Gamescom is unquestionably more low profile than E3’s explosive LA shindig. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of reasons to get pumped for the upcoming event in Cologne, which starts this Wednesday. Hell, we can think of, oh, at least 23 examples of why you should give a damn about the ‘European E3.’ And they all take the form of potentially amazing games. Below you’ll find a line-up of some of the most exciting titles due to make an appearance at the event.

Alan Wake (360)

The game with the never ending release date, old Mr. Wake’s been in a hibernation any reclusive writer would be proud of. That all changed at E3, though, when the spooky survival horror broke cover during Microsoft’s press conference. Looking polished, with a lingering tension we’ve not seen since Silent Hill 2, Wake has the potential to give the stale genre a much needed lift. The rumoured new trailer, that’s likely to be shown at Cologne, should reveal more of the game’s mysterious plot.

Assassin’s Creed 2 (PC, PS3, 360)

Assassin’s 2 is another quantity we’re pretty familiar with. Judging from what we saw at E3, we’re expecting more evolution than revolution we when get to play the sequel to 2007’s time-travelling whack ‘em up. It looks slick as hell and flying about Renaissance era Florence in a hang glider of death is sure to trump riding on the original’s hugely stiff horses.

Bayonetta (PS3, 360)

There are bad hair days and then there are ‘my hair’s just transformed into some sort of dragon-like abomination and eaten everything within a 50 foot radius’ days. Bayonetta, Sega’s ridiculously over-the-top hack and slasher, is obviously the latter. When the game’s witch isn’t killing demons with her magical hair, she’s shaming Dante by walking on ceilings. We were mightily impressed by this at E3 and are looking forward to seeing more of the sociopathic seductress this week.

Blur (PC, PS3, 360)

From the folk who brought you the brilliant Project Gotham series, Blur is a new racer that aims to take Burnout’s podium place. Hugely arcadey and focused on power ups and seriously screwing up your opponents, its 20 car races should be hectic like F-Zero GX. The devs have some heavyweight pedigree, so there’s every chance this could be the racing game of the show.

Brink (PC, PS3, 360)

Take Left 4 Dead, but ditch the zombie apocalypse for a future where society has been all but destroyed and now fights on a floating city in the sky, and you’ve just about got Brink. Bethesda’s new FPS promises extensive customisation options, and an in-depth story mode. The game also supports 8 player – as in twice as many as four – co-op. Technically ambitious and looking to break new ground, we’ve no doubt Brink will wow everyone in attendance at gamescom.