As summer rolls on, this month’s gaming releases will see players head to the classroom, form their own malevolent cult, forge their future on the gridiron, battle to save their city, return to the story of the Saints and become a tiny explorer of an altered Earth.
Two Point Campus
School is back in session with the latest in the Two Point series. In Two Pont Campus, players will be able to build their own universities. With every detail from the layout of the building to the classes on offer to student facilities, the possibilities are endless in designing your dream campus. Once built, players will then be able to manage student life, nurturing each class through the tumultuous years that higher education can bring, with each student being able to succeed (or fail) based on the choices the player makes.
Players who pre-order via select retailers will receive an exclusive Cheeseball frisbee. The Enrolment Edition includes a copy of the game, a campus poster map, 14-page campus Prospectus featuring details of the in-game classes and facilities and a Two Point Bonus DLC pack featuring exclusive in-game items for both Two Point Campus and Two Point Hospital.
Two Point Campus will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from August 9*
Cult of the Lamb
Shepard your flock in this rogue-like adventure. After being saved from death by an ominous stranger, players are sent into the world of Cult of the Lamb to form their own cult, build a prosperous commune in which to live before going forth to, of course, destroy all non-believers who stand in your way. As the lamb, players will have to fight hordes of enemies in a land of false prophets and rival cult leaders. With a randomly generated map with branching paths, players will have to be ready for anything as they set off on this epic quest.
Those who pre-order on console will receive a Cthulhu follower skin at launch. The Cultist Edition, which is only available on Steam, includes a copy of the game and the Cultist Pack. This exclusive pack contains a seven-piece decoration set for the commune and five exclusive bonus follower forms.
Cult of the Lamb will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from August 11*
Madden NFL 23
Call your shot with this year’s Madden NFL release. Taking inspiration from the style of John Madden like never before, players will be right in the middle of the action, thanks to new mechanics, graphics and audio to create a truly immersive experience. Those on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S will be able to take this to a whole new level with the FieldSENSE feature, which will bring player-focused cameras, more gameplay depth and position-specific mechanics. For those looking to continue their own journey, The League will continue the Face of the Franchise story for a fifth year with players looking for a new start to refresh their careers.
Players who pre-order any edition will receive the choice of two Elite players (1 Offensive & 1 Defensive), All Madden gear and a Madden Strategy item. The All Madden Edition includes a copy of the game with three days Early Access, 4,600 Madden points, Dual Entitlement (in the same console family) and access to exclusive Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team challenges from August 16-18 along with the pre-order bonuses.
Madden NFL 23 will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC from August 20*
Midnight Fight Express
Take to the streets and fight for what is right in this indie brawler. In Midnight Fight Express, players take on the role of Babyface, a former soldier of the criminal underworld being dragged back into the world they had left behind. With the threat of a citywide takeover by a criminal gang, Babyface has just one night to try and stop it from happening. Fighting their way through the seedy underbelly of the city, players will have to work their way up the criminal food chain to topple the bosses once and for all.
Using an arsenal of weapons and a dizzying array of combat moves, players will be able to decide how best to deal with each criminal threat that arises on their way through the story. As they progress, more and more options will be available thanks to a sprawling skill tree covering everything from weapons mastery to health, stamina and adaptability to create a signature style for Babyface.
Midnight Fight Express will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC from August 23*
Saints Row
The Saints return in this brand-new story. In the American SouthWest lies Santa Ileso, a vibrant city full of culture, music and a whole lot of gang warfare. With each group battling over turf, the player is charged with leading the Saints to be the one group who topples them all in order to assume control of the city once and for all. Using any means necessary, players will have to go block by block to take out their rivals, either on their own or with a friend thanks to fully untethered drop-in/drop-out co-op play.
