With our annual summer gaming drought coming to an end, August is expected to provide an array of impressive titles to get us all back into the swing of things. From Darksiders II to New Super Mario Bros 2, this month offers consumers a little bit of everything. Feel free to check out the detailed lineup below and the accompanying videos and links for more info on each game. This is The Best Games of 2012: August Releases!
Full Title: Deadlight
Developers: Tequila Works
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360
Release Date: Available Now
Set during the mid 1980’s, Deadlight follows the story of Randall Wayne as he navigates through the zombie infested streets of Seattle, Washington. Borrowing most of it’s artistic style from Shadow Complex and Limbo, this survival horror sidescroller promises a compelling storyline and a lengthy amount of puzzles to solve. Deadlight can currently be purchased off Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft points.
Full Title: Sound Shapes
Developers: Queasy Games & SCE Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: Playstation 3 & Playstation Vita
Release Date: August 7th (North America) August 15th (Europe)
Sound Shapes is a unique side-scrolling music platformer where your actions create music. Making use of the Vita’s touch screen technology, players are given the ability to make music and share their creations simultaneously across the community. In addition to having access to several custom creations, musicians such as Beck and Deadmau5 have also contributed tracks to the game as well. Sound Shapes will retail for $14.99 on PSN.
Full Title: Darksiders II
Developers: Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U & Cloud (OnLive)
Release Date: August 14th (North America) August 21st (Europe)
When it comes to identifying the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Death needs no introduction. Darksiders II places you in control of Death as you travel through an expansive world and face skilled enemies at every corner. Building upon the success of the previous title, this sequel offers an unrivaled looting and leveling up system along with an enriched story full of twists and turns. Many would classify this title as a perfect combination of hack and slack combat with a unique action RPG dynamic. If you’re a fan of the series, do yourself a favor and pick this up on day one.
DARKSIDERS II DEVELOPER DIARY: DEATH’S STORY
Full Title: Sleeping Dogs
Developers: United Front Games & Square Enix London
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, & PC
Release Date: August 14th (North America) August 17th (Europe)
Originally titled True Crime: Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs is poised to become a new franchise within the open world, action game genre. The main protagonist is Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer who goes undercover as a Triad gang member. This title delivers enticing martial arts combat, exhilarating driving sequences, and solid gunplay mechanics. If you’re a fan of Grand Theft Auto, then you might want to see what this game has to offer.
SLEEPING DOGS GAMEPLAY WALKTHROUGH VIDEO
SLEEPING DOGS SERIAL KILLER WALKTHROUGH VIDEO
Full Title: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Developers: Humble Hearts
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360
Release Date: August 15th
Known simply as an upcoming action RPG, Dust: An Elysian Tail has gained popularity due to the game being solely developed by game designer Dean Dodrill. This visually stunning title was added to this year’s Summer of Arcade and has already received high remarks by critics. Dust: An Elysian Tail will retail for 1200 Microsoft points when it hits Xbox Live Arcade on August 15th.
Full Title: New Super Mario Bros. 2
Developers: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo 3Ds & Nintendo eShop
Release Date: August 19th (North America) August 17th (Europe)
After the success of New Super Mario Bros., it was only a matter of time before Nintendo followed it up with a sequel. In New Super Mario Bros. 2, the player is given the task of collecting up to one million coins. All of the same side-scrolling elements that made the first title great will remain intact throughout so that fans will easily be drawn into the experience. Being that Nintendo have dubbed August as the Month Of Mario, diehard fans won’t need any further motivation to pickup this title as soon as it drops.
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 TRAILER AND INFO
Full Title: The Walking Dead: The Long Road Ahead
Developers: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, & PC
Release Date: Mid August
Telltale Games creative take on the popular Walking Dead series has successfully impressed both hardcore fans and critics alike. Never has a point and click game drawn so much praise for it’s ability to tell a story, introduce meaningful characters, and express the importance of making impactful decisions.The Long Road Ahead is expected to continue right where Starved For Help left off and expose more conflicts that Lee and the rest of the survivors will face.While there is no official release date yet, Telltale has promised that by mid August we will be playing episode 3.
THE WALKING DEAD- A NEW DAY REVIEW
THE WALKING DEAD-STARVED FOR HELP PREVIEW
Full Title: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Developers: High Moon Studios
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, & PC
Release Date: August 21st (North America) August 24th (Europe)
Ever since the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron back in 2010, High Moon Studios has enjoyed a great deal of success bringing quality games to the series. Fall of Cyberton is not only a direct sequel, but it’s also their most ambitious title yet. In addition to wrapping up a story that showcases the final battle between both factions, the team has gone a long way to improve the flaws from the first game and deliver a fun third-person shooter experience. Fans of the series would be doing themselves a disservice by not checking this game out.
TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON DEMO INFO
Full Title: Guild Wars 2
Developers: ArenaNet
Publisher: NCsoft
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 28th
In the world of MMORPGs, Guild Wars 2 is one of those titles that have long been sought after by a loyal and patient fanbase. ArenaNet has promised engaging storylines responsive to player actions, a dynamically evolving combat system, and game free from subscription fees to restrict playing. Needless to say if you love MMOs, this game should already be on your radar.
Full Title: Madden NFL 13
Developers: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
Platforms: Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, Wii, Wii U, & Xbox 360
Release Date: August 28th
Football fanatics know that every time August rolls around then another Madden release isn’t far behind. Madden NFL 13 will showcase improved presentation tweaks, updated rosters, new gameplay mechanics, and kinect integration of Xbox 360 users. Feel free to check out the E3 2012 raw gameplay footage above to get a feel for the action that awaits you should you decide to purchase the game at the end of the month.
