Wilds of Talandre will be bringing in quite a bit of content for Throne and Liberty, including a new territory, new gear, new bosses to challenge, and new 3-star dungeons that will offer a higher level of difficulty.

To kick things off, the video goes into the third major territory being added to Solisium with the update – the eponymous Talandre. The addition of this new territory essentially doubling the existing map size in Throne and Liberty. The territory will be comprised of six zones, with each one having its own story that players can follow.

Talendre will also be home to three new Abyss Dungeons, each of them being quite big. Crimson Mansion is the biggest of the new dungeons coming to Throne and Liberty, with four floors, allowing players to explore and play around with their positioning in fights.

The studio notes that, while the release of the new dungeons will be staggered, two of the dungeons will be launching at the same time in an effort to ensure that players are more evenly spread out across different zones and dungeons. The dungeons will also offer up more challenge than previous ones in Throne and Liberty.

One of the new Archbosses coming to Throne and Liberty with the update is Deluzhnoa – a large halberd-wielding being that is seemingly encased in ice. The boss will make use of various mechanics that revolve around ice. The boss will also feature new weapons that players can earn by taking part in the fight.

Speaking of weapons, the Weapon Mastery system is also getting changed. Once the update is out, players will be able to select the weapon they want to level up through the in-game menu, rather than needing to have it equipped at all times. The selected weapon will get Weapon Mastery points, which can then be spent to unlock new abilities for that weapon type. With the new system, Weapon Mastery for each weapon can now go all the way up to level 200.

Along with all of the new group content, Wilds of Talandre will also bring with it new solo dungeons that players can take on to get better gear, while also getting some practice in order to take on the much harder group challenges.

Fans of PvP also have plenty to look forward to thanks to the addition of Nebula Island. The new territory is composed of six zones, each one having its own set of PvP and PvE-based activities. Four of the new zones will have PvP enabled at all times, encouraging players to get in constant fights with each other.

Throne and Liberty came out on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S all the way back in September 2024. For more details, check out our review. The MMORPG has also seen quite a bit of success since its release, with its first week alone getting more than 3 million players.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 made grand promises about its size and scope leading up to launch, and it makes good on those promises without a shadow of doubt. Even seeing the main story alone to completion requires a hefty time investment, but if you’re trying to experience every single thing the game has to offer, you’re easily going to clock in at least a hundred hours, if not more.

MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2024

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is exactly the sort of game for you if you like pouring endless hours into a single game. Like its 2020 predecessor, it lures you in with the promise of a large, authentically recreated digital twin of our planet and flight simulation mechanics, while this time, there’s an even greater amount of content and attention to detail in general to be impressed with. Chances are, if the game gets its hooks in you, you’re going to keep going back to it for some time to come.

LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH

A long Like a Dragon game? Who’d have thunk, eh? Of course, almost dauntingly long runtimes have been a key characteristic of Yakuza games for a long time now, but even by the series’ standards, Infinite Wealth is particularly beefy. Even the quickest of playthrough of this colossal RPG can easily take between 50-60 hours, but players who want to experience everything in the game are easily looking at over a hundred hours.

FINAL FANTASY 7 REBIRTH

“Epic” doesn’t begin to describe the scope of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Square Enix truly went all out with this game, as illustrated by just how much has been crammed into the experience. This is a massive open world RPG that – if, in addition to the main story, you’re also doing all of the side quests and every single side activity while taking the time to thoroughly explore each map – can keep you glued to your screen for upwards of even 150 hours.

PALWORLD

In its early access form, Palworld isn’t technically a “finished” game, but Pocketpair’s open world survival MMO is still a sizeable game. How sizeable exactly? Well, given its genre, it is designed around being highly replayabe, which gives it an inherent leg up in this area. Though a 30-40 hour playthrough is technically enough to get through the game’s critical path, Palworld has enough meat on its bones to keep you occupied for more than twice as long.

