The summer season is usually a dry one for video game releases, with the bulk of new titles being saved for the colder months when people are more inclined to stay at home playing games. The importance of the holiday season to the gaming industry also means that the biggest titles are saved for the autumn and winter months.
There are some developers who use the dry spell of new releases to their advantage and will release a game in a marketplace that has less competition. 2019 will be no exception, as there a lot of great titles due for release that can be enjoyed by those with a desire to hide from the sun's harmful rays.
The 2019 summer season has a lot of new releases spread across all the systems (except for the dearly departed PlayStation Vita), so we have narrowed down the list to twenty titles from the May to September release window that gamers should check out.
20: Cadence Of Hyrule (Q2)
Plot Summary - Cadence from Crypt of the NecroDancer has somehow found her way to the land of Hyrule, where she will team up with Link and Princess Zelda in order to defeat the forces of Ganon using the power of music & swordplay.
The Breakdown - Cadence of Hyrule is a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and Nintendo allowing one of their beloved first-party properties to be used by an indie developer, which shows that they have incredible confidence in Brace Yourself Games. Those who enjoyed Crypt of the NecroDancer should feel right at home with Cadence of Hyrule, as the player has to complete a Roguelike game to the beat of remixed songs from The Legend of Zelda series.
Cadence of Hyrule is coming to the Nintendo Switch in Q2 2019.
19: Rage 2 (May 14)
Plot Summary - The world has been hit by a meteor and a chaotic society has arisen from the ashes of the old one. The player is Walker, the last Ranger, who possesses Nanotrite technology in their body that grants them the equivalent of superpowers. The only problem with these powers is that Walker has drawn the attention of a military dictatorship known as the Authority who want the Nanotrites for themselves.
The Breakdown - with a heavy emphasis on big guns, superpowers, and being able to ride a variety of vehicles in order to traverse the hostile wasteland. The people who skipped the original Rage won't be missing out on much, as the series is moving in a new direction by responding to the criticisms of the first. Rage 2 is taking a lighter tone and will focus more on the fun that comes with wreaking havoc on mutants while offering a huge world full of content to discover.
Rage 2 is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 14.
18: A Plague Tale Innocence (May 14)
Plot Summary - Amicia must protect her younger brother, Hugo, from the Inquisition in a country overrun by the horde of rats that brought the Black Death to Europe. The two must find a safe haven in a world of corrupt knights and mindless vermin.
The Breakdown - A Plague Tale: Innocence combines the survival & stealth genres with puzzle solving, as Amicia must use her environment in order to by the guards that are hunting her brother, as well as the hordes of rats that lurk in the shadows. The player will have to use Amicia's skill with a sling and her ability to craft chemical concoctions in order to survive. The rats are scared of fire, which means that light sources are essential to by them. It's also possible for Amicia to use the rats to her advantage by turning them on her pursuers, should the player have no problem watching guards being devoured whole by crazed vermin.
A Plague Tale: Innocence will be coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 14.
17: Team Sonic Racing (May 21)
Plot Summary - The people at Sega forgot that Sonic can run really fast and they gave him a car to drive around in. Sonic would go on to star in a series of racing games that were similar to the Mario Kart titles, except with Sega characters.
The Breakdown - The team behind Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed are back with Sonic the Hedgehog. Team Sonic Racing is a kart-racing game that features fifteen different Sonic characters on twenty-one different tracks. The way in which Team Sonic Racing differs from its competitors is in its focus on team-based racing, with players being able to gain buffs from helping their teammates succeed and defeating their rivals on the track.
Team Sonic Racing is coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 21.
16: Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (June 4)
Plot Summary - The Phantom Thieves of Heart from Persona 5 are trapped in a mysterious movie theater with the Investigation Team from Persona 4 and the SEES from Persona 3. The female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable will also up with the other Persona teams for the biggest Shin Megami Tensei crossover yet, as they try to escape from their captivity.
