It's mid-autumn. It's time for horror, melancholy games, and role-playing action movies. And also for high-profile remakes and sequels to legendary games. At least, that's what the developers decided. This month, we are going to get a lot of remakes and reworkings of old hits, of which Silent Hill 2 seems to be the most interesting. And someone has definitely been waiting for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, MechWarrior 5: Clans, and the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. And someone else missed the autumnal gatherings in small American towns, heavily seasoned with tragic events and superpowers given by the developers of the Life is Strange series. But among all this, there will be several brand new names.
MechWarrior 5: Clans
Release date October 3, 2024
Genre. simulator, action
Platforms Windows, Xbox One/Series X|S
MechWarrior 5: Clans is a new episode of the cult series of combat robot simulators from Piranha Games. This part is not just an add-on, but a full-fledged standalone game.
MechWarrior 5: Clans takes place during the invasion of the Clans - genetically modified invading warriors with advanced technology in the galactic region of the Inner Sphere, and players play the role of pilots from the Smoke Jaguar Clan. This is the first Clan-themed game in almost 30 years since MechWarrior 2 (1995).
The developers have worked hard on the plot and characters. Now it's not just a set of missions, but a complete story with cinematic scenes and morally ambiguous situations. You play as the "bad guys," but these bad guys are real people with their own dreams and aspirations.
The gameplay is not standing still either. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, mechs look even more realistic, and battles have become more spectacular. It is now possible to control an entire squad of mechs from the top view, as in a strategy game, which adds tactical depth to the game.
The developers paid special attention to the character development system and the improvement of Clan technologies. Each pilot has unique abilities that can be developed, and mechs can be improved, opening up new opportunities.
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
Release date 8 жовтня 2024
Genre action/RPG
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S
Although Vessel of Hatred is only an expansion pack for Diablo IV, it contains a significant amount of new content. This release will shed light on the fate of Mephisto, who once again threatens the world of Sanctuary. To confront this evil, players will travel to the Nahantu region, familiar to those who played Diablo II.
The expansion brings back the mercenary system, which allows you to travel not alone but with a team of comrades. Their abilities are customized to your class and playstyle.
The expansion will also introduce a new class, the Descendant of Spirits. These characters are agile fighters who use magical abilities and wield a glaive. Thanks to their connection with nature, they can summon the powers of various animals, such as a jaguar for swift attacks, a gorilla for strong punches and endurance, an eagle for speed and accuracy, and a centipede for poisoning enemies and controlling the battlefield. The new class has its own unique items and the Sacred Hunt quest, which gives access to the Spirit Abode, a system for developing and combining spiritual effects.
Shortly before the release of the expansion, Diablo IV will be updated to version 2.0, which will include global improvements to mechanics, including a new difficulty level system, improved pumping, and upgraded item quality.
Silent Hill 2
Release date October 8, 2024
Genre горор, action/adventure
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5
This October brings a real holiday to the streets of those who still see this foggy town - Silent Hill - in their troubled dreams. Fans of melancholic suspense horror will get a remake of one of the best games not only in the series but in the entire genre: Silent Hill 2.
Bloober Team, the creators of Layers of Fear, are responsible for the revival of the cult game. The engine used is Unreal Engine 5. The remake is being developed by Masahiro Ito, a Japanese artist and designer who invented Pyramid Head a long time ago. And also Akira Yamaoka, whose minimalist tracks extremely accurately convey and enhance the mysterious and sad atmosphere of the town. They still occupy an honorable place in my fall playlist to this day.
I'll remind old fans and tell new potential players that Silent Hill 2, both the original 2001 game and the remake, begins with James Sunderland receiving a letter from his late wife Mary. She invites him to the mysterious city of Silent Hill. Upon arriving there, James encounters mystical events, terrifying monsters, and other characters who hide their own secrets. The plot revolves around James' memories, guilt, and severe psychological trauma. As you progress, the player reveals the gruesome details of their life together and the mystery of Mary's death.
