The Biggest Games Releasing in July 2021

This year feels like it’s on fast forward, doesn’t it? It was March about a week ago! We kid, we kid - the summer months are rolling along at a nice pace and now we have arrived in July. While this month doesn’t have a whole lot of AAA games to mention here, there’s still a cool lineup of titles worth keeping an eye on. If you’re in the mood for a brand new RPG and also want to delve into some visual novel mystery-solving, then the titles featured on this list should be right up your alley.

Capcom is eatin’ good due to the critical and financial success tied to the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise present the more traditional mechanics the series is known for, while the Monster Hunter Stories spinoff presents a more traditional turn-based RPG experience. The latest release in that sub-series puts you in the role of a Rider named Red who, due to a chance encounter with a Wyverian girl entrusted with a fate-changing egg, must embark upon a grand journey. Monster collecting is the name of the game here - you’ll call upon the assistance of Monsties and fight alongside them as you explore a nice variety of gorgeous landscapes.

After a series of unfortunate delays, Cris Tales is finally ready to drop this month. Columbian indie game studio Dreams Incorporated and SYCK have been putting the finishing touches on this ambitious RPG for a good while and it definitely shows. Cris Tales employs turn-based RPG combat and the ability to implement time jumps during gameplay. The screen is split into three sections (the past, present, and future), which plays a part in altering your foes and looking at the impact of your many actions. Cris Tales’ striking art design and clever approach to exploration & battles make it worth seeking out.

OBJECTION! If that word brought a smile to your face, then chances are you have a deep appreciation for the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney franchise. Capcom’s visual novel/courtroom simulator is equal parts hilarious and serious when it comes to prevailing in its epic criminal cases. The formerly Japanese exclusive entries The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve are finally coming stateside in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Instead of solving cases in the current day, players will step into the role of a rookie lawyer named Ryunosuke and solve murder mysteries within late 19th century Japan and England.

Square Enix has been on a roll lately when it comes to their JRPG output. The next potential gem to come from their Japanese development studios is NEO: The World Ends With You, which is a follow-up to the original Nintendo DS sleeper hit. You’ll be forced to play the dreaded Reaper’s Game once again with a lead hero named Rindo Kanade and a new set of allies. As you fight for survival against rival teams and ferocious monsters, you’ll explore the real-world locale of Shibuya. Prepare yourself for a stylish trek through a Japanese locale filled with familiar locales that are backed by a lengthy adventure. Oh, and the music is Godlike!

Xbox Game Pass subscribers get plenty of heat on a monthly basis and July will do just that. One of the biggest additions coming to the super successful game subscription service is The Ascent. This upcoming cyberpunk-themed experience puts forth top-down exploration and action RPG gameplay mechanics. Taking down the opposition means you’ll need to become a pro with the game’s twin-stick shooter controls and utilize a dedicated cover system to stay alive. The fall of The Ascent Group and the competing factions looking to take its top spot lies at the heart of this futuristic dystopian expedition.

A Plague Tale: Innocence - July 6 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch)

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - July 6 (Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD - July 16 (Nintendo Switch)

Microsoft Flight Simulator - July 27 (Xbox Series X|S)