Available for PS4, Ace Combat 7: Skies of Unknown sees players controlling Trigger, a fighter pilot serving his penance while Osea and Erusea wage war. Launched in 2019, Bandai Namco’s air combat title has sold over seven million copies and earned critical acclaim. If you’re the least bit interested in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, then it’s absolutely worth playing Ace Combat 7 first.

Subnautica: Below Zero is somewhat less mandatory before the next game enters early access this year. Coming to PS4 and PS5 subscribers, it offers new characters, biomes, creatures, and mechanics, such as surface exploration. Not as acclaimed as the original, but it’s still one of the better survival crafting adventures out there.

The same goes for ULTROS on PS4 and PS5, at least in the sci-fi side-scrolling department. With trippy visuals courtesy of El Huervo (Hotline Miami) and an incredible soundtrack, it’s an adventure unlike most. And if realistic boxing is your poison, Undisputed, available exclusively for PS5, could be worthwhile. With over 70 fighters and dozens of Attributes and Traits to master, there’s a lot to keep you busy.

Unsurprisingly, on top of the software charts for the month is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which has also instantly become the third-highest selling game of the year in the US. In terms of dollar sales, its launch is 23 bigger than that of last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with 82 percent of its October sales coming on PS5 and PS4. 

Trailing behind in second place is Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, which has also got off to a quick start. It has instantly become the fourth-highest selling game of the year in the US, in addition to becoming not only the bestselling Dragon Ball game in the US to date in dollar sales (yes, already), but also Bandai Namco’s third-highest selling game of all time in the region, behind Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3. 

In third place in the charts we have Konami and Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2. It’s already become the No. 2 bestselling game in the Silent Hill series in the region to date, behind the original Silent Hill 2. 

Meanwhile, several other major titles that launched in October also occupy in the US’ charts for the month, with Steel City Interactive and Plaion’s Undisputed (No. 4), Atlus and Sega’s Metaphor: ReFantazio (No. 5), BioWare and EA’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard (No. 6), Nintendo Cube and Nintendo’s Super Mario Party Jamboree (No. 7), Sonic Team and Sega’s Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Deck Nine and Square Enix’s Life is Strange: Double Exposure (No. 18).

On the hardware side of things, consumer spending in the US dropped 23 percent in October year-on-year, with a total of 604,000 hardware units sold (down from 759,000 in October last year). PS5 was the bestselling console of the month in the US in dollar and unit sales, while Xbox Series X/S took second place in both metrics. However, all consoles saw a year-on-year drop in sales, with Switch dollar sales slipping by 38 percent, PS5 sales by 20 percent, and Xbox Series X/S sales by 18 percent. 

Nevertheless, it evens out, considering sales were up 24 percent on PS4 and PS5. PlayStation accounted for nearly 75 percent of total sales, followed by PC with 15 percent and Xbox at 11 percent. The second best-selling title of the month was EA Sports FC 25, though sales were 14 percent lower than its predecessor.

Other noteworthy new releases include Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. Its sales were 80 percent higher in its debut month than Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Undisputed is currently the second biggest sports title of the year in the UK, just behind EA Sports FC 25. Silent Hill 2 remake also debuted strong, though its launch sales were lower than that of Dead Space remake and Resident Evil 4 remake.

Check out the top ten best-selling games in the UK for October, courtesy of GSD.

As reported by GamesIndustry, Undisputed has now sold over a million units worldwide across all platforms. The game launched in full earlier this month, after having been in early access on Steam for over a year and a half.

Steel City Interactive CEO Ash Habib has also revealed that the game has exceeded published Deep Silver’s internal sales forecasts.

“There hasn’t been a boxing game in 12 to 13 years,” he said. “The way we’ve done Early Access and built our community, and the numbers we were seeing… I was hoping for a pretty good launch.

“But this is my very first time. I have no benchmarks to compare this against. I could act like a spoiled brat and go ‘a million’s a million, what does that even mean?’ But in real terms, I know it’s a pretty incredible achievement for an indie studio’s first title. And we’ve gone above our forecasts that the publisher had.”

In our review of Undisputed, we awarded it a score of 7/10, saying, “Undisputed delivers impressive graphical detail and an extensive fighter roster that will satisfy boxing fans. The moment to moment boxing mechanics feel fun while leaning into the sim territory with the game’s sixty different punches. While the modes within Undisputed don’t warrant the asking price of $59.99, the character options, fighting mechanics, and deep roster are enough to satisfy fans of the genre.” Read the full review through here.

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

"Fighters have a lot of detail to them and the lighting and sweat look great."

