The Month in Games — August 2020
Among the gaming delights on offer in August are the chances to put yourself in an iconic action franchise, take the lead in an immortal war, explore a new Colorado, discover the hidden past of an Alaskan family, or take your first steps into the Octagon or onto an NFL field.
Fast & Furious: Crossroads
The world of fast cars awaits in this action-adventure. In Fast & Furious Crossroads, players will join the crew from the iconic film franchise for a ride like no other. From the Moroccan desert to the ruins of Greece and the streets of the Big Easy, New Orleans, players will work with their crew and amass an arsenal of vehicles, technology and weapons to fight the good fight — whether that be taking down members of the Tadakhul cartel or stopping the charming businessman Emill Elias Ormstrid from enacting his ruthless plans.
With cast members Vin Diesel (Dom Toretto), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz) and Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pierce) reprising their roles for this original story, Fast & Furious Crossroads is a must for fans of this action-packed and explosive franchise.
Fast & Furious: Crossroads will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC from August 7*
UFC 4
Get set for another round in the Octagon with this year’s UFC release. Starting from the shadows of obscurity, players will have to craft and mould their fighter into the very best in the world in order to progress through the new Career Mode, with a whole new fighting system to provide the most realistic combat gameplay to date. Players looking for new challenges in the Octagon can take part in the Blitz Battle mode online against other players as they refine their styles with each round of combat.
Players who pre-order will unlock two exclusive fighters — boxing heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua — along with two new environments, Backyard and Kumite, and a host of cosmetic items to customise their fighters. Those who purchase UFC 4 via GAME will also receive a one-month UFC FightPass, granting access to all live prelim, early prelim and main card events.
UFC 4 will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from August 14*
Tell Me Why
Explore memories of the past with this episodic tale. In Tell Me Why, players step into the lives of Tyler and Alison Ronan, twins who are reunited to uncover a mystery from their past following the death of their mother. Returning home to the fictional town of Delos Crossing, Alaska, the twins will have to rely on the bond they once shared to try and piece together what happened — a bond whose strength will be determined by the actions of the player.
As the first chapter of a three-part story, Tell Me Why will keep players engaged in the story through the coming months, with the next two chapters of the tale scheduled to be released in September 2020.
Tell Me Why will be available on Xbox One and PC from August 27*
Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars
Seize power for your clan in this turn-based strategy. Set in the nation of Nermire, Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars sees players choose their clan — Dracul, Nosfernus or Moroia — each with their own ambitions and aspirations. As players discover more about their clans and the land around them, each move will count as they battle to become the absolute power in the world and rule over all of vampire kind. Players will have to build their forces, utilise their planning skills, unique attributes, and command with confidence if they are to stand a chance at true immortality.
Players who pre-order the game on PC will gain access to the exclusive beta and will receive an additional DLC pack, Fangs & Bones, featuring the Skelton King and Winter Wolf Lords along with a copy of the game’s soundtrack.
Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch from August 28*
Wasteland 3
Rediscover Colorado in this post-apocalyptic adventure. In Wasteland 3, players take on the role of a ranger who is the last remaining member of Team November. Now living in the freezing wasteland, players must gather supplies and navigate the new landscape. Either playing alone or with a friend, players will have to make tough decisions along their path of survival. Among those decisions is which of the new factions battling for control of the state to side with — or not — as these choices will have lasting effects on what players will be able to do moving forward through the story.
Players who pre-order the game will receive the Colorado Survival Gear Pack. This pack contains ten starting weapons with Snow Camo skins, a Ranger badge, Ranger General hat, and Ranger glasses. PlayStation 4 pre-orders will also include an exclusive Wastelands PS4 Dynamic Theme.
Wasteland 3 will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC from August 28*
Madden NFL 21
Lace-up your boots and take to the field in this year’s Madden NFL release. With a full roster of teams and players from the NFL, players will be able to put together their dream squads and use the new Skill Stick feature to finely tune their line ups to become the top of the ranking in the highly competitive Madden Ultimate Team. Those looking for an in-depth story will be able to enjoy the documentary gameplay of this year’s Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame story mode, following a player’s journey as they strive to cement their legacy by earning a coveted spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Players who pre-order the standard edition of Madden NFL 21 will receive five Madden Ultimate Team Gold Packs, one Your Choice uniform pack and one player from the NFL Team Elite Packs. The Deluxe Edition will include the uniform pack and NFL Team Elite Pack pick along with 12 Madden Ultimate Team Gold packs and three days Early Access to the game. The MVP Edition will include three days Early Access, Lamar Jackson Elite item, Quicksell Training pack, 17 Madden Ultimate Team gold packs, a Madden Championship Series Ultimate Champion pack as well as the uniform and Team Elite pack.
Madden NFL 21 will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC from August 28*
Free to Play
Xbox Gold — and Game Pass Ultimate — subscribers will have four new titles to download and play for free this month. On Xbox One, Portal Knights will be available from August 1–31* with Override: Mech City Brawl available from August 16 — September 15*. On Xbox 360 — and Xbox One via Backwards Compatibility — MX Unleashed will be available from August 1–15* followed by Red Faction II from August 16–31*
Over on PlayStation Plus, joining the previously announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a free downloadable title for members will be Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout on August 4*. In addition, PlayStation has announced another free online multiplayer weekend running on August 8 & 98.
Players who combine a Twitch account to an active Amazon Prime subscription will be able to download five games for free via the Twitch Prime service. From August 1*, Shaq Fu 2, Warsaw, Treachery in Beatdown City, Chroma Squad and Blazing Chrome will be up for grabs. Full information on how to claim these titles and the full range of Twitch Prime perks and bonuses can be found on the Twitch Prime website.
Also Released This Month
August 4* — Skully (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC), Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PS4, PC), Hellbound (PC)
August 7* — Horizon Zero Dawn (PC), Inertial Drift (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch), Mr Driller Drilliand (Switch), Railway Empire Complete Collection (Xbox One, PS4, PC), New Super Lucky’s Tale (PS4),
August 13* — Teenage Blob (PC), A Total War Saga: Troy (PC)
August 14* — Beholder Collector’s Edition (Switch)
August 18* — Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC), Rogue Legacy 2 (PC — Steam Early Access), Pathfinder Kingmaker Deluxe Edition (Xbox One, PS4)
August 21* — PGA Tour 2K21 (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia), Willy Jetman: Astromonkey’s Revenge — Sweeper Edition (PS4), House Flipper (Xbox One, PS4), Pinstripe (Switch), Aokana: Four Rhythms Across The Blue (Switch)
August 25* — No Straight Roads (Xbox One, PS4, PC), Pixel Ripped 1989 (PSVR), New World (PC), Street Power Football (Xbox One, PS4, Switch), Descenders (PS4)
August 27* — Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition (PS4, Switch, Android, iOS), Elite Squad (Android, iOS), Road to Guangdong (PS4, PC, Switch), Gear Club Unlimited 2 Tracks Edition (Switch)
August 28* — Windbound (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, Stadia), Jump Force (Switch), Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions (PS4, PC, Switch), Project Cars 3 (Xbox One, PS4, PC), Serious Sam 4 (PC, Stadia), Ninja Legends VR (PSVR), Do Not Feed The Monkeys (PS4, Switch), The Sojourn (Xbox One, PS4), Dead Cells Prisoners Edition (PS4, Switch), Pode (Switch), Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (PS4, Switch), Nexomon Extinction (PS4, Switch), Distrust Collector’s Edition (Switch)
August 31* — No Straight Roads (Switch)
Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary, and all are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing. Words by Megan Roxburgh
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Originally published at https://www.indiependent.co.uk on August 1, 2020.
