Whether it is E3 or Summer Game Fest, Devolver Digital always puts on the most interesting showcase for its upcoming games—though many viewers might lean toward calling them unhinged. If you can’t keep up with all of the madness, the 2023 Devolver Direct might not help with the heat it is packing.
The 2023 Devolver Direct is heralded as the “Return of Volvy,” a made up mascot the company claims is the “star of all your favorite Devolver games.” The Devolver team even cooked up an entire mini-documentary about the character featuring fake marketing products, games, and cameos in actual Devolver titles like Hotline Miami and Enter the Gungeon.
Under the guise of a relaunch for the “beloved” mascot that quickly devolves into the typically Devolver Direct mess, the publisher revealed new games, projects, and updates to its existing titles, all while making jokes about AI and machine learning.
If you missed the madness, here are all of the games and reveals from the short, sweet, and disturbing Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy during Summer Game Fest 2023.
Everything you missed from the 2023 Devolver Digital Direct
SLUDGE LIFE 2 demo and release date
During the intro to the event, Devolver shadow-dropped a demo for SLUDGE LIFE 2, with plenty of improvements to the first-person vandalism sim.
The demo is live now on Steam and the full game is on the way for the platform on June 27.
Shadows of the Damned Remastered is blasting away
One of Grasshopper Manufacure’s hidden gems is getting a remastered release, with Garcia Hotspur making his return in Shadows of the Damned Remastered.
This title was originally released in 2011 and was the combined work of No More Heroes creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda and Resident Evil legend Shinji Mikami that paired rocking action with more psychological elements. I can’t wait for this to drop and really show some new players how wild Suda can be when he partners with other great developers.
No release date was shared, but a Grasshopper Direct is set to air on June 14, likely with more info and reveals.
Wizard with a Gun gets a stylish demo
One of the most interesting reveals from previous Devolver events, Wizard with a Gun is a sandbox survival game that players can enjoy alone or online with friends. It mixes western ideas with “arcane mysteries” that are sure to keep anyone who picks it up exploring and crafting for hours.
This is personally the game I am looking forward to the most from Devolver’s upcoming lineup. A demo for Wizard with a Gun is out now on Steam, with a full release still set for sometime in 2023.
The Talos Principle 2 gameplay exposé
At the behest of Chris Jake, the host of the Devolver Direct, the robotic Volv-e showed us all some new gameplay for The Talos Principle 2, which sure does look like more of the original game with new puzzles and innovations.
If you liked the original, you will likely enjoy this follow-up set to drop later this year.
Baby Steps into a wild new yonder
From the minds of Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, and one random person from the Devolver crow that input the idea into Volv-e’s head, Baby Steps is the most literal walking simulator you will ever see.
With a 35-year-old man being teleported away from his mom’s basement to a new world, players will control Nate one leg at a time while traveling through a world shrouded in mist. And yes, you actually need to control each leg individually while dealing with the game’s other physics.
As long as the writing is done well, I’m expecting this to be a good time with interesting mechanics. What a follow-up to Ape Out and Getting Over It.
Human Fall Flat 2, but again
Probably the biggest reveal for this showcase was the announcement for Human Fall Flat 2, a sequel to the popular physics-based puzzle game that released in July 2016.
No gameplay was shown, and the No Brakes Games team didn’t even share a release date. Even with those components missing, fans of the original are hyped. As one YouTube commenter put it: “Finally Peak.”
While the number of reveals may disappoint some fans, many of Devolver’s games from the last several years are currently being discounted as part of “The Return of Volvy” celebrations on digital storefronts. You can find a full bundle on Steam or look through the publisher’s catalog on other platforms.
