Those with a vampiric aversion to the sun will find plenty to do indoors with summer 2024’s most noteworthy game releases. Hannah Collins picks five highlights of the season.
Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER
Thurs 16 May (PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)
The sequel to 2015’s crowdfunded 2064: Read Only Memories is another colourful, 16-bit romp through a cyberpunk world. This time, you play as esper ES88 and track down a rogue psychic being in Neo San Francisco. Classic anime and FM music are prominent influences on its aesthetic, and the series is incredibly LGBTQ+ inclusive.
Price: £12.79
Info: here
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Thurs 23 May (Switch)
Twenty years after its release on the GameCube, another beloved Mario game has been rebooted for the Switch. This second entry in the Paper Mario series, which flattens Nintendo’s golden boy for charming, storybook-style RPG adventure, sends you hunting for a missing Princess Peach and ancient treasures, and is lauded as its best.
Price: £39.99
Info: here
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Sun 2 June (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
The next big expansion to the mythological sci-fi Destiny 2 and the concluding chapter of the Light And Darkness Saga. Like previous expansions, new raids and destinations exploring past storylines have been added, including a ‘free roam’ world house in the celestial Traveller, a ‘Legendary’ difficulty setting, and much more.
Price: £41.99
Info: here
Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
Fri 21 June (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
Another anticipated expansion for another major franchise: Shadow Of The Erdtree breaks ground on a new area in the grimdark medieval realm of the Lands Between to dive into Miquella, brother of the rotten demi-god boss Malenia, whose lore couldn’t be squeezed into the game’s initial release.
Price: £34.99
Info: here
Black Myth: Wukong
Mon 19 Aug (PS5, Xbox, PC)
Believe the hype around this gorgeous retelling of Journey To The West – famously the inspiration for Dragon Ball. With breathtakingly fluid physics, the action RPG Soulsbornes game allows you to embody the shapeshifting Monkey King fully. Sexist comments from its studio head aside, Black Myth is a strong Game Of The Year contender.
Price: £49.99
Info: here
words HANNAH COLLINS
