Keeping track of the latest video games is no easy task. Between PC, consoles, handhelds, and mobile, dozens of new games come out every week, and a lot of them aren’t very good. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff? Thankfully, you don’t have to, because every week in The Five I dig through the mountain of new releases to find the diamonds you may have otherwise missed.
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Every edition of The Five will include a Pick of the Week and four other games you should be keeping an eye on. Whether you want to know about the latest triple-A blockbuster, or the hot new thing on Steam, The Five has you covered. So, without further ado…
Pick of the Week
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PS4, July 11)
Final Fantasy XII was somewhat divisive when it first launched in 2006, as it broke with a lot of series traditions, downplaying certain familiar story elements and featuring a unique real-time battle system. That said, Final Fantasy XII‘s reputation has grown over the past decade and now it gets another chance in the spotlight.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age updates the PS2 classic with touched-up visuals, a completely re-recorded soundtrack, tweaked gameplay, and the addition of the Zodiac job system. As the name implies, the Zodiac system lets you pursue 12 different jobs, while the original version of Final Fantasy XII essentially only had one. Final Fantasy XII doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, but it’s an excellent game worth trying out if you’re interested in a somewhat different take on the Square Enix’s flagship series.
This Week on Steam and Console Digital Stores
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2: Episode 1 – Hero In Residence (PC, Mac, Xbox One & PS4, July 11)
Telltale’s story-driven take on the Minecraft universe returns for a second season this week. This time around, our heroes have found some sort of powerful gauntlet, which main character Jesse gets stuck on his/her hand, and explore some sort of underwater ruins. Obviously, the Minecraft: Story Mode isn’t as dark or gripping as some other Telltale series, but its still good, kid-friendly fun.
This Week on Steam and Console Digital Stores
Serial Cleaner (PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One & PS4, July 11)
What would it be like to be Harvey Keitel’s cleaner character from Pulp Fiction? That’s the somewhat morbid premise behind Serial Cleaner, which challenges you to clean up various bloody murder scenes without getting caught. Aside from the obvious Pulp Fiction influence, many of the game’s stages are inspired by infamously bloody movies like Taxi Driver, A Clockwork Orange, and yes, even Star Wars. Serial Cleaner looks to make scrubbing the floor surprisingly fun.
This Week on Steam
Antihero (PC & Mac, July 10)
Antihero is a strategy game with an Oliver Twist (groan), as the game challenges you to build a sticky-fingered Victorian-era thieves guild. Recruit thugs and grubby street urchins, evade the coppers, spread your influence across the gas-lit city, and, of course, steal everything that isn’t nailed down (and maybe a few things that are). Check out Antihero on Steam.
This Week on Steam
Lode Runner Legacy (PC, July 13)
Lode Runner dashes back onto the scene once again! The classic puzzle platformer series that debuted back in 1983 returns with Lode Runner Legacy, which features the gameplay you know and love, redone with a slick new 2.5D engine. In addition to the 150 original Lode Runner stages, you’ll get an all-new story-driven adventure mode, puzzle mode, and a deep level editor. Check out Lode Runner Legacy on Steam.
July is going to continue to be a bit slow, but with Final Fantasy XII and some solid indie stuff, this week is certainly livelier than the last one!
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