Coming up in Gaming – August 2016

Unlike July, which saw only a few major releases, August is chockablock with games that range from sequels to highly acclaimed franchises to brand new interpretations of classic properties. There are even a few titles that have never been seen before and are making their debut. In particular, the PlayStation 4 is set to see a whole host of independent and retail releases this month, though the Xbox One will still be getting some love with multiplatform games.

Big Hitters

In an industry that is often dominated by the huge annual releases of giant publishers, it is odd that the most anticipated games of this month, and the entire year, is an independent game.  That’s right, No Man’s Sky is set to release in August after a short delay pushed it back a couple of weeks. Available on both PlayStation 4 and PC, this is a procedurally generated space exploration and survival game that has captivated fans since its first showing two years ago. We will finally be able to see if it can live up to the hype ion August 9.

However, the world wouldn’t be quite the same if there wasn’t a big hitter coming from one of the major publishers. Madden 17 is filling that void this month. EA’s latest offering in their NFL series is scheduled to release on August 23 across the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

There is also another annual release in the form of F1 2016, Codemasters attempt at rectifying some of the problems that plagued their previous instalment. An extra year of experience in developing for next-generation consoles should mean that the racing simulator is back to its best when it releases on August 19 along with a variety of all new features, such as the virtual safety car and formation lap, along with a far more immersive campaign mode.

While Telltale Games have certainly taken on some big franchises over the past few years, including the likes of Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and The Walking Dead, they have arguably tackled their biggest challenge with Batman: The Telltale Series. This new point-and-click adventure game has the player taking on the role of both Bruce Wayne and alter ego Batman, just a few short years after the superhero has taken up his mantle. The first episode will be available on almost every platform imaginable from August 2.

August will also see a sequel to the highly rated rebooting of the Deus Ex franchise. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is set two years after the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with the protagonist Adam Jensen having brand new augmentations and technology available to him. It will release on PC and both next-generation consoles on August 23. Meanwhile,  the same day will also see the release of Team17’s latest Worms title – Worms W.M.D. This game takes a much heavier inspiration from Worms Armageddon and includes new features such as usable vehicles.

Retail Releases

Livelock | 2^nd August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A cooperative top-down shooter whereby the player has to try and end the cycle of continuous war between machines, allowing humanity to once again rise.

Tricky Towers | 2^nd August |PC / PlayStation 4 – A physics-based tower building game that tasks the player with attempting to create a tall and stable tower whilst also trying to knock down your opponent’s own towers.

Grow Up | 16^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A sequel to the adventure platformer Grow Home, a small open world game created by Ubisoft.

Bound | 16^th August | PlayStation 4 – Bound is a game developed by the famous Sony developer anta Monica Studio that uses dance moves as a way of traversing the dreamlike memories of childhood that the protagonist is experiencing.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force | 19^th August | Nintendo 3DS – A spinoff of the much-acclaimed Metroid Prime franchise, as a cooperative first-person shooter for Nintendo’s handheld system.

The King of Fighters XIV | 23^rd August | PlayStation 4 – The latest instalment in the long running fighting game developed by SNK.

Assetto Corsa | 26^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – An advanced racing simulator that combines an immersive environment, dynamic lighting, and realistic physics to create the most realistic driving experience possible.

God Eater 2: Rage Burst | 30^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 / PS Vita – An enhanced version of the original game that features a brand new story chapter, new gameplay mechanics, content, weapons, characters, and enemies.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X | 30^th August | PlayStation 4 / PS Vita – A rhythm game from Sega that introduces some brand new gameplay modes and mechanics never before seen in the franchise.

Resident Evil 4 HD | 30^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A final version of Resident Evil 4, featuring all the content and enhancements from the updates Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD version.

Attack on Titan | 30^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – The action game based on the famous manga and anime series of the same name finally makes its way to Europe and North America.

Indie Games

Abzu | 2^nd August | PlayStation 4 / PC – An underwater adventure game that sees players exploring a beautiful environment, created by the same people responsible for the art of the highly acclaimed Journey.

Overcooked | 3^rd August | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One – A cooperative cooking simulator, with players working as a team to prepare cook and serve menu items as quickly as possible.

Brutal | 9^th August | PC / PlayStation 4 – A modern version of classic ACII dungeon crawler games, taking the old school genre into the future with 3D graphics as you fight to reach the 26^th floor and defeat the Guardian.

Read Only Memories | 16^th August | PlayStation 4 / PS Vita – An updated version of the cyberpunk adventure game that originally released for PC in 2015. This game is set in the near future and forces players to look for their missing friend who works in artificial intelligence.

Alone With You | 23^rd August | PlayStation 4 / PS Vita – Alone With You is a sci-fi romantic crossover from the makers of horror hit Home.

Pan-Pan | 24^th August | PC / Mac – An adventure game that pays particular attention to the themes of puzzle solving and exploration.

Ira | 31^st August | PC / Mac / Linux – A crowdfunded point-and-click adventure game that tells the story of an alternate universe where nations put aside war and conflict in pursuit of scientific and technological advancement.

The Turing Test | 30^th August | PC / Xbox One – A first-person puzzler from the same people who created Pneuma: Breath of Life, giving players the chance to take control of an engineer for the International Space Agency as they attempt to solve the mystery of Europa.

Hero Generations: ReGen | August | PC / Mac / Linux – A cross between a roguelike and a 4x strategy game, Hero Generations  is a game about creating and maintaining your family line and ensuring a strong legacy.

Freebies

Games With Gold

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate | 1^st – 31 August | Xbox One – A crossover of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors franchises. It contains over 120 playable characters, giving players plenty of options in taking down the evil Serpent King.

WWE 2K16 | 16^th August – 15^th September | Xbox One – The latest in the long-running wrestling series from 2K Games, sporting the biggest roster in the history of the franchise.

Spelunky | 1^st – 15^th August | Xbox 360 – One of the most critically acclaimed roguelikes of recent times, mixing classic platforming with manic action.

Beyond Good & Evil HD | 16^th – 31^st August | Xbox 360 – A high definition remake of the classic action-adventure game that was originally released in 2003.

PlayStation Plus Games

Tricky Towers | PlayStation 4 – The newly released physics-based tower building game that involves building your own tower, defending it against enemies, and trying to destroy your opponent’s tower.

Rebel Galaxy | PlayStation 4 – Double Damage’s space combat game that has already been available through Games With Gold offers a huge procedurally generated world and a wide range of tasks and quests to complete.

Yakuza 5 | PlayStation 3 – The latest entry in Sega’s gangster series that takes place in the murky underworld of Tokyo.

Retro/Grade | PlayStation 3 – A bizarre crossover between a first-person shooter and a music rhythm game, which can be played with a Guitar Hero or Rock Band controller.

Patapon 3 | PS Vita – The final instalment in the Patapon series, tasking players with defeating the Seven Evil Archfiends that have been released into the world.

Ultratron | PS Vita – Inspired by classic games like Robotron 2084, this intense and addictive game brings old-school gameplay to modern gamers.