As we reach the halfway point in 2021, this month’s gaming releases will take players from the fairway to the battlefield. Alternate universes, mythical beasts, beloved characters, and a trip to the unknown are just some of the delights in store.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood
A new region awaits in this latest expansion. In The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, players will travel to the titular region for a new adventure. Beset by Daedric influence and would-be tyrants, it will be up to players to unravel the mysteries hidden in this new land. From the streets of the City of Leylawin to the Niben Forest, a conspiracy tied to the long-deposed Longhouse Emperors and the Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, could spell chaos for the people of Blackwood. For those who like to travel with a party, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood will introduce a companion system for the player to recruit and travel with NPC’s for a more immersive experience.
For those who are new to The Elder Scrolls Online, the launch of the Blackwood expansion will coincide with the launch of a special collection featuring all the Elder Scrolls Online content to date. Players who pre-order either the Blackwood expansion or the Collection will receive a special bonus pack at launch. The pack includes a Nagahide Welwa Ravager mount, Dremora Kynreeve outfit, Deadlands Wamasu pet, an Iron Atronach Crate, three Blackwood Treasure maps and two Experience Scrolls which will give players double XP in-game. The Collector’s Edition includes the game (either the single Blackwood expansion or Collection) along with an additional emote, Deadlands Gladiator outfit, a Temperamental Grimoire memento, Jewel-Feathered Sep Adder pet and a Battlefield Nightmare Senche mount.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood will be available on PC from June 1* and on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from June 8*
Chivalry II
It is an all-out war in this online multiplayer. Taking inspiration from real-life historical battles, Chivalry II puts players right in the heat of battle. Playable in either first or third-person perspective, combatants are divided into two sides – the Agatha Knights or the Mason Order. From there, they must use a mix of ranged weapons and melee combat to achieve their goals. Storming a castle to assassinate a King, being the last one standing on the battlefield or even beating the clock in timed challenges, up to 64 players will be able to test their strength and skill against each other.
Players who pre-order will receive an exclusive weapon variant, the Royal Zweihander, at launch. The Steelbook Special Edition includes a copy of the game in an exclusive Steelbook case, Jousting Knight armour for both Mason and Agatha knights, a Royal Broadsword, Gold Horseman’s Axe, Roses novelty item, Royal Zweihander DLC along with 1000 Crowns and 5000 Gold as a starting boost.
Chivalry II will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 from June 8*
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
The beloved saga comes to PlayStation 5 with this upgraded release. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade features the iconic story of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret and their fight through the city of Midgar and the Shinra Corporation. Along with a host of graphical, audio and gameplay enhancements, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade comes with a new story in INTERGRADE. This new adventure brings Yuffie Kisaragi to the world of Final Fantasy VII Remake. This lovable ninja is on her own mission to steal the ultimate materia from Shinra by infiltrating Midgar and brings with her a new story, a new perspective on the story of Final Fantasy VII Remake and a host of new gameplay additions and features.
Players who pre-order through select retailers will receive their game in a limited-edition Collector’s Steelbook case. Those who order via the PlayStation Store will receive the Castor weapon as a bonus item. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, a Digital artbook, digital mini soundtrack and FF7R EPISODE INTERmission.
Those who already purchased Final Fantasy VII Remake on PlayStation 4 will receive the enhancement upgrade for free on PlayStation 5 but will need to purchase FF7R EPISODE INTERmission separately. Players who have FFVII Remake from PlayStation Plus will not be eligible to receive the upgrade.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will be available on PlayStation 5 from June 10*
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Multiple realities are at stake in the latest from Ratchet & Clank, In Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, our titular heroes will have to travel across multiple worlds and dimensions to hunt down the evil Doctor Nefarious and stop his latest scheme. This is easier said than done as Nefarious has exploited a dimensional collapse brought on by a broken Lombax artefact known as the Dimensionator. Soon, Ratchet and Clank are separated in the chaos as they end up in a world ruled by Emperor Nefarious. The only allies they have in this new world are a small rebel group led by Rivet, a female Lombax, and together they will fight for all the worlds against any and all Nefarious.
Players who pre-order will receive the Carbonox Armor and Pixelizer weapon as bonus items at launch. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a copy of the game, five additional armour sets, a digital copy of the game’s soundtrack, a digital artbook, an in-game Photo Mode sticker pack and a selection of in-game upgrade materials.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be available on PlayStation 5 from June 11*
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Grab your clubs and get ready to swing in this new Mario title. Swapping the Mushroom Kingdom for the fairway, Mario Golf: Super Rush will take players on a golfing adventure as they take their own customisable Mii and build their golfing skill while playing against iconic characters from the Mario franchise. Those looking for a different challenge can try Speed Golf – where the aim is to finish the hole in the fastest time possible – or the new Battle Golf mode where the winner is determined by who can get their shots to hit a specific target hole first.
