Biggest New Games Of August 2020: Anime Football vs. Fall Guys

The biggest release is clearly Fast & Furious, right?

Captain Tsubasa

August is almost here, and if you ask me, it’s the best month of the year, and that’s not because it’s my birthday on the 27th. Of course not. I’m totally not biased. Regardless of my compromised opinion, August is typically when the gaming releases begin to ramp up, and with a new console looming on the horizon, this year is no exception.

August’s games line-up offers an incredibly varied mix of titles, meaning that there should be something for everyone this month. Whether you’re a fan of sports games (both simulated and silly), historical strategy games, racing games, indie titles or a saccharine sweet offering that looks like a fusion between a battle royale and Total Wipeout. Here’s the biggest new games for August 2020.

 

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (August 4th)

Fall Guys

Developer: Mediatonic
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform(s): PC, PS4

Devolver Digital might just have the next smash-hit on their hands with Mediatonic’s Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, as the game hasn’t even left closed beta and its already one of the most watched games on Twitch. Considering that Fall Guys will also launch on PS4 as part of the PS Plus program, then millions of players will have access to the game on day one, hopefully ensuring the game’s success for years to come. It worked for Rocket League, right?

If you’re still confused as to what Fall Guys actually is, it’s a battle royale of the unconventional sort. 60 players compete in a variety of physics-based platforming challenges, with a set number of players being eliminated at the end of every round. You know that opening round of Takeshi’s Castle, where 100 people try to scale a massive wall? Imagine that happening with every single challenge and you’re about there. It’s utter chaos, and we’re really excited.

 

Skully (August 4th)

Skully

Developer: Finish Line Games
Publisher: Modus Games
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Nothing to do with a short-lived British TV series from 1984, which is a reference that’ll likely fly over everyone’s head, Skully is a 3D action platformer that sees players taking on the role of a recently reanimated skull. Turns out you’ve been revived by a deity who wants you to help stop a conflict between the deity’s three brothers that could threaten the island home they all inhabit.

As a skull, you can roll around the island, using your new found powers to traverse an island landscape filled with various ecosystems. You can also transform into three distinct forms that’ll help you reach previous inaccessible areas or defeat enemies. It’s like a Super Monkey Ball platformer, but good. Let’s try to forget about Super Monkey Ball Adventure.

 

Fast & Furious: Crossroads (August 7th)

Fast and Furious Crossroads
Fast and Furious Crossroads

Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One

Time to drink a buttload of Coronas and live life a quarter mile at a time, as Fast & Furious: Crossroads is coming. Alright, so let’s be honest, this game isn’t going to set the world alight. It’s a film tie-in, so it’s likely more of a cash grab than anything, but in a world where film tie-ins seem to be rarer and rarer, we’ll welcome Fast & Furious with open arms. I mean, World War Z was pretty good, so this could be too. That’s the logic we’re working with here.

At the very least, the game features full voice over from the original cast, who are reprising their roles in Crossroads, and the game’s heists, vehicles and gameplay were developed in conjunction with Dennis McCarthy, the franchise’s official car coordinator. If nothing else, it should be an authentic Fast & Furious experience, which means it’ll probably be a fun, if forgettable romp.

 

A Total War Saga: Troy (August 13th)

Troy

Developer: Creative Assembly, Feral Interactive
Publisher: SEGA, Feral Interactive
Platform(s): PC

“No, this is just a big wooden horse. No soldiers in here, honest!” – Sinon, outside Troy circa 12th Century BC.

The Total War series is usually considered one of the best ways to experience historical conflicts, and now Creative Assembly are casting their masterful gaze over the Trojan War with A Total War Saga: Troy Inspired by the works of Homer’s Illiad, you’ll control 1 of 8 heroes and help to shape the course of the Trojan War.

Troy will include the same brand of turn-based strategy and real-time battles, as players fight to protect or conquer the Kingdom of Troy once and for all. As an added bonus, the game will be free for the first 24 hours when it launches on the Epic Games Store, which should alleviate the sour taste in the mouths of some who’d rather see the game on Steam. A free game is always nice.

 

EA Sports UFC 4 (August 14th)

UFC 4
UFC 4

Developer: EA Vancouver
Publisher: EA
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One

Yes, we know Madden NFL 21 also launches on August 28th, but there’s already enough sports games on this list, one of them also being an EA game, so something had to go. We haven’t forgotten about it, don’t worry. In the meantime, let’s talk about EA Sports UFC 4, the next instalment in the MMA series of games.

UFC 4 will follow on from the previous game with an updated career mode, which sees players going from backyard MMA brawls to headline UFC PPV events for the world title. The trailer also seemed to hint you’d be fighting in some Enter The Dragon/Mortal Kombat fight lair, which doesn’t seem too far off UFC’s current Fight Island arrangement. I’m telling you, Dana White is Shao Kahn in disguise. The Outworld invasion is coming.

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator (August 18th)

Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator

Developer: Asobo Studio
Publisher: Xbox Game Studio
Platform(s): PC

Microsoft Flight Simulator has been somewhat of a staple of PC gaming for a long time, with a history stemming back as far as the 1980s. That said, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the first proper release in the series since 2014’s Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition, itself a re-release of a game from 2006. Clearly, a new entry was needed.