The remake will be released on October 8 on PS5 and PC, and it's the best chance to discover the world of Silent Hill for the first time or again.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Release date October 11, 2024
Genre JRPG
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S
Metaphor: ReFantazio from Atlus and the Studio Zero team that worked on the Persona series will take players to a fantasy world where magic and fairies play an important role. Players will have to explore a kingdom where a struggle for the throne is unfolding after the king's assassination, and the protagonist goes in search of the missing prince to break the curse. In this task, he is accompanied by a fairy named Gallica, and along the way he will meet hostile tribes, dangerous creatures, and potential allies who can join the squad.
The game contains many elements familiar to Persona fans. The combat system combines turn-based battles with real-time, allowing you to use attacks and dodge enemies. A key element of character development is the archetype system, which offers different play styles, such as the versatile Seeker, the cunning Thief, or the mysterious Wizard, who knows the enemies' weaknesses.
During the day, players will explore dungeons, complete quests, and search for treasures, and in the evenings, they will communicate with allies and develop royal qualities. To move quickly, the protagonist glides through locations on his sword, and to get to another region, a ship is used. While traveling, you can interact with the team, cook food, or do other things. And when all the activities are done, it's time to go to bed.
Players will have the opportunity to summon various creatures, as well as develop social connections between characters, which is a key aspect of gameplay familiar to fans of the Persona series.
The game authors assure that it will have a rich plot with well-developed characters and morally ambiguous situations. The new project can be compared to the fifth installment of Persona in terms of the duration.
Neva
Release date October 15, 2024
Genre platformer, puzzle
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Neva is a new game from Nomada Studio, known for its emotional projects Gris and 12 Minutes.
The story tells of a young woman named Alba, who goes through a traumatic event, meets a very cute wolf cub and becomes attached to him. Together they embark on a dangerous journey through a dying world. Players will observe how the young wolf grows up and how his relationship with Alba changes: at first, he is just a cheerful puppy, but gradually he turns into a strong adult animal looking for his own identity. This will be a test of their friendship and loyalty.
In Neva, players will be able to explore a detailed world that will come to life thanks to sophisticated graphics, animation, and an original soundtrack by Gris composers. Unlike the previous game, there will be easy, intuitive battles with monsters in which you can use a sword and improvised weapons.
Unknown 9: Awakening
Release date October 18, 2024
Genre action/adventure
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S
The game's protagonist is Haruna, a girl who grew up on the streets of Calcutta, India, and has supernatural powers. At the beginning of the game, she is haunted by visions of her own death, but she meets a mentor who teaches her how to control her powers and search for answers in a parallel dimension whose secrets she is trying to unravel. However, these same abilities make her a target for the Ascendants organization, which plans to use her powers to change the course of human history.
The gameplay of Unknown 9: Awakening offers the player to master a wide range of supernatural abilities together with Haruna. Such as telekinesis, eagle eyesight, the ability to dodge bullets, invisibility, and mind control. To activate these skills, you need special points that are accumulated during battles with enemies.
In addition to the combat part, the game includes world exploration and a skill upgrade system. To develop a character, players will have to collect special points scattered around the game world.
By the way, Haruna's appearance and voice were created by Anya Chalotra, known to viewers as Jennifer from the Netflix series The Witcher.
Age of History 3
Release date October 23, 2024
Genre grand strategy
Platforms Windows
Age of History 3 is a game by Paradox Interactive, a developer that almost single-handedly dared to challenge the titan of the global strategy genre. The author promises that in this epic project, players will be able to travel a long way through time, managing different civilizations: from ancient empires to the states of the future. The game, as befits a serious strategy, involves the development of technology, economy, armies, and political decisions.
The system of technological development will allow you to open new buildings and military units, reflecting the progress of civilization during different historical periods. At the same time, the game offers a wide variety of troops: more than 63 types of units provide the player with numerous opportunities for tactical maneuvers and strategic decisions.
The combat system also promises to be interesting and complex: first-line troops engage the enemy at attack distance, while second-line units attack enemies from a greater distance.
In addition, the council, advisors, and generals will help with strategic planning, and more than 90 unique buildings and an economy with 48 different resources create the conditions for deep state management.
