Consoles, PCs, handhelds, Facebook, smartphones — the world of gaming is becoming increasingly confusing and fragmented, but don’t worry, we’re here to simplify things for you. Each week I’ll rattle off five games I think you might want to check out this week. Keep in mind, these articles aren’t meant to be comprehensive lists of everything coming out that week so much as a nice rounded tasting menu. So, let’s get to it…
This Week’s Special Edition
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 & Wii U, July 2nd)
Did you miss the excellent brawler/Metroidvania game Guacamelee! when it came out last year? Well, now Drinkbox Studios is taking a page from Capcom and releasing Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, an even better, faster version of the game packed with new levels, bosses and characters. This is exactly the kind of game you should be playing during those slow summer months.
This Week’s Armadillo Roller
Armillo (Wii U, July 3rd)
Armillo is basically Super Monkey Ball meets Mario Galaxy with a little Pac-Man mixed in for good measure. You play as an armadillo tasked with navigating paths and collecting items on various spherical worlds. If you like Nintendo-style games (and you must if you own a Wii U) you’ll probably like Armillo.
This Week’s Strategy Game
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution 2 (iOS, July 2nd)
I usually don’t pay too much attention to mobile stuff in Five Games, but I’ll make an exception for a new Civ title! The original Civilization Revolution was a very solid streamlining of classic Civ gameplay, and hopefully the mobile-exclusive Civilization Revolution 2 will deliver more of the same.
This Week’s Computer RPG
Divinity: Original Sin (PC & Mac, June 30th)
After a lengthy development cycle that included several delays, the partially Kickstarter-funded, Divinity: Original Sin comes out his week. The Divinity games are classic old-school computer RPGs — think Diablo, but with a deeper story and more freedom to cut your own path. Prepare your mouse-clicking finger.
Pick of the Week
Sniper Elite III (PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 & PS4, July 1st)
Looking for a slightly more cerebral military shooter? The underrated Sniper Elite series emphasizes strategy, stealth and, well, sniping over mindless blasting. Also, when you shoot a dude you get cool/kind of gross x-ray shots of what the bullet is doing to their insides. Sniper Elite III is picking up some of the series’ best reviews, so it may be time to give the series a try.
A few solid choices for the long weekend. Any games you’re itching to get your hands on that I failed to mention? Hit the comments and let the world know.