July, and the summer months in general, are a slower time for video games, but there are still quite a few exciting titles coming across all platforms.
A promising VR shooter is launching exclusively for PS VR2 as a much-needed boost to the new VR headset’s library of games, while third-person shooter fans will also be getting a dinosaur shooter from Capcom on all consoles and the PC.
The fourth main instalment in a beloved Nintendo series from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto will be this month’s highlight on the Switch, together with a Disney platformer where you play with Mickey Mouse and his friends.
Sports fans will be putting their managerial skills to the test with the latest annual instalment in the F1 Manager series, as an iconic beat ’em up franchise is back with a new game, after a six-year hiatus.
All in all, the quietest month of the year still offers something new for everyone, so let’s have a look at the best games releasing in July 2023.
Synapse
Synapse is a stylish VR action shooter, where you wield telekinetic abilities in a hostile world that exists in the mind of your enemy. You play as a mind-breaking operative who invades the subconscious of an enemy of the state and battles the forces his mind creates.
The promising dual-wielding gameplay allows you to use both your weapons and telekinetic powers at the same time. Synapse opts for rogue-lite progression in which you gradually unlock increasingly sophisticated skills and abilities.
Synapse releases July 4 exclusively on PS5’s PSVR2.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
Lost Signals is a sequel to 2016’s mystery horror adventure Oxenfree, set five years after the events of the first game, as the protagonist Riley returns to her hometown to investigate mysterious signals.
The original indie game is heavily inspired by the same ‘80s aesthetic and themes that made Stranger Things a smash hit on Netflix, so it’s no surprise that the streaming giant has decided to produce this sequel.
Both the first game and the upcoming Oxenfree II should be a no-brainer for any fan of the show, as they bring a similar coming-of-age story within a supernatural backdrop, wrapped in a puzzle-solving game.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is coming July 12 for PS4, PS5, PC, Switch and on Android and iOS devices via Netflix Games.
Exoprimal
Exoprimal is a third-person shooter where you fight against waves of dinosaurs and genetically-mutated prehistoric beasts. It is a team-based online game where you and four other players join forces to deal with the dinosaur threat as you compete against another team in a variety of missions.
You play as a squad of humans wearing hi-tech futuristic exosuits, giving you a range of abilities. Each player on the team can take one of three distinct roles – assault, tank, and support, and these can be switched at any time, even during battle.
The game is coming simultaneously to all platforms except the Nintendo Switch and will feature full crossplay, enabling you to take on challenges with friends or strangers regardless of the platform each of you is using.
Developer Capcom hosted a second open beta of Exoprimal recently, ahead of its release.
Exoprimal is coming out on July 14 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series One, Xbox Series X|S, PC.
Pikmin 4
The fourth mainline instalment in the beloved Nintendo series, where you direct hordes of plant-like creatures to collect items, is finally just around the corner. Pikmin 4 retains the core gameplay of its predecessors while adding new features to the tried and tested formula.
For the first time in the series, your creatures’ leader is fully customizable, as we saw in a recent Pikmin 4 trailer. There’ll also be a new dog-like creature called Oatchi, which can help with tasks and transport Pikmin across water.
A Pikmin 4 free demo has just launched on the Nintendo eShop, so you can try the game before it launches and get a head start, as any progress you make will carry over to the full version. Completing the demo will also grant you special rewards in the augmented reality game Pikmin Bloom.
Pikmin 4 launches July 21 and is a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Remnant II
In Remnant II you play as one of humanity’s last survivors, fighting against deadly creatures and bosses across post-apocalyptic worlds. This sequel to 2019’s Remnant: From the Ashes brings new worlds to explore and an expanded progression system with new bonuses and powers.
You can fight the forces of evil on your own, or together with up to two friends and save humanity from extinction. Remnant II promises endless replayability with tonnes of quests and dynamically generated dungeons and areas.
Remnant II will release July 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Rise of the Dragons is a fresh addition to the long-running Double Dragon series of beat ‘em up games, which started back in the late ‘80s.
This first new main entry to the franchise since 2017, explores the early years of the Double Dragon brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they face old and new enemies in a ‘90s alt-history New York City devastated by nuclear war.
The game’s 2D side-scrolling gameplay with combos stays true to the genre’s origins, with 4 starting characters to play with and 9 more to unlock. Rise of Dragons also features a local co-op mode for two players to clean up the mean streets together.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is coming July 27 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch.
Disney Illusion Island
Announced at the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, Disney Illusion Island is a side-scrolling platformer where you play as Mickey Mouse and his friends, who are on a quest to explore a mysterious island called Monoth. The game features Metroidvania elements with unlockable abilities that let you reach new places and find secret areas.
The platformer is all about cooperating with friends and family, as it allows up to four players to team up in local multiplayer, with each character helping out with unique abilities.
Disney Illusion Island releases July 28 exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
F1 Manager 2023
The second title in the F1 Manager series from Frontier Developments puts you in the shoes of a Formula 1 team principal, as you manage every aspect of the team during the 2023 F1 season.
F1 Manager 2023 is set to bring an update to the cars, drivers, circuits and challenges, including the addition of the new Las Vegas Strip Circuit, this season’s newcomer to the F1 calendar. The upcoming game promises to fix some issues of its predecessor, with smarter AI, an expanded driver confidence mechanic, new ways to manage the pit crew, and more.
Pre-orders for the racing management game are available now and come with three exclusive scenarios, and Deluxe edition owners will get to play four days before launch.
F1 Manager 2023 is coming July 31 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Written by Stoyan Ovcharov on behalf of GLHF.
