As reported by GameBiz (translation via Automaton-Media), Elden Ring and the recent Shadow of the Erdtree continue to perform well for the publisher. Even more impressive is Gundam Breaker 4, which had a strong start, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. Though the latter falls outside the report’s period, it sold over three million units in its first 24 hours.

Mobile titles for Dragon Ball and One Piece also recorded strong revenue worldwide. Operating profit during this period reached 113,670 million yen, an increase of 73.6 percent year over year and ordinary profit was 115,553 million yen (up by 56.3 percent). Net profit is at 80,727 million yen, up 54.7 percent over last year.

It should be interesting to see how the second half of the fiscal year shapes up with Synduality: Echo of Ada, Tales of Graces f Remastered and Freedom Wars Remastered coming up. Stay tuned for updates.

EA Sports College Football 25 ranked second on the list, dropping one rank from its debut but remaining the best-selling title of the year (with Madden NFL 25 in 12th). Then there’s the EA Sports MVP Bundle, containing both football titles, which came in at fourth place but became the fourth best-selling game of the year thus far in dollar sales.

As for other releases during the month, Star Wars Outlaws debuted in third place, Visions of Mana ranked tenth, and Gundam Breaker 4 in 11th. Total projected spending on hardware, content, and accessories reached $4.1 billion, dropping by seven percent versus the same month last year. However, year-to-date spending topped $36.3 billion, a one percent increase.

August 2024 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights from Circana – Projected U.S. total spending on video game hardware, content and accessories fell 7% during August 2024 versus a year ago, to $4.1B. A 5% increase in Mobile content spending was offset by declines across other areas.

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:16:33.331Z

2024 year-to-date spending is now 1% higher than a year ago, at $36.3B. 4% growth in video game content spending (driven by Mobile), and an 8% increase in accessories has thus far offset a 28% drop in video game hardware spending.

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:16:52.412Z

August 2024 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games – U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:17:07.902Z

Year-to-Date Ending August 2024 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games – U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:17:27.712Z

Madden NFL 25 was the best-selling video game of August 2024 – the 25th consecutive year in which a new Madden NFL franchise release was the best-selling title in its release month. This streak began with the release of Madden NFL 2001 in August of 2000.

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:17:34.210Z

The EA Sports MVP Bundle, which includes both the EA Sports College Football 25 Deluxe Edition and Madden NFL 25 Deluxe Edition, ranked 4th in August after placing 2nd in July, and finished August as the #4 best-selling game in year-to-date dollar sales.

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:17:39.214Z

EA Sports College Football 25 remained the best-selling title of 2024 year-to-date after placing 2nd in August. Other new releases appearing among August’s top 20 best-sellers included Star Wars: Outlaws (3rd overall), Visions of Mana (10th) and Gundam Breaker 4 (11th).

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2024-10-11T13:17:48.811Z

However, there is another fandom for the franchise beyond the anime, and it’s Gunpla – model kits for hobbyists to build a Gundam from scratch. They vary in complexity and scale based on grade, not to mention the in-depth processes of painting and modifying them (including Kitbashing, where parts from multiple kits are used in a single model). Such is the enthusiasm for Gunpla that there’s a Builders World Cup Tournament where the best compete. There’s even dedicated anime, the Gundam Build Fighters series, leveraging the hobby for storyline purposes.

"Overall, the characterization is about as typical as they come, with rote dialogue that’s serviceable at best and skippable at worst."

In essence, that’s what Gundam Breaker 4 is about. As the first true mainline sequel in the franchise since 2016’s Gundam Breaker 3 (pretend that New Gundam Breaker never happened), it offers all the customization a Gunpla enthusiast could want. The sheer number of parts is extensive, with over 250 base kits, and you can customize them to your heart’s content with decals, weather, resizing, and more. However, as a hack-and-slash action-adventure, it leaves something to be desired.

The story focuses on a new Gundam online title (that sounds suspiciously akin to a Metaverse game) entering beta. It’s attracted many players, from the casuals to the try-hard competitive types. The protagonist is a relative newcomer who starts with an RX-78, and it’s not long before another player, Tao arrives to teach you the basics. I appreciated having the option to exclaim, “How dare you” when Tao called me a beginner but I had to suffer his company regardless.