It’s in the graphical presentation where one begins to really feel the decade-long advancement in technology since the last licensed boxing game. These are the best graphics for a boxing game yet, which admittedly isn’t saying much since the last licensed boxing game was in 2011. Still, the realism that Steel City managed to portray here with the Unity engine is rather astounding. The 70-plus roster of fighters all look like their real-life counterparts. They didn’t just perfect the tattoos likenesses of cover athletes like Canelo Alverez, but perfectly captured every detail of Connor Benn’s fully covered body tattoos. Fighters drip with sweat as the fights progresses and the lighting displayed within the game’s 20-plus venues is exquisite. There’s no two ways about it, Undisputed features the most realistic graphics in any boxing game to date, capturing the likeness of the comprehensive roster of fighters in great detail.

Just as important as graphics are the animations, and I’m pleased to say that Undisputed excels in this department just as well. It’s not easy to capture body-to-body contact with complex arm motions without embarrassing clipping and frame warping breaking the immersion. Thankfully, almost every motion in Undisputed looks natural, with combo punches and fleeting footwork avoiding the uncanny valley. Fighters appropriately angle their body when doing an uppercut and pivot their feet realistically when stepping into a heavy KO-intentioned punch. Whether you’re switching up different stances in combos or blocking with straight jabs, the motions manage to look natural and realistic.

"Legendary fighters display their signature stances and quirky movements, though lesser-known fighters aren’t given such personalized animations."

While the full roster of fighters don’t all feature their unique stances and quirks, many of the notable fighters do. Unfortunately, a fighter’s unique style doesn’t translate over to their entrance or post-fight behavior. For example, Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t kneel down in his corner before fights, instead standing around with the stock animations the rest of the fighters have when not engaged in the ring. All in all, the graphics and animations are the highlight of this entire experience for me, managing to feel and look every bit as authentic and visceral as a professional boxing bout should be.

There’s more to a game than graphics though, and it’s in the modes where Undisputed may disappoint some players. The game’s modes are made up of Quick Match, Career, Prize Fights, and Online Ranked and Unranked. Prize Fights are weekly rotational special fights intended to challenge the player in interesting ways. I wish you earned something to transfer to your Career Modes after successfully winning a Prize Fight, but the only reward is your place on a leaderboard, as well as bragging rights and some trophies/achievements upon a particularly skillful performance.

"Career Mode gives you full reigns over a fighter’s management and statistical parameters, including licensed fighters and your custom character."

Undisputed doesn’t attempt to fill the shoes of Fight Night regarding its Career Mode. The Career Mode here lacks any story or presentation value outside of the spectacle of the fights themselves, rather supplying a sim-like experience progressing and managing your fighting career. Everything is text-based with no voice acting or immersive training mini-games like most other sports titles have. Once I realized what this Career Mode wasn’t trying to be, I quite enjoyed what it had to offer, regardless of its shortcomings.

"The character creator is delightfully expansive, allowing a full range of facial customization and stat allocation"

Meanwhile, Undisputed’s character creator is surprisingly versatile, allowing for a wide range of body types and facial features. Just take a look at the stuff I created as an example of the horrors or beauties you can craft. The game provides a generous offering of body part sliders as well as a solid selection of different hair styles. It’s safe to say fans won’t be disappointed with the character creator here. As expected, you can allocate all the different stats as you see fit to your character, as well as give them a stance, gloves, shorts, taunts, and walkout music. The selection of gloves, shorts, and shoes is pathetic, offering under 10 selections for each, so hopefully the studio patches a wider variety post-launch.

Once you’ve created your character within Career Mode and overcome the beginner tournament, it’s time to hire your three staff members to prepare for some real fights. You’re given a salary for winning fights, which will need to be carefully managed buy paying staff and medical expenses. Staff with superior stats cost more to sign, just as Gyms that offer higher stat bonuses during training are pricier. I found this financial balancing act pretty fun, scratching that managerial itch that other games’ Franchise Mode gives. Not only do you level up your own fighter after bouts in the ring, but your manager’s stats as well.

"Training sessions allow you to improve fight sharpness, weight, energy, and a host of stats before an upcoming fight."

I also enjoy the balancing between between my fighter’s weight management and fight sharpness during week simulations. You’ll often have to wait a couple weeks or months before you’re sharp enough or within the weight limit to join a fight , adding an extra pinch of sim salt to the game. Even worse is when you get badly injured with a KO. Waiting times are longer for injuries, or you can opt to pay a medical fee for your staff to patch you up immediately, if they’re good enough that is; my cutman was cheap but ineffective, so they failed to heal me, costing me much-needed money in the process. Although the presentation values are non-existent within these Career Mode activities, management sim players will appreciate the balancing act that comes with the money, training, and staff aspects of Undisputed.

"Injuries will occur to various body parts if you aren’t careful during a fight, requiring costly fees to patch up."

