The Biggest August 2023 Video Game Releases

So the last time we got to venture into the Baldur's Gate series, which is placed in the "Forgotten Realms" of the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, gamers got to do so via the shoddy and wholly disappointing Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance. After being released in its "Early Access" phase back in 2020, the fully realized version of Baldur's Gate III is finally slated to launch this year. Larian Studios (the talented studio behind the Divinity: Original Sin games) have crafted a super immersive and story-rich RPG here that lets you create your character from a pool of 12 classes and 11 races. You can tackle this game through solo play or four-player online co-op as you get embroiled in extraordinary battles and make major decisions that impact your relationships & the game's outcome. Be prepared for a game full of limitless possibilities when it comes to all of its endings!

We have to salute publisher Focus Entertainment for putting out tons of original IPs that feel like we're back in the days of THQ dropping solid AA-quality releases. Developer Deck13 Interactive (most known for producing The Surge "Soulsbourne" games) is sticking with the publisher's trend thanks to their latest project. Atlas Fallen is a third-person action RPG set within a world ravaged by a vengeful god, leading players to explore a desert region covered in sand. After finding a mysterious shape-shifting gauntlet, you'll rise to the challenge during a quest that puts you at odds with that domineering god and its army of mammoth monsters. Slick sand surfing, air boosting, and epic battles with towering beasts have been showcased in exciting footage for Atlas Fallen - we can't wait to see if everything we've seen is just as fun to play as it is to watch.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

There's nothing we love more than a gaming shadow drop! Bethesda Softworks and id Software came out of the clear blue to surprise everyone with a feature-rich remaster of a classic PC first-person shooter. Quake II is now back in finer form on last- and current-gen consoles via its memorable base campaign, additional mission packs ("The Reckoning" and "Ground Zero"), an all-new expansion ("Call of the Machine"), local/online multiplayer co-op, crossplay, and motion aiming. And then there's more! Getting your hands on this Quake II remaster means you'll also be gifted with Quake 64 free of charge. It's time to go to war with the "Strogg" all over again, folks!

The most distinctive game on this list of the biggest August 2023 video game releases is no doubt this eccentric...playable musical? Yeah, we're just as shocked to hear about this game's concept as you all are. Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical taps into the world of Greek mythology with a cast of characters that includes godly figures such as Athena, Apollo, Persephone, and Aphrodite. Players take on the role of a college dropout named Grace, who must prove her innocence to that legendary pantheon after finding herself accused of committing a murder. Prepare yourself for a game full of catchy musical numbers, gorgeous 2D animated visuals, and standout moments of major decision-making. Make friends, deal with your enemies, and sing your heart out, folks!

A new year means another batch of annual installments in the simulation sports catalog for numerous organizations. One of those famous athletic institutions is the National Football League, which has famously worked with Electronic Arts Sports to produce the most recognizable football games on the planet. This year's iteration of Madden NFL comes with an incredibly lifelike graphical presentation, a huge suite of modes, and updated rosters that fans have become accustomed to from past series installments. On the topic of brand-new features, Madden NFL 24 will hit the field with more intelligent plays & on-field behaviors from the AI, more tackling control & a larger variety of tackle types, an updated version of Madden NFL 23's "FieldSENSE," and more.

The first Moving Out (which is Overcooked, but with a gameplay hook centered on moving various objects to a moving truck while dealing with an over-the-top physics engine) ended up being one of the best local co-op experiences in recent memory. For Moving Out 2, development studios SMG Studio and Devm Games are spreading out the co-op hijinks by including four-player online play! As a member of "F.A.R.T." (Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician), it's up to you and your three moving buddies to return to "Packmore" to transport as many goods as carefully as possible during chaotic play sessions. Moving random goods across different dimensions looks and sounds like it'll be a fun time!

If you've been in the mood to play something fresh and new that provides a more action-packed dosage of conventional MMO gameplay, Wayfinder will definitely appeal to you on this list of the biggest August 2023 video game releases. It comes from the developers at Airship Syndicate, who happens to know a thing or two about highly stylized action games and RPGs (they made Battle Chasers: Nightwar and Darksiders Genesis, after all!). This three-player co-op experience focuses on a group of crusaders known as "Wayfinders," who set out to save their world from an invading hostile force known as the "Gloom." Prepare yourself for grand battles, meaningful loot collecting, and momentous adventures across the vast "World of Evenor."

