MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

We could have gone with any one of the Monster Hunter games, but are going with World for obvious reasons. Up to this point, it’s the best iteration of the series’ excellent formula. Large and seamless maps, an impressive roster of incredibly designed monsters that are as magnificent to behold as they’re a joy to fight, and an insanely addictive gameplay loop revolving around killing progressively stronger monsters so you can use their part to make progressively stronger gear, which will help you kill progressively stronger monsters, and on and on and on. Especially with its Iceborne expansion included, this is a game that can keep you occupied for a startling amount of time.

For PS4, there’s Far Cry 4, LEGO The Hobbit, and LEGO The Incredibles. Titles available for both platforms include Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6, Monster Hunter Rise and Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. PlayStation VR2 owners can also play Kayak: VR Mirage for free.

As for the Classics Catalog, Ghosthunter from the PS2 era is being added, alongside Daxter (a spin-off from the Jak and Daxter series) and LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy from the PlayStation Portable era. All three titles will be playable on PS4 and PS5. Stay tuned for titles that will leave the Game Catalog in the coming weeks, and check out the latest monthly titles available for all tiers here.

Taking to Twitter, developer Sports Interactive ‘s studio director Miles Jacobson recently revealed that Football Manager 2024 has surpassed 6 million players worldwide across all platforms. It’s done so in just 59 days, significantly outpacing its predecessor, Football Manager 2023, which took 284 days to hit the same milestone. It was also the first game in the series to get to 6 million players, so clearly Football Manager 2024 is on track to set new records for the franchise.

In our review of Football Manager 2024, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Football Manager 2024 builds on its predecessors with a number of granular improvements that come together to elevate the experience in notable ways.” Read the full review through here.

Football Manager 2024 is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Mac. On mobile devices, it is available exclusively via Netflix.

https://twitter.com/milesSI/status/1742596124534321623

Dredge

Described as a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent, Dredge is one of the most unexpectedly exciting indie games to release this year. Players act as trawlerman, furrowing nautical depths and selling their catch. Cash leads to better fishing equipment, and soon enough players are trawling the depths of deep sea, but the deeper the water the bigger the threat. Fog pervades the mysterious open ocean, with a dark history lurking beneath the water surface. If you’ve played Dredge, you’ll know how enveloping it is. For everyone else, there’s mysteries to unravel in them there seas.

Viewfinder

A mind-bending first-person puzzler in the vein of Manifold Garden or Superliminal, Viewfinder challenges perception, reshapes reality, and redefines the world, all through the lens of an instant camera. The premise is simple enough: place captured photographs and camera roll images into your immediate vicinity to alter the environment and overcome obstacles. The image-warping escapism also evokes Gorogoa but play through Viewfinder and you’ll quickly realise it’s very much its own thing, a towering achievement for its one-man studio. Hopefully Viewfinder’s nominations for best indie and best debut indie at The Game Awards bring it to a wider audience.

Football Manager 2024

Yes, you’ve probably heard of Football Manager, and yes, you’re likely to have let this iteration pass you by. But do so at your peril, because if you have hundreds of hours to spare Football Manager 2024 is the most engrossing entry in years thanks to new features such as the set piece creation wizard, improved player animations, and more visible feedback on whether your team’s formation and tactics are working as anticipated on match day. Football Manager’s uncanny ability to attach emotion to a barrage of stats and spreadsheets is still it’s forte, but its 24’s new additions which promote this entry to a must play for anyone even remotely interested in the ruthless world of football management.

Rusted Moss

Rusted Moss is a metroidvania with compelling twin-stick shooting and traversal mechanics; grapple hooks give players ability to swing through the game’s deftly designed zones whilst thumb-sticks turn levels into precise, 360° shooting galleries. It’s a skill that’s tricky to learn initially but becomes masterfully intuitive the longer you play. Rusted Moss was hyped on release last April, but chatter has since petered out. It’d be great to see this niche indie project on more platforms as its twin-stick mechanic is made for consoles.           

Gravity Circuit

A slick 2D platformer evoking classics, in Gravity Circuit players assume command of the Mega Man alike Kai, a lone wolf war hero who must channel mysterious powers into devastating punches, kicks, and combos in a rip-roaring soar through a sentient robot inhabited retro future. Like any other year, 2023 has seen its fair share of fantastic platformers – offerings from Mario and Sonic notwithstanding – but as one of the year’s best Gravity Circuit doesn’t deserve to be overshadowed.

