The summer months are always busy when it comes to new game announcements but not so much if we look at actual releases.
In the last few weeks, we had the Summer Game Fest 2022, an Xbox & Bethesda Games showcase, and a Nintendo Direct Mini, all packed with games to look forward to until the end of this year.
All of these are months away though, while in this list, we’ll focus on what’s coming this month. And there are still quite a few titles to be excited about.
Sports fans are getting the latest official F1 game and Matchpoint Tennis Championships is finally releasing to all platforms.
There’s plenty of brand-new games coming, a few existing series are getting their next chapter and a cyberpunk stray cat adventure seems poised to steal the show.
All in all, cyberpunk, playing as an animal protagonist, and faithful sports sims are the themes of the month.
Here are the best video games releasing in July 2022.
F1 22
If you have E10 fuel running through your veins, you won’t have to wait long for the latest official F1 racing game.
This season saw plenty of changes in the sport and its virtual counterpart is trying hard to keep pace with those.
We also tried F1 22 with a racing wheel and had some thoughts on the experience.
And if you need a refresher on some F1 basics or you’re new to the series, we already have a few F1 22 tips for you.
F1 22 was out on July 1 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Matchpoint – Tennis Championships
Matchpoint – Tennis Championship promises authentic tennis gameplay and an immersive experience.
It’s a new tennis game and the first one from Torus Games, who have done basketball, racing, rugby, and baseball games in the past.
We did a Matchpoint – Tennis Championships hands-on preview to see how faithfully it represents the sport.
A demo version is also available on Steam and consoles if you want to have a look at it yourself.
The game will be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers as a day one release.
Matchpoint – Tennis Championships launched Thursday July 7 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.
Madison
In this first-person psychological horror game, you play as Luca who wakes up locked in a dark room with hands covered in blood.
If you’re up for some demonic torture rituals, Madison delivers on gory visuals and a disturbing narrative.
Very much in the vein of the Silent Hill series, behind the unsettling premise, you get an exploration and puzzle-solving adventure game.
Madison releases this Friday July 8 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a nostalgic trip down memory lane featuring remasters of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil.
Originally made for the first PlayStation and PS2, respectively, the games are now getting a wide release on all modern platforms.
The remastered 3D platformers now feature improved visuals and sound, 60fps 4K resolution, selectable difficulty levels, a two-player cooperative mode in both games, and a stopwatch mode.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series releases Friday July 8 for the Switch.
Loopmancer
Cyberpunk 2077 definitely put the trend for games set in dystopian neon-lit cityscapes on steroids and this platformer roguelite’s Dragon City is a faithful rendition of the futuristic city of the east trope we’ve come to expect from the genre.
In Loopmancer, the year’s 2046 and you play as a detective who has come back to life after an unexpected death.
What is expected though is that everyone has nanotech implants and bionic prosthetics. Oh, and time resets every time you die.
This month the game is coming to PC only, but versions for PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S are in the works with dates yet to be announced.
Loopmancer releases July 13 for PC on Steam and Epic Games.
Endling – Extinction Is Forever
In Endling – Extinction is Forever you play as a mother fox who must take good care of her three little cubs in a hostile world being destroyed by human activity.
Despite the dire setting, the game’s a beautifully-drawn 3D side-scroller that lets you experience the consequences of environmental degradation through the eyes of Earth’s last fox.
Endling – Extinction is Forever releases July 19 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.
Stray
Stray is another game with a non-anthropomorphic animal protagonist. It’s also another game set in a cyberpunk city.
You’re a stray cat that roams the neon-lit streets and back alleys of a dystopian cybercity uncovering forgotten mysteries along your way.
The cityscapes are gorgeously crafted and filled with anthropomorphic robots. Playing from the point of view of a cat brings a fresh perspective and helps the game stand out from the pile of futuristic cyberpunk titles out there.
Also, there’s a “meow” button. Can’t beat that.
We already did a Stray preview which will give more details about what is shaping up to be one of the more interesting releases this month.
The game is coming as a day one free release for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers.
Stray arrives on July 19 for PC, PS4, and PS5.
Live A Live
Live a Live is a remake of the 1994 Super Famicom JRPG of the same name, released by Square Enix.
The original game only came out in Japan back in the day, so this Nintendo Switch remake marks its first official release in the west.
Live a Live consists of seven distinct stories, each happening in a different time period.
After completing all stories in any order, an eighth chapter is unlocked which in turn unlocks a final story tying all narratives together around a recurring antagonist.
Live a Live is coming to the Switch on July 22.
Digimon Survive
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Digimon anime, Bandai Namco is releasing a new adventure.
Digimon Survive introduces a new group of main characters led by Takuma Momozuka who get lost on a school spring break trip and are transporetd into a mysterious parallel world full of monsters.
Digimon Survive releases July 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The next chapter in Nintendo’s Xeno series is finally coming to the switch this month. Like its two predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be an open-world JRPG.
Set in the world of Aionios, the story brings together the futures of Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so the third game serves as a sequel to both.
You join Noah and Mio, members of the opposing nations of Keves and Agnus on a journey through war-ridden lands as you and your comrades are hunted by both opposing factions.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is coming to the Switch on July 29.
