Features

Incoming! The most exciting Vita games for July 2015

JRPGs and indie treats

Incoming! The most exciting Vita games for July 2015
|

As good a month as you could expect for the Vita - some solid western indie titles alongside Japanese RPGs and an odd trap 'em up for good measure.

Real talk: After the ridiculous Big In Japan sale on European PSN last month, how are we meant to fit all our games on a 64GB card? Sort it out please Sony. I needs me a 256GB card for all these huge games!

Your PlayStation Plus games for the month are Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved, Entwined, and MouseCraft. As the most excellent Bill and Ted once said: 'Not bad.'

Ar nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star
Gust / Koei Tecmo Games - 1st (Europe), 2nd (North America)

Ar nosurge is the sequel to Ciel nosurge and prequel to the Ar tonelico series. Play as magical J-girls, explore, fight monsters, talk to your party, and all that trademark turn-based JRPG lark.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
Lucid Games / Sierra Games - 7th (Europe, North America)

This Gold Award-winning arcade shooter exploded onto iOS and Android last month, and it's smooth as buttery silk. Now you can play it through with those fancy PlayStation analogue nubs.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation
Compile Heart / Idea Factory - 8th (Europe)

I'm running out of things to say about this series now. Nerdy game references, anthropomorphised ladies based on game hardware manufacturers, weird cameos.

If you know the series, you probably already know whether you're picking this up. If not... well, this sequel may not be the best place to start. Ufuu~

Squares
LEAP Game Studios - 14th (North America)

Squares was the second-place winner of our San Francisco Big Indie Pitch back in March. This frantic puzzler has you tapping and sliding away, even making use of the Vita's oft-forgotten rear touch pad.

Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess
Koei Tecmo Games - 14th (North America), 17th (Europe)

A wonderfully quirky action puzzler where you set traps to take down foes. This includes launching them from golden toilets into trains. This latest entry in the series features a new character as well as a storyline that's 100 quests strong.

I'll leave you with the video that made me interested in the series: Consolevania's review of Trapt on the PlayStation 2. Warning: Scottish humour and swears.

Zen Pinball 2: Ant-Man Pinball
Zen Studios - 15th (North America), 17th (Europe)

Like Zen Pinball 2? It's a fantastic base game, and perhaps the best pinball sim out there. Whether you'll like this table is most likely down to whether you're into that whole Marvel Cinematic Universe though.

Lost Dimension
Lancarse / Atlus - 28th (North America)

From the developer of Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey comes an RPG blending a Valkyria Chronicles-esque battle system with visual novel gameplay and storyline branching.

The Swindle
Size Five Games / Curve Digital - 28th (Europe, North America)

Steampunk cybercrime caper you say? Procedurally generated levels? From the bloke behind Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please!? I'm in.

Japanese highlight:

Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version
Bandai Namco Games - 9th (Japan)

This drum-based rhythm series is probably the most well-known in Japan after dozens of titles across both arcades and home systems.

The PSP and DS iterations were pretty popular amongst importers last generation, and it's great to have that chance again with the wonderfully region-free Vita.

Chance for localisation: 8.25%. The series has only made it West once, as Taiko Drum Master for the PS2 in North America. Import it!

What'll you be buying this month? Let us know in the comments below!
Danny Russell
Danny Russell
After spending years in Japan collecting game developers' business cards, Danny has returned to the UK to breed Pokemon. He spends his time championing elusive region-exclusive games while shaking his fist at the whole region-locking thing.