Players who pre-order any edition will receive the Idols Anarchy pack. The digital-only Gold Edition includes the base game, Idols Anarchy pack, Saints Criminal Customs, Los Panteros American Muscle bundle and the Expansion Pass. The digital-only Platinum Edition includes all the content of the Gold Edition along with a copy of Saints Row: The Third – Remastered. The Criminal Customs Edition includes the base game, Idols Anarchy pack and Saints Criminal Customs. The Notorious Edition includes a copy of the game, Idols Anarchy pack, Saints Criminal Customs, Los Panteros American Muscle bundle, Expansion Pass, Steelbook case, double-sided poster, mini Artbook, a set of Santo Ileso postcards and character art cards.
Saints Row will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC from August 23*
Tinykin
Unravel Earth’s biggest mystery in this action adventure. In Tinykin, players are Milo, a young man who has recently arrived on Earth. However, all is not well with Milo as he soon realises that he is alone on Earth, not a day has passed since 1991 and he’s far too small for the planet. Making his way through the world on his trusty soapboard, players will help Milo find out what has happened to Earth and how the mysterious tinykin creatures fit into this strange story.
With dozens of different coloured tinykin in each city, players will have to collect these tiny creatures and harness their special abilities in order to climb higher obstacles and gather the strength to break down doors as they travel through each city. Along the way, players will be able to piece together the history of the Earth and build the Ardwin Museum to help with discoveries and upgrades.
Tinykin will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from August 30*
Free to Play
On Xbox, those with either a Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription will have four games available to download and keep for free this month. On Xbox One/Series X/Series S, Calico will be available from August 1-31*, with ScourgeBringer available from August 16* – September 15*. The two Classic games – which will be available on Xbox consoles via Backwards Compatibility – are Saints Row 2 (available from August 1-15*) and Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine (available August 16-31*)
Over on PlayStation, those with an active Plus subscription of any tier will have three titles available to download and keep for free. From August 2*, Little Nightmares will be available on PS4, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle will be available on PS4 & PS5 and to mark the arrival of the Yakuza franchise to the game library available via the Extra & Premium tiers, Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be available on PS4 & PS5.
Players with connected Amazon Prime and Twitch accounts will be able to claim six new free games this month via Prime Gaming. From August 1*, the following games will be available to download and keep on PC:
- StarCraft: Remastered
- Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
- Beasts of Maravilla Island
- Recompile
- ScourgeBringer
- Family Mysteries: Poisonous Promises
Details on how to claim these games, along with content drops for Fall Guys, Dead by Daylight, Apex Legends and Elder Scrolls Online can be found on the Prime Gaming website.
Also Released This Month
August 2* – The Mortuary Assistant (PC), Frogun (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
August 3* – South of the Circle (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
August 4* – Turbo Golf Racing (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC), Camp Canyonwood (PC – Steam Early Access), PlateUp (PC), Hard West 2 (PC), Thunderbolt Collection (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch)
August 5* – Retreat to Enen (PC)
August 9* – Thymesia (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Farthest Frontier (PC – Steam Early Access)
August 10* – Lost In Play (Switch, PC), Pulling No Punches (PC)
August 11* – Rumbleverse (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC), Arcade Paradise (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC)
August 12* – Marvel’s Spider-Man (PC)
August 15* – Fashion Police Squad (PC)
August 16* – Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince (Switch, PC), Rollerdrome (PS4, PS5, PC), Way of the Hunter (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
August 17* – Robo Revenge Squad (Xbox One, Switch)
August 18* – Cursed to Golf (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (Switch), Thymesia Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
August 25* – F1 Manager 2022 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Ps4, PS5, PC), SD Gundam Battle Alliance (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (PS4, PS5, PC)
August 26* – Pac-Man World Re-Pac (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Soul Hackers 2 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC)
August 30* – Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Immortality (Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, PC), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), ORX (PC), Zor: Pilgrimage of the Slorfs (PC – Steam Early Access)
August 31* – Dusk Diver 2(PS4, PS5, Switch), Scathe (PC)
*Dates refer to UK releases only. International dates may vary and are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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