It’s been a strange summer for Xbox players, to say the least. While July should have been a celebratory month spent reminiscing about Halo, it was overshadowed by drastic business changes that saw Xbox parting ways with many of its studios and conducting mass layoffs to the ones that remained. If you’re feeling a little lost right now trying to figure out what it means for the future of your console, you’re not alone. We’re all sorting through the mess.
For now, what we do know is that third-party support isn’t slowing down on Xbox Series X anytime soon. While there are now first-party games hitting the console this month, plenty of promising games, big and small, are filling that gap instead. That includes Game Freak’s return to Xbox consoles, a new Star Wars game, and a bizarre indie that’s destined to be a breakout hit this month. Here are five games every Xbox owner will want to keep their eye on in August.
1
Beast of Reincarnation
Release date: August 4
Game Freak, the developer behind Pokémon, is taking a huge creative swing to start August. Its latest game, Beast of Reincarnation, is a breed of modern, mature action RPG that we’ve never seen from the studio. It stars Emma, a Sealer who is tasked with defeating corrupted monsters scattered around post-apocalyptic Japan. She’s joined by a wolf companion named Koo, who can help her fend off fierce foes. It looks like Kena: Bridge of Spirits mixed with a FromSoftware game. Can the studio pull off something as grand as this and create a new series outside of Pokémon? That question makes Beast of Reincarnation the most exciting game of the summer, no matter how it turns out.
2
Mortal Shell 2
Release date: August 20
As far as Soulslikes go, the first Mortal Shell wasn’t the most memorable action RPG. It looked the part and featured plenty of tough boss fights, but it came off as a FromSoftware homage that skimped on the details. Still, it found enough fans to warrant a sequel — and one that’s looking like a promising second draft. Mortal Shell 2 features a true open-world and reworked combat that looks to build on the first game’s solid foundation. Early impressions have been enthusiastic, with previewers saying that the extra polish is already going a long way. There’s very much a chance that it could wind up being the year’s best Soulslike if it can stick the landing.
3
Blood Dungeon
Release date: August 25
When I attended Summer Game Fest back in June, there was one game that seemingly everyone in attendance couldn’t stop talking about: Blood Dungeon. The new game from Wheel World developer Messhof is Vampire Survivors as a 2D platformer. You’ll probably know if it’s for you based on that pitch alone. What I love about it, though, is its goofy lo-fi art that makes it look like an 8-year-old’s doodles come to life. It has a chaotic neutral visual energy that’s just a joy to see in action. I couldn’t stop playing it when I tried it at Summer Game Fest, so I know it’s going to command my attention this August.
4
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Release date: August 27
Sometimes I forget that A Plague Tale: Requiem was so good it earned a Game of the Year nomination at the 2022 Game Awards. The stealth game, set during the Black Plague, found developer Asobo Studio flexing its cinematic muscles to create an emotional story on par with Naughty Dog. That alone should be enough reason to put Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy on your radar, but what’s especially interesting is that the spinoff is a different beast entirely. It’s an action-oriented prequel that promises fast, fierce combat as you control Sophia, a new character on a quest to Minotaur’s Island. Even if it feels different, you can probably still expect Asobo Studio to push its storytelling chops and production value even further.
5
Star Wars: Zero Company
Release date: August 27
We’ve gotten more Star Wars games than any person could reasonably count at this point, which makes it all the more impressive that Star Wars: Zero Company feels fresh. The new turn-based tactics game is essentially XCOM but with Star Wars. (Zero Company…. ZCOM… Get it?) It’s not just a homage to a great strategy series either; developer Bit Reactor is a new studio formed by former Firaxis Games developers who worked on XCOM. What’s just as exciting is that Zero Company will take us back to the Clone Wars era to tell a story about a gang of misfit mercenaries. And everyone knows that the best thing about Star Wars is its misfits.
