The weather is starting to cool and the leaves are starting to fall. Is it autumn already? For some, that may mean it’s sweaters and warm drinks but we gamers know that it’s stay and home and game season. From here on out expect huge releases from every platform all the way until January. I’d cancel those social activities if I were you. This October we’ve got my personal favourite hyped game being released this year – The Outer Worlds. As well as a slew of gorgeous looking indie games ranging from platformers to tactics.
Warsaw by Pixelated Milk – October 2nd
I’m such a sucker for a good tactics RPG and this one looks like it’s taking things to the next level. Set during the 1944 Polish Uprising, you control a squadron of combined Polish military and civilian forces as they attempt to push back the Nazi occupiers. Rather than hardened soldiers, your ragtag group is more about scouting groups, scrounging up supplies from the Nazis and recruiting more friends who want a piece of the action. There’s varied character classes, skills and a turn-based combat system that rewards strategy. If you’re a fan of the genre Warsaw isn’t one to be missed.
Platform: PC – Steam Store
Neo Cab by Chance Agency – October 3rd
I first saw this game back at E3 2018 and it’s included in our top life-changing visual novels (full list here). Neo Cab is a game about being one of the last human cab drivers in the world. Lina Romero, is one of the last living members in a business long since taken over by AI. You’ll ferry around the odd citizens of the neon-soaked city of Los Ojos. While also searching for your lost friend, who just so happens is being hunted by the mega-corporation that runs the place. Balance your money, reputation and emotional health while navigating both the streets of the city and the conversations that the job brings. You’ve got to keep your feelings from exploding while you engage in a quest to save someone close to you.
Platform: PC – Steam Store
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince by Frozenbyte – October 8th
Trine 4 is, as you may have guessed, the fourth instalment in the Trine adventure series. If you’ve never played any of the Trine series then this will be a good place to start. Trine is the classic 2.5D puzzle platformer. You’re able to traverse the world as one of the three unique characters – Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight, and Zoya the Thief. It’s a co-op game but there is an option for single player. Since you’ll need to use all the characters you can switch between them, if you’re playing on your own. In Trine 4, Prince Selius is afflicted with horrible, nightmarish dreams. These dreams, mixed with the Prince’s inability to control his own magic, cause actual, physical damages to the real world. You must work together to find the Prince and stop the evil forces at work.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Linux
Concrete Genie by PixelOpus – October 8th
It’s been about 3 years since I last saw Concrete Genie at Paris Games Week 2017 and I’m happy to say it’s finally coming out. It’s a beautiful looking game that doesn’t necessarily need VR but if you have it, it’s great. You play Ash, a kid who is bullied but still wants to do his part in reviving the gloomy town of Denska. He does so by using his skill in painting, even though bullies beset him at seemingly every turn. From the looks of its trailer, it will meld painting puzzle gameplay with adorable visuals and a tender coming-of-age story.
Platform: PS4 & PSVR
John Wick Hex by Bithell Games – October 8th
John Wick Hex is the action-packed strategy puzzler you didn’t know you were waiting on. From indie developer Mike Bithell, the prequel game will allow players into the mind of John Wick from before cinephiles fell in love with him in 2014. Hex marks the action hero’s first appearance in the world of gaming and is certain to be unlike any playing experience you’ve had before — featuring realistic consequences only the Baba Yaga could handle.
The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment – October 25th
The Outer Worlds is being developed by the RPG legends at Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. Your story takes places in Halcyon, a sci-fi world, not unlike that of Borderlands and Fallout. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter a host of factions all vying for power, who you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in Halcyon. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable. Every decision you make is left entirely up to you in true RPG form. Will you be a force for good? Or will you just kill everyone for no reason? Whoever you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in the colony. So, you know, choose wisely. Or don’t.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC – Epic Games Store
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare by Infinity Ward – October 25th
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include the latest Call of Duty in our list. Modern Warfare is a return to form for the Call of Duty series. The mixture of campaign, multiplayer and Special Ops co-op ensures something for everyone, and the waves of free post-launch content combined with cross-play means you can enjoy Modern Warfare with anyone. Except for the Special Ops survival mode apparently. Oops.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
MediEvil by Other Ocean – October 25th
One of the best announcements from last month’s PlayStation State of Play, the MediEvil Remake. The original MediEvil was released back on the PS1 in 1998 as a hack-and-slash 3D combat adventure game. MediEvil’s 2019 remake retains the humour of the original while adding a pleasingly deep graphical overhaul. Set in the medieval Kingdom of Gallowmere, you play Sir Daniel Fortesque as he attempts to stop the Zarok’s invasion.
Platform: PS4
Afterparty by Night School Studio – October 29th
The team behind Oxenfree is going to Hell, and you’re going with them. What are you going to do there? Drink Satan under the table. More specifically, two best buddies named Milo and Lola will be challenging the dark lord to a drink off. Whoever wins against Satan is granted re-entry back to Earth. Explore the outer rings of the underworld, choosing from dialogue options to affect the relationship between the two. Drink mysterious concoctions for power-ups and extra dialogue options, and partake in a round of beer pong or karaoke.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC – Epic Games Store
Luigi’s Mansion 3 by Next Level Games – October 31st
We’ve reached the end of October and that means only one thing. There’s probably no better way to spend Halloween than to drive ghosts out of a haunted hotel in Luigi’s Mansion 3. Luckily, Nintendo has just such a plan in mind. With a host of new abilities and plenty of modes to sink your teeth into, Luigi’s Mansion 3 might just be the most content-rich entry in the series. Time to prove once again that Luigi is just as capable at saving the day as his brother. C’mon Green Mario!
Platform: Switch