2017 is over halfway over, and Summer is winding down. Though the summer season doesn’t technically end until September, vacation is coming to an end for a lot of gamers. That means less time to play your favorite games. Everyone knows that Summer tends to be a relatively dry season for video games with most major releases slotted around Fall and the holiday season. Summer of 2017 actually broke the mold for the most part with several great games being released in what is normally a slow season for the video game industry. Whether you are planning on doing some procrastinating on your homework, or just want to pick up a new title to beat the summer heat, here are some of the best games of the summer!

Dead by Daylight – June 20
Summer is the perfect time to stay up late with friends, enjoy some video games and systematically hunt them down as a terrifying monster to sacrifice their lives to a mysterious spider god. If this is your idea of summer fun, you should probably talk to someone, and after that, you should absolutely pick up Dead by Daylight, which released earlier this summer on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The premise of this game is delightfully simple. Four players must work together to evade and survive the fifth player, who assumes the role of a terrifying monster that seeks to hunt down the other four. This is the ultimate game to put your friendships to the test. Working together can help you survive the match, but when you are being chased by a giant monster, things tend to end up as every man for himself.

Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy – June 30
This summer delivered a heavy dose of nostalgia with the remastered version of Naughty Dog’s classic platformer series, Crash Bandicoot. What started off as a fun little walk down memory lane quickly transforms into a hectic dash for survival. This game might be cute, but it is far from easy and features some of the most demanding gameplay mechanics in any game released this year. This is the kind of game that kicks you while you are down and then drops a few dozen boxes on your head just for fun. While it might be frustrating, there is something immensely satisfying about conquering a level you’ve struggled with, or finally getting your hands on every last collectible. Not to mention Crash’s victory dances make everything worth it!

Final Fantasy XII – July 11
Crash Bandicoot wasn’t the only game to get a fresh coat of paint this summer. Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age dropped earlier in July with some major improvements over the original. Enhanced graphics, audio improvements and a series of usability upgrades are just a few of the features you will find in this remastered classic. If you are looking to relive the experience of playing Final Fantasy XII, or if you are picking it up for the first time, The Zodiac Age provides a great opportunity to explore its fantastic world with its memorable characters.

Splatoon 2 – July 21
Splatoon was introduced on the Wii U as a vibrant and original take on team-based shooters. With the release of Splatoon 2 for the Nintendo Switch, gamers are picking up their paint guns and turning the environment into a neon battlefield. You would be remiss if you thought the bright colors and cartoony characters mean this game is just for kids, as the combat in Splatoon 2 can be just as tense and competitive as FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield 1. It’s no surprise that Splatoon 2 is rapidly gaining traction in the world of esports. With a title that combines a bright and colorful design, with intensely competitive gameplay, you can expect to see some big tournaments for this game!

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – August 8

Ninja Theory, known for games like Devil May Cry (DmC) and Enslaved – Odyssey to the West, has been making games with an emphasis on hack and slash combat for years. Diverting from the fast-paced action found in DmC, their newest title, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, has a much slower pace and sober setting. The game still boasts a smooth and exciting combat system, but that’s not why you should be picking up this title. When you combine some of the best graphics in a game released this summer, and the dark and intense audio elements this game brings to the table, you end up with a stronger sense of atmosphere than almost any other title in recent memory. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice pushes the boundaries on artistic expression in a video game, and we guarantee you will not forget playing this game!

These are just a few of the games that dropped this summer that are worth picking up. If you have another title that has been getting you through the season, let us know what you’re playing in the comments below. Though summer is coming to an end, there are a lot of great titles on the horizon to look forward to!

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