This year hasn’t really stopped from surprising us. To say that 2020 is the gift that keeps on taking would be an understatement. However, August did end the summer season on a fairly positive note.
Just like last month, we’ll take a brief look at some of the Steam releases of August 2020, video games that you might or might not have heard about and, coincidentally, titles that you can find on the IndieGala store. But before delving into some of the video game releases of the past month, let’s take a moment to remember some of the recent events and announcements.
Some of the BIG August 2020 announcements
While not as jam-packed with major announcements as the previous month, we still had plenty of big and small events that were noteworthy.
Let us start with one that is special to us for one very big reason that you will find out really soon.
Bethesda’s Quakecon 2020 | QuakeCon at Home
Bethesda celebrated their 25th yearly QuakeCon online via a global super stream, due to the pandemic. Some of the highlights of Quakecon are the freebies offered, including classic Quake games and other in-game goodies. All of that was possible thanks to the over $30,000 charity donations gathered.
We got to see some Dishonored Tabletop action, a new ESO Stonethorn gameplay trailer, got a bit more info about Deathloop. Of course Fallout was not forgotten, we got to witness some cosplay event a cooking show themed on that. Probably one of the highlights would be the the teaser for first campaign DLC for DOOM: Eternal called The Ancient Gods.
Moreover, on a Bethesda-related note, we would like to take this opportunity to announce that you may now find their catalog on the IndieGala store. Look forward to some awesome upcoming sales.
However, the most important announcement isn’t about us, it is in fact about Ghostwire Tokyo.
You will be able to pet the dog!
Gamescom 2020
Ah, gamescom, so many memories that feel just like yesterday. It used to be our yearly tradition to attend…then everything changed when the COVID nation attacked. Everything seemed lost. But, I haven’t lost hope. I still believed that somehow, the trade fair will return to save the world of gaming…and it did. Through the modern means of online streaming it reached everyone. Huzzah!
The list of trailers and announcements is way too long for me to include here, but I will go ahead and cherry-pick some of the highlights. We had Dragon Age 4, Surgeon Simulator 2, Sam and Max VR, Crash Bandicoot 4, Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition, Fall Guys: Season 2, 12 Minutes and more!
Some of them you may even find on our store like WWE 2K Battlegrounds, Mafia: Definitive Edition, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope and Little Nightmares 2 soon enough. You might have expected those games. However, a second big announcement from us related to Destiny 2: Beyond Light, the new upcoming Destiny 2 expansion. You may now find some of the Bungie catalog on the IndieGala store. Look forward to some Destiny 2 sales.
And of course, the fans of movies/series/comic books are not forgotten here either. There are plenty of Star Wars themed titles on the horizon like Star Wars: Squadrons, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Journey to Batuu (a Sims 4 content pack). Strangely enough, The Walking Dead also got featured in the upcoming Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead game. We’ll use this as a segue to even more game announcements on the same topic.
DC FanDome 2020
DC Comics and Warner Bros held their own event this year. And they did bring some solid news and trailers on some of the upcoming DC movies & games. We got a quick peek at Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam (with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), The Batman (with Robert “The Sparkly Vampire” Pattinson, with an amazing dark performance) & The Suicide Squad. Speaking of Suicide Squad…
Firstly, in the videogame department, we will be getting Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League from the team behind the Arkham games, Rocksteady Studios, and it seems to take place in the Arkham universe. Secondly, Gotham Knights, which will be an open-world cooperative action RPG, in an universe where (spoiler alert): Bruce Wayne / Batman and James Gordon die.
Games Done Quick 2020, Indie Arena Booth and more…
Summer Games Done Quick 2020 managed to earn over $2.3 million this year for charity in its speedrunning marathon.
Indie Arena Booth Online 2020, which was part of the aforementioned gamescom, featured a bunch of indie games. GONNER2, Everspace 2, the most successful German Kickstarted game of 2019, and many more, check them out here.
Play NYC 2020 showcased 108 games from 105 studios from NYC and around the world! Tennocon 2020 announced a new open world expansion, new warframes and more coming to Warframe. The Night City Wire revealed some new Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay and features.
These and a few more that I might have missed (not mentioning the console related Nintendo Indie World or PlayStation State of Play) mark the end of summer season and the Summer Game Fest as well.
What video game releases did we have during August 2020?
August has been a bountiful month on the IndieGala Store. Plenty of big and small names arrived, each one special in its own way. So let’s have a quick look, shall we? I know time, especially your time, is a precious commodity and I already abused it more than I ought to. That is why I will try my best to be brief but comprehensive from this point on. So, with no further ado, I present to you in two segments, the August releases. Keep in mind that you can click any of those individual images for more details.
