If you thought you were going to get a break to follow E3 this year, you were sorely mistaken. In fact, June is going to be one of your busiest months for gaming yet. From the very final Neverland project, to two full MMO experiences, visual novels, Batman, bikini zombie slayers and even more Hyperdimension Neptunia, there really is something for everyone this month.
So what games are on your “to play” lists? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven – 3DS – Release Date 2/6/2015
We’re always up for more JRPGs, especially when they’re turn based and filled with cute girls. Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven is especially notable, however, because it also was actually a game that Neverland, the fine people behind the Rune Factory games, was working on before it was so unfortunately closed down. Thankfully the publisher, Marvellous, saw potential in the game, and kept key staff on board to complete the game. As a result, Lord of Magna is effectively Neverland’s last game, and will be worth grabbing as a collector’s piece if nothing else.
D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die – PC – 5/6/2015
Hidetaka Suehiro’s hardboiled detective game is one of the finest Xbox One exclusives to date. But it’s not a console exclusive for much longer, because the game is coming to PC in all its glory in June. Surreal, smart, snappy writing, a stunning art style, and some clever gameplay make this one game that will be essential for anyone who doesn’t yet own it on an Xbox One (and people that don’t yet have an Xbox One).
Steins;Gate – PS3, Vita – 5/6/2015
One of the finest visual novels ever written was pushed back a little (it was meant to release in May), but the wait will be worth it. Steins;Gate was developed by the masters of the genre, 5pb, and remains one of its most critically lauded and commercially successful titles to date. It’s been around for a few years now, but thanks to PQube in Europe, we’ll get to enjoy the game in all its glory on our consoles and current handhelds soon.
The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited – PS4, XB1, PC – Release Date 9/6/2015
One of the more successful MMOs in recent years (that wasn’t World of Warcraft), The Elder Scrolls Online’s debut on consoles is one of the most hotly anticipated console games to date. “Epic” doesn’t begin to describe the size and scale of this one, so get the chicken ready, because you’ll be going Leeroy Jenkins yourself for months once this lands on your console.
Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy – Vita – Release Date 9/6/2015
Who doesn’t like a good dungeon crawler? Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is going to be a heck of a Vita exclusive when it releases in June. It’s being localised by NISA and comes to us from same fine folks that crafted the brilliant Demon Gaze for the console previously. This one has a completely different setting than that game, but it’ll feature the same difficult, step-by-step grind that dungeon crawler fans can’t go without.
LEGO Jurassic World – PS3, PS4, Vita, 360, XB1, Wii U, 3DS, PC – Release Date 12/6/2015
The latest in the LEGO series of tie-in games is for the hotly anticipated LEGO Jurassic World. I think we all know what to expect from these games at this point in time, and that’s not a bad thing, as long as they continue to be as completely entertaining as they are.
Batman: Arkham Knight – PS4, XB1, PC – Release Date 23/6/2015
Once upon a time licensed games had a truly horrible reputation. With the Batman franchise, they don’t any longer. This series became one of the most influential and important action/ brawler games during the last generation, creating numerous gameplay mechanics that have been aped by many games since, but never bettered. And now Batman is coming to the new generation of consoles and it will surely be another contender in the blockbuster game of the year awards.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward – PS3, PS4, PC – Release Date 23/6/2015
It’s a crazy month when one must-play MMO launches, and another one gets a massive must-play expansion. Final Fantasy XIV remains one of the highest quality PlayStation 4 games, with content constantly being added in to give Final Fantasy and MMO fans alike a massive and engaging world to live within. Heavensward is the first major expansion to Square Enix’s premier MMO, and you can be sure that this one will cause more than a few fans more than a few sleepless nights.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos – PS4 – Release Date 30/6/2015
It’s a game about girls in bikinis that would challenge modesty laws hacking zombies up. From that sentence you surely know if Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is going to be for you or not. It’s a PlayStation 4 exclusive and forms part of the growing library of games for the otaku that make the console the place to go for fans of Japanese games. Previous games in the series haven’t exactly played well, but who knows, this one might be a new leaf for the series.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation – Vita – Release Date 30/6/2015
The girls are back on Vita again! Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory was considered by many to be the pinacle of the series to date, and so the remake of the game for the PlayStation Vita is one well worth looking forward to. This game will have additional features build into it, which, if the previous Re;Birth games were anything to go by, will be more than enough for existing fans to double dip as well. For satire, quality JRPG mechanics, and a bright, bubbly spirit, you couldn’t do better than this in June.
J-Stars Victory Vs+ – PS3, PS4 – Release Date 30/6/2015
The ultimate cross over game for Jump fans, J-Stars Victory Vs+ is something we never thought we’d get, not with the complex and often ridiculous politics of IP rights for anime and manga in the west meaning that the contracts that would have gone into getting this game into English must have stretched from here to the moon. But it’s happening, and soon fans of all the major JUMP manga and anime will be able to decide once and for all which spiky haired hero really is the best.
Other Releases
Tetris Ultimate – Vita – Release Date 2/6/2015
Heroes of the Storm Starter Pack – PC – Release Date 2/6/2015
Terraria – Vita – Release Date 2/6/2015
F1 2015 – PS4, XB1 – Release Date 12/6/2015
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition – PS4, XB1 – Release Date 16/6/2015
Ride – PS4, XB1 – Release Date 23/6/2015
Legend of Kay Anniversary Edition – PS4, Wii U – Release Date 30/6/2015
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma EXTEND – PS3, PS4, XB1 (TBA)
– Matt S.
Editor-in-Chief
Find me on Twitter: @digitallydownld
