Zion and I took our seats next to the wonderful Nicholas Serpa from Nintendo Everything while Liam scooted off to what I assume was a more PlayStation-centric part of the audience. The show kicked off and it honestly felt wonderful to experience a live showcase after E3’s cancellation. Sure, the games showcased weren’t all certified bangers, but with Mortal Kombat 1, Alan Wake 2, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth all in attendance, I really couldn’t complain.

The biggest surprise was when the one and only Nicolas Cage joined Geoff Keighley on stage. I love this guy and I adore his work, from the likes of Face/Off and Con Air to more recent performances in Mandy and Color Out of Space. Seeing him light up the stage in his garish green suit was an absolute delight and not one I’ll forget anytime soon.

A Change of Plan

Once the show was over, we hit In-N-Out Burger (meeting Manon Gage from the excellent FMV game Immortality on the way) and proceeded to pick up our passes to the Play Days event.

Afterward, we had intended to attend The Mix, an indie showcase showcasing 40 upcoming games. Just before we got there, however, we’d received an email stating it had been cancelled last-minute.

Oh.

It turned out that the venue didn’t have the relevant permits to host the event, so the fire marshall and LAPD shut it down just as developers were about done setting everything up. Needless to say, the organisers were heartbroken. We didn’t personally attend ourselves but Jirad the Completionist saved the day and hosted a special live stream from his office to showcase the indie games from The Mix. We spoke with him the following day, and to say he was exhausted would be an understatement. Top work, that man.

While this was going on, we trotted off to a couple of venues that turned out to be perfect for meeting vidya game people and personailities. Before Play Days had even kicked off properly, I hung out and chatted with the wonderful Nick Apostolides (Leon Kennedy from the RE2/RE4 remakes), Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield, FF16), Suzi Hunter, Brittney Brombacher, Lord Cognito, and so many more.

The Buzz Without the Bustle

Moving onto the actual Play Days event, the whole setup was absolutely perfect. It took place across what was described as a campus; several small buildings grouped together for easy access.

Given that the event was purely for partners and media/creators, the atmosphere felt incredibly relaxed; you could walk from one appointment to the next with no stress, shake hands with developers and engage in conversation, and easily grab food and drink with next to no queues (other than the immensely popular pizza stand).

There’s room for expansion, though not too much, I hope. There were plenty of exhibitors there (including Warner Bros., Disney, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix), but it was undoubtedly missing a couple more big hitters, along with other important representations from retail and accessory manufacturers. We knew well ahead of time that Nintendo wouldn’t be in attendance; obviously, that would have been a boon.

Despite this, the two-day event was perhaps the best E3 replacement we could have asked for; it really was the buzz without the hustle and bustle. We’ve already gone into depth with our hands-on impressions of games like Mortal Kombat 1, Foamstars, Disney Illusion Island, Sonic Superstars, Oxenfree II, and Little Kitty, Big City, but that wasn’t all we saw. We also checked out Fae Farm (a charming if unremarkable amalgamation of every farming game you’ve ever played) and Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (a solid racer that we hope can hold up well on Switch).

Unsurprisingly, we bumped into more recognisable figures from the industry. On Saturday, I walked out of the main HQ, face down in my phone checking my next appointment. I looked up and Xbox’s Phil Spencer was just there, walking towards me. Naturally, I stopped him for a quick chat. He came across genuinely as a lovely, humble guy who was equally as excited as I was to check out some new games.

Elsewhere, Zion had spotted Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka strolling around, so, of course, I had to say hi to him as well, albeit with the undeniable concern that he could recognise my name and wag his finger at me for my Sonic Frontiers review. He was incredibly friendly, and I made sure to let him know that I was genuinely excited about Sonic Superstars.

However, my most bizarre and delightful encounter occurred outside the event on Saturday morning. Zion and I were hanging out in the hotel café while Liam had already headed out. I was writing up my Mortal Kombat 1 impressions and mere seconds after I finished up and started walking to the event, we ran into NetherRealm’s Ed Boon strolling in the exact same direction. We wound up chatting for the 20 minutes it took to reach the campus, and it will forever remain a cherished memory.

And finally, in what can only be described as fortuitous circumstance, the first people we ran into at Summer Game Fest were Kit and Krysta, from uhh… Kit and Krysta! They’re just as lovely in real life as we could have hoped, and I’m hopeful for some future collaborations.

At the end of the day, Summer Game Fest’s Play Days felt like an excellent industry-focused event that, while certainly lacking in earth-shattering announcements this year, was competently executed to allow for relaxed sessions with new games and a perfect opportunity for industry peers across development and media to mix and exchange information. Adorned with comfortable sofas and foliage in every direction, I really hope it retains the same style and atmosphere in the future.

A Party Like No Other

To cap off what had already proven to be a trip to remember, a chance encounter between Liam and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb resulted in an invite to attend Giant Bomb at Nite, the outlet’s live coverage of Summer Game Fest. While we didn’t take part in any of the live streams, it was quite surreal attending the accompanying party. We hung out with people like Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller, Tim Gettys, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Snowbike Mike, and Andy Cortez, along with some of the wonderful folks at GameSpot and Kotaku.

And we couldn’t complete our trip without visiting the LA Convention Centre and witnessing what would have been the main venue for E3. While it was certainly an impressive sight in itself, it was, of course, completely empty. We said our goodbyes and headed off to grab a beer and a bite.

Tired, But Thankful

On Sunday, just after the Xbox Showcase (which we watched from the comfort of our hotel rooftop, complete with a swimming pool and Dr. Pepper), it was time to head home. I bid Zion and Liam farewell — both were staying in LA a little longer — and left for the airport.

The red-eye flight was leaving at 5:30 pm PT and arriving at Heathrow at 12:30 pm BST the next day. I can’t sleep on planes, so I felt rough. The subsequent rush back to Euston station and the overwhelming heat certainly woke me up, but by the time I arrived back home, I was both sleepy and satisfied in equal measure. Time for bed.

I truly hope to attend Summer Game Fest again. If this indeed proves to be a permanent fixture in E3’s old slot, it genuinely has the potential to turn into the most prestigious, go-to gaming event of the year. It needs bigger and bolder game announcements, that’s for sure, but as an industry-focused event that says a firm “no” to the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger events with more footfall, I couldn’t really ask for much more.