Author: Trafficblast

Top New Games Out This Month On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC — July 2018

They say this time of year is a bit dry for video games, but New Releases keeps on trucking. July does have a bunch of re-releases, like the beautifully destructive Red Faction Guerrilla remaster, the souped-up Sonic Mania Plus, and an enhanced version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on 3DS and Nintendo Switch. The Switch is also getting the new JRPG adventure Octopath Traveler, while Xbox One owners will finally get their hands on No Man’s Sky.

Red Faction Guerrilla: Re-Mars-Tered — July 3

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

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One of the most action-packed games of last generation is coming to current consoles and PC. The Red Faction Guerrilla remaster sports native 4K support, better shadows and lighting, and fully reworked textures and graphics. Of course, that just means buildings and landscapes will look better as you tear them apart with all sorts of weapons and vehicles.

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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker — July 13

Available on: Switch, 3DS

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In another enhanced re-release, Captain Toad is leaving behind the Wii U for an adventure on new platforms. The Switch version will let you play local co-op by sharing a pair of Joy-Cons, while the 3DS version will let you analyze the isometric courses in stereoscopic 3D. As for the courses themselves, this version of Treasure Tracker has new stages inspired by Super Mario Odyssey.

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Octopath Traveler — July 13

Available on: Switch

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Switch owners are also getting a new JRPG experience this month with Octopath Traveler, which stars eight different protagonists, as you might have guessed from the title. The battle system also introduces a “boost” mechanic, where you can forego action in one round to double up your attacks on the next turn. Deep battle strategies and multiple heroes mean there’s a lot to try with this one.

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Sonic Mania Plus — July 17

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

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Everyone’s favorite fast hedgehog is also getting another outing in July. Sonic Mania Plus takes last year’s smash hit and beefs it up with an all-new Encore mode and an improved Competition mode. Even better, you can try both of those out with two new playable characters: Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel.

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No Man’s Sky — July 24

Available on: Xbox One

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You might be surprised to see No Man’s Sky featured in 2018, but it’s about time Xbox One owners got to zen out with the space exploration game themselves. This port comes packaged with the Foundation, Pathfinder, and Atlas Rising expansions, plus the Next update, which launches the same day on PS4 and PC too. With that, you’ll be able to able to crew up and explore with your Xbox Live buddies.

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What Do Great Open-World Games Have in Common?

The open-world genre – if you can even call it a genre, given how, well, open that descriptor is – continues to evolve and go from strength to strength, giving gamers around the world massive sandboxes to play in and stories to discover. I’ve always played a lot of open-world games, and lately I’ve been thinking about the things my favourite games of this type have in common. Have a read, then let me know what you think the best open-world games have in common in the comments.

You Construct Your Own Stories

One of the most obvious trends we’ve seen in open-world games over the last few years is a move away from mini-maps covered in icons, to a more emergent style of storytelling. In these games the stories you build are less scripted, and are more likely to be organic events that just happen as you’re out exploring the world.

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Opinion: Pirates of the Caribbean is One of the Greatest Love Stories of the 21st Century

For fans of romance, the 21st century, thus far, has not been without some great additions. From the more traditional stuff like Crazy, Stupid, Love or 50 First Dates to off-kilter entries like The Fountain or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there’s a lot to love.

But for me, those love stories pale in comparison to those that permeate through the fully realised exploration of the wide gamut of love on offer in the Pirates of the Caribbean saga.

Yes, all of the movies, even the less-than-stellar ones. Well, On Stranger Tides less so than the others, but even the divisive Dead Men Tell No Tales continues the trend of a three-dimensional love story that sails beyond the typical fare of a solitary obsession with romance. After all, love is a complex thing. It’s not always healthy. Its endings are not always happy. We fall in love, platonically love people, and tumble head over heels for ideologies and even things. Pirates of the Caribbean explores all of that.

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