Top 10 Upcoming Games In September 2016

It’s been a relatively nice drought over the past few months, though a strong triple A title released here and there, but tis the season for the big names to start dropping. Sports titles, action titles, that one Forza game that’s supposed to be pretty good, the return of Shantae – what’s not to like about September’s releases? Let’s run down some of the bigger names to look forward to next month.

ReCore

Keiji Inafune and his team at Comcept haven’t exactly had the best year so far with Mighty No. 9 flopping miserably. However, with former Bungie writer Joseph Staten and Armature Studio aboard on ReCore, it’s hard to not get excited about this futuristic platformer/shooter. If anything, ReCore feels like a proper spiritual successor to the Mega Man legacy (namely Mega Man Legends). Time will tell if the $40 title, priced for the “value” it offers, will actually set our collective hearts aflutter when it releases on September 13th for Xbox One and Windows 10.

FIFA 17

You can’t fault EA for trying new things with its FIFA franchise. Each iteration has a number of different improvements and enhancements and this year’s FIFA 17 is no different. However, along with additions to Ultimate Team, FIFA 17 will also include Journey mode. This story-based campaign will follow footballer Alex Hunter from the amateur level all the way up to the Premier League. It’s out on September 27th for North America and September 29th in Europe for previous and current gen platforms.

Forza Horizon 3

Speaking of trying something new, Playground Games is stressing connectivity with Forza Horizon 3. The open world racing game will head to Australia, presenting a large and beautiful outback to explore along with four player co-op support. The twist is that players can join in regardless of being on Windows 10 or Xbox One. Co-op joining is also seamless so you won’t have to re-instance to join friends’ games. With a release date of September 27th, Forza Horizon 3 could once again cement the series as the top-tier racing game of the year.

NHL 17

Last year’s iteration of EA Sports’ NHL proved to be quite the hockey simulator and NHL 17 is looking to continue that trend. Along with Hockey Ultimate Team and improvements to the physics, there will be new World Cup of Hockey and Draft Champions modes, the latter differing quite significantly from HUT.  There’s also the fact that the ECHL’s 27 teams are all playable for the first time. Then there’s the new Creation Zone for crafting your own arena among other things. NHL 17 is out on September 13th in North America and September 15th in Europe.

Destiny: Rise of Iron

Even if it’s not $40 like The Taken King, Destiny’s next expansion Rise of Iron is promising quite the content delivery. Along with lots of new gear pieces across PvP and PvE, Rise of Iron will feature weapon ornaments, new lens filters, new story missions (including post-campaign quests), new artifacts, a new raid and much more. There will also be a new zone with the Plaguelands, a revamped Cosmodrome, three new PvP maps (four if you’re on PS4) and lots of other improvements. Look out for it on September 20th for PS4 and Xbox One.

Dead Rising Triple Pack

It’s not really a new release but there’s still a ton of value to be had in the Dead Rising Triple Pack. This isn’t a collection of all the past Dead Rising titles though. In fact, the Triple Pack actually contains remastered versions of Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record for Xbox One and PS4. The original Dead Rising will also be releasing for PC via Steam though the other remasters are for consoles only. Dead Rising Triple Pack releases digitally on September 13th but the retail version of Dead Rising is out on September 13th in North America. Dead Rising 2 arrives shortly after on September 27th.

NBA 2K17

Welcome to the jam once again. Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K17 sees the MyGM and MyLeague modes featuring different improvements and more in-depth customization facets. For those interested in the game though, there will be national teams and past greats like the 2016 United States men’s Olympics team. It also helps that the soundtrack has been curated by Imagine Dragons among other artists. NBA 2K17 is out on September 20th worldwide.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

WayForward Technologies blew us away with Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse in 2014 and the sequel Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is finally upon us. Along with featuring the lovable genie and her magical powers, Half-Genie Hero will also allow players to take on the role of Risky Boots, Shantae’s nemesis. Xbox One, PS4, PC, Wii U and PC users can look forward to the game releasing on September 27th while PS3 and Xbox 360 players will have to wait a bit longer.

Yo-kai Watch 2

The sequel to the popular ghost battler will finally be making its way to North America. Yo-kai Watch 2 will include new yo-kai to battle including Legendary yo-kai and promises to have almost 450 different spirits throughout the experience. Like Pokémon, Yo-kai Watch 2 will be divided into two versions – Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. They’ll both be available for Nintendo 3DS users in North America on September 30th.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017

What’s this? An upcoming Konami title that everyone doesn’t outright hate? PES Productions’ Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 will mark the return of “not-FIFA” to the world and offers quite the feature set. Along with Real Touch ball control and improved mechanics, there will be a match analysis feature to properly observe your opponent’s moves and the flow of matches both online and offline. Konami has also officially partnered with Liverpool FC and Borussia Dortmund to allow for exclusive content and kits among other things. PES 2017 releases on September 13th in North America and September 15th in Europe.