SUMMER SIZZLERS
LOCKDOWN MAY BE EASING BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY TIME INDOORS WITH THESE NEW RELEASES
IT’S shaping up to be a strange old summer, with the kids’ break from school feeling just like any other week.
And while I hope you manage to fill August with lots of safe days out, and maybe even a UK break, there will be occasions when you need something else to keep everyone busy.
Luckily a new month means new games, and there are some doozies out over the coming weeks that will appeal to all – even for adults to play when the kids are tucked up in bed.
SKULLY (PEGI 7)
Xbox One, PS4, Switch
RELEASE: Out now
ONE of the more intriguing titles to hit consoles this month.
Set on a mysterious remote island, a skull is given a second chance at life when it washes up on shore.
Reawakened by an enigmatic deity, Skully is summoned to intervene in a war between the deity’s three siblings, whose quarrel jeopardises the very island they live on.
Feeling like a cross between Marble Madness, and Donkey Kong Country,expect to be bowled over by the rolling mayhem, and fall in love with the adorable little beasties that Skully can morph into.
FAST AND FURIOUS CROSSROADS (PEGI 16)
Xbox ONE, PS4, PC
RELEASE: August 7
AS INTRIGUED as I would be to see the Fast and Furious franchise crossover with 60s soap Crossroads, you’ll be relieved to hear you won’t find Benny in his beanie hat behind the wheel of these muscle cars.
With the release of Fast and Furious 9 pushed back thanks to coronavirus, Crossroads might just be the fix that fans need to tide them over to next year. The game stars Sonequa Martin-Green – Michael Burnham in Star Trek Discovery – as Vienna Cole, who is drawn back into the world of racing to help solve a mystery.
Expect explosions, adrenalinefuelled racing and cinematic action.
MR DRILLER DRILLLAND (PEGI 3)
Switch
RELEASE: August 21
ONE of my all time favourite franchises, Mr Driller makes a debut on the Switch towards the end of the month.
Already a huge hit in Japan, this is the first chance western gamers will have had to get their hands on this beautiful remaster on the 2002 GameCube classic.
Set in the secret amusement park known as DrillLand, 500 meters underground, this action puzzler gives you five new ‘attractions’ to conquer using your expert drilling skills.
PINSTRIPE (PEGI 12)
Switch
RELEASE: August 21
THIS beautiful game was a real labour of love, created entirely by a one-man team, Thomas Brush, over the course of five years.
Pinstripe is an emotionally charged adventure through Hell, in which you play as Teddy, an estranged ex-minister forced to venture through the frozen afterlife in search of his three-year-old daughter Bo, who has been kidnapped.
You’ll discover the dark secrets of Teddy’s past, and confront his nemesis, Mr. Pinstripe.
Stunning art and breathtaking score combine with a chilling story that has clearly drawn influences from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Alice in Wonderland.
THE SOJOURN (PEGI 3)
Xbox ONE, PS4, RELEASE: August 21
THE achingly beautiful trailer for this thought-provoking first-person puzzle game immediately piqued my interest.
Players traverse the parallel worlds of light and darkness solving dozens of unique puzzles that challenge your perception of your own reality.
Boasting four chapters, each with their own distinct style and atmosphere, it’s only by exploring the shadowy crevices of the world can you uncover the hidden truth.