Upcoming Video Game Releases This June 2016

It’s mid-year madness this June, as some of the most awaited releases are coming this month. Pat your pockets and get your wallets ready for these upcoming video game releases this June.

1.Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness

To be released this June 28th, this Playstation 4 exclusive marks the fifth installment of the world-renowned franchise. Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is set in an undeveloped planet, effectively setting it apart from its predecessors where the main party usually comes from more civilized planets. In this new game, the quiet life of the main protagonist is shaken to its very core when chaos ensues after an encounter with more developed individuals from other sectors of space. This kind of endeavor celebrates the theme of the series, which is exploring the interactions between vastly different civilizations, societies, and planets.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness prides itself in its seamless execution of events, like making sure that the various cut scenes that move the story forward do not disrupt the player’s immersive experience of the game. This way, fans need not get sidetracked whenever a cut scene causes them to stop playing, watch the scene, and then resume their game. Tri-Ace has now employed a new kind of storytelling technique, which is to have characters interact scenes with each other as the player is out exploring the world. This successfully eliminates the need to stop and watch cut scenes whenever an event comes up.

What’s even more revolutionary here is that the seamlessness extends even up to the battle scenarios. When players engage in combat with enemies that they run into, combat mode will be triggered immediately without the need to switch screens or load new areas. To continue with the seamlessness even further, the whole party of allies in your team is present whenever you engage in combat. Why shouldn’t they? The members in your party are, after all, travelling together, so having to choose which ones to use in battle whenever there is an enemy encounter is always unsettling. This time, with the new seamless battle sequence, this opens up the game to a variety of impressive new abilities, tactics, and strategies that players will certainly enjoy.

Star Ocean was a big part of my gaming life back when The Second Story came out for the Playstation, and I have been an avid fan of the franchise ever since. This fifth game in the series will no doubt bring the same level of excitement for gamers everywhere, and it’s definitely worth the wait!

  

2. Zero Time Dilemma

Spike Chunsoft’s Zero Escape series has certainly turned into a cult favorite, with its mind-boggling mysteries, intriguing character set, and suspense-filled storytelling. The execution of the dark puzzle game has always been flawless, and the story superb. It’s no surprise then that when Zero Time Dilemma comes out this June 28 for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita (and June 30 for the PC version), fans will be clamoring to get their hands on it. Despite its story-heavy nature and with this being the end of the trilogy (the first two being predecessors 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue’s Last Reward), director Kotaro Uchikoshi is confident that it will attract even newcomers and new fans to the franchise.

To do this, the developers have tweaked Zero Time Dilemma to be more flexible when players discover the story. Players still need to make life-or-death decisions as in the previous two games, but this time, Zero Time Dilemma has foregone the linear flowchart of the story in favor of floating fragments that allow new players to move through the story episodically at their own pace. This type of storytelling fits the game as there will be elements of memory alteration and some amnesia-inducing injections, so going episodic is better than going linear, indeed.

Of course, just like with its predecessors, Zero Time Dilemma still tells the tale of nine characters trapped in an escape quest nonary game where participants are pit against each other and faced with mortal consequences. The mysterious Zero is still the ever-welcoming host of this death trap, and this game is set one year after 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Setting the third installment smack-dab in the middle of the first two is also part of the developers’ goal of making it more accessible for new fans. The biggest difference in Zero Time Dilemma is that instead of the text-heavy narrative sequences, the cut scenes will now actually be fully animated cinematic scenes. I myself spent a huge chunk of my time scrolling through text after text while I was playing the previous titles, and honestly, the prospect of seeing the gruesome events unfold instead of just reading about them is more appealing now than ever.

  

The bottom line is that I just cannot wait. I cannot. Especially with Uchikoshi saying that fans will be immensely satisfied as all the mysteries and questions will be answered, solved, and revealed, there’s just no reason not to get this came when it comes out. Let the supernatural, time travel, science fiction, blood, and gore begin!

3. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

The reboot-slash-prequel comes out June 7th for PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, and just like its 2008 forerunner, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will show off its parkour-heavy action. The new game will delve deeper into protagonist Faith’s past and origins in the dystopian city of Glass. Everyone’s favorite vast and expansive open-world setting will let players explore the lush environment with a whole lot more freedom. Prepare to wall-run and propel yourself through the field of challenges and collectibles in this much-awaited second installment of the well-loved parkour game. I’m actually also looking forward to some kick-ass soundtrack here, too!

4. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out this June 28th on the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, effectively making us all love BB-8 even more. The game will feature hilarious new adventures that have never before been seen on film, including original tales about how the heck Han Solo and Chewbacca got caught up with those totally gross and extremely dangerous Rathtars. And since it’s a Lego game, we all know that it’s not going to disappoint!

*This article was first seen on The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.