Every week, it feels like there’s more games for more platforms than ever before. So, every week, we cut through the noise and find the five games worth playing this week. And, right before the July 4th holiday, we’ve mostly got the unusual and the weird arriving. And also golf!
Pick Of The Week: Valkyria Revolution, Tuesday ($60, PS4, Xbox One, and Vita)
Yes, one of the weirdest RPG series out of Japan, and we’re fully aware this is a bold claim, is back with a twist on the typical action RPG. Set in an alternate reality where basically World War II was just a cuddly disagreement between adorable young people, the basic idea is that you build up a base in the first round, and then go out to mash buttons and trash goons in the second, returning to your base for another round of strategy. It’s an interesting take, and Vita fans will be happy. If you’ve got a slow 4th coming up, this might be just the game to fill it.
The Golf Club 2, Tuesday ($40, PS4 and Xbox One)
Yes, it’s time to smack some balls, golf fans. Inevitable groin jokes aside, the first game from this franchise was a surprisingly detailed sim most notable for its ability to procedurally generate challenging courses to hit the links for. The focus on sim mechanics and courses carries over to the sequel and promises to offer a chill sports experience for people looking for a relaxing game to pick up.
Poi, Tuesday ($15, PS4 and Xbox One)
Poi is a fairly adorable game that’s gotten some attention on PC, and will hopefully get a broader audience on console. It’s a 3D platformer in the classic style, but its well-designed and endearing levels are a good break from shooting and blowing things up, or, if you’ve got a kid looking for a new game, this will be just their speed.
Elite Dangerous, Tuesday ($50, PS4)
Yes, the hardcore cult spaceship sim MMO is making the jump to consoles. Elite Dangerous had a long, hard road to being played, being one of the early Kickstarter successes. The game’s big claim to fame is that the Milky Way is simulated, as much as possible, in a completely realistic fashion. Planets and moons rotate in real time, star systems reflect their makeup as far as we know, and the space flight is as physically realistic as possible while offering a few concessions to things like “fun.” Hey, not all sims do. It’ll be interesting to see how this relatively niche game plays on the PlayStation.
Arizona Sunshine, Tuesday ($40, PSVR)
Finally, if you just want to gun down some zombies, and want a novel way to do it, Arizona Sunshine is coming to the PSVR to let you blast the undead in both dark mines and the Arizona day with shotguns. Hey, if it’s not broken, why fix it?
Any games we missed? Let us know in the comments!