New August 2020 releases that aren’t quite new
In this short section we’ll tackle some of the games that were out, for quite a while, be it in the form of Early Access, on consoles or even on Epic. August 2020 represents the moment when they reached Steam and our IndieGala store.
Horizon Zero Dawn, the multi-award-winning and best-selling PS4 game is now on PC, on Steam! However, it does not come alone, firstly it brings the huge Frozen Wilds expansion, secondly a few packs with in-game goodies, and finally, the digital art book.
From 505 Games, who brought us Death Stranding to PC last month, comes the time limited Epic exclusive, Control, to Steam. However, it does not come alone. It brings its expansions and the extra content all in one. Check out our review.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is another time limited Epic exclusive that arrived on Steam and our store, which will soon be followed by The Outer Worlds, both being from Private Division. Feel free to check out our review of the game here.
Idea Factory brings us a great sequel to the horror RPG Death end re;Quest to PC. Fun Fact: the game was made in collaboration with Corpse Party scenario writer Makoto Kedouin.
A Long Way Down has just recently left Early Access. This is a deck-building/battling roguelite RPG set in a dark universe in which you attempt to escape a maze-like dungeon.
Unrailed! is a fun couch co-op game published by Daedalic Entertainment which has just left Early Access. You could say this is the Overcooked of train track building games, with a Minecraft-ish aesthetic. Best enjoyed with friends.
Do you consider yourself almighty and think that you deserve to be worshiped? That’s one strong god complex you’ve got there. However, if you enjoyed the Populous games, or want a more subtle Reus or Black & White game, Godhood has left Early Access.
The truly NEW August 2020 releases: sequels, indies…
For the gamers who are fans of both football (soccer) and anime, your prayers have been heard by Bandai Namco. Captain Tsubasa & FIFA enthusiasts, rejoice, for this arcade sport game brings a refreshing look to the football genre.
More cars, more tracks, more fun. Project CARS 3 tones down a bit on the simulator part, turning more in a simcade experience (according to some). If you enjoy Forza, this might be for you. If you’re interested in more, the Deluxe Edition is also an option.
If you are a DanMachi fan and are waiting for the upcoming season of Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka, Pqube can provide a decent distraction. How exactly? Through its titular dungeon crawling as well as the visual novel aspects, featuring some good voice acting.
Do you live you life a quarter-mile at a time? While waiting for even more Fast & Furious movies, you can get to experience the cinematic universe in videogame form.
Are you ready to golf with the boys (or girls, of course)? The newest 2K PGA TOUR does not fail to deliver some challenging and satisfying golf gameplay. If you’re interested in a gold-plated putter and branded apparel, the Deluxe Edition is also an option.
Imagine an adult swim cartoon, like Rick & Morty for example, combined with Manual Samuel or Octodad. Struggling is great for strengthening (and ruining) bonds between people, thanks to its inventive co-op.
Total War meets turn-based meets Vampires! Zombies might be overflooding the market, but one can never get enough vampires, right? Vampires are cool and Kalypso is here to remind us.
If you are a fan of the cult classic multi-award-winning BBC and Netflix TV show Peaky Blinders or of Cillian Murphy, this might serve as a pertinent distraction while waiting for the new season to drop.
From the same developers that have brought you the charming My Time At Portia comes a truly touching and mesmerizing game, with some beautiful aesthetics, a sort of modern Alice in Wonderland, if you will.
Crime might not pay, but Company of Crime does play with that theme quite well. 1C brings us a great criminal empire-builder with an XCOM-like gameplay, but a melee combat focus.
A FMV featuring quite a sensitive topic, which is fairly relevant to our modern times: suicide. Her Story is a similar game that comes to mind, as well as A Normal Lost Phone.
If you’re in search of a casual time & resource management featuring Robin Hood, look no further! Since Alawar Entertainment has just the thing for your unusual highly specific request.
A simple concept with minimal design choices from HandyGames. Control the titular spitling and use your, well, spit, to clear out the level. This experience can get a lot more fun when playing with friends, that is, if you enjoy a few spoonfuls of frustration with that fun.
The evolution of train simulation is here and now! Choo-choo your way towards your destination with the latest Dovetail. There are also some good news for the Train Sim World 2020 fans: your add-ons will work with Train Sim World 2. You do not need to re-buy them.
Experience the intensity of the Tour de France, now with a first person mode! For the cycling fans this is the game for you, you might even be interested in the CYCLING BUNDLE if the management is also on your taste.
What awaits us beyond August 2020?
September. In conclusion…I honestly can’t really think about a clever way to end this article other than plugging my previous article, however I can ask for any sort of feedback, which I will do. Have I missed any big event or announcement? Please let me know in the comments below, and as always don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit that notification bell.