Players who pre-order will receive an exclusive Mario Golf: Super Rush water bottle with their game. Players who pre-order a physical copy will receive an exclusive pin set featuring Mario and Princess Peach in their golfing attire.
Mario Golf: Super Rush will be available on Nintendo Switch from June 25*
Scarlet Nexus
Protect humanity’s future with this action RPG. In Scarlet Nexus, monsters known as “Others” are looking to escape from the Extinction Belt to create a new hunting ground on New Himuka. Playing as either Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall, players are members of the Other Suppression Force. This task force is comprised of people who can harness the unique substances in human brains to grant them superhuman extrasensory powers. Using their psionic abilities and combat training, the player’s chosen character will have to hone their skills and work alongside the OSF’s seasoned veterans if they stand a chance at defeating the Others once and for all.
Players who pre-order will receive a special Battle Attire set, a Baki attachment set, Dream Catcher and Face Vision Seal cosmetic items, a code for post-launch content and two months free access to the anime streaming service FUNimation. The Digital Deluxe Edition contains a copy of the game, a digital artbook, soundtrack, Red Battle Attire set, The Other cosmetic and SAS Plug-In bonuses. The Guardians Edition contains the game, all the content in the Digital Deluxe Edition along with a set of art prints, hardcover art book, an OSF sticker and exclusive Steelbook case. Players who order the Guardians Edition via the Bandai Namco store will also receive the EP!C weapons set as an added bonus.
Scarlet Nexus will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 from June 25*
Free to Play
Xbox players with either an active Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription will have four new titles to download and play for free this month. On Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, The King’s Bird will be available from June 1-30*, with Shadows: Awakening available from June 16 – July 15*. On Xbox 360 – and Xbox One/Series X/Series S via Backwards Compatibility – NeoGeo Battle Coliseum will be available from June 1-15* followed by Injustice: Gods Among Us from June 16-30*
PlayStation players with an active Plus subscription will have three new titles to download and play for free this month. From June 1*, Operation Tango will be available on PlayStation 5, with Star Wars Squadrons and Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown available on PlayStation 4.
Players with a Twitch account linked to an active Amazon Prime subscription will be able to download and play six titles for free this month with Games with Prime. Up for grabs this month will be Batman – The Telltale Series, Newfound Courage, Lost in Harmony, BFF or Die, Spitkiss and Mugstars. Full information on how to claim these titles along with bonus items for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, FIFA 21, Valorant and others can be found on the Prime Gaming website.
Also Released This Month
June 1* – Necromunda: Hired Gun (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC), World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic (PC), Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection (Xbox One, PS4, PC), Stonefly (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Wreckfest (PS5), Kaze and the Wild Masks (Xbox One, PS4, Switch)
June 3* – Hokko Life (PC – Stream Early Access), Open Country (Xbox One, PS4, PC), Pro Cycling Manager 2021 (PC), Monster Harvest (Xbox One, PS4), Tour de France 2021 (Xbox One, PS4)
June 4* – DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power (Switch), Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PC), Evergate (Switch), The Last Kids on Earth and The Staff of Doom (Xbox One, PS4, Switch), Do Not Feed The Monkeys (Switch)
June 5* – Mighty Goose (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
June 8* – Descenders (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
June 10* – Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch), We Are Football (PC)
June 11* – Guilty Gear Strive (PS4, PS5, PC), DariusBurst: Another Chronicle EX+ (PS4, Switch), The Persistence Enhanced (PS5)
June 16* – The Sisters: Party of The Year (PS4, Switch)
June 17* – Red Solstice 2: Survivors (PC)
June 18* – Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition (Switch), Metro Exodus Complete Edition (Xbox Series X/S, PS5), 30 in 1 Game Collection, Volume 2 (Switch), Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series (PSVR), Geminose: Animal Popstars (Switch), Nightmare Boy (PS4, Switch), Beholder Collector’s Edition (Switch)
June 21* – Jigsaw Fun – Piece It Together (Switch)
June 22* – Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC), Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (Switch), Cooking Mama: Cookstar (PS4)
June 23* – Fallen Knight (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch)
June 24* – Legend of Mana (PS4, Switch, PC), Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Roguebook (PC), Crazy Chicken Kart 2 (Switch), The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos (PS4, Switch), Castaway Paradise (Switch)
June 25* – Maskmaster (PSVR), Farming Simulator 17 Ambassador Edition (Xbox One, PS4), Ghostrunner (Switch), Solaris Offworld Combat (PS4), Blue Fire (PS4, Switch), Spirit Lucky’s Big Adventure (PS4, Switch, PC)
June 29* – Ever Forward (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch), Destroy All Humans (Switch), Song of Horror (PS4), ATV Drift & Tricks (Switch), Curved Space (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5)
June 30* – Evil Inside (PS5), Greedfall – Gold Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5), Necromunda: Hired Gun (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5), Distrust (Switch)
*Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary, and all are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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