It’s August. Just a month ago, it seemed that the pandemic was easing up, and life was going back to normal. But then, we learned about the contagious Delta variant, and everything old is new again. If you’re canceling your plans or rethinking your summer getaway, August has a packed slate of games to keep you home, socially distant, and safe.
On deck: Sony’s PlayStation 5 is getting some sharp ‘ultimate editions’ of recent classics. LEGO’s partnership with Nintendo is bearing more fruit. And two major franchises—one sports, one action—are returning with anticipated sequels.
For those of you gearing up to get your quarantine gaming on this month, here is all of the major video game news for August 2021.
Xbox Games With Gold Free Games for August 2021
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Xbox One
Darksiders 3 (August 1-August 31)
Hack-and-slash your way to recapturing the Seven Deadly Sins. You play as Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Yooka-Laylee (August 16-September 15)
A chameleon and a bat team up for platform puzzles. If you like Banjo Kazooie, this is right in your wheelhouse.
Xbox 360 (backwards compatible)
Lost Planet 3 (August 1-August 15)
A third-person sci-fi shooter, where you fight a predatory insectoid species known as the Akrid, and the evil corporation NEVEC. This is a prequel, and the events of this game lead directly into the events of the first one.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves (August 16-August 31)
This is the eighth game in the Fatal Fury fighting franchise. Aside from longtime hero Terry Bogard, every other playable fighter is new to the series.
Playstation Plus Free Games for August 2021
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Playstation 5
Hunter’s Arena: Legends (August 3)
A 30-man battle royale set in ancient Asia, you fight demons and each other in a joust to the death
Playstation 4
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (August 3)
With 20 types of player classes, you’ll have lots of fun fighting off hordes of the undead, and each other in a new battle royale mode.
Tennis World Tour 2 (August 3)
This tennis simulator allows you to play as 38 world tour players, including Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Google Stadia Free Games for August 2021
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Killer Queen Black (August 1)
This is a team-based game for eight players. One player is the queen and the others are drones, and both roles come with respective powers. There are three victory scenarios, but like most team-dependent games, it’s better played than explained to get the full gist.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 (August 1)
A combination of tactical strategy and live-action, the fourth game in the core series received near-universal acclaim at the time of its release in 2018.
It Came from Space and Ate Our Brains (August 1)
A brightly colored, top-down shooter, this game is an excellent update on an old arcade premise, and features four-player co-op.
Epistory: Typing Chronicles (August 1)
This is a typing game where (appropriately enough) you play a writer. As you advance in the game, the story unfolds, via pages, in front of you.
GRIME (August 2)
A Metroidvania platformer, this game focuses on suffering and death as an instructive tool. Critics are comparing it to Dark Souls, which is all you need to know about its difficulty.
New LEGO Mario Sets (August 1)
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Beginning in August, there are multiple new LEGO sets available, based upon the classic Mario courses from your childhood. Particularly eye-catching is a new Luigi course, with a LED incorporated Luigi figurine; and Bowser’s airship from Super Mario Bros. 3.
Hades for PS5 (August 13)
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We crowned this the No. 1 video game of 2020. In Hades, you play as Zagreus, son of Greek God Hades, who tries to escape the Underworld. He gets “boons” from other Greek Gods along the way, slowly becoming more powerful as he gets closer to the surface. This re-release on PS5 features higher resolution graphics and improved haptic feedback, making it as close to definitive as possible.
Marvel's Avengers: War for Wakanda (August 17)
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This is a massive DLC planned for Marvel’s Avengers, which had a rocky launch last year. Perhaps, this will bring players (old and new) into the fold. You’ll be able to play as T’Challa the Black Panther and face off against Klaw and other new enemies. Best of all, you’ll be able to play it for free, if you already own Marvel’s Avengers.
Quakecon (August 19)
12 Minutes (August 19)
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We previewed 12 Minutes at the Tribeca Festival. We’re predicting this as the stealth, dark horse pick for 2021’s Game of the Year. In the game, as your character comes home to have dinner with his wife, all seems well until suddenly, a strange man comes to the door and kills the two of you. The rest of the game is replaying that scenario, over and over, to figure out how to survive.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (August 20)
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The dramatic, critically acclaimed samurai epic from 2020 is getting the royal carpet treatment on PS5. It features the Legends expansion, Japanese lip-synching, 3D audio, improved haptic feedback, and a brand new story expansion that takes place on Iki Island. If you already own the original 2020 cut, you can pay a discount price to upgrade it on your PS4 or PS5.
Madden NFL 22 (August 20)
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The newest entry in the long-running football simulator updates its rosters and ratings and brings back the recent, well-received X-Factors. Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady are on the cover this year.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (August 24)
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We also got to play this title during the 2021 Tribeca Festival. You play as Kena, a young girl and spirit guide, who has magical control over the elements and a group of tiny, traveling spirits known as The Rot. Fanciful and visually rich, the set design does an incredible job of evoking mood.
Gamescom (August 25)
Psychonauts 2 (August 25)
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The original Psychonauts was critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful. Hopefully, the sequel can sell more copies. Again, you play as Raz, a newly minted ‘Psychonaut’ with multiple, telekinetic abilities.
No More Heroes III (August 27)
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Back in 2007, the original No More Heroes was a Wii exclusive, and Nintendo used it to show that they could do more than family-friendly, casual difficulty games. The third installment in the main series returns to the original’s ‘do chores and kill assassins’ formula, and Goichi Suda, the original’s designer and director, returns in those respective roles.
