Games to watch out for this October

Welcome to the final quarter of the year – and the last month before Grand Theft Auto VI releases! October is a rather packed month, with a strong suite of games that should suit most tastes. We’ve got combat-heavy action games, narrative-driven indies, Metroidvanias, Star Wars-themed racing games, horror games and more, so whatever you favour, there should be a game or two to look forward to in October.

As always, we haven’t included every release in October here. Our Games to Watch Out For round-ups focus on the games we’re most excited for. As always, keep an eye on the website across the month for more coverage about the titles we’ve listed here, and whatever you choose to play in October, we hope you have fun.

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered

• Date: 1st October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

If you fondly remember Dynasty Warriors 3, this Remastered edition is for you. While it’s not the most modern game in the series, lots of fans will appreciate returning to more classic Dynasty Warriors, and it’s safe to say this delivers. You can read our full review of Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete Edition: Remastered here.

End of Abyss

• Date: 1st October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

A horror-flavoured metroivania, End of Abyss casts you as combat technician Cel on a journey to uncover the truth behind a derelict facility. Filled with sinister monsters and packed with atmosphere, you’ll need to keep your wits about you as you explore, upgrade your gear and constantly better yourself in order to survive.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

• Date: 2nd October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

If you’ve been a fan of the Ace Combat series for a while, you’ll undoubtedly love Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. In our review, we called it “yet another brilliant entry”, thanks to a strong campaign, thrilling dogfights and excellent visuals. And when you’re done with campaign, you can jump into one of the game’s multiple online modes for even more entertainment.

Gears of War: E-Day

• Date: 6th October
• Formats: Xbox Series X/S and PC

Who’s excited for a new Gears game? Gears of War: E-Day is set 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War game, where you’ll once again join Marcus Fenix and co as they fight against the Locus Horde for the first time. There’s a fully story campaign here along with multiple ways to play with friends. You can read our thoughts on the Horde Siege mode here, and we’ll have more about our time with the game soon.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

• Date: 6th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

A racing game set in the Star Wars universe? Sign us up! Set in the Outer Rim, it takes place in a time in Star Wars history where the Empire’s grip on the galaxy has loosened. As a result, the New Republic becomes obsessed with speed and gambling – and so racing is the leading form of entertainment. You can race in landspeeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers, speeding across familiar terrain and climbing the ranks to become the best racer in the galaxy.

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival

• Date: 8th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

Remember Clive Barker’s Hellraiser franchise? Hellraiser: Revival offers a brand new chapter, and unlike most horror games based on existing franchises, this isn’t an asymmetric multiplayer. It’s a first-person survival horror, and we can’t wait to jump into it. It’s the story of Aidan, who must use the mysterious puzzle box, the Genesis Configuration, in order to help his girlfriend escape from an otherworldly hellscape.

Forever Ago

• Date: 8th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

Here’s one for fans of narrative-driven adventures. This single-player experience sends players on a road trip with Alfred, a man looking for redemption. The story deals with loss, regret along with courage and hope, and so we fully expect this to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. If you’re a fan of in-game photography, the key mechanic here is capturing memories with a camera, so it’s one to keep your eye on.

Neon Abyss 2

• Date: 8th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC

For fans of side-scrolling roguelikes, the original Neon Abyss was one of the best. After a stint in early access, its sequel is almost ready to release in full. It promises similar gameplay, but with some new features, new bosses to face off against, and a bigger abyss than ever to explore.

Silver Pines

• Date: 8th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2 and PC

There are plenty of horror games out this month, which perhaps isn’t all that surprising considering it’s October. Silver Pines is definitely one to watch out for, though, especially if you’re a fan of the works of David Lynch, which it’s very much inspired by. This survival horror metroidvania has you visiting the titular small American town as private investigator Red Walker, trying to track down someone who’s seemingly vanished. But as you’d expect, his investigation soon becomes a bit of a nightmare.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen

• Date: 9th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

If you enjoyed Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’ll undoubtedly be interested in Dark Arisen, a hefty expansion that adds a whole new area to adventure in. The region of Norgan adds a substantial amount of gameplay, but even if you don’t opt to buy the new expansion, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is getting a free update that makes it worth jumping back into.

