5 new games you should probably be playing in July

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Typically, July is a pretty slow month for new game releases. That’s ok, because it gives us time to catch up on other games we may have missed in the months prior. But with many of us spending more time at home, it’s possible that you have finally started chipping away at your backlog.

If that’s the case, and you are looking for something fresh to play, July actually has some pretty solid titles releasing, meaning that regardless of your favorite genre or platform, there’s probably something here you’ll enjoy.

From Paper Mario: The Origami King to Ghost of Tsushima, there’s a lot to like here. Check out the full list, with release dates, trailers, and more, down below.

Trackmania

• Developer: Nadeo
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: July 1

It’s been a while since we last had a new Trackmania game. The most recent installment, Trackmania 2: Lagoon, was released in 2017 without much fanfare. It got all the series foundations right, though: super-fast gameplay, stunts, and amazing track editor which opened up possibilities of even adding new features to the game using scripting tools.

The new game, simply called Trackmania, takes this to a whole new level, with a subscription-based model. That’s right: you’re gonna be paying for this amazing track editor and access to UGC-tracks every year, just like you’re paying for your Adobe Creative Suite. There’s a free option too, but it doesn’t allow you to race on custom tracks, and that’s where the real fun is. From Mario Kart-inspired tracks to crazy, vertical car golf levels – all that classic Trackmania goodness is hidden behind a hefty 30-bucks-a-year payment. Is it worth the price? You tell us.

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Marvel’s Iron Man VR

• Developer: Camouflaj
• Publisher: Sony Interactive
• Platforms: PS VR
• Release Date: July 3

PlayStation VR has been doing rather well during the last years, all things considered. Iron Man VR is probably not going to revolutionize the VR genre the way Half-Life: Alyx tried, nor is it going to be a full-fledged Avengers game (there’s a Crystal Dynamics title coming later this year to consoles). What it might deliver, however, is the feeling of flying around the world in an Iron Man suit, and for most people that should be more than enough.

Judging by the recent reviews, the game gets VR controls just right and packs enough fun and entertainment into a 40-dollar package to justify the price. Provided you have all the right hardware, of course.

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Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise

• Developer: TOYBOX Inc.
• Publisher: Rising Star Games
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: July 10

Man, Deadly Premonition was one hell of a crazy game. Imagine Twin Peaks remade in the Resident Evil 4 engine by Hideo Kojima while tripping on acid, and you get close enough. The work of Japanese game designer Hidetaka “SWERY” Suehiro, Deadly Premonition was a technically troubling, but somewhat brilliant game, and the sequel shouldn’t disappoint (while still looking impressively ugly – get ready for some PS2 era visuals).

Releasing exclusively on Nintendo Switch, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise puts your right back into Zack’s shoes, an FBI agent visiting a cozy rural town in a state of Louisiana. Naturally, there’s a murder mystery and all kinds of crazy things happening. If you are unsure if you can stomach the weirdness, try the Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut remaster for the Switch first.

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Ghost of Tsushima

• Developer: Sucker Punch
• Publisher: Sony Interactive
• Platforms: PlayStation 4
• Release Date: July 17

The last in the line of the big PlayStation 4 exclusives, Ghost of Tsushima offers all the open-world goodies you’ll ever need in the striking, historic setting of a Samurai-inspired Japan. Developed by Sucker Punch, known for the Infamous franchise, the game has a lot packed in it: katana fights, stealth, horse-riding, collecting resources, crafting, and of course, a photo mode.

If that sounds awfully familiar to other recent PS4 open-world games like Horizon: Zero Dawn or Days Gone, that’s because it is. Still, even if the game sticks to the tried and proven formula, it’s the setting and the visuals that make Ghost of Tsushima really stand out. And you’ll be able to pet a fox in the game, if that’s your thing.

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Paper Mario: The Origami King

• Developer: Intelligent Systems
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: July 17

Paper Mario was always about genre-bending experiences. While the general set up was a mix between a JRPG and a platformer, every game brought something unusual and unique. The original Paper Mario used 2D characters on the 3D landscape. The series latest, Color Splash, introduced the paint hammer used to color unexplored parts of the world, as well as a card-based battle system.

The new Origami King takes it a step further by putting all the game levels into a large, Zelda-style open world. The battle system is also a brand-new circular combat system where enemies surround your Paper Mario from all sides on a circular grid. And I don’t know about you, but I can really use another Mario game in my life right now.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

• The best horror games to scare yourself stupid
• “I’ll never pay $70 for a video game!” they said, forking over $70 for a next-gen game
• Six reasons why PC gaming will always be close to my heart
• The worst gaming peripherals to have ever existed

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.