HELLDIVERS 2

The beauty of endlessly playable live service multiplayer games like Helldivers 2 (i.e. the good ones, which is admittedly a bit of a rare breed) is that you can play them almost infinitely. Not literally, maybe, but Arrowhead Game Studios’ co-op shooter is so incredibly well made and boasts such a strong core gameplay loop that many have already clocked an almost unreasonable amount of time into the game since it came out earlier this year.

ONCE HUMAN

Starry Studio’s open world multiplayer survival game Once Human is definitely a flawed piece, with issues such as some tedious mechanics, combat issues, rough storytelling, and more dragging it down. There is, however, plenty to enjoy here as well, and if that stuff does end up grabbing you, the good news for you is that Once Human has no shortage of content to get lost in.

THRONE AND LIBERTY

We’ve mentioned a few multiplayer-centric games here that find different ways to keep players coming back- but that is, of course, baked into the very DNA of an MMORPG. That is admittedly a genre with a historically low hit rate, and though Amazon Games’ Throne and Liberty is far from perfect, it does give players plenty of reasons to keep diving into its fantasy world. Grindiness may be an issue, but at least there’s plenty to do.

TEKKEN 8

A good fighting game has several tricks up its sleeve to keep players glued over a prolonged period of time, and Tekken 8 is one of the very best fighters out there, which means this is the sort of game that you can completely lose yourself to. You can technically see the game through to full completion in under 20 hours, but Tekken 8 delivers one of the most addictive and captivating fighting experiences out there, which means pouring in that amount of time multiple times over is very much conceivable.

DRAGON BALL: SPARKING! ZERO

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a very different kind of fighting game from Tekken 8, but it, too, is not only good enough, but also substantial enough to keep players busy for long stretches. The core mechanics are immaculate, there’s plenty of content on offer, and the roster is stupidly crowded. Dragon Ball fans can spend days upon days just pitting an infinite combination of characters against each other.

RISE OF THE RONIN

Team Ninja’s open world debut did not go as well as many would have hoped, and Rise of the Ronin is certainly nowhere near as good as the Nioh games, but though it’s got its share of rough edges, it’s also undoubtedly a large game. It does suffer from rote and repetitive design, which means not everyone may have the patience for everything that the game encompasses, but given the fact that the combat and traversal mechanics always remain highly enjoyable at their core, spending close to a hundred hours playing Rise of the Ronin might have some appeal.

SATISFACTORY

Over five years in early access had assured many that Satisfactory would be good, and sure enough, it’s good. How good? Well, just its main story alone requires over a hundred hours, while a completionist run is going to take you roughly twice as long. And in spite of those daunting demands, this is still a game that those who’ve played it will heartily will recommend to you. That’s how good Satisfactory is.

DRAGON’S DOGMA 2

Sticking to the critical path to finish the main story will see you putting roughly 25-30 hours into Dragon’s Dogma 2, but honestly, that’s one of the worst possible ways to play this game. Capcom’s open world action RPG constantly begs players to go off the beaten path, mess around with its sandbox systems, follow your curiosity, and be distracted by the abundant optional content on offer. There’s lots to do in Dragon’s Dogma 2, the majority of which is a blast, to the extent that even a comprehensive 100-hour playthrough can pass by in a flash.

ELDEN RING: SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE

From Software has made it a habit of delivering expansive, action RPGs that can keep you busy for long, long stretches, and Elden Ring’s expansion Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t buck that trend. From a lengthy critical path line to plentiful side content to a number of difficult to find secrets, Shadow of the Erdtree has no shortage of things to do- and thanks to its slick combat, engrossing boss fights, and eye-popping art style, you’re going to have an absolute blast as you’re doing all of it.

GRANBLUE FANTASY: RELINK

Simply playing through its main story is a solid enough way to get a taste of Granblue Fantasy: Relink, but Cygames’ action RPG is at its best when you truly dive into its co-op offerings, optional content, and its sizeable endgame. Repetitive quest design and grindy progression can be grating, but the game’s pros outweigh its cons, which is why so many of its players have happily sunk over a hundred hours into it.