Planet Zoo 2

• Date: 13th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

After previewing Planet Zoo 2 earlier last month, we came away very impressed. This is very much the Planet Zoo you know and love, but with better visuals, animals who act more realistic than ever, and new features such as aquariums to make the best zoos yet. If you’re a fan of park-building simulations, this is undoubtedly one of the best, with so many layers of depth for those who want it.

Valor Mortis

• Date: 13th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

There are lots of Soulslikes on the market, but how many of them let you play in first-person. That’s one of the things that makes the upcoming Valor Mortis so appealing. Playing as a former soldier of Napoleon’s army, you’ll be able to wield supernatural abilities and do battle against fearsome enemies, all with a view that gets you closer to the action. What gets us even more excited is that this is from the developer of Ghostrunner and its sequel, which we absolutely loved.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2

• Date: 14th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC

There are lots of great games set in the world of Warhammer 40,000, but 2023’s Boltgun is one of the best of them. Developer Auroch Digital is now aiming to improve upon it with Boltgun 2, and judging by our hands-on with with a preview build, it’s going to be great. This is a sequel that aims to be bigger and better, offering more enemies, more weapons, more locations, and even a choice of two playable characters. Stick with playing as the formidable Malum Caedo if you wish, or opt to play as nimble Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath. It’s up to you.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

• Date: 15th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC

Finally, we have a brand new Castlevania game. After reviving the Silent Hill series, Konami is now hoping to work the same magic on Castlevania. Developed in collaboration with Evil Empire, which previously worked on the Castlevania expansion for Dead Cells, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a metroidvania that will put us in control of Rose Belmont, tasked with unravelling a conspiracy and saving Paris. Everything we’ve seen of the game looks great so far, but you can try it for yourself with a demo available on all formats.

Tenebris Somnia

• Date: 16th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2 and PC

Love unique games and don’t mind a scare? Tenebris Somnia should definitely be on your radar. This retro-styled survival horror game makes use of live-action cutscenes to heighten the tension, making it stand out from the crowd. Other than that, though, you can perhaps expect a blend of exploration, combat and puzzles, making this an enticing prospect for fans of the genre, especially if they dig the old-school visuals.

Final Fantasy Resonance

• Date: 22nd October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2 and PC

A new Final Fantasy game is on the way. And if that isn’t enough cause for celebration, it’s the first one to use Square Enix’s wonderful HD-2D visual style. Final Fantasy Resonance adapts one of the story arcs from 2015 mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, building upon it and giving it more depth. In any game, this is set to offer a more traditional JRPG experience than some other recent Final Fantasy games, with a turn-based battle system, an overworld, and more. Needless to say, as long-term fans of the series, we can’t wait to jump in.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

• Date: 23rd October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

Another year, another Call of Duty game. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 promises a powerful and emotional campaign, offering a variety of missions set in Korea, New York, Paris, and more. It of course has plenty of multiplayer modes to battle across, too, as well as a DMZ mode where you’ll be challenged to complete objectives and successfully extract. Just be aware that there’s no Zombies mode this year, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy

• Date: 27th October
• Formats: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC

It’s a good time to be a horror fan right now, what with the Resident Evil series continuing to be brilliant, the Silent Hill series making a comeback, and plenty of others coming to market. Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is one of them, the third entry in the Remothered series which admittedly hasn’t been all that consistent so far. Still, it looks suitably atmospheric, and has a protagonist that has a range of supernatural powers to make use of, so we’re suitably intrigued.

Phantom Blade Zero

• Date: 29th October
• Formats: PS5 and PC

Putting us in control of a warrior named Soul who has only 66 days left to live, we’re rather looking forward to Phantom Blade Zero. This Unreal Engine 5-powered action game promises thrilling bouts of combat as you fight to unravel a conspiracy. Described as not a Soulslike nor a traditional action game, we can’t wait to go hands-on with this when it launches at the end of the month on PS5 and PC.