“Switch” up your summer

The gaming industry’s summer plans

Finals are right around the corner and the end is nigh. Soon summer will begin and you will hopefully have a much-deserved break. However, with the break may come some boredom, and nothing kills boredom faster than a good video game. This summer will be stacked with new releases to look forward to. This is just some of what gaming has in store:

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Releasing April 28

Set five years after the events of 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follows Jedi Knight Cal Kestis as he continues to struggle against the Galactic Empire seeking to exterminate all Jedi following Order 66. This game will retain many of its predecessor’s gameplay elements but will add an updated combat system based on your character’s skill level. Survivor will be available to play on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Releasing May 12

Set to release after a delay of almost a year, the sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, will follow the main protagonist Link as he tries to save Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule from a force seeking to destroy the land. A sequel has been planned since 2017 after developers were disappointed by the first game’s downloadable content. Like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom will be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. It will be the 21st installment in the Legend of Zelda’s main series of video games.

Aliens: Dark Descent - Releasing June 20

Based on the Alien movie franchise, Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time strategy game where a team of colonial marines stranded in the moon base of Lethe must gather resources to repair their Otago spacecraft while simultaneously stopping a Xenomorph outbreak. Dark Descent will have very unique gameplay, as it is a real-time strategy game with permanent consequences. Players must look after both their characters’ physical and mental health, as not doing so will negatively affect their combat performance. Land changes the player makes and characters’ deaths are permanent, so players must make wise and effective decisions; blocking a path may stop the enemies, but may also cut off a potential escape route. The game is set to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

As the school year winds down, I hope you can find some time for yourself. Video games are a great reward after defeating the final boss: finals. There are so many great options to choose from. Enjoy your summer!

By: Evan Majors