What to Play This Weekend, August 8–9: TOP 9 VGTimes Editors' Picks

GTA 6 is back in the spotlight — Netflix has announced it will air gameplay footage from the new installment on August 27. Right now, Steam is also running its Cyberpunk Fest, with solid discounts on games belonging to that sci-fi subgenre. First and foremost, we'd recommend checking out the Ghostrunner duology and RoboCop: Rogue City. And if you're after fresh releases, check out our roundup below.

This game offers 4-on-4 team battles featuring characters like Spider-Man, Deadpool, Blade, Wolverine, and Doctor Doom. At the start of a match, you get access to a main and a support character, and later on, two more slots open up, similar to Guilty Gear Strive. Besides multiplayer competitions, there's also a full single-player mode with five mini-campaigns from different artists.

An action platformer with a cartoonish visual style inspired by 90s games. You'll journey across five colorful worlds, filled with striking landscapes and buildings floating in mid-air. You'll be playing as a girl named Mako, a skilled wielder of a magic staff. It serves as a tool for solving puzzles and getting past obstacles, like descending steep slopes, and can also be used as a weapon in battles against a wide range of enemies. Genre fans should check out our article about the best metroidvanias.

In this game, you rule a small country from a magical tower. To do so, you need to recruit knights, issue orders, hear out petitions, and make sure every layer of the population has what they need. Alongside all this, you'll need to compete with other rulers who have their eyes on your lands. One of Sovereign Tower's standout features is the ability to rewind time and try to fix your mistakes.

Expeditions: Samurai, a new installment in the series set in the Land of the Rising Sun, has entered early access. You'll be playing as Englishman William Adams, who sailed to Japan's shores in 1600 and soon became the first European to be granted the title of samurai. You'll take part in internal wars, get involved in politics, and make serious decisions, some of which will shape how the story develops from there. During the game's turn-based battles, you'll need to make smart use of both European and Japanese weaponry, along with ambush tactics and strikes from the shadows. If you'd like, you can play through Expeditions: Samurai in co-op mode. You'll find more projects like this in our list of the best tactical games.

A co-op adventure from House House, the studio behind Untitled Goose Game. Here, you'll be exploring an island based on a real Australian national park. Communication between players happens entirely through voice, and the further apart you are, the worse you can hear each other. To reach someone standing behind a hill, you'll need a walkie-talkie or a megaphone. Together, you'll need to solve puzzles, get through challenges, and uncover the island's secrets. To make it through, it's important to understand what to do next — and be able to explain it to everyone else.

An unusual roguelike has entered early access, casting you as the country's future president. By day, he's out campaigning for the election — canvassing, exposing criminal syndicates, and trying to get the truth out to the people. By night, though, the candidate picks up a weapon and clears the city streets of thugs. Alongside blades and firearms, you can use a variety of superpowers. Genre fans should check out our list of the best roguelikes.

A role-playing game reminiscent of Disco Elysium, where you investigate crimes. You can achieve your goals through a variety of methods, from gathering evidence and lengthy conversations with witnesses to outright brute force. The skills you invest in determine which approaches open up for solving problems. You'll be making choices that shape the story's direction and its eventual outcome. Your helper here is a shadow capable of seeing into the past and reconstructing the events that took place. The visuals also deserve a special mention, blending honest 3D with 2D pixel art.

Game Freak's new creation carries traces of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, NieR: Automata, and the Final Fantasy 7 remakes. That said, the result is fairly mixed. The game is praised for its combat system, featuring flashy parries and combos that involve the heroine's loyal dog. The variety of attacks lets you develop your own unique combat approach. At the same time, Beast of Reincarnation has a dull story, poorly conveyed chemistry between characters, and pacing that drags on too long, especially at the start of the playthrough. It's also worth mentioning the repetitive mobs and bosses. We shared full impressions in Beast of Reincarnation review. Worth checking out for anyone who has a soft spot for soulslikes. We'd also recommend checking out our list of the hardest games.

A new installment in the IL-2 series has fully launched. It's dedicated to the Korean War of 1950-1953. The skies above the peninsula saw both piston-engine and jet aircraft clash, including reconnaissance planes, fighters, and bombers. In the story mode, besides flying aircraft, you'll also be commanding a squadron. Keep in mind, though, this isn't an arcade game — it's a full-fledged simulator, and you'll need to actually learn how to fly these combat machines. We strongly recommend using a dedicated joystick. Worth noting: the project also supports VR headsets.

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs is a simple simulator about repairing 2000s-era gadgets, with a thick, nostalgic atmosphere from that period. You'll be fixing button-based phones, music players, handheld consoles, Tamagotchis, and much more. Along the way, you can chat with characters and influence their fates using information you dig up from their personal correspondence.

The Skin Stapler is a grim, retro-styled body horror inspired by 80s grindhouse films. You're tasked with running an investigation from the perspective of several characters and identifying a serial killer just as brutal as the Joker from the New 52 comics.

Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator is a simulator centered on a massive artillery installation, set in a diesel-punk world. The game's universe brings to mind the retro-futuristic strategy game Iron Harvest. To hit your target, you'll need to analyze intelligence data, take measurements, and precisely calculate the trajectory of every shell. Your orders depend on how the battlefield situation unfolds — destroying enemy bunkers, attacking armored vehicles, covering an infantry retreat with smoke screens, and much more.

What are you playing this weekend? Let us know in the comments!