August is the calm before the storm for this year's new game releases

Steam | I loved Fields of Mistria's shoujo-esque cast and world so much that I stopped playing the farm sim in early access to save my enthusiasm for its 1.0 launch, and that time is finally here. The day-to-day farm life bits were great and all, but I'm most excited to get back to romancing Juniper, a mean lady with just about every red flag in the book. She's perfect.

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repair

Steam | Thanks to my insatiable urges as a serial tinkerer, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs caught my eye ages ago and was an immediate wishlist after I played the demo. As a more reputable restoration professional, you'll spend ReStory fixing up old cell phones, consoles, and other electronics in mid-2000s Tokyo.

Steam | Sovereign Tower lured me in with its 2D pastel designs, but the promise that I could "pursue forbidden romances" with a cast of weirdo knights with questionable judgment ensured the strategic RPG stayed on my radar. That's one more romance game for me before slapping on the war paint later this month.

Steam | A few folks from the PC Gamer team got together last week to go on a Big Walk, and the quirky island puzzler sounds like a real hoot and a holler. I won't spoil it for you, but their diary from one of its most frustratingly obvious puzzles is exactly the type of mystery I would never figure out alone. Thank god it's strictly co-op.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls

Steam | I'm not much of a fighting game person, but after last month's beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, it's all my friends want to talk about. Arc System Works' 4v4 tag-team fighter launches with a roster of 20 Marvel heroes and villains, but expect that number to grow with updates.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection 2

Steam | Finally, Metal Gear Solid 4 is soon to be freed from its PlayStation 3 prison. Konami's second MGS Master Collection also tosses in Peace Walker's HD version and Ghost Babel—two games I never played, so perhaps I'll tackle Peace Walker first.

Steam | Even as I suffer from serious Star Wars fatigue, my colleague Ted piqued my interest earlier this year when he described Star Wars Zero Company as more than just "Star Wars XCOM," and said it "feels like Mass Effect but with turn-based tactics and permadeath."

Man of Honor

Mafia: The Old Country

Steam | Mafia: The Old Country continues Enzo's story with more missions, weapons, vehicles, and the new Free Ride mode in its Man of Honor DLC.

Steam | Nioh 3 adds new Guardian Spirits, Ninjutsu, Graces, and more when two new characters join Takechiyo's journey in the Hell Rising DLC.

Steam | Stalker 2 moves from the Chornobyl exclusion zone into the heart of the nuclear power plant with its next DLC chapter, Cost of Hope.

Tarnished Pack

Elden Ring

Steam | Elden Ring adds the Tarnished Edition's two new classes (Heavy Knight, Idus Knight), three Torrent skins, and four new armor sets as a DLC pack.