The BRAG’s resident gaming expert Adam Guetti looks ahead to a big month in console and handheld gaming.
New Releases
E3 might have you looking longingly at the blockbusters waiting in the wings of 2018, but rest assured July still has plenty to offer you.
First up on Thursday July 6, the Nintendo Switch catalogue gains a new member in the form of The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+. The port adds new game modes as well as a slew of bonus content to keep you chugging along.
Jump ahead to Tuesday July 11 and PS4 owners can relieve the controversial Final Fantasy XII through The Zodiac Age. Prettier visuals are a given, but a new trial mode and fresh background music should help convince any fence-sitting JRPG fans.
Meanwhile, Friday July 21 will serve up two family friendly offerings. The first is Splatoon 2: a bigger and brighter sequel featuring new weapons and local multiplayer that splashes its way onto the Nintendo Switch. The second, also for the Switch, is Minecraft: Story Mode, which packs all eight previously released episodes onto a single cartridge.
Finally, the 3DS scores a double dose of love on Saturday July 29. Brain Training: Can You Stay Focused? may have a painfully long title, but the gameplay should remain as addictive as when it first won over the masses. Hey! Pikmin, on the other hand, switches up the series’ classic formula by turning it into a 2D platformer after resident klutz Captain Oliver finds himself crashing on a foreign planet… again.
E3’s Top 3
The One For You
Microsoft has been yammering on about Project Scorpio for a while now, but its 2017 conference finally unveiled the final vision – the Xbox One X. Touted as the world’s most powerful console, the One X offers up a six teraflop GPU and true 4K gaming to help make it 40 per cent beefier than any other console on the market. You’ll be able to find it on our shores from Tuesday November 7 this year, with a retail tag of $649.
Nintendo Goes Big
If you’re a Switch owner growing tired of the constant drought comments, Nintendo has sought out alleviate your pain. In one of the company’s more eventful E3s in recent memory, a slew of fan favourites were announced. That means in addition to Super Mario Odyssey in October, a new Kirby title and Yoshi title are both inbound for the portable-home console hybrid. That’s ignoring the surprise announcements of Metroid Prime 4 and a mainline Pokémon entry.
Tingling Our Spidey Senses
How Sony performed during its annual press conference is debatable depending on who you ask, but one thing that cannot be denied is how truly exceptional Spider-Man is shaping up. Closing out the conference with a fairly extensive gameplay demo, Insomniac’s take on the web-slinger definitely seems to be hitting all the right notes. Combat looks fast yet fluid, soaring through the city appears easy and responsive, and those set pieces… positively jaw-dropping. 2018 can’t come soon enough.
Review Round-Up
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Switch
When Mario Kart 8 first released for the Wii U back in 2014, it was a truly exceptional racer that marked a high point for the fan favourite series. It’s a true credit to this Nintendo Switch upgrade (or Deluxe) that it is able to refine and improve on those impressive foundations. It helps that Deluxe comes packing all the previously released DLC, along with some fun new additions, so you’ll have access to 42 wonderfully diverse characters over 48 well-designed courses.
The big-ticket item, however, is the completely revamped Battle mode. A major sticking point in the original release, the mode has been beefed up with reimagined options that bring smart and competitive angles.
Owners of the Wii U version might not want to double-up on their purchase, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still has a worthy place on any shelf.
4.5 stars
Dirt 4
PS4, XBO, PC
While Dirt Rally was celebrated by racing fans as a polished representation of the sport, it also packed more than its fair share of challenge. Unsurprisingly then, with its follow-up Dirt 4, Codemasters has tried to offer up something a little more accessible without diluting the core soul of the series. The good news is that it has succeeded.
A friendlier handling system eases up the challenge by presenting a more arcade-like feel that should help out interested newcomers, while the series’ more authentic handling remains, allowing each class and car to have a uniquely distinct feel that is a blast to drive.
A few graphical hiccups aside, this is still one of the most competent racers on the market.
4 stars
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
PS4
Just in case you’ve been understandably bamboozled by the barrage of collections Square Enix has offered on PS3 over the last few years, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix combines all of these collections into one of the most incredibly robust packages ever, filled to the brim with hundreds of hours of gameplay.
If you’ve played through the beloved series already, your gripes are likely to remain unchanged. Combat is still a little clunky and the camera can irk. Still, the games have aged fairly well, so if you’re looking to catch up on the series, this is the best-looking iteration you’re going to be able to get your hands on and the best way to get reacquainted with Sora and friends before the saga’s next big entry.
4 stars
