simpleek

When it comes to upcoming video game releases there isn’t a lot I would buy for pre-order or on Day 1. Usually I’m very selective about what I’m willing to buy, or I’ll wait until a big games sale happens during the holiday season. But when there are games I simply have to have, one of those reasons could be because it’s a sequel to a beloved game I already played and enjoyed. There are at least two I have my eyes on for next month.

Neo: The World Ends With You

Anyone who has played The World Ends With You, Square Enix’s fantastic Nintendo DS game that was released in 2007, have been wishing for a follow up to this game. Fourteen years later every fan is finally getting the game they longed for in Neo: The World Ends With You.

Scheduled to release on July 27, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, Neo: The World Ends With You will feature a brand new story with a different cast of characters. You’ll play as Rindo who realizes he’ll have to fight for his life by taking part in the Reapers’ Game, which all occurs on the streets of Shibuya.

Much like the original The World Ends With You you’ll be using different pins that have special psych abilities to fight the Noise, and even team up with other characters for a special attack. Purchasing and equipping different fashion items will help boost the stats of each character. Judging from the trailer we’ll even get a special appearance from Neku himself, the original main character of the first game.

There’s a lot to be excited about, especially if you love this game as much as I do, and I can’t wait to go back to Shibuya and re-enter the Reapers’ Game as Rindo.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Originally released in Japan this installment of the Ace Attorney game never got a stateside release until now. Also scheduled to release on July 27, 2021, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is set in 19th century Japan and England and follows the ancestor of Phoenix Wright Ryunosuke Naruhodo.

As to be expected from an Ace Attorney game there will be cases to solve, investigations to conduct, and plenty of cross-examinations on the witness stand with the occasional “OBJECTION!” shouted with gusto. As a fan of the Ace Attorney series I’m curious to see how this prequel game will hold up with the rest of the games. It’s certainly an opportunity to expand on the story and world established by the previous installments, while potentially offering something different that will set it apart from the Phoenix Wright games.

Some of what I’ve always enjoyed most about the Ace Attorney series are the colorful characters you encounter in each case and how the real truth unfolds as you continue to gather clues and find the contradictions in a witness’s testimony. With the amount of games in the Ace Attorney series there are plenty of characters who will rank high or low on your list of favorites.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles seem to promise more of what you know and love from an Ace Attorney game, and while Phoenix Wright isn’t the star of this entry, I’m hoping this new game will remind me why the series has stood out as one of my favorites to play.

This concludes my most anticipated games for the summer. It’s a short list, I know, but it’s plenty for me to want to pick both of these up on release day. The question is, which one should I play first?

What new releases are you looking forward to playing this summer?