Welcome back, gaming fans! The remainder of the 2024 video game schedule is taking shape and I’m sure we’ll learn more from Gamescom next month. In the meantime, let’s take a look at games I’m planning to play later this year. For now, I’m choosing games with actual release dates instead of vague time windows. Studios made a lot of promises for 2024, but I’ll believe it when they drop legitimate release dates. This year is proving to be quite eclectic and unusual, so check out my list below.
Ace Detective Investigations Collection Release Date: 9/6/24 I always like a good mystery. The Ace Detective series can be inconsistent, but the physical version of this collection is definitely on my wish list. I heard the Ace Detective Investigations are somewhat more like point and click adventures, which should work pretty well for me. This franchise is known for clever mystery elements, campy humor, and a shameless soap opera flare. It’s a good choice if you enjoy courthouse dramas. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Release Date: 11/15/24 You’ve already seen this game on my previous posts, but it’s worth mentioning again. AC: Shadows appears to have a broad reach with two protagonists. One of the characters is more like a traditional AC protagonist who relies on stealth combat and traversal. The second protagonist fits the image of recent titles, such as Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins. The AC fanbase demanded a title in feudal Japan for quite some time and it’s coming soon. I’m not sure if this game will be a sensation or a flop that doesn’t appeal to anyone. Either way, I’m excited to play it. Astro Bot Release Date: 9/6/24 I must say, the debut trailer blew my mind. Astro Bot is finally getting a huge adventure that can compete with Super Mario Bros., Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Banjo-Kazooie, and other mascot characters. It’s a huge showcase of everything possible on the PS5 controller. The trailer also revealed a number of biomes and boss fights. If Astro Bot impresses gamers and critics enough, it might be a contender for game of the year. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Release Date: 10/25/24 Military shooters aren’t my cup of tea, but the next Call of Duty game is coming to Game Pass on day one, so I’ll give it a whirl. Honestly, I find a big portion of the CoD fandom overwhelmingly toxic, but that’s mostly the multiplayer community. I’ll just play the single player campaign. Lately, players are feeling underwhelmed with the most recent CoD releases. Hopefully, Black Ops 6 will make some changes for the better. Cat Quest III Release Date: 8/8/24 There’s something wrong with a person if they can’t find at least a certain amount of charm from the Cat Quest games. So far, each release has been entertaining, adorable, and funny. Cat Quest II also had a decent amount of challenge. The next entry has a pirate theme, complete with boats, sword fights, treasure hunting, sea monsters, etc. It’s a nice change of pace from the previous Medieval settings. I’m not sure how Cat Quest III will handle magic and other elements from the previous games. Granted, everything I’m seeing in the promotional material looks fun and faithful to the franchise. Cat Rescue Story Release Date: 9/26/24 The cozy scene is getting crowded and it’s hard to tell if upcoming releases are going to be good. Cat Rescue Story is popular on iPhone and Android, which is a promising sign. However, cell phone games don’t always translate well to the console market. Cat Rescue Story gives you a chance to foster cats and build your house. You’ll purchase food, cat trees, toys, and other supplies. The ultimate goal is to find owners who will adopt and take care of these cats. I’m going to tread cautiously with this game, but it might be a pleasant surprise. Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed Release Date: 9/24/24 I’m not sure if this adventure platformer is a remake or remaster. Believe me, there’s a difference between those ideas. The marketing is vague and it makes me feel nervous. Regardless, I’ll definitely give this game a chance. The original Epic Mickey was quite popular on the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. I recall a sequel that had mixed reception from critics and gamers. I never played Epic Mickey, so this remaster or remake is a good chance to try the franchise. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Release Date: 10/11/24 Honestly, the upcoming Dragon Ball game looks very similar to many previous titles. Lately, I haven’t been impressed with most of the DB releases, but it’s always cool to check out the next one. I assume Saprking! Zero is following the new continuity, which means I might be a little out of the loop. It seems like a fairly traditional 3D Dragon Ball game with lighting fast combat and environmental damage. I also know this one has a really huge roster, possibly the biggest number of characters in any DB title. Let’s see if Sparking! Zero can clean up the tarnished image of anime games. El Paso Elsewhere Release Date: 9/6/24 This indie shooter is coming to the PlayStation 5 in September. El Paso Elsewhere actually came out digitally on