6 Games This Summer That You’ll Want On Your Radar

Roki – July 23

Games This Summer That You’ll Want On Your Radar

Roki is first up on our list and has just released today to a fairly commendable critical reception. The game puts players in the role of Tove, a young girl on a quest through the Scandinavian tundra to save her family.

Inspired by Scandinavian folklore, Roki blends the emotional plight of Tove with the dark and strange creatures that certainly don’t belong on our planet.

With plenty of environmental puzzling to solve and a charming visual style that just adds to the ‘fairy tale’ feel, Roki is definitely a game catered to those times when you want something a little less intense and violent than the usual fare of games nowadays. A truly charming indie.

Total War Saga: Troy – Aug. 13

Creative Assembly has been making some of, if not, the best turn-based strategy titles on PC for quite some time now. Spanning real-life historical periods like ancient Rome, the Napoleon wars, Feudal Japan, and ancient China, the series has also begun to branch off into fictional worlds such as Warhammer in recent years.

With Total War Saga: Troy, players will try their hand at commanding their forces during the Bronze-Age Mediterranean and the 20-year conflict between the Troy and Mycenaean kingdoms, focusing primarily on the Trojan War.

Players will be able to choose one of eight different heroes as their protagonist and will follow their life through all the drama, blood and gore you’d expect from a ferociously-fought war.

We were very positive about Total War Saga: Troy during our hands-on time with it, highlighting the sheer amount of content on offer. This may be a Total War spin-off, but only in name.

This game stacks up with the mainline entries in the series and will keep you toiling over unit movements and upgrades for hours on end when it releases on PC on Aug 13.

Rogue Legacy 2 – Aug. 18

Games This Summer That You’ll Want On Your Radar

When Rogue Legacy released all the way back in 2013, it became an immediate smash-hit. The exploratory platformer tasked players with completing the game with their chosen character.

Die, though, and your hero will be replaced by their heir. A new hero means new stats and traits, which could directly affect the gameplay and the way you approach beating Rogue Legacy.

Some heroes would have super strength, whereas those who suffered from Vertigo would see the entire game world flipped. It was a novel and incredibly compelling mechanic implemented into the core of Rogue Legacy’s gameplay loop.

With the release of Rogue Legacy 2, you can expect more of the same. More intriguing hero traits, new unique weapons for hero classes, biome generation, and heirlooms which will give players permanent new abilities to give the game a true Metroidvania feel.

Rogue Legacy 2 actually hits Steam and Epic Games Store early access on Aug 18, with no version 1.0 release date announced at this time.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition – Aug. 27

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles originally released on the GameCube way back in 2004 (2003 in Japan). Players assumed the role of adventurers who travel in a caravan gathering mystical fuel for crystals which just happen to protect the world from Miasma — a poisonous gaseous substance.

It even featured a single-player and a novel multiplayer mode that made use of the GameCube and GameBoy Advance adapter cable. Additional players would use their GameBoy Advance’s to control the action, shop in towns and perform battle functions on the handheld screen, while all characters would be on the main display.

Due to how popular the game was, it was only a matter of time before Square Enix returned to give it the remaster treatment. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (that’s a mouthful) will release on PS4 and Switch on Aug 27 featuring cross-platform multiplayer, new dungeons, and voice acting. The usual remaster suspects — enhanced visuals and a newly arranged soundtrack — round off the remaster’s offerings.

Other little tweaks have been made here and there, the game’s producer Ryoma Ariaki wanted to keep the game faithful to the memories of fans of the original game, so don’t expect a wheelbarrow full of new features and improvements.

Windbound – Aug. 28

Games This Summer That You’ll Want On Your Radar

Here’s one that’s sure to whet the appetites of indie fans looking for something a little different. Windbound sees players take control of Kara, as she embarks on a personal journey discovering each of the idyllic forbidden islands that call the open seas their home. As Kara explores each one, she’ll uncover its mystery which all leads into one huge revelation over the course of the game.

With each island offering up a different type of biome, the puzzles, environments and creatures you’ll come across will frequently be shaken up. Not to mention you’ll need to scavenge the islands to get resources for crafting tools, weapons and upgrading your trusty boat.

There’s something serene and magical about the Windbound gameplay we’ve seen, and we can’t wait to guide Kara to her fate and uncover exactly what these mysterious islands conceal.

Windbound will release on PS4, Xbox One and PC on Aug 28.

Ary & the Secret of Seasons – Sept. 1

Every time I look at footage of Ary and the Secret of Seasons, waves of nostalgia hit me hard and fast. No, Ary isn’t a series I played in my younger years, but the style of platforming and animation style has me fondly reminiscing about the countless hours I spent playing Spyro and Croc on the PS1. Just a lot prettier.

In Ary and the Secret of Seasons, you’re in control of the four seasons and must use them to sold environmental puzzles and defeat enemies as you help the Guardians of Seasons uncover what’s caused the seasons to act erratically and unusually.

With a stunning visual style that echoes that of modern-day animated movies, Ary and the Secret of Seasons looks like a gorgeous and fun adventure for players of all ages.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons will release on Sep 1 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.