With the second half of the year well under way, August brings with its solid line-up of games across all platforms. From entries in hallowed franchises like Mario, Uncharted, and Yakuza, to indie fare like Tacoma and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, here’s what you should be playing this month.
Tacoma
From the makers of Gone Home and the excellent Minerva’s Den downloadable content (DLC) for BioShock 2, comes Tacoma. Taking place on an abandoned space station by the same name, you’ll piece together the events that led to its crew’s evacuation as Amy Ferrier - a freelancer tasked with retrieving the Tacoma’s AI, Odin. An interesting premise combined by Fullbright’s pedigree for narrative make this one to look out for.
Tacoma Developer on How the Game Was Inspired by Alien and The Wire
Tacoma release date: August 2
Tacoma platforms: PC, Xbox One
Tacoma price: Rs. 508 on PC, Rs. 574 on Xbox One ($20 in the US)
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Developed by Ninja Theory, the company behind the entertaining DmC: Devil May Cry, and Heavenly Sword, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a dark, atmospheric action game set in Celtic and Viking mythology. Early footage indicates that this could be one of the better looking games running on Unreal Engine 4 and PS4 Pro support is a welcome inclusion as well. Built on the premise of being a AAA indie experience at half the price, it could set the standard of what to expect from mid-tier titles going forward.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice release date: August 8
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice platforms: PC, PS4
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice price: Rs. 729 on PC, Rs. 2,497 on PS4 ($30 in the US)
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Uncharted 4 may have been the end of Nathan Drake’s adventures, but developer Naughty Dog is far from saying goodbye to the franchise. What was to be an expansion to Uncharted 4 is now a full game starring supporting characters from previous instalments, Nadine Ross and Chloe Fraiser. Set in India, you’ll be tasked with searching for the Tusk of Ganesh. With its trailers showing off witty dialogue, slick gameplay, and the production values we’ve come to expect from Naughty Dog, this could be a fun addition to a solid series.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy release date: August 22
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy platforms: PS4
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy price: Rs. 2,499 ($40 in the US)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Perhaps the most leaked prior to an official reveal, Mario + Rabbids combines Nintendo’s Mario universe along with Ubisoft’s Rabbids in a tactical strategy game akin to XCOM. You’ll control a party of eight across the Mushroom Kingdom in an attempt to restore order to the land. An intriguing aesthetic and gameplay mechanics make this the Nintendo Switch exclusive to play this month.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle's Creative Director on How It Was Made for the Nintendo Switch
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle release date: August 29
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle platforms: Nintendo Switch
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle price: Rs. 3,499 ($60 in the US)
Yakuza Kiwami
After the superlative Yakuza 0 we now have Yakuza Kiwami. This isn’t a new game in the series, rather a remake of the very first Yakuza game for the PS4. Expect to spend hours traipsing around the dense streets of Tokyo, brawling with seemingly infinite hordes of disposable gangsters, and even indulge in a session of karaoke or two, while taking in an intricate story starring Yakuza 0’s Kazuma Kiryu.
Yakuza Kiwami release date: August 29
Yakuza Kiwami platforms: PS4
Yakuza Kiwami price: $30 (India price TBA)
This isn’t all, if you’re using PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, here’s what you can play this month.
Games for PlayStation Plus - August 2017
Games for Xbox Live Gold - August 2017
What are you playing this August? Let us know via the comments.
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