Platform: PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Tecopark

This year is Sonic's 35th anniversary, and while new crossover content for Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is exciting, fans were largely left wanting by the announcements during this year's Summer Game Fest Showcase. However, one announcement, which felt almost like an afterthought in the moment, should draw the attention of fans, particularly those who have people with whom they can play multiplayer: Sonic Pico Park.

A riff on the popular puzzle/action/platforming game from 2021, Sonic Pico Park adds a layer of Sonic aesthetic and gameplay mechanics to what is already a very successful formula. With an allowance of two to eight players, teams of Sonic characters attack side-scrolling puzzles that rely heavily on cooperation.

I only had a chance to play through a couple handfuls of levels, but in my four-player session, I had a blast. Ranging from the most straightforward platforming and puzzle sequences imaginable to some that had us scratching our heads or failing on repeat for several attempts, I only got a brief glimpse of the chaos that can unfold in Sonic Pico Park. In certain scenarios, we were yelling in laughter at each other, as we either failed at following the group's plan or, in some cases, I intentionally sabotaged the attempt (oops). Thankfully, these levels are low-stakes, and even if you throw your teammate into a pit, you respawn before the chuckles subside.

The levels I played started out as simple co-op experiments, with communication serving as a key factor since it only takes one character dying to trigger a fail state, and nobody can be left behind. In one sequence, we needed to build a human (hedgehog/fox/echidna?) staircase, while in another, we stacked on top of one another to form a wall that the remaining character could use to spindash up to reach a button to open the path to the goal. Another tethered us all together and we needed to dangle a couple of us over a pit to retrieve a key necessary to open the path. 

So far, only Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy are playable from the Sonic universe. If you want to play eight-player Sonic Pico Park, you can, but as of now, the remaining four slots would be filled in by generic characters. I imagine more iconic Sonic characters will join the title as we get closer to launch, but Sega representatives remained tight-lipped. However, for now, Sonic and Amy possess a simple moveset, only able to run, jump, and spindash, while Knuckles can glide and Tails and fly, even carrying his teammates; a necessary move for one of the puzzles we encountered.

The creativity of the Tecopark team was on full display in what I assume are very early levels. But if what I played is any indication, these low-stakes puzzle-platforming co-op levels with extremely simple controls are perfect for whether you're playing with one dedicated friend or you have a broad spectrum of gamers with varying experience levels at a get together. We don't know when Sonic Pico Park will arrive, nor do we know its platforms, but it's a promising, fun indie spin-off that I would like to experience more of whenever it arrives.

The announcement of a new Crazy Taxi game during the Xbox Summer Showcase made waves for how excited longtime fans were to not only see an updated version of the iconic arcade passenger-delivery game. But following the announcement, a Steam page listing that disclosed generative AI use stirred up controversy. During a recent hands-off gameplay demonstration, I had the chance to seek clarification from series creator and lead producer on Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Kenji Kanno.

For reference, here is what the Steam page said regarding the Crazy Taxi: World Tour team's use of AI:

At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks.

We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.

The Steam listing provided a vague explanation. However, upon reaching out to a Sega spokesperson yesterday, they provided the following expanded version of the statement above:

At SEGA Corporation, generative AI is available as an optional support tool for developers, enabling our teams to focus more on creative tasks and ultimately focus on what matters most: delivering better games to our consumers.

Generative AI was used to support our teams during the development of background assets for ”Crazy Taxi: World Tour”. Assets generated were still subject to review by the development team.

No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.

With the clarification from the spokesperson still remaining too vague for my liking, I went straight to the lead producer of the upcoming revival of the series to get further clarification on the development team's use of AI, in particular, generative AI. Here's what Kanno had to say:

"First, I think I can be a little bit more specific or clear on how we use the generative AI. So, it's like one small part of the creative process. So, to get a little bit more detailed about our design process, as mentioned earlier, it's World Tour, and we have five different countries. I can't say which countries there are today, but our artists, our designers, they actually went to the actual locations, and they took references, and based on that, they came up with the designs. And generally, AI is just one part of that, and is used as a hint or part of the ideation. I think the statement on the Steam page was quite vague, so to make things a bit more clear – and this is a sentiment that both me and our team of talented artist and designers back in Japan share – is that we want to create things ourselves and deliver that as a great experience for our customers. So rest assured, everything in the final product is going to be original."