PC and Xbox consoles last year, but I usually stick with physical discs. Call me old fashioned. I’m intrigued because this game has a retro style in the vein of Max Payne regarding the graphics and combat. Slow motion shootouts are back, baby! The story seems to focus on cosmic horror, vampires, alternate dimensions, and domestic abuse. That’s an interesting combination. Hopefully, El Paso Elsewhere will satisfy my hunger for fast gameplay, energizing shooting mechanics, and plenty of monsters. Emio- The Smiling Man: Famicon Detective Club Release Date: 8/29/24 I’m still learning about this Nintendo horror game. Maybe it’s more like a dark mystery. Who knows? I never played anything from the Famicon Detective Club series and the franchise was dormant for decades. Apparently, Emio- The Smiling Man is a twist on urban legends and serial killers. This game appears to be mostly a narrative adventure with point and click elements, so don’t expect actual combat. I have a feeling this mystery won’t include the supernatural, but it might prove me wrong. Surpsingly, Emio is coming out at the end of next month. Funko Fusion Release Date: 9/13/24 Seriously, this silly Funko game is one of my most anticipated games of 2024. It’s probably too good to be true. I wonder if this game will operate very well. At the moment, Funko Fusion looks like a wacky adventure that’s accessible to many types of audiences. It seems especially nostalgic for people who grew up in the 80s and 90s. They’re including scenes from John Carpenter’s The Thing for crying out loud. I don’t think players should expect anything groundbreaking. This game just needs to be fun and humorous. Gori: Cuddly Carnage Release Date: 10/29/24 Here’s another game that looks cool, but I feel some reservations. Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a totally different type of cat game. It’s bloody, violent, and utterly nonsensical. Don’t buy this one for your kids! You’ll play as an orange tabby cat who rides on a hover board and kills monsters. I think it could be really entertaining. However, I’m afraid this game will give me motion sickness. I tend to have issues with skateboarding simulators and anything that whirls the camera around. Let’s hope Gori lives up to the gruesome mayhem without being nauseating. INDIKA Release Date: 8/30/34 This narrative horror game looks downright weird. I believe INDIKA originally came out on the PC, but I could be wrong about that part. Now it’s getting a physical release on the PS5 at the end of August. I have no idea if this game is good. Feel free to watch gameplay on YouTube, Twitch, or whatever. It combines elements from puzzle games, walking simulators, and various horror games. It also has some pixel art scenes. The story is super bizarre with a disgruntled nun who goes on a treacherous adventure with a convict. INDIKA is so weird, I have to try it. Life is Strange: Double Exposure Release Date: 10/29/24 This franchise plays a major role in the graphic adventure genre. I really enjoy a good story with a choose-your-own-adventure format. With that said, Life is Strange never connected with me. I find the entire series pretty boring, although True Colors felt like a decent step in the right direction. I just want Double Exposure to be more interesting and satisfying than the previous titles. It already has my attention because the original protagonist is back. Maybe the upcoming Life is Strange game will be a sleeper hit. SCHiM Release Date: 10/25/24 Here’s another strange little game. You play as someone’s shadow, which jumps around dark spaces in each location. If you land in the sun or light, it’s an instant death and you’ll restart at a checkpoint. Basically, it’s a unique spin on the puzzle genre. According to online sources, a schim is a ghost or shadow. I doubt this game will have a particularly fleshed out story, but that part probably doesn’t matter very much. I just hope SCHiM will be fun and unique instead of frustrating or confusing. Silent Hill 2 Release Date: 10/8/24 It’s hard for me to get a decent read on the remake of Silent Hill 2 because I never played any games in the franchise. Granted, I’m familiar with Silent Hill’s settings, lore, gameplay, and such. So far, this game seems like a challenging survival horror experience with limited health and ammunition. The graphics aren’t blowing me away, but the game looks pretty interesting and I wonder if the remake will change major elements from the original version. Only time will tell. Slitterhead Release Date: 11/8/24 How should I categorize with unusual horror game? I suppose it’s a combination of Prototype and the survival horror genre. Actually, it has a faster combat system with a lot of action in the vein of Resident Evil 4. I can’t tell if this game will be mostly an action game or much scarier. Basically, aliens or a Lovecraftian species is taking over human bodies and turning them into monsters. Your character is also a shape shifting monster who is trying to stop the invaders, so the protagonist has a number of attacks and abilities. Hopefully, we’ll find out more information soon. Star Wars Outlaws Release Date: 8/30/24 I’ve been writing a lot about this game lately. Star Wars