There’s
rarely a dull moment in the video game industry, and now is certainly no
exception.
Nintendo
has announced that they are launching their next console, the Nintendo NX, in
March of 2017. Techies eagerly await Sony’s groundbreaking virtual reality system,
the PlayStation VR, heading to stores this October.
And
rumors abound regarding possible upgrades to the and the (you may have heard mention of the “PlayStation 4.5”), consoles that are only
about two-and-a-half years old.
Meanwhile,
gamers are having a blast with such recently released blockbusters as Doom - PlayStation 4
(PS4, Xbox One), Star Fox Zero
(Wii U) and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
(PS4), the
latter of which many are already calling one of the greatest video games of all
time.
Here
are nine more tantalizing titles you might enjoy. Two you can pop in and play
right now; the rest you can enjoy over the next couple of months to escape the
summer heat.
As
always, release dates are subject to change.
Battleborn
PlayStation
4, Xbox One
Publisher:
2K Games. Developer: Gearbox Software.
ESRB
Rating: Teen
$59.99
Available
Now
Many
gamers are currently knee-deep in Battleborn,
a frenetic first-person hero shooter with elements of a MOBA, which, for you
noobs, stands for multiplayer online battle arena. If you have yet to take the
plunge, know this: the game features a robust lineup of 25 playable,
upgradeable characters, each of which has a storyline and distinctive
abilities, weapons and techniques. Five of the characters are immediately
available. To unlock the others, you must finish story missions, achieve new
player ranks or complete an assortment of tasks.
Developed
by Frisco-based Gearbox Software, creators of the hugely popular “Borderlands”
series, Battleborn
released to mixed
reviews, but I like its visual panache and plethora of playable characters.
Disney Art Academy
Nintendo
3DS
Publisher:
Nintendo. Developer: Headstrong Games.
ESRB
Rating: Everyone
$29.99
Available
Now

Once
you’ve created your 2D masterpiece (there is no 3D option), you can post it
directly to the Miiverse or on social media via the 3DS Image Share tool.
Dangerous Golf
PlayStation
4, Xbox One
Publisher:
Three Fields Entertainment. Developer: Three Fields Entertainment.
ESRB
Rating: TBA
$ TBA
(digital download only)
Release
date: June 3
Golf
is the most genteel of sports. Players wear slacks and collared shirts while
viewers speak in hushed tones, clapping politely when their favorite golfer
sinks a long putt. Scratch all of that with Dangerous
Golf, a game of destruction the programmers refer to as a cross between Burnout
, Black and NBA Jam.
Up
to eight players take turns “golfing” in such indoor locations as a kitchen, a
bathroom, a castle and a palace. Instead of just hitting the ball into a flagged
hole, gamers also splat food on walls, spill paint on works of art, set fire to
gas pumps and smash everything from dishes to microwave ovens to grand pianos
and grandfather clocks. Sounds like my kind of golf.
Kirby: Planet Robobot
Nintendo
3DS
Publisher:
Nintendo. Developer: HAL Laboratory.
ESRB
Rating: Everyone
$39.99
Release
date: June 10

The
game also includes a mode called Team Kirby Clash, which lets up to four
players level up their characters (in RPG-like fashion) and cooperate to battle
bosses.
Grand Kingdom
PlayStation
4, PlayStation Vita
Publisher:
NIS America. Developer: Monochrome.
ESRB
Rating: Teen
$49.99
Release
date: June 21
Fans
of JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) should be excited for the U.S. release
of Grand Kingdom
, a tactical,
squad-based game that launched to largely positive reviews in the Land of the
Rising Sun last November. Players lead a team of mercenaries through the
fantasy world of Resonail, using bows, swords and magical attacks in turn-based
battles against such enemies as dragons, harpies and giant wolves.
The
single-player campaign has you trying to unravel the mystery of the collapse of
the Uldein Empire while online play lets you participate in continental warfare
between the Four Great Nations.
No Man’s Sky
PlayStation
4
Publisher:
Hello Games. Developer: Hello Games.
ESRB
Rating: Teen
$59.99
Release
date: June 21

An
immersive adventure set in a vast universe, No Man's Sky
looks to be one of the most open-ended electronic experiences
we’ve ever seen. Exploration and survival take center stage as you traverse
uncharted solar systems, travel to distant planets and suns, catalogue new life
forms, search for ancient artifacts, dogfight in outer space, engage in
first-person combat and collect resources to trade for ships, space suits and
other equipment.
You
can play solo or hop online and share your discoveries with other players, “naming
them and adding them to the Galactic Map, forever associated with your PSN ID.”
This game could literally keep you busy for years.
Umbrella Corps
PlayStation
4
Publisher:
Capcom. Developer: Capcom.
ESRB
Rating: Mature 17+
$29.99
(digital download only)
Release
date: June 21

As
a mercenary with a mission, you, cooperating with fellow mercenaries, compete
online to eliminate zombies while battling rival teams. Defeating enemies
grants points for use in customizing your mask, helmet, armor and Zombie
Jammer, the latter of which helps keep the baddies at bay. You can also unlock
and customize weaponry, such as the new, super powerful Doberman Pincer
shotgun.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Nintendo
3DS, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U
Publisher:
Warner Bros. Developer: Traveller's Tales.
ESRB
Rating: Everyone 10+
$29.99
(3DS, Vita), $49.99 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U), $59.99 (PS4, Xbox One)
Release
date: June 28

Gameplay
is similar to previous “LEGO” titles, with one or two players walking, jumping,
solving puzzles, piecing together items and engaging in comical, lighthearted
battles. New to the series are Multi-Builds, which let you use LEGO bricks to
open up new paths and then break them apart to open more paths, and Blaster
Battles, which let you use your surroundings as cover while facing the First
Order.
Star Ocean 5: Integrity and
Faithlessness
PlayStation
4
Publisher:
Square Enix. Developer: tri-Ace.
ESRB
Rating: Teen
$59.99
Release
date: June 28

The
basic fighting system consists of simple three-button combat (light attack, heavy
attack, and guard), but gamers can create weapons and other items and switch
between seven controllable characters on the fly, each of whom has a different
fighting style. Japanese through-and-through, the anime-style characters were
designed by “Street Fighter” veteran Akira Yasuda.
Carmageddon: Max Damage
PlayStation
4, Xbox One
Publisher:
Stainless Games. Developer: Stainless Games.
ESRB
Rating: TBA
$39.99
Release
date: July 8

There
are more than 30 drivable vehicles to select from in this politically incorrect
game, and you can grab more than different 90 power-ups for increased carnage.
The action takes place in small battle arenas and across such large open
environments as city streets, arid deserts, country trails and icy wastelands,
“all packed with juicy meatbags for your killing pleasure.”
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