1. The creator of Assassin's Creed swaps history for prehistory
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a survival game, but you can forget about weapons or gadgets or even - at least at first - walking on two legs. The latest project from Patrice Désilets - most famous for creating the Assassin's Creed franchise - Ancestors challenges you to evolve a clan of simian hominids. As you explore a lush jungle full of predators and resources, every choice and discovery you make - using tools for the first time, trying a new food, grooming a clan member - shapes the evolution of your clan. The more you experiment, the more you learn. It's an ambitious project, but the one that's undeniably intriguing.
2. Netflix has assembled an all-star cast to revive a classic 1982 cult movie
The Dark Crystal scarred plenty of us in the '80s, bringing all the wonder and drama of high fantasy to a new generation. It had an otherworldly beauty thanks to the work of Jim Henson, a story that delivered hope and horror in equal measure, and a race called the Skeksis that gave me nightmares for weeks. All of the above are back in this new prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which adds a veritable Oscar party's worth of big names. Taron Egerton, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helena Bonham Carter, Alicia Vikander and more lend their voices to the incredible puppet creations, and Now You See Me director Louis Leterrier is leading the project.
What: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Where: Netflix
When: August 30
3. The first new Blair Witch game in almost a decade also promises to be the most authentic adaptation yet
Like most survival horror games to have buffeted the genre in recent years, we owe Outlast a great deal of gratitude for the latest Blair Witch gauntlet from developer Bloober, the team behind Observer and Layers of Fear. As a former police officer on the hunt for a missing boy with nothing but a digital camcorder (and an adorable dog called Bullet) for protection, Blair Witch is all about the kind of immediate, anxiety-ridden psychological terror that Outlast first channeled back in 2013, only this time the setting is eerily familiar. Directly inspired by the lore and atmosphere of the 1993 cult classic movie, Blair Witch looks to be a panic-inducing descent into a man's psyche that'll make for one hell of a horror story. Frankly, it can't arrive soon enough.
What: Blair Witch
Where: PC and Xbox One
When: August 30
4. Amazon Prime takes a stroll down Carnival Row
Netflix may still be the dominant streaming service, but Amazon comes a close second when it comes to originals. Their most recent venture, the satire superhero series The Boys, has been both a critical and commercial smash. Next comes Carnival Row. Staring Legolas and the belly dancing villain from Suicide Squad (Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne), the new series centers on an investigation into a murder. However, this is no normal world - it’s been invaded by mythical creatures running from their war-torn habitat. With character names as elegant as Rycroft Philostrate and Vignette, this is sure to be another success for Amazon. Plus, while Netflix continue to cancel some of their best shows (RIP the excellent Tuca & Bertie), this has already been renewed for a second season.
What: Carnival Row
Where: Amazon Prime
When: August 30
5. All aboard the Man of Medan's horror cruise
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is basically an interactive horror movie. Supermassive Games made dark magic with this formula back in 2015 with Until Dawn, this time around it's all happening in the South Pacific Ocean. You might think that's a tough place to set a horror game - unless you're scared of water - but luckily there's a cursed ghost ship to play with. Players make decisions for the main characters, and there's some nice multiplayer options to make it a communal frightfest. This is first in Supermassive Games' new spooky series The Dark Pictures Anthology.
What: The Dark Pictures: Man of Meda
Where: PS4, Xbox One, PC
When: August 30
Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.
