There are ports aplenty in the August 2021 PlayStation Indies Spotlight event.
You’d think, in a lineup that includes Hades, Oxenfree 2, and Axiom Verge 2, that’s where we’d start with the August 2021 PlayStation Indies Spotlight event.
But no. We’re going to start with A Short Hike, a little game about self-care that – when you look at the goddamn state of the games industry right now, not to mention the rest of the world – we all desperately need right now.
Developed by Adam Robinson-Yu as an exercise in his own self-care when feeling burned out by another project, A Short Hike is, on the face of it, a perfect little slice of adventurous whimsy. But scratch between that charming surface and you’ll find a game that understands how difficult life is, and how curative a small act of self-care can be.
As for the rest of the PlayStation Indies Spotlight event? We’d be remiss not to mention Hades, the multi-award-winning adventure making its PlayStation debut on August 13, 2021. Reverse horror game, Carrion, and pleasing crafting game, Wytchwood, are making their welcome debut on the PlayStation platform soon.
On the sequel front, Sol Cresta is a newly-unveiled sequel to 1980’s Moon Cresta and 1985’s Terra Cresta from Platinum Games, which is very cool. Speaking of shooters, Axiom Verge 2 needs little introduction.
Arguably the biggest sequel – which feels weird to say, after mentioning those two – is Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, the sequel to 2016’s Oxenfree from Nightschool Studios. Staffed by a bunch of ex-Telltalers, the first game combines a compelling supernatural story with probably the best, most natural choice-based dialogue system in video games.
Here’s hoping that the island, which felt like an absolute slog to navigate around in the first game – to the point it spoiled the otherwise excellent experience – is tightened up in Oxenfree 2. Otherwise? More of the same, please, Nightschool.
And here’s everything featured in the August 2021 PlayStation Indies Spotlight event.
PlayStation Indies Spotlight, August 2021
- A Short Hike
- Axiom Verge 2
- Carrion
- Hades
- Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals
- Sol Cresta
- Wytchwood
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