Two new consoles, sagas that radically change third, delays in video games and of course releases, and of good quality such as F1 2021, The Ascent or Pokémon Unite for a month of July where the industry has not gone on vacation. It’s time to see the best of July.

In these summer months it is common to be left with the thought that nothing has happened, that the current situation of the video game has taken a break around more pleasant temperatures for the big commercials. Nothing is further from reality. Julio has left us with important presentations . In fact, we have witnessed the confirmation of up to two new consoles, the Valve Steam Deck portable bet and the Nintendo Switch Oled review. In addition, franchises as important to the industry as Assassin’s Creed and Pro Evolution Soccer have given the first details of their future plans . On the other hand, at Activision Blizzard hundreds of employees have said enough in the face of various scandals .

Focusing our attention on the launches of the month, July has left us the premiere of several really interesting proposals, among them F1 2021 and the Electronic Arts edition has been downloaded after the purchase of Codemastersfrom the beginning of the year, a great The Ascent that bets to be one of those great surprises of the year, or Pokémon Unite, which shows how addictive the series of battles with monsters can continue to be in genres as different as MOBA. Just three examples of a July that seems to have fallen short when it comes to providing fun for players. We summarize all this and much more for you now in The Best of the Month, inviting you to share in the comments box your opinion about these last few weeks, both in video games that you have played and in news that has caught your attention.

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NEW RELEASES

Crystals

Cris Tales is not a bad tribute to the JRPGs, but neither is it one that can be recommended with your eyes closed. It has a formidable time travel mechanic, with inventiveness, as well as a simply fantastic artistic section. However, its fighting is far from fluid, the exploration feels somewhat sloppy, and the narrative is not as absorbing as a game of the genre requires. Even so, if you are an RPG enthusiast and you cannot miss any adventure, you may find here, with its “buts”, an interesting game that provides you with a unique vision of the genre.

eath’s door

Death’s Door is a game that beats you with its isometric action, well-designed exploration and constant search for secrets. His world is also very attractive with some breathtaking scenarios. You lose opportunities to create a more intense combat and you miss some final bosses, but you can see the love and good planning that each area of ​​the game contains. Even with some shortcomings, it is one of the indies that has convinced me the most of this 2021. -RECOMMENDED-

F1 2021

F1 2021 is a show from start to finish. The enormous number of game modes already available, added to the incorporation this year of the career mode for two players, its versatility when it comes to offering an experience for all types of users and the good game that comes out of the DualSense in the version of PS5 are its strongest points. The Braking Point story mode is a very interesting addition when it comes to offering different challenges, but it lacks some punch in narrative terms, I hope they do not abandon it and improve this facet for next year. However, we are facing a very solid team that takes great advantage of the new generation of consoles. Make you feel like a real F1 driver. Very complete, addictive and tremendously entertaining. -RECOMMENDED-

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Despite the unquestionable specialization and simulation present in the video game, Microsoft Flight Simulator manages to show a friendly face to any player regardless of their specialization in the genre. The Asobo title has experiences for all types of players and becomes the first game in the series to land on Xbox. A pharaonic project that relies on the cloud to perform a true technical miracle: allow you to fly around the world without limitation. A more than worthy port that has been adapted with great class in command. -RECOMMENDED-

onster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is first a super successful adaptation of traditional games to the JRPG format, and second, a game that stands up very well on its own. With its pluses and minuses, the story is very much enjoyed thanks to some very expressive characters and very careful cinematics; in addition to a fantastic Castilian localization. The combat system feels great, cutting through the tedium of leveling up to logical lows and prioritizing learning or partner selection over stats. Not everything is perfect, of course, so in the future you will have to work to reduce the “filler” missions in the main campaign, improve the monster lairs and polish the technical section. But the whole is more than enjoyable. -RECOMMENDED-

NEO: The World Ends With You

Itwas complicated, but NEO The World Ends With You fulfills its task of revitalizing the original game with a new plot that rescues elements of the 2007 game with great success. It’s a long JRPG, with a very interesting combat system, a great sense of progression and a series of narrative twists that will keep you hooked on command. Whether you played The World Ends With You or not, it is an absolute recommendation, both for the artistic talent that it overflows and for the quality it has in each of its facets. -RECOMMENDED-

Pokémon Unite

Pokémon Unite is a fun and addictive game that features interesting ideas and an engaging approach to MOBAs. With several game modes and a good variety of Pokémon to choose from, the main drawback is its monetization, which currently feels unfair. There is room for improvement and we hope that the balance between the different protagonist Pokémon will be enhanced, but even so, it is an entertaining game that can give you hours of fun, especially if you play it with friends since the experience is even more fun.

Samurai Warriors 5

I recommend Samurai Warriors 5 to fans of musou, but also to those who have never dared to play one but feel like it. This is a remarkable title to enter this particular genre or continue to enjoy. If you like manga and anime, samurai stories, mindless fighting and button-press venting, you can’t go wrong. Of course, if you do not speak English you will lose all its strength, it has some performance problems, camera and maintains its characteristics lack of AI, repetition and little playable depth; but that is the same as complaining that the JRPGs have turn-based combat or that the garlic repeats. The musou is like that and this one of the good ones. -RECOMMENDED-

The Ascen

Even though it has a major technical polish to do and makes minor interface design flaws among other objections, The Ascent offers such an absurdly good overall experience that I can’t recommend it to anyone with even a modicum of interest in it. What’s more, the handling of weapons and the feeling of belonging to a living world where things happen all the time are so well achieved that to skip the game would be a real shame; And knowing that the game is coming out of Xbox Game Pass, there is simply no excuse for letting go: it is something worth experiencing. Neon Giant debuts with a flourish. -RECOMMENDED-

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are two adventures in one, with a total of 10 cases that will give you days and days of investigations and trials. The incorporation of the deduction dances together with Herlock Sholmes and the summary tests represent very welcome innovations that come to enhance and improve the original formula of the Ace Attorney saga. In addition, the plots are absorbing, the characters charismatic and the cases very well presented. Hit it? A very important one: everything is in English, and you should consider to what degree that can make it difficult to enjoy it. -RECOMMENDED-

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

The remastering of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Nintendo Switch invites us to replay (or play for the first time) one of the most important games in the series, and do so with significant improvements. Especially in the playable, with the possibility of controlling the movement of Link’s sword through the analog sticks, as well as a series of small additions that make the experience more fluid. Not so good news technically, where graphic remaster work is limited to raising the resolution. Still, a highly recommended title that still feels good despite being 10 years old. -RECOMMENDED-

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