This is your heads up: July is about to be an incredible month for games
Back in May, we were drowning in a surprising deluge of new video games. A lot of the month’s best releases felt like they came out of left field thanks to indie gems like Animal Well and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. Around that time, it was common to see players wondering where so many killer games came from, despite the fact that many had positive buzz coming off streams like Day of the Devs.
If you found May overwhelming, I regret to inform you that it’s about to happen again in July. And I’m telling you right now so you’re not surprised when it happens.
A quick glance at July’s release calendar would probably make you think that we’re in for a quiet month for games. There aren’t many heavy hitters on the docket. The biggest release is, arguably, Final Fantasy XIV‘s Dawntrail expansion, which will follow successful updates for Elden Ring and Destiny 2. Beyond that, even the “biggest” games may sound relatively niche. The First Descendant is looking to become a new live service success and Mihoyo’s Zenless Zone Zero is sure to get some buzz.
It’s when you start diving deep into the indie scene that you’ll start to find some hidden gems. The first half of July is especially loaded in that regard. Devolver will give players a hectic action game with the long-awaited Anger Foot on July 11, which could carry the same high-octane charm as games like Hotline Miami. That will be closely followed by the cozy Flock (July 16), colorful action-platformer Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (July 18), and Schim (July 18).
The calendar gets especially hectic at that point. July 18 brings both Dungeons of Hinterberg and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, two very different games that are set to make a splash on Xbox. While the latter may not be your cup of team if you don’t love Soulslikes, I’ve gone hands on with Dungeons of Hinterberg and feel that the Alps-inspired action RPG could be one of 2024’s best indies.
For more nostalgic players, July 18 will also see the release of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. The collection, which has earned some positive buzz from recent previews, turns old NES games into bite-sized challenges similar to the NES Remix series.
Another potential sleeper hit drops the very next day with Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. The unique tower defense action hybrid was the talk of this year’s Summer Game Fest, even making it onto our list of the best games we played at the show. And if that sounds a little too out there for you, July 19 will also bring a Madden alternative in EA Sports College Football 25.
While a little lighter, the back stretch of the month hides some potential hidden gems. Été, a relaxing painting game launching on July 23, impressed me when I played it at Summer Game Fest two years ago. That same day will also see the launch of A Star Named Eos, a puzzling adventure from the makers of the very charming Behind the Frame. That’s all rounded out by Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure on July 25, which was just an official selection at this year’s Tribeca Fest.
While those are some of the highlights, there’s way more than that coming in July too. Earth Defense Force 6, EvilVEvil, The New Denpa Men, and even a Switch port of Apple Arcade standout Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate all pad out the rest of the calendar.
So don’t let me catch you asking where all these games came from in the coming weeks. You’ve been warned.
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
3 underrated PS Plus games to check out this weekend (June 28-30)
Some games don’t get the love they deserve when they come out. Maybe it’s because they launched during a crowded time of year, weren’t in a mainstream genre, or had negative public perception as they headed toward release. These games become underrated cult classics and can gain new life and attention on subscription services like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, where players have more control over which games they play, how long they want to play them, and how much money they want to spend on them.
That’s why I looked to these underrated games when determining what PS Plus Premium and Extra game catalog games to recommend this weekend. One is an exhilarating shoot ’em up platformer hybrid from the developers of Returnal. Another is the Marvel strategy game and RPG from the studio that makes series like Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM. Finally, we have an enjoyable LittleBigPlanet spinoff that seemed like it flew under the radar more than every other PlayStation 5 launch title.
Matterfall
Read more
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage delayed because of Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Don’t Nod decided to delay its narrative adventure game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to early 2025 in the wake of Life is Strange: Double Exposure’s announcement and imminent launch this October.
For those out of the loop, Don’t Nod created the Life is Strange series with Square Enix. Although Don’t Nod moved on from the series after Life is Strange 2, neither party involved stopped making narrative adventure games. Don’t Nod went on to make Tell Me Why in 2020, and some Life is Strange alumni formed a new Don’t Nod studio in Montreal that same year to create the Lost Records franchise.
Read more
Is Path of Exile 2 cross-platform?
After Diablo 3 fumbled the bag, we needed a new ARPG to fill the void Diablo 2 left in our souls. Path of Exile answered that call and then some. It didn’t just give fans what Blizzard failed to deliver but kept on supporting and adding to the game for close to a decade. Path of Exile 2 wasn’t even supposed to be a sequel at first, but when the scope became so large that it couldn’t fit as an expansion, it was spun off into a full release.
Path of Exile 2 hasn’t forgotten what made the first game so much fun, and a large part of that was adventuring and fighting with friends online. The new addition of couch co-op is awesome, but what about players who need to team up online? The first game slowly rolled out to all platforms, but the sequel is hitting both consoles and PC at once, so you need to be up to date on if it has cross-platform support.
Does Path of Exile 2 have cross-platform support?
Fear not, Exiles, because Path of Exile 2 will feature complete crossplay support. No matter if you are on PlayStation with a friend on Xbox and another on PC, or any other combination, you will all be able to dive into the demented world of Path of Exile 2 together to grind levels and loot to your heart’s desire. It goes without saying, but obviously you can only play local co-op on the same platform since it requires both players to be on the same system.
Read more