Age of History 3 also includes systems of heritage and preferences of a nation, laws, reforms, and religions, which makes the development of civilizations a multifaceted process.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Release date October 25, 2024
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/ 5, Xbox One/Series X|S
One of the brightest gaming events this October will be the release of the new installment of the legendary shooter series, the long-awaited Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The game is being developed by Treyarch in collaboration with Raven Software. Treyarch is responsible for developing the multiplayer and Zombies modes, while Raven Software is focusing on the story campaign.
Black Ops 6 takes players back to the Gulf War of the early 90s. This is an era of global changes in world politics associated with the end of the Cold War and the transformation of the United States into the world's only superpower. And Call of Duty is always Call of Duty, with fierce shootouts and a cool multiplayer mode... as well as spy operations and dramatic scenes.
The developers have already demonstrated many features of the new part. For example, the Omnimovement system, which allows players to run, roll, and jump in any direction. This opens up new tactical possibilities, allowing, for example, to jump out from behind corners.
In multiplayer, 16 maps designed for intense 6v6 battles will be available at the start. In addition to the classic modes, there will be a new one - Kill Order, where each team has its own VIP player, for the destruction of which additional points are awarded.
The Gunsmith weapon customization system has become more understandable, but the developers did not take risks and make it more casual. That is, the player can customize more than 30 weapon characteristics, but the modules are now responsible for specific groups of buffs and less often give disadvantages.
In addition, weapon builds in Black Ops 6, Zombies, and Warzone are now synchronized. That is, if you play in multiplayer and change something in your weapon, these changes will be relevant for the battle royale.
It's worth noting that the Black Ops 6 beta set several records for the series, including the largest number of players and the longest average game time per participant. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be released on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, including Game Pass.
Life is strange: Double Exposure
Release date October 29, 2024
Genre adventure
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch [TBA]
A long time ago, the developers of the first Life is Strange said that the story of Max Caulfield was over. However, fans fell in love with this girl, so Deck Nine Games listened to them and brought her back in their new game - Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
Max is no longer a teenage hipster, but... a fully grown, established hipster. After the events in Arcadia Bay, she decided not to use her powers (rewinding time for a short time) anymore. However, a tragic event happened in her life again, forcing her to change her mind. But now Max does not rewind time, but splits reality, moving freely between parallel dimensions. She wants to save a person she cares about and find out who is responsible. But the criminal is very cunning, and she is also being pursued by a detective, of course.
Maxine will face the consequences of the final choices of the first part of the game, and at the beginning of the sequel, players will have to choose which ending they chose in the original. The heroine's ability to split reality allows her to see events from another dimension through "vibrations", and certain places will become portals for transitions between dimensions. This makes it possible to solve puzzles, convince characters, and even find objects lost in time. However, you should be careful, as eyewitnesses may notice anomalies in her actions.
In the game, as in the original, the developers have added "Zen moments" - scenes where you can just sit on a bench and listen to music, allowing the player to relax and enjoy the moment. And this time, they are focusing on original music created specifically for the game, not on licensed tracks.
Post Trauma
Release date October 29, 2024
Genre горор, action/adventure, puzzle
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Another modern horror with survival elements, created in a classic style that resembles and in some ways imitates Silent Hill, and even more so Resident Evil.
Roman, an ordinary train conductor, suddenly finds himself in a very surreal world, a bizarrely distorted reality. Moreover, it is not stable, but changes right before your eyes as you walk through it. Roman's main goal is to get out of there and return to his family. On his way, the hero meets bizarre and very frightening creatures, who, as you might have guessed, are not exactly friendly. But what can you do, you have to somehow get out of the situation - interact with the unfriendly environment, solve puzzles and riddles, look for weapons among all the variety of junk and whimsy, and fight scary monsters inspired by Asian horror. And all this in the classic way - with a fixed camera. However, Unreal 5 engine technologies make everything that happens on the screen look very cinematic.