Space Wreck 

This bite sized post-apocalyptic space explorer packs an awful lot of RPG into a tiny package. Developer Pahris Entertainment SIA have crafted something they say is ‘intentionally short yet surprisingly deep’, opting to focus on replayability. In Space Wreck, with numerous traits to plough into your character, every decision harbouring consequence, and up to eight possible solutions for each of the game’s quests there’s plenty of variation and playstyle on offer. Fans of games at the cerebral end of the RPG spectrum like Disco Elysium shouldn’t sleep on this one.   

Season: A Letter to the Future

A meditative bike ride through verdant valleys and quaint townships, Season: A Letter to the Future encourages players to capture the essence of life – the smell of a flower, the sound of a meadow breeze, the late-afternoon light cascading down the face of a statue – to distil the significance of our relationships and to find meaning in minutiae, all before an inevitable apocalypse wipes the slate clean. Season: A Letter to the Future reminds us that the value is in the voyage, not the destination.

Ugly

A reflective platformer in more ways than one, Ugly utilises a creative mirror mechanic to solve challenging puzzle rooms, creating a shadowy replica of yourself to swap and change the world around you. The mirror isn’t just for platforming though, its activation can reveal hidden secrets and past trauma – the game takes place in the recesses of a tormented nobleman’s mind. A hidden gem in every sense, Ugly hasn’t received much fanfare which is a shame because away from the innovative platforming there’s a stirring narrative to unravel.

Hi-Fi Rush

Surprise released to immediate fanfare by The Evil Within developer Tango Dreamworks, Hi-Fi Rush continued rhythm-action games’ renaissance with its stylish gameplay synced to a pumping soundtrack. The month following its release concurrent Steam players dropped off a cliff with 65% moving onto something else, and despite a resurgence in the early Autumn following its Arcade Challenge update it seems Hi-Fi Rush has been largely forgotten. However, it’s hybridisation of genres, killer mixtapes, memorable characters, and pulsating action is worth a go for anyone even slightly interested.

El Paso, Elsewhere

Exuding all the style and power of Max Payne, El Paso, Elsewhere is a third-person neo-noir shooter taking place inside the shapeshifting confines of a strange hotel. Hunt werewolves, evil puppets, and a host of damned creatures in vivid slow motion, all whilst on a meaningful mission to destroy the villain you once loved. There’s more to El Paso, Elsewhere than cinematic gunfire, but of course any fan of shooting games should take note.

Jusant

Jusant is a meditative action-puzzle climbing adventure in which players scale an impossibly tall tower in command of an androgenous climber. As the altitude increases, so does the repertoire of climbing tools and techniques; players must use their wits to best scale the tower’s diverse biomes, uncovering a deep history with every foot of elevation. Don’t Nod’s latest effort is contemplative, challenging, but ultimately, a beautiful experience that’s not to be missed.

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals

You’d be forgiven for not realising the sequel to one of indie games’ most confounding entries released this year, but OXENFREE II: Lost Signals did indeed step into the light this past July. Set five years after its predecessor, Lost Signals follows Riley as she investigates mysterious electromagnetic waves disturbing TV signals and aviation radar that’re emanating from her hometown. A mind-bending, supernatural thriller, with meaningful conversation choices shaping the story as Riley uncovers more than she bargained for.

This is a series that has always been something of a wish fulfilment exercise for all the wannabe football managers out there (yours truly included), and obviously, that’s an area where Football Manager 2024 continues to excel. Overseeing an entire club, micromanaging its nitty gritties, and carefully taking well though-out steps to ensure you can help your club rise to the top of the world of football has always been a massively addictive and satisfying loop, and it’s no surprise that continues to be the case in this year’s instalment as well. Whether you’re sifting through your pool of scouted players and deciding how to build your squad for the coming seasons, examining your backroom staff and figuring out which areas are in need of enhancements, or setting the training plans for a promising young player that you’re hoping will develop into a proper star, the level of control Football Manager affords in determine the future of your club in even the minutest of ways continues to be as impressive as it has always been.

"To those who might not be too familiar with the series, this year’s game might seem virtually indistinguishable from last year’s entry, but once you spend enough time with the game, you do come to appreciate its subtle but noticeable improvements."

