Well then, we’re over halfway through 2026, that’s gone quick hasn’t it! June has simultaneously felt like both the shortest month and the longest month ever. I’m in full World Cup fever, it’s nice to have a break from Arsenal for a change! In the video game world, I have been consumed by the recent Destiny 2 epidemic, which means there is only one completed game this month… Yeah, I’ve slacked a little bit. I don’t even remember buying a lot of games this month, I have really been locked into Destiny!
However, with it being June, we had a LOT of reveals, and there’s a lot I’m excited for. I even managed to get out TWO other posts this month, one of which breaks down my thoughts on Summer Games Fest in full. The other was celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Switch 2! I can’t believe it’s already been a year; I’m getting too old. I did pick up the Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles, which means I’m still getting through it. I’m thinking of taking on Call of Duty Vanguard as a little stopgap, just to get some form of progress on the board.
After I published the Summer Game Fest piece, a couple of days later, we got the news we’ve all been waiting for. Grand Theft Auto VI is actually coming out in November. Pre-orders are live on both the Xbox Store and the PlayStation Store, and its standard price (at least in the UK!). However, they have confirmed no physical discs will be printed, which is a huge shame. Being a physical collector, this is a genuine shame, and I do wish Rockstar would reconsider, but I also understand from a leaking point of view. For the first time since San Andreas, I’m actually skipping the Xbox version. I played both GTA IV and GTA V on Xbox 360, and then GTA V again on Xbox One and Series X, but I can’t not take advantage of the PS5 Pro for this one, it’s going to be incredible.
Okay, that’s enough yapping. Time to get onto the game I played this month, and if you read last month’s post, you already know it’s 007 First Light. I’m so so pleased to report it’s an absolute BANGER. I wasn’t ever worried that IO Interactive would mess this up, but it was even better than I thought it was going to be. It’s tied with Goldeneye 007 as my favourite Bond game, and that’s a testament to how good it is. The gameplay is a blend of Hitman and Uncharted, the massive open levels and the tight action combat flow together so well. The social stealth that you can perform to get into restricted areas is a real highlight, bluffing your way past high-ranking guards, and then quickly knocking them out once they realise they’ve been hoodwinked. I must give a lot of credit to Patrick Gibson, he slipped into the role of James Bond incredibly well, with just the right amount of arrogance and attitude to match. Speaking of James Bond, he’s nothing without his gadgets, right? You’ve got a full arsenal to choose from here, and they really add a level of skill expression to the game, planning each mission’s loadout to be exactly how you want. The acting talent really shines in this game, not only Gibson as James Bond, but the characters of Greenaway, Nicholas Webb, Moneypenny, Cressida and Monroe all feel real, and it’s a testament to their performances. The game does have a couple of shortcomings, and that’s namely in the driving sections and the performance. IO Interactive has never made a driving game, and you can tell. The cars do not handle well, they feel incredibly sensitive, but the saving grace is that the game doesn’t have many driving sequences. The performance was a weak point for me too, I could see a lot of artifacting in Performance Mode on Xbox Series X, but considering I opted to skip the game on PS5 Pro, that feels like my own fault. I settled on 9.1/10 for 007 First Light, it’s a tiny bit short for the asking price and there’s a few issues, but the game is a fantastic experience for any action stealth lovers, and I couldn’t recommend it enough to any Bond fans.
I feel like I missed a trick not completing this on 07/07/2027. That would have involved waiting another year however, and this game was too good to miss.
During May’s post, I mentioned that with any luck, I’d be talking about Xenoblade Chronicles in this month’s post, and I can confirm I still haven’t finished it. However, I am playing the Switch 2 version now, and it runs bloody lovely. I WILL finish it, I promise. I am determined to knock at least TWO games off my list in July and I’m going to hold myself to it, Destiny 2 or no Destiny 2. I’m also planning on replaying The Getaway again, and going through the RetroAchievements list to get the mastery.
July also brings us Halo: Campaign Evolved, and being the Halo nut that I am, I’m very excited to step back into Chief’s boots again and see just how faithful the remake is. Halo Studios also dangled the collector’s edition in front of me and I just couldn’t say no.
The 2026 pledge list still hasn’t changed, and looks a little something like this:
- Silent Hill Downpour
- Yakuza 6: Song of Life (I did at least buy this on Steam this month)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Sly Racoon
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Jak and Daxter
I did also pick up a physical game this month, and that was Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on the PlayStation 5, which I’m looking forward to jumping into head first.
I know I said this last month, but I should actually finish some games in July, I promise.
Love,
Squashy x