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And just like that *poof* August is gone. The festival season is winding down and the festive season is on its way... not that there’s any excuse to post how many sleeps there are until Christmas, especially if it has a picture of a minion on it. We’ve still got a way to go and some pretty big releases on the way before a chubby bearded man in red takes all the credit for his parent’s hard work around the world. Now it's time for the latest video game news!
Speaking of parents, my second child arrived on August 17th. After a delightful slow pre-term labour that lasted 18 days with contractions every ten minutes for the entire duration. It was a great time for everyone involved and I highly recommend it.
In the gaming world, we were treated to the digital-only event, Gamescom. The Xbox showcase, which took place before opening night, hit us with plenty of titles to look forward to including Halo Infinite. As did the opening night itself. These heavy-hitting streams were followed by indie showcases and a section dedicated to future releases. Many of which are a year or two away, giving players plenty of time to organise their diaries. We also got a look at Call of Duty: Vanguard, which is coming to all platforms in October.
I’m currently playing: Guilty Gear Strive (seriously can’t get enough of it), and I’m still replaying Hitman 3 on PlayStation 4. While on Switch, I’m still slicing my way through Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. And yes, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is still judging me from the shelf.
I’m currently hyped for: Hot Wheels Unleashed and WarioWare: Get it Together! Both come out this month, my firstborn will be very excited while my second will be very neglected.
New Games
During the blur that was August we were all treated to Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid on Switch and PlayStation 4; Paw Patrol: Adventure City Calls on Xbox, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch; RiMS Racing released on Switch and Xbox One. Madden NFL 22 hit Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. And at the end of the month we got King’s Bounty II on Switch and PlayStation 4; Sniper Ghost Contracts on PlayStation 5 and Aliens: Fireteam Elite on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
September looks to outdo August with a whole host of releases. These are no doubt getting on the shelves before Battlefield, Call of Duty and FIFA 22 come out swinging and dominate the charts. On the 3rd we have The Medium coming to PlayStation 5. While on the 10th there’s Tales of Arise on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S; NBA 2K22 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox; Life is Strange: True Colours on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S; and if that wasn’t enough WarioWare: Get it Together! is also out on the same day exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Speaking of exclusives, Deathloop makes its way exclusively to PlayStation 5 on the 14th. The spiritual successor to the Tenchu series - Aragami 2 - sneaks on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on the 17th. While on the 24th, Lost Judgement releases on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The 28th sees Golf With Your Friends and Crysis Remastered both hitting Nintendo Switch. And finally, on September 30th Hot Wheels Unleashed is... unleashed on all consoles!
Announcements
New Metroid Dread Trailer Teases Answers to a Series-long Mystery
A new Metroid Dread teaser included some hints at a long-standing mystery. The trailer showed off the Chozo, an advanced alien race who raised Samus and created the Metroids themselves before disappearing. It looks like Samus will meet a Chozo in person in Metroid Dread, who will then provide flashbacks that delve into the Chozo’s past.
We’ve had clues throughout various games in the series so far, as to where the Chozo went. But nothing like the kind of flashbacks we see in the trailer. The Chozo are referenced in almost every Metroid game, though their fate and whereabouts have been a mystery.
Will Metroid Dread fill in the blanks? Nintendo Switch players can find out on 8th October.
Everything Announced During Pokémon Presents
The Pokémon Company broadcast its Pokémon Presents show in August and with it came a slew of Pokémon goodness. First up, Pokémon Unite comes out on 22nd September for mobiles alongside crossplay with the Nintendo Switch version.
The free-to-play puzzle game Pokémon Café Mix is getting a revamp with fresh puzzles, new Pokémon and new dress-up options. The revamp goes live in the autumn.
The Pokémon Company showed off some more Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, both of which are due out 19th November, exclusively on Nintendo Switch... there are also new Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl-themed Nintendo Switch Lites if you fancy going hardcore.
We also got a fresh look at Pokémon Legends Arceus. The open-world Sinnoh game is set in a more feudal version of the region. It’s out on Switch on 28th January 2022.
Horizon Forbidden West Delayed
Horizon Forbidden West will now launch for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation5 on 18th February 2022, developer Guerilla Games has confirmed.
During Gamescom’s Opening Night broadcast, Guerilla Games said it needed more time to polish the game. With it being impacted by difficulties from the pandemic.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 gets November release date
Frontier Developments’ dino-park management sim sequel Jurassic World Evolution 2 will be stomping onto Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on 9th November.
As with the original 2018 players will once again be tasked with building and maintaining their own dinosaur theme park, laying out exhibits, tending to visitors needs, and making sure the attractions don’t eat the guests.... or not, do what you like, it’s your park.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 shifts away from the tropical setting of Muertes Archipelago from the first title. Players will now have the chance to build their parks across a diverse range of new environments. From dense forests to scorched deserts - each with unique environmental challenges.
In total, the sequel will feature 75 prehistoric species - such as the Nasutoceratops, plus new flying and marine reptiles. There’s an “immersive” new narrative campaign set after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, a new Chaos Theory mode, a self-explanatory Sandbox mode, and a new Challenge mode.
Jurassic World Evolution 2’s comes to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation4, PlayStation5, and PC on 9th November.
And That’s That!
So there you have it, another month of video game news summed up in one neat little package. News is a little thin this month as almost everything revolved around Gamescom 2021, which we conveniently covered! What games are you looking forward to in September? Let us know on the Zatu social media and I’ll see you next time. Take care.