Keeping track of all the games arriving each week on PC, handhelds, consoles and mobile is no easy track, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every week in Five Games, I separate the wheat from the chaff and pick the titles you need to pay attention to.
We recently freshened up the Five Games format a bit. The Pick of the Week is now listed first, and the rest of the games are filed under headings that will hopefully be more helpful for you. Looking for the latest indie hotness? Check the Steam picks. Want to download something for your Xbox One or PS4 on a Saturday night? Hit up the Console Downloads section. So, without further ado…
Pick of the Week
Carmageddon: Max Damage (PS4 & Xbox One, July 5)
For those who weren’t playing games (or alive yet) during the ’90s, the Carmageddon titles were oh-so-edgy vehicular combat games where you got bonus points for brutally running over pedestrians. Tasteless as all hell? You bet, but they were also a lot of dumb fun, and now they’re back!
Carmageddon: Max Damage is very similar to the old games, except, of course, with much better graphics, bigger open worlds and more wacky vehicles. Oh, and don’t worry, Max Damage is as crass as ever. Let’s just say, the game’s YouTube page has a trailer that proudly proclaims “WE DO WHEELCHAIRS.” Yeah. Turn The Offspring up loud and shock and appall your parents ’90s style!
This Week on Steam
Furi (PC & PS4, July 5)
Furi is a unique-looking new action game, that appears to be one-part bullet hell, one part Platinum Games-style action. The game also has a cool, cell-shaded visual style and some interesting character designs. Guys-wearing-freaky-bunny-masks kind of interesting. It’s summer! Time to take a chance on something a little different! Here’s the game’s Steam page. Furi is also available on PS4.
The Spatials: Galactology (PC, Mac & Linux, July 7)
The Spatials: Galactology takes its cues from SimCity, but instead of building a regular old Earth-bound town, you construct your own space station. In addition to the basic station-building gameplay, Galactology also has a space exploration and trading side to it as well. The Spatials: Galactology looks simple, but it sounds like it hides hidden depths. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
Haven Moon (PC, Mac & Linux, July 8)
Hey, are you nostalgic for classic PC adventure games like Myst and Riven? Well, then Haven Moon should be right up your alley. Just like those old games, you explore atmospheric abandoned islands, while solving puzzles and delving into this world’s mysterious backstory. Haven Moon was created by one guy over the course of 20 years, but it looks like all the work may have been worth it. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
This Week in Retail Releases
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII (PC & PS4, July 5)
The latest entry in Koei Tecmo’s long-running strategy series arrives this week. As in past entries in the series, you take command of a real leader from China’s warring Three Kingdoms period, and try to take over all of China. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII promises to be dense, mind-boggling complex, and completely absorbing if you’re willing to give it chance.
Not a blockbuster week, but there’s some solid stuff for folks who dig strategy. Or running people over with cars. Any interesting games that I missed? Feel free to shout ’em out below.