That core formula has also seen some notable improvements, as it does most years. In Football Manager 2024, those improvements come through a number of smaller additions that might not have a wide-ranging impact on the entire experience, but do target some areas where there has been clear room for improvement in past years with solid results. Take the new set piece creator for instance, which allows you to dive into much greater detail when it comes to setting your tactical approach to corners and free kicks, like which post to guard or how many players to leave forward when you’re defending a set piece, or whether you want inswinging deliveries or outswinging ones when you’re taking a corner. Combined with an increased emphasis on the importance of dedicated set piece coaches, Football Manager 2024 makes setting up carefully constructed set piece plans feel like a rewarding endeavor. Seeing your work pay off with goals from free kick routines, for instance, never gets old.

Developer Sports Interactive has done similar finetuning in other areas as well, such as balancing the whole financial aspect of your football club, where running afoul of Financial Fair Play regulations or seeing your club’s budget dip into the negative now has much weightier consequences, like, in the case of the latter, your club’s Board of Directors taking control away from you and selling off valuable to make a profit. Football Manager has generally done a solid job of replicating the nuance and complexity of the transfer market over the years, and this year’s entry feels like another step forward, even if it is ultimately a marginal one. The addition of player intermediaries and TransferRoom also makes a notable difference, adding yet more ways for you to offload players rather than having to rely on their agents or generating interest yourself. Where selling players who didn’t want to leave often felt like repetitively beating your head against a wall in previous years’ games, in Football Manager 2024, you feel like you’re given a greater degree of control, which very much aligns with what this series has always been about.

"The lighting is definitely an upgrade, and some of the pitches do look slightly more detailed, but by and large, you’re not going to see a huge difference."

Meanwhile, another area where this year’s game makes some notable improvements is player interactions, which has probably been one of the series’ bigger weaknesses in the past. Traditionally, interactions with players in Football Manager games have felt either too stilted, too straightforward, or too unpredictable and random, if not a combination of all of the above, and while FM 24 by no means squashes every single one of those issues, it does feel like a step forward. Not only do players’ responses during interactions feel less erratic, the addition of being able to set specific targets also helps streamline things much further. Setting specific targets for players and having future interactions be based on their performances against those targets makes things feel like they’re following a much more palatable line of logic than they have in previous instalments.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, FM 24’s improvements are much more granular. The match engine sees some small improvements once again, coming this time in the form of improved player animations and ball physics. Players’ movements definitely feel less jerky, but you still do get moments where a player might make the stupidest decision possible at a moment where the right choice to make couldn’t be a more obvious one, like a winger running into acres of space, only to stop dead in his tracks and kick the ball back to a teammate rather than running at goal and taking a shot. I do appreciate the fact that it happens less often than it did in Football Manager 2023 – which itself made improvements in this area over its own immediate predecessor – but there’s still plenty of room for improvement here.

The same can be said about the visuals. Football Manager has never been anything close to a graphical showcase (it has both lovingly and mockingly been called a spreadsheet simulator on more than a few occasions), though Sports Interactive has nonetheless made the effort to polish up the series’ presentation side of things year on year. And as has been the case with previous instalments, the improvements in FM 24 are definitely marginal ones. The lighting is definitely an upgrade, and some of the pitches do look slightly more detailed, but by and large, you’re not going to see a huge difference. Of course, the meat and potatoes of the Football Manager experience has always been and continues to be what you do off the pitch, to the extent that there are plenty of players who keep matches limited to text-only highlights, so the lack of meaningful improvements to the match engine might not be equally disappointing to everyone.

"Football Manager 2024 neither surprises nor disappoints. If you’re familiar with what the franchise is about, going into the game, you’re going to get exactly what you expect."

Ultimately, Football Manager 2024 neither surprises nor disappoints. If you’re familiar with what the franchise is about, going into the game, you’re going to get exactly what you expect. It’s an iterative upgrade that continues to build on the series’ incredibly strong foundation with a number of smaller improvements. And though none of those improvements might stand out individually as headline-grabbing ones, collectively, they do make a noticeable difference. Is it enough of a difference to warrant a purchase of the game if you already have Football Manager 2023? Perhaps not, especially since next year’s instalment is promising to be the biggest shake-up in the history of Sports Interactive’s long-running series. But is it a game that you can easily sink hundreds of hours and sleepless nights into, as has become traditional for the franchise? It most certainly is.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Quantum Error

Early access for TeamKill Media’s upcoming horror title begins on October 31st for pre-orders on PS5. However, Quantum Error is available worldwide for everyone on November 3rd, with the story set in the Monad Quantum Research Facility.

