As cautious as I am about celebrating a new month in this disastrous year that is 2020, I feel like it’s worth mentioning that there are some games due out in July that I’m excited for and might possibly stave off the encroaching sadness inside me. Granted, there’s always the possibility that a spectacular game could release out of nowhere, but as far as the planned releases for this month, this is what I’ve got my eye on.

TRACKMANIA (07/01/20)

I don’t actually know if I like Trackmania as a game, or if I just enjoy the videos and gifs that come out of each release. Whatever the case might be, a new Trackmania is out today. For those who don’t know, Trackmania is a series of racing games that are less about battling for prime position, and more about just getting the best time on a track. It’s a game about time trials and nailing the perfect run of a course that involves crazy jumps and loops. I don’t think anyone really cares about the content that’s included in the game, rather the excitement seems to center around the community servers where creativity runs wild. Below is a video from an older entry in the series, Trackmania Caynon, and it’s the thing I saw a few years ago that got me into the games in the first place. Not every track is like this one, but I think it’s just so dang cool.

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA (07/17/20)

I’ve inadvertently kept some sort of media blackout with the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, a stealth-action game set during the first Mongol invasion of Japan in the 1270s. Aside from just looking incredible, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to play a good stealth-action game, and this one looks incredibly promising. I also can’t remember the last time I played a game that took place in a similar setting, so I’m excited to see how the story and setting manage to come together. Honestly, everything about Ghost of Tsushima looks great, but only time will tell if looks end up being deceiving.

PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING (07/17/20)

Paper Mario as a series has kind of felt a lot like Star Wars in that while most of the entries aren’t spectacular, the earliest entries were so good that I’ll be excited every time a new one comes out. That’s where Paper Mario: The Origami King sits with me right now. I’m tentatively excited for this new game, but am still a little weary based off of the last few. Paper Mario lives and dies by the strength of its characters, stories, and combat mechanics, and is one of the few turn-based RPGs that I’ve ever enjoyed. Paper Mario: The Origami King looks like it’s hitting all the right notes in trailers, but time will tell if this is truly a return to form or another lifeless release. Hopefully this one can recapture the whimsy and fun that the originals did, but I’m still going to proceed with caution.

ROGUE LEGACY 2 (07/17/20)

Speaking of games that are exceptions to my genre tastes, Rogue Legacy is one of the few rouge-like games that I’ve actually enjoyed. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I perceived the original as a simpler game than the rogue-likes that have released since 2013, but I remember it fondly. Surprisingly, there’s a sequel coming out later this month that, like every other game on this list, I’m cautiously looking forward to. I doubt it will be able to grab me like the first one was able to, just because my tastes in games have shifted so much in the past 7 years but I hope to be proven wrong.

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The offerings this month might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think that this is a pretty good July for game releases. If Paper Mario and Ghost of Tsushima alone stick the landing, then I’ll be a happy camper. Besides, I need a good reason to boot up my PlayStation and Switch again.