Despite the controversy surrounding AI use in the development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, the game does look like a fun and faithful modernization of the beloved franchise with which many fell in love during the Dreamcast era. Crazy Taxi: World Tour is set to arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC in 2027. 

 

The past seven days have been extremely exciting for all manner of gamers – regardless of where or how you play, there’s likely at least one announcement that occurred during the Summer Game Fest madness that got you amped. But, with so many showcases and so many reveals, it’s easy for smaller games to get lost in the shuffle alongside new God of War and Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil and Fable announcements – doubly so for the indies highlighted in the week’s smaller showcases. Fortunately for you, Game Informer kept an eye on it all and today, we bring you a list of 10 of the best indies we saw during the 2026 Summer Game Fest week. 

There’s no significant order to these or strict rules – we here at Game Informer banded together to highlight 10 indie games you should keep an eye on. If there’s any indie game you’re stoked about that isn’t on this list, drop the name in the comments below – we’d love to see what you’re looking forward to!

Signet City

Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector are some of my all-time favorite games, so it’s a given that I’m going to play whatever developer Gareth Damian Martin, who develops games under the name Jump Over The Age, cooks up. It helps that their next project, Signet City, looks and sounds fantastic. Self-described as a “fungalpunk RPG,” Signal City takes place in the titular coastal city in sharp decline as a result of the biological computer (mushrooms) overtaking and outgrowing the silicon chip. Your job as a fungal parasite born into the city’s brackish waters is to inhabit the minds of remaining hosts and guide them into their “final season.” I’m presuming this means death, but that remains unclear for now. 

“From the stained wallpaper of the squats to the towering mountains that dot its skyline, grow through and into this strange city, changing it forever,” the game’s description reads. The game itself blends first-person exploration (Martin jokingly described it as Skyrim with mushrooms on social media) with tabletop-inspired narrative RPG design in a world inspired by post-punk 1980s Britain and “weird fiction.” The game’s black-and-white art style speaks to this, too, as does the use of brutalist architecture. 

It’s a big departure from the bright and hopeful Citizen Sleeper games but it sounds just as fascinating. Martin has earned my trust and I look forward to following these mushrooms wherever they take me when Signet City launches sometime in the future on PC. – Wesley LeBlanc

Burn-9

There are a lot of Metal Gear Solid-inspired games – even director Hideo Kojima borrows heavily from it in his post-MGS projects like Death Stranding and Physint. But usually, these games put you in control of the Snake parallel. Burn-9, however, has caught my interest by being a MGS-inspired game that doesn’t do that; instead, you play as the person in the chair, as it were. Described by developer 14 Hours Productions as a “Tactical Radio Action” game, another nod to MGS’s “Tactical Espionage Action” tag, in Burn-9, your job is to guide the last survivor of an elite black-ops team after a mission has gone terribly wrong. 

“When a top secret military research facility in the Antarctic goes dark, an elite strike force of cybernetically-enhanced black-ops super soldiers is dispatched to investigate and secure Burn-9 at all costs,” the game’s description reads. “Minutes into the mission, the helicopter is shot down. There is one survivor… and you’re her only lifeline.” As the team’s Operator, you will need to guide her to safety while navigating the tension and demands of the top brass and the harsh reality on the ground. What you share, what you hold back, and who you trust is up to you. 

Burn-9 is due out sometime this year on PC. – Wesley LeBlanc

Slayblade

It’s a Beyblade game, basically. Do I need to say more? Okay, probably, but if you’re like me, that’s enough. Revealed during SGF weekend madness as part of the Frosty Games Fest showcase, Slayblade comes from developer Henry’s House, the team behind 2022’s Kardboard Kings, and Oscar Brittain, and it sounds awesome. It’s a Y2K Beyblade-inspired roguelite with an emphasis on being “chill.” 