You encounter other characters like Lin, a skilled player who wants to be the best and can feel a bit precarious around new people; Mister, someone who walks around trying to help newcomers like Tao, except he has an afro; and Sheena, an overtly polite player.

Overall, the characterization is about as typical as they come, with rote dialogue that’s serviceable at best and skippable at worst. It doesn’t pick up or improve, and some concepts – like the player harnessing a talent called Spartan Rage – I mean, Super Saiyan – I mean, Awaken – feel cliche while lacking real gravitas.

"Though the giants can feel damage-spongey, taking on a massive Unicorn Gundam and watching it activate the NT-D to go all out is appealing."

Perhaps the most intriguing concept is that players can use different avatars and that maybe no one is who they say. Surely, that won’t serve as a major plot twist later. The overall vibe is gathering together with your in-game friends, taking on missions, and battling rival clans to work your way up the ladder, at least initially. I do wish my character had more opportunities to voice their opinion, even if it was to make more sassy remarks. It feels like a good chunk of the story is playing out through other people, and I’m simply standing by the wayside (while also doing all the work, mind you).

As such, the basic gameplay flow of Gundam Breaker 4 is very straightforward. Go to the desk and pursue a story mission with three difficulty options and a choice of partners. Higher difficulties necessitate higher-level parts for your Gundam. The missions themselves are extremely simplistic, usually consisting of little more than clearing out waves of enemies before proceeding to the next area and culminating in a boss. Some unique missions (like protecting a point) can come up. However, they involve eliminating every single enemy attacking as opposed to destroying a target Gundam (which causes the smaller fry to disappear).

The boss battles can range from fighting regular-sized Gundam to giants with extensive bars of health, multiple break points, barriers that you must pour damage into before you can resume depleting their HP, and big dramatic attacks. Though the giants can feel damage-spongey, taking on a massive Unicorn Gundam and watching it activate the NT-D to go all out is appealing. Sure, some giant bosses share several of the same attacks, but such is life in a Bandai Namco-produced Gundam game. At least you’re incentivized to target and break parts to add them to your repertoire.

After progressing enough, you unlock quests and bounties. The former offers straightforward missions against enemy Gundam with little to no narrative scenes, while the latter involves directly facing rivals and collecting currency when defeating them. This is unique because you can select up to three opponents for a fight, and the encounters can be interesting depending on their builds. Speaking of which, I appreciated the menu outlining the different kit parts that went into making these opponents, allowing players to easily copy their set-ups.

"The problem is that there otherwise isn’t too much depth to the combat, which isn’t helped by the mission structure or the shoddy AI of most enemies (when they’re not stunlocking you forever with double-bladed weapons)."

Even if the mission types and objectives are somewhat mind-numbing and repetitive, there’s some hope that the combat can pick up the slack. That’s unfortunately not the case, but it’s not a lost cause either. Customizing your Gundam means equipping unique weapons and parts that confer different OP Skills, ranging from a slashing combo with your beam saber to grabbing some SD Gundam with your claw shield and slamming them into the ground. Each weapon also has unique properties – the whip is good for attacking enemies in an area but can also pull one close to you, as one example.

You also have EX Skills like Repair and Trans-Am, the latter granting a massive buff to your stats. I didn’t find the parts system too exciting from a stats point of view in the early going, simply opting for the highest levels to meet the requirements, but the abilities and weapon types can mix things up. When you’re launching an enemy into the air with a beam saber, only to stab them repeatedly with a dagger and then pelt them with Gatling guns and missiles, it can feel satisfying. The combo system also incentivizes building higher combos, enabling different buffs and increasing item drop rates.

The problem is that there otherwise isn’t too much depth to the combat, which isn’t helped by the mission structure or the shoddy AI of most enemies (when they’re not stunlocking you forever with double-bladed weapons). They seem to lack much awareness for dodging your long-range shots, except by accident, and become vulnerable super-quick.

Yes, there’s an appeal to becoming super-powered and stomping the competition with a high-powered build, but I’d appreciate it if they put up some kind of fight. Watching an iconic Gundam show up to challenge my crew becomes less exciting over time when their behavior is as predictable and shallow as the others.

