Post by KostaAndreadis @ 04:08pm 01/08/22 | Comments
Let’s take a look at the big releases across each platform…
The month of August, throughout history, has lent itself to some pretty amazing things. In 1774, for example, Oxygen was discovered by John Priestley, an English chemist who isolated it in a gaseous form for the first time. What exactly people were breathing before then is anyone’s guess.
1851 in Australia saw the first gold discovered in Ballarat, Victoria which kicked off the Australian “Gold Rush” and modern-day theme-park experience where you can spend a lot of money on old-timey candy. In 1876 in the US, Wild Bill Hickock was murdered in The Number 10 Saloon by the coward Jack McCall, an event brilliantly retold in the seminal HBO series, Deadwood. In 1914 the Panama Canal opened, changing the tide of trade, transport, and hats forever. August of 1969 was the year Woodstock took place, rendering many, many brain cells forever altered. Man. And in gaming history, Metroid was released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System, kicking off one of the most celebrated Nintendo IPs in the company’s history.
Okay, enough history, let’s get to it. Here’s the breakdown of the new games coming in August 2022.
Frogun
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 2
Here’s one for fans of old-school 3D platformers, as Frogun has the look and feel of something that could have been released during the heyday of the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation consoles. And with that expect snow worlds and lava worlds presented in pixelated low-poly goodness. As for why it’s called Frogun, well, you’ve got a frog-shaped grapple hook as your main way to interact and get around.
South of the Circle
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 3
A narrative cinematic tale with an icy backdrop, South of the Circle follows Peter, a Cambridge academic who crashlands in Cold War Antarctica. Past and present will blur, making full use of the game’s striking visuals. Published by 11 bit studios (Frostpunk), this is shaping up to be another interactive movie-like experience to keep an eye on this year.
Hard West II
Platform: PC
Release Date: August 4
Fans of the American West might want to keep an eye out on Hard West II, with its turn-based strategy action and tale revolving around a legendary “Ghost Train” filled with the shiny stuff. Gold. The ‘Weird West’ genre has definitely been in the spotlight of late, so be sure to take the time to read our massive in-depth primer on the coming together of spurs that clank and beasts that roam the plains.
Hindsight
Platform: PC, Switch
Release Date: August 4
From Team Hindsight and publisher Annapurna Interactive, Hindsight is a fascinating new narrative adventure that spans “the entirety of a woman's life, from birth to present day, as she tries to make sense of it all”.
Sword and Fairy: Together Forever
Platform: PS4, PS5,
Release Date: August 4
This epic action RPG is actually the seventh entry in a long-running series from Softstar Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is steeped in Chinese folklore and myth and features real-time combat and exploration in a world rich in detail. The game is also available on PC, where it supports some impressive real-time ray-tracing powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX hardware.
Turbo Golf Racing (Early Access)
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 4
Arcade-style multiplayer racing that kind of looks like a mix of Mario Kart, Rocket League, and mini-golf. Cars, giant balls, and a race to the finish line, even though this one is launching into Early Access the gameplay showcased so far for Turbo Golf Racing looks polished.
GigaBash
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Release Date: August 5
A four-player giant monster brawler inspired by classic kaiju movies. As such the fighting in GigaBash takes place in the middle of cities, with the added bonus of fully destructible environments. Godzilla meets Capcom's classic Power Stone, with a dash of the ol’ Super Smash Bros magic to boot.
Two Point Campus
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 9
A new sim from Two Point Studios (Two Point Hospital) and SEGA that puts you in charge of building and running your very own University. There’s a fantastical quality to Two Point Campus that lets you create things like a school for Knights in addition to things like grand libraries, dorms, and facilitating all of the extra-curricular activities that may or may not include letters from the Greek alphabet.
Arcade Paradise
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 11
With the keys to King Wash in hand, it’s up to you to turn a rundown laundromat into a mecca for all things arcade and video games. Covering three decades of classic coin-op gaming, from the 70s through to the 90s, in addition to managing the day-to-day, there are 35 different fully playable arcade cabinets to install.
Cult of the Lamb
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 11
Having had the chance to go hands-on with local developer Massive Monster’s Cult of the Lamb, it’s safe to say that this is easily one of our most anticipated releases. Adorable and disturbing in equal measure this has you creating your very own cult alongside exploring and embarking on classic 2D Zelda-like quests in a fantasy world come to life with some truly impressive animation.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
Platform: PC
Release Date: August 12
Sony and Insomniac’s brilliant Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is coming to PC, where it will make full use of high-end hardware and effects like real-time ray-tracing. Following on from the excellent God of War port from earlier this year, this is another first-party former PlayStation exclusive making its debut in the land of RGB lighting and liquid cooling. As per the PC features trailer above, it’s shaping up to be something special too.
Rollerdrome
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Release Date: August 16
OlliOlli World developer Roll7’s follow-up might sound like a bit of departure as a third-person action shooter but its presentation and style are still very much in the world of skating. As you grind, skate, and shoot whilst wearing some rollerblades. As for the why, well, Rollerdrome is set in the Year 2030 and the title takes its namesake from a new blood sport that’s all about said stylish skating and killing. Natch.
Cursed to Golf
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 18
A battle to escape the underworld as you fight through dungeons with a club in hand. And that’s gold club because Cursed to Golf is a new golfing adventure that blends mini-gold with roguelike elements. Throw in a fun 16-bit cartoon world and characters and this looks charming to a fault.
Thymesia
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 18
A souls-like action RPG, Thymesia certainly ticks all of the Dark Souls boxes when it comes to presenting challenging melee-based combat. But, with its plague-ridden fantasy world and moves that draw on harnessing corruption (and even shape-shifting into a raven), there’s some definite style here.
Midnight Fight Express
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date: August 22
Midnight Fight Express oozes cool, with stylish cinematic isometric action and 41 hand-crafted levels to fight through. With hand-to-hand combat, guns, knives, and axes, there’s also quite a bit of customisation on offer too - with the ability to fine-tune difficulty and even drill down into things like ‘enemy types’ and ‘weapons’ to create your own Director’s Cut.
Saints Row
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 23
After several years of no Saints, Volition is bringing back the beloved open-world action series Saints Row - in reboot form. With a new cast of characters, fans will be pleased to know that all of the customisation and over-the-top action the series is known for is back.
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 30
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is a remake that has been rebuilt from the ground up with Unreal Engine 4, and an experience designed to take advantage of PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S hardware. Set during the 1960s you once again take on the role of extra-terrestrial Crypto as you continue your quest to destroy all humans.
F1 Manager 2022
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 30
From sim masters Frontier Developments, F1 Manager 2022 put you in charge of your very own F1 team in an officially licensed sim that is set to become a new series alongside Codemasters’ F1 racing proper.
Immortality
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 30
From Sam Barlow, Immortality is a new interactive narrative with a story that takes place across three movies starring fictional actress Marissa Marcel. With these long-lost movies covering the late ‘60s and late ‘90s, it's a very cool setting for the style of interactive drama pioneered by the award-winning creator of Her Story and Telling Lies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Release Date: August 30
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is legit a slice of retro gold, and it's out August 30 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. It features all of the Konami-developed Turtles games from the 8-bit, 16-bit, and Arcade eras in one package.
SCATHE
Platform: PC
Release Date: August 31
An intense fast-paced FPS that takes as much inspiration from the likes of Ikaruga as it does DOOM Eternal. SCATHE is first-person bullet hell action as you try to escape the labyrinthian maze of Hell.
Be sure to keep an eye out each month for these shoutout features, as well as to AusGamers daily for changes, new additions, and everything else.