It’s hard to believe August is here already, but to be fair I usually kick off these articles with “I can’t believe it’s X month” so maybe that means nothing. Either way, August is upon us and with it a fairly big month of new video game releases.
While the absolute heaviest of hitters might not be occupying the eighth month of 2023, August still has some bangers to offer up like the full PC release of Baldur’s Gate III, FromSoftware’s return to a beloved franchise in Armored Core VI and some Aussie-made future indie classics like Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical and Moving Out 2.
As always, the list below is far from exhaustive and there are likely plenty more games set to debut in the coming weeks that are just as exciting, but there’s only so many hours in the day and I reckon the internet is filling up pretty quickly these days so I’m conserving both time and space by being as succinct as possible. Check ’em out:
August 2023 Video Game Releases
Atomic Heart: Annihilation Instinct (DLC Expansion)
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: August 2nd
Continue the story in the Annihilation Instinct DLC, Atomic Heart’s upcoming DLC expansion, and learn what happened in its dystopian world after the game’s climax. Prepare to embark on a journey through the new mind-bending Mendeleev Complex and its surrounding swamps and discover the truth about NORA as Major P-3 is pulled back into Facility 3826. Survive vicious, shape-shifting new enemies and take them down using two new cunning weapons the ranged Secateur and melee Klusha – as well as your glove’s new Techno-Stasis ability, allowing you to manipulate time itself. Meet a new enigmatic character, as well as returning ones in surprising circumstances, and dive deep into the AI’s insanity to curb its Annihilation Instinct.
Baldur’s Gate III (PC Release)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 3rd
Gather your party and embark on an epic campaign in this next-generation Dungeons & Dragons RPG from the makers of Divinity: Original Sin II. The land of Faerûn is under siege. Captured and infected by the invading Mind Flayers, will you choose to resist their corruption or embrace the mysterious power that is growing inside you?
Embody bespoke Origin Characters or create your own custom protagonist and experience a dynamic story that is shaped by every roll of the dice. Join forces with a cast of complex characters as you loot, battle and romance your way through the Forgotten Realms – and beyond. Roll for initiative and leverage both advantage and disadvantage with fluid, tactical combat.
VR Skater (PS VR2 Release)
Platforms: PS5 (PS VR2)
Release Date: August 4th
VR Skater is designed from the ground up for VR to give you the most authentic, challenging, and immersive skating game ever. Picture the board under your feet, the rolling, clicking sound of rubber wheels against the tiled pavement before you pop that perfect ollie.
Feel like you are really skating, with the most innovative input mechanics allowing you the board control you’ve always dreamed of. Moving your hands in the same motions you would follow with your feet gives a perspective and level of control never before seen and the sense of fulfilment experienced upon perfectly executing even the most basic tricks is something that never leaves you!
Gord
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: August 8th
Gord is a dark-fantasy, adventure-strategy game set in a hostile, forsaken land inspired by Slavic mythology. Besieged by vile creatures, you must build to survive. But to prevail, you must conquer the darkness beyond the gates.
On the orders of the King, you are charged with striking out to make your mark on an untamed world—building and growing settlements in the face of resistance from raiders, monsters and more. You must prepare your party, find the courage to explore these forsaken lands, lead the conquest, and carve a path that will shape the kingdom. Wretched creatures and malevolent deities await you, but powerful incantations and skilled combatants give you a fighting chance to bring light to the darkness.
WrestleQuest
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: August 8th
TAG TEAM WITH DESTINY! Pro wrestling and RPG fantasy collide in the ultimate pixel powered adventure. “Macho Man” Randy Savage and tons of other icons offer guidance as you powerbomb your way to glory beyond the ring. This hero’s journey ain’t just an epic quest, it’s WRESTLEQUEST!
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival (Early Access Launch)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 8th
You wake up on an overgrown skyscraper roof – not a living soul in sight. Cosmopolis, once a mighty array of metal and glass, lies shattered in ruins and flooded. The decades-long struggle between UNICORP and the rival corporations pursuing transhumanism ideas seems to have been over for good when society collapsed. Now it is up to you to try and solve the mystery of the last days of civilization… and your sudden awaking. Or you can just build your own future and enjoy the view of what remains of humankind.
I Am Future is a relaxing survival game about building a cozy rooftop camp amid a flooded post-apocalyptic city. Set up a farm, cook delicious food, dismantle tools for crafting resources, automate chores by recruiting cute robots, and uncover the mystery behind the catastrophe.
30XX
Platforms: Switch, PC
Release Date: August 9th
Jump, shoot, and slash your way through 30XX, the roguelike action platformer you can play with a friend! Explore lush, ever-changing worlds that mix precise platforming with fevered combat. Destroy fearsome Guardians. Master unique Powers. Rediscover the thousand years we’ve lost.
Stray (Xbox Release)
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Release Date: August 10th
Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Roam surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by curious droids and dangerous creatures.
