However, the biggest headlining release is Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Available for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers on August 7th, the prequel to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla follows Basim in ninth-century Baghdad as he joins the Assassins. Co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam Elite returns to the service on August 12th, while rogue-lite city-builder 9 Kings will be available on August 14th via Game Preview.

Game Pass Standard subscribers also have plenty to look forward to, including Citizen Sleeper: Starward Vectory, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, MechWarrior 5: Clans, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap on August 6th. Three titles will leave Game Pass on August 15th, so play them now or purchase them at 20 percent off:

• Anthem (Console and PC via EA Play)
• Farming Simulator 22 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Persona 3 Reload (Cloud, Console, and PC)

With Xbox attending Gamescom in a big way, expect even more Game Pass titles to be announced on August 20th and 21st. Stay tuned for updates until then.

Viewfinder 

Viewfinder comes from the masterminds at Sad Owl Studios, and it’s a puzzler with a very unique premise. The game allows you to take pictures and place the polaroids anywhere in the level, which magically meshes up with the level to open up new paths. Viewfinder does a great job of taking that core concept and exploring a vast number of possibilities with its set of puzzles, and while the story could have been better in a few aspects – Viewfinder is definitely worth your time. 

Watch Dogs Legion on PS4 and PS5 is also worth trying out, as are Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, even if they’re PS4-only. Marvelous’s Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin on PS4 is also a good addition, providing farming and side-scrolling hack-and-slash action. Other PS4 farming titles include Rune Factory 4 Special and Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.

The latter allows downloading the game and its Expansion Pass Set or streaming the base experience. Fans of Tomb Raider can experience the entire modern trilogy with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration and Shadow of the Tomb Raider playable on PS4.

Those who want some horror can check out The Evil Within 2 on PS4 and the action RPG Thymesia on PS5. There’s also Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop on PS4 and PS5, which is its own horror when things go wrong. Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Rain World, and Conan Exiles round out the PS4 offerings, while Lake and Soundfall are playable on PS4 and PS5. Stay tuned for more details on the PlayStation Classics available with Premium shortly.

Batman: Arkham

Arguably the most acclaimed of superhero games, Rocksteady’s Arkham series absolutely nailed Gotham City’s noir aesthetic, a dimly lit locale for Batman to stalk. See, Batman in Rocksteady’s series is hard as nails and one with the dark, with a tangible feeling of power over his enemies seeping into every nook of gameplay; the more enemies snatched into the shadows, the increasingly agitated and erratic those left straddling the light become. Scared enemies are unpredictable too – some will cower together; others abandon their post. So distressed do enemies become that their minds wither and bodies shrink should Batman emerge.

InFamous: Second Son

The InFamous games all feature an in-depth Karma system whereby players can utilise their character’s superpowers for ‘good’ or for ‘evil’. Non-lethal tactics earn ‘good’ karma, whereas – you guessed it – killing civilians and just generally being a self-centred villain earns ‘evil’ karma. In Second Son, should player character Delsin explore the karmic dark side, civilians will begin to show wariness and distrust by berating and insulting him in public. Progress beyond ‘most wanted’ infamy to evil ‘InFamous’ rank and citizens will respond with genuine fear, either launching unprovoked attacks or running for their lives.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system was its principle selling point back in 2014. Owing to the system, Shadow of Mordor and its 2017 follow-up Shadow of War featured an intricate web of orc enemies who’ll remember their interactions with the player. Should an enemy orc live to fight another day, then they’ve potential to rise through their ranks before confidently leading a charge when encountered again. Or, funnily enough, overpower them in battle, or char them with fire, or defeat their captain before their very eyes and they’ll likely retreat in cowardice come the next time they see you on the battlefield.

Days Gone

Newts in Days Gone are freakers. As a result, they’re skittish, and naturally lacking enough confidence to attack Deacon head-on, even when massively outnumbering him. Instead, they’ll cower in his flashlight, scampering for cover off-ground, sinking into corners and crannies out of sight. Just a mere glimpse of Deacon in their sights and they’ll scurry off like exposed ants under a lifted rock, ready to regroup for a potential counterattack – but only when Deacon’s back is turned.

Sleeping Dogs

Much like the nemesis system in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, underappreciated martial-arts infused open-worlder Sleeping Dogs features a triplet of nifty reputation systems. Of the game’s three XP meters – Triad, Police, and Face XP – it’s maxing-out Face XP that’ll strike fear into Wei Shen’s enemies. Accumulating Face XP during brawls is simple enough, just fight with extreme brutality; leg breaks are standard enough, but utilising the environment, from stuffing heads into whirring air conditioner blades to hanging foes on meat hooks, really ramps up the experience points. Once Wei starts regenerating health, weak and unsure enemies will jolt backwards in fear, showcasing Wei’s ability to break their mindpower as well as their bones.