Following an unknown attack, firefighter Capt. Jacob Thomas is sent in to rescue any survivors. Things quickly dive into cosmic horror territory, and it’s all players can do to survive. Developed on Unreal Engine 5 and utilizing the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback for immersion, Quantum Error could be a dark horse in a year of standout horror titles.

RoboCop: Rogue City

Terminator Resistance developer Teyon is adapting the other robotic action icon into shooter form with RoboCop: Rogue City. It takes place between the second and third films and sees RoboCop tackling the gangs of futuristic Detroit. There’s also Project Afterlife, a mysterious plan that could involve the ever-shady OCP.

Along with the classic Auto 9, players wield 20 different weapons, uphold the law, help citizens, and complete various missions for XP to unlock powerful upgrades. You can even investigate and gather evidence when you’re not punching perps in the gob. RoboCop: Rogue City launches on November 2nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

EA Sports WRC

The WRC series is back, albeit under the EA Sports moniker and developed by Codemasters, who are no strangers to rally racing games. While it offers WRC, WRC2 and Junior WRC cars and teams from the 2023 season, you can also control about 68 classic vehicles.

There are over 200 stages to play through, spread across 17 locations, including Portugal, Kenya, Japan and Monte Carlo, with new features like Builder Mode for designing a car, Moments Mode (which focuses on racing through recent events), Career, and cross-platform multiplayer. It even has Clubs with leaderboards. EA Sports WRC launches for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 on November 3rd.

The Invincible

Some sci-fi stories are full of hope and the anticipation of exploring beyond the reaches of human understanding. Based on Stanisław Lem’s sci-fi novel, Starward Industries’ The Invincible embodies the latter but reinforces one inescapable fact – not everywhere is meant for us. As astrobiologist Yasna, players venture to Regis 3 on the spaceship Invincible.

It’s not long before she’s caught up in searching for her crewmates with the help of astrogator Novik, slowly uncovering their fate and learning about the overwhelming threat on the planet. With gorgeous visuals and branching decisions, The Invincible promises a slow-burn thriller experience when it launches on November 6th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Broken Roads

If you’ve been aching for a Disco Elysium-style computer role-playing game, Drop Bear Byte’s Broken Roads may be worth checking out. Releasing on November 14th for Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch, it’s set in post-apocalyptic Western Australia, specifically the Wheatbelt region, as players explore the Outback and make alliances to survive. All decisions fall under four quadrants in the Moral Compass, which can provide different traits to cater to future choices. With multiple outcomes, extensive lore and turn-based combat, it’s an intriguing take on the genre which we’re keen to try.

Football Manager 2024

Would it be a November without a Football Manager title (not counting titles released before 2014)? Football Manager 2024 is out on November 6th with four versions – PC, Console (for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and also PC), Mobile and Touch for Nintendo Switch. Along with upgraded ball physics and lighting, new features like the Inverted Full Back role, a Match Preparation tab in Training, new Youth System Rankings and more are included.

This is in addition to quality-of-life improvements for the Fantasy Draft and pre-match briefing feedback panel, offering out players on loan, and more. Perhaps the best part is the ability to import your career from last year’s game and continue playing.

Flashback 2

As one of the more unorthodox side-scrolling action platformers of the early 90s, Flashback is finally getting a sequel, helmed by creator Paul Cuisset. It sees Galactic Bureau of Investigation agent Conrad B. Hart searching for his friend Ian while dealing with the Morph Invasion. With vibrant 2.5D visuals that capture the original’s cyberpunk vision, new locations, new mechanics and the same pulse-pounding action, Flashback 2 looks like a modern blast from the past. It’s out on November 16th for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S.

Super Mario RPG

For many, their first introduction to turn-based role-playing games happened not with Final Fantasy but with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. On November 17th, it finally returns as a remake for Nintendo Switch, featuring gorgeous overhauled visuals and orchestral arrangements for the soundtrack (with the original tracks still available).

There are also several new features and mechanics, from the new Easy Mode and fighting souped-up versions of existing bosses to the new Triple Move, a super move where all three party members attack. Even if you never played the original, Super Mario RPG is an experience that can’t be missed.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

From a legendary dragon to a Joryu, an agent of the Daidoji, Kazuma Kiryu returns in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Taking place after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, it sees Kiryu partaking in various missions in Osaka and Yokohama, interacting with new characters like Akame and dealing with new threats like Homare Nishitani III, the patriarch of the Kijin Clan.

