July

July is a fantasy-inspired Metroidvania platformer that takes players on a journey through a richly imagined world. Combining side-scrolling action with exploration and puzzle-solving, the game offers a classic platforming experience with modern touches. As players progress, they’ll unlock new abilities that allow deeper exploration into the game’s interconnected levels.

July: Review

Introduction

In the explosive summer of 2022, when titans like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Stray dominated headlines, a modest gem slipped through the cracks. Released on Steam for a mere $1.99 on May 11, 2022, July emerged as a testament to the power of indie ambition in a AAA-driven market. While its name evokes the season of its release window and its Chinese title “七月” (Qīyuè) hints at its global reach, this action-platformer from an unheralded studio defied expectations. Despite minimal marketing, July carved a niche as a lean, focused Metroidvania that prioritized tight mechanics over grand spectacle. This review examines how a game built on Unity and a shoestring budget delivers a surprisingly compelling experience, proving that innovation and polish need not come with a $70 price tag.

Development History & Context

Developed by an unnamed studio and published via Steam, July embodies the democratized spirit of modern game development. Its use of the Unity engine allowed for rapid iteration and cross-platform readiness, though it ultimately launched exclusively on Windows—a pragmatic choice for a small team operating within the constraints of the mid-2020 indie scene. The game arrived during a pivotal moment for the industry: 2022 saw the lingering shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic causing delays, hardware shortages for ninth-gen consoles, and seismic shifts like Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Against this backdrop, July stood apart as a “pure” indie labor of love. Its $1.99 price point reflected a conscious effort to compete not with blockbuster budgets, but with the burgeoning market of accessible, high-quality indie titles like Vampire Survivors and Cult of the Lamb. While no official developer interviews or post-launch support exist, the game’s polished UI and responsive controls suggest a dedicated, albeit small, team focused on nailing core gameplay loops over narrative ambition.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Lore enthusiasts will find July intentionally enigmatic. The MobyGames listing categorizes its setting as “Fantasy,” but the game offers no explicit plot, dialogue, or characters. Instead, its narrative emerges through environmental storytelling and thematic abstraction. As a Metroidvania set in a mystical realm, it implicitly explores themes of isolation and rediscovery. The protagonist, a silent wanderer navigating labyrinthine ruins, embodies the genre’s classic journey of empowerment—starting fragile and gaining abilities to overcome increasingly hostile environments. This minimalist approach mirrors the game’s budgetary constraints but also serves a purpose: by removing explicit storytelling, July focuses the player on visceral, tactile exploration. The fantasy setting—filled with crumbling temples, glowing flora, and shadowy creatures—invokes a sense of ancient magic corrupted or forgotten, inviting players to piece together a world through exploration rather than exposition. The absence of a traditional plot is not a flaw but a design choice, emphasizing the universal Metroidvania theme of growth through adversity.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

July excels as a streamlined Metroidvania, distilled to its most engaging elements. Control is direct and responsive, with precise platforming forming the backbone of the experience. Players navigate side-scrolling environments, unlocking new abilities—such as double-jumps, wall-slides, or projectile attacks—that grant access to previously unreachable areas. This progression is satisfyingly tactile, with each new power feeling transformative rather than incremental. Combat is equally lean: encounters are fast-paced and punishing, requiring aggressive dodging and well-timed strikes against bestial fantasy foes. While depth is limited by the game’s scope, the enemy variety—from skeletal archers to floating slimes—ensures encounters remain engaging. The UI, minimalist and functional, avoids clutter, with a clean health/ammo display and an unobtrusive map. Exploration is rewarded with currency for upgrades and hidden paths, though backtracking feels purposeful rather than tedious. The lack of RPG mechanics (e.g., skill trees or loot) keeps the focus on pure action-platforming, making July an accessible yet challenging entry in the genre.

World-Building, Art & Sound

July’s world is built on evocative, if sparse, environmental design. The fantasy setting is rendered in a stylized, painterly aesthetic, with muted earth tones accented by bioluminescent flora and crumbling stone architecture. This creates a mood of quiet melancholy, emphasizing abandonment and mystery. While not graphically groundbreaking, the Unity engine is used effectively to craft cohesive, interconnected levels that reward close inspection—hidden passages often reveal stunning vistas or lore fragments. Animation is fluid, particularly in combat, where enemy movements and player actions feel weighty and impactful. Sound design complements the artistry: a haunting, minimalist soundtrack featuring ambient synths and piano melodies underscores the sense of solitude, while sound effects—clashing swords, distant roars, and environmental rustles—add tactile depth. The absence of voice acting or dynamic music changes is a limitation, but the audio-visual cohesion ensures that July’s world feels lived-in, even in its silence.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, July flew under the radar, with MobyGames listing no critic reviews and only a single collector on its database—a fate shared by many low-budget indies in 2022. Its price tag and lack of marketing likely contributed to this obscurity, though player reviews (unavailable at the time of writing) may offer grassroots insights. Commercially, it remains a niche title, overshadowed by July 2022’s heavy hitters. Yet, July holds a quiet legacy as a proof of concept for lean, focused game design. In an era of sprawling open worlds and service games, its adherence to Metroidvania fundamentals—tight controls, meaningful progression, and environmental storytelling—offers a refreshing alternative. While it hasn’t spawned imitations or defined a subgenre, it stands as a hidden gem for enthusiasts of the action-platformer, demonstrating that compelling experiences need not require AAA polish. Its release on Steam also reflects the platform’s role as a haven for experimental, budget-conscious titles.

Conclusion

July is a triumph of execution over ambition. As a $1.99 Metroidvania, it delivers a focused, polished experience that punches well above its weight. While its minimalist narrative and limited scope may leave some players wanting more, its tight controls, satisfying progression, and cohesive atmosphere make it a standout in the crowded indie landscape of 2022. It may not rewrite the rules of game design, but it reaffirms the enduring appeal of the Metroidvania formula when executed with care. In a year dominated by blockbuster sequels and live-service trends, July is a reminder that innovation thrives not just in scale, but in the refinement of core mechanics. For players seeking a no-frills, challenging platformer—or for historians studying the resilience of indie development—it deserves a place in the canon. It may not be a game of the year contender, but as a piece of interactive craftsmanship, it is nothing short of remarkable.