Amazon Games and NCSoft’s Throne and Liberty launched earlier this month for PC and consoles, and the free-to-play MMORPG has attracted a rather healthy player base already. Amazon has announced that the game has seen over 3 million players in is first week across all platform, who have collectively played it for over 24 million hours. The game has also been viewed on Twitch for more than 11 million hours in total so far.

“Bringing Throne and Liberty to players around the world has been a huge shared undertaking by our team and our friends at NCSoft, and we’re so pleased to see the results as players join the game,” said Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann. “We’re only getting started, and we have a series of updates planned including our first castle siege coming soon.”

Though platform-specific numbers are unavailable, according to SteamDB, Throne and Liberty saw a peak of over 336,000 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend.

In our review of Throne and Liberty, we gave it a score of 6/10, saying, “Throne and Liberty might end up being a fine MMORPG in the long term, but currently, it has little in the way of new or interesting ideas to draw players away from other heavyweights in the genre.” Read the full review through here.

Throne and Liberty is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Throne and Liberty is currently entering into a market that’s essentially filled with entrenched players. Classics of the genre like World of Warcraft and others have taken up a gigantic chunk of the MMORPG market, while games like Destiny 2 have also swept up a chunk of MMO fans who might be more interested in action-oriented gameplay. For Throne and Liberty to be able to make a dent in the western market, it has to offer something truly unique from other online games these days, and while the title does have some interesting ideas about PvE and PvP content, it ends up falling short on many counts.

When it comes to variety of content, Throne and Liberty offers up quite a few ways for players to spend their time, including the main quest, several side quests, and even tertiary activities like crafting, gathering, and fishing. The game also includes group content, including a series of dungeons that players can take on. Throne and Liberty offers up an interesting take on the classic MMORPG convention of classes with different roles that players can take on. Rather than locking a character into a specific class, and by extension, a specific style of play, players instead have the freedom to switch their roles around depending on what they might be in the mood for. Rather than classes, players will instead pick their weapon of choice, which in turn fills out their list of abilities. Players that prefer to keep enemy attention on themselves so that their teammates can focus on dealing damage might be drawn to the Sword and Shield, while Wand and Tome users can then focus on healing their group, while Bow, or Dagger users can kill off enemies with abilities that deal damage.

This class-less structure also has the side benefit of allowing gameplay during the early leveling process to remain fresh. Since players can switch their weapons, and by extension their entire skillset, if raining down fireballs on enemies is getting boring, you could always switch to the Greatsword and get up close and personal with your opponents instead. The downside of this structure is that progression becomes harder the more you want to experiment. Different weapon users will find different types of armor useful, after all, and if you’re the kind of player that likes switching things around, you’re going to be grinding quite a bit in order to craft the right set of equipment for your chosen roles. Playing the game as a solo adventurer feels like it’s balanced towards the player not really switching between different weapons, since you happen to find enough materials to keep one set of gear up to date.

Another unique aspect of Throne and Liberty is that it allows all players to shapeshift into different animals. Rather than offering up any concrete gameplay bonuses in battle, like for example the Druid class in World of Warcraft, these shapeshifting abilities are more focused on allowing players to explore the world of Solisium in different ways. Players can shapeshift into an otter, a hawk, or a large cat. These forms allow players more freedom and increased speed while exploring the world by water, air or land respectively. Aside from this, however, the shapeshifting doesn’t really offer anything new and can essentially be looked at as Throne and Liberty’s own take on mounts.

"Rather than classes, players will instead pick their weapon of choice"

When it comes to core gameplay, Throne and Liberty is a real-time action RPG, with an interesting focus on being able to parry and counter attacks. Much like other MMOs, enemy attacks in Throne and Liberty tend to be telegraphed well, and players have the option of either moving around to avoid the attack, or to counter the attack without having to move at all. The system seems to be designed around making gameplay for the tank role more exciting, but ultimately feels rather underbaked, since the button to counter attacks ends up feeling like yet another defensive ability that players will have to use anyway. While interesting in theory, the counter system doesn’t really do much to distinguish the game from its competitors in any meaningful way.

