2025 has already been a pretty impressive year for games across the board, with many titles nailing every aspect from gameplay to art direction to narrative perfection. And things don't seem to be slowing down, as there have been plenty of wild reveals for players to get excited for in the coming months and years.
Top New Open-World Games Coming To Steam In August
A whimsical RPG, a cozy farming sim, and an epic Zelda-like adventure await in August's open-world offerings on Steam. Which will you embark on first?
Early trailers only give players a glimpse of what's to come, but in just a few short clips, many games have shown off more than enough gameplay to get the hype train going early. From open-world epics to gruesome horrors, the future looks bright for lovers of innovative and engaging gameplay.
Crimson Desert
Open-World Fantasy On Another Level
Crimson Desert
- Released
- March 19, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World, Exploration
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Crimson Desert is shaping up to be a spectacle-driven open-world action-adventure crafted by Pearl Abyss, the studio behind Black Desert Online. It thrusts players into the fractured continent of Pywel, where they must navigate political disputes, take on mythic foes, and adventure across sprawling environments both on foot and in the skies.
Upcoming Games With Ridiculous Graphics
Graphical improvements in gaming show no signs of slowing down, as these upcoming titles look like nothing the industry has ever seen before.
The gameplay is nothing short of cinematic. There is so much detail in the bosses, and the game includes plenty of in-depth systems like combat combos, weapon alchemy, and environmental interactivity. From climbing colossal creatures mid-battle to destructible watchtowers and realistic physics that send enemies crashing through walls, the game looks simply breathtaking both from a visual and technical standpoint.
Ill
Contorted Bodies With Plenty Of Blood And Gore
ILL
- Developer(s)
- Team Clout inc.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
ILL is an upcoming first-person horror experience that leans into body horror and unsettling realism, built on Unreal Engine 5 for maximum visceral detail. Set in a collapsing rural community infected by a mutating parasite, the game follows the standard survival horror pattern of scavenging for resources, only this time, they are faced with abominations that defy all laws of anatomy.
Its gameplay is as much about tension as it is about action, as gunfights are brutal and messy, with dynamic dismemberment and enemies that adapt to damage in disturbing ways, and every room tells a story of decay, giving players no break from the action or safe place to catch their breath.
V.A. Proxy
Blending Soulslike Combat With Vertical Exploration
- Release Date: TBA - Coming Soon
V.A Proxy is a fascinating genre-blending game that takes influence from so many classic titles and merges them into a post-apocalyptic universe full of destruction and mystery. Players can run across the landscape at high speeds and quickly enter combat with a variety of mechanical foes, testing their reflexes and timing with every engagement.
The real draw comes from the scale that gets introduced in certain sections and during boss battles. One minute, players can be taking on a small foe, and the next, a giant lumbering mass of metal, pushing the limits of what's possible in terms of gameplay and size.
Tenet Of The Spark
Fighting Across Several Different Timelines
- Release Date: TBA
Tenet of the Spark is a narrative-driven, single-player action-adventure that blends street-level drama with mythic, time-bending mechanics. Players start out their journey confronting criminal gangs but quickly return to the past, taking on powers and foes from the Viking and Aztec eras, granting the player new abilities during combat and puzzles.
The core mechanic lets players shift between three eras in real time, enabling creative combos like starting with a punch, transitioning into a Viking slam, and finishing with an agile Aztec strike. These era-switching dynamics extend to environmental puzzles, transforming the setting into a dynamic playground to be used both for progression and fighting.
Spine
Transporting The Player Into An Action Movie
Spine
- Developer(s)
- Nekki
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Spine is an upcoming third-person action game steeped in cyberpunk style, with a combat system built entirely around cinematic gun-fu. Players take on the role of Redline, a rebellious street artist turned freedom fighter, battling a corporate regime with the aid of an advanced spinal implant that boosts agility and precision.
Upcoming Role-Playing Games People Are Excited For
While plenty of RPGs have been announced for 2026 and beyond, these upcoming role-playing games are especially exciting.
The gameplay blends fluid third-person shooting with acrobatic melee maneuvers, encouraging constant motion and style-driven takedowns. Enemies are dispatched in choreographed sequences that feel as much like a dance as combat, with environmental interactions adding flair. The result is a high-energy blend of precision gunplay and martial arts that promises to keep every encounter as visually striking as it is mechanically tight.
The Duskbloods
A New Direction For FromSoftware
The Duskbloods
- Released
- 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch 2
The Duskbloods is yet another new IP from the coveted FromSoftware team, only this time the focus is on multiplayer combat across a large and diverse map full of mechanical devices, grotesque creatures, and plenty of action to keep players glued to their seats.
What sets the game apart is the variety of combat options available to the player. Some characters have impressive movement abilities, and others can transform into beasts to feast on their foes, allowing players to take on any role they choose in a world that looks to be just as unforgiving as it is beautiful.
Mudang: Two Hearts
A Stealth Narrative That Has Long Been Missed
Mudang: Two Hearts
- Released
- 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- EVR Studio
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Mudang: Two Hearts is an action-adventure that sees players engaging in stealth operations and explosive shootouts across a range of environments and settings. The narrative follows the intertwined journeys of two souls bound by fate, and it quickly dissolves into a reveal of truth and reality itself.
Combat combines melee weaponry and ranged gunplay that encourages fluid transition and constant adaptation to the situation. There is a huge emphasis placed on realism, and players will find themselves being constantly tested and forced to make split-second decisions regarding whether to avoid action or run head-on into the gunfire.
MOUSE: P.I For Hire
Combining A Classic Style With A Classic Genre
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
- Released
- March 19, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Fumi Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a stylish boomer shooter that takes influence from classic black and white cartoons to deliver a FPS experience unlike any other. The animations look silly yet smooth, and every gunfight plays out like a scene in a show, immersing players in a comedic yet gritty world.
The real charm comes from the level of detail in the gameplay itself. The aesthetics may show one side of the story, but the gunplay has some significant depth, and there are plenty of opportunities for players to show off their aiming skills against a range of opponents, from hungry dogs to giangt anthropomorphic crocodiles.
2025 Video Game Release Date Calendar
2025 may be coming to an end soon, but there are still plenty of big video games coming out.