June 8 – June 14

Section: 

This week marks the deepest part of the release-list trench as we approach E3's continental shelf, so prepare yourself for either unlauded gems or the desperation of a sinking writer trying to find any hint of light at depths that seek to crush us.

I actually kind of like the look and feel of a couple titles in the indie-powered, perpetually expanding PC release list (I was tempted to make a Pacific Garbage Patch reference, but as far as I know, nobody makes a habit of combing through that looking for treasure. Yet.) If you're looking for a fun way to kill friends on your couch, I recommend Miner Warfare.

If you ever played a space flying game and wished it was recast as swimming underwater and shooting shellfish, then ... we should hang out. Also, check out Neo Aquarium.

And what's that lurking beyond the reef? I think I saw a flash of the Steam sale's fin. Everybody, out of the water!

Chris "C" Cesarano

I was around seven or eight years old when the original Jurassic Park hit theaters. I had your typical early-nineties-childhood love affair with dinosaurs, and my young brain couldn't comprehend the difference between computer animation and realistic animatronics or special effects. So the first time I saw it, I covered my eyes at nearly any time I was afraid a character would die. I missed the entire Tyrannosaurus scene because I was so frightened.

Naturally I would become more brave in the future, and the film quickly became a regular staple in my sister's and my summer vacation film slot. Before The Lost World hit theaters I had actually read the books, a decision that would forever condemn the future films in the "disappointment" category.

Even so, the nostalgia is strong. LEGO Jurassic World gets my pick just because it allows me to, in some way, pass on my childhood to my niece. Even if it does eat away at my soul that she favors the third film most of all.

Greg "Doubtingthomas396" Decker

Are there games coming out this week? Because all I hear is "blah blah blah Fallout 4."

Fallout 4 is not getting my pick, though. This week, starting June 11th unless Mr. Newell changes it in response to the leaks, is the annual Steam Summer Sale.

There will be cards, gems, and flow charts telling you how and when to spend actual money, so it's as much a game as Hearthstone. The Steam Sale gets my Game of the Week.

Felix Threepaper

At first glance, this week looks easy: LEGO Jurassic World. The proven LEGO formula plus dinosaurs? Count me in.

Among the Steam odds’n’sods, the most intriguing is Quantum Conscience, an interactive novel where your character can use mind-reading to unlock dialogue options and branch the story. Whether the story gets past generic acronym-laden scifi is less clear.

The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited is a console port, so it doesn’t count.

This week:

PC

  • F1 2015
  • Kholat
  • Monster Jam Battlegrounds
  • Quantum Conscience
  • A Shot in the Dark
  • The Story Goes On
  • Titanis
  • Aero's Quest
  • Dreaming
  • Neo Aquarium - The King of Crustaceans
  • Death Pirate
  • Miner Warfare
  • Gaben's Wallet Destroyer 2015 (June 11th)

PS4

  • The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited
  • LEGO Jurassic World
  • Hustle Kings
  • Invokers Tournament
  • Arcade Archives Gradius

Xbox One

  • The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited

Wii U

  • LEGO Jurassic World

PS3

  • LEGO Jurassic World

Xbox 360

  • LEGO Jurassic World

PS Vita

  • LEGO Jurassic World
  • Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy
  • Terraria

Nintendo 3DS

  • Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure
  • LEGO Jurassic World

Comments

Wow, such negativity. We should all be excited The Elder Scrolls Online is coming to consoles!

Okay, maybe just Guru and I are stoked.

(Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure gets a slight nod. Not my favorite puzzle series, but since I love puzzle games I'll give it a nod.)

Lego Jurassic World. Oh. Hold on to your butts. Stuck seeing the movie on Saturday. Will play through game Friday!

Kohlat

Misspelled. It's actually Kholat.

Miner Warfare

It's coming to Steam this week, but the game was released in 2012.

MeatMan wrote:
Kohlat

Misspelled. It's actually Kholat.

Miner Warfare

It's coming to Steam this week, but the game was released in 2012.

Sometimes I have to click the links just to make sure you're not messing with me. I also have a mind to conscript you.

Also, I definitely checked Miner Warfare out via the Desura page, so I'm just bad at being a copyeditor, really.

