Among the highlights were Assassin's Creed Mirage, Tekken 8 and Alan Wake 2. Photo: Ubisoft/BNE Entertainment/Epic Games
Among the highlights were Assassin's Creed Mirage, Tekken 8 and Alan Wake 2. Photo: Ubisoft/BNE Entertainment/Epic Games
Among the highlights were Assassin's Creed Mirage, Tekken 8 and Alan Wake 2. Photo: Ubisoft/BNE Entertainment/Epic Games
Among the highlights were Assassin's Creed Mirage, Tekken 8 and Alan Wake 2. Photo: Ubisoft/BNE Entertainment/Epic Games

From Rebel Moon to Tekken 8: highlights from Gamescom 2023 opening night


Faisal Salah
  • English
  • Arabic

The annual gaming convention Gamescom kicked off its 2023 event on Tuesday night with a presentation that included new trailers and release dates for anticipated games.

Taking place in Cologne, Germany, the event runs until Sunday, with gaming fans from Europe and around the world flocking to see the latest games and innovations.

For those unable to attend, during the first night’s presentation segment, named “Opening Night Live”, video game journalist Geoff Keighley hosted a live-stream. Here are the highlights from the presentation.

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire

A still from the 'Rebel Moon' trailer. Photo: Netflix
A still from the 'Rebel Moon' trailer. Photo: Netflix

The first full trailer for Zack Snyder’s new Netflix film Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire was shown at the event. The film is described as an epic space opera and features Algerian actress Sofia Boutella in a starring role, alongside Hollywood star Anthony Hopkins.

The film will be split into two parts, with the first arriving on Netflix on December 22 and the sequel following on April 19.

Although Snyder is best-known for his work with existing franchises, the film’s story is completely original.

Alan Wake 2

'Alan Wake 2' is a sequel to the 2010 cult classic. Photo: Remedy
'Alan Wake 2' is a sequel to the 2010 cult classic. Photo: Remedy

A new trailer for the horror game Alan Wake 2 was shown, in advance of the game’s release on October 27.

The game is the long-awaited sequel to the 2010 Alan Wake, which has gained a cult following over the years.

The trailer gave a taste of what the gameplay will be like and reveals more details of the story.

Tekken 8

'Tekken' is among the most popular fighting games. Photo: BN Entertainment
'Tekken' is among the most popular fighting games. Photo: BN Entertainment

There was also a trailer and release date announcement for the eighth game in the popular fighting game series Tekken.

First released in 1994 on the PlayStation 1, Tekken has spawned several sequels that have become a mainstay of fighting game tournaments and favourites among fans of the genre.

Tekken 8 will arrive on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X/S and PC on January 26.

Thank Goodness You're Here

Fans of goofy games on the Nintendo Switch were given a game to look forward to with Thank Goodness You're Here.

The new title is developed by Panic Inc – the same studio behind the popular Untitled Goose Game from 2019.

This new game looks to follow the same wackiness gamers experienced in Untitled Goose Game but with added chaos and characters.

Thank Goodness You're Here will be playable on the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC in 2024.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

A still from 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'. Photo: Activision
A still from 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'. Photo: Activision

The latest game in the Call of Duty series is a reboot of Modern Warfare 3, which was first released in 2011.

A gameplay trailer screened at the event showed a player extracting someone from a Russian prison.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X/S and PC on November 10.

Other highlights

Emirati game studio Kashkool Games has set up a booth at Gamescom to show off its upcoming game Sheba: A New Dawn. The title is a side-scrolling action role-playing game set in the Arab world, infused with mythical themes. Although it is still in development, a demo is available on Steam.

Two new games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series were also revealed, including a classic side-scroller called Sonic Superstars, coming out October 17, and an update to the Sonic Frontiers game, titled The Final Horizon, releasing on December 4.

A new trailer for the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Mirage was also shown. The new trailer features full Arabic narration, transporting the player to the 9th century Baghdad setting. Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be released on October 5.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

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Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten

Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a  month before Reaching the Last Mile.

Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Scores

Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

ASHES FIXTURES

1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27 
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8

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ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO

Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)

Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)

Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

Sting & Shaggy

44/876

(Interscope)

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Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Our family matters legal consultant

 

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

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The specs

Price: From Dh529,000

Engine: 5-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 520hp

Torque: 625Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

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Updated: August 23, 2023, 11:19 AM`