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The games of June
Street Fighter! Final Fantasy! Diablo! More!
Well, that’s May over with. Which means you’re finished with Zelda and ready to move on to something new, right? Well, probably not, if you’re anything like me (just how good is Zelda, by the way?).
Regardless of whether you’re ready or not, the games industry never stands still, and so June arrives with a brand new batch of games ready to fight for your free time. It’s a pretty good selection too, with fighters, final fantasies, farming sims and pretty much everything in between to choose from.
Here are some of June’s biggest games. Followed by a list of the rest of the month’s main releases. It’s a good’n!
Street Fighter 6
Release: June 2
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Developer: Capcom
Whether Street Fighter 5 was a disaster, an entirely competent fighter in its own right, or somewhere in between depends on who you ask. But it seems nobody is arguing about the quality of Street Fighter 6. With stellar reviews across the board, it seems safe to say that this is the return to form fans have been waiting for.
There’s little better than one of gaming’s old guard making a stunning modern comeback, and everything points to Street Fighter 6 keeping the series as relevant for the foreseeable future as it was back in the 90s. Capcom is on some hot streak at the moment - long may it continue.
Diablo IV
Release: June 6
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
A new Zelda and a new Diablo within a few weeks of each other is just unfair, really. Two gargantuan games that promise playtime measured in months, not hours. At the time of writing the Diablo IV review embargo lifted two days ago, and many online outlets still aren’t ready to post their verdicts.
What most of the reviews-in-progress are willing to say, however, is that - should the servers survive the incoming deluge of players - this latest iteration of Blizzard’s famous series looks set to be the real deal. Fingers crossed for no launch-day tech issues with this one.
Final Fantasy XVI
Release: June 22
Platforms: PS5
Developer: Square Enix
Unlike, say, Zelda, the Final Fantasy name doesn’t always guarantee quality. But Square’s long-running series hosts its fair share of industry-defining titles, attracts legions of passionate fans, and as far as big-budget traditional RPGs go, there’s really nothing else quite like it.
Aside from a few trailers and promises of more intense, open-ended combat, not much is known about this one. But with Final Fantasy 14’s Naoki Yoshida at the helm, hopes are high that it can be the start of a new direction for the series.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Release: June 27
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Switch PC
Developer: Marvelous
Those with fond memories of the GameCube-era Harvest Moon games (of which I am most certainly one) will no doubt have a keen eye on this one already. The name may have changed, but this looks set to be a faithful reimagining of a fan favourite that harkens back to better days for the genre.
Micro-transactions and free-to-play management games have ruined the genre for a lot of people over recent times, so fingers crossed that A Wonderful Life can take us back to happier, simpler times when farming games were designed to be enjoyable and fulfilling, rather than simply to harvest the contents of your wallet.
Main releases for June:
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection (Switch, PC) – June 1
Killer Frequency (PlayStation, Xbox, Quest, Switch, PC) – June 1
SkateBIRD (PlayStation) – June 1
Super Mega Baseball 4 (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 2
We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 2
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (Switch, PC) – June 8
Dordogne (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 13
Jack Jeanne (Switch) – June 15
Layers of Fear (2023) (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – June 15
F1 23 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC) – June 16
Park Beyond (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – June 16
Aliens: Dark Descent (PlayStation, Xbox, PC) – June 20
Crash Team Rumble (PlayStation, Xbox) – June 20
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – June 22
Sonic Origins Plus (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 23
Destroy All Humans 2 - Reprobed: Single Player (PlayStation, Xbox) – June 27
AEW: Fight Forever (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 29
Crime O'Clock (Switch, PC) – June 30
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC) – June 30
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch) – June 30
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As always, thank you so much for reading.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the issue. If you do, please tell your friends!
Have a great weekend everyone, and I’ll see you next week
Jeff
THE WEEK IN GAMES
The best news, deals and gaming content of the week
NEWS
Sony has announced June’s line-up of games for PS Plus subscribers.
Microsoft has announced the next wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass, and also the latest Games with Gold titles.
Spider-Man 2’s creative director has explained how the game’s character switching in works in an interview with Eurogamer.
The Last Of Us Season 2 was reportedly planned for 2025 prior to the recent writers' strike. Meanwhile, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Bella Ramsay has talked about how the second season will be darker.
The Meta Quest 3 VR headset has been officially announced. Alongside a number of new games. Samba de Amigo VR!
The previously PS5-only Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is getting a PC release.
Turn 10 Studios has revealed Forza Motorsport’s cover art, and confirmed plans to showcase the racing game.
Nintendo has blocked the Steam launch of Dolphin, the popular GameCube and Wii emulator.
Xbox has announced a new long-term partnership with LGBT+ organisation GLAAD.
Somebody has already beaten Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in under an hour. Also, a new item duplication glitch has been discovered.
You can register now for Mortal Kombat 1’s upcoming online stress test.
DEALS
PlayStation Store’s Planet of the Discounts sale rolls on, with up to 80% off a huge number of games both big and small, and the Games Under £15 sale is also still running.
Over on Xbox the Assassin’s Creed Franchise sale is still going, with up to 80% off a whole load of AssCreed games and add-ons, there’s also a Family Time sale, with up to 80% off family and party games, and a Season Pass Add-on sale, with up to 80% off - you guessed it - season passes and add-ons.
As ever, there’s no themed sale on Nintendo's eShop, but there’s still a large selection of AAA and indie games on General Sale.
Humble’s Classic Games sale is now live, offering up to 75% off select PC games.
GOG has just launched a Neon Dreams sale, and a Chill Indie sale, with a host of dystopian games on sale and up to 90% off chill indie games.
On the Epic Games Store, Midnight Ghost Hunt is currently free to download.
Finally, over on Steam, there are plenty of games on general special offer, including Vampire Survivors for £3.19, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide for £23, and more.
MORE!
The Impact of Iwata
The Kickstarter campaign for a new book from the makers of Nintendo Force Magazine is now live. It features “over 220 pages with an in-depth look back at Satoru Iwata’s incredible career, covering all the well-known high points of his years at HAL and Nintendo”.
The campaign ends on July 13th. You can check it out here.
INDIE SPOTLIGHT
Shining a light on new and upcoming indies
“Spy on strangers through security cameras, invade their privacy and discover their secrets in this digital voyeur simulator. Welcome to the future of The Primate Observation Club.”
This sequel to the brilliant Do Not Feed The Monkeys promises a totally new story which “builds on the existing lore crafted with maestria by the original developer.” It was released on PC at the end of May and launches on Switch later this year.
You can find out more at the game’s official Steam page.
NEW RELEASES
All the major releases for this week and next
OUT NOW:
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) – May 30 – Read review
Company of Heroes 3 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – May 30
System Shock (PC) – May 30
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection (Switch, PC) – June 1
Killer Frequency (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Quest, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – June 1
SkateBIRD (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – June 1
Street Fighter 6 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC) – June 2
Super Mega Baseball 4 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – June 2
We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – June 2
OUT NEXT WEEK:
Diablo IV (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – June 6
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (Switch, PC) – June 8
The System Shock Remake - Out now!
SUPPORT TWiG
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…and that’s it for this week!
If you have any comments or suggestions, or if you’re interested in advertising your game, product or service to more than 1k passionate gamers, please contact me at [email protected], reply to this email directly, or catch me over on Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks again, and see you next week!
Jeff
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