Your Guide to August’s Major Game Releases

There are several August game releases to look forward to, with at least one highly-anticipated game coming out every week. Let’s cut the intro paragraph short and jump right in.

Week I: July 30 – August 5 

• Chasm (PS4, PC) – July 31
• Yakuza 0 (PC) – Aug. 1

Week II: August 6 – 12

• Dead Cells (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) – Aug. 7
• H1Z1: Battle Royale (PS4) – Aug. 7
• Monster Hunter: World (PC) – Aug. 9
• Madden NFL 19 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Aug. 10
• We Happy Few (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Aug. 10

Week III: August 13 -19

• The Walking Dead: The Final Season- Episode 1 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – Aug. 14
• Death’s Gambit (PS4) – Aug. 14
• World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (PC)

Week IV: August 20- End of Month

• Shenmue I & II (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – Aug. 21
• Strange Brigade (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – Aug. 28th
• NBA 2k19: The Prelude (PS4, Xbox One) – Aug. 31

With several games releasing throughout the month, here are the five we are most looking forward to:

Dead Cells

• Though Dead Cells has been in Steam’s Early Access for over a year, the “rogue-lite”, Metroidvania platformer didn’t truly capture our attention until its gorgeous launch trailer for PS4 earlier this month. Dead Cells lets players explore a colorful, 2D castle that keeps changing, and forces you to master a souls (lite) style of gameplay in order to avoid permanent death.

We Happy Few

• Ever since We Happy Few was announced back in 2015, it’s been top of our to-play list. This is Compulsion Games’ second title- its first being the noir-style shadowy game Contrast, which was one of the first games to launch in this console generation. While Contrast was a great game that largely flew under the radar, it looks like Compulsion is finally getting hype around its name with We Happy Few. In a tripped-out dystopian England, the citizens of Wellington Wells are popping pills called Joy to keep them happy, and they don’t take kindly to people who refuse to be in a perpetually drug-induced state. Play as three characters that dare to be different, even if it will cost them their lives.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season- Episode 1

• The Final Season marks the beginning of the end for one of gaming’s favorite heroines, Clementine. Whether that means she will finally find peace in this apocalyptic world, or whether she will die trying to get it, only time will tell. What Telltale has let players know for certain, though, is this last season will be as gripping as it is emotional, as we fight the undead, build relationships, and define how Clem’s story ends.

Shenmue I & II

This bundle contains ports of Shenmue I & II, which released on Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Though they’re not remakes in the traditional sense, the bundle does include several modern features such as adjustable screen resolutions and an upgraded user interface. It will be great to experience this game for the first time, in all of its (sort of) original glory.

Strange Brigade 

This co-op third person shooter seems to have just the right mix everything- mythology, action, and adventure- to make it something that’s simply pure fun to round off the end of the month. There are four main explorers players can choose from, all of whom have their own special weapons for fighting off mummies and deadly fantastical creatures that were unleashed by an ancient Egyptian ruler.

*This post has been updated to include H1Z1: Battle Royale*