If you thought October might be the month that would let you take a breather and finish up a few more games, well, you are in no such luck. This month will be another busy one for us gamers as a steady stream of games will be released right from the get-go.
It is times like these that I wish I had eight arms and nine brains that would let me multitask and play multiple games at once. Anyway, enough stalling–here are the games releasing this month that should already be on your wishlist.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
This is a proper blast from the past as you get to visit the Hidden One’s HQ, Alamuth. | Ubisoft
Release Date: October 5
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
After waiting for three years, fans of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise will finally be able to play the thirteenth instalment of this long-running franchise. Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks like it will take the game back to its roots in more ways than one, as it will be more story- and stealth-focused. So, if you were not a fan of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s brutal Viking combat and RPG mechanics, this might be right up your alley.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set in 9th-century Baghdad, and you will play Basim Ibn Ishaq (a familiar name and face if you played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla), who goes from a mere street thief to one of the Hidden Ones. While the game is still set in an open world, it will be smaller and closer in size to Unity’s and Revelation’s versions of Paris and Constantinople.
It was at this moment Basim learned the benefits of eating extra spicy food before a mission. | Ubisoft
Unlike Eivor, Alexios or Kassandra, Basim is a true blue assassin, and he relies heavily on his versatility and a large assortment of tools (the largest in the franchise to date) to stealthily take down targets with the most visceral assassinations than ever before. Basim can also blend into the crowd using social stealth or bribe merchants and groups to infiltrate new areas.
However, when push comes to shove, and you do have to fight, Assassin’s Creed Mirage introduces a new ability called “Assassin Focus”, allowing you to mark up to five enemies whom Basim will then kill in quick succession.
Forza Motorsport (2023)
This would make for a lovely poster in any racer’s room. | Turn 10 Studios
Release Date: October 5 (Early Access), October 10
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
While this may be the eighth entry into the Forza Motorsport series, it also serves as a reboot for the series, thus omitting the sequential numbering. Unlike its sister title, Forza Horizon, which focuses on freedom and exploration, Forza Motorsport is all about competition, honing your driving skills and putting them to the test on the world’s most challenging race courses.
As this is a game for car aficionados, it will have over 500 cars at launch that run the gamut of all your favourites, such as American muscle cars and Japanese tuners, all the way up to modern race cars. For virtual car collectors, this will be a dream come true, and on the flip side, for those who want to stick to their favourites, the game will also have over 800 performance upgrades, so you can slowly build up your starter car into a track monster. While you will try to keep your vehicle as pristine as possible, damage is inevitable, and you will see its effects on your car down to individual scratches, paint peeling away, wheel abrasions and even dirt build-up.
If you think these scratches look bad, wait till you check out the other side of the my car. | Turn 10 Studios
In terms of race tracks, at launch, Forza Motorsport will have 20 circuits from around the world with multiple layouts, including five that are new to the series. These include returning favourites such as Maple Valley, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca Raceway, with new ones including Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and Circuit Hakone, an original high-speed Grand Prix circuit.
Finally, developers Turn 10 Studios have dubbed Forza Motorsport as the “most technically advanced racing game ever made,” and we will just have to wait and see if all that overhauled physics, dynamic time of day, real-time ray tracing and more will truly put it laps ahead of the competition.
Total War: Pharaoh
I swear the public transport queues are just getting longer and longer. | Creative Assembly Sofia
Release Date: October 11
Platform: PC
Sega and Creative Assembly Sofia are back again this year with a new entry into the Total War series. Last year, chaos erupted in the Warhammer Fantasy setting; this year, Total War marches towards a more historical setting with Total War: Pharaoh, set in the New Kingdom of Egypt before the Late Bronze Age collapse.
The story of this turn-based strategy real-time tactics game takes place after the death of the Pharaoh, and the people of Egypt, Canaan, and the Hittite empire cry out for a new leader. You have placed the crown and responsibility on your head, and you now have to lead your people so that the nations under your rule can overcome societal collapse, withstand natural disasters and fend off invaders from far-off lands.
Now, this would be a very nice and relaxing view if it wasn’t for the screams of dying men in the background. | Creative Assembly Sofia
Similar to previous Total War games, you can choose from a roster of eight unique leaders from three rich cultural hubs who will suit different playstyles. For example, the great Ramesses II of Egypt has armies of elite warriors that are smaller in numbers but expertly balanced; Irsu, the ravager of Canaan, has access to armoured units that excel in melee combat and have access to the Raiders and Razers Ability, allowing them to set buildings on fire and Suppiluliuma the defender of Hatti who believes in defence and relies on legions of heavy and medium armoured units including powerful chariots to wear his enemies down.
