The Five: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood And Other Games You Need To Play This Week
Keeping track of the latest video games is no easy task. Between PC, consoles, handhelds, and [...]
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.
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 XIV: Stormblood (PC, Mac & PS4, June 20)
We don't always cover DLC in The Five, but Final Fantasy XIV expansions are usually bigger than most full games. Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, the MMORPG's third major update, promises to be one of the game's most expansive shakeups yet.
Stormblood has a strong Asian influence, as you can now explore the new Eastern-flavored areas of Ala Mhigo and Doma and the city of Kugane, which feature the usual host of dungeons and raids. New jobs include the damage-dealing Red Mage, and the nimble, katana-wielding Samurai. The expansion also introduces some more basic improvements, like an expanded inventory, the ability to swim and dive, and an updated combat system. Sounds like a regular storm of content!
This Week at Retail
Get Even (PC, Xbox One & PS4, June 23)
Get Even was originally slated for a May release, but was delayed as publisher Bandai Namco felt its dark subject matter may not be appropriate in the direct aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing. A unique mashup of genres, Get Even casts players as a grizzled mercenary who must explore his own twisted memories to recall the details of a job gone wrong. Some of these memories are strongly horror flavored, but some play out more like traditional FPS levels. Get Even is an odd mishmash, but it's undeniably ambitious.
This Week on Steam and PlayStation Store
Nex Machina (PC & PS4, June 20)
Nex Machina is the latest game from Housemarque, the team behind games like Super Stardust and Alienation. Like all their games Nex Machina is an overhead-view shoot 'em up, although this one was made in collaboration with Eugene Jarvis, creator of classic overhead shooters like Robotron: 2084 and Smash TV. If you're looking for some old-school robot blasting and lots of neon, Nex Machina is for you.
This Week on Steam
Serious Sam's Bogus Detour (PC & Linux, June 20)
Hey, speaking of retro overhead-view shooters, here's Serious Sam's Bogus Detour! This game replaces Serious Sam's typical 3D graphics with old-school 2D sprites, but otherwise, it mostly delivers what you'd expect from the series – intense action, co-op, and a generous amount of 'tude. Bogus Detour is being made by Crackshell, who made the well-received hack 'n' slash Hammerwatch, so it ought to be a good dose of old-school fun. Check out Serious Sam's Bogus Detour on Steam.
This Week on Handhelds
Ever Oasis (3DS, June 23)
Ever Oasis is a new RPG from Koichi Ishii, creator of Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy XI, and developer Grezzo, who did the 3DS remakes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Ever Oasis tasks you with fighting monsters and exploring dungeons like in most RPGs, but you can also build and customize your own desert oasis, which you'll use as your home base. This should be the 3DS' next big RPG time sink.
We're all still recovering from E3, but there's some solid stuff on the docket this week, particularly if you're into JRPGs or retro shooters!