Its lo-fi city is inspired by PS1 aesthetics, and it features more than 60 blade parts to collect, unlock, and customize your Slayblades with, and if the music in the trailer is any indication, it’s going to be backed by an excellent score, too. Oh, and to get around the city, you skateboard – like c’mon, this is gonna rip (pun intended). 

There’s no word on when the game will launch, but you can play the Slayblade demo right now on Steam. – Wesley LeBlanc

Threads of Time

Threads of Time was not announced at this year’s post-SGF Day of the Devs live stream – it has been in development for some time – but the latest look dove into the style and story of the game deeper than we have to date. Turn-based games are experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now, so it’s not that Threads of Time is doing anything particularly new or unique. Rather, its selling point is that it is meant to recall those wonderful feelings we have been chasing of those experiences we had playing those 16- and 32-bit RPGs when we were young. And Threads of Time just happens to look like a really good one. The developers are specifically citing Chrono Trigger (an undeniable classic) and the HD-2D visuals just look fantastic. We can’t wait to get lost in its world when it comes out… eventually. Developer Riyo Games is also promising the involvement of noteworthy developers in the game’s creation, but says it will share more details in the future. – Kyle Hilliard

Mr. Records

Developer Glee-Cheese Studio is practiced at making rhythm games, having released Headbangers: Rhythm Royale and Musical Story, and Mr. Records looks to continue its musical track record. The game is full of original music as the developers are also the composers, and it’s got an enticing and unique premise, even though it is a style of game we’ve played before (which isn’t a complaint – I’ll take as many of these as game makers are willing to make). Mr. Records is an old man who owns a record shop and can walk through and experience the music he has for sale. This manifests as gameplay reminiscent of games like Bit.Trip Runner or HarmoKnight, where you 2D-platform through a level to the beat of the music. The visual style is also very charming and silly, and I want to see all the different types of levels and songs the game offers. It is, however, another one that does not yet have a release date. – Kyle Hilliard

Gemini X

Seemingly announced outside of Summer Game Fest or a Summer Game Fest-adjacent showcase, Gemini X has a very straightforward pitch: Mega Man X meets Metroidvania. It turns out that for me, those words are my Manchurian Candidate-style phrase to perk me up and make me mad that I can’t play the whole game right now. I love Mega Man X (not Mega Man, to be clear), and I love exploring and building out a map. Other attempts at combining Mega Man X mechanics with other genres, like 20XX or even Capcom’s own Mega Man ZX games, haven’t quite worked for me. And this could be the case here, but the footage looks promising. I also just appreciate how unabashedly Mega Man X-ish it all is stylistically, even making sure the bosses seem inspired by animals. We have no release date on this one, but I will be keeping a close eye on it. – Kyle Hilliard

Vivarium

Vivarium's art is nothing short of breathtaking. Perfectly emulating the texture of 90s anime, it's a game you could see screenshots of, admire, and leave without even realizing they were stills from a video game. The accompanying gameplay is appropriately cozy, with a timer synced to the real-world passage of time to help you play slowly, grow closer to your neighbors, garden, cook, craft, and apparently uncover a "hidden truth" about the town. I hope it's fun, but even if it isn't, I'll still probably play just to walk around its gorgeous world. You can wishlist it on Steam, but it's also coming to Xbox and the Epic Games Store. – Charles Harte

Bad Magpie

It has been almost seven years since the release of Untitled Goose Game, and with developer House House busy making Big Walk, fans of mischievous bird games will have to look elsewhere. Luckily, Bad Magpie is one of the most exciting games to follow in that legacy that we've seen so far. Instead of Goose Game's checklist of pranks, Bad Magpie takes place in a non-linear open world. Your only task is to mess with your surroundings, find secrets, and look for shiny trinkets as you hunt for the meaning behind your mysterious visions. Bad Magpie also seems to have a more heartfelt story – the titular bird only has one wing and has to hop to move around, and a shot in the reveal trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase shows its fellow Magpies flying off and leaving it behind. I'm looking forward to playing the game myself (and hopefully not crying during the cutscenes) when it comes out sometime next year on Xbox and Steam (where you can wishlist it now). – Charles Harte