Creative Assembly Sofia has recreated a beautifully lush and vibrant version of Ancient Egypt, but you might not have time to truly admire it because, other than your enemies’ armies, the tide of battle can quickly change due to thunderstorms and sandstorms. So, instead of just waging war, it might be a good idea to flex your diplomatic skills.
Endless Dungeon
So, a cyborg cowboy, spunky engineer and weird witch doctor named Shroom walked into a room… | Amplitude Studios
Release Date: October 19
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Endless Dungeon is the sequel to 2014’s Dungeon of the Endless, a game that combines tower defence, rogue-lite and twin-stick shooter mechanics to create one of the most challengingly engrossing games possible.
Like Dungeon of the Endless, you control a squad of three characters and explore an abandoned space station. Your main goal is to protect a Crystal Bot as it moves towards a bulkhead door of each level. There are ten different levels where each floor of the space station is procedurally generated so that you will have a different experience every playthrough. While exploring the floors, you will find rooms with new generator spots that grant you resources such as food, science, industry and Dust Shards that can be used to heal, research, build turrets and upgrade the Crystal Bot. However, opening a new room can also lead to hordes of enemies spawning, so it is all about the risk and reward.
Blang??? I think you need to get that gun checked out because it doesn’t sound right. | Amplitude Studios
At launch, the game will feature eight playable characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. One of the biggest additions to Endless Dungeon is the ability to play co-op with two friends, where working and coordinating to survive is a necessity. However, when playing solo, you will only control one character and issue commands to the others.
In terms of its rogue-lite element, when you die or fail your objective, you will respawn at a saloon where you can interact with other characters and acquire upgrades and weapon attachments before heading out on your next run.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Will there be a scene where this Spidey dances & antagonises people on the street? I hope not. | Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: October 20
Platform: PlayStation 5
Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment are back in the swing of things with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and is set to top the excitement and fun gamers and Spidey-fans had in Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020). If you are a fan of Spider-Man and have not played both of those aforementioned games, you really owe it to yourself to do so before the new game is released.
Set 10 months after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, both Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, are at the top of their crime-fighting game. However, they are ‘down bad’ in their personal lives. Both heroes are facing uncertain futures and must make some tough decisions ahead. But when it rains, it pours, and the arrival of Kraven and his hunters and eventually the symbiote and Venom make things even more complicated for the Spidey duo as their city, and everyone and everything they hold dear is threatened.
I know spiders can jump very high but I don’t think I have seen one glide before. | Sony Interactive Entertainment
Speaking of the city, the game is now no longer just restricted to Manhattan. Instead, you will be able to web-swing your way to areas such as Brooklyn and Queens. With a much larger playground, both Peter and Miles’ new suits come equipped with Web Wings, which lets them glide across the city, covering larger distances with ease.
Besides that, their arsenal of gadgets has also been upgraded and can now be equipped with mods that enable them to cast Web Lines across pillars. These are extremely handy during stealth sequences and the Web Grabber, which pulls multiple enemies together for Stealth Takedowns. Of course, Peter will also be bonded to the symbiote that grants him tendrils that he can use during combat and unique web-based abilities.
Alan Wake 2
If I’ve learned anything from horror stories, strange dangling symbols in a forest is never a good sign. | Remedy Entertainment
Release Date: October 27
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
After 13 years, Remedy Entertainment is finally giving fans of its horror-themed action-adventure game, Alan Wake, a sequel they have all been asking for, and it looks like it will be a terrifying yet thrilling adventure. Not to worry, though. Remedy Entertainment has stated that the sequel is set up as a stand-alone experience, and you can enjoy it without knowing the previous game. However, there will be plenty of lore and connections for returning fans to discover.
Aptly set 13 years after the events of the first game, Alan Wake 2 sees the titular bestselling thriller writer still trapped in the mysterious Dark Place, where he has to write dark stories to shape his reality in his desperate attempt to escape. In the real world, FBI agent Saga Anderson arrives in Bright Falls, Washington, to investigate a string of ritualistic murders. Her already horrific investigation truly becomes a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that slowly start to come true.
I’ve heard of chasing shadows, but shooting at shadows is probably not the next step. | Remedy Entertainment
In Alan Wake 2, you will play as both Alan and Saga in their desperate journeys in two separate, connected realities. Instead of an action-adventure, the game has crept into the survival horror department, and Remedy promises that it will be brutal and harrowing. On the flip side, as this is an Alan Wake game, you will encounter quirky characters, plenty of humour and a profound mystery to explore.
Like its predecessor, you must use various firearms and a flashlight to defeat enemies. However, you will need to be strategic with your attacks, as ammunition and batteries are hard to come by. Finally, there will also be a detective element in Alan Wake 2. When playing as Saga, you can pause the gameplay to access the “Mind Place”, where you will manage a pinboard where you can connect clues to solve the mystery.
