As a potentially long and arduous work week draws to a close, many of us are beginning to make plans for how best to spend our weekends and fill a hopeful influx of free time. With any luck, part of that free time will be filled with some quality gaming, which PS5 owners have in abundance thanks to one of the best libraries of games and a handful of exciting new releases. August's slate of new games continues to ramp up in anticipation of some heavy hitters arriving at the end of the month, and this week alone saw a couple of highly anticipated titles arriving on the PS5 alongside at least one formerly exclusive console port that players have been waiting just over a year for.
Of course, Gamescom is also just around the corner, and the start of next week will more than likely be flooded with reveals, announcements, and hands-on preview coverage for some of the most exciting titles set to arrive in the remainder of 2025 and beyond. Ahead of those announcements, it might be pertinent to dive back into your backlog and finally finish that game you put down a while back, or even start a new playthrough of an old favorite in anticipation of a potential sequel or DLC announcement at next week's gaming showcase.
EA Sports Madden NFL 26
This week's biggest release is the latest yearly installment of Electronic Arts' long-running Madden NFL franchise, dropping just ahead of the 25-26 NFL season and following hot on the heels of this summer's EA Sports College Football 26. While Madden NFL 26's reviews didn't exactly set the world on fire, it's currently one of the most popular games on PS5 according to PlayStation Store metrics, making now one of the best times to dive in and play some competitive multiplayer while the community is at its largest. And for PS5 Pro owners, Madden NFL 26 seems to be a total visual powerhouse that makes the most of the console's extra horsepower on a 4K television.
- Released
- August 14, 2025
- Developer(s)
- EA Tiburon
- Publisher(s)
- EA
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Madden NFL
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sports
Lords of the Fallen
One of the more exciting reveals to drop just ahead of Gamescom is the existence of a sequel to 2023's Lords of the Fallen, which was already fairly well-received at launch and has only continued to endear a cult following since. There's no better way to get on the hype train for Lords of the Fallen's potential sequel than to go back and play the original, especially now that the massive Lords of the Fallen 2.0 update has significantly overhauled most of the game's systems. Soulslike fans are in for a pleasant surprise if they've managed to somehow miss this one.
Lords of the Fallen
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 73 /100 Critics Rec: 55%
- Released
- October 13, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- HEXWORKS
- Publisher(s)
- CI Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Echoes of the End
It's not often that we get a single-player, narrative-driven adventure game on PS5 that doesn't star Kratos or Nathan Drake, and Echoes of the End proves that the space is big enough for more than just the Uncharted and God of War franchises. Perhaps most interesting about Echoes of the End is the gulf between player perception and its critical reception, with its average review scores telling a different story than what hands-on impressions and user reviews would have you believe. For anyone who's been craving a solid, self-contained single-player adventure, Echoes of the End might be just what you're looking for.
- Released
- August 12, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Myrkur Games
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- PC Release Date
- August 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
After having been available on Xbox Series X/S for a little over a year, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has finally broken free of its console exclusivity and arrived on PS5 in an Enhanced Edition. This is another single-player game that places a focus on atmosphere and narrative over its interactive gameplay elements, but it tells such a compelling and well-written story to make that experience worthwhile. Plus, it's a triumphant homecoming for developer Ninja Theory to return to the PlayStation ecosystem after getting its first big break with the PS3 classic, Heavenly Sword.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- May 21, 2024
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Ninja Theory
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Lies of P
This month's PS Plus Essential tier offerings are some of the better ones to arrive on the service in quite some time, headlined by exemplary Soulslike game Lies of P. Whether you happen to already own Lies of P or have it available for free as part of a PS Plus subscription, it's never a bad time to hop back into the city of Krat and engage in some of the best combat the Soulslike genre has to offer. And now that the Overture DLC is out, there's an excuse to tackle a fresh playthrough and hop into the excellent expansion before reaching the endgame.
Lies of P
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike