Games
June's a busy month in the gaming calendar, so buckle up for the biggest releases coming this month.
With E3 2018 on its way, June is set to be dominated by countless headlines of exciting new releases that are just around the corner. But what about the here and now? Thankfully, this month isn't all about tantalising glimpses of titles you can't get your hands on just yet. There's a wealth of great games set to arrive this month so turn away from your news feed and have a look at what's hitting screens right now.
Onrush (June 5 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Onrush is unusual in that it's a racer without the racing. So what exactly does it involve? According to Codemasters, the game has more in common with class-based shooters like Overwatch, with game modes based on takedowns and team play, rather than first places and finish lines.
The different vehicle classes have wildly varied abilities, including one that leaves a disruptive wave behind you, meaning that team make-up is important, and that the game will require a different blend of skills than that of your typical racer.
An unorthodox approach to the genre, Onrush offers players the chance to indulge in automotive carnage with a degree of strategy, and with Codemasters citing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater as an influence, consider our interest well and truly piqued.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (May 4 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Nintendo Switch)
Back in 1994, we were introduced to a game that would truly stand the test of time – only not in the way the developers intended. Shaq Fu, appearing on SNES and Mega Drive, was, to put it mildly, a disaster. Falling into the pantheon of dreadful celebrity-fronted game titles (we're looking at you, Spice World), Shaq Fu quickly gained infamy for being absolutely terrible.
Now, a mere 24 years later, we're finally getting a sequel to one of the most derided games ever made. You may ask whether there's an appetite for this, but developers Saber Interactive would point to their successful indiegogo crowdfunding as proof that there are indeed those out there eager to get their hands on a project that really could go either way. With positive buzz following recent hands-on, the side-scrolling beat 'em up could finally be the game to give Shaq a game as great as the man himself. We truly hope this is the case.
MotoGP 18 (June 7 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC)
Proving that June is truly a month for petrol heads, we're also getting the latest in the two-wheeled MotoGP racing franchise. Developers Milestone promise the game will be the most realistic bike racing sim yet – a claim we expect them to back up. With an unparallelled level of detail, including drone scanning for track details and 3D scanning to ensure that, for the first time racers' faces will be recreated with exact accuracy. Racing fanatics should certainly get excited.
New features abound, too, with Spectator Mode making its long-awaited debut after much demand, while the career mode has also been fleshed out to make this the deepest bike racing sim out there.
Jurassic World Evolution (June 12 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
If the film series is anything to go by, Jurassic World is not a feasible option for a theme park, almost like combining dozy tourists and the most dangerous predators to ever have lived was a bad idea. However, this isn't stopping Frontier Developments, the minds behind monolithic space sim Elite Dangerous, from giving you the keys to your very own dinosaur-focussed theme park.
The new management sim gives you the chance to achieve something John Hammond couldn't – a park that people could actually endorse, and survive. The game looks to expand on the series' mythology, opening up both the well-established islands and remaining four mentioned in The Lost World (these locales are wonderfully named The Five Deaths), and offers the chance to bioengineer dinosaurs to better suit your park. With Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom soon to hit our screens, there's no better time to be welcomed to the park.
Mario Tennis Aces (June 22 – Nintendo Switch)
Tennis games are becoming something of an endangered species. The big franchises, like Top Spin and Virtua Tennis, have laid dormant for some time, while left-field choices, like Smash Court, seem to have disappeared into the ether entirely. Thankfully, the tennis game is set to make its big comeback, thanks to a certain Italian plumber. Yes, this month sees the arrival of Mario Tennis Aces – and we couldn't be more excited.
Our recent hands-on with the game gave us a strong indication of just how much fun Mario Tennis Aces would be (it's a lot of fun), while also highlighting the creativity, variety and unique ideas Aces brings to the genre. The game's also surprisingly challenging, ensuring that both tennis nuts and Nintendo super fans will find something to adore in what's set to be the Switch's next huge hit.
The Crew 2 (June 29 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Four years ago, The Crew roared onto our screens with an array of vehicles, a vast open world and a huge variety of challenges for you to sink your teeth into. Now, The Crew 2 is set to arrive and proves that sometimes, bigger really is better.
Players can drive across an enormous (and enormously detailed) open world America, taking in everything from Route 66 to the streets of San Francisco, and take on an absolutely staggering variety of race types, from motocross to street racing to rally. And this is before we get to the different vehicle types.
Players can now explore The Crew 2 via land, sea or air, with boats, bikes, cars and planes all available. Even better, you can actually transform into different vehicles while on the move. Speeding down a dusty back road on your hog and feel like taking to the sky? Simply morph into a plane in one fluid motion and get some air. The Crew 2 offers freedom and adrenaline-pumping racing in equal measure so get ready to buckle up.
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