Launching day one into Xbox Game Pass for PC, Microsoft Flight Simulator is exactly what it says in the title, offering players a chance to operate a highly technical piece of machinery without endangering the lives of those on board. If nothing else, it sounds like a good opportunity to try and fly a plane into the Hudson River while listening to A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth.

 

PGA Tour 2K21 (August 21st)

PGA Tour 2K21

Developer: HB Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia

It’s almost tee time, so pick up your best driver, befriend a caddy and drive your Cadillac Escalade into a tree, as PGA Tour 2K21 is launching on all major platforms. Developed by the folks who created The Golf Club, PGA Tour 2K21 is the next evolution of that series, only 2K are involved so there’s a bunch of microtransactions.

PGA Tour 2K21 is the first time in a while that the PGA has taken pride of place in a golf game. As such, the game will include 15 fully licensed PGA courses, including plenty of recognisable favourites such as TPC Sawgrass. No Pebble Peach though, unfortunately, or St. Andrews, but there’s a course creator so you can expect some hastily thrown together mock-ups about a week after launch.

 

No Straight Roads (August 25th)

No Straight Roads game

Developer: Metronomik
Publisher: Sold Out Ltd
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

No Straight Roads might just appeal to anyone who’s sick of that “new-fangled dance music”, as you control an indie rock duo intent on bringing down the EDM empire No Straight Roads, which really should just be referred to as the EDMpire. I’m sorry Metronomik, your game looks cool and all, but you definitely missed a trick when it comes to naming your villains.

As a game, No Straight Roads is a tough one to pin down, as it blends third person action adventure with rhythm-based elements. As the duo of Mayday and Zuke, you’ll fight your way through the NSR’s army, crashing their concerts in an attempt to free Vinyl City from their tyrannical control. Our man Jimmy managed to preview the game and it looks like it could be August’s sleeper hit.

 

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (August 27th)

Crystal Chronicles

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform(s): PS4, Switch, Mobile

It wouldn’t be a month in the gaming industry in 2020 without some kind of remaster, and this month’s entry comes courtesy of Square Enix, who are bringing back Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. This updated version of the game adds online co-op and a host of new dungeons, making it the definitive edition of a classic game.

Players create their own characters and navigate the world in their caravan, taking on monsters, solving puzzles and exploring dungeons, dealing with the deadly miasma that plagues the entire world. Perhaps most interestingly, a Lite version of the game will be released for free, and Lite players can still match with those who own the full game to experience all the game has to offer.

 

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions (August 28th)

Captain Tsubasa

Developer: Tamsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Switch

Lowkey one of my most anticipated games this year, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is certainly a departure from Bandai Namco’s regular anime adaptations. Instead of a 3D arena brawler, Rise of New Champions is a football game made in a similar mold to arcade hits such as Redcard, Mario Strikers and SEGA Superstar Soccer. That said, now I actually want a Captain Tsubasa arena brawler.

While players can put together matches featuring teams accurate to the source material, you’ll be spending the majority of your time with the game’s two Story Modes. Episode: Tsubasa is a faithful retelling of the manga’s storylines, including plenty of special references to moments in the series, while Episode: New Hero sees you create a brand new character joining one of three prestigious Japanese high schools as a footballing prodigy.

 

Project Cars 3 (August 28th)

Project Cars 3
Project Cars 3

Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One

Bandai Namco and Slightly Mad Studios are really cornering the racing game market this month, as if Fast & Furious doesn’t quite tickle your pickle, there’s always Project Cars 3 to fall back on. While it might look more simulation focused than its street racing/heisting counterpart, Project Cars 3 offers plenty of customisable options to appeal to more casual racing game fans.

Project Cars 3 offers plenty of improvements over the previous game in the series, including a more in-depth career mode, more robust A.I. and an improved experience for controller players so you don’t have to shell out for a racing wheel. While it might not redefine racing games, it looks to be highly enjoyable regardless.

 

Tell Me Why: Chapter One (August 28th)

Tell Me Why game
Tell Me Why

Developer: DONTNOD Entertainment
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC

Far from an excuse for you to break into a rousing rendition of I Want It That Way by The Backstreet Boys, Tell Me Why is DONTNOD Entertainment’s latest 3-part episodic adventure game. A departure from the more supernatural elements of the Life is Strange series, Tell Me Why is a much more grounded tale that sees twins Alyson and Tyler attempt to deal with the demons of their past. Players will experience events from both perspectives, and will make choices depending on which side to believe, which will affect the game’s outcome.

Tell Me Why has become notable for being the first game from a major developer and publisher to feature a transgendered character in a leading role, with Tyler having transitioned from female to male. DONTNOD themselves worked with organisations like GLAAD to ensure that Tyler’s representation is authentic and multi-dimensional. It’ll even improve on Life is Strange 2, as parts 2 and 3 are launching a week after each other, meaning you won’t be waiting an entire year to wrap the story up.

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