October is here and the month brings a non-stop train of game releases. It is perhaps the busiest month in gaming this year, with major titles fighting for space in the tight window of four weeks. Kicking off things on October 5 is Assassin’s Creed Mirage, , combat is significantly slower and methodical here, coaxing you into memorising attack patterns to better dodge or parry them, and anticipating long wind-ups before hits land.
And of course, dying in the Wyrd realm sends you back to the starting point, where you can chat with other agents to progress questlines, before repeating the cycle and uncovering the larger conspiracy that surrounds the Butterfly House. Throughout your runs, you acquire charms that grant bonus perks like causing increased injury or the ability to reflect enemy damage back, which should help overcome challenges in the long term. Then again, roguelites are notorious for their steep difficulty curve, so it’ll take some trial and error before you have a good sense of what boons are actually superficial.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
When: October 20
Where: PS5
Developed by Insomniac Games, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a sequel to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and follows Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Miles Morales as they team up to stop the monstrous new threat in town, the symbiote Venom. Peter is now a more experienced Spider-Man, still struggling to balance his personal life with his superhero duties. Meanwhile, Miles keeps procrastinating on his college entrance essay, while trying to carve his unique identity as Brooklyn’s saviour. The open-world map has also doubled in size, expanding past the East River to include the Queens and Brooklyn boroughs.
To help cover that distance, we’ve got deployable Web Wings that help both Spider-Men glide across cities seamlessly — feel free to web swing every now and again for better momentum. Furthermore, players can switch between either hero instantly, regardless of where they’re located to complete tasks or take on tenacious baddies terrorising civilians. Yep, there are several of them ranging from Kraven the Hunter to Mysterio, and more. This sequel promises to deliver even more action and adventure than the first game and is sure to be a hit with fans.
Watch the Gameplay Trailer for Spider-Man 2
The symbiote Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Photo Credit: Insomniac Games
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
When: October 20
Where: Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Bros. Wonder marks the first traditional 2D side-scrolling entry in the last 10 years, introducing absurd power-ups that turn you into an elephant, for one. Despite the more-HD aesthetic, the Flower Kingdom’s got all the classic Mario jazz such as secret items, coins, green pipes, and snoozing Goombas to stomp upon, as you storm through levels. But wait, what’s the goal here? Well, the villainous Bowser is back and has magically merged with a castle, turning into a horrendous aircraft, of sorts, wreaking havoc across the kingdom.
Scattered around its seven key zones are Wonder Flowers, which upon interaction, completely change the look of your world in an almost trippy animation causing pipes to come alive, tossing a stampede of enemies at you, or even tilting the camera to limit your chances of success. There are three main power-ups this time: the Elephant Fruit lets you slap foes around with your trunk, Drill Mushroom to burrow into the ground, and the Bubble Flower to blow light floating bubbles to capture and defeat enemies from afar. What’s even better is that Super Mario Bros. Wonder doesn’t limit you to using Mario — you can play as Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Luigi, and Toad. Support for multiplayer is also included.
Watch the Reveal Trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Consuming a special fruit enlarges Mario, turning him into an elephant
Photo Credit: Nintendo
Ghostrunner 2
When: October 26
Where: PC. PS5, Xbox Series S/X
This upcoming first-person slasher title lets you step into the shoes of Jack as he fights against an AI cult in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world. The events of Ghostrunner 2 take place a year after the fall of the Keymaster in the first title and will let you explore the world around Dharma Tower. The game introduces interactive boss fights, a completely reworked player progression system, and new game modes that weren’t present on Ghostrunner.
This upcoming title will feature a synth-wave soundtrack that will help set the mood as you take on challenging enemies as a cyber ninja. You can take advantage of new katana combat mechanics that will allow you to take on your cyberpunk opponents. They will prove to be more challenging as they can now respond based on the skill you use as you fight to defeat your enemies and attempt to save humanity.
Alan Wake II
When: October 27
Where: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
13 years have passed since the best-selling novelist Alan Wake was trapped in the nightmarish Dark Place, fighting to stay sane and writing an ending to his horror story. For the uninitiated, Alan’s stories/writings manifest as reality around him, though for some reason he hasn’t been able to write a happy ending yet. Meanwhile, in the real world, we follow FBI agent Saga Anderson, who’s on a mission to investigate a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls. Both our protagonists’ fates intertwine when Saga stumbles upon pages from Alan’s horror story, with the locale soon spiralling into a nightmarish affair where either character’s actions have a direct effect on the other’s realm.
Unlike 2010’s linear-fashioned take, Alan Wake II is more open and follows a survival horror style that’s similar to the new Resident Evil remakes, brimming with puzzles and environmental storytelling. Players can experience the story through both characters’ perspectives — in any order — while dealing with crazed cultists and supernatural entities using limited resources such as firearms to a simple bright torchlight. And oh, the game’s writer Sam Lake also tags along for the adventure as Saga’s on-field partner.
Watch the Gameplay Trailer for Alan Wake II, Revealed at the Summer Game Fest
You can play as either Alan Wake or new protagonist FBI Agent Saga Anderson, whose journeys are intertwined
Photo Credit: Remedy Entertainment
EA Sports UFC 5
When: October 27
Where: PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Featuring a new Real Impact System, the upcoming EA Sports UFC 5 is set to arrive later this month and promises “realistic blow-by-blow damage”. You’ll be able to see fighters get bloodier as their features deteriorate with each new impact in the game. You’ll be able to get a close representation of pay-per-view events inside the Octagon — the eight-sided competition ring.
As you play EA Sports UFC 5, you will see realistic knockout replays of the ends of your fights in slow motion from various angles. Two new features called doctor’s check and doctor’s stoppage centred around player injuries will prompt the referee to pause the match for a more realistic in-game experience.
