As we passed the half way point of 2017, we take a look at July 2017 and the best and worst offerings for gamers around the world. Typically, the summer is not filled with huge AAA titles, though some certainly happen to release in that time. While we have had some amazing games released so far, we have also had our fair share of disappointments in 2017. July kicks off the second half of 2017, let’s look at the best and worst it had to offer.
The Best
Splatoon 2
***Click here for COG’s full review***
One of the most stylish franchises in gaming makes its triumphant debut on Nintendo’s latest console. With visuals that ooze that summertime feeling, with its bright colors and liquid based combat, Splatoon 2 was crisp and ran as smooth as a ballpoint pen. Although the formula remains relatively unchanged, the sequel plays and looks great, and adds a new cooperative mode as well. After ARMS from last month, Nintendo continues its trend of solid releases.
Pyre
***Click here for COG’s full review***
To be honest, Pyre is a difficult game to describe, but Supergiant Games describes it as “a party-based RPG in which you lead a band of exiles to freedom through ancient competitions spread across a vast, mystical purgatory.” If you haven’t heard of Supergiant Games, they are the developer behind popular titles Bastion and Transistor, and now add Pyre to their impressive resume. With a strong cast of characters, rich lore, and high-quality aesthetics, Pyre is definitely one of July’s best.
Sundered
***Click here for COG’s full review***
If you haven’t noticed, there is definitely no shortage of games that are described as Metroidvania styled or inspired. Sundered is one of these titles, but unlike the others, stood out greatly thanks in part to its great hand drawn art style. With a hectic battle system and intriguing upgrading system, Sundered has their systems up to par. Overall, a solid learning curve, great art, and a huge skill tree make Sundered a memorable title.
The Worst
Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire
***Click here for COG’s full review***
Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire is a gorgeous game with great character designs and dialogue. Unfortunately, as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you also cannot judge a game by its graphics. Fallen Legion falls victim to shoddy controls, an awkward battle system, and unpredictable difficulty spikes. While the game looks great, the gameplay itself is equally as bad and earns this game the dubious (dis)honor of being one of our worst of the month.
Aporia: Beyond the Valley
***Click here for COG’s full review***
Aporia: Beyond the Valley is a modern take on the classic Myst games. That is to say that the game is a first-person title with a focus on exploration, atmosphere, and puzzle solving. Taking place within a beautiful world with a strong atmosphere and immersive animations and controls, Aporia seems like a title destined to do well. Unfortunately, the puzzles in the game are very simple, and the mystery in the game was more aesthetics than anything. Overall, the game looks great, but weak puzzles and a lack of much else to see make it a disappointment.
Doctor Kvorak’s Obliteration Game
***Click here for COG’s full review***
A puzzle game, Doctor Kvorak’s Obliteration Game has the unfortunate distinction of being our lowest rated game of July 2017. While the game features a humorous game show style and catchy music, that is as far as the positive comments go. The difficult controls and a lack of physics that would support the gameplay makes the game often annoying. It also does not help that the game could use a much needed graphical update as well.
What did you think of our lists for July 2017? Did we miss a game that was better or worse than the three we had? Let us know in the comments below or through one of our social media outlets!
