Summer is right around the corner, and with it, more free time to spend doing what we love the most: gaming.
The following month covers some of the main video game genres when it comes to new releases; sports, horror, and RPG entries will become available for players across different platforms, like PC, Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation.
1. F1 2021
Starting off the list with some racing action, the official Formula 1 simulator is coming back for another year, developed by Codemasters and published by EA.
Releasing worldwide on July 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, the fourteenth title in the F1 series is the first to be published under EA Sports, as Codemasters got bought by EA in a $1.2 billion deal.
This year’s edition will introduce Braking Point, a story mode that sees Devon Butler, the fictional driver introduced in previous games, return in a new narrative. According to Codemasters, it “immerses players into the glamorous world of Formula One, giving a taste of the lifestyle both on and off the track.”
One other key update to career mode is that in F1 2021, friends will be able to join your career online and play co-operatively. In this mode, your friend can also choose to join a rival team, becoming your main competitor.
2. Cris Tales
The upcoming turn-based RPG, developed by Dreams Uncorporated and published by Modus Games, will be available on July 20.
Cris Tales brings a new perspective to classic Japanese RPGs, with the introduction of dynamic choices that change the future of the narrative as the player progresses through the game.
The game follows a heroine called Crisbell in her quest through past and future visions of her world to prevent a cataclysm at the hands of the Empress of the Ages. The player will be allowed to recruit allies throughout the world. Their unique abilities will aid them in uncovering the Empress’ plot to destroy the world.
Cris Tales’ main mechanic consists of the manipulation of time, and the way the player strategically utilizes this feature to defeat enemies. The screen is split into three different sections: past, present, and future. Crisbell can send enemies back or forth in time, changing their combat characteristics, which can be used to the player’s advantage.
3. Chernobylite
The sci-fi survival horror is officially leaving Early Access on PC on July 28, with a late summer 2021 release scheduled for consoles.
Developed by The Farm 51, the game follows a former Chernobyl nuclear plant physicist that lost their loved one in the Chernobyl Disaster, 30 years ago. Now, the physicist decides to return to the disaster zone and look for their partner.
The gameplay mainly focuses on the exploration of this devastated area, with supply-gathering and item-crafting being some of the essential mechanics of the game. As for enemy encounters, the player can expect hostile military personnel and supernatural threats to make their lives harder.
Focusing a bit more on Chernobylite’s crafting system, players will be able to craft equipment and weapons using the materials and other objects they find during their journey through the exclusion zone.
4. The Ascent
From the hands of Neon Giant, the upcoming action RPG The Ascent is built on Unreal Engine 4 and will be released on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 29.
Taking place in a futuristic dystopian world known as Veles, players will control a worker enslaved by “The Ascent Group”, a megacorporation that controls every aspect of life on Veles. After the fall of this megacorporation, Veles falls into a chaotic society where everyone fights for survival.
The entirety of the game is played from a top-down view of the characters, allowing for the ability to aim both high and low on enemies. Featuring a destructive environment, the players are able to shoot over the top of props and use these props as cover.
The Ascent is an open-world game with no loading screens, that features the classic RPG aspects and mechanics like upgradable skills and abilities, and character customization.
With a big map to play in, the game also features a fast-traveling system, in the form of a subway system, allowing the player to travel vast distances quickly.
5. Observer: System Redux
If you own an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4 and you are a horror fan, you can be extra enthusiastic for this one.
Observer: System Redux is an upgraded and expanded version of 2017’s Observer, a psychological horror developed by Bloober Team and published by Aspyr.
Already released for all other major platforms, Observer: System Redux arrives on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on July 16.
Starring the actor Rutger Hauer and praised for its world design and visual effects, Observer follows Daniel Lazarski, a Krakowian detective of the Observers police unit that can hack people’s brains for interrogation purposes.
As for gameplay aspects, the game has an augmented vision mechanic that allows players to scan for electronic devices and biological evidence. This highlights certain objects in the environment that can be interacted with.
With great games coming in July 2021, gaming fans have their hands full with all these new releases.
Is the next month’s lineup better than June’s lineup? What do you think about all the games listed here? Let me know in the comments down below!
