Coming up in Gaming – July 2016
Welcome back to Coming up in Gaming. We’ve made a few changes to the format of this regular feature after taking a couple of months off and this will be the new way that it will be presented in the future. If you have any questions or suggestions please leave a comment below or get in touch on Twitter or Facebook.
July has never been a big month for gamers. In fact, it is not uncommon for the whole of summer to often be something of a disappointment as publishers and developers want to keep back their biggest launches for fall and winter in the run up to the holiday period. That doesn’t meant there isn’t anything to get excited about in the upcoming four weeks though – just take a look at what you can get your hands on this month.
Big Hitters
Developer Stoic surprised everyone in June when they revealed that the console version of The Banner Saga 2 will be releasing in July, several months earlier than most people had expected. Having already released on PC in April, this will give players the chance to continue the story of its predecessor, while Xbox Live Gold members can get the game completely free in July thanks to the Games With Gold program.
Carmageddon: Max Damage is a sequel to the 2014 game Carmageddon: Reincarnation that launched on PC after a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $600,000. It is being made by the same people who created that and the first two titles in the Carmageddon series. This PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game will feature 30 cars, 10 environments and six different game types as well as online multiplayer. PC gamers who own Reincarnation will get Max Damage via a free update.
Arguably one of the biggest releases on the PlayStation 4 this month comes in the form of Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy, a 1080p remaster of Quantic Dream’s 2005 interactive action-adventure game. Fahrenheit is essentially a paranormal thriller that sees players trying to uncover the mystery behind a spate of unnatural murders that have happened in New York. It met with critical acclaim when it first became available and drew praise in particular for its deep story. The remastered version will be available on PlayStation from 18, July and will cost $14.99.
Retail Releases
Megadimension Neptunia VII | 5th July | PC – Part of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this Japanese RPG pits into three unique locations as they battle enemies in a brand new combat system.
7th Dragon III Code: VFD | 12th July | 3DS – A roleplaying series by Sega, this Nintendo exclusive game is the final sequel to 7th Dragon that originally released on the Nintendo DS in 2009.
Ghostbusters | 12th July | PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A cooperative multiplayer game that takes place shortly after the events of the new Ghostbusters movie, with players having to take control of a new cast of characters.
Song of the Deep | 12th July | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A metroidvania inspired game from Insomniac Games. Featuring a 12-year-old girl that must traverse the sea with her own submarine as she searches for her missing father.
I Am Setsuna | 19th July | PC / PlayStation 4 – A Japanese role-game created by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by Final Fantasy studio Square Enix. Designed to be a sad and harrowing adventure, the player takes control of a mercenary who must sacrifice his charge to bring about the end of winter.
Gal*Gun: Double Peace | 19th July | PlayStation 4 / PS Vita – The first time that the rail shooter is making its way to Europe and North America, having first released in Japan in 2015.
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness | 1st July | PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4 – Having already made its way to North America and Japan this year, the fifth instalment of the Star Ocean RPG series comes to Europe.
Indie Games
Fossil Echo | 1st July | PC – A story driven platformer about a boy and his journey to climb a giant tower.
Inside | 7th July | PC – The long awaited follow-up to Playdead’s highly acclaimed Limbo. Having released on Xbox One in June, it makes its debut on PC this month.
Necropolis | 12th July | PC / Mac / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – An addictive blend of third-person action and procedural dungeon-delving that features permanent deaths and cooperative gameplay for up to three other players.
Videoball | 12th July | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A minimalist 2D sports game that sees players trying to score goals while controlling a small triangle along with a teammate.
Rimworld | 15th July | PC / Mac / Linux – RimWorld follows three survivors from a crashed space liner as they build a colony on a frontier world at the rim of known space. Inspired by the space western vibe of Firefly and the deep simulation of Dwarf Fortress.
Hive Jump | 20th July | PC / Mac / Linux / Wii U – Hive Jump is a sci-fi action platformer for 1-4 players blending run ‘n gun gameplay with strategic campaigns.
Death Road to Canada | 22nd July | PC / Mac / Linux – A randomly generated role-playing game that takes place on a road trip where players have to manage a car full of people as they explore a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies.
Super Dungeon Bros. | 23rd July | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – Play on your own or with up to 4 friends in couch or online co-op as you raid the deepest dungeons of Rökheim in search of epic loot, hordes of evil undead and the legends of long lost fabled rock stars.
Obduction | 26th July | PC / Mac – Obduction is an adventure game from developer Cyan Worlds and is a spiritual successor to both Myst and Riven.
Candle | 26th July | PC / Mac / Wii U – A dynamic graphic adventure with handmade painted visuals that mixes the genre of graphic adventure with platformers together.
Chambara | 26th July | PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A local multiplayer stealth-deathmatch game with only two colors, allowing players to seamlessly camouflage themselves with the environment.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force | 29th July | PlayStation 4 – A continuation of the storyline of Fairy Fencer F, giving players the chance to face off against a new organization.
Timespinner | Unknown | PC / Mac / Linux / PlayStation 4 / PS Vita / 3DS – A 2D metroidvania platformer that allows the player to travel through time to destroy an evil empire that killed the main character’s family.
Syndrome | Unknown | PC / Mac / Linux / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One- Players must fight through a horde of enemies in this survival horror game that sees players trapped onboard and alien infested ship.
Freebies
As has become standard now, players with an Xbox Live Gold member subscription or with a PlayStation Plus account will be able to get access to a handful of games throughout July at no extra cost.
Games With Gold
The Banner Saga 2 | 1st – 31st July | Xbox One – A tactical role-playing game created by a group of former BioWare developers. It acts as the sequel to the first highly acclaimed game that saw players fight in turn-based combat situations and make moral choices that affect how the story plays out.
Tumblestone | 16th July – 15th August | Xbox One – An action-puzzle game that can be played in singleplayer or through a competitive multiplayer mode.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 | 1st – 15th July | Xbox 360 – The sequel to the well-received tactical first-person shooter from Ubisoft that originally released in 2008.
Tron: Evolution | 16th – 31st July | Xbox 360 – Tron: Evolution was the official tie-in product for the Tron: Legacy movie. It first hit store shelves in 2010 and operates as a third-person action adventure game.
PlayStation Plus Games
Furi | PlayStation 4 – Fight your way free in our frenzied all-boss fighter, and discover what’s waiting behind the last gate. Furi is all about the tension of one-on-one fights against deadly adversaries.
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell | PlayStation 4 – A standalone expansion to Saints Row IV, featuring many of the same characters as a breach into Hell opens and the Saints Row crew must fight to get back their boss.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood | PlayStation 3 – A first-person shooter that acted as a prequel to the Call of Juarez franchise, explaining how the McCall brothers came to be the outlaws they are.
Fat Princess | PlayStation 3 – Frantic and fun, Fat Princess pits two hordes of players against each other as you aim to rescue your beloved princess from the enemy dungeon.
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines | PS Vita – A Japanese role-playing game created by Alfa System and published directly by Sony themselves.
Prince of Persia: Revelations | PS Vita – The sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, this PS Vita port is based on the 2004 game Warrior Within.
Paragon | PlayStation 4 – A MOBA from Epic Games that puts you in the fight with explosive action, direct third-person control, and deep strategic choice that is being offered as an exclusive early access title.