Top Video Game Releases of August 2021

In the entertainment industry, new announcements about video games come out on at least a monthly basis. These releases are available on console systems such as the Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, or Playstation 5. Some are also on PC or mobile devices. Sometimes, gamers can purchase a brand new product to enjoy that they have never heard of before, or they can buy a remastered game that may be available on a specific platform for the first time.

August 2021 brings with it some of the most waited-for releases. Some of the most exciting titles include Psychonauts 2, Hades, and Kena: Bride of Spirits, but many other options, just as relevant, are coming out that many gamers are excited about.

1 - SkateBIRD

Developer: Glass Bottom Games
Release Date: August 12
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

SkateBIRD follows the story of a tiny bird who tries to bring Big Friend back to the sport of skateboarding. As the main character, the goal is to make new friends by skating a determined amount or mastering tricks on your board. This feature is essential as you begin the story as lonely. When you meet a new friend, you have the opportunity to discover new parks besides your own and work toward helping Big Friend enjoy life again. Some of the tricks you can master on the cardboard ramps and bendy straws include kickflips and grinds to help advance your level.

2 - Hades

Developer: Supergiant Games
Release Date: August 13
Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X|S

The indie dungeon crawler was a smash hit from the start and can easily be compared to Curse of the Dead Gods. Hades came out for the Nintendo Switch and PC play in fall 2020, but this release is for Microsoft and Sony consoles. Play as Zagreus, son of Hades. The goal is to climb through the dungeon to leave the Underworld to gain access to Mount Olympus. To get through the obstacles, Olympians will assist you by giving you the power buffs that help. To attack, utilize the dodging mechanisms, the dash, and your weapon to maintain health for the next level. If you die at any stage, you return to the Underworld.

3 - Humankind

Developer: Amplitude Studios
Release Date: August 17
Platforms: PC, Google Stadia

Humankind is a strategy game in which you are the leader of your people group through six varying eras in history. You are ultimately in charge of if your group grows and where you will develop cities and towns. You must choose the correct civilization at each era that will bring the perfect bonuses for you. Make your choice, also, based on the interactions your group of people will have with any random civilizations you may encounter. To have the best upgrades and production rates, be sure to collect any resource you can, including food and gold, for example, to increase your stat points.

4 - Twelve Minutes

Developer: Luis Antonio
Release Date: August 19
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Twelve Minutes is a new release with an impressive list of voice actors, including William Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, and James McAvoy, to name a few. The game is an adventure thriller with a dark and rich plot that will leave you captivated. The story begins with a couple in the middle of a romantic dinner when suddenly, there is a house invasion. You instantly learn that you play as the husband after the intruder kills you. You do not go to the afterlife, as you go back to the beginning of the home invasion, which is 12 minutes long. Your goal, therefore, is to gather the clues via a point-and-click style so that you can leave the time loop and determine what happened.

5 - Madden NFL 22

Developer: EA Tiburon
Release Date: August 20
Platforms: PC, Google Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4, Playstation 5

Madden NFL 22 is the newest release of the franchise with immense fame. The cover players for his year include Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, and you can play as them in the game if you choose the Kansas City Chiefs or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A new feature is present called franchise mode, in which you can hire four coaches for your team, including the offensive and defensive coordinators, the head coach, and the player personnel. Each staff member has a skill tree that you can upgrade. Purchase the MVP or Dynasty edition of Madden 22 to get extra bonuses for franchise mode or regular gameplay.

6 - Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Release Date: August 20
Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5

Ghost of Tsushima had tremendous success when first released in the summer of 2020 for Sony consoles. The Director's Cut follows the same adventure sequence-based in an open world that you can explore via Jin Sakai, the main character. Your objective is to protect your people from the Mongols. The story does follow the invasion of this group that occurred in Japan in the thirteenth century. To fight, you will use a katana or a variety of bows and arrows. The difference in the Director's cut is that you have access to Iki Island with brand new quests to complete and characters to meet along the way.

7 - Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Developer: Cold Iron Studios
Release Date: August 24
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4, Playstation 5

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a third-person shooter that feels very much like a vintage arcade game. The video game plays only in co-op mode with a team of three people, and the story comes from the "Alien" franchise movies. If you do not have two other people to play with, your team fills with two bot characters. This release has four campaigns to play through, each with three missions in which you have to defeat the Xenomorph hordes. You can play each of these quests on three different difficulty levels and with any of the five character classes, including gunners, technicians, and recons, to name a few.

8 - Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Developer: Ember Lab
Release Date: August 24
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game that allows you to explore the world around you and engage in exciting combat. Your character in Kena is on the hunt for a mountain shrine that is within an abandoned village. She finds out she is a spirit guide and, throughout the community, encounters varying spirits called Rot. You can craft a team from these side characters to enhance your abilities, make changes to your world, or discover clues to restore the abandoned village. Along the way, you will encounter many evil spirits that you must fight to release from their traps.

9 - Psychonauts 2

Developer: Double Fine
Release Date: August 25
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4

Psychonauts 2 is an action platformer with a lot of humor and a rich plot. You play Razputin Aquato, who wants to join the espionage team that is the Psychonauts. The character already has powers, including psychic abilities, and is an acrobat, which will help you clear obstacles and get through the missions you encounter. When encountering the Psychonauts, Aquato will learn that the leader is gone and a mole is in the organization. You must stop the evil before it is too late, and Maligula rises from the dead to overtake the spy organization that you want to join.

10 - New World

Developer: Amazon Games
Release Date: August 31 DELAYED to September 28, 2021
Platforms: PC

New World is an MMO or mass multiplayer online video game for PC only. The map is open world on the island of Aeternum, meaning there are endless opportunities to explore the ruins and fight any evil you encounter. The character you play as is an adventurer whose ship has wrecked within the boundaries of this island. The combat you run into is real-time since the game is an MMO, and you can engage in player-versus-player battles to help increase your level. While meeting other users, you can, together, develop a team to help conquer missions and defeat the others who are after you.