In the gaming industry, summers are typically the "drought" months, where there are few notable game releases. However, summer 2020 is an exception to the rule, with July 2020 in particular being home to numerous significant game releases.
There's a little something for everybody in July 2020, with triple-A games, noteworthy indies, and some notable virtual reality projects on the horizon. The games listed here in particular stand as some of the most significant titles launching in July 2020 that fans should be sure to keep their eyes on.
Here are all the big new video game releases of July 2020.
Iron Man VR (July 3)
While the Oculus Quest has seen Oculus regain some serious ground, there's no denying that PlayStation VR remains one of the premiere VR headsets on the market. This is partly due to Sony securing some high quality exclusives for the system, with the latest being Iron Man VR. Aiming to give players an authentic Iron Man experience in virtual reality, it will be interesting to see if Iron Man VR can succeed in the same ways as Batman: Arkham VR did at the PlayStation VR's launch.
Iron Man VR will launch on July 3, exclusively for PS4's PlayStation VR headset.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (July 10)
Since splitting from Konami, Koji Igarashi has created a new franchise that's very much in the same vein as the Castlevania games he is famous for in the form of Bloodstained. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon was the first game in the series, playing like the NES-era Castlevania games, and now Igarashi and his team are set to release a direct sequel. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 will be yet another retro-style game in the vein of Castlevania, but it will look to spruce things up with a compelling local co-op mode and much more.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 launches on July 10 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise (July 10)
The original Deadly Premonition is a cult classic in the survival-horror genre, but it's also notable for being incredibly divisive. Some have hailed the bizarre game as one of the best horror games ever made, whereas others have derided it as a complete mess. Regardless of how one feels about Deadly Premonition's quality, there's no denying that the game managed to cultivate a creepy, campy atmosphere not unlike David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Deadly Premonition didn't exactly light the gaming world on fire with its sales, though, and so the announcement of Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise for Switch came as a major shock for horror fans. By all accounts, Deadly Premonition 2 looks like it will be faithful to the original game's weirdness, and Switch owners will find out if it lives up to expectations sooner rather than later.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise will be available on July 10, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Death Stranding PC (July 14)
Speaking of polarizing games, one of the most polarizing releases of 2019 was Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding. Some publications considered Death Stranding the best new video game of the year, whereas other Death Stranding reviews were less favorable. Regardless, Death Stranding is a high profile PS4 exclusive, so it coming to PC is still a pretty big deal. The Death Stranding PC port will come with some enhancements when compared to the PS4 version of the game, and it will also have a photo mode at launch. Considering how divided PlayStation fans were when it comes to Death Stranding, it will definitely be interesting to see how the PC crowd reacts to the unique game.
Death Stranding is out now for PS4, with the PC release coming on July 14.
Rocket Arena (July 14)
With E3 2020 canceled, EA held an all-digital EA Play event to focus on its upcoming games. Most of EA's new games will be coming later in 2020 and beyond, but fans will get try Rocket Arena in just a matter of weeks. An interesting twist on the hero-shooter genre, Rocket Arena is a multiplayer game with a huge emphasis on rocket launcher combat. It certainly sounds like a fun idea on paper, but whether or not it is in practice remains to be seen. Luckily, those intrigued by Rocket Arena will soon have their chance to try the game out for themselves.
Rocket Arena will launch on July 14 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (July 14)
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town is one of the most beloved games in the long-running life simulation franchise, and it's getting a long-awaited remake in July. Most notably, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will feature vastly improved graphics when compared to the Game Boy Advance original, and while there will be some changes, it should retain the same general gameplay experience that fans remember.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will be available on July 14 for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Ghost of Tsushima (July 17)
Arguably the biggest new video game release of July 2020 is Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. Serving as the last major PlayStation 4 exclusive release before the launch of the PS5, Ghost of Tsushima marks Sucker Punch's first game release in about six years. Boasting cutting-edge visuals and authentic samurai combat, Ghost of Tsushima has a significant amount of hype behind it, and many are expecting it to be one of Sucker Punch's best games to date. As the PS4's swan song, here's hoping Ghost of Tsushima meets and exceeds expectations come launch.
Ghost of Tsushima is coming exclusively to PS4 on July 17.
Paper Mario: The Origami King (July 17)
The Nintendo Switch is also getting a major exclusive game release on July 17. Going head-to-head with Ghost of Tsushima is the latest entry in the long-running Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: The Origami King. Said to be a return to form for the franchise, Paper Mario: The Origami King was surprisingly announced by Nintendo in May with a July release date, meaning Switch owners haven't had to wait long at all to get their hands on the game. Paper Mario: The Origami King is experimenting with the franchise's combat system, which may be a risky move, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Nintendo.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 17.
Crysis Remastered (July 23)
The original release of Crysis back in 2007 was notable for being one of the most visually-impressive video games ever at the time. While it has since been surpassed in terms of graphics, the game will soon get a new lease on life thanks to the impending launch of Crysis Remastered. Coming to multiple platforms in July, Crysis Remastered should be a virtually-identical experience to the original game, albeit with a modern facelift and some other enhancements.
Crysis Remastered will be available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on July 23.
Destroy All Humans (July 28)
Destroy All Humans was a popular game when it originally released back in 2005, and now the mischievous alien star Crypto is looking to make a comeback in the Destroy All Humans remake. The first new release in the series since 2008's Path of the Furon, the Destroy All Humans remake greatly improves on the graphics of the original game while retaining its unique style of gameplay. And perhaps if the Destroy All Humans remake does well, THQ Nordic may be convinced to move forward with a proper, full-fledged sequel.
Destroy All Humans will launch on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One on July 28.
From Iron Man VR to the Destroy All Humans remake, there are a number of significant game releases coming in July 2020. August 2020 has far less, but there are still some games launching then that could turn out to be pretty great. Of course, most of the focus is on later in 2020 and the launch of the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles, which will be delivering some brand new gaming experiences to the masses.
For now, though, gamers still have plenty of worthwhile experiences to look forward to on their current-generation hardware. The July 2020 new games lineup shows that there's plenty of variety as well, so there should really be something for everyone. It will be interesting to see which July 2020 game comes away as a fan favorite, and which titles, if any, actually fail to live up to expectations.