The Breakdown - Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is pure fan service for the fans of the Persona series. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth brings together the casts of the three most popular Persona games in a first-person RPG that allows the player to explore dungeons using a combination of their favorite characters from the series. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth also seems as if it will be the last big third-party title released for the Nintendo 3DS, which at least means that the beloved handheld console is being sent off with a bang.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is coming to the Nintendo 3DS on June 4.
15: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (June 21)
Plot Summary - An alien known as Nitros Oxide claims to be the greatest driver in the galaxy and comes to Earth to challenge the best racers on the planet. If no one can defeat Oxide, then he will enslave everyone in the world. The cast of Crash Bandicoot buckle up and prepare to take on Oxide at his own game, with the fate of the planet hanging in the balance.
The Breakdown - Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a Crash Team Racing, which was a popular kart-racer on the original PlayStation. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled will bring new content that wasn't in the original, such as new characters, skins, tracks, and items, as well as added online functionality. The urban legend concerning Nitros Oxide being playable will finally become true, as he will part of the roster for the first time in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is coming to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on June 21.
14: Judgment (June 25)
Plot Summary - The bodies of three Yakuza have been found with their eyes removed. A private investigator named Takayuki Yagami is on the case to find the culprit behind these vicious crimes, who is referred to as "The Mole" for his vicious method of dismembering his victims.
The Breakdown - Judgement is a spin-off of the Yakuza series, with the major difference being that the player is working on the side of the law. Yagami must explore the fictional Kamurocho district of Tokyo to uncover the truth behind The Mole, which involves detective work, chasing crooks through busy streets and over-the-top fight scenes against entire groups of gangsters. Fans of the Yakuza series and its spinoffs will feel right at home with Judgment, but the fact that it's disconnected in of the story means that newcomers can also jump right in.
Judgment is coming to PlayStation 4 on June 25.
13: The Sinking City (June 27)
Plot Summary - In the 1920s, the city of Oakmont is struck by a mysterious flood that is driving the inhabitants insane. A private investigator is dispatched to the town in order to uncover the cause of the mass hysteria, but they will soon discover that supernatural forces are at play.
The Breakdown - The Sinking City is heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, which means that there are a lot of tentacle monsters to be found beneath the depths. The game mixes the detective works of an adventure/puzzle game with survival horror battles, as the protagonist uses his boat to explore Oakmont and discovers more about its disturbing past. Just be warned that the main character's mental state is declining and one can only stare into the abyss for so long before something reaches out, meaning that he can snap at any moment and give to insanity effects.
The Sinking City is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on June 27.
12: Super Mario Maker 2 (June 28th)
Plot Summary - Nintendo wanted to find a way to appease both the most creative and masochistic of their fan base. Super Mario Maker 2 doesn't have a plot, but it's more of a framework for allowing players to express themselves via the medium of Mario and his levels.
The Breakdown - Super Mario Maker 2 offers several improvements over the original, with the most important being the fact that it's on a system that people actually own, so the field will be much wider for content. The new additions to Super Mario Maker 2 include slopes, auto-scrollable stages, the ability to switch to a Super Mario 3D World style, the cat suit from the aforementioned game that can even be given to Bowser, and a slew of new costumes, enemies, and obstacles.
Super Mario Maker 2 will be available for the Nintendo Switch on June 28.
11: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (July 2)
Plot Summary - The Garlean Empire has been a thorn in the side of the Warrior of Light and his allies since the beginning of Final Fantasy XIV and the time has come to take the war to them.
The Breakdown - Shadowbringers is the third expansion for Final Fantasy XIV and it's bringing a ton of content to the game, such as new enemies, equipment, and quests. The story of Final Fantasy XIV will continue with missions that take place across new areas, as well as two new jobs for returning players to try - the Dancer, which is a class that focuses on ranged attacks and buffing spells, and the Gunbreaker, who can use the gunblade weapons from Final Fantasy VIII.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is also adding content for new players, such as two new races (the Viera from Final Fantasy XII and the Hrothgar, who are similar to the Ronso from Final Fantasy X), as well as bringing in the Trust system from Final Fantasy XI to allow players to use NPCs to help them in quests if they are having trouble finding allies.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is coming to Macintosh, PC, and PlayStation 4 on July 2.
