The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
October is almost here, and in a month that is synonymous for chills and thrills, you’re going to need to prepare for a terrifyingly good number of highly anticipated releases. From a Spider-Man sequel to the long-anticipated return of Alan Wake and the return of the world’s most acrobatic plumber, October is easily the biggest month in a year that has had no shortage of high-profile releases. Alongside Sony’s webhead and Remedy Entertainment’s unlucky author, there’s also the return of Forza Motorsport as it shifts into live-service gear, a one-two punch of Nintendo exclusives, and incredibly detailed metropolitan management in Cities: Skylines II.
Beyond those games, Elden Ring and Dark Souls fans will want to keep an eye on Lords of the Fallen. Developed by Hexworks, Lords of the Fallen hasn’t shied away from presenting its massive new action-RPG as being inspired by the works of From Software, and this brutal game is set in a vast, interconnected world that is more than five times larger than the original game.
Over in ancient Baghdad, the first new Assassin’s Creed game in several years is going back to the basics of the franchise. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a more traditional open-world experience, one that has a smaller scope–for the IP at least–when compared to recent entries. Even with that scaled-back approach, Ubisoft says that you can still sink plenty of time into this adventure, which centers on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s devious Basim as he evolves from local hooligan to seasoned assassin.
Anyone with a Switch also has plenty to look forward to, as two first-party Nintendo games are out this month. The (video) game is afoot in Detective Pikachu Returns, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks like an inventive spin on the franchise with its new gameplay mechanics, smooth platforming, and the pachyderm power of Elephant Mario. There’s also the Batman: Arkham Trilogy collection, a collection of three really bad nights for the Caped Crusader in his eternal mission to keep Gotham City safe.
Mario will be sharing his launch day with the PS5 exclusive Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and then just a week later, you’ll have to find time for the return of Alan Wake. Web-slinging and survival-horror makes for a potent combination, and with city management, a remastered Sega Genesis game, and a first-person parkour hack-and-slasher also entering the scene, October is packed with options.