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Here are the best video game releases for August 2020

Jon Silman
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August is upon us, and that means more video game releases. Even though we’re inching closer to the release of next-generation consoles, interesting and fun games continue to churn out for existing systems. This month sees a mix of marquee sports titles, remakes of classic older games, and new titles.

Some of the standouts include a new Madden game, a re-imagining of the notoriously difficult NES title Battletoads, a massive multiplayer game called Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, and a PC port of a former PlayStation exclusive — Horizon Zero Dawn.

Here’s a closer look at some upcoming titles.

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Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Fall Guys is a chaotic multiplayer game where 100 players have to win challenges and overcome obstacles to be the last one standing and earn a crown. It’s getting a lot of buzz as one of the summer’s must-play games, and it’s an innovative take on the current battle royale trend that’s so popular right now.

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The game has an accessible cartoon style, and the beta is already exceedingly popular on Twitch. The game was developed by Devolver Digital, the company behind Carrion and Enter the Gungeon.

The game released on August 4 and is free from the PlayStation Store for PS Plus members through August 31. It will also be available on PC through the Steam store.

Horizon Zero Dawn PC port

Widely considered one of the best PlayStation exclusives ever, Horizon Zero Dawn is finally getting a PC port. The game is set in the future and follows Aloy, a woman in search of her origin in a land blighted by technology and covered with mechanical dinosaur-like creatures.

She’s armed with a bow and arrow and a staff that can control some of the creatures. The game’s story is rich in detail and depth, and the voice acting is superb. The PC version of the game includes The Frozen Wilds DLC and a digital artbook. It came out on August 7.

Hyper Scape

Hyper Scape is Ubisoft’s answer to Fortnite and other battle royale games. It’s a futuristic shooter set in a cityscape, and it has Twitch functionality, allowing people who watch streams to vote on what’s going to happen in the game.

The game is fast-paced, high-flying, and features a number of different modes as well as some interesting gameplay options, like three-on-three battles and a fun take on the classic capture the flag mode.

The game held a beta and was officially released on August 11 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is the latest iteration of the storied pilot franchise that goes all the way back to 1982. The game uses topographical data and textures from Bing Maps, and some of the terrain, grass, trees, buildings, and other details are brought to life by Microsoft Azure technology. The game features more than 20 real-life aircraft and over 30 airports. It’s available on PC for Windows 10 and was released on August 18.

Battletoads

The original Battletoads game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. It followed the adventures of three anthropomorphic toads and was released in the heyday of the super-popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles empire.

The game was praised for its graphics at the time, but it was ridiculously hard. The new game features a cartoon style and allows for one to three players to play together. It reportedly retains a high level of difficulty.

Battletoads came out on August 20 on Xbox One and Windows.

PGA Tour 2K21

Golfing fans need wait no longer for the latest version of the popular golfing franchise from 2K games. The game features a career mode, 10 pros, officially licensed equipment and apparel, and more than 14 courses and tournaments. It also has a very involved course creation tool with faithful fan-made re-creations of courses that aren’t officially licensed in the game. The game came out on August 21 for PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch, and Stadia.

Madden NFL 21

The Madden franchise is the premier NFL video game and has been for decades. This year’s iteration of the game will have Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on the cover.

There are quite a few new features this time around, one of which is the updated Face of the Franchise mode, where players can chase a whole NFL career in a documentary style. The game also has live playbooks that are regularly updated by team, as well as a Madden Ultimate Team mode to help create a formidable fantasy roster.

The game came out on August 25 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition

Originally released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2004, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was a departure spin-off series for the game that featured a unique art style and story. The remastered edition has new graphics, music, dungeons, multiplayer, and voice acting. A.I. behavior has been tweaked as well. The game has been reviewed positively by many publications and is released on August 27 for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Tell Me Why

Chapter one of Tell Me Why features the story of two twins, Tyler and Alyson, as they use a special bond to help figure out the mysteries of small-town Alaska. It’s the latest game from DONTNOD Entertainment, the studio behind the mega narrative hit Life is Strange, and its sequel. The game comes out on August 27 for PC and Xbox.

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