New video game releases have been scant this year, as developers wait for the Grand Theft Auto VI drop date. But the next few months still have a few gems to eye. This summer, there are original games releasing that are reminiscent of classic favorites, plus a remastered collection of Metal Gear Solid entries.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Square Enix’s latest 2D role-playing game arrives this summer from the teams behind the Octopath Traveler games and Live A Live. Fans of those games might expect The Adventures of Elliot to be “turn-based like its genre compatriots,” but the game will feature “real-time combat” instead, said Polygon. As the eponymous main character, you explore the land of Philabieldia across four time periods to fulfill a 1,000-year mission.
The game is a “throwback to classic Super Nintendo-era action-adventure games,” said PCMag. The Adventures of Elliot is a “faithful homage to the Legend of Zelda games of old.” (June 18; Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
D-Topia
Fans of more chill games will likely enjoy the new “gentle-paced,” as described by the publisher, puzzle adventure from Annapurna Interactive. Even with its less tense game style, the premise of D-topia revolves around a shadowy society run by A.I. that is working to ensure happiness for the greatest number of people.
D-Topia is an “experience that’s laid-back, almost cozy in some ways,” but with a “dark undercurrent,” said Comics Gaming Magazine. What results is a game that “not only looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous” but “hooks you with an intriguing premise oozing with intrigue.” Its “blend of cozy charm and subversive darkness” has critics “eager to see more.” (June 18; Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Beast of Reincarnation
Pokémon developer Game Freak is drifting from its usual fare for Beast of Reincarnation, an action role-playing game that’s “closer to a Souls game” with more intense focus on battling enemies than the “monster-collecting series that the developer built its name on,” said Polygon. Players take on the role of a young woman navigating a post-apocalyptic Japan with her dog companion while fighting off monsters.
According to the developer, Beast of Reincarnation isn’t an open-world game but is instead “made up of stages that are larger in scope than, say, those in a Devil May Cry game,” said Kotaku. (Aug. 4; PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Superhero fans can rejoice, as last spring’s Invincible VS “isn’t the only tag-team fighter for comic book readers this year,” said Polygon. From the developer behind Dragon Ball FighterZ, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls features classic Marvel heroes like “Spider-Man, Iron Man and Black Panther” with “new anime-inspired designs.”
The game gained attention online “thanks to its art style and the pedigree of its developer,” said Gizmodo. As a “4v4 tag-team fighter,” it is the “very same thing which defined Marvel vs. Capcom,” a beloved classic. PlayStation came to developer Marvel Games with a desire to “bring Marvel back to the forefront of the tag-team fighting genre,” Marvel Games’ senior product development manager Michael Francisco said in a statement. (Aug. 6; PC, PS5)
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2
Following the release of the first Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection in 2023, volume two arrives this summer. While the first set included the first five Metal Gear games, this one has Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.
The collection is notable as “it’ll be the first time Metal Gear Solid 4 is made readily available outside of the PlayStation 3,” said Polygon. Master Collection Vol. 2 will include “bonus content in addition to the games.” A few of the additional items: a screenplay book and a digital soundtrack. (Aug. 27; PC, PS5)