Originally published on Trevor Trove on August 17, 2016
With August halfway done, now seems like a prime opportunity to look over the games scheduled to release next month and evaluate the major titles hitting next month as we start getting our first tastes of the always jam-packed Fall. Of course, Final Fantasy XV has been pushed so I’m glad I didn’t make this list a week ago.
BioShock: The Collection – September 13th
I thoroughly enjoyed the original BioShock as one of the best titles of the last generation. Which is saying something because survival horror shooter is far from the top of my list of favorite genre. But the story was engrossing and the mix of guns and plasmids made for enjoyable gameplay. BioShock 2 didn’t bother me as much as it did others but I felt like it tried to retread too much of the same ground as the first game. And them BioShock Infinite was actually my first ever Platinum (as I had never been a huge trophy hunter). I loved the gameplay even it have all but abandoned the claustrophobic survival elements in favor of a more accessible shooter. All that said, they’re great games to get into if you missed them but since they’re all still fresh enough in my head, I won’t be picking this up.
Excitement Level: There’s always a lighthouse; there’s always a man out of 10.
Dead Rising – September 13th
I don’t know? Zombies and a mall? I didn’t have an Xbox 360.
Excitement Level: Zombies out of 10.
ReCore – September 13th
The other major Keiji Inafune-produced title on September 13th. I’m still holding out hope that this will somehow get delayed so my prediction that it and Horizon: Zero Dawn get pushed to 2017 will come to fruition but that seems highly unlikely a month out. The game looks like it has the potential to be a charming action game with a robot dog so I’m hopeful but Inafune hasn’t exactly had the best track record as of late so I’m wary.
Excitement Level: Please don’t be Mighty No. 9 out of 10.
Dragon Quest VII – September 16th
The original PlayStation version of this game was one of my favorites back when this series was still Dragon Warrior here in the states. So I already know the game itself is a solid investment, even before the rebuilt graphics and some of the reworked systems. I’m hopeful the game has some form of fast-forward mode like the PlayStation 4 port of Final Fantasy VII had because I spent 100+ hours playing this game 15 years ago and never actually beat it. So I’d love the ability to rush through some of the less exciting level grinding.
Excitement Level: Probably going to replace the 3DS I lost out of 10.
Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors – September 20th
The North American release of the first Criminal Girls last year was when Jonathan “Xyger” Landeros became a name in the Kinda Funny community. I even picked the game up on Vita on his insistence that it was a fun game and said as much when I appeared on the Kinda Funny Gamescast. But I never played more than an hour or two with it because it turns out, I don’t really need to mix my JRPGs with “punishing” scantily clad young girls…
Excitement Level: STILL not Xyger out of 10.
Destiny: Rise of Iron – September 20th
Apparently a new video dropped today for this expansion? I never even got The Taken King so my Destiny days are far behind me.
Excitement Level: “You’re my density.” – George McFly out of 10.
NBA 2K17 – September 20th
I didn’t play NBA 2K16 when it was given away as a PlayStation Plus title. I won’t play NBA 2K17.
Excitement Level: It’s still be one of the best-selling games of 2016 out of 10.
Darkest Dungeon – September 27th
I love the premise of treating JRPG dungeon hunters like real people who have to deal with the psychological impact of slaying other living creatures or straight up murdering people. Cloud Strife was a psychopath who killed bunnies, plants, scales, and shit-tons of people. What would that do to a real person’s brain.
Excitement Level: PTSD out of 10.
Forza Horizon 3 – September 27th
Not a racing game fan but it’s a big title so I’m including it. Looks pretty.
Excitement Level: Stuck in 1st gear out of 10.
XCOM 2 – September 27th
When XCOM 2 was announced as a PC-only title I was suspicious. When it required such high-powered PCs to run I was less suspicious and thought, “damn I guess it’s not coming to console.” When it was announced for console I thought, “well there’s no way it runs well.”
Excitement Level: Maybe the best reason to get a PlayStation NEO? out of 10.
Yo-Kai Watch 2 – September 30th
Just. No.
Excitement Level: <shrug emoji> out of 10.