Post by KostaAndreadis @ 05:10pm 28/06/22 | Comments
Let’s take a look at the big releases across each platform…
July 2022 marks the beginning of the second half of the year, and following on from a fairly stacked first half things don't look like they are slowing down anytime soon. That said, the offerings are both niche and broad, covering just about all styles of game. With the cyberpunk cat adventure Stray coming to PS4, PS5 and PC, and the highly anticipated Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on Nintendo Switch, there’s also the one two interactive drama combo of As Dusk Falls and Immortality coming to Xbox consoles and PC.
There’s also a number of indie titles to keep an eye on in addition to the latest instalment in Codemasters excellent F1 series with F1 22.
Let’s get to it. Here’s the breakdown of the new games coming in July 2022.
F1 22
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 1
With developer Codemasters and the F1 series now under the EA Sports banner, the latest instalment features the full line-up of the Formula 1 2022 season and new advancements made to the core driving experience. On that front PC players will get the added benefit of full in-race ray-tracing support and even VR -- which has been added for the first time.
Arcadegeddon
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 5
After an Early Access stint this stylish co-op meets competitive third-person shooter is finally ready to make its full debut. Set inside the virtual world of an arcade, the visuals are certainly one of the big draws here -- and with cross-play support and a number of co-op modes and activities to discover, this has potential to suck up a few virtual quarters.
Matchpoint - Tennis Championships
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 7
A tennis game where the courts are rectangular and the racquets all racquet-y and the scores increase in random intervals for some reason or another. 30 - 0, 40 - 30, Advantage. Deuce. And so on. As a realistic presentation of the sport, and hey this one features local legend Nick Kyrgios as part of the line-up, there’s a detailed career mode in addition to gameplay built on shot selection and strategy.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 8
If you’re aware of Klonoa then the following will make sense. If you’re not, well, may this information serve you well. Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a remastered compilation of classic 2D meets 3D platforming titles that made their debut on the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. The thing to note though is that the remaster of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is based on the 2008 remake for the Wii, with the Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil remaster based on the PS2 version from 2001.
MADiSON
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 8
MADiSON is a new first-person psychological horror game and judging by the trailer it looks like it’s going to live up to its promise of delivering an “immersive and terrifying experience”. With some randomisation to the puzzles and the main hook being that you need to use an instant camera to solve mysteries and uncover secrets, this looks like one for the horror fans out there.
Monument Valley: Panoramic Collection
Platform: PC
Release Date: July 12
Monument Valley is an award winning and iconic release that took iOS gaming on a phone to new heights. Meditative, dream-like, and mesmerising, it’s a puzzle game that has also gone on to serve as inspiration for a new generation of developers. Monument Valley: Panoramic Collection sees the game finally make their PC debut, in full panoramic widescreen too.
Time on Frog Island
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 1
Stranded on an island, with no direct means to fix your ship, luckily it’s a strange land of sentient frogs. Part island sandbox, life sim, adventure, and puzzle game, Time on Frog Island looks quirky, vibrant, fun.
Loopmancer
Platform: PC
Release Date: July 14
Stunning rain-soaked, neon-lit city-scapes with atmosphere aplenty. There’s just something about those classic cyberpunk vibes that instantly grabs our attention. In terms of how it plays, Loopmancer is all fast-paced side-scrolling action in what's being described as a roguelite. In terms of how it looks, well, this is Cyberpunk 2077 levels of impressive with ray-tracing, DLSS, and all manner of cutting edge things going on.
PowerWash Simulator
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 14
A sim that centres around the use of a high-pressure hose to clean dirt, muck, gunk, scuffs, blemishes, dust, mush, grime, soot, ashes, smudges, crud, crust, soil, soot, filth, refuse, and more off of household objects and vehicles. Enjoy the pleasure that comes from restoring lustre, sheen, shine, brightness, gloss…
As Dusk Falls
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 19
An interactive movie of sorts, along the lines of a Telltale adventure or something like Detroit: Become Human, albeit with a very distinct visual style. In that the look and feel is that of a motion comic or storybook, where real actors are painted over. And with that the story of crime, drama, and familiar conflict in rural America is given a very unique look. This one’s coming to Xbox Game Pass and will support online multiplayer so players can shape the story together.
Endling: Extinction is Forever
Platform: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Release Date: July 19
A beautiful and sombre look at a potential future where the animals of the planet face extinction. In Endling you take on the role of the last fox on Earth as you roam a ravaged planet whilst raising your cubs. A visually impressive and eco-conscious title, where if it nails the premise and tone could prove to be both memorable and moving.
Stray
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Release Date: July 19
This one has been on our radar ever since it made its debut over a year ago at one of Sony’s PlayStation State of Play presentations. A cyberpunk adventure where you take on the role of a stray cat trying to find their way home. Set in the decaying alleyways of a gorgeous and highly detailed cybercity, this is all about exploration and stealth and becoming friends with a small little flying robot by the name of B-12.
Severed Steel
Platform: PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 20
We’re seeing more and more John Woo-inspired bullet-time, tight-corridor’d, stunt-slingin’, combo-havin’ shooters make their way to market in both Early Access and full release form. Severed Steel is one such mashup and after a successful stint on PC, the game finds its way onto consoles in July. The name of the game here is style and fluidity, and excelling at both is your ultimate goal. With wall-runs, crazy jumps, destructible environments and more, Severed Steel is a twitch-style shooter with a difference.
Hell Pie
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 21
Hopefully after watching that trailer, if you came here unfamiliar with Hell Pie, you just audibly asked “what the dang did I just watch?”. Noticeably old-school Rareware-like (think a badder-asser Conker), Hell Pie features Nate the demon and Nugget the angel, two protagonists tethered together in what looks like an unholy sort of alliance in a sandbox 3D platformer. Hell Pie features a number of unique traversal and combat mechanics designed to let players express themselves in a pretty fun and definitely mature game-world.
Wayward Strand
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 21
Wayward Strand is definitely a niche option in the broader wilds of ‘out there’ indies, if only because Aussie developer Ghost Pattern (itself described as a “collaboration between a bunch of creators” rather than a studio proper) has set this “real-time interactive story” on a floating hospital in 1970s rural Australia. Because, why not? The end result is a narrative-driven journey where you play as a young teenage journalist visiting the floating hospital for the first time.
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium
Platform: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Release Date: July 22
For many Capcom ruled the arcades of the 1990s, thanks in part to the incredible success of Street Fighter II and all of the subsequent sequels and spin-offs and crossovers that followed. But Capcom’s arcade tech was at the forefront of sprite-based animation and effects, going so far as to make the 16-bit home consoles of the time look like crappy old Atari 2600s from the early 1980s. This compilation features arcade-perfect emulation of several classic Capcom titles - with the obligatory gaggle of Street Fighters to boot.
LIVE A LIVE
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: July 22
In addition to being a nonsensical title, Live A Live is a remake and remaster of 1994-era Square RPG that was released for the Super Famicom. Praised for its multiple characters and concurrent storytelling, this remake and remaster remains faithful to the original with some nice little 2D meets 3D diorama effects ala Octopath Traveller.
Immortality
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: July 27
A new “interactive trilogy” from Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story. Here you go through the lost works of Marissa Marcel and discover her movies from the 1970s through to the late 1990s. For fans of non-linear puzzles, min-benders, and interactive movies, this one sounds like a treat.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: July 29
Fans of the Xenoblade Chronicles series fall into two camps, one cite it as one of the best RPG series of all time, whilst the other cut to the chase and say that it is, well, the best RPG series of all time. So yeah, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is one of the most anticipated releases of the year, especially for those that primarily game on the Nintendo Switch.
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