Now that the dust is beginning to settle on a stacked month of game releases and future-looking showcases to set the tone for a busy-as-hell year and beyond, it’s nice to know that July is something of a reprieve. It’s certainly not entirely devoid of releases, but it’s at least a little quieter and more spread-out overall as we approach a hectic back half of the year.
Here’s just some of what’s worth keeping tabs on in the month ahead, in case you find yourself done with Final Fantasy XVI:
Synapse
Platforms: PS5 (PS VR2)
Release Date: July 4
Dual-wield brutal firepower and surging telekinesis in the ultimate mind-breaking VR action shooter. Unleash your inner anti-hero and invade the twisted subconscious of a notorious enemy of the state. From the award-winning team behind Fracked, Phantom: Covert Ops and Far Cry VR: Dive into Insanity comes the next generation of immersive VR action.
Evolve and master your own combat style by combining increasingly sophisticated skills and abilities. Risk everything on a desperate, final mission into the darkest corners of a corrupted mind. Visceral, fast-paced and visually explosive, Synapse is a never-before-seen experience created exclusively for PlayStation®VR2.
GYLT (Console/PC Release)
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: July 6
Shape the fears… Fear the shapes. Set in a creepy and melancholic world, GYLT is an eerie story mixing fantasy and reality in a surrealist place where your nightmares become reality. Hide from terrible creatures or confront them as you find your way through the challenges of this wicked world.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
Release Date: July 7
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $84 at Amazon with free shipping
What destinies await these three fateful figures? Use the Trails to Walk system to switch between Rean Schwarzer, Lloyd Bannings, and the masked figure “C,” and determine the fates of key characters and locations within Zemuria. Dive into refined tactical combat with new features such as United Front, and discover new allies and challenges within the halls of the True Reverie Corridor!
The Valiant (Console Release)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 11
Follow the story of Theoderich von Akenburg, a former crusader knight who, after becoming disillusioned with the cruelty of war, is called back into action by events set into motion 15 years ago when he and his former brother-in-arms, Ulrich von Grevel, stumble upon a fractured piece of an ancient artifact – the Rod of Aaron. A young monk named Malcom appears at Theoderich’s doorstep, bringing him news that the Rod contains power never meant for mortals, and Ulrich has become obsessed with finding the remaining pieces and unifying the rod, an event that could bring untold evil and suffering to the world.
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Switch, PC, Netflix (Mobile)
Release Date: July 12
TVs turn on and off. Planes lose radar. Radio stations can’t broadcast through the static. In the small coastal town of Camena, unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves are suddenly causing interference with electrical and radio equipment. Reluctantly, Riley Poverly returns to her hometown to investigate the mystery, but what she finds is more than she bargained for.
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is the mind-bending follow-up to the critically-acclaimed narrative adventure game OXENFREE from Night School Studio. Play it as a standalone story or dive deeper by playing the original – it’s up to you. As you play, you’ll shape every step of the story through your choices. How you choose to deal with the supernatural events at hand will forever alter the future.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
Release Date: July 13
A carefree, cozy RPG adventure…
At the Royal Academy of Magic (the Academy for short), Marie is failing in her attempts to study alchemy. One day, she is given an atelier by her professor as part of a special graduation exam. In order to graduate, Marie must complete an item that will impress her professor.
But first, Marie must strive to improve her alchemy skills, collect ingredients, and earn money to hire adventurers and buy recipes and utensils… Add all of that to the synthesis, battles, and quests she must undertake, and it’s clear that she has a lot to do before she’s ready for her exam!
Exoprimal
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: July 14
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $69 at Mightyape
Exoprimal is an online, team-based action game that pits humanity’s cutting-edge exosuit technology against history’s most ferocious beasts – dinosaurs.??
Exosuits are grouped into different roles, and players will pilot these exosuits to hold firm against overwhelming dinosaur swarms in online-only, team-based action game modes.
Dino Survival, the main game mode, sees two teams of five players compete in a variety of PvE and PvP missions. Players will be transported to the scene of the latest dinosaur outbreak and follow Leviathan’s guidance to complete objectives. The team that completes the mission first will emerge victorious.
