Summertime gaming is all about portable consoles for me. Something I can take with me on trips, camping, or even just to sit out on the patio. The Nintendo Switch is absolutely perfect for that, and July 2022 looks to have quite a few new games! So grab one of these, and then go sit under a giant umbrella and enjoy that fresh air.
July 1: Beasties
A monster trainer game (suspiciously similar to a well-known game series that will go unnamed here), mixed with a match-3 game? Honestly, I'm just curious how this goes.
-Elinzia
July 5: Yurukill: The Calumniation Games
Part visual novel, part adventure-puzzle game, part shump, Yurukill is a wild blend from Izanagi Games, known for titles like Death Come True and World's End Club that step outside genre norms. But all three parts are in great hands, with action gameplay from veteran studio G.rev and a story from the original creators of Kakegurui, the intensity is sure to heat up on all sides of this one!
– Data_Error
July 8: KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series
While it's not the revival of a series with ‘Phantasy' in the title I was personally hoping for, this compilation of remasters of Klonoa 1&2 will absolutely suffice. I'm particularly nostalgic for the first game and its unexpected mixture of whimsy and existential dread. If you like quirky 2.5D platformers in the vein of developer Treasure's finest, you'll enjoy the Klonoa series.
-Steve
July 12: Time on Frog Island
While the cover art for this game originally put me off of it, the actual game art and description of it caught my attention and now I'm super excited. A cozy sandbox game on an island of friendly froggy locals? Yes.
-Elinzia
July 14: XEL
Touted as a “sci-fi Zelda-like” and with some great graphics, XEL has my attention as something that could end up being amazing.
-Elinzia
July 21: Wayward Strand
I do love me a cozy indie adventure game, and Wayward Strand is dead on that target. As kid journalist Casey, you're tasked with less uncovering a mystery, and more just talking with the various people aboard a hospital airship and perhaps trying to ease their lives a bit. A low-stakes, intimate game with a “summer trip” vibe, Wayward Strand could either be a welcome respite or a source of The Feels, and I'm here for both options.
– Data_Error
July 21: River City Saga: Three Kingdoms
I got super pulled into the world of River City with River City Girls, and this team-up with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series is the weirdest and wildest thing I could imagine. It's so bizarre it has to be good… right?
– TroytlePower
July 21: Post Void
If you can manage to play this fast-paced, visually abrasive first person shooter without losing your mind, it seems like it'll be an absolute blast… but that's a really big if.
– TroytlePower
July 21: Hell Pie
I've loved 3D platforms since I was a kid, and this game seems to have been designed with kid-Troytle's sense of humor in mind.
– TroytlePower
July 22: Live A Live
Live A Live is one of those classic JRPGs that, for how influential it was on the games that followed after, we never officially got in the West. So, for anybody who recognizes the name, this was the news of the day back when it was announced. Featuring seven wildly-different anthology-like stories that dovetail into one shared experience, Live A Live is a testament to how much you can do with relatively short JRPGs, and with the fresh HD-2D coat of paint, it's sure to delight a new generation.
– Data_Error
July 28: Azure Striker Gunvolt 3
I played the heck out of Azure Striker Gunvolt 1&2 on the 3DS. Then I played the heck out of them again on Switch. The series captures that classic Mega Man feel while introducing some slightly more complicated mechanics with addictive results. I expect more manic run ‘n gun action and all the anime tropes with Gunvolt 3!
-Steve
July 28: Bear and Breakfast
Bear and Breakfast is probably my most anticipated game of July. A “laid back, management, adventure game” with adorable graphics just sounds like my kind of game right now. Plus, I love bears and I love breakfast.
-Elinzia
July 29: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The ‘Xeno' saga has had a fascinating evolution since Xenogears debuted nearly 25 years ago. While I always enjoyed the series' leanings toward psychology and philosophy, it wasn't until the Xenoblade Chronicles games that I actually loved how they played. XC3 looks like a fitting successor to the series' legacy with ambitious open world design and some tantalizing visual indicators of how it ties into previous entries.
-Steve
July 29: Digimon Survive
It feels like we've been waiting on Digimon Survive forever. Originally planned for a release in the before times of 2019, this game is finally seeing the light of day, and I can't wait to dig in. Billed as “70% visual novel, 30% tactical battles” and featuring a wide cast of distinct characters, this feels like a real spiritual callback to what I adore about the original Adventure series. Its over-40-hour run time may be daunting, but between its high production value and my own nostalgia, I feel like I'll tear through this in a flash.
– Data_Error
My wife absolutely adored Time on Frog Island. It took a little to get used to and understand the gameplay loop, but after that, she was all-in. It was fun to watch, too!