"If nothing else, this is a much cheaper option than spending hundreds of dollars on model kits. Whether that’s worth enduring all the annoying caveats is another matter entirely."

Your allies aren’t much better, sometimes getting stuck on objects in the environment and seemingly offering no help, even if it’s to draw aggro away. The movement can feel awkward sometimes, as jumping and boosting are tied to the same button. Activating the latter means holding it down while moving, but you must hold it when stationary for greater jump height. It’s not the worst, but it takes some getting used to, especially for jumping up and hitting a giant Gundam’s head.

Presentation-wise, there isn’t much to say about the visuals or music. The graphics won’t blow you away with their fidelity, but like many other things, they’re serviceable, and performance isn’t too shabby either. The voice acting is passable and, once again, does little to elevate the characters.

If you’re looking for the best of the best in mech combat, Gundam Breaker 4 isn’t it, chief. While the combat isn’t awful and there’s oodles of content for those who can get into it, it’s beset by repetitive objectives, underwhelming AI, and moderate depth. The story has some intriguing elements but doesn’t do much to pull you in.

Nevertheless, thanks to the extensive customization options and ability to personalize your own Gundam, showing it off through in-game photography (which could use some better background) and creating dioramas, is appealing. If nothing else, this is a much cheaper option than spending hundreds of dollars on model kits. Whether that’s worth enduring all the annoying caveats is another matter entirely.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Star Wars Outlaws

As the first open-world single-player Star Wars title (Star Wars Galaxies – never forget), Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it follows Kay Vess and her companion, Nix, as they prepare for the biggest heist the Outer Rim has ever seen. Between building – and breaking – loyalties with various syndicates, traversing through different locations, hiring experts, and engaging with space battles, there’s a lot to do, and hopefully enough compelling reasons to do them.

SteamWorld Heist 2

Turn-based side-scrolling real-time aiming strategy returns with SteamWorld Heist 2. As Captain Quincy Leeway, players recruit other Steambots to solve a rampant water crisis, as pirates do. This means breaking into restricted bases and fighting against the oppressive navy, among other threats. Alongside real-time naval combat in the overworld, there’s a new Job system, allowing each Steambot to equip different weapons to change their class and abilities. Level up, and you can mix and match skills for potent combinations. SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8th for PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered

After what seems like forever, Sam and Max are back again, once again, this time in a remaster of Telltale’s 2010 adventure. The adventure sees the Freelance Police dealing with a galaxy-trotting group of villains after Max gains psychic powers that quickly spiral out of control. The latter allows for all kinds of techniques, like mind-reading and clairvoyance, but there’s still the usual range of unorthodox characters and baffling puzzles (now with a new hint system) to experience. With updated lighting, lip-syncing, music and more, the remaster is a great way to visit the duo’s last video game adventure when it launches on August 14th for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Xbox)

Ember Lab’s acclaimed 3D action adventure finally comes to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on August 15th. It includes the Anniversary DLC for new outfits, Spirit Guide Trials, and New Game Plus, which offers more challenging battles. Xbox players also get pirate hats for their Rot (a likely nod to Sea of Thieves), alongside a Golden Rot skin and unique staff. As insignificant as those seem, experiencing Kena’s adventure for $39.99 is a pretty decent deal.

Madden NFL 25

After College Football 25 launched and captured the hearts of millions, what does Madden NFL 25 bring to the table when it launches on August 16th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC? Besides new broadcast teams and a revamped Franchise mode, there’s BOOM Tech for dynamic, physics-based tackling. Carrier balance and recovery have also received some retooling, allowing you to take some hits and still push through. It sounds decent, but will it be enough to compete with College Football? We’ll find out soon.

Black Myth: Wukong

Four years after its initial announcement, Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong will launch on August 20th for PS5 and PC. Inspired by Journey to the West, you control the Destined One, wielding an extendable staff and engaging in battles with over 100 different enemies across about 15 hours of gameplay. Between the fast-paced melee combat, dodging, and magic, it boasts some truly spectacular visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 5.