Into the Wind

I generally think people throw around comparisons to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki a little too liberally, but Into the Wind is a game that's actually deserving of the association. Its Italian-inspired city and dogfighting gameplay are straight out of Porco Rosso, but its package-delivery mechanics (also reminiscent of Death Stranding) are closer to Kiki's Delivery Service. It also has a generally whimsical tone that I'm excited to experience for myself: your vehicle is neither motorcycle nor plane, but a sentient motorcycle-plane; townsfolk ask for packages, but also live swordfish; and hitting an obstacle causes you to ragdoll off your vehicle and onto the ground. It's coming soon to early access, but for today, it's coming to my Steam wishlist. – Charles Harte

2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces

Fights In Tight Spaces was a slick card battle with a unique premise, enough so that it got a spin-off called Knights in Tights Spaces. But the original game is now getting a true sequel in the form of 2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces. The new game features online cooperative multiplayer for 1-3 players, alongside an attractive new visual style. The first trailer for the game looks great, featuring some exciting melees that see lots of environmental hazard attacks. But today didn't just bring news of the new game – it has also shadow dropped into early access, so you can give the game a try right now if you like. – Matt Miller

Summer Game Fest showcase week is almost over, save for a 50-minute Nintendo Direct tomorrow. We got a PlayStation State of Play, the usual Summer Game Fest showcase, and an Xbox Games Showcase, not to mention a dozen more smaller showcases. Between them all, Game Informer published more than 100 stories covering the announcements, reveals, updates, and more. 

Alongside brand-new games, we saw many remasters and remakes. We have a running list of upcoming remakes that we're constantly updating, but we thought we'd pore back through the past week's showcases to highlight all of the remasters and remakes that appeared. Whether that's reveals, updates, release dates, or something else, they're all here!

All The Remakes And Remasters We Saw During The 2026 Summer Game Fest Showcase Week

Below, we'll list all of the remakes and remasters we saw throughout the past week, in order of appearance (as best we can). Let us know in the comments below which ones you're most excited about or if we missed any you're stoked to play!

Rayman Legends Retold

• Rayman Legends Retold Is A Remake Of Rayman's Best Adventure, And We Played Two Hours Of It
• Release date: October 1 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• New songs from Grant Kirkhope
• New music levels and new dragon-riding levels 
• New 3D visual style
• A new villain and reworked storyline 

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

• Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis Gets February 2027 Release Date In New Trailer
• Technically delayed: From 2026 to February 12, 2027
• Our biggest look yet at this Unreal Engine 5 remake of Lara Croft's first-ever adventure
• It's being developed by Flying Wild Hog and Crystal Dynamics, which is also working on Tomb Raider: Catalyst
• Snippets of gameplay amongst mostly cinematic stuff, but it looks great
• Oh, and dinosaurs!

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered

• Release date: October 1, 2026
• 1 vs. 1000 action!
• This remaster packages together Dynasty Warriors 3 and Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends 

Toy Story Retro Collection & Toy Story 3: Complete Edition

• Digital Eclipse Reveals Toy Story Retro Collection And Toy Story 3 Remaster
• Release date: October 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• It will feature Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! (1999), Toy Story 2 (1999), Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000), Toy Story Racer (2001), and A Bug's Life (1998)
• Toy Story 3: Complete Edition is a separate release, but still launching on October 15
• Coming from Digital Eclipse, this collection will feature behind-the-scenes interviews and more documenting the history of these classic games

Resident Evil Veronica

• Resident Evil: Veronica Is A Code Veronica Remake And It Launches Next Year
• Release window: 2027
• The first ever trailer for Resident Evil Veronica reveals protagonist Claire Redfield in Paris, France, looking for her brother Chris
• Launching sometime next year, in 2027

The Wolf Among Us Remastered

• The Wolf Among Us 2 Gets 2027 Launch Window, And A Remaster Of The First Game Arrives This Holiday
• Release window: Holiday 2026
• Catch up on Bigby's original adventure in The Wolf Among Us Remastered this Holiday season ahead of the sequel's launch sometime next year