One of the best things about Throne and Liberty is its visuals, and it’s hard to argue that Throne and Liberty doesn’t look great. The character models are all well detailed, allowing for armor and clothing to look like they naturally belong on these characters, while the world itself can often be really fun to explore thanks to just how breathtaking it can often end up being. The game offers up a few zones that players can explore, each offering up different themes and vibes, ranging from the large city of Kastleton, to the spookier, more atmospheric Carmine Forest. There are also the ruins of an epic battle in the form of the Titanreach Ruins, and even the tropical forests of Lizard Island, which also happens to be filled with poisonous flowers. All of these zones are also subject to different weather conditions, as well as a day/night cycle, which can do quite a bit to change the atmosphere of the area.

One of the potential downsides of Throne and Liberty is the way in which it has been monetized. A premium currency, Lucent, can be purchased by players, which can then in turn be used to buy things through an in-game shop. The in-game shop, at the time of writing, only features cosmetic items, including outfits and pets. What this means for the game’s economy in the future is currently unclear, but being able to pay real money for items that are otherwise earned in game certainly can’t be a good sign for the long-term health of an MMORPG.

"It’s hard to argue that Throne and Liberty doesn’t look great."

The endgame content in Throne and Liberty is quite lacking, since there isn’t much for PvE players to do aside from dungeons. The game revolves more around PvP, with Guild-versus-Guild events where player guilds have to battle it out against each other to seize control of Boonstones and Riftstones. Unfortunately, there isn’t really much in the way of raiding content like World of Warcraft or Destiny 2 where players can get together to take on more challenging forms of PvE content, and the dungeons, while fun, tend to fall on the easier side of things.

It also doesn’t help that getting into endgame content can be a challenge in and of itself. The grind to get your equipment up to par in order to simply just staying alive beyond a single hit in some of the game’s higher levelled zones can be an excruciating experience.

Ultimately, Throne and Liberty feels quite underbaked. The notorious monetization that some MMORPGs are known for tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, and Throne and Liberty doesn’t really offer much reprieve in this regard considering the presence of an in-game shop, and historic releases from the region like Lost Ark. The level of grinding required to level up different weapons and roles also feels quite sharp, and if you want to keep things interesting, you’ll definitely want to experiment with various weapons. All of that said, however, Throne and Liberty is a gorgeous game that plays fine, and even has a few interesting ideas here and there with regards to combat and exploration.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Until Dawn Remake

Before it dabbled in horror anthologies and that one underwhelming Dead by Daylight crossover, Supermassive Games had its big break with Until Dawn. It’s getting the remake treatment, launching on October 4th for PS5 and PC, courtesy of Ballistic Moon. Rebuilt from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5, it features improvements to character models and textures, liquid physics (like, say, blood spatters), effects, facial animations, and more.

There’s also a new third-person camera, providing an alternative perspective on classic scenes, new areas prompting new interactions, and even a reworked prologue. PC players will have to suffer mandatory PSN requirements, but if you’re interested in Supermassive’s best work yet, then Until Dawn’s remake could be worth it.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Counterpoint: Wait four more days and experience Bloober Team’s remake of one of the best horror games ever. Silent Hill 2 remake arrives on October 8th for PS5 and PC, with “other platforms” (they know who they are) having to wait another year. The story of James Sunderland as he ventures into the mysterious Silent Hill at the behest of his deceased wife is intact, as is the series’ iconic fog and horrors like Pyramid Head.