Jagged Alliance 3
Platforms: PC
Release Date: July 14
Grand Chien, a nation of rich natural resources and deep political divides, is thrown into chaos when the elected president goes missing and a paramilitary force known as “The Legion” seizes control of the countryside. Now, the President’s family has pulled together all their resources, including an arrangement with the powerful Adonis corporation, to hire a group of skilled mercenaries tasked with finding the President and bringing order back to the country.
In Jagged Alliance 3, select from a huge cast of mercenaries all with their own unique personalities, quirks, and backstories. Then go out and explore Grand Chien as you meet new people, earn money, grow your team, and ultimately make your own decisions that will decide the country’s fate.
Viewfinder
Platforms: PS5, PC
Release Date: July 18
Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.
Viewfinder is a mind-bending first person adventure game in which you can bring pictures to life by placing them into the world.
Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island (Part 1)
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: July 20
Split across three hilarious Tall Tales packed with secrets and side-quests, Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island invites pirates to meet classic characters, in a new narrative that brings the iconic locations of Monkey Island to the Sea of Thieves.
This love-letter to the classic adventure game series will be available to play alone or with a crew, with three Tall Tales being added over three months as free updates for all players, starting July 20th.
Pikmin 4
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: July 21
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $69 at Amazon with free shipping
Meet Pikmin, small, plantlike creatures you can grow, pluck, command, and overpower your enemies with! These curious helpers come in different types—fire is no sweat for Red Pikmin and the brand-new Ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and the environment. Use your Pikmin’s miniature might (and a bit of strategy) to explore this mysterious planet. You get a dog, too! Oatchi (pronounced oat-chee), resident good boy and dependable partner, can help with things like smashing obstacles and carrying Pikmin throughout your adventure. With the miniscule Pikmin and a capable canine in tow, no challenge is too big!
A free playable demo for Pikmin 4 will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop starting June 28.
Remnant 2
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: July 25
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $79 at Amazon with free shipping
REMNANT II is the sequel to the best-selling game REMNANT: FROM THE ASHES that pits survivors of humanity against new deadly creatures and god-like bosses across terrifying worlds. Play solo or co-op with two other friends to explore the depths of the unknown to stop an evil from destroying reality itself. To succeed, players will need to rely on their own skills and those of their team to overcome the toughest challenges and to stave off humanity’s extinction.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PC Release)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: July 26
The intergalactic adventurers are back with a bang in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart!
Go dimension-hopping with Ratchet and Clank as they venture onto a PC near you for the very first time. Help them take on an evil emperor from another reality as you jump between action-packed worlds and beyond. Enjoy a dazzling interdimensional adventure. Developed by acclaimed studio Insomniac Games and brought to PC by Nixxes Software
The Expanse: A Telltale Series (Episode 1)
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: July 27
Experience the exciting universe of The Expanse like never before in Telltale’s latest adventure, The Expanse: A Telltale Series. Take on the role of Camina Drummer and explore the dangerous and uncharted edges of the Belt aboard the Artemis. From scavenging wrecked ships in a zero-g environment, to surviving a mutiny, to combating fearsome pirates, you make the difficult choices and reveal Camina Drummer’s resolve in this latest Telltale adventure.
Disney Illusion Island
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: July 28
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $49 at Amazon with free shipping
Join Mickey & Friends on a quest to explore the mysterious island of Month and recover three mystical books to save the world from disaster! Choose your favourite character and unlock special abilities as you perform high-flying platforming feats, solve fun puzzles, and take on epic boss battles.
Play solo or grab up to three friends to save the island of Monoth in 4-player couch co-op. Team up with friends and utilize unique skills such as Rope Drop, Leap Frog, and a heart gifting Hug. Experience a brand-new Mickey & Friends adventure with hand-drawn animation, an orchestrated original score and authentic voice talents.
Venba
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: July 31
Venba is a narrative cooking game where you play as an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations and explore in this story about family, love, loss and more. Venba’s recipe book gets damaged when she moves to Canada – restore the lost recipes to cook delicious, mouth-watering dishes that serve as a connection to the home left behind.
