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The Coolest Games to Beat the Heat

Get out of the sun and cool off with these ultimate summer games!

The dog days of summer are here, which means the sun is out, everywhere (and everything) feels hot, and all we want to do is cool down. Sometimes the best way to escape the heat is to retreat into a game, especially those with some lovely water-based experiences. If you’re looking to beat the heat this summer, look no further than these cool games.

Super Mario Odyssey

Nothing says “cool” like playing as a shirtless Mario on the golden beach of Bubblaine in the Seaside Kingdom. Super Mario Odyssey is one Switch game you need for summer holidays, and that’s thanks in large to it being one of the best games released in recent years. Nintendo has managed, yet again, to capture the pure thrill of a 3D Mario game all while adding a unique twist to the formula with Cappy. Throw out Cappy and become the enemy you hit and absorb its power! Because it is summer, anyone who’s looking to cool down will want to head on over to the Seaside Kingdom, which can be accessed after the Metro Kingdom. This bright and sunny world is full of sun, sand, and surf, perfect for anyone who can’t get to the beach in real life. Time to chill by the parasols and soak up the atmosphere.

SSX 3

What’s cooler than water? Snow, and SSX 3 has it in droves. Recently re-released as part of the Xbox One backwards compatibility program, the critically acclaimed snowboarding game from EA Canada will turn those summer sweats into the winter chills. Not only is all the snow enough to take the edge off those hot days, but the soundtrack is the ultimate love letter to the 90s and early 2000s, bringing together such icons as The Chemical Brothers, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age, and Autopilot Off. With those kinds of tunes, you better make sure you’ve got a headset that can deliver those rhythms straight to your ears with crystal clear clarity.

Wave Race 64

Nothing beats digging out an old school video game console and jumping into a game you’ve not played in years, especially one that will help beat the summer heat. One game from the mid-90s that is sure to help lower the temperature by a few degrees is Wave Race 64. For those who never had the chance to play it, Wave Race was a slick Jet Ski racing game with some unprecedented water physics for its time. Players would race around tropical islands, sprawling sandy beaches, and foggy rivers, all while pulling off totally radical tricks. If you’ve got access to an N64, definitely boot up Wave Race to lower the temperature a few degrees.

Abzû

Dive deep below the surface of the water, grab onto a large fish, and get ready to forget all about the oppressive heat radiating from the sun. Abzû released back in December of 2016, and since then, this breathtaking experience has soothed the souls of many gamers looking for a relaxing experience. Abzû gives those gamers trapped in warm weather an escape from the heat as they search the ocean for answers to the mystery of what’s happening to the environment. Ancient ruins, vast coral reefs, and a thriving ecosystem of marine life make Abzû a must-play for anyone looking to cool down.

Sea of Thieves

Players looking to beat the heat this summer should look no further than Rare’s latest and greatest IP, Sea of Thieves. Despite a rocky reception at launch, Sea of Thieves has continued to provide players with countless adventures of hunting for treasure, fighting pirates, and encountering terrifying monsters. What’s more is that Rare continues to release free content updates for all players, building off of the solid foundation already in place. Whether it’s someone’s first time and they’re looking for Sea of Thieves tips or it’s their thousandth voyage as a Pirate Legend, every moment on the sea offers such serenity as the ship carves through the shimmering waves. The experience is so life-like that it is sure to transport any player from their hot and sweaty environment onto the rock and roll of a ship atop the waves.


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Summer is going to be sticking around for a while, so if you want to beat the heat and stay cool, why not boot up a game with water levels, snowboarding, or some other kind of water-based activity? Let us know in the comments some of the games you play to keep nice and cool in summer!