Five video games to keep you indoors this summer
From demons to dinosaurs and Disney characters, these new titles offer great adventures to get lost in
Prepare to stay indoors this summer.
We have already seen the arrival of a number of major, long video games this year, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – and there is more to come.
Whether you want to battle hellish demons – literal ones or the more existential kind – or take part in an interactive Mickey Mouse film, games this summer will have you covered.
Here are five games we cannot wait to play.
1. Diablo IV
Life can be stressful. Sometimes the best relief is to escape into a metaphorical hell and slash at demons and battle the dead.
Diablo IV from Blizzard Entertainment promises plenty of necromancy action as players explore the elegantly gloomy world of the Sanctuary, a realm between heaven and hell that the demon master Lilith is using as her plaything.
It’s been 11 years since the release of Diablo III, and Blizzard is counting on a new generation of cult-slayers to take to Diablo IV, which will be easier to play with others and team up with friends.
If the line between good and evil is clear, expect an encyclopedic-level of options – from character attributes to sorcery and a long demonic roster – to get lost in.
Release date: June 5
Platforms: PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, PC
2. Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy games can be overwhelming to the uninitiated, with a multitude of games and spin-offs often providing no obvious point of entry.
Final Fantasy XVI could be that place to jump in, as this stand-alone story promises a
Game of Thrones-esque battle for control of a magical realm.
There are multiple factions, peace is threatened and a young, magic-blessed royal must become a hero while protecting his family. It’ll get more complex than that – no Final Fantasy game is truly simple – but the fantasy epic set-up seems tailor-made to lend a hand to newcomers.
The action will be fast, the colours will be vivid and the game should provide a summer’s length stable of adventures to get lost in.
Release date: June 22
Platform: PlayStation 5
3. Goodbye Volcano High
Suburban sprawl. Dinosaurs in high school. The impending extinction of the world. The power of rock ’n’ roll. Goodbye Volcano High is all about characters trying to maintain a sense of normalcy when the world is upside-down and heartbreak feels like the end of the world. You know, just like all of us.
A choice-driven, narrative-focused adventure with light, rhythm-focused mini-games, expect the game to be relatively approachable to all play styles.
Goodbye Volcano High, with a look worthy of a modern animated series, positions itself as a coming-of-age game, but the struggles the characters manage are those we battle throughout life. And sometimes, when things get really rough, it’s best to just disappear into a song.
Release date: June 15
Platforms: PlayStation consoles, PC
Game developer Night School Studio – now a part of the Netflix empire – has focused its efforts on honing conversation in games, creating a relatively realistic dialogue system in which characters speak, interrupt one another and overlap with each other. The result: games that more closely merge the interactive medium with television.
The original Oxenfree had a mystical, slightly foreboding tone – think The Goonies or Stranger Things. Its sequel promises another set of mysteries that main character Riley Poverly, an environmental researcher, will unravel via radio frequencies.
Through the latter, characters communicate with ghostly voices, confront the history of their hometown and see their futures forever altered.
Release date: July 12
Platforms: PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC
5. Disney Illusion Island
The first thing that stands out with Disney Illusion Island is just how much story is in the game, as developers promise 30-plus minutes of original animation to augment gameplay.
The second is what a joy it looks like to play, as Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy don’t do battle with anyone so much as run, jump and look for ways to interact with the environment.
This is essentially a combat-free game that aims to be a digital playground, one that emphasises old-school video game platforming (in other words, running and jumping).
Mainly, it’s a game about inspiring our curiosity, introducing us to new characters and focusing on ways to play with everything we see on the screen.
Release date: July 28
Platform: Nintendo Switch