However, almost everything else has seen an overhaul. A new third-person view and combat mechanics, new enemy attacks, changes to enemy locations and items, more buildings to explore – the list goes on. Whether it lives up to the original or not, Silent Hill 2 remake looks to prove itself.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake

Of course, if neither of the previous two options works out, there’s one more remake – Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8. Based on Koei’s turn-based strategy from 2001, it features a revamped aesthetic, new features like Tales and Destiny (the latter altering events significantly), and the option to play as any officer (with the total number raised to 1000 from 600). Unorthodox? It doesn’t offer the over-the-top hack-and-slash action of Dynasty Warriors, but Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is still worth checking out for fans when it launches on October 24th for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Following numerous rumors over the years, Guerilla Games finally revealed Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and it’s on track to launch on October 31st for PS5 and PC. Leaving aside the necessity of the release, several changes and features could make it worthwhile for old and new fans. Hours of conversations have been re-recorded, and multiple improvements can be seen in the character models, animations, and lighting.

There’s also support for the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, support save transfer from the original game, accessibility features from Horizon Forbidden West (which should make grinding for materials less painful), and a $9.99 upgrade option for current owners. At $49.99 for new players, it’s not the worst way to experience the 2017 open-world action RPG and its expansion, The Frozen Wilds, especially given the sheer amount of content. It even supports the PS5 Pro out of the box.

Throne and Liberty

A new free-to-play MMORPG? In this economy? Technically, Throne and Liberty was meant as a sequel to Lineage and announced as such in 2011. Plans changed, and it morphed into the current game, which launched in December 2023 for South Korea. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 1st, bringing its mix of castle sieges, massive PvP battles, combat styles, and even transformations to North America, Europe and Japan. Will it stand out and offer a fun new experience? We’ll find out soon enough.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred

You’d be forgiven for not remembering the ending to Diablo 4, especially with how its big bad turned out. Venturing to Nahantu to search for Neyrelle, the Wanderer encounters new enemies, dangerous new locations, and the Spiritborn, a new friendly faction that joins the fight. Players can choose the Spiritborn as a new class, harnessing different spirits and elemental properties to annihilate their enemies.

Regardless of how the story turns out, Vessel of Hatred promises tons of new content, from new Mercenaries with unique skill trees, the return of Runewords, and a new co-op activity, the Dark Citadel, to master. It launches on October 8th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, alongside a free update that overhauls progression, introduces new skills per class, and much more.

Starship Troopers: Extermination

Arrowhead Game Studios’ latest update for Helldivers 2 appears to have dragged it out of an unfun state. However, if it’s another co-op-focused alien bug-stomping shooter that you want, then Starship Troopers: Extermination may be the ticket. Exiting early access on October 11th and becoming available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, it features a new campaign starring Johnny Rico from the original film with 25 missions. This is on top of all the base defense, fast-paced first-person shooter combat, 16-player co-op, and extraction that makes the current product such a blast.

Undisputed

Amid all its sports titles, it’s a shame that Electronic Arts hasn’t brought back Fight Night. Until then, Steel City Interactive’s Undisputed will have to fill that gap when it exits early access on October 11th for PC while also becoming available for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Featuring over 70 fighters, multiple traits and attributes, +60 punches, and a Career Mode with champions from the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, and International Boxing Federation, it could very well be worth the wait.

Post Trauma

October isn’t just about highly anticipated sequels and blockbusters – it’s also prime horror season. If Silent Hill and Until Dawn aren’t enough, Red Soul Games’ Post Trauma launches on October 29th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It sees a train conductor, Roman, trapped in a bizarre world and attempting to escape, solving puzzles and escaping from horrifying monstrosities. While it channels old-school survival horror titles with its fixed camera angles, Post Trauma offers various control types, from modern style to tank style, for a truly classic experience.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead

Those seeking something scary based on a film franchise might want to check out A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. Picking up right after the murderous aliens arrive on Earth, players control Alex Taylor as she attempts to evade their cruelty and protect her loved ones. The focus on not making any sound, avoiding unnecessary contact with the environment at all costs, and even retrieving inhalers makes for some tense gameplay. Whether it translates into genuine scares or a memorable story remains to be seen, but it’s out on October 17th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Unknown 9: Awakening

Reflector Entertainment’s Unknown 9: Awakening is out on October 18th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC after being announced in 2020. The action-adventure occurs in the 19th century and stars Haroona, who possesses unique abilities tied to the Fold. She seeks answers while fighting off a dangerous organization known as the Ascendants, who have sinister plans for the Fold.

