July 5 – Hi-Fi RUSH Arcade Challenge! Update! (Xbox Series X|S/PC)
July 6 – Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr – Sororitas Class DLC (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
July 6 – Scarf (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
July 6 – New World – Season 2 “Blood of the Sands” (PC)
July 7 – The Legend of Heroes: Trials into ReveriePS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
July 11 – World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (10.1.5) Fractures in Time Update (PC)
July 11 – Rain World: Downpour (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X/Switch)
July 12 – Rain World (Xbox Series X|S)
July 12 – Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals (PS5/PS4/Switch/Android/iOS/Netflix)
July 12 – Mordhau (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One)
July 13 – Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
July 14 – Jagged Alliance 3 (PC)
July 14 – Exoprimal (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
July 18 – Viewfinder (PS5/PC)
July 18 – LISA: Definitive Edition (PS5/PS4/Xbox SeriesX|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
July 20 – The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack (PC)
July 20 – Unholy (PC)
July 20 – Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition (PS4/Switch/PC)
July 21 – TEKKEN 8 – Closed Network Test (PS5)
July 21 – Pikmin 4 (Switch)
July 25 – Remnant 2 (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
July 26 – Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (PC)
July 27 – The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 1 (PS5/PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
July 27 – Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
July 28 – Disney Illusion Island (Switch)
July 28 – TEKKEN 8 – Closed Network Test (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
July 31 – Venba (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
July has blessed us with something of a reprieve from the onslaught of major titles that dominated the first half of 2023. Don’t get me wrong, I love to gnaw on a AAA bone, sucking up that pricey marrow with greed, but I’m thrilled this month gives us a chance to collect ourselves with a nice array of independently sourced teas and biscuits. I think I lost track of this food metaphor about a dozen words ago but I feel like you’ve caught my drift. A dense month in its own right, July is rolling out a pretty wide array of experiences for the WellPlayed team and our Jorts are appropriately stuffed for it.
James
Oxenfree is back! In Lost Signals form. This long awaited sequel has been teasing me for a hot minute, hit with multiple delays since its unveiling back in 2021. But we’re finally here and ready to head back into that colourful, uneasy world that Night School Studio has so beautifully crafted. On the topic of uneasy worlds, Unholy is set for release too. After I had the chance to preview the game last month I came away mostly impressed by its unexpected suit of mechanics and commitment to matriarchal focused horror. Likewise, Lisa: Definitive Edition combines both the original strange side-scroller RPG and its sequel into a, well, definitive package. I’ve only ever experienced these cult hits through late night YouTube videos so this complete set gives me a chance to dive in for myself.
Speaking of second chances (fuck me that was a bad transition), Gunfire Games is back with its hodgepodge Dark Souls-ish multiplayer fantasy shooter, Remnant 2. The first game had a lot of promise, that initial pitch alone was more than enough to get people through the door, but like many I bounced off its opening, awkward hours. With its sequel, there’s another chance (and a perfect window) to capture an audience who want this kind of AA action experience. Much like the newly reformed Telltale Games is trying to recapture the Telltale magic with The Expanse, an episodic series in the same vein as the experiences that made the developer a household name before its horrible implosive collapse. I don’t have much affinity for the television series it’s based on, but I am very much here for a redemptive strike from a new team in a cool sci-fi world.
Rhiannen
MMO lovers like myself will be pleased by the latest update to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight – Fractures in Time Update. This patch will see updates to Warlock and Evoker classes, a whelp daycare and a brand new megadungeon – Dawn of the Infinite. It will be great to get stuck into more adventures with the Bronze Dragonflight and make mummy Straza proud by helping to raise some little whelplings. And after many years of being lost in my bags, I am extremely excited for the arrival of the “sell all junk button”… it’s been a long time coming.
Another game that features large creatures is Exoprimal, which will be launching this month after a short network test that was completed earlier this year. It might not be Dino Crisis (sorry Zach), but it does look like a lot of fun. Who doesn’t want to dress up in exosuits with their friends and fight hordes of space dinosaurs? The juxtaposition of Earth’s most fearsome creatures and the modern technology of 2043 definitely makes combat entertaining and I am certain the PvPvE arenas will be engaging for all. I am also pleased that this will arrive to Xbox Game Pass, so that means no one has an excuse not to play with me, right?
If those are just too scary for you, never fear, Disney is back again with a charming 2D platformer Disney Illusion Island. The art style is giving massive throwback vibes to the origins of Disney and the 4 player co-op looks like a blast. You can choose to play as Minnie, Mickey, Donald or Goofy (I bags Minnie guys, sorry) and gallivant around trying to save an island with books. Seems legit if you ask me. One downside is that it is only playable on Nintendo Switch, however, the entire game is playable in co-op making it very accessible for even the littlest of gamers.
Nathan
Hey, it’s been a little dark and cold around this neck of the woods lately. Luckily, some bright, cozy games are on the horizon to shore up that bottled winter energy and get those jorts a-tingling. First off is the July’s Atelier Marie Remake. The first of Koei Tecmo’s long-running potion-brewing RPG adventure series. This is a colourful and stylised remake of the PS1 original featuring the titular merchant alchemist on her journey to be the very best inventor! Remnant 2 is getting a bit of buzz about the team, as we find ourselves hungry for a new AA action souls-like. This sequel to the co-op third-person shooter souls-like is coming at a time when WellPlayed is looking to shoot guns, get mauled, laugh, cry, and do it all again. Together, of course.
Finally making its way to the Switch is the dark and weird revenge tale Lisa: Definitive Edition. There is a kind of dero, Mad Max-ian flavour to Lisa, presented as a 2D RPG with combat reminiscent of Undertale’s wacky SNES-era turn based encounters. It is hard to describe the experiential horror and absurdity of Lisa in a way that does it justice, but I can see this game perfectly at home on the Nintendo Switch.
A couple of other blasts from the past are the upcoming Jagged Alliance 3 and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition. I recall having a fascination with Jagged Alliance back in the early 2000s. A pastiche of 80s blockbuster action films, wrapped up in a hard-as-nails tactical action game that has somewhat floundered in its series spin-offs after it’s acclaimed sequel. The ambitious move to revive the series with a third mainline title has me cautiously optimistic, but the bane of these games has been transitioning to a 3D engine without being a bit of an unpolished mess. Fortunately, the upcoming Might & Magic spin-off is a re-release of well-received and frankly gorgeous anime reimagining of the RPG tactics series as a puzzle RPG. Bright, colourful, full of personality and sure to tickle that Bejeweled itch, this makes a wonderful bookend to the month of July.
Mark
We’re in the eye of the 2023 release storm, a brief moment to catch our collective breaths and relax a little before the second half of the year bangs us over the head repeatedly with endless space exploration and giant mech battles. What better time, then, to settle in with some colourful distractions to chill to.
Pikmin 4 is on the top of my list for July, and for good reason. The series may not be a massive crowd puller but it’s always managed to deliver some quality puzzle solving, and so far the fourth entry looks the goods with some cute new mechanics and a very good fluffy boy assistant. If you’ve exhausted every possible secret on Hyrule’s map, Pikmin should fill that gap rather nicely. Speaking of puzzles, Viewfinder has been on my watch list for what feels like an age and it’s release is now right around the corner. I was taken by the concept of turning Polaroid photos into new environments to explore in an instant, and the recent demo teases some interesting story threads to go along with its creative ideas. I’ve also been highly anticipating Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals and Venba, two very different but equally quality looking indies that should deliver some memorable moments between them.
What games are you keen for in July? Does time’s endless march fill you with feelings you can only sufficiently ignore by playing those same games? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