Ghost of Tsushima

Jin Sakai’s arsenal of war-ready techniques in Ghost of Tsushima includes a handful of combat stances. Different stances are useful against certain enemy sub-types, but it’s Jin’s Ghost stance that’ll root the island’s Mongol invaders firmly to the spot. An ability obtained once the powerful Mongol leader General Temuge is defeated, Jin’s deadly Ghost stance can be activated after a seven-kill combo, daubing the screen in moody black and white as Jin himself transforms to an unrelenting warrior, rendering the remainder of opposing enemies motionless as if transfixed by fear. Elsewhere on the picturesque island of Tsushima, opposing forces – after learning of Jin’s notoriety – start to herd in groups, truly believing safety in numbers is the best tactic to avoid dying by Jin’s blade.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Jedi power-fantasy Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order features a deep, punishing combat system complete with enthralling lightsaber manoeuvres and Force powers. Effectively learn the ways of the Force and Jedi-in-training Cal Kestis will soon be gobbling up groups of stormtroopers who, on first encounter, exude confidence before quickly seeing their self-assuredness evaporate in a cloud of blaster smoke. Cal’s bag of tricks, from rapid-fire blocks and dodges to well-placed blaster deflections, sees him seamlessly wipe foes out one-by-one like poetry in motion. Before the last Stormtrooper’s downed however, shrieks of “he’ll kill us all!” or pleas for mercy ring through.

Metro: Exodus

Unlike most first-person shooters out there, Metro: Exodus poses to players the question of how to deal with an enemy who surrenders. Yes, players’ gun-toting rampages through nuclear wilderness lays waste to so many enemies that of the ones who do survive they’d sooner raise their hands in fear than fight back. Of course, Exodus’ subsurface morality system, and the corresponding quest to carry Artyom through to the good ending, suggests sparing lives wherever possible. Still, there’re feelings of immense power to be felt when pointing a gun at an enemy’s raised arms.

Dishonored 2

First-person stealth adventure Dishonored 2 bestows a bevy of choice on players as they fulfil the role of supernatural assassin. Remaining unseen throughout is a valid option, sure, but the raft of civilian NPCs and enemy types are just too fun to mess with that it’d be foolish to stay within the shadows. When revealed to civilian bystanders, they might not immediately run for help unless the player starts a scrap, in which case they’ll dash for the nearest guard to alert. When fighting out in the open, players can utilise Dishonored 2’s gruesome combat system – scythe enemies in two, or brutally disembowel them and any surviving squad members will nope out of there faster than a greyhound out of the blocks. Arkane Studios have added fantastic attention to detail here too; some guards will become so panicked they’ll trip up over themselves as they attempt to flee.

Rain World

Rain World’s playable slugcat struggles for survival in a hostile ecosystem populated by terrifying creatures, all vying for food chain supremacy. At the apex is the game’s vultures, who’s hardened mask blocks any spear damage slugcat can muster. The trick is to demask them when they’re already dead as they’ll become rampant with rage should their defences be stripped away. The risk is worth the yield for slugcat though; seeing as vultures are deemed the most fearsome predators amongst all the lowly animals competing in the game’s derelict biomes – including its most common lizard enemies – should slugcat get its paws on a vulture mask it can wear it as a disguise, tricking the lizards into retreating out of slugcat’s way.

Videocult’s underrated platformer Rain World has had multiplayer available for its PC version since last year. This month, it’s the PS4 version’s turn. A new update will be coming on December 21st that adds local multiplayer, while also implementing two new game modes – The Monk and The Hunter.

The Monk will see the overall number of enemies reduced, while food is increased in turn. It’s an alternative to the current survival-based gameplay that is the game’s default. The Hunter, meanwhile, requires more food to hibernate, while also bringing unique enemies to deal with in the world. Either way, if you found Rain World too easy or hard, this update will provide more options.

As for multiplayer, it will support up to four players with custom arenas. These areas can have different monsters and conditions, such as how quickly the rain ends up tearing everything apart. Though players can compete against each other, they can also cooperate to survive. Along with the new update, there will be a physical collector’s edition of the game available on the same day for $79.99.

It will include the base PS4 version, a Slugcat Plush, and a glow in the dark soundtrack vinyl, courtesy of Limited Run Games. You can check out images of the collector’s edition below.