Traditionally speaking, summer is both a great time and a terrible one for gaming. A lot of the biggest and most hotly-anticipated releases tend to come out around the start of summer; this year alone, we’ve had Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, and, depending on your definition of summer, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to contend with. However, as the months draw on, a drought often sets in and games become more scarce. Happily, there are some great PS5 games headed your way in July 2023, so let’s take a look at the best of them.
Synapse (July 4th)
This PlayStation VR2 title looks like it’s going to leverage the best the technology has to offer. The demos we’ve seen so far show the player hurling physics objects around and blasting enemies away with guns that look weighty and satisfying, and it’s all wrapped up in a Remember Me-style sci-fi storyline that looks like it’s going to be trippy and fun in a Control sort of way. Let’s hope that this VR-exclusive game can live up to its hype and deliver something special.
Gylt (July 6th)
Gylt’s road to redemption has been a long and strange one; it began as a Google Stadia exclusive, but when Google unceremoniously shut Stadia’s doors, Gylt found itself with nowhere to go. Thankfully, Tequila Works has managed to find a place for its survival horror offspring, and Gylt will soon make its way to the PS5. This Tim Burton-esque trip has already proven itself on Stadia, so getting a chance to play it on dedicated hardware should be pretty fun.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (July 7th)
Serving as a continuation of the Trails of Cold Steel spinoff series, Trails into Reverie picks up after the end of Cold Steel IV, which (spoiler alert!) sees Lloyd Bannings and his Special Support Section liberating Crossbell and booting out the imperials. If you loved Trails of Cold Steel, you’ll find much of the same grounded JRPG gameplay on offer here, and many of the iconic characters from that series will also be making a return.
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals (July 12th)
Night School says you’ll be able to play Oxenfree 2 whether or not you’ve enjoyed the original, but we’d honestly recommend going back and revisiting that first instalment if you haven’t played it yet. This second game promises to offer more of what made Oxenfree great; teen-oriented drama full of excellent dialogue and well-written characters, all wrapped up in a supernatural mystery that calls to mind Stranger Things and the works of Stephen King.
Exoprimal (July 14th)
It’s hard not to be worried about Exoprimal. On the one hand, what we’ve seen of Capcom’s dino-slaying exosuit game has us hyped; after all, how could you not love slaying dinosaurs as a robot? On the other hand, however, some of the gameplay footage brings back worrying memories of live service experiments like Anthem. We’re hoping that Capcom is able to transcend the pitfalls of live service development and create something memorable with Exoprimal.
Immortals of Aveum (July 20th)
EA’s Immortals of Aveum is a magical first-person shooter that brings to mind Forspoken, classic boomer shooters like Hexen, and Ghostwire: Tokyo, among others. You are the battlemage Jak, called to protect the world of Lucium as it falls to a neverending war between two evenly-matched factions. You’ll wield powerful magic in various different combinations, unlock new spells and talents as you play, and gradually uncover a story crafted by Dead Space creative director Bret Robbins.
Remnant 2 (July 25th)
The original Remnant: From the Ashes was a gun-toting Soulslike that married third-person gunplay with procedurally-generated levels, brutal boss fights, and plenty of gear to craft. The sequel looks to be continuing that successful formula, introducing new enemies, weapons, and gear to collect, as well as a new Archetype system that gives you more freedom around how you want to build your character.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series (July 27th)
That’s right – Telltale Games is back, and its newest creation is based on the popular sci-fi series The Expanse. If you’ve played a Telltale game before, then you probably know what to expect from this project: lots of decision-making, a deep and immersive narrative, and not too much in the way of brain-teasing gameplay. The first episode launches on July 27th, and subsequent episodes are currently planned for two-week intervals beyond that point.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons (July 27th)
If, like us, you wasted hours of your youth either hammering out rounds of Double Dragon on your NES or playing it in the arcades, then you’ll almost certainly want to check out this love letter to the halcyon days of the side-scrolling beat-’em-up. Rise of the Dragons is a prequel, examining the rise of heroes Billy and Jimmy Lee as they decide to rid their city’s streets of its criminal gang problem. With roguelite elements and lots of unlockables, this is Double Dragon for the modern era.
F1 Manager 2023 (July 31st)
For those who like to take a more hands-off approach to their love of F1, the F1 Manager series has been a godsend, and it’s set to continue its run of good form with the upcoming F1 Manager 2023. The all-new Race Replay mode lets you relive key moments from the 2023 F1 season, and, of course, there are plenty of new and refined mechanics to get to grips with, too, including tweaks to both on-track and off-track systems.