In addition to serious story missions, Kiryu also indulges in combat with the Yakuza and Agent Styles and engages in various side activities like Karaoke, Pocket Circuit, the Coliseum, and even playing classic Sega games like Fighting Vipers 2, Daytona USA 2, Galaxy Force and Flicky. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches on November 9th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Risk of Rain Returns

While Hopoo Games eventually wants to explore other ideas outside the Risk for Rain franchise, it’s back for one last hurrah with Risk of Rain Returns. As a remaster of the first game, the side-scrolling rogue-lite shooter sports sharper visuals and 15 Survivors (two new to the roster) with unique play styles feeding into the sheer chaos possible with item pick-ups and power-ups.

Upon exploring Petrichor V, things increase in difficulty, but you can also add Artifacts for even more mayhem, like Imp Invasions every ten minutes. The best part is that along with couch co-op, the improved online multiplayer makes it much easier to team up with others. Risk of Rain Returns launches on November 8th for PC and Nintendo Switch.

Football Manager 2024, for instance, will be available to subscribers on PC, cloud, and console on November 6, which is the day of its release, while another upcoming game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, will also be available on the service on the day of its release, November 9.

EA and Koei Tecmo’s Monster Hunter-like Wild Hearts will also be available to PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers via EA Play on console, cloud, and PC on the same day. Meanwhile, Thirsty Suitors arrives on November 2 (console, cloud, and PC), Dungeons 4 on November 9 (console, cloud, and PC), Spirittea on November 13 (console, cloud, and PC), and Coral Island on November 14 (Xbox Series X/S and cloud).

Additionally, three titles have also been added to the service’s catalog today, with Jusant, Wartales, and Headbangers: Rhythm Royale.

As is the case every year, Football Manager 2024 will come in multiple different variants, depending on which platform you’re playing it on. The mainline version, dubbed FM 24 Console, will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5, and like past years, will once again be available via Game Pass at launch on both PC and Xbox.

FM 24 Touch, meanwhile, will be available on the Nintendo Switch, while FM 24 Mobile will, of course, be available on iOS and Android devices. This year, however, for the first time ever, the game’s mobile version will be available exclusively via Netflix.

Though Football Manager 2024’s global launch is scheduled for November 6 on all platforms, those who pre-order the game will receive roughly two weeks of early access. More details on the game, what to expect from it on different platforms, and its launch timings will be arriving in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

The difference in approaches between the two companies recently surfaced in a very public way when, during the Microsoft vs FTC trial, in his testimony, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan called Game Pass “value-destructive”, saying that the service is viewed by publishers in that light “unanimously”.

One developer that has supported Game Pass consistently that does not agree, however, is Football Manager studio Sports Interactive. Speaking in a recent interview with Eurogamer, studio head Miles Jacobson touched on the issue and said that Sports Interactive would not have agreed to a Game Pass deal if it wasn’t profitable from a business viewpoint.

“We run quite a tight ship, and I like our studio to be profitable – Sega took a big gamble on us all those years ago, and their shareholders – however weird it might sound – should be rewarded for that,” Jacobson said. “So we don’t tend to do deals that are bad for any parts of the business.”

Jacobson went on to explain that Football Manager’s success on Game Pass has allowed Sports Interactive to keep expanding the franchise in other ways as well, including attracting players that had never played it before, as well as helping the studio get a better grip on the demands of the live service space.

“The simple fact is Game Pass and Apple Arcade have brought new people to the franchise that never played it before,” he said. “I’m confident enough in our games to believe we will now have those consumers for a long time, whatever platforms we’re on. Fiscally, it makes sense. Creatively, it makes sense.

“Learnings-wise, it makes sense as well. We were looking at games as a service… Game Pass and Apple Arcade are games as a service platforms that we’re in. So you’re learning a lot more about that audience as well as you’re going along. And there’s no way we would have reached five million players on FM23 without the audiences on those platforms – with PlayStation being an added bonus on top, because we’ve done much better on PlayStation than we were expecting.”

Speaking specifically about Ryan’s aforementioned comments on Game Pass, Jacobson voiced his disagreement, saying that though every studio and company will have a different outlook, Sports Interactive’s doesn’t necessarily align with Ryan’s comments.

“Every studio has to make decisions themselves, but I don’t recognise some of the quotes that I see from other studios, and depositions,” he said. “I don’t recognise that in our business. It’s all very sunny for us.”

For a number of years in a row, Football Manager’s yearly instalments have been available via Game Pass, and presumably, the same will be true for this year’s title as well. Though concrete details are yet to be confirmed, Football Manager 2024 is expected to launch sometime in November.