My goodness – is October already upon us? We all know what that means:
- Gourds and orange leaves everywhere
- Spooky movies and games – check out #HorrorGameOct
- Pumpkin-spice everywhere
- Another regular installment of us bringing you up-to-date on new releases.
Here's what we're excited about this month!
October 4 – Overwatch 2
Speaking of things that snuck up on us, Overwatch‘s long-time-coming successor is finally seeing its debut. It's been a troubled production under a troubled studio, to be sure; who's to say whether this will mark a return to form? The game itself is free-to-play from the jump, so the answer is: anyone with enough hard drive space and the willingness to try.
– Data_Error
October 6 – NieR: Automata
NieR: Automata is all at once an over-the-top melodrama and a serious bearer of the Phillip K. Dick and William Gibson approach to science fiction. For better or for worse, it's one of those games clearly made at the whims of a creators with strong ideals, and whether you think it's hokey or poignant or the right cocktail of both, it's coming to Switch. It's still up in the air how well the Switch will handle a game designed for 2017 hardware, but fingers are crossed.
– Data_Error
October 7 – No Man's Sky
One of the greatest come-from-behind gaming stories in recent memory, No Man's Sky wasn't originally everyone's cup of tea. It's since received almost universal praise for how it built its foundations into a fully-fledged space exploration game. The fact that it's proudly releasing now, on Switch, re-affirms that now-stable footing.
– Data_Error
October 12 – LEGO Bricktales
It's frankly astounding that LEGO took this long to find its rightful home as a puzzle game. Of course a game all about pulling apart and re-constructing the game around you would be a natural fit for the genre – especially when it looks this pretty.
– Data_Error
October 14 – Dragon Ball: The Breakers
Dragon Ball long passed the point where humans even registered on the threat scale, and get less and less screen time all the time. So seeing them try to pull their weight in a modern game is almost silly, even if they are perfectly-suited to an asymmetrical survival game. Here's to random farmer #8 somehow not getting absolutely stomped on by Frieza!
– Data_Error
October 18 – Them's Fightin' Herds
It'd be easy to write off an equine-based fighting game as a one-trick pony. But this game's ride from an enthusiastic fan-project to a full-fledged retail production – complete with coveted Rollback Netcode – puts it back on the map. It's outside the usual range, to be sure, but you gotta respect its moxie.
– Data_Error
October 20 – Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
The original Mario + Rabbids blew us away to a resounding chorus of “this game has no reason to be this rock-solid“. Can lightning strike twice? With the inclusion of a playable Bowser and the promise of Rayman on the horizon: we sure hope so!
– Data_Error
October 21 – Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 has taken over many people's spot for favorite JRPG – especially after the Royal remake gave its supporting cast even more candid screen-time. But arguably its Achilles heel – especially for returning fans – has been its sheer imposing length. Luckily the Switch version seeks to massage the issue by letting you sneak in more socializing and dungeon-delving on the go. If you've missed this one so far, this new release just may be the one to finally steal your heart.
– Data_Error
October 27 – Paradigm Paradox
The Switch has rapidly become the go-to console for otome games, with what seems like a big new release every month. And the flavor for October is a cast of young men who transform into evil-banishing magical girls. It sounds like a wacky gender-bending adventure, but these games have a tendency to use fun scenarios as a front for genuinely heartfelt character stories. I have my eye on this one!
– Data_Error
October 28 – Factorio
We all know a friend who's been sucked deep into the workings of Factorio, losing days' worth of their life to fine-tuning every inch of their industrialist empire. And now, the added portability will endure their every moment on public transit, every spare moment will be spent on further optimization. Factorio is inevitable, inescapable.
– Data_Error
October 28 – Bayonetta 3
If there's a showstopper for the month, it absolutely has to be the long-awaited Bayonetta 3 finally releasing. The titular witch looks as great as she ever has, and returns to us just days before the witchiest of holidays. Happy Halloween; go slay some angels and demons!
– Data_Error