With the ability to cloak, possess enemies, and slip into the Fold, Haroona will traverse the globe, visiting India, Portugal and many other locations. Even if the gameplay could use more polish, the set-up is intriguing, and we’re curious to see how it pans out.

Europa

If an adventure with a more animated art style is your thing, Future Friends Games’ Europa is an option. Launching on October 11th for PC and Nintendo Switch, the story sees an android, Zee, venturing through Jupiter’s moon Europa. With utterly gorgeous environments to discover secrets, the gameplay mixes exploration, platforming, and puzzle-solving combined with a mystery that could make for a more emotional tale amid all the serious offerings this month.

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House

Something wicked this way comes in Alan Wake 2’s second and final paid DLC, The Lake House. It returns to Cauldron Lake in Bright Falls, venturing into a facility of the same name set up by the Federal Bureau of Control (of Control fame). While very little is known about the story, it’s clear that something has gone wrong. Narrated from the perspective of Kiran Estevez, the story occurs parallel to the base game’s events, potentially opening up new clues about the lake’s powers and the Dark Presence.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the expansion is that this isn’t a humorous or kitschy experience like Night Springs. Remedy Entertainment has focused on delivering a “chilling survival horror experience”, and while there’s more yet to be revealed, it’s teased that “monsters wear many faces.” Alan Wake 2: The Lake House launches in October and is available only with the Deluxe Edition and physical Collector’s Edition.

MechWarrior 5: Clans

Suffering a slight delay from October 3rd to 17th, Clans is the other half of the MechWarrior 5 experience, the first being Mercenaries from 2021. It features a standalone cinematic story where players participate in Operation Revival after graduating from the Smoke Jaguar program.

With your customizable BattleMech and numerous options, including an overhauled MechLab and Hardpoint systems, you harness new weapons, upgrade pilots, and lead your squad to victory. With dynamic destruction, the same brutal grounded combat fans know and love, and support for up to five players in multiplayer, MechWarrior 5: Clans could be a dark horse when it launches for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Sonic X Shadow Generations

Sonic X Shadow Generations offers a remaster of Sonic Generations, which features a “Greatest Hits” compilation of 2D and 3D Sonic levels from across the series (up to 2011). However, the main attraction is the standalone campaign starring Shadow the Hedgehog, which sees him battling the mysteriously resurgent Black Doom.

Shadow sports new powers and traverses areas from his memories, whether it’s venturing through Kingdom Valley from Sonic ’06, or battling the Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2. There’s a lot to look forward to and some excellent re-renditions of classic tracks when Sonic X Shadow Generations launches on October 25th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Max Caulfield, protagonist of the first Life is Strange, returns in Double Exposure. Located at Caledon University, she settles down and finally feels comfortable after a long time. Unfortunately, when her new friend, Safi, is murdered, Max attempts to reawaken her Rewind powers and instead opens a portal to a parallel dimension.

Not only is Safi alive in this world, but things are significantly different all around. Time is ticking down, however, and Max must locate her killer before it’s too late again. With intriguing mechanics and puzzles that facilitate carrying over items between dimensions, Life is Strange: Double Exposure offers another compelling supernatural mystery. It’s out on October 29th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Last but certainly not least is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new title for the series in almost ten years. While Solas, the Dread Wolf, is a wild card, you have seven companions to join your cause, each with distinct abilities and skill trees, unique quests and motivations.

