June provided us not only with E3’s bountiful reveals and sneak peaks, but it also gave us a surprisingly high number of releases as well. So we’ve compiled a list of last month’s reviews in case you missed anything during the vast swirl of game-related things that occured in the past month.
Among the twenty-three reviews we had for June was some splendid DLC, a great fighter, and some very bad games indeed. We’ll start with the best games reviewed in June.
The Best of June 2016
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine DLC: 9.5
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is a great sendoff, not only to Geralt, but to the Witcher franchise as well. CD Projekt Red have crafted a masterpiece in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and have changed how additional content should be presented with Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. At $20 you are already getting a better deal than most full priced games. If you are fan of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Blood and Wine is a can’t-miss. (Garri Bagdasarov)
Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator: 9.5
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- is easily the king of fighting games released up to this point, at least in this generation. It’s not only accessible for new players but keeps the hardcore players satisfied as well. Arc System Works has outdone themselves with their fantastic art and animations. The additions of new and old characters are welcome to the already vast and unique lineup of fighters and it’s awesome and daring story mode is what makes -REVELATOR- my favorite fighting game to come along this generation. (Garri Bagdasarov)
Oxenfree: 8.5
So much of Oxenfree is an utterly heavenly experience. The conversation options knocks other games out of the water, and the characters are relatable and well-realised. The story is well-paced for much of the fairly brief play time, but sadly things unravel by the time the finale arrives, making a potential stone cold classic into something that’s merely great. (Neil Bolt)
Hitman’s third episode builds on your pre-existing knowledge and ramps up the pressure in a very hostile environment. The trip to Marrakesh never quite reaches the giddy heights of the previous episode, but it still stands as another exceptionally-designed level to add to the growing greatness of 2016’s Hitman experience. (Neil Bolt)
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter: 8
The Rest of June 2016
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a fine successor to its 2008 predecessor in many regards, but a flat story makes for a significant stumbling block. (Neil Bolt)
Neon Chrome: 7.5
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness: 7.5
Bard’s Gold: 7.5
A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre. (John-Paul Jones)
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book: 7
Minecraft Story Mode: Episode Six: 6.5
With its bold, inventive take on the party game, Perfect Universe succeeds in shaking up a tired multiplayer genre whilst adding plenty of single player challenge The issue it has is that some of the nine games on offer are too complex and/or dull to work as good mini-games, and that leaves a fairly small, but decent, collection to peruse for some multiplayer shenanigans. (Neil Bolt)
N.E.R.O.: 5.5
Mighty No.9: 5.5
Soul Axiom: 3.5
A oily, toxic pool of bad ideas, half-baked mechanics, and shoddy design masquerading as a tough retro-inspired football game. Kick Off Revival is just plain awful. (Neil Bolt)
What stood out for you in June? Good or Bad?