This week in gaming has something to please all, from sports games and arcade racers, to remasterings of old (ish) favourites.
First up we have what I think is a golf game, in Rory McIlroy PGA Tour on the Xbox One and PS4. I think it’s golf. I don’t really know sports. Apparently this is the first PGA Tour game to be co-branded with Mcllroy, who serves as the replacement for the previous face of the franchise, Tiger Woods. As well as the game now running on the Frostbite 3 engine, which in essence, makes everything look really, really good, players will also be offered three swing modes; “Arcade”, which uses the analog sticks to swing, and allows application of spin to the ball in mid-air, the traditional “3-Click”, and “Tour”. Hopefully these new features will help you all score plenty of home-runs/goals/touchdowns, or whatever it is one does in golf. The game is released on Tuesday 14th July.
July 14th also sees the release of the Awesome Level Max expansion for driving-platformer Trials Fusion. Included in the pack are 30 brand new tracks, five new achievements/trophies, 30 new track challenges and dozens of new editor objects, as well as (and I kid you not) a playable unicorn-riding cat. Apparently the unicorn also breathes fire. So you know, buy it. Awesome Level Max will be available on PS4, XBOX ONE and PC.
Guild of Dungeoneering is getting its release on 14th as well. The game, available on Steam, is a turn-based dungeon crawler with a twist. Instead of controlling the hero, you build the dungeon around him, laying down traps, monsters and the layout of levels, which sounds like a fun change-up. GOD was one of the indie games showcased by Versus Evil at E3, and has a distinct hand-drawn style to compliment its lower budget origins. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, then this might be right up your alley.
Next is the PS4 release of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Released in 2014 on PC, the first-person horror-adventure game received extremely positive reviews the first time around. As detective Paul Prospero, players will investigate the titular disappearance in the mysterious Red Creek Valley. With an emphasis on atmosphere, mood, and character, the game promises to be a unique experience, as players utilize Prospero’s ability to communicate with the dead, in order to uncover the Valley’s dark secrets. Additionally as a non-linear game, players can conduct the investigation at their own pace in their own way. Ethan Carter also represents the continuation of what is hopefully a new trend in horror gaming, as it forgoes any kind of combat and instead puts a distinct emphasis on a foreboding sense of unease. With games like the upcoming Alison Road and the ill-fated Silent Hills also taking the genre in this direction, it may be that the days of shooters disguised as horror games (à la Fear) are behind us. You can pick up the game from July 15th.
After all that sport and driving nonsense, we are now firmly in my own comfort-zone, with giants monsters punching other giant monsters in the face. Essentially a beat ’em up in the vein of Mortal Kombat, Godzilla (PS3/PS4) lets players take control of the various monsters and robots from the original Japanese films, and level cities as they fight one another. With the likes of Mothra, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla all making an appearance, this is one that will certainly please fans of big monsters and robots… which is everyone right? Right? Godzilla is released on 17th July.
Remember when new consoles came with similarly new and exciting titles? Sony and Microsoft don’t. So here’s the latest off the remaster bandwagon, God of War III Remastered (Ps4). Apparently the original game from 2010 looks so rubbish now, that we were in dire need of this. In all seriousness though, if you never picked up the game when it first came out, then you could do a lot worse than this. There might not be any major changes to gameplay (there is an obligatory photo mode!) but if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The game can be picked up on the 17th July.
