by Jess Ham
With the pandemic, game developers are trying harder than ever to entertain us. So it’s no surprise that this month is packed with exciting announcements and game releases. Live streamed press conferences have become the norm in the gaming world, with practically every gaming publisher and studio hosting an event or several.
On August 18, Nintendo hosted the Nintendo Indie World Showcase where, as the title suggests, they announced indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch. First announced was Hades, a dungeon crawler where you play as the immortal Prince of the Underworld. This game will be released sometime this fall. Next, Raji: An Ancient Epic, an action-adventure game set in Ancient India, was announced and released later that same day. Spiritfarer, a management game where the player helps spirits make their way to the afterlife, was announced and also released later that same day. 
Probably the most exciting announcement was Untitled Goose Gameem> gaining a co-op mode on September 23. Now the world can be annoyed by two geese instead of one. A Short Hike, a game previously only available on PC, was announced to be released on the Nintendo Switch later that same day. A new Torchlight game, Torchlight III, was announced and will release sometime this fall. Takeshi and Hiroshi, a stop-motion animated RPG game, was announced to be released later that same day. Hypnospace Outlaw, a 90s internet simulator, was announced and is set to release August 27. Card Shark, a game all about cheating at card games, was announced and set to release sometime in 2021. Manifold Garden, a puzzle game that deals with the laws of physics, was announced and released on the Switch later that same day. Subnautica: Below Zero, a sequel to Subnautica, was announced and is set to release sometime in 2021. 
Garden Story, a game where the only goal is to rebuild the community through gardening, was announced and set to release sometime in 2021. Evergate, a 2-D puzzle platformer set in the afterlife, was announced and released later that same day. The final game announced was Bear and Breakfast, a relaxed management adventure game where the player restores and manages a bed and breakfast as a bear, that is set to release sometime in 2021. 
On August 22, DC hosted a live streamed event called DC Fandome, which featured not only television and movie announcements, but video game announcements as well. Gotham Knights, a gritty and dark game featuring the Court of Owls Batman storyline, was announced and is set to release sometime in 2021. The game features four playable characters such as Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood, which can level up RPG style. The game also includes stealth and heavy combat elements. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, made by Rocksteady, the studio responsible for the amazing Batman: Arkham series, was announced and set to release in 2022. Set in an open world, the game is action-adventure, with four playable characters: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Boomerang, which can be played with four players or co-op or solo, switching between the characters whenever you want. The story centers around the squad killing Superman. 
On August 27, Tell Me Why, was released for the Xbox One and PC. Dontnod, the studio famous for Life is Strange, made the game. The game is set in Alaska and features two playable characters, Alyson and Tyler, twins who go back to their hometown to uncover secrets from their childhood. This game is special because it is one the first games to feature a transmasculine character, Tyler. The game has received rave reviews so far. The game is episodic, with three episodes to be released one week apart. 
My wallet is seriously hurting thinking about all of the amazing games announced this month. I can’t wait to see what the future of gaming holds, when even more live streamed events occur next month.
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