I am about to put a stake in the ground here. There was a time when game releases during the summer were few and far between. Now back then, game releases themselves were few and far between so that makes some sense. I belive, however, that the idea of the summer doldrums in gaming was because publishers believed that people are playing outside not inside playing video games. So that stake I was about to put in the ground is this: Do you remember when the first BioShock launched? It was August 21st, 2007 so it qualified as a summer release. After the smash hit BioShock became, I think game companies realized that us gamers tend to spend time indoors a little bit more than what they thought. Since then, games being released in the summer has gradually become a thing to do. Case in point? The list for this week shows at least 23 games. Now most of these are re-releases but it is still more than most weeks any other time of the year! Twenty Three games in a week! That is more than I am going to put in this article so I have made some decisions on what to keep and what not. The results are below:
Endling: Extinction is forever
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Damn. What is with this week? Two games about animals trying to survive and both tugging at my heartstrings a little.
https://youtu.be/kiM2_XB_HZEhttps://youtu.be/kiM2_XB_HZE
As Dusk Falls
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, XSX/S
As Dusk Falls is classified as an Adventure game. To me it looks like more visual novel but the "co-op" has me interested as to how that would work. I don't know about this one. It has me intrigued but navigating and making choice for a dysfunctional family might bring a guy down. Again, I am really interested in this and the concept but just wary of the mind trip.
Stray
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
I have a soft spot in my heart for animals and their welfare. I feel bad when I see stray's roaming around as the world can be a cruel and dangerous place. Stray, is a game where you play as a stray cat trying to return to your family while in a world ful of danger...and puzzles!
Hell Pie
Release Date: July 21st, 2022
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S
There are 3 absolute truths in life: Death, taxes and farts are funny. The title of this 3D action platformer is referencing your quest to gather ingredients so you can make Satan a pie. There is lots of blurred out/pixelated images in the trailer because the game is "obscene"...and farts. Does that make Hell Pie fun or funny? That is entirely up to you! vvvvvvrrrrrrpppppppp!
Four Games! Four out of 23 games that I found that were new. I could have relaxed my principles a little but if I did that for one I would have had to write about another 8 or so games that released earlier this year or late last year in Japan or on other systems that are now making their debut World Wide or on a new system. The other 11-ish games were complete re-releases. Usually I am not excited about that whole thing but one caught my eye - Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance II. Mrs Soup and I loved those early Baldurs gate games so depending on price...maybe?