I’m especially amused at the potential to build yourself into a losing career if these aspects are managed poorly early on. It can feel like an uphill battle paying medical fees for those poorly timed blocks that got you cut up in the last fight, making your choices within Career feel all the more impactful and urgent. That said, there’s no heightened bout presentation within Career Mode, even when you win a belt. It’s the same commentary team and intro/outro cutscenes from other modes in the game, making Career Mode feel less special and worthwhile than it could have been.

Unfortunately, the servers weren’t available for me to play any matches within the game’s Online Modes, as I played during the limited pre-launch window and not the beta period earlier in the year. Those who’ve played the beta have had mixed experiences with matchmaking, citing occasional lag and ghost punches as problem areas. But this is a review of the current iteration of the game and not the beta, so I have no comment to give on the state of the Online servers at this time. The online modes themselves allow for quick matches, tournaments, and ranked matches; you can even use your horrific created characters to scare other players into a coma if you so desire.

"You can sway your head backwards to narrowly avoid heavy punches."

Finally, let’s talk about the meat and potatoes of any fighting game, the gameplay mechanics. The punches you throw in Undisputed consist of four general types: body, straight, uppercut, and quick jabs. It’s impressive how the studio has expanded these basic punch types into over 60 variations of punches depending on footing, angle, and combos. Part of that variety lies in the ‘strong’ modifier you can apply to any punch using the right trigger, the go-to option when initiating a devastating KO. Like the real sport of boxing, expending a lot of energy in repeated strong punches results in a quicker decline in stamina, which of course gets has its own meter that must be managed throughout the fight. Stamina isn’t the only meter you have to watch, you also have a health and block meter that decline as those parts of your fighter’s body gets hit. The various meters brings me to the many stats that comprise your fighter’s output in Undisputed. Stats are divided into five broad categories, which are then subdivided into three smaller categories each.

I like how, not only can your head and body be damaged over time, but your block as well. This is another little realistic wrinkle that helps adds authenticity to the experience. You really cannot rely too heavily on any one stance unless you want that part to get fatigued early on in the fight. The way the individual parts of your fighter get drained is balanced quite well, encouraging players to stay on their toes switching up their offense and defense to spread around the damage just like the real sport. This attention to detail regarding individual fighter parameters translates to the strategy involved with picking your opponent. For example, if your Career Mode fighter has weak blocking and strong body stats, it may be wise to choose an opponent that doesn’t typically wear out the opponent’s block with rapid jabs.

"Your stamina and health bars deplete as you expend energy and get hit, resulting in sluggish movements and weaker punches over time."

Micromanaging the stamina of your various parameters through a fight provides a fun strategic layer that orients Undisputed as a more sim-based fighting game while allowing for accessibility through difficulty modifiers and the like. That said, some punches do ‘slip through’ and clip through well placed blocks occasionally, making your risk/reward efforts go to waste. I don’t want to make it seem too common for this to happen since it is rare for punches to clip through blocks, but it did occur to me nonetheless and bears mentioning. Another issue that a majority of players, including myself, have noted is how tethered to your opponent your fighter is. You’re always facing in the position of your opponent, which makes bouts feel on-rails sliding along an immovable axis, negating freedom of movement. Sure, you can sway and bob around, but even that comes at the expense of your punches since you cannot input both sways and punches simultaneously. Undisputed comes close to being a truly authentic sim boxing experience, but the inability to punch while swaying or dodging feels particularly limiting.

Pound for pound, Undisputed is a worthy enough boxing game for fans of the genre wanting something to fill the void left by EA’s Fight Night series. It doesn’t supply any of the compelling narrative that EA’s legendary series offered with its Story Mode, but Undisputed provides a fun Career with fun management elements. Undisputed is perhaps most noteworthy for being the most graphically impressive boxing game to date, and with an amazing roster of 70 licensed fighters to boot. Is Undisputed worth the $59.99 asking price? Maybe not, but it’s a solid choice for the boxing game enthusiast and one that will satisfy until a more worthy adversary join the ring.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

MOVEMENT

Steel City Interactive has been promising the most authentic boxing sim mechanics with Undisputed since day one, and a lot of that will come through how you will control movement. The game will offer players complete control over how they move around the ring, including fine control over footwork and stamina with the Flat Footed Movement and Loose Movement options. That will mean that every step, pivot, and slip will be in your control, as per the developers.

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Beyond its movement and footwork mechanics, Undisputed will also tout over 60 different kinds of punches for players to unleash at opponents, from hooks to uppercuts to jabs to much, much more. On the defensive side of things, clever footwork, blocks, and what have you will be crucial to not only evade attacks, but be able to counter incoming moves. How you time your attacks and defensive maneuvers and how you manage your movement around the ring will greatly inform how you perform in a fight.

