“Lite.” If July were a food, that word would be written on the can. There are hardly any notable releases this month, as consumers would much rather spend their time outdoors doing barbecue-y and swimming-y things. Apparently, there’s such a thing as a “sun”, but we won’t believe it until we see it ourselves.
With that said, there are a few of us who will still be playing games this month, if anything else than to catch up on everything we’d missed so far this year.
The marquee titles for July 2011 are El Shaddai, NCAA Football 12, and Bastion.
Instant Analysis
Like June, this is a great month to catch up on your huge backlog. July is jam-packed with licensed movie properties, which for the most part are probably not any good. Your best bet is to pick up El Shaddai for any action gaming that you’re in need of, should Shadows of the Damned not be tiding you over from June. July kicks off the sports gaming season, with the first big one being NCAA 12. If you’re anything like us, then you probably much rather prefer NCAA to Madden.
But really, the big story of the month is the downloadable side. The Summer of Arcade kicks off with a couple of good ones. Bastion and From Dust are both very interesting games, and since E3 we’ve kept them in our sights, but also don’t forget Ms Splosion Man. July brings DLC for some of the biggest games of the year, and considering how deep some of them can be it is almost like having soft “sequels”. They should be able to keep you busy for a couple weeks, at least. The rest of the time? We suggest you finally get to vacuuming out your car. That shit got nasty in there, yo!
Console Games
El Shaddai – If it seems like we’re high on praise for El Shaddai, it’s because we see it as a standout when it comes to mixing art, design, storytelling, and games. The game is based on religion, but it doesn’t present it in the typical, preachy way. It’s pure action. And, it’s stunningly beautiful.
Resistance Dual Pack (PS3) – We liked Resistance 3 at E3 this year. What better way to get into the series than to pick up the first two games in one bundle? It’s perfect mid-Summer FPS play.
NCAA Football 12 – We’ve always liked NCAA over Madden, because it lets us use any team we want to beat up on Ohio State. Hell, the NCAA will be doing that this year, too, thanks to Tressel-gate. Join the rest of us and do the same.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II – Hey, the books and movies have been good. The games haven’t. At least you can close off the series for good with this one, because it’s the only one you’d need to play, really.
Captain America – The design of the suit, vehicles, and weapons look cool. The movie… we’ll wait and see. Typically licensed games aren’t very good, so maybe rent this for the eye candy.
Call of Juarez: The Cartel – The series has been so-so, but we always give a few extra points to games that get BANNED IN MEXICO.
Catherine – Underwear? Relationships? Sexy time. Catherine actually seems like a very novel game for Western audiences, as it’s typically the kind of stuff that doesn’t make it over the Pacific to us. Give it a shot, just to see, eh?
Portable Games
Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions (3DS) – As the only portable game that even comes close to mattering, Dimensions has the weight of the hand held market on its shoulders. Or, not. You could pick this up simply to see the games in 3D, which actually worked fairly well in previews we’ve seen.
Downloads
Deadliest Warrior: Legends – It’s more fighting, but now with actual historic figures instead of “Centurion” and “Spartan”.
Ms Splosion Man – Hey, we kinda liked the first game, even though it was a bit repetitive. Give the sequel a chance, as it’s more of the same ‘splosion fun we like.
L.A. Noire: Reefer Madness – More L.A. Noire? Yes, please.
Bastion – What the heck is Bastion? It’s a bit RPG, a bit Strategy, a bit action, and all damn good. It’s the first Summer of Arcade game this year.
Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues – With most of the bugs worked out, more and more folks are realizing that New Vegas is actually a pretty solid game. More expansions are a good thing.
Dragon Age II: Legacy – While the game wasn’t nearly as good as the original, it still sold quite well. That’s… probably the only reason to pick up the DLC: justifying your initial purchase.
From Dust – Another Summer of Arcade game, From Dust is really ambitious. It’s essentially a mission-based first person Populous. Amazing mix of genres that apparently works together really well.
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