Summer Games Roundup!
A list of games that caught my attention over the last week's summer announcements, so buckle up, I'll be doing a lot of yapping, of course.
A guilty pleasure list of games I love too much not to talk about
FINAL FANTASY VII: REVELATION
Yes, I am sure you could already guess this would be on my list, and of course, how could it not? I am still speechless, especially after how much was shown at the event itself. Going into this week, I had a hunch that FF7 Part 3, or shall I say Revelation, would be shown, but with as much as was shown, I was blown away [and very close to having a heart attack]. Years prior, Square Enix had always given small teasers for FF7, so I was going in thinking we would get a trailer drop and a small tease, and yet we got a whole PRESENTATION. I was not expecting so much time to be put into this game, given what was shown, so I walked away from SGF incredibly pleased and excited. FF7 is my favorite game of all time, and I am both emotional and excited that the journey is almost over. However, given how chaotic the end of FF7 is, I am looking forward to seeing how that vision gets pulled together into one final entry. Final Fantasy VII: Revelation is set to launch in Spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. No PlayStation exclusivity, shockingly!
RESIDENT EVIL: VERONICA
This being the SGF opener is something I hadn’t expected myself. It felt like Code Veronica had been teetering between being remade and simply being forgotten. It’s been a long-standing joke that this game was forgotten or would never be remade, so it still feels like a dream that it’s finally being given remake treatment like the other games. Personally, I do think it’s really smart to cover Code Veronica, or Veronica. I am a little sad they got rid of the “Code” in the title, but given the storyline that takes after Claire Redfield shortly after the events of the RE2 remake, Claire is finally getting her flowers and stardom in the same way Leon Kennedy did with RE2 and RE4 remakes. With Resident Evil: Veronica’s story centering on the Redfield sister and her expedition to find her older brother, Chris Redfield, it properly sets Chris’s arc up going into RE5. I do anticipate a remake soon, now that this game is in the works. I am excited to return to 1998, when everything in the Resident Evil series began. Capcom truly is not letting their foot off the gas when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise, and I’ll take it as a massive obsessed fan that I am. Resident Evil: Veronica is targeting a 2027 release window on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and yes, Nintendo Switch 2 is a part of the club.
ALIEN: ISOLATION 2
I knew it the moment a teaser was posted, and it looks ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. As I said before, I loved the first game, which launched in 2014, and it still holds up today. Its graphics are so good that I myself wouldn’t be able to tell it even came out back then, let alone in 2014. The game captured the tension and fear of the original Alien film, with callbacks and Easter eggs littered throughout, so I am excited about what this second installment brings. The new setting is Kurosaki Station, which is very different from the Sevastopol we once explored in the first installment. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet received a release date, but we do know it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
STREET FIGHTER 6 - YEAR FOUR CHARACTERS
Not a new game, but I need to get this out of my system because, by far, it was one of the greatest surprises yet. Season 3 just wrapped up a few weeks ago, and as an avid Street Fighter 6 player, I was expecting a possible Season 4 announcement. Capcom revealed three brand-new fighters: Yasmine, Arjun, and Bosch. I immediately sat up when I saw him because I remembered him as our rival in the World Tour story mode, so it was shocking to learn we are now going to play as HIM? [Of all people]. However, when the trailer was wrapping up, I was disappointed because I assumed there would be something bigger, grander, almost, and then Tifa appears on screen, punching the Street Fighter logo out of the frame, and it’s confirmed that Tifa from Final Fantasy VII is coming to Street Fighter 6. By this point, if I am honest, my heart already couldn’t take seeing Code Veronica, and yet this showed up. I genuinely did not think this was possible, and to see one of my favorites appear on screen in a game she has never appeared in before blew me away. It radiated the same excitement I used to get with Super Smash Bros. character announcements, and I wish other fighting games did major reveals like this one because it almost had me in tears. I am so incredibly excited to be able to play as Tifa in early 2027, which seems like it will coincide with the release of Final Fantasy 7: Revelation, and I cross my fingers that the group eventually finds their way into everyone’s favorite game, Fortnite…
STELLAR BLADE: BLOOD RAIN
I heard the music and immediately knew what it was. Somehow, Shift Up created a very unique universe and aesthetic, and within a few seconds of seeing the gameplay, I could tell this was Stellar Blade. [And I love that about this game]. Stellar Blade came out in 2024, which led me to believe we wouldn’t see anything from the series for years, but Shift Up somehow proved me wrong. I am so excited to play this game and explore this world alongside the new protagonist, Evie [different from the old protagonist, Eve]. Another difference is that Evie seems to rely on transformable gauntlets in combat, unlike Eve, who fought with her blade. No release date yet, as the game is in early development. However, one bit of news is that Shift Up is self-publishing this time, unlike last time, when Stellar Blade was published by PlayStation.