ROSTER

Undisputed is, at the end of the day, a fighting game, and a fighting game lives and dies by its roster- so what should be expect from the game on that front? At launch, it will feature over 70 playable fighters across 10 weight divisions, which, as per Steel City Interactive, is the most licensed fighters that any major boxing game has ever launched with. On top of that, the roster also casting a wide net in terms of how much of the sport’s history it will cover. Want to play as contemporary champions or a rising star? You can, of course do that, but if you ant to step into the ring as legendary fighters from different eras, you will have that option as well. Additionally, ach boxer’s in-game model has also been created using scanning technology.

STATS

Undisputed is touting meaningful differences in the ways the fighters in its roster will feel to play as, and a lot of that will boil down to their stats. Each fighter has their own range of stats and traits, covering everything from their health, recovery, and stamina to their guarding, agility, the power of each individual hand, mental attributes, and much more. Each fighter will also have their own unique style of fighting that will correspond to their real-world counterpart, so if there’s a specific style of punching or guarding that a certain boxer is known for, you will likely see them operate the same way in Undisputed as well.

CAREER MODE

Undisputed’s main attraction for many is going to be the Career Mode, which will allow you to play as a rising star attempting to climb through the ranks, consistently grab more belts, trounce a series of opponents, and become the undisputed champion. Players will make key choices throughout the mode, including what coaches you want by your side, what sort of fight deals you land, and more, and each will, as you might imagine, impact how your career pans out in unique ways.

MORE CAREER MODE DETAILS

Career Mode will task players with managing their career and finding consistent success over a prolonged period of time, which, of course, will mean having complete control over your training and training camps as well. What kind of camps you choose and the areas that you choose to focus on will be key decisions that will also impact your rise to the top.

MULTIPLAYER

For those looking for a multiplayer experience, Undisputed will have options on that front as well. Players will be able to matchmake with others, with Steel City Interactive confirming that ranked matches and leaderboards will also be available. Meanwhile, those looking for something less competitive, or those looking to simply play against their friends, will have the option to create custom lobbies.

PRIZE FIGHTS

Outside of Career Mode and its aforementioned multiplayer component, Undisputed will also feature an additional mode in the form of Prize Fights. Each fight in this mode will be a limited-time event that will come with unique conditions, from tasking you to fight as a specific fighter to setting specific win conditions, among other things. Prize Fights will be regularly rotated, so players should theoretically have plenty of reason to keep checking back in.

CHARACTER CREATOR

In addition to letting you play as over 70 licensed fighters, Undisputed will let you create your own fighter from scratch. On the cosmetic front, the character creation toolset will let you tweak a number of different aspects of your fighter’s body, face, outfit, and much more. Beyond that, you will also be choosing things such as your punching and fighting styles, preferred stances, blocking style, and dive into the traits and stats governing your character’s attributes.

VENUES

Steel City Interactive has confirmed that Undisputed is going to have six venues in total upon its full release, of which one will be an outdoor venue, while one – Coldwell’s Gym – will be a larger arena. Whether the developer intends to add more venues to the game following its release remains to be seen.

PC REQUIREMENTS

Undisputed’s upcoming full release is, of course, bringing the game to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but what about those who wish to play it on PC? On minimum settings, the game’s demands are pretty reasonable, requiring either a 3.4GHz i5 7500 or a 3.2GHz Ryzen 5 1600, along with either a GeForce GTX 1660 or a Radeon RX 590, and 8 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the specs are a tad more demanding on the recommended setup, as you would expect. You will need either a 3.7GHz i7 9700K or a 4.2GHz Ryzen 5 3600, along with either a GeForce RTX 3070, or a GeForce RTX 2070, or a Radeon RX 5700 XT, along with 16 GB of RAM. On either setting, you will also need about 40 GB of free storage space.

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.

Undisputed claims to be the “most authentic” boxing game to date, and will feature a massive roster of more than 70 boxers, including legends like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Katie Taylor, Canelo Alvarez, and Roy Jones Jr.

Undisputed features a combat system that blends the second-to-second quick decision making of the sport with some of the tactics that are often involved in boxing matches. The combat system features quite a few layers, allowing players to control various aspects of their boxers, such as footwork, different movement options, and physics-driven interactions for the over 60 individual punches offered by the game.

Undisputed has been available on PC through Steam Early Access since back in January 2023, and has since gotten continuous support through updates.

STREET FIGHTER 6

Obviously, we have to start fight Street Fighter 6. Capcom’s legendary fighting series will be back in June with a new mainline instalment, and everything that we’ve seen of it so far has looked excellent. From its expanded single player offerings to its mechanical tweaks and improvements to its suite of multiplayer content, Street Fighter 6 is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the year.