Written by: Logan Ghecea
Edited by: Mary Joaquin
Welcome back to the Weekly Gaming Round-Up!
Every week, we cover the latest in the gaming world. This week the Nintendo Switch received a new competitor in the portable gaming realm! Valve's new Steam Deck portable PC gaming systems was announced!
On Monday, July 12, Double Fine added a new mode to Psychonauts 2.
The new “invincibility mode” was created for more accessibility who otherwise would not be able to play on a different difficulty setting. The new mode will allow players to be “invincible” throughout their gaming experience.
In other news, Claire de Lune released new gameplay footage. The gameplay shows the intro to the game, where players step into the shoes of John. Claire, his daughter, gets separated from him. The player’s goal throughout the game is to reunite with her.
Claire de Lune is a sci-fi first person puzzle game by Tactics Studios.
On Tuesday, July 13, Only by Midnight Limited released Curved Space for Switch.
Curved Space is a single player outer space arcade shooter, initially released for PlayStation and Microsoft in 2020.
In other news, Ameritech Studios released Where the Heart Leads on PS platforms.
Where the Heart Leads is an adventure, narrative consequence and story choice game.
In Where the Heart Leads, players become Whit Anderson, a father who ventures after his dog into a giant sinkhole that abruptly opened on his farm. The sinkhole leads to a realm in which Whit can change his destiny.
On Wednesday, July 14, The upcoming NBA 2K22 released multiple cover art images.
Point Guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic will be the featured cover athlete on both the standard edition and cross-gen versions. The 75th anniversary edition will feature former Dallas Mavericks power forward, Dirk Nowitzki, Brooklyn Nets power forward, Kevin Durant, and former Los Angeles Laker, Kareem Abdul Jabar.
The Gamestop exclusive edition will feature Candace Parker, forward for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA.
On Thursday, July 15, Valve announced a new portable gaming PC console called Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck will have a CPU of AMD Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz, a GPU of 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz, and a RAM of 16 GB DDR5. Its display will be a touchscreen 1280 x 800 with a 60Hz LCD panel.
It will also have audio with dual mics, multichannel USB-C/Bluetooth output, and a 3.5mm stereo jack. The console is said to have 2-8 hours of gameplay battery life.
The Steam Deck’s 64GB model will include a carrying case and will cost $399. However, its 256 GB model also includes an exclusive Steam community profile bundle at $529. Its 512GB model will include a carrying case, exclusive virtual keyboard theme, and premium anti-glare etched glass screen. This model will cost $649.
On Friday, July 16, Nintendo released Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD for the Switch.
The adventure game was originally released for the Nintendo Wii in a non-HD form in 2011.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD features Link and Zelda in the original adventure of the Legend of Zelda Series. The story follows all the characters whose descendants would star in many Legend of Zelda games.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is being released in the year that is the 35th anniversary for the Legend of Zelda series.
Two special edition Nintendo Joy-Con controllers will be released alongside the game. The left joy-con resembles Link’s shield and the right resembles Link’s infamous master sword.
In other news, Codemasters and EA Sports released F1 2021 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X. F1 2021 is a simulation racing game that follows the Formula 1 racing Championship.
The career mode will now feature online two-player in which you can play missions with or against your friend. The game will also feature a new story mode called “Breaking Point”. The mode will star around Aiden Jackson, a Formula 2 Racer and his journey to Formula 1 over the course of three seasons.
An expert race style was also added to the game for increased AI difficulty for players who are skilled and familiar with the F1 Series games. F1 2021 will feature 21 different racing tracks across the world.
EGD’s Weekly Gaming Round-Up gives a quick look into the newest news in the games industry. From blockbuster triple-A games to indie startups and mods, the Weekly Gaming Round-Up covers it all.
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