Our recurring series curating the month ahead.
Let’s dive in!
Here’s What To Play This August.
The best games from last month
Synapse
Availability:Out now on PS5 with PSVR2.
Described as a game epitomising everything great about virtual reality, Synapse is an absolutely cracking VR action game.
It’s a superb visual novel from a little-known team and well worth your time.
It’s not just the web of personal story you are always piecing together with each dialogue choice.
It’s the way each choice is conjured in the brightly coloured speech balloons you select.
It’s really quite good.
I don’t think it earns that blockbuster price tag.
As a subscription game, though,Exoprimalis dino-mite.
Pikmin 4
Availability:Out now on Switch.
It may start slow, but when it all comes together, it really does sing.
It’s a skillful evolution of a series which has been left feeling a little overlooked for too long.
Is this Pikmin’s true breakthrough moment?
But without a doubt it’s one of Nintendo’s best games in years.
Roto Force
Availability:Out now on Android, iOS, and PC.
A spectacular and imaginative indie, Roto Force is an arcadey twin-stick shooter.
We’re in the world of Game Boy Player 8-Bit here: four colours and chunky, deckle-edged sprites.
There’s a level where it’s all about birds - penguin guys spawn and lob fish (?)
at you, while the boss fight takes place in a nest.
There’s a level that’s all about…slime…I guess?
Remnant 2
Availability:Out now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC.
“, having bumped into a peculiar enemy we hadn’t taken on before.
Venba
Availability:Out now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
A beautiful slice-of-life story where food and family converge, and just a couple hours long too.
It’s a lovely little game.
Thronefall (Early Access)
Availability:Out 2nd August on PC.
It hits Early Access at the start of the month.
A Guidebook of Babel
Availability:Out 3rd August on PC and Switch.
A bizarre-looking cartoon adventure game pitched as having “the butterfly effect at its core”.
Official biggun of the month here.
Baldur’s Gate 3 sounds incomprehensively vast, not only in length but variety and depth.
We’re excited and slightly terrified.
Expect our review after launch though, sadly - more on that soon.
A BroForce-style in-your-face tone meets some rather sumptuous pixel art here, in a wrestling RPG.
It’s giving Golf Story vibes, and could be fun if it comes together.
Think Hades' comic book sixpacks minus the combat, but with more dialogue choices.
Atlas Fallen
Availability:Out 10th August on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S.
(Actually, I’ve just re-watched the trailer and it looks kind of brilliant.
Just smashing about with giant monsters in a nice big open world.
Turbo Overkill
Availability:Out 11th August on PC.
Turbo Overkill got delayed slightly from mid-July to mid-August because its developer had a baby.
Wayfinder
Availability:Out 15th August on PC (Early Access), PS4 and PS5.
Moving Out 2
Availability:Out 15th August on PC.
This one snuck under the radar a bit.
The sequel brings online play and more scenarios - a cracking co-op option.
Cantata
Hello art style.
This “grand tactics” gem looks absolutely glorious, leaving Early Access this month.
En Garde!
Availability:Out 16th August on PC.
An indie fencing action game had a demo that absolutely blew up in a recent Steam Next Fest.
Should go right to the top of the list for any fans of a good backstab.
Another asymmetrical horror game about a movie license, yes, but also it looks potentially good?
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Availability:Out 18th August on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch.
A spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio?
Someone check on Donlan.
Fort Solis
Availability:Out 22nd August on PC, PS5.
Big-name voice acting talent attached to this narrative space thriller set on Mars - it has our attention.
Immortals of Aveum
Availability:Out 22nd August on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S.
The “other stuff out this month” section was really invented for games like Immortals of Aveum.
I’ve played it, and I can tell you it is… a game that I have played.
From Suits and Firefly and Destiny!
What is going on here?
We are admittedly, actually, nearly quite curious.
Blasphemous 2
Availability:Out 24th August on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch.
Impossibly gorgeous pixel art on this one, an occult 2D action game.
you’re free to swap legs!
And have swords for arms!
We’ll obviously be all over it.
Goodbye Volcano High
Availability:Out 29th August on PC, PS4, PS5.
(Suspect this will be quite popular.)
The archetypal retro pixel-art party-based RPG certainly looks the part.
Is it actually good though?
We’re very keen to see what’s what.
From side-on perspective only.
What else do we recommend in August?
Gamescom 2023
It’s Gamescom time!
The world’s largest gaming convention, in terms of sheer volume of gamer, is back again.
At leastNintendo’s showing upthis time.
Xbox will also have a presence but no PlayStation, as ever.
Gran Turismo movie
Based on a true story, no less!
We’ll be there.
It’s August, it’s still summer - but only for one more month.
Capture the bittersweetness of transient sunshine with A Short Hike.
Other stuff coming out in August 2023
Too.
Here’s some more coming out in August!
