The 15 best video games releasing in August 2023

August 2023 is packed with new games and it's only getting busier

Following a largely uneventful month, August is coming with a long list of new games. A long-awaited RPG is finally emerging from Early Access to get its full release, while football fans will enjoy the latest entry in the annual Madden NFL series. If professional wrestling and role-playing are both your thing, there's a game for you too. 

An iconic horror franchise will see a promising video game adaptation, and two upcoming indie games give off strong Pokémon and Commandos vibes, but with their own gameplay twists and very different themes and settings.

Quickly dubbed "Call of Duty with magic", a high-fantasy first-person shooter is also coming this month, just a few days before a new entry in a long-standing mecha combat series from Elden Ring's developers FromSoft.

That's a lot of new games to be excited about, so let's have a look at the best games releasing in August 2023.

Baldur's Gate 3

Larian Studios

• Release date: August 3, 2023
• Platforms: PC (PS5 release in September 2023)

The highly-anticipated sequel to Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is finally coming with a full release on PC this month after spending almost three years in early access. Based on D&D's rules, Baldur's Gate 3 promises unrivaled freedom to explore and interact with the game's world and its characters, and it won't be just plenty of romance options. As the game's release is imminent, you can already check out Bladur's Gate 3 unlock times.

Adore

• Release date: August 3, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Adore is a lovely creature collection game with roguelike elements coming from Brazillian developer Cadabra Games. In the Pokemon-like game, you play as an apprentice monster tamer who summons creatures to fight on your side. Combining the right creatures on your team creates synergies that unlock additional special abilities.

WrestleQuest

Skybound Games

• Release date: August 8, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

WrestleQuest is an RPG wrestling game that features quite a few legends of the ring, such as “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, who guide you on your journey through pixel art worlds based on their careers. The usual turn-based RPG combat is enhanced with iconic wrestling moves and gimmicks. Read more about the game in our WrestleQuest preview.

Atlas Fallen

• Release date: August 10, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Atlas Fallen takes place in a post-apocalyptic world turned into a desert, where you fight against a corrupted god. Its fast-paced flashy combat looks a lot like Final Fantasy 16 and Devil May Cry 5, with a Momentum gauge that unlocks powerful Essence abilities.

Moving Out 2

• Release date: August 15, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Moving Out 2 brings online multiplayer to its 2020 couch co-op moving sim predecessor, along with plenty of new levels, characters, and customization options. Local co-op is also here, so you will be able to complete moving assignments alone, together with friends in the same room, or with movers from around the world on any platform, as the new game also features full cross-play.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

• Release date: August 17, 2023
• Platforms:  PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew gives off strong Commandos vibes, but instead of controlling a fictional Allied commando unit during WWII, you have a crew of pirates with magical abilities. Tactics are crucial in this one, as each pirate has unique moves you need to use wisely, to sneak undetected and pull off your pirate heists.

Madden NFL 24

EA Sports

• Release date: August 18, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC

EA Sports' latest take on football's best league comes with improved FieldSENSE system and the brand-new SAPIEN technology for enhanced player models and realistic animations. Expect every player's move to feel smoother and more authentic than ever. AI tweaks across offense, defense, and blocking, as well as the introduction of full crossplay between current-gen platforms, are also among the stand-out features of Madden NFL 24, which will have Josh Allen on the cover.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Gun Interactive

• Release date: August 18, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a game based on the 1974 cult-classic movie of the same name and the horror franchise it spawned. The video game will let you take the role of the Sawyer family of cannibals or their victims, featuring asymmetric horror gameplay where the two "factions" have vastly different abilities. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one. 

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

• Release date: August 18, 2023
• Platforms: PC and Switch (PlayStation and Xbox release to follow)

Dubbed the spiritual successor of 2000's Jet Set Radio, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk has you play as a graffiti crew vying for control of the streets. You'll be painting graffiti, doing inline skating, skateboarding, and BMX-style tricks and trick combos, and facing off other crews, in a cel-shaded stylish game that is a lot like Hi-Fi Rush, at least visually.

Immortals of Aveum

• Release date: August 22, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

This first-person shooter with magic promises to be one of the bigger releases this month. In the game, you join a mysterious elite order of battlemages trying to save the world. Combat is all about chaining offensive and defensive spells, upgrading these, and using special talents. Check out our Immortals of Aveum hands-off preview for more. 

Fort Solis

• Release date: August 22, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PC

Fort Solis is a very cinematic adventure set on Mars in which your character must investigate an unusual alarm that came from a remote mining station. It's a thriller that is mostly about exploration, atmosphere, and a compelling sci-fi story presented with fascinating visual fidelity. We've got more on the game and how it differs from other sci-fi horror titles in our Fort Solis feature.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

• Release date: August 25, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

The first game in the series in more than a decade promises updated gameplay and spectacular mecha combat in huge fast-paced multidirectional battles. Your Armored Core will be customizable with parts that change your battle style and upgrade your attacks and the game versus mode multiplayer to battle against other players' mechs, but no co-op play. As with any FromSoftware game, expect a challenge.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central

• Release date: August 29, 2023
• Platforms: Switch

A sequel to an iconic arcade game from 1999, Samba de Amigo: Party Central is all about using motion controls to the rhythm of songs. Guided by visual prompts, you'll be shaking your Joy-con that represent maracas in the game.

Under the Waves

• Release date: August 29, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Under the Waves dives deep into human emotions as it has you play as professional diver Stan who is coming to terms with loss during a long exploration mission in the Noth Sea. The game deals with themes like grief and self-imposed isolation, as you piece together Stan's tragic past, diving deeper into the abyss that represents his consciousness and helping him move on and emerge on the surface again.

Sea of Stars

Sabotage Studio

• Release date: August 29, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Switch

An RPG inspired by retro games like Chrono Trigger, Illusion of Gaia, and Breath of Fire, Sea of Stars is an adorable turn-based RPG where combat focuses on exploiting foes' elemental weaknesses. You control a party of up to six characters, and the game features some puzzle-solving and sailing mechanics. A demo is available now across all platforms.