This summer, video game producers aren’t going on vacation, bringing us some great releases like Stray, the cat adventure game from a small studio in Montpellier that could become one of the ‘indie’ nuggets of the year. The big teams are also on the road with F1 22. We don’t forget the Ninja Turtles, who made a surprise appearance in mid-June, nor of course the opening of the crazy university Two Point Campus. Finally you can groove to the frenzied rhythms of Figment 2 or lose yourself in the dreamlike world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. You are in control!
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Shredder’s Revenge”: old-fashioned battle
You might have missed it, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made a resounding comeback earlier this summer. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge “is a love letter to the old (video game) beat ’em up Turtles.” according to Eric Lafontaine, head of marketing at Quebec studio Tribute Games. Created in pixel art, the title mixes nostalgia and modernity, in homage to the games of the 80s and 90s, which were “almost 3D” at the time. The sets are teeming with Ninja Turtles references and will delight fans of Michelangelo and his masked friends. In terms of gameplay, don’t expect great difficulties, the goal is clearly to have fun by chaining simple combos. While the title is heavily inspired by its 1991 ancestor, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Turtles in Time, nostalgics and newcomers alike should enjoy this hilarious and wacky spree of violence.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge / Tribute Games / On Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC since June 16th.
“F1 22”: pit opening
F1 22, Codemasters’ Formula 1 racing sim, has joined the Electronic Arts stable and intends to expand its field of potential players. Intoxicated by the success of the Netflix series Drivers of their Destiny, which refines the racing seasons by making them more attractive to young people, F1 22 is preparing to welcome rookies not really used to the paddocks. The new version, which of course contains all the official routes and drivers of the current season, offers levels of difficulty that are adapted to both newcomers and experienced riders alike.
As for what’s new, EA wants to emphasize multiplayer with more customization options and further enhance immersion with redesigned artificial intelligence and overhauled cutscenes. A priori, the level of the teams will not be adjusted to reality in order to offer more open championships, so Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull should not monopolize all the podiums. Finally, if you play on PC, the immersion in the cockpit can be even more intense as you can drive your car with a virtual reality headset.
F1 22 / EA Sports / On PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Series and PC since July 1st.
“Xenoblade Chronicles 3”: warrior poetry
A magical wind could blow over the Switch this summer with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This Japanese role-playing game, which has already enchanted many players, returns with an ambitious open world whose first images suggest a universe that is as gigantic as it is poetic. . The story takes place in a time after the previous episodes and takes us to the world of Aionos, where two warring nations wage a merciless war. Keves has made technology his spearhead and features hand-held mechanized combat units. The people of Agnus now go all magic, using small, mobile and autonomous weapons powered by Ether. Six soldiers from these two warring nations must learn to get along to uncover the truth behind this conflict.
As usual in the series, the story promises to be full of surprises and twists. The game gives pride of place to battles in which it will be necessary to use the skills of each member of the party to hope for victory. Studio Monolith Soft adds that certain character duos can fuse in clashes to transform into a gigantic ouroboros with their own fighting techniques. Undoubtedly the key to defeating certain bosses.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 / Monolith Soft / On Switch July 29th.
“Stray”: a cat’s life
The first images of Stray, published in 2020, ignited the internet and many players expressed their impatience, curious to be able to embody this young cat lost in the meanders of a futuristic city populated by humanoid robots. Because it is indeed a cat that guides you in the creation of the small studio Blue Twelve in Montpellier. Nimble jumps, kicks or purrs, you have an arsenal that is not very classic for a video game and you have to be clever for your street cat to find its way home. The environment, with a cyberpunk vibe, is all the more disturbing as no living thing seems to inhabit this place, only robots with human behavior come to interact with you, some friendly, some more aggressive. But rest assured, a drone will quickly come to the rescue of our clawed hero, allowing him to develop his skills. To practice between two naps, of course, because a cat is a cat.
Stray / BlueTwelve Studio / On PS5, PS4 and PC on July 19th.
“Two Point Campus”: abnormal sup
Following the success of Two Point Hospital, which offered to run a nursing facility whose patients had rather surprising pathologies, British studio Two Point is taking on higher education. Simulation game fans have probably already pre-registered at this university, which risks giving secondary education a real facelift. In Two Point Campus you need to build everything from classrooms to living quarters to the outdoor environment. The ergonomics of the creation tools have been redesigned to give budding architects more freedom. Recruiting teachers is also your responsibility and the program risks being overloaded with innovative themes such as chivalry or giant gastronomy.
More than Hospital, Campus emphasizes the social aspect, asking players to care for students who constantly have new desires to satisfy in order to reach their full potential. The already postponed Two Point campus is normally scheduled to open on August 16.
Two Point Campus / Sega / On PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Series, Switch and PC on August 16th.
Figment 2 – Creed Valley: Rock Spirit
Figment 2 – Creed Valley is a puzzle adventure game that shines with the quality of its scenery and musical setting. We find Dusty, already present in the first episode, who once again has to fight against the nightmares that invade the human mind. Danish studio Bedtime Digital Games has pulled out its guitars and brooms and offers us a trailer in the form of a rather enticing music video.
Image 2: Creed Valley / Bedtime Digital Games / On Switch and PC August 19th.
“Soul Hackers 2”: the salsa of the demons
In this Japanese role-playing game, you play the agents of a particularly well-informed artificial intelligence that has foreseen the end of the world and wants to fight back. A cyberpunk atmosphere where you can summon demons to face your opponents in turn-based battles. Several humans have developed these abilities and can access a kind of parallel dimension where demons are legion. They have forged secret clans, some operating illegally. This episode is the direct sequel to the first Soul Hackers and the fifth in the Devil Summoner series.
Soul Hackers 2 / Sega / On PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Series and PC on August 26th.