See the world through the eyes of a cat and interact with the environment in playful ways. Be stealthy, nimble, silly, and sometimes as annoying as possible with the strange inhabitants of this mysterious world.
Atlas Fallen
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: August 10th
The Cheapest Copy: $79 at Amazon with free shipping.
Rise from the dust and liberate mankind from the oppression of corrupted gods. Glide the sands of a timeless land, filled with ancient dangers, mysteries and fragments of the past. Hunt legendary monsters, using powerful, shape-shifting weapons and devastating sand-powered abilities in spectacular, super-powered combat. Target and gather the essence of your enemies to shape your own custom play style, forging a new era for humanity in a fully cooperative or solo story campaign.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: August 10th
In a modern fantasy world, college dropout Grace is granted the power of a Muse – power she’ll need to find out the truth behind her predecessor’s death before time runs out. You’ll decide who Grace allies with, who she can trust, and who may betray her in this beautifully hand-illustrated roleplaying musical.
Written by David Gaider comes Stray Gods – an urban fantasy tale of finding your place, taking charge of your fate, and discovering answers. Your choices will change the endings, as well as the path you take to get there.
Tower of Fantasy (PlayStation Release)
Platforms: PS5, PS4
Release Date: August 11th
In Tower of Fantasy, you play as a Wanderer and immerse yourself into an open-world adventure, exploring sci-fi wastelands, deserts, and cyberpunk metropolises, ecologically complete underwater worlds and the enigmatic “Domain 9” that embodies eastern aesthetics.
Customise your character to make it uniquely yours, and establish deep bonds with Simulacra who offer powerful support. Each of them has a fascinating story waiting to be discovered. Embark on solo adventures or team up with other Wanderers to explore diverse areas, and engage in highly immersive, real-time action combat. Uncover the hidden truths from a veil of conspiracy within the Tower of Fantasy!
Moving Out 2
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: August 15th
The Cheapest Copy: $49 plus shipping at Mightyape.
Moving Out 2 will take players back to the breakneck, breakback (and break-knee) world of Smooth Moves’ Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technicians (F.A.R.Ts), as they pack furniture, technology, and everything including the kitchen sink across increasingly bizarre locales, with increasingly deadly challenges.
Moving Out 2 will see the introduction of online co-operative, cross-play enabled gameplay to the series, allowing F.A.R.Ts around the world to team up and creatively move furniture from point A to point B and beyond!
Everspace 2 (Console Release)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: August 15th
EVERSPACE 2 puts you in the pilot seat in this fast-paced single-player space shooter, where vicious encounters and brutal challenges stand between you and that next epic loot drop. Explore the war-torn star systems of the Demilitarized Zone of Cluster 34—each massive handcrafted area is packed with secrets, puzzles, and perils to encounter.
Discover alien species, unveil mysteries, find hidden treasures, and defend your cargo against outlaw gangs in an exciting 30-hour campaign. Fire up your hyperdrive to discover more than 100 unique, handcrafted locations spread across seven distinct star systems and shape your legacy among the stars.
En Garde!
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 16th
From the forgotten pages of history, comes Adalia de Volador! Legendary swashbuckler. Dashing adventurer. Hero of the people. Play as Adalia in her daring escapades full of sword-fighting, satire and shenanigans. Challenge the cruel Count-Duke and oppose tyranny with panache.
Beautifully painted locations, charismatic characters, and an astounding amount of battle banter will transport you to the golden age of swashbuckling comedy. So, sharpen your sword, grab your boots and hat, and embark on a hilarious, action-packed spectacle!
Vampire Survivors (Switch Release)
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: August 17th
Vampire Survivors is coming to Nintendo Switch! Choose from several characters, each with their own starting weapon and stats, and begin mowing down hordes of enemies across a variety of Stages. Once players collect enough gems in-level, they can choose from a random selection of weapons, upgrades or buffs, to attempt to survive 30 minutes. After finishing a run, players can choose to spend Gold on more characters or permanent stats to increase their chance against surviving once more.
Madden NFL 24
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: August 18th
The Cheapest Copy: $79 at Amazon with free shipping.
Only on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, SAPIEN Technology delivers a leap forward in NFL player realism with more body definition and variation to athlete physiques resulting in realistic player movement, while smarter AI behaviour provides more confidence in your teammates to execute your game plan and a suite of additional enhancements to FieldSENSE™ gives you greater control and realism on the field.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One,PC
Release Date: August 18th
The Cheapest Copy: $59 at Amazon with free shipping.
Take on the role of one of the notorious Slaughter family, or their victims, in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a third-person asymmetrical horror experience based on the groundbreaking and iconic 1974 horror film.
As a victim you must use your wits and stealth to stay out of the Family’s reach and find the tools you need to lead to your eventual freedom. Slaughter Family players must seek out, track down, and stop their guests from escaping. Players of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can finally find out if they have what it takes to survive.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PC/Switch Release)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 18th
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, brought to you by Team Reptile, is a futuristic realm conceived by Dion Koster, where graffiti crews armed with personal boostpacks vie for dominance over the city streets. Establish your own cypher and engage in dance-offs, create graffiti art, gather beats, perform trick combos, and confront the police to lay claim to the vast metropolis of New Amsterdam.