The game was developed by a small independent studio RED SOUL GAMES from Spain, and Post Trauma is their first attempt to conquer the gaming industry.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Release date October 31, 2024
Genre RPG
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Once again, we are talking about the legendary series. It's time to return to the world of Dragon Age. Journalists who got an early access to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, noted the impressive graphics, textures, and lighting, extensive character customization options, and a system for combining skills with allied attacks.
Also, The Veilguard promises one of the most detailed character editors, where you can customize almost every detail of appearance. Even cataracts can be implanted if you really want to.
The combat system of The Veilguard is built around the skillful use of the abilities of the protagonist and his companions. Although there is no direct control over the companions, players will have to use their special skills in time.
The game does not have an open world, but it is hard to call it linear either. After entering the game, players are taken to the Crossroads location, where they can choose missions and discover new regions through magical mirrors. The locations here are quite diverse, from the typical heroic fantasy in the Forest of Arlatan to the gloomy Hossberg, plagued by the Pestilence. Players will also be able to visit the bustling port of Treviso.
The developers took into account the wishes of the fans and reduced the number of monotonous quests to collect items, which the previous part of the series was guilty of. They also returned to the cue wheel in dialogues, adding detailed explanations of the consequences of the player's choice. The number of choices with obvious consequences has increased.
About dialogues: Dragon Age: The Veilguard promises to be one of BioWare's most talkative games: more than 140 thousand lines of dialog have been written for it, which is significantly higher than in the previous installments of the series.
Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy
Release date October 2024
Genre adventure, puzzle
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox One / Series X|S
Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy is a remake of the cult adventure game by Benoît Sokal, or rather, the very first game he created back in 1999 based on a comic book by himself. In general, creating comics is Benoît's first job, but he became known in Ukraine thanks to a series of wonderful atmospheric adventures - Syberia.
So if you like the visual design, deep humanism, and spirit of adventure inherent in this series, you will most likely appreciate Amerzone, which shares the universe with it.
The game revolves around a mysterious island that suddenly appeared in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The main character, a former military officer and now a journalist, joins an international expedition to investigate this anomaly. On the island, the team encounters strange phenomena, ancient artifacts, and unknown life forms, forcing them to rethink their ideas about reality and fight for survival.
Fantastic animals live there, including magical white birds that are on the verge of extinction. The player is tasked with saving these birds by returning a precious egg to their homeland.
At the time, the game received positive reviews from critics for its atmosphere, visual style, and story. Amerzone has become one of the most successful French quests, selling more than a million copies, and has inspired the Syberia series.
Unfortunately, Benoît Sokal has left this world, but the Parisian studio Microids, which is responsible for the game's remake, promises to update the graphics, improve and add new puzzles, as well as preserve the plot, adding new elements and a variety of characters with deep backstories. According to the authors, the game will have a more lively world, which will now be in a full 3D format. Movement will remain classic: the player clicks on the arrows on the screen, and the character moves independently.
It is worth noting that Benoit Sokal had close ties with Microids and released his games with them, including the original Amerzone.
Other interesting games coming in October 2024
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game – sandbox, adventurer, and platformer with interesting physics. This time, the main character is not SpongeBob himself, but Patrick. October 4, 2024 (Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch)
Until Dawn – youth horror. An improved and expanded version of the famous cinematic game where every decision is important. October 4, 2024 (Windows, PlayStation 5)
Kind Words 2 – The second part of the game, in which you can write anonymously about your joys and problems and wait for equally anonymous responses. Or you can answer other letters yourself. October 7, 2024 (Windows).
Phoenix Springs – unusually painted adventture. September 7, 2024 (Windows, macOS).
Undisputed – sports boxing simulator. Є Roy Jones. 11 Zhovtnya 2024 (Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S).
Super Mario Party Jamboree – an online tabletop game for a company with various activities. October 17, 2024 (Nintendo Switch)
Streets of Rogue 2 – is the second part of a crazy sandbox with RPG elements in a huge randomly generated open world. October 22, 2024 (Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch).
Clock Tower: Rewind – a remaster of the old but really scary pixelated horror of the 16-bit era. October 31, 2024 (Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch).
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered – is another remaster, this time an action journey through hell with rock, love, and demon slaying. October 31, 2024 (Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch).