Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out, and I only had to wait six years. During that time, there were countless Nintendo Directs, Indie Worlds, Partner Directs, and a whole host of other showcases. At every single one of them, bar the Indie Worlds in recent times, I've applied the clown makeup, until Team Cherry finally put us all out of our misery with a livestream during Gamescom week.
So, that leads me to ask a rather solemn question: what on earth do I apply the clown makeup for now? Okay, there are a couple of easy answers for me, but they don't involve my beloved Nintendo Switch 2 (a Bloodborne remake or sequel, when?). Hollow Knight: Silksong has left a huge hole. I'm just not sure what to get my hopes up for. It became almost a tradition: every time the next Nintendo Direct rolled around, I'd get my hopes up only for Team Cherry to dash them.
There are a lot of games that I'm looking forward to, but not all of them have me thinking that I'll need to wait six years to see them actually land on my console. I suppose now that Xbox is bringing its games to other platforms, with Indiana Jones: The Great Circle landing on Switch 2 next year, I could do my best Ronald McDonald impressions for Fable appearing on the hybrid console, but, at this point, I actually might give up on seeing it even arrive on the Xbox. Mind you, we first got wind of it in 2020, and it's apparently now coming out next year, so maybe it will arrive six years later just like Silksong.
However, while I love the Fable series, I'm more annoyed by the push-backs and lack of information than anything else, so maybe I won't risk a breakout by caking myself in white makeup. So, that takes me back to the drawing board once more, what game is worthy of getting my hopes up at every single videogame showcase? Okay, I think I've got it. Kingdom Hearts IV.
I'm desperate for more news on the next Kingdom Hearts game, which Square Enix announced in 2022. I might have to share my thoughts on companies revealing games too early one day. The KH series forms some core childhood memories for numerous members of the Pocket Tactics team, making its ghastly cloud version on the Switch very disappointing. Our very own Tilly Lawton even gave it a 5/10 in her Kingdom Hearts review. So, if I let KH4 take Silksong's place, I actually get to apply the clown makeup twice: once for getting any news on the game and another for getting a proper, well-performing version on a Switch console.
You know what? I think KH4 is a contender here. I'm happy to put the makeup on for it and hope for any sliver of news at any showcase or event Square Enix may appear at. But there's another game, a remake from one of the best RPGs of all time, that I long to see come to fruition.
In September 2021, during a State of Play, Sony announced a Knights of the Old Republic remake, making the Star Wars fan in me sing. KOTOR is easily one of the best Star Wars games of all time, which is hardly surprising as BioWare developed it during its golden era, before Electronic Arts ruined the studio. However, instead of applying general clown makeup for this one, I'm mostly just sad, as it's stuck in development hell.
Originally, Aspyr was to develop the remake, but the studio ran into trouble with it, leading the KOTOR remake to be in the hands of Saber Interactive since 2024. I long for some news, even just an eight-second clip to remind me that it's real, just like Team Cherry shared of Hollow Knight during the Switch 2 Direct back in April. As numerous Star Wars games, including Outlaws, are available on the Nintendo Switch 2, I have hope that the KOTOR remake will release on it, too.
Right, that's two games, but I feel like I need a third to truly fill the hole left by the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong. To be extra sure I can go full clown mode, I'm going for a double whammy - I want to see new Spyro or Crash Bandicoot games. The fact that Activision is sitting on these two IPs and doing nothing with them is insulting to gamers worldwide. Without a shadow of a doubt, Crash 4: It's About Time is one of the best outings for the marsupial, and that's now five years old, releasing in 2020.
Mind you, a five-year gap is much better than the one Spyro has. Not including the Reignited Trilogy, the last new Spyro game was in 2008 with The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. That means it's been 17 years since we last had a fresh adventure with the purple dragon.
Putting aside how long ago Activision released new games for these icons, both boast plenty of adventures that deserve remakes. I'm a huge advocate for Crash: Twinsanity making a comeback, while The Legend of Spyro trilogy would make a worthy follow-up to the 2018 remake of the first three Spyro games.
Between all of those games and franchises, I have plenty of reasons to apply the clown makeup, and as new Switch game announcements happen all the time, I'm sure that I'll have plenty more - like Mass Effect Switch, Dragon Age Switch, and Silent Hill Switch ports, but if I get into all of those, I'll be here all day.