When I first watched the original “Star Wars” trilogy, one of the most exciting aspects was the sheer amount of worldbuilding present even in just the first half-hour of the original movie. Almost instantly, it became something that felt real and tangible. I wanted to explore it.
Recent years have given us more chances than before with EA’s Star Wars Jedi games, but this month marks the release of our best chance yet to simply hang out in the Star Wars universe: Star Wars Outlaws.
There are other notable games coming out this month, like EA’s yearly Madden football game and a long-awaited sequel to World of Goo, but Star Wars Outlaws is unquestionably the biggest game of the summer. Read on to find out what games we’re excited about—Outlaws included—releasing in August 2024.
World of Goo 2
Release Date: August 2
Nintendo Switch, PC
World of Goo was one of the early darlings of the indie game movement that began a decade and a half ago. Since then, developer 2D Boy initially said that it would not be making a sequel. And for a long time, they didn’t! The studio announced World of Goo 2 at the 2023 Game Awards, and the game is set to hit digital storefronts less than a year later.
What we’ve seen so far looks very similar to the original, but that’s not a bad thing—more complex structure-building puzzles, unsettling vibes, and engrossing tunes. But there’s bound to be some surprises in the mix.
Madden NFL 25
Release Date: August 16
PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Normally, Madden is a notable release only in that it’s always a popular game, just like the sport it represents. The details aren’t terribly important unless something major changes. But this year, Madden releases just a month after perhaps the most notable American football game release in years: EA Sports College Football 25.
We haven’t had a game to represent the college side of football since NCAA Football 14, which was released 11 years ago. And so just a few days ago, football fans got a major dose of gridiron. Will Madden NFL 25 be met with the same excitement as in the past when following so hot on the heels of another major American football title from the same publisher?
Black Myth: Wukong
Release Date: August 20
PC, PlayStation 5
The classic Chinese tale “Journey to the West” is one of the most-adapted stories worldwide. Black Myth: Wukong, from developer Game Science, adapts the tale into an action role-playing game that looks at first glance like many of the games in the Soulslike action genre (Bloodborne, Sekiro, Lies of P) from the last decade.
However, the developers insist that the game was not developed to ape Dark Souls-esque games. As the Destined One—based on the novel’s protagonist Sun Wukong—you’ll be able to fight with his legendary staff and transform into various creatures.
Dustborn
Release Date: August 20
PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
If you watch American politics lately, it sure seems like words can be used as weapons. Dustborn takes that literally. Set in an alternate timeline in the Divided States of America, this action-adventure game has you and your crew—including a robot bus driver—traveling across the Divided States, using your words in both combat and conversations to reach your destination with your stolen package.
Concord
Release Date: August 23
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
What if you took the ragtag band of ne’er-do-wells and dropped them into a hero shooter-style game like Overwatch? That’s Concord, the upcoming multiplayer shooter from Firewalk Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Like Overwatch, the story was introduced through stunning cutscenes filled with charismatic characters.
We’re hoping that, unlike Overwatch, it’ll continue to build on that promise rather than leaving it further and further behind with each successive update. The various characters were fun to play in the recent public beta test, but if Sony and Firewalk want to charge $40 for it, they’re going to need to offer more than a few different multiplayer modes and a handful of cutscenes.
Star Wars Outlaws
Release Date: August 30
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S
For years, Star Wars fans have been champing at the bit to explore the galaxy as someone other than a Jedi. The canceled Star Wars 1313 promised us the chance to play as a bounty hunter clad in Mandalorian battle armor, and now Star Wars Outlaws will give us to play as a proper scoundrel.
Kay Vess doesn’t have a lightsaber or any Force powers—just her wits and a blaster. Outlaws is developed by Ubisoft, and appears to fit in the vein of open-world games like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, offering exploration on a variety of planets, each filled with cities and syndicate outposts and tons of different quests and activities to participate in.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