Sega fans have made every attempt to convince the Japanese publisher/developer that the world needs a brand-new Jet Set Radio - the combination of striking cel-shaded graphics, slick rollerblading, and graffiti-tagging were great on the Sega Dreamcast and original Xbox, which is why those some fans are desperate for a third batch of all that goodness. Unfortunately, Sega hasn't answered that grand wish yet. Thankfully, developer Team Reptile (makers of the Lethal League series) has stepped up to deliver a spiritual successor that looks just as good (and even a bit better!) than its predecessor. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (god, we love that name!) gives you a three-person crew to go wild with via skateboarding, inline skating, and BMX movement that results in a whole lot of cool tricks being pulled off. On top of all that, you'll get involved in graffiti tagging across five boroughs as you face off with rival crews during "Crew Battles" and the militarized police force.

Find out more about this game right here.

The flood of asymmetrical multiplayer horror games continues! Thanks to the likes of Friday the 13th: The Game, Dead by Daylight, and Evil Dead: The Game, fans of throwback horror films have been given plenty to enjoy. Now another blockbuster horror franchise is getting the very same treatment via this new game developed by Sumo Digital. So The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a PvP experience that pits two teams against each other - survivors and killers. This setup results in a unique 4v3 arrangement where four survivors must seek out a missing person while the three killers make an attempt to impede their progress through incredibly violent means. The iconic Leatherface will be among those playable killers, of course!

No one can hear you scream in space, huh? You can test that terrifying theory in this upcoming third-person thriller that follows a man named Jack, who finds himself trying to figure out what led to the disappearance of a remote mining base crew. You'll constantly be on edge as you creep through an abandoned locale contained on Mars and interact with audio logs & surveillance footage to get more backstory on your current predicament. Fort Solis' chapter-based structure is pretty cool as it lets players tackle it in a single session as if they're binge-watching a series or choose to approach each chapter separately in an episodic manner.

This next game on our list of the biggest August 2023 video game releases has some pretty noteworthy talent behind it. Ascendant Studios, the development team behind this magical first-person shooter, houses team members that have previously been associated with Sledgehammer Games (Call of Duty) and Telltale Games (The Walking Dead). They have all been working hard to finish their first major project, which will be released under Electronic Arts' EA Originals label (A Way Out and It Takes Two). Immortals of Aveum puts you in the role of a sorcerer named Jak, who links up with a group of like-minded battlemages in an attempt to save their world from meeting its unfortunate end. This single-player FPS features flashy magic battles that truly pop off the screen and easily wow onlookers watching you hop into battle.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

An RPG is coming out with a whole bunch of throwback wrestlers in it? Yep! And we're just as shocked to learn about it as you all right now. Development studio Mega Cat Studios are the main operation behind this crazy mashup of turn-based combat and wild in-ring antics. You'll find yourself embarking on a grand journey from up & coming rookie to Hall of Famer as you get caught up in all the glitz and glamor of professional wrestling. Your custom superstar can be outfitted with all types of moves and taunts, plus you'll be able to attach their chosen combat style and entrance to boot. And the best part? Your party will consist of legends such as "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Diamond Dallas Page, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and so much more.

The first time gamers got introduced to "The Penitent One," they were thrust into a brutal world full of nightmarish beings to vanquish. Blasphemous marked the debut of that powerful hero and the quality "Metroidvania" gameplay fans have become so enamored with over the years. Now The Pentient One is back for a second go-round of grotesque monsters to destroy in Blasphemous II. This new and improved sequel promises fans of the first game an even bigger non-linear world to explore, more ways to customize your warrior's expanded skillset, new weapons, more devastating combos, and a new batch of intense boss encounters.

