There’s no sugarcoating it, July was dead. Nintendo delivered some solid stuff this past month, like Splatoon 2 and the New Nintendo 2DS XL, but pretty much every other publisher was off on summer holidays.
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Thankfully, things pick up in a big way in August! We’re not quite at holiday season levels of craziness yet, but August sees the arrival of long-awaited games like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Sonic Mania, as well as some dependable annual releases like Madden NFL 18. Independents also deliver the goods, with games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Matterfall, and Absolver battling for your attention.
Every week we do a more detailed rundown of what you need to play in The Five, but for now, here’s a broader overlook of all the good stuff coming in April. Hit the following pages for five highlights, then a full list of everything worth paying attention to…
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC & PS4, Aug. 8)
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is the latest game from Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword, DmC: Devil May Cry). The game focuses on the titular Senua, a Celtic warrior who embarks on a journey through a hellish mythological underworld, which may largely be a product of her own mind. Like past Ninja Theory games, Hellblade will have plenty of action, but it also portrays the struggle of those dealing with mental illness. This one definitely looks ambitious and interesting.
Sonic Mania (PC, Xbox One, PS4 & NS, Aug. 15)
Sonic, he’s really cool, Sonic, he’s got an attitude, Sonic, he’s the fasting thing aliiiive! The spirit of classic 90s Sonic games returns in Sonic Mania, a new 2D adventure being crafted by some of the series’ biggest fans. Sonic Mania is basically what Sonic the Hedgehog 4 would have been if 3D gaming had never happened, and it looks like whole lot of fast and furious fun.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4, Aug. 22)
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is, technically, a standalone expansion to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, but it’s actually more-or-less a full game, featuring stages and moments as big as anything the series has ever done. This time around, you play as series staple Chloe Frazer, who teams up with Uncharted 4 antagonist Nadine Ross to find a valuable artifact in the mountains of India during a civil war. A full Uncharted game with a $40 expansion price tag? Can’t go wrong with that!
Madden NFL 18 (Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 25)
Are you ready for some fooootball? If you’re a Madden fan, you probably already pre-ordered this baby long ago, but you may not be aware there’s actually some pretty big changes coming to the series this year. Madden NFL 18 will be using the Frostbite engine that powers other EA games like Battlefield 1 for improved visuals, and will be doing the story-driven career mode thing with The Longshot. If you’ve passed on the last couple years of Madden, now might be the time to get back on board.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (NS, Aug. 29)
Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom meet Ubisoft’s Rabbids characters in an XCOM-inspired strategy game? That’s a mighty odd setup, but based on what we saw at E3 2017, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle really works. The game is visually appealing, silly as hell (of course), and looks like it has some real depth. Don’t let the weird premise turn you off, this is a must have for Nintendo Switch owners.
Full List of Major Games and Hardware Releasing in August:
- Patapon Remastered (PS4, Aug. 1)
- Tacoma (PC, Mac, Linux & Xbox One, Aug. 2)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC & PS4, Aug. 8)
- LawBreakers (PC & PS4, Aug. 8)
- Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 8)
- Agents of Mayhem (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 15)
- Matterfall (PS4, Aug. 15)
- Sonic Mania (PC, Xbox One, PS4 & NS, Aug. 15)
- Night Trap 25th Anniversary Edition (PC & PS4, Aug. 15)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4, Aug. 22)
- The Escapists 2 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 22)
- F1 2017 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 25)
- Madden NFL 18 (Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 25)
- Absolver (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 29)
- Everybody’s Golf (PS4, Aug. 29)
- Hello Neighbor (PC & Xbox One, Aug. 29)
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (NS, Aug. 29)
- Yakuza Kiwami (PS4, Aug. 29)
- Resident Evil Revelations (Xbox One & PS4, Aug 31)
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Episode 1 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Aug. 31)
A great mix of stuff in August to get you through the rest of the summer and make you dread the end of your vacation. Remember, check in on The Five each week for a more detailed rundown of everything you need to play. See you next month!
