STAR OCEAN: INTEGRITY AND FAITHLESSNESS
FRI 1 JULY
PLAYSTATION 3 & PLAYSTATION 4
The next chapter in the Star Ocean series is ready to create a deeper level of emotional involvement for gamers this month. It follows the story of a young swordsman who is attempting to defend his village from a bandit raid. Just like many other Japanese role-playing games, he and his friends find themselves swept up in events far greater than themselves. Like the past Star Ocean games, fantasy and science fiction seamlessly meld together in a unique and rich narrative. There’s been a few tweaks in the franchise’s mechanics, including new looks at how skills work and a reimagining of dynamics within the battle system. Players will embark into a new world of experiences, feeling the same awe and excitement as their heroes as they expand the limits of imagination.
JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: EYES OF HEAVEN
FRI 1 JULY
PLAYSTATION 3 & PLAYSTATION 4
Based on the long-running JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Eyes of Heaven brings a 3D fighting game to the franchise. You can either act as a single player or online tag-team, battling in vivid and expansive arenas based on the manga’s locations. It’s bright, frenetic and fun-packed, making a welcome addition to the fighting genre. Characters are categorised by their fighting styles, including Hamon, Ogre Street Techniques, Vampiric, German Science, Mode, Stand and Mounted. This type of game can be an acquired taste, but fans of the format will find the combat fluid and pleasing to control, perfectly capturing the distinctive style of this popular manga world. If you’re bored of endless puzzle solving and just want to bash some opponents, then prepare to do battle!
CARMAGEDDON: MAX DAMAGE
FRI 8 JULY
PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE
Widely condemned and censored around the world on its debut outing almost 20 years ago, Carmageddon gets another bloody and high-octane revision. A driving sensation where pedestrians (and a few cows) equal points and your fiercest opponents are a bunch of crazies, this is the perfect antidote to dull driving sims. There’s a new adrenaline pumping stack of game modes ready to push your skills to the limit. There’s also a wide and varied range of cool, crazy, custom killing machines; each is specifically built for the job in hand – wrecking opponents and killing pedestrians. No matter how intense the action, the Action Replay System, with multiple cameras and replay options means you never miss a pile-up again. Beep! Beep! Coming through…
BATMAN: RETURN TO ARKHAM
FRI 29 JULY
PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE
The world’s greatest detective gets a new sharper look, as both Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City receive next-gen graphic renderings. Alongside the full versions of these titles, gamers will also be able to lap up their complete DLC offerings in one single package. Arkham Asylum sees the Dark Knight trapped in a facility with The Joker and some ruthless thugs. Arkham City meanwhile has our hero face off against nearly all of his deadliest foes amongst Gotham’s urban jungle. Both titles feature excellent combat, clever use of gadgets and intelligent map layouts, which made them stand out from a crowded market. It could be time to don the cape once more.