ESO is quite good and I'm looking forward to it on the PS4 quite a bit.

garion333 wrote:

Wow, such negativity. We should all be excited The Elder Scrolls Online is coming to consoles!

Okay, maybe just Guru and I are stoked.

I'm really curious about it, even though I've heard very mixed things about it. If I weren't already buried in an MMO, I'd try it out.

Steam sale not withstanding, really interested in Kholat. Horror game based on the Dyatlov pass incident.

I almost chose Elder Scrolls Online as it has my curiosity, but I'm not much a fan of Elder Scrolls so the winning formula of the proven LEGO template combined with a major childhood film won out.

ccesarano wrote:

I almost chose Elder Scrolls Online as it has my curiosity, but I'm not much a fan of Elder Scrolls so the winning formula of the proven LEGO template combined with a major childhood film won out.

Good news! It's not really an Elder Scrolls game! It's an MMO!

Why do I think that might have gone this way, too?

garion333 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

I almost chose Elder Scrolls Online as it has my curiosity, but I'm not much a fan of Elder Scrolls MMOs so the winning formula of the proven LEGO template combined with a major childhood film won out.

Good news! It's not really an Elder Scrolls game MMO! It's an MMO Elder Scrolls game! ;)

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Why do I think that might have gone this way, too?

garion333 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

I almost chose Elder Scrolls Online as it has my curiosity, but I'm not much a fan of Elder Scrolls MMOs so the winning formula of the proven LEGO template combined with a major childhood film won out.

Good news! It's not really an Elder Scrolls game MMO! It's an MMO Elder Scrolls game! ;)

Guess it depends on the person?? I'm much more interested in MMOs than ES games, if that matters.

(Btw, for those interested TESO is basically Dark Age of Camelot with an Elder Scrolls skin.)

garion333 wrote:

(Btw, for those interested TESO is basically Dark Age of Camelot with an Elder Scrolls skin.)

This is the first statement to remotely pique my interest regarding tESO.

Zoso1701 wrote:

Lego Jurassic World. Oh. Hold on to your butts. Stuck seeing the movie on Saturday. Will play through game Friday!

I just wish it was coming to Xbox One. It sucks that even Lego games are abandoning the hardware.

Jayhawker wrote:
Zoso1701 wrote:

Lego Jurassic World. Oh. Hold on to your butts. Stuck seeing the movie on Saturday. Will play through game Friday!

I just wish it was coming to Xbox One. It sucks that even Lego games are abandoning the hardware.

I think they're trolling you, Jay.

What fun is it to troll if I don't react?

Localgod54 wrote:
garion333 wrote:

(Btw, for those interested TESO is basically Dark Age of Camelot with an Elder Scrolls skin.)

This is the first statement to remotely pique my interest regarding tESO.

It's not a bad MMO, but it's not a great Elder Scrolls game. There's a lot less freedom than Skyrim or Oblivion (or any of the others). I play it occasionally, but it doesn't hold my interest as long as, say, Guild Wars 2 or The Secret World.

I think I give the nod to Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy as it's like the Etrian Odyssey series but prettier (and it has killer rabbits).

Game King would've chosen this:

I don't know if we usually list Paradox expansions. That line of what's a "release" is really muddy.

But if I hadn't just gotten Witcher 3, I bet I'd be buying Common Sense right this moment.

How could no one take a shot in the dark on A Shot In The Dark?

wordsmythe wrote:

I don't know if we usually list Paradox expansions. That line of what's a "release" is really muddy.

But if I hadn't just gotten Witcher 3, I bet I'd be buying Common Sense right this moment.

He would have.

And you know it.

wordsmythe wrote:

I don't know if we usually list Paradox expansions. That line of what's a "release" is really muddy.

But if I hadn't just gotten Witcher 3, I bet I'd be buying Common Sense right this moment.

I'd have expected you to be the sort who already had Thomas Paine in his library. Why double-dip?

New medium and platform for a new century!

Publishers are just milking you with these so-called remasters. The content is the same!

I have almost no interest in Jurassic World the movie, but kinda want to play Lego Jurassic World. Is that weird?

Nope. That's the camp I'm in.

We're going camping? I'm in! I can bring my vita, right?