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The best new game releases for July 2020

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Video gamers are in for a treat in July, with several impressive new games coming out. There’s a new Paper Mario game, an open-world samurai game, and a VR game featuring everyone’s favorite iron-costumed superhero.

Here’s a closer look at some of July’s most anticipated titles.

Iron Man VR

Iron Man VR is meant to put players directly into the Iron Man suit in a way that was never possible before. It’s not an “experience” game, but rather a full-fledged title with a full storyline and lore.

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The VR headset works just like Iron Man’s heads-up display in the movies, and early reviews call the game seamless. The game is not set on rails, and players have a lot of control over where Iron Man can go, allowing for a one-of-a-kind experience.

While several PlayStation VR games only allow for forward or side motion, Iron Man VR allows for 360-degree play. The game came out on July 3 on the PlayStation VR.

Overcooked! 2: Suns Out Buns Out DLC

The developers of Overcooked! 2 will release free DLC update over the holiday weekend, adding a slew of new features to the game. The frantic cooking game’s new additions include two new dishes, new canine chefs, and a total of five new levels to play through.

The game also has a new parade theme that’ll feature kitchens on moving floats, as well as fireworks and confetti. The original game was released in 2018, and the new DLC released on July 5 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

F1 2020

F1 2020 is the latest official Formula 1 racing game, and it’s being hailed as the series’s most accessible entry ever. This time around, the career mode was amped up, and players can make their own teams, choose a sponsor and an engine supplier, and compete as the 11th team on the asphalt.

Developers have also added split-screen racing and a new steering assist. The game is officially licensed, so it has all of the official teams and drivers, as well as two new courses: Hanoi Circuit and Circuit Zandvoort. The game releases on July 6 for PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC.

Nascar Heat 5

The latest Nascar game has made some incremental changes for its latest iteration, but all the heavy-hitting features, like career mode, split-screen multiplayer, and truck racing, are back. New additions include solo practice sessions and reduced pit stop times, as well as an ability to track career stats.

Nascar No. 9 driver Chase Elliott graces the cover of the game, which was developed by 704Games and published by Motorsport Games. It releases on July 7 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Catherine: Full Body Switch

Catherine: Full Body Switch is one of the more strange titles to get released this month, and probably ever. It centers around Vincent, a man who’s been dating Katherine for five years, but he’s also cheating on her with a woman named … Catherine. And another named Rin.

The game has a Japanese anime style to it, and most of the action revolves around Vincent trying to climb out of nightmares, interspersed by racy cutscenes. It also has an “M” rating for nudity, alcohol, and violence. It’s already out for PlayStation 4, but it will be available on the Nintendo Switch on July 7.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is a time-traveling survival horror game that takes place in modern-day Boston. The game serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the previous entry in the series, and it follows protagonist FBI agents Davis and Jones as they investigate the Le Carré serial killings.

The game features an ability to travel around town by foot or skateboard, and a number of side quests and mini-games. It releases on July 10 for the Nintendo Switch.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima’s latest post-apocalyptic epic, made quite the splash when it came out in November of last year. Some called it groundbreaking. Others criticized it as a glorified “walking simulator.”

The game centers around freelance delivery man Sam Porter Bridges, who is tasked with delivering packages across a ravaged landscape, in a civilization trying to rebuild after society collapses.

Norman Reedus, of The Walking Dead fame, plays Sam, and Mads Mikkelsen plays the antagonist. The game releases on July 14 and will be available in both the Steam and Epic Games Store.

Rocket Arena

Can’t get enough battle royale-type games? Rocket Arena is a fresh take on the genre. Published by Electronic Arts, this multiplayer shooting game may seem to have a lot of similarities with Fortnite, but it’s a beast all its own. Players in the game only shoot rockets as they try to blast each other out of playing arenas.

Similar to Super Smash Bros., characters have meters that get filled up with every hit, and the higher the meter the farther they fly. There’s also a technique called rocket jumping, which will allow for fun traversal through the arenas. The game is not free to play, however, and will cost $30. It releases on July 14 on Windows, PS4, and Xbox One.

Neon Abyss

Neon Abyss is a retro 2D action platformer reminiscent of ’90s titles like Metal Slug. The player controls a member of the Grim Squad, a team sent in to run and gun in the Abyss by Hades. With a pulsing soundtrack and striking visuals, the game features a dungeon evolution system that changes rules often.

Each dungeon in the game is unique, and subsequent playthroughs can reveal new rooms, bosses, and even endings. Player choice will decide how the story unfolds, and the game allows for unlimited item stacking for frantic gameplay. Neon Abyss is out July 14 on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete

The first Superhot made a huge splash when it was released in 2016 due to its original premise and gameplay. It’s a first-person shooter, but that where similarities to normal games end. Time in the game only moves when the player does, so players can move in slow motion to shoot and avoid enemies, creating what is almost more of a strategy game than a run-and-gun title.

Mind Control Delete is the third game in the series, and it promises to be bigger, with more characters and techniques than its predecessors. It releases on July 16 on PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

We haven’t seen a new Paper Mario game since Paper Mario: Color Splash for the Wii U in 2016. The series, known for its innovative 2D graphics full of bright colors and humor, is coming to the Nintendo Switch in an all-new adventure.

This time around, Mario and his partner Olivia battle a mysterious origami menace named King Olly, who has taken over Princess Peach’s castle as part of his plan to fold the world.

The game was always known for its clever visuals, which play with line of sight and perspective, and this new title is no different. The game features an all-new battle system, and Mario can interact with his environment by bending, pulling, and peeling the landscape around him.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is available on July 17.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful game by Sucker Punch Studios, the developers behind the Infamous franchise. It centers around Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai in 13th-century Japan, as he tries to save the island of Tsushima from Mongol invaders.

Trailers for the game show lush landscapes and sprawling battlefields, as well as impressive motion capture acting and a swelling soundtrack. It’s an open-world game tailor-made for exploration and discovery and allowing for either stealth or traditional battle tactics.

It releases July 17 on the PlayStation 4.

Bounty Battle

Ever wonder what it would be like if Juan Aguacate from Guacamelee! went head to head with Owlboy? Wonder no more! Bounty Battle is a fighting game with some of the most famous indie video game characters in recent memory going head to head.

Characters from titles like EITR, Super Comboman, Pankapu, Flinthook, Doko Roko, Tower of Samsara, Blubber Busters, Ruin of the Reckless, The Bug Butcher, Blocks That Matter, Axiom Verge, SteamWorld Dig, Oddmar, and Jotun are all represented in the game. Four can play at the same time in levels inspired by the games. It releases on July 23 on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.

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Jon Silman
Jon Silman
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