Unlike Inquisition, Veilguard offers a mission-based campaign with real-time action RPG combat. Players can choose from three classes, each with three Specializations, and command two other party members, setting up combos and destroying enemies accordingly (with a tactical wheel available to plan everything). With an immense scale, gorgeous visuals, and a promising story, Dragon Age: The Veilguard could be BioWare’s long-awaited redemption when it launches on October 31st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

The Casting of Frank Stone

By now, we should all be acquainted with Supermassive Games’ brand of narrative adventure, choice and consequence, and character-driven horror. The Casting of Frank Stone has all that but spices things up further by tying up with Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight. Skill checks collide with potential life-ending choices, and somewhere, someway, the Entity is seemingly involved. It’s out on September 3rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

NBA 2K25

Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K series is back for another round, as it usually is by this time of year. Launching September 6th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, it adds 9,000 new animations, Rhythm Shooting, Signature Shots, and even Learn 2K, a mode for learning everything there is to know about NBA 2K25. Best of all, this marks the first time the PC version has parity with the current-gen releases (though crossplay is a no-go).

Towerborne (Early Access)

Stoic Studio’s long-awaited Towerborne, which combines side-scrolling beat ’em up combat with live service machinations, enters early access for PC on September 10th. While that means Xbox Series X/S players will miss out, combat has looked compelling, with each of the four classes looking unique. Early access also offers a storyline, “hundreds” of Discovery missions, 13 Venture missions (which feature multiple bosses), Aspects, and four Danger Levels for about 30 to 60 hours of gameplay.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

After years and years, Nintendo finally delivered a new title in The Legend of Zelda series not focused on Link. Well, not in the way that we’re used to. With a strange corruption taking over Hyrule and Link out of commission, it’s Zelda’s turn to protect the kingdom. Featuring a top-down perspective, the art style from the Link’s Awakening remake, and the ability to duplicate almost everything, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom looks like a delightful action-adventure. It’s out on September 26th for the Nintendo Switch.

Throne and Liberty

From its initial announcement as a new Lineage title to launching for PC last year in South Korea, NCSoft’s Throne and Liberty will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC in North America, Japan, and Europe on September 17th. Featuring crossplay support, the free-to-play MMO promises massive fantasy medieval skirmishes, an extensive world with day/night cycles, multiple weapon types, and even shape-shifting. New MMOs aren’t necessarily a dime a dozen – perhaps this will be worth the wait.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Despite the name, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is closer to a remake, with revamped visuals courtesy of RE Engine, a new modern control scheme, full voice-acting, and the same zombie-slaying that defined the original. There are also a ton of quality-of-life improvements, including an option to fast-forward through time, new photography features, autosaves, and more. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster launches on September 19th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Frostpunk 2

11 bit studios’ Frostpunk 2 is launching on September 20th for PC after facing a delay, and its expanded scale, factions, and system of proposing laws (and dealing with the consequences) looks as enticing as ever. Several changes and improvements have been made, from a cleaner UI to more direct-use abilities and Zoom Stories to focus on individual citizens. There’s even modding support at launch, with the tease of T-Rexes in the frostland.

UFL

If the latest EA football title isn’t doing it for you, then maybe UFL will. Developed by Strikerz Inc. on Unreal Engine, the free-to-play title launches on September 12th. It features 2v2 and 3v3 matches, an extensive online experience courtesy of an online football league, and about 5,000 real-life players (including Cristiano Ronaldo). Whether it threatens EA Sports’ dynasty or not, UFL could be a decent alternative.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

The racing genre has been feeling a little barren lately, which KT Racing’s Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown should help to address. Offering a 1:1 scale of Hong Kong Island with numerous districts to explore, two factions to join, a revamped ranked experience, and a live service approach, there’s plenty to look forward to. The question is whether it all coalesces into a fun experience, especially after all the delays. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown arrives on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5.

Astro Bot

The beloved Astro returns in a much bigger, more fleshed-out adventure on September 6th. With over 50 planets to explore, more than 15 new abilities, and +300 Bots to rescue – including cameos from Horizon, Bloodborne, and Jak and Daxter – there’s a lot of content to look forward to. Whether you’re in it for the tight platforming and adventuring or to collect every single Bot, Astro Bot looks to be a good time.