RAYMAN LEGENDS: RETOLD
Every day, it feels like my childhood is coming back in every way, and the same can be said for Rayman Legends, which came out in 2013. I have a lot of memories of playing this game, as it was one of those colorful, fun platformers I, for some reason, was obsessed with, much like I was with Little Big Planet and Super Mario 3D World. Rayman Legends: Retold is a complete, from the ground up 3D remake, and, as the title suggests, it’s a full reimagining. So diving into this world with a fresh take is definitely exciting. I will always love the original, but I was truly taken aback during the State of Play when I learned that the game is coming out THIS YEAR??? It’s set to launch October 1st, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2!
GOD OF WAR: LAUFEY
This game was revealed at the very end of the State of Play, and, to be honest, I legitimately thought my livestream froze because the footage was a black screen for the first several seconds. False alarm, luckily. However, the trailer opened with the very beginning of God of War 2018, then shifted us into Faye’s shoes, who dies and goes to the Everywhen, an afterlife realm where fallen gods reside. When Kratos said she was at peace, that man was lying. No, she absolutely is not. One of my biggest takeaways from the trailer is how much I specifically missed the big spectacles and battles God of War has, and Laufey definitely carries that DNA in full swing, no pun intended. I adore characters with fast movement, and Faye absolutely serves on that front 100%. I look forward to seeing what this game brings. It’s already seemingly incredibly chaotic. I mean, we have a piece of Jell-O falling us around in the game, so I have very high hopes. 10/10.
PERSONA, PERSONA AND MORE PERSONA
If you told me Atlus would show us two Persona games in one breath, I would assume you were lying. When it comes to video game predictions, I’m always careful about assuming two things will be shown at once, because there’s always a marketing strategy, and it’s often rare for publishers to want their games to overlap. But Atlus said absolutely not, saying, “Here you go. Now leave me alone,” when it came to Persona 6. I was stunned. While it was obviously a small teaser, I was joking about thinking Persona 6 would actually show up, and they did it anyway. I don’t expect the game to come out until Persona 4’s revival does. I feel P6 will be launched around 2028, which is already too long for me. I’m impatient, I know, but in the meantime, Persona 4 Revival launches on February 18, 2027. It feels like déjà vu, as the last Persona remake also came out around the same time Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth was launched, so there may be a high possibility the same could happen. And, of course, I’m mentioning Final Fantasy 7 again. How could I not?
Kingdom Hearts IV
Of all the places I expected this to show up, I wasn’t even expecting a literal Nintendo Direct. I had the strong idea that, given the Final Fantasy 7 revelation, this game would never make it to the light of day until the trilogy was over. Shockingly, it did. It has been years since we got a full trailer, and this was honestly one of the most shocking highlights of the Direct for me. We didn’t get any release dates, which is as expected; however, it is expected to be on the Nintendo Switch 2 day one.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake
Oh, Nintendo… they have been blowing me away with their remakes lately, and I didn’t think it could get any better after the Star Fox reveal a month ago. Then they announced an Ocarina of Time remake. At the time of writing, I am still absorbing much of this news, but seeing a Nintendo remake in this style definitely caught me off guard. Link’s design closely mirrors the fan-made versions that circulated the internet for years, so the fact this is the direction Nintendo seems to be going in is remarkable. That said, we were only given a tease and confirmation. However, we have a 2026 release window, which honestly makes it even better.
This week’s accumulation of new surprises made me proud to be a gamer. I wasn’t expecting as many surprises, and my god, it felt like Christmas. So many announcements dropping brought back the feeling of E3 I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I remember the years following E3’s fall, and it felt like the game industry was in an awkward position for a while, with many announcements scattered or even sparse. With so many games revealed all together this week, it was the biggest highlight, regardless of which game it was, and it felt like E3 was back.
I am SO excited to review these games in the future. Thank you so much for reading my ramblings. See you later ;)
Can’t wait for p4r and p6
I saw Laufey, Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy Trailers. They were amazing.