Meet Red, a graffiti artist who has lost his organic head, only to have it replaced with an AI-driven robotic one. In a quest to unearth his origins, Red joins the Bomb Rush Crew alongside Tryce and Bel, who have set their sights on becoming All City. Together, they gradually uncover who was responsible for severing Red’s head, and they explore how deeply Red’s human element is intertwined with the graffiti universe.
Fort Solis
Platforms: PS5, PC
Release Date: August 22nd
Fort Solis is a condensed narrative thriller set on Mars, with exploration, nerve-racking set pieces, and a deep plot to discover, told across four chapters, each roughly an hour in length. Like a Netflix series, Fort Solis can be binged in one intense session, or played chapter by chapter like an episodic TV show.
Fort Solis is the vision of Fallen Leaf, an indie team of games industry veterans, was to create a hybrid piece of media, emphasising narration and immersion.
Immortals of Aveum
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: August 22nd
The Cheapest Copy: $83.99 at Amazon with free shipping.
Summon your power, stop the Everwar, save the realms. Immortals of Aveum is a single-player first person magic shooter that tells the story of Jak as he joins an elite order of battle mages to save a world on the edge of abyss. Master three forces of magic, unleash spells with deadly skill, and decimate legions of enemies in a game that defies conventions of what we’ve come to expect from first person shooters. Immortals of Aveum is developed by Ascendant Studios, an independent AAA team led by Bret Robbins, creative director of Dead Space and Call of Duty, and published by EA Originals.
Blasphemous II
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: August 24th
The second scripture in the Blasphemous series portends the return of The Penitent One, with a story that continues from the free Wounds of Eventide DLC for the original game, where The Heart in the sky heralded the return of The Miracle and foretold the birth of a new miracle child. Awakened in a strange new land, and displaced from his final resting place, The Penitent One is thrust back into the endless cycle of life, death, and resurrection, with no other option than to explore this perilous new world and uncover its long-forgotten secrets.
Firewall Ultra
Platforms: PS5 (PS VR2)
Release Date: August 24th
Step into a shadow-filled secret world of high-stakes multiplayer tactical espionage in the next evolution of the Firewall franchise. Form an elite squad of contractors and strategise as a team to attack targets, cover each other’s backs, and complete objectives in Firewall Ultra’s 4v4 PVP mode.
RIDE 5
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: August 24th
The Cheapest Copy: $79 plus shipping at Mightyape.
Looking for fame and success? It’s gonna be a long way to the top, but the journey will be incredible! From local competitions to the most challenging races, you will test yourself on the most exciting tracks and face fiery rivals, ranked by their skill, guided by our advanced AI. Prove you are the best and climb the rankings to make your dreams of glory come true. Core and secondary events will also bring you more than just the joy of victory: depending on the difficulty of the event, you’ll gain credits that can be used to upgrade and develop your bike and your outfit.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: August 25th
The Cheapest Copy: $74.99 at Amazon with free shipping.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon combines FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay to bring a brand-new, high octane experience to the series. In Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, players will assemble their mech from a wide variety of parts and weaponry to soar freely through mission locales that redefine three-dimensional mobility. Face down overwhelming opposition by outgunning and overrunning your enemies with dynamic movement that makes full use of ranged and melee combat. Players can experience frenetic and fast-paced action that can only be truly realised with mechs.
Sea of Stars
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: August 29th
Promising the Sabotage touch in every system, Sea of Stars aims to modernise the classic RPG in terms of turn-based combat, storytelling, exploration and interactions with the environment, while still offering a hearty slice of nostalgia and good old, simple fun.
Under the Waves
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: August 29th
Experience a surreal adventure in the depths of the North Sea — and the human psyche. Under the Waves is a narrative-driven adventure game about the engulfing power of grief. Set in the depths of the North Sea in the techno-futuristic 1970s, professional diver Stan is struggling to overcome a life-changing loss and embrace a new future.
The isolation of the deep sea is a fitting manifestation of his state of mind, and as Stan retreads further into his self-imposed solitude, he starts to experience strange events far beneath the waves. He will eventually have to make a difficult choice…
Goodbye Volcano High
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Release Date: August 29th
Goodbye Volcano High is a story-driven, choice-based cinematic adventure game about personal growth, acceptance, and the power of community. What will you do when you’re faced with the end of the world? Your choices determine the branching narrative: Fang’s own decisions and the affinity you’ve built with the cast of characters change your fate.
Get close with friends, family, acquaintances, frenemies, and crushes. Figure out how you’re going to be there for your loved ones when it matters most—it is the literal end of the world, after all. Nurturing relationships builds affinity, alters self-perception, and shifts your story outcome.