Dustborn

From Red Thread Games, the developer of Dreamfall Chapters, Dustborn is an odd adventure game where you road-trip as Pax across a dystopian republic to deliver a package. The twist is that she’s an Anomal, who can use words to force others to obey her will. When you’re not bashing robots or navigating conversations with an eclectic cast, you’re making decisions with supposedly major ramifications on the story. Dustborn arrives on August 20th and will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Concord

The Freerunner crew of Firewalk Studios’ upcoming hero shooter didn’t receive the most enthusiastic response following the open beta. Nevertheless, Concord promises 12 maps and six modes at launch with the same roster while offering hundreds of earnable customization items, several unique Variants per character, and no Battle Pass. Will it warrant a better response, especially for $39.99? Time will tell, but Concord is out on August 23rd for PS5 and PC.

World of Warcraft: The War Within

Following Dragonflight, World of Warcraft is embarking on a brand new trilogy, with The War Within as the first part. Set in Khaz Algar, with four unique zones, eight new dungeons and a brand new zone await. There are also new activities like Delves (which can be completed solo or co-op) alongside new Hero Talents, talents and abilities to go with the increased level cap. World of Warcraft: The War Within arrives on August 22nd for PC.

Core Keeper

While the year has seen several compelling sandbox titles, Pugstorm’s Core Keeper has racked up some respectable numbers (91 percent positive reviews, over 2 million players) since its early access launch in 2022. The premise is simple: Venture into a cavern with up to eight players and mine your way to the Core. Collect resources, craft better tools and weapons, automate processes, fish, explore, and battle powerful Titans across multiple biomes. With 1.0 launching on August 27th for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, we can’t wait to see what else it offers.

Gundam Breaker 4

Gundam Evolution may be dead, but Bandai Namco Entertainment has a good substitute – the next Gundam Breaker. Launching on August 29th for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, the action RPG allows extensive customization using more than 250 kits. You can then take your creation into battle, breaking off more parts and further augmenting your creation. With optional online modes and a Diorama function for admiring your units, Gundam Breaker 4 promises to be an enthusiast’s dream come true (and at a far more affordable price).

Monster Jam Showdown

The month is surprisingly slim on racing titles, but Milestone’s Monster Jam Showdown may fix that when it launches on August 29th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As with previous titles, you’ll control various monster trucks in off-road locations, whether it’s in the non-linear Showdown Tour or optimizing tricks in Extreme Freestyle mode. With over 40 trucks and ten modes, it’s a different racing experience that may be worth dabbling with.

Squirrel with a Gun

At first, Squirrel with a Gun appears to be just that. However, Dee Dee Creations’ title is also a sandbox shooter with some puzzling and platforming. You could spend time disposing of the strange Agents out to get you with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, six-shooters, and whatnot, or ride around the neighborhood, helping or harassing its citizens. It’s out on August 29th for PC, and Xbox Series X/S and PC this Fall.

Deathbound

If you’re seeking a more traditional Souls-like experience, there’s Deathbound, set in a medieval world at odds with its sci-fi roots. The main hook is channeling fallen warriors and using their abilities in combat. Synergizing spirits and building up the sync meter for a powerful attack is key, though plenty of challenging foes await to put you down. Deathbound launches on August 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and promises over 20 hours of gameplay and New Game Plus.

Level Zero: Extraction

Extraction shooters are probably the most well-worn trend that barely got started, but Level Zero: Extraction could break out with its twists. Teaming with two other players, utilizing various military weapons with extensive customization, your job is to garner loot and extract. However, all kinds of threats are present on each map, from mines to mutants. Opposing players can also control a powerful alien with cloaking abilities and an EMP. Level Zero: Extraction enters early access for PC on August 13th, with two maps and 16 weapons. As a weird combination of Escape from Tarkov, GTFO, and more, it could be a dark horse.

Lasting until 6:50 PM PDT, the presentation is panel-style and features the “top anime game makers from Japan.” Franchises like Dragon Ball, Gundam and Sword Art Online will receive news and updates, while attendees can play Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream, and Gundam Breaker 4 at the publisher’s booths. At the very least, Dragon Ball fans can expect new gameplay from Sparking! ZERO, which launches on October 11th.

It remains to be seen if Ace Combat 8, rumored to be Bandai Namco’s next “large-scale project”, is revealed. Developed alongside ORCA and ILCA, the sequel runs on Unreal Engine 5. Since it’s technically not from an anime game maker, there likely won’t be an announcement, but here’s hoping. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.