Octopath Traveler (Switch) – July 13
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
Octopath Traveler kicks off the summer with a JRPG bang, and together with Dragon Quest XI, really bookend the season nicely as far as big-time JRPGs go. Octopath Traveler is a Switch exclusive JRPG that lets you play as eight different heroes that have their own motivations, unique abilities, and journeys, and the hook is that you’ll see how all of their stories eventually weave together.
We’ll have our own impressions and review out soon, but if you’re a big time JRPG fan that owns a Switch, Octopath Traveler seems like one you don’t want to miss. Not only are old-school, traditional JRPGs kind of rare these days, but add on top of that it’s one that is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch and won’t be coming out to PlayStation 4 AKA the console that has been unofficial home for great JRPGs this generation.
WarioWare Gold (3DS) – Aug. 3
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
Listen Nintendo keeps telling us that the 3DS isn’t going anywhere, and that they plan on supporting it for the long haul. OK fine, great, I hope that’s true. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel that the sun is setting on the DS family of portables. If my irrational fear is validated, then WarioWare Gold might be one of the swan song 3DS games from Nintendo.
WarioWare Gold will once again feature insane mini-games that will have you frantically pushing buttons, blowing on your 3DS, and other silly things like that in an effort to survive to see the next totally wild mini-game.
It’s kind of a disappointment that it’s not on the Nintendo Switch since it would have made for the perfect party game. Still though, at least we’re getting a new one at all. Hopefully, a Switch port will follow down the road.
We Happy Few (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Aug. 10
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
We Happy Few burst on to the radar of many after an extremely impressive E3 2016 story trailer that enthralled gamers with its very intriguing premise. In a dystopian take on our world, conditions are so bleak for the common person that everyone is expected to take happy pills that alter their state of mind so much that they no longer see how terrible everything in their life actually is. This is hammered home in the E3 2016 trailer when drugged children and adults are seen beating on a “Piñata” and gobbling up all the candy, and then it’s shortly revealed to actually have been a dead rat and its guts.
However, despite how awesome the story sounded, those who have actually played it are mixed on whether the survival mechanics will distract too much from We Happy Few’s main draw, its narrative. We’ll get to find out this August when it finally releases after years in development. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s definitely going to be a game that draws a lot of media attention and is worth keeping an eye on as its launch day approaches.
TWD: The Final Season (PS4, Switch Xbox One, PC) – Aug. 14
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
This is going to be a tough one for us. For years, we’ve grown to love Clementine, and have watched her grow from a helpless little girl under the tutelage of Lee, to a badass loner, zombie killer, and mother-figure to AJ. While the series has taken a dip recently since it’s incredible first season, Telltale Games is going to be going all-in to deliver a fitting conclusion for Clementine and their take on The Walking Dead.
The first episode is going to drop this August, and we’re hoping to finally get some answers on long-standing mysteries such as the what the heck happened to Christa, and the state of AJ’s health. Plus, we’d love to somehow get one more tribute to Lee, either in the form of a flashback sequence, or just something… anything at least.
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (PC) – Aug. 14
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
World of Warcraft is arguably the most popular game of all-time. While its numbers are understandably down after over a decade in business, it’s still a huge deal, and a new expansion is always a major event. Expect lots of new challenging content for current players, and a sea of returning players to crash back into the World of Warcraft.
Battle for Azeroth, as you can probably surmise from the title, will feature a heavy emphasis on the Alliance vs. Horde narrative. Those in the Alliance will attempt to recruit Kul Tiras into the fray, while the Horde will set their sights on Zandalar.
Regardless of your choice you’ll, of course, get the usual smorgasbord of raids, dungeons, gear, and an increase to the level cap. You’ve probably made up your mind by now if you’re ever going to play/not play World of Warcraft, but if you’re somehow still on the fence, this could be the expansion that reels you in, or well, at least that’s what Blizzard is hoping.
Little Dragon’s Cafe (PS4, Switch) – Aug. 28
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
Not everything needs to be big-time, AAA and flashy to be worth keeping on your radar, and if you’re/were fan of Harvest Moon, Little Dragon’s Cafe for the PS4 and Switch, is absolutely something you’ll want to keep an eye on. Little Dragon’s Cafe is the newest game from Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada. It’s not a farming game, but it retains the same charm found in his classic series of farming/life sims.
Instead of managing a farm, you’ll be in charge of a restaurant and part of your daily routine will be to explore the surrounding area for ingredients to create new recipes, Ignis style. You’ll be responsible for cooking, managing workers, and serving the food. Oh yeah, and there’s the dragon. Apparently, your mother is sick and part of your day will be to care for this dragon which is key in finding a cure for your mom.
It’s all a bit out there, but we really enjoyed it in our time with it last month at E3. If you’re looking for that next great routine game, keep an eye on Little Dragon’s Cafe.
Destiny 2: Forsaken (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Sept. 4
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
Destiny 2 is at a crossroads, and if it’s going to succeed in the same way that its predecessor did, then Forsaken, its first major expansion, needs to be a hit. It’s been an up and down first year for Destiny 2, but much to our dismay considering how much we loved the first game, it’s mostly been down. It’s still missing a lot of what made the first game great, and two mediocre smaller expansions haven’t done that much to fix things.
Bungie though is well aware of what fans have been asking for and in the reveal of Forsaken, addressed a lot of these requests. On top of talking the talk, our hands-on time with one of the major new features, a new mode called Gambit, was an absolute blast.
If Bungie can get this right, Destiny 2 can claw its way back into the limelight for the rest of its lifespan, if not, we’ll start getting ourselves mentally prepared for Destiny 3 to be the one that hopefully rights the ship.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4, PC) – Sept. 4
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
Remember when Octopath Traveler kicked off the summer with a traditional JRPG, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, closes out the summer the same way. Between PAX East and E3, we’ve had lots of hands-on time with Dragon Quest XI, and each time we’ve walked away with our socks charmed off, and wanting more time with it.
There’s a reason that in Japan, Dragon Quest is one of the most beloved, and best-selling franchises of all-time. On Sept. 4, Square Enix looks to finally get that same, firm foothold in the Americas and Europe too.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Sept. 14
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
This is supposed to be it for this trilogy of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider games. Hopefully, that just means narratively, and not literally, because it’s been a great run for Tomb Raider since 2013. We’ve seen Lara grow from inexperienced treasure hunter with a knack for getting her ass kicked to… experienced treasure hunter with a knack for getting her ass kicked. Now after two games, we’re ready to see Lara finally take the next step, and be the badass she’s always been destined to be.
Expect a lot of same, familiar gameplay from the last two (check out our hands-on preview), but further refined and expanded on. Considering Crystal Dynamics and co. got things right the first time around, that’s fine by us.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy (PS4, Xbox One) – Sept. 21
Best Summer Games 2018 To Keep on Your Radar
The summer goes out with a bang with the highly anticipated remakes of the original Spyro trilogy. If it’s anything like the fantastic Crash N. Sane Trilogy, fans should be in for a heck of a treat. The Spyro games surprisingly hold up very well, maybe even more so than the Crash games, and now you’ll get that same timeless gameplay with a vibrant fresh coat of paint.
Here’s hoping that like with Crash, a successful Spyro trilogy remake shows Activision that there is an audience out there that just ones more classic platforming action, with unsullied gameplay and updated graphics.
Published: Jul 5, 2018 02:02 pm