Final Fantasy VII Revelation

• The Third Final Fantasy VII Remake Subtitle Is Revelation And It's Coming To All Platforms Simultaneously 
• Release window: Spring 2027 (can you believe that?!!!)
• Launching simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• The game's director says that Revelation's theme is "resolve."
• A new skydiving mechanic has been developed to let us leap from Cid's airship and land on the ground below without any loading
• Characters will be able to wear new clothes and armor that will aid in their combat abilities 

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered

• Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered Brings The Kaiju Brawler Back To Life This November
• Release date: November 3 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
• Features include enhanced visuals, an improved unlock system, quality of life improvements, and more 
• Includes the addition of online multiplayer alongside the return of local couch multiplayer
• 12 monsters, including Godzilla, Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, and more to unlock

Barbie Rewind

• Barbie Rewind Is A Digital Eclipse Collection Of 16 Classic Games Baked Into A Dreamhouse Decorator
• Release date: November 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Decorate your Barbie Dreamhouse with more than 250 pieces of furniture, decor, and accessories inspired by real Barbie playsets from across the decades
• Features 16 classic Barbie games, spanning 1991 to 2007, including the never-before-released Barbie: Vacation Adventure, Barbie Pet Rescue, and Barbie Horse Adventure: Blue Ribbon Race

Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered

• Release year: 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• Coming from Saber Interactive, these "faithfully remastered versions" of Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and Hitman: Contracts will feature enhanced visuals, an instant graphics toggle, Photo Mode, and more

Halo: Campaign Evolved

• Here's The Release Date For Halo: Campaign Evolved (And Some Footage Of Its New Prequel Missions)
• Get Another Look At Halo: Campaign Evolved In New Cinematic Story Trailer
• Release date: July 28, 2026
• Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• Gameplay footage of a prequel mission called Operation: METEORITE (a three-mission story arc set before Halo: Combat Evolved that follows Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson)
• Details for the base and premium editions of the game (with Master Chief skins, weapon skins, and more)

Persona 4 Revival

• Persona 4 Revival Gets February Release Date In First Gameplay Trailer
• Release date: February 27, 2026
• Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• First official look at gameplay

Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition

• Release window: Fall 2026 on PC
• Three cinematic campaigns and four unique factions
• More than 50 multiplayer and skirmish maps
• Gameplay and UI improvements
• Enhanced environments, textures, and lighting
• 64-bit legacy mod support

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered

• Release window: Winter on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Developed by remaster masters Nightdive Studios
• The original Thief, remastered with enhancements to graphics, textures, models, and animations
• Quality of life improvements

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

• The long-rumored remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is officially real.
• The brief footage of the game shows Link, in the game's new visuals, asleep in his home in Kokiri Forest, which is how the original Ocarina of Time begins.
• In a press release, Nintendo simply wrote, "The Nintendo 64 classic returns for a new generation in 2026, reborn exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2!"
• Nintendo did not reveal a release date, but offered a 2026 window.

And those are all the remasters and remakes we spotted over the past week of showcases! 

Which remakes or remasters on the horizon are you most excited to play one day? Let us know in the comments below!

We got a dose of Master Chief during yesterday's 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase, along with a July 28 release date for the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved. Now, developer Halo Studios has released another look, this time a cinematic story trailer that highlights the Spartan's journey in the game (and even shows it running on a PlayStation 5). 

Running more than three minutes, this cinematic story trailer is chock-full of cutscenes from Halo: Campaign Evolved and gameplay moments from the classic missions of the shooter. "After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with defending humanity against an overwhelming alien force: the Covenant," the trailer description reads. "With the help of his AI companion Cortana, the Chief must uncover Halo's dark secrets and fight to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy." 

Check it out in the Halo: Campaign Evolved story trailer below: 

Halo: Campaign Evolved will not feature any PvP multiplayer elements, as the game's name implies. It's an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, but it also includes three prequel missions starring Chief and Sergeant Johnson. 

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 28. 

Are you going to play Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation 5? Let us know in the comments below!