NEED A GEAR CHANGE?

Revamped version of a classic shooter and retro mob fun offer an escape from the summer stresses

- CHERYL MULLIN

AUGUST has finally arrived, the kids are off school for at least another month and a mass exodus to sunnier climes has begun.

If you're staying closer to home this summer, there are still plenty of wonderful places in the UK to spend some quality family time.

But if it all becomes too much and the kids want some 'them' time or you want some 'me' time - it's nice to be able to lose yourself in a new game.

August is never a great time for games, but there are definitely a few worth keeping an eye out for. It's been confirmed the new Metal Gear Solid will be out later this month, as will Gears of War: Reloaded and Mafia: The Old Country.

Here are five titles to take note of this month.

Mafia: The Old Country

(PEGI 18) PS5, XBOX X/S, PC Release: August 8

In 2022 developer Hanger 13 announced it was working on a new Mafia title to mark the franchise's 20th anniversary.

The first Mafia game remains a joy to play, with its outstanding single-player campaign and it looks even more gorgeous in the title's 2020 remake.

But for this new title, Hanger 13 has gone back to the beginning, setting the game in Sicily in the 1900s and exploring the origins of the Torrisi crime family.

Dark cities and alleyways are replaced by gorgeous sunshine, quaint Italian villas and sprawling countryside where gun battles and bloody Mafia skirmishes will play out.