The weeks following E3 are typically light on games, and July 2018 is no exception to that rule. Video game publishers know that even the most devoted gamers bask in the summer sun — at least for a little while. That said, July brings one of the most anticipated Switch games, a pair of Mega Man compilations, and the third entry in an acclaimed indie series. Here’s our list of games to have on your radar in July 2018.
A melding of retro and modern, Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler from the Bravely Default team is sure to please turn-based RPG fans. With eight protagonists — each with their own storyline — and more than 50 hours of gameplay in the main quests alone, Octopath Traveler could very well be the only new game you need in July. The game couples Super Nintendo-style 16-bit visuals with HD animations and 3D backdrops. If you want a taste of the game early, a prologue demo is available now on the eShop. All progress you make within the three-hour time limit will transfer to the full game. Octopath Traveler launches exclusively on Switch on July 13.
If lengthy RPGs aren’t your thing, you’ll have another option on Switch come July 13. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a port of the charming 2014 Wii U game, arrives on both Switch and Nintendo 3DS. For those unfamiliar with the premise, Treasure Tracker was inspired by the “Adventures of Captain Toad” mini-puzzle levels featured in Super Mario 3D World. The level-based gameplay combines action with puzzle elements, as you can move the camera around to search for collectables and hidden paths in each level. The port features new levels inspired by Super Mario Odyssey, and the Switch version has two-player co-op.
If you skipped Sonic Mania last year, now’s your chance to get the definitive edition dubbed Sonic Mania Plus. The new iteration adds two new playable characters from Sonic’s history, Ray and Mighty, along with a new game mode called Encore. The mode is a little ambiguous, but it will let you experience the game’s levels in a different way. That sounds pretty fitting considering Sonic Mania remixed classic Sonic levels en route to delivering one of the best Sonic experiences in a long time. Also, if you passed on Mania because it was only available digitally, you can pick up a physical copy this time around. Sonic Mania Plus will launch in both physical and digital formats on July 17 on Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
If you like tactical gameplay or choice-based narratives with real consequences, The Banner Saga 3 from Stoic should be on your wishlist. The final game in the trilogy brings back the beloved tactical turn-based gameplay from the first two entries and finishes off a story that has been brewing since 2014. Like previous games, The Banner Saga 3 infuses Norse mythology within a dark yet colorful fictional world that favors precision and forethought over endless grinding. Stoic received more than double its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter. The neat thing about The Banner Saga series is that despite being a turn-based series, the campaigns aren’t overly long. Each of the first two games could be finished in 10-15 hours. The Banner Saga 3 launches on July 24 on PC/Mac.
Gearing up for Mega Man 11 in October? Well, one great way of re-capturing your skills will be to play the Mega Man X series. Broken into two collections, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2, the former compiles Mega Man X, X2, X3, and X4 while the latter brings together X5, X6, X7, and X8. Each digital compilation costs $20, or you can buy them together for $40. Like previous Mega Man collections, the games are faithfully adapted to modern hardware. You can play the games in their original resolutions, in widescreen, with CRT filters, or with optional smoothing. Both Mega Man X7 and X8 have slight visual improvements as well. Each collection will be available digitally on PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on July 24. The collections come with full soundtracks for each game, as well.
It’s not hyperbole to say Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky was one of the most disappointing game launches ever. The years-long lead-up to the PS4 and PC launch in 2016 centered around how No Man’s Sky would give players a near endless galaxy to explore. And while that turned out to be true in a sense, there wasn’t very much to do on each planet besides mine resources. Since then, however, No Man’s Sky has received numerous updates that have much desired features like base-building and multiplayer features. Xbox One users can check out a more fully realized version of No Man’s Sky when it launches on July 24, the same day that the game’s fourth and largest content update, Next, lands on all platforms. Next adds a full multiplayer experience to the space sim.
Imagine tapping a Zelda icon on your iPhone and jumping straight into Hyrule. A new open-source project called nxnative makes that possible by repackaging Switch games you’ve bought into apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no emulator in the middle.
Why does this run so well on Apple devices?
The Call of Duty franchise has held a special place in my heart ever since I played my first Black Ops game back in 2010. That game's campaign was something else, with twists and turns that culminated in a mind-blowing finale. We can all admit that compared to those older campaigns, the recent CODs have been lackluster at best, and a complete and utter disappointment at worst. The reboot of Modern Warfare did give me some hope, as the first two installments were actually quite good, but the third game left such a bad taste in my mouth that I wasn’t exactly expecting much from Modern Warfare 4.
After recently finishing the campaign, I can say that this installment is nothing like the recent releases and instead feels closer to the franchise’s roots. For the first time in a long while, the campaign comes across as well-crafted rather than rushed to hit a release date. It arrives three years after MW3, and you can see exactly where all that time went. It seems the studio finally made listening to player feedback a priority.
Epic Games has just announced the 2026 Epic AI MegaJam, which is looking to see how much game development can be squeezed into a very short window. This is running from November 12 through November 15.
Participants can work alone or in teams of up to five people, build in Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and bring along “as many AI agents as you want.” Epic explicitly encourages coding agents, AI-generated assets, audio tools, writing tools, and other AI systems. The official event page literally says "Vibe your way to $50k.”