Outlaws seems like a breath of fresh air because it’s focusing on mercenaries, smugglers, and organized crime, instead of the Jedi order, X-wings, and the usual tropes in this franchise. The space combat looks way better than Starfield and the exploration might be entertaining. I’m sure the environment will be huge with a bunch of optional missions because that’s the standard Ubisoft model. I’m also seeing some influences from the Far Cry games as well. Overall, Star Wars Outlaws has significant potential and it might be one of the strongest releases this year. Visions of Mana Release Date: 8/29/24 Maybe I’m wrong, but a lot of JRPGs make me think of Final Fantasy. Visions of Mana incorporates hack and slash combat instead of the turn based formula. Thank goodness because I’m not usually a fan of turn based combat. The Mana series existed for many years, but this will be my first venture with the franchise. Everything has a cute anime style in this game, including the enemies. I might feel guilty for killing the monsters because they’re surprisingly cute. Earlier this year, I really enjoyed Granblue Fantasy: Relink. Perhaps the new Mana game will also be a winner for me. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II Release Date: 9/9/24 We’re finally reaching the debut of Space Marine II. I’m a little worried because the marketing is encouraging multiplayer over singe player. That means it might be really difficult for someone like me who doesn’t play online. On the positive side, Space Marine II looks exciting, visceral, and ridiculously fun. I will be perfectly happy if this game is similar to the Doom franchise. It’s really weird to see so many games coming out in September, but the release date doesn’t appear to be moving. What an unusual year in the video games industry. Send prayers, good vibes, and best wishes to the people who create our games. Job security is shaky at best and I hope young creators don’t get scared away from the industry. Are you planning to play any of the games on today’s post? Do you think video game content is changing for the better or worse? Leave your thoughts, complaints, and ideas in the comment section. More posts are coming soon. I’m going to watch the Summer Olympics. Recently, I finished watching The Acolyte and I have an opinion about that show. Naturally, I’ll give you more game reviews and topics in the near future. Gamescom will definitely be a focal point next month. We have a lot to talk about this Summer. Keep watching for more posts, take care of yourselves, and have a great week.
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Believe it or not, it’s almost time for the Summer Olympics in Paris. Marketing was pretty low key for this year’s Olympics. Regardless, I always have a list of sports on my watch list. Here are the sports I will most likely view the most.
Artistic Gymnastics This discipline is always the highlight of every Summer Olympics for me. I really enjoy watching the tumbling, flips, dismounts, and occasional crashes. It also helps because the USA usually has an excellent women’s team. I’m not sure if Simone Biles can dominate the medal count this year, but it should be an exciting event. Athletics Most people call this discipline track and field. I’m not sure why it’s called athletics, especially because every participant in the Olympics is obviously an athlete. Anyway, track and field has a ton of events, ranging from races, long jumps, javelin throws, the discus, and more. Again, the USA typically wins many medals in this category. I’m not sure why it’s so entertaining to watch people run at high speeds, but it’s definitely a good time. Basketball I never know what to expect from Olympic basketball. One would think the USA would dominate in this sport. Sometimes our teams are pretty disappointing, but it depends. The USA definitely had plenty of success in Olympic basketball during past events. It’s hard to say if we’ll be particularly strong this year. Many of the NBA’s most successful athletes are getting older and many countries have rising talent. Olympic basketball events tend to be shorter than NBA games, so it’s a breezy watch. Breaking It seems like France chose break dancing for a new discipline. That’s an interesting choice. I enjoy watching competitive dancing, so this event might be quite exciting. There was a time when the USA had world class break dancers, but I don’t know who dominates in the modern era. I just hope the breaking events are flashy enough. In my opinion, flashy moves are the entire point of watching break dancing. Boxing Usually, I prefer MMA style fighting, but Olympic boxing is fine too. Yeah, boxing is barbaric. Viewers are watching athletes punch each other relentlessly. Blood sports have been part of human entertainment for centuries. It’s in our nature. Again, rounds tend to be shorter at the Olympics, so it doesn’t take forever to watch a fight. The USA had great boxers in the past, but other countries seem to be more dominant today. One day, I want to see MMA fighting at the Olympics! Cycling BMX Freestyle The Olympic are constantly adding more X Games disciplines. These types of sports are dangerous and quite exciting to watch. I’m surprised