After a few slow months, things pick up a bit in June, with the release of the ever-controversial Diablo Immortal, Supermassive’s latest horrorfest The Quarry, and a pair of Nintendo titles in Mario Strikers: Battle League and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. Meanwhile, on the indie front, we the clever Card Shark, intense horror adventure Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel, and more. Note: While I may have played demos or got early access to some of the games recommended in this article, in most cases I’m simply choosing games that look promising, and can’t vouch for the end product. Do wait for reviews before buying! That said, here are the games you should be looking out for in June…
The Headliners
Diablo Immortal (Mobile, June 1; PC, June 2) After much backlash and gnashing of teeth from fans, Diablo Immortal finally arrives this week, and no, you guys don’t have to have phones to play it. The game will also be available on PC, although much of the trappings and monetization of a mobile game will remain. Blizzard promises Diablo Immortal will be a full-fledged ARPG experience, and early testing has largely backed that up. Whether Immortal tides fans over until Diablo IV remains to be seen, but given the game is free-to-play, your trip to hell doesn’t have to cost you much. You can grab the game here.
Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch, June 10) Following a 15-year absence, Nintendo’s fan-favorite arcade soccer franchise returns with Mario Strikers: Battle League. The new game looks to deliver more of the over-the-top, power-up-enhanced footie of pasts entries of the series, but this time around there’s more of an emphasis being put on online action, including the ability to form clubs to participate in ranked play. It’s good to see Mario getting his cleats dirty again. You can pre-order the game here.
The Quarry (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 10) Developer Supermassive Games put themselves on the map with the surprise PS4-exclusive hit Until Dawn, but they’ve never really reached that height again. Sure, they’ve continued to do the choice-based horror thing with The Dark Pictures Anthology and other games, but it’s clear they haven’t been given the resources to replicate Until Dawn’s success. Well, The Quarry might change that. Funded by the deep-pocketed 2K Games, The Quarry looks to be Supermassive’s biggest, bloodiest pretty person slaughterfest yet. You can pre-order the game here.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (Switch, June 24) There’s just no stopping the steady drumbeat of new Musou games from Koei Tecmo, with the newest one being Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. As the name implies, the game takes place in the same universe as 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and promises plenty of hack ‘n’ slash action, some light strategic elements, and a full-fledged new story. The first Fire Emblem Warriors was a solid effort, so hopefully this follow up strikes a similarly successful blow. You can pre-order the game here.
DNF Duel (PC, PS4 & PS5, June 28) Dungeon Fighter Online may not have made much of a splash in the West, but the action-RPG is a massive success in Asia, attracting hundreds of millions of players, and now the franchise is getting its own fighting game from Arc System Works. DNF Duel looks to deliver the impressive visuals and combo-heavy action you’d expect from the makers of Guilty Gear, so even if you’re not familiar with Dungeon Fighter Online, this Duel may be for you. You can pre-order the game here.
Promising Indies
Card Shark (PC & Switch, June 2) There are plenty of games out there with card-based mechanics, but few that really replicate the experience of playing cards. Card Shark is the exception. The game casts players as a skilled 18th century cheat, who uses every trick in the book – card marking, false shuffles, deck switching, false deals – to trick their marks. But it’s not all fiddling with your deck, as Card Shark also serves up an intriguing storyline as well. This one looks to be playing with a full deck. Here’s the Steam page for Card Shark.
Souldiers (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 2) Souldiers taps into a lot of recent trends – it’s a Metroidvania, Soulslike, and hardcore platformer all rolled into one. That may sound derivative, but Souldiers looks appealing nevertheless, thanks to its lush 2D visuals, slick action, and pumping soundtrack. Sometimes it’s okay not to break new ground, as long as you have soul. Here’s the Steam page for Souldiers.
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 28) Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel features a grounded, atmospheric art style somewhat reminiscent of P.T. and the various games it inspired, but this is no horror walking sim. You can also expect plenty of complex puzzles that rely on a camera that can see the past and future, as well as full-on action as you take on various the grotesque monsters stalking the hotel. This looks like a surprisingly ambitious nightmare. Here’s the Steam page for Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel. Full List of Games Worth Watching in June:
Silt (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 1) Card Shark (PC & Switch, June 2) Diablo Immortal (PC & mobile, June 2) Souldiers (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 2) The Cycle: Frontier (PC, June 8) Even If Tempest (Switch, June 9) Postal: Brain Damaged (PC, Xbox One, PS4 & Switch, June 9) Tour de France 22 (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 9) Mario Strikers: Battle League (Switch, June 10) Metal Max Xeno Reborn (PC, PS4 & Switch, June 10) Please Fix the Road (PC, June 10) The Quarry (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 10) Overlord: Escape from Nazarick (PC & Switch, June 16) Skeleton Crew (PC, June 16) Redout 2 (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 16) Starship Troopers: Terran Command (PC, June 16) Zorro: The Chronicles (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch & Stadia, June 16) Sonic Origins (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 23) AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative (PC, Xbox One, PS4 & Switch, June 24) Capcom Fighting Collection (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, June 24) Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (Switch, June 24) Madison (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 24) DNF Duel (PC, PS4 & PS5, June 28) MX vs ATV Legends (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 28) Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, June 28) Rabbids: Party of Legends (Xbox One, PS4, Switch & Stadia, June 30)
And those are the games you should be keeping an eye on this coming month. What games are you planning to pick up in June? Did I miss anything you’re looking forward to?
