Traditionally, the hibernation season of the gaming industry ends in August, and players start to enjoy high-profile releases, followed by lesser-known studios and publishers. This month, many games are going into early access, and there are also releases from Ukrainian studios.
Content
Genre: Platformer, Puzzle
Date: August 02
Platform: PC, Switch
The original World of Goo was released in 2008 and became one of the best games of the year. It is a physics-based puzzle game in which you need to build a bridge of ball-shaped Goo creatures to get other Goos to the pipe. The sequel expands the game’s possibilities by adding new obstacles, helpers, and types of Goo. The number of Goo on the screen will also increase significantly thanks to the power of modern hardware. The game will have a textual Ukrainian localization.
Genre: Adventure, Action, RPG
Date: August 08
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
The third part of the cat’s adventures takes place on a fantastic pirate archipelago in the Caribbean… or rather the Murribal Sea. The furry adventurers go searching for the North Star, a long-lost mythic scrub. The pirate rats set out to hinder them on the orders of the Pirate King.
A vast new world with various dungeons and biomes, through which we travel with our ship. A musket, fluffy spells, luxurious outfits, and much more will help us defend ourselves against pirates. Many people will like the opportunity to play in a cooperative in front of a single screen.
Genre: City Builder, Strategy
Date: August 08
Platform: PC (Early Access)
Preserve is a meditative puzzle game in which we create our own world and populate it with animals and plants. The game features a wide variety of biomes, from snowy deserts to coniferous forests and even entire bodies of water. However, the goal of the game is not only to build a world of your own design, but to create favorable conditions under which the world of animals and plants will exist in harmony.
Genre: Action, FPS
Date: August 13
Platform: PC (Early Access)Level Zero: Extraction is an asymmetric survival horror multiplayer game from Ukrainian studio Doghowl Games. Teams of mercenaries of three players hunt for bribes and try to survive in long-abandoned corners of the planet. The main obstacle to evacuating with the loot is the teams of other players, as well as the alien soil controlled by a living player.
In between races, you can use the currency to upgrade your soldier and his weapons. Successfully neutralizing mercenaries while playing as an alien also gives you currency to upgrade your mercenary. The game will have full Ukrainian localization.
Genre: RTS
Date: August 13
Platform: PC (Early Access)
The Blizzard developers, who have worked on Starcraft, have created their own studio and have been working on the real-time strategy game Stormgate for a long time. The early launch includes a 1v1 competitive mode, a three-player cooperative mode, a mode in which you can set your own rules, and the beginning of a story campaign that will develop gradually with updates. The game is free to play, but by purchasing the Early Access Pack, you can start playing right away.
Genre: Action, Adventure
Date: August 20
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One
Dustborn is a single-player story-driven game in which we play as Pax, an outcast con artist, and the Abnormal, who can turn words into weapons. The heroes have to cross the country under the guise of a rock band to deliver an important package. In each location, you will have to study the circumstances, conduct investigations, communicate with people you meet, and overcome challenges together with the team. And this is in the scenery of the United States of America.
Genre: Action, Adventure
Date: August 20
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
One of the most anticipated game of the year. Black Myth: Wukong — is a role-playing action game based on Chinese mythology and especially «Journey to the West». We play as the Chosen One, who is perhaps the most famous character in «Journey to the West», the Monkey King (sūn wù kōng). One of Ukun’s many abilities is the ability to transform into 72 creatures. The realization of this ability can be seen in some of the game’s trailers, for example, in the form of a bee. But first and foremost, Black Myth: WuKong is an action-adventure game where the hero’s fighting skills and magic are in the forefront.
However, the game surprises not only with the freshness of the backstage of Chinese mitology, but also with the visual realization of ancient myths. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 5, and quite democratic system requirements are specified considering DLSS/FSR/XeSS.
Genre: Game exhibition
Date: August 21-25
Platform: Youtube
After the final closing of E3, Gamescom remains the largest gaming exhibition in the world. The Opening Live Night ceremony will start at 21:00 and last about two hours. Ubisoft, 2K, Bandai Namco, Devolver Digital, and others have confirmed their participation. Xbox is preparing a particularly large-scale presentation.
Genre: Turn-based Strategy, Tactical
Date: August 22
Platform: PC
In this turn-based tactical game, we control a squad of renegade war mages. Each of the mages has different abilities, from elemental magic to animal transformations. The developer encourages creativity in solving combat tasks, and does not even punish for failure. On the contrary, you can rewind time at any time and try again, but in a different way. And so on until you get the desired result. The game has a flexible difficulty setting system and can be completed in about 14 hours.
Genre: Action, FPS
Date: August 23
Platform: PC, PS5
Team-based shooters have long since passed their peak in popularity, which does not prevent publishers from trying to jump on this train. Concord is made by Bungie, looks interesting in terms of gameplay mechanics, and has unique characters. The developers have also chosen an atypical approach to storytelling, as we will be entertained with a new story video every week. The biggest obstacle to the game’s popularity is its payment. We wrote more about Concord in our impressions from the beta test.
Genre: MMO RPG
Date: August 26
Platform: PC
Blizzard is changing the approach to the development of its MMO. From now on, add-ons will be released more often and will be combined into a large-scale story arc. The first arch is called The Worldsoul Saga, which consists of three expansions, the first of which is called The War Within. In addition to new locations beneath the surface of Azeroth, the expansion will add a new allied race of earth dwarves, new raids, and a system of heroic talents.
Genre: Action, RPG
Date: August 29
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4Visions of Mana is the fifth installment in the main Mana series. The young hero Val accompanies his childhood friend Ginna to the sacred Mana Tree, which controls the flow of mana around the world. Other heroes, each with a unique story and abilities, will help us overcome the dangerous journey.
However, a group can consist of only three characters, and you can switch between them freely. In addition, characters’ abilities can be changed and transformed by the elements. The world of the game is made up of semi-open, but spacious locations free for exploration. Koichi Ishii, the director and producer of the series, returned to create the game.
Genre: Action, Adventure
Date: August 30
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
The promising Star Wars Outlaws from the authors of The Division dilogy forgets about the achievements of Ubisoft games recently and returns to the classic action-adventure genre. The game takes us to the time between the Fifth and Sixth episodes of Star Wars. We play as Kay Vess, a rogue trying to buy a ticket to a new life. We will be actively assisted by the animal Nix, who can distract the enemy, open doors, or bring a useful item.
Journalists and bloggers who have already played the game are generally positive about it. They especially note the game’s atmosphere, variability in completing tasks, and the reputation system. The absence of RPG elements and towers (at least in the version shown) is particularly noteworthy.