Miami with the precision planning and violence of a classic Rainbow Six (you can literally draw your route through these target rich environments).

Prison of Husks

I’ve already covered Prison of Husks once during this series of articles. However, this trailer has some new footage and it’s quickly becoming a project that I boost every time I get the opportunity. 

If this is your first experience with Prison of Husks, it’s a Souslike with an aesthetic ripped from the original PlayStation (imagine the Bloodborne demake with less copyright infringement). 

I think I’m falling in love with this game. 

Davy x Jones

The sword, gun, and grappling hook gameplay doesn’t excite me as much as the world the developers are creating–villages of shipwrecks and sea monsters suspended in an ocean of clouds. 

Your tentacle operated skull companion also reminds me of Shadows of the Damned (that’s a good thing). 

Dead Watch

Prevent murders (or fail spectacularly) by interacting with eccentric characters and dealing with time loop shenanigans. 

Dead Watch is out next year and I’ll never pass up the opportunity to unwind and unravel mysteries in a spooky castle. 

Holstin

Holstin has been making regular appearances in my write-ups for some time but it’s hard to deny how much personality it has. This psychological horror is laced with isometric exploration, over-the-shoulder combat, and driving sections from a first-person perspective. I’m not sure how it will all mold and fester (and perhaps form a hive mind) together–but I have faith in this developer. 

There’s a new demo available now. 

Last week was a mess but we’re still cooking at Tactical Reload (I’ll go into more detail about said mess in a future introduction). We should consider ourselves lucky–I found a way to extend “E3” for an entire month. 

What are the chances Nintendo announces a Direct before I finish my coverage of the big show? If I’m still writing at the time of the Pokemon Presents on July 22nd I’m in big trouble.