July seems to be relatively quiet… that is, until we get to the end of it. Atlus has some crazy coming out with Catherine, and a few other games also caught the eyes of the Warp Zoned staff. Read on to see what’s got our wallets crying for July.
John Scalzo
Editor-In-Chief
You may not believe me, but Earth Defense Force 2017 is my favorite game on the Xbox 360. Go ahead, laugh. But it’s the truth. So I am absolutely stoked that Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon will be in stores on July 5th. It may have a new developer, but it looks like they’ve managed to capture all the bug-stomping action of its predecessor.
While it’s a complete 180 from EDFIA, I’m also looking forward to the kickoff of the XBLA’s 2011 Summer of Arcade and Bastion. The lyrical-looking action RPG comes complete with hand-drawn characters and a narrator. It’s not smashing bugs, but it sure sounds fun.
Nicole Kline
Senior Editor
Oh tiny July. You seem so innocuous, and promise to give us so much time to catch up on games. But the truth is, you’re getting ready to throw a raging party at the end and trash my wallet. I’ve already pre-ordered Catherine – yes, that whacky Deluxe Edition – as well as El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. Until then, I’m mostly just going to work on finishing up F.3.A.R. and playing as much of the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception beta as humanly possible, both of which are absolutely awesome. And, if I can find a good deal, I would really like to snag InFamous 2 – though the Hero Edition makes me drool a bit. Not to mention try to finish re-reading all the Song of Ice and Fire books before A Dance with Dragons comes out, as well as, you know, do my homework.
Mike Gutierrez
News Editor
Even for someone with a general limited interest in new video games, I have to say July is pretty dry. I’m looking forward to seeing how El Shaddai: Ascencion of the Metatron does – since PAX East, I’ve been considerably endeared with the title and wish its team every success. I might pick it up if I can pull myself away from books and multiplayer shooters, but I implore all of you to get it in my stead. Trust us, it’s good.
Ryan Littlefield
Podcast Producer
It looks like July is shaping up to be another dry spell for me, similar to May. Oh no, no, I’m not complaining, I need it! While Editor-In-Chief John Scalzo is blasting away and spewing bug guts all over the place in Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, I’ll be catching up on some June games and waiting for Catherine to hit store shelves. I won’t be buying the deluxe edition, though; I’m keeping this odd sheep-ridden relationship with Catherine to a minimum. I plan to be getting intimate with the game once it’s out, in more ways than one. Heyo! All things said, Senior Editor Nicole Kline better have a picture on Warp Zoned of herself or News Editor Mike Gutierrez sporting the Limited Edition Catherine boxer shorts! (Because why else would you buy them?).
Chris Urie
Contributor
July looks a bit barren for me until the 26th when the gods of impulsive consumerism attack my wallet with all of their fury. I am a fan of all things strange and Catherine certainly seems to fit the bill. It looks to be the descent into the dirty parts of the subconscious that no one likes to talk about. Given that, I second Ryan’s motion for pictures of our Editors in Limited Edition Catherine Boxer Shorts. I will make no attempt to hide it, I am a huge fan of Okami and I’m intrigued by what Sawaki Takeyasu will do with El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. I’m looking for a surrealist journey into multiple dimensions of heaven, hell, and earth. The demo looked spectacular and El Shaddai is something I will be surely be desperately scrabbling my pennies together to purchase.
Adam Woolcott
West Coast Editor
July is traditionally a quiet month, but I almost always look forward to it for one reason: NCAA Football. Since the day of the PlayStation I’ve bought EA’s college football game annually… until last year. But this year’s version is super promising, so on July 12th I’ll be in line to buy NCAA Football 12. I’m also very interested in Catherine. As a superfan of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, seeing the SMT team’s first high-definition project is a very intriguing event. If it leads us to Persona 5 or a proper Shin Megami Tensei IV, all the better. Also, though it’s not a retail release, I’m definitely picking up Bastion. Developed by a team of about a half-dozen, Bastion is a beautiful hand-drawn action RPG for Xbox Live Arcade. Hitting on July 20th, I’ll have $15 (or 1200 Microsoft Points) set aside. So even though July seems quiet, it’s a busy enough month for this gamer.
Continue on to the next page for a complete look at the July release schedule.