EA Sports FC 25

Dread it, run from it – a new football title from EA Sports arrives all the same. This year’s iteration brings several new features, like Player Roles, Goalkeeper Playstyles, and FC IQ for improved team AI. Perhaps the most intriguing new addition is Rush, a 5v5 competitive mode promising faster, more exciting matches. EA Sports FC 25 arrives on September 27th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns

Remember the gold old days when Liu Kang didn’t have to deal with a chaotic fighter who used their limbs to fight? Khaos Reigns is the post-story expansion for Mortal Kombat 1, adding a new plot with Havik as the antagonist. It also includes Kombat Pack 2, with fighters like Sektor, Cyrax, Noob Saibot, the T-1000 from Terminator and even Conan the Barbarian. Launching on September 24th, Khaos Reigns will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

The Plucky Squire

Indie platformers come and go, but something about The Plucky Squire from All Possible Futures makes it stand out. Maybe it’s the gorgeous art style or the seamless transitions from 2D to 3D gameplay, with genres like role-playing games, side-scrolling shoot ’em ups and more thrown into one intriguing potpourri. Either way, it’s out on September 17th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and we can’t wait.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Almost 13 years after the original’s launch, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is upon us. With massive swarms of Tyranids to assail across a 12-hour campaign, tons of weapons, and epic set pieces, the sequel promises a heaping helping of bloody action (which newcomers can jump into without any hurdles). There’s also a separate Operations mode with co-op support and PvP, multiple classes, and extensive customization to keep players busy. Space Marine 2 launches on September 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Starfield: Shattered Space

Last and hopefully not least is Shattered Space. Bad things are going down, with cosmic horrors running around and various factions in conflict. With new space suits, gear, and unique weapons to go with new quests and horror elements, it could be the shot in the arm that the space-faring RPG needs when it launches on September 30th.

Available until July 23rd, the beta will be available in North America, Europe, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Language and text options include English, Japanese and Korean, though one can also select French, German, Spanish and Brazilian-Portuguese for the latter.

Crossplay support is also enabled, allowing those on different platforms to team together. However, progression won’t carry over to the game.

Throne and Liberty launches on September 17th worldwide. It offers PvE and PvP modes, including the ambitious Castle Siege, which supports thousands of players. The exact content of the open beta is unknown, but it would be the perfect opportunity to stress test the mode. Stay tuned for more details on the full game release in the coming weeks.

Originally announced as a sequel to Lineage in 2011, Throne and Liberty underwent numerous changes and delays before launching in November 2023 for PC in South Korea. Set in Solisium, the title offers PvE and PvP with guilds, dynamic weather cycles (which change the terrain and even affect your weapons) and more. Like Wuthering Waves, players can defeat bosses and shapeshift into them during combat.

Perhaps the most notable calling card is Castle Siege, where thousands of players can participate. For those looking to try out the experience before launch, an open beta for all regions is set for July 18th to 23. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

The studio has revealed little in the way of details about Throne and Liberty aside from a closed beta that took place for players in South Korea. The title is set to be a free-to-play MMORPG, and will be released on multiple platforms. Whether it will feature cross-platform multiplayer or cross-platform progression is yet to be seen. The game will be free-to-play.

Amazon Games has been working as a publishing partner for a few MMORPGs. Aside from its own in-house game New World, the company has also published Lost Ark in the west, which saw quite a few players when it first launched.

NCSoft has also been working on publishing another game. Dubbed Project LLL, the title is slated to be an open-world third-person multiplayer shooter, and will be coming to PC and consoles.

Learn more about THRONE AND LIBERTY! A free-to-play, multi-platform MMORPG!

Tune into @SummerGameFest on June 8! pic.twitter.com/BnOUeotMBM

— THRONE AND LIBERTY (@playtlgame) June 6, 2023