the USA doesn’t perform better in this category. BMX freestyle includes all kinds of tricks and jumps. Hopefully, no one gets hurt at this event. Falling down the wrong way can be catastrophic. Equestrian This discipline can be slow, but it’s a relaxing watch. Basically, you’re going to see riders and their horses go through various obstacle courses. To be clear, it doesn’t involve racing like the horse tracks. Equestrian sports are completely different than competitive horse racing. I don’t remember seeing major accidents during previous equestrian events, so this year will probably be fine as well. The UK and a few other countries tend to be the frontrunners for medals. Fencing I imagine France will be strong in this discipline, but you never know. Don’t be fooled by movies. Olympic fencing doesn’t resemble anything in cinema. Fencing is very stylized with specific techniques. Movement is lighting fast and rounds are brief. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it, literally. This sports isn’t for every viewer, but I find it unique and fun. Diving I enjoy viewing some of the water sports. Maybe I like diving because it shares similarities with gymnastics. Diving has multiple categories, including the platform, springboard, and synchronized pairs. It’s pretty interesting and a decent thrill. Once in a while, one of the divers botches a dive and totally falls in the water. China and a few other countries tend to be stronger than the USA, but diving remains one of my favorite disciplines anyway. Rowing It’s hard to explain why I bother to watch rowing. It’s literally the same rowing motion continuously. Regardless, I seem to enjoy watching this form of racing. I don’t recall all of the categories, but some examples are individuals, pairs, and a much larger group. Some viewers find rowing quite boring, but you should check it out. You might actually like it. Rugby Sevens Technically, there isn’t a very good reason for me to watch Olympic rugby because the USA is awful at this discipline. In fact, I don’t even know if the USA is sending a team this year. However, I’m a big fan of rugby in general and it’s hard to find decent opportunities to watch this sport in my territory. Olympic rugby is pretty short and breezy. If you like American football, rugby might be worth viewing. Skateboarding This discipline is relatively new to the Summer Olympics. Basically, you need to enjoy X Games to appreciate skateboarding. I enjoy watching the tricks, jumps, and spills. During the previous Summer Olympics, the USA underperformed in this discipline. Hopefully, they’ll win some medals this year. Granted, I don’t know the front runners. Win or lose, I’m sure it will be an entertaining watch. Surfing Even something like surfing is becoming an Olympic sport. I don’t remember when it was added, but surfing is another recent discipline. It’s probably less exciting than skateboarding and BMX freestyle, but I found it pleasant during the previous Summer Olympics. The waves can be unpredictable, which makes the experience challenging. Some countries tend to be strong in this discipline, including Australia, Japan, Brazil, and the USA. Swimming In a way, swimming reminds me of track and field. It’s a large discipline with many categories and the USA tends to earn many medals. Events are usually very short, fast, and exhilarating. Olympic swimming even has a relay event like track and field. There was a time when Michael Phelps won a ton of medals for the USA, but that’s a bygone era. Overall, it should include multiple days of entertainment. Volleyball During the last Summer Olympics, I got a kick out of the women’s volleyball games. It’s a fun and surprisingly scrappy event. Sometimes the USA performs well in this discipline, but it depends on the team. A lot of college players tend to play well in team volleyball. Like the other team sports, this version of volleyball is relatively short with quick pacing. I’m not sure why, but women’s volleyball tends to be a more entertaining watch than the men’s category. Sorry, guys. Weightlifting Yeah, weightlifting might be slow and boring for many viewers, but I like it. The entire discipline only has a certain number of weight categories and events. So, it goes much quicker than you would think. Also, I can’t believe how people are able to lift those gigantic weights. It’s just crazy. As expected, some participants can’t even pick up the heaviest weights. Wrestling It’s fun to watch traditional wrestling at the Summer Olympics. Naturally, it’s completely different than the WWE and AEW. Only certain moves are allowed in this discipline, but it can still look surprisingly brutal. I suppose these athletes are used to being slammed on the ground all the time. Sometimes it’s nice to watch sports that emphasize strength over speed. That’s the end of my list. What sports do you enjoy watching during the Olympics? Do you care about the Olympics at all? Leave a comment. The Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 through August 11. You can watch live coverage on NBC and Peacock. Thanks a lot for supporting my blog. Stay tuned for more topics and have a good week. |
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