Back on the PS4, the first iteration of the PS VR peripheral was awash in intriguing experiences. Everyone got to stretch their military first-person shooter itch in VR thanks to the release of Firewall: Zero Hour, which allowed for tactical close-quarters shootouts against the AI and online contractors. NOW IT'S SEQUEL TIME! The PS5's PS VR2 is set to get Firewall Ultra, which will embrace even more explosive firefights with short-, medium-, and long-range weaponry for tactical 4v4 PvP matchups and expanded PVE matches that incorporates four players co-op.

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that the latest Armored Core game from FromSoftware is THE biggest release on this list of August 2023 video game releases. Fresh off of putting out its most revered game to date in Elden Ring, the masters of the "Soulsbourne" sub-genre are breathing new life into its series of mech-based action mayhem. Armored Core VI: Fire of Rubicon sets you up as an independent contractor codenamed "Raven," who takes on jobs in a bid to retrieve a substantial energy source from the planet "Rubicon 3." Of course, this mission puts you at odds with other groups that want to get their hands on that same resource. You can expect to engage in hyperfast and hard-hitting mech skirmishes with regular enemy fodder and the type of massive bosses FromSoftware games are famous for. Heavy mech customization also lies at the heart of this mech-filled action/adventure experience.

Find out more about this game right here.

THIS GAME IS FINALLY DROPPING! After seeing tons of footage from it during assorted PlayStation Showcase events, Goodbye Volcano High is ready to drop all of its emotional weight on gamers everywhere. This narrative-focused adventure game focuses on a group of anthropomorphic dinosaurs that happen to jam together in a band called "VVorm Drama." You'll accompany them all as you play out the final year of their stay in "Volcano High" as they worry about their lives post-graduation and the impending danger of an incoming asteroid that will lead to their extinction. Damn...that's some heavy stuff, right? Thankfully, there are going to be light-hearted gameplay segments in the form of rhythm-based minigames to enjoy too!

Out of all the dormant Sega IPs we wished would make a comeback, we never expected the rhythm game all about maracas from the Sega Dreamcast to get ripped back out of the vault! Samba de Amigo: Party Central will come to the Switch and make good use of its Joy-Con controllers for some active maraca-shaking motion-based fun. The main pull of this game is its lively songlist consisting of prominent Latin music and fun onscreen prompts that make you and your guests move like you're dominating the dancefloor. The eight-player online "World Party" mode, which adds 12 more AI participants and has everyone competing to get the highest score across three curated songs, sounds and looks like it'll be the most fun here!

Whenever we watch footage of this game, our minds immediately revert back to the good old days of classic 16-bit JRPGs that graced the SNES. And that's clearly what development studio Sabotage Studio was going for when it started working on this game! Sea of Stars, which is actually a prequel to The Messenger, follows the grand adventures of Valere (who wields the power of the moon) and Zale (who holds the power of the sun) as they come into conflict with a powerful alchemist. This ode to the greatest JRPGs of all time features turn-based combat that gives you up to six characters to command, plenty of puzzles, and (hopefully!) a riveting tale that's equally memorable as Sea of Stars' retro inspirations.

Publisher Dotemu and developer Tribute Games took all those 80 and 90s babies back to the era of classic arcade beat 'em ups with the incredible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Another quality beat 'em up in Streets of Rage 4 got itself a substantial update with new playable characters and an infinitely replayable Survival Mode. Now that same treatment is coming to Shredder's Revenge via the DLC expansion Dimension Shellshock. This game's version of a Survival Mode will take players on an ever-evolving trek through varied dimensions full of enemies to assault and fling into the screen. Joining the fray this time around are the samurai rabbit warrior Miyamoto Usagi and the "Foot Clan's" sole female member Karai. Now's the best time to come back to this game and kick some shell!

The thing that's so great about the Trine games is their focus on 2D platforming, side-scrolling combat, and physics-based puzzles that provide quite a memorable challenge. Now we're up to the fifth series installment, which will retain those three pleasant gameplay elements while throwing some new playable heroes into the fray. The three characters at your disposal have their own weapon focus (one uses a sword & shield, another one relies on their crossbow, and the last one embraces magic via their wand), which comes in handy during battles and platforming sections. You'll feel like you're playing through a fantastical storybook during your time spent with Trine 5 (which has local/online co-op should you want to bring up to three more friends with you!).