October is here, which means the Fall is in full swing, which means some of the biggest games of the year drop this month ahead of You Know Who. We’ve already played some of the biggest ones, so check out our previews of Phantom Blade Zero, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Final Fantasy Resonance, and more below.
Phantom Blade Zero
Release Date: October 29
There are three difficulty options to choose from, but even at the default setting that I played at, Phantom Blade Zero is hard, and I loved that about it. It never felt cheap; it just demanded more from me. In just over an hour of play, I was easily ten times the player I was when I started. It’s a feeling of achievement that is reserved for the very best action games on the planet. If the rest is anything like what I played, I feel like there’s a real chance that Phantom Blade 0 might be one of those games. Read our full Phantom Blade Zero preview.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Release Date: October 15
I had an absolute blast with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. The art and animation are absolutely gorgeous; combat is fun and dynamic with plenty of room to carve out your own personal playstyle thanks to the variety of weapons, Arcana, and relics; exploration was appropriately rewarding and there were plenty of secrets hidden within the cracked walls of the Parisian streets; and the bosses provided a nice challenge without ever feeling too overwhelming for how early I was in the game. Read our full Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse preview.
Final Fantasy Resonance
Release Date: October 22
Resonance has the most impressive use of HD-2D I think I’ve ever seen. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and you can see it from the overworld. It’s the way the clouds pass gently overhead, the way the wind seems to rustle the grass beneath your feet. What’s equally stunning is the way your character’s spite moves through all of this. HD-2D is gorgeous, but it can sometimes look like your character is a little out of place in the world. Not so here. Your character looks distinct, but it always seems like they fit. Read our full Final Fantasy Resonance preview.
Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2
Release Date: October 14
Warhammer 40K was always such a natural pairing with what has come to be called the “boomer shooter” – these crunchy, nostalgic celebrations of ‘90s mayhem that take notes from the likes of old-school Doom, Quake, and Rise of the Triad. The original Boltgun was one of those team-ups that seems so obvious in retrospect that I was almost mad I didn’t think of it myself. With Boltgun 2, the couple of levels I played show a desire to evolve a bit beyond those templates, though. It still has the look and feel of all the blood-drenched classics, while dialing up the scope and expanding the environments and character roster. Read our full Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2 preview.
Emberville
Release Date: October 27
Between the mastery and class skill trees, loot, and stat points to distribute, Emberville already appeals to my love of ARPGs, while its gathering and crafting systems have the potential to appeal to a whole different crowd too, like my wife, who is a fan of cozier games. That could make Emberville one of those rare games that we can both enjoy together when it releases and serve as an introduction to the genres for both sides. Read our full Emberville preview.
Planet Zoo 2
Release Date: October 13
I didn’t even start my Planet Zoo 2 career from the typical top-down strategy game perspective. Rather, I was placed directly into the world at ground height, allowing me to walk around the lush East African Rift Valley in first-person. While some previous Frontier games like Jurassic World Evolution have included this as a feature, making it the first thing you do before placing any buildings or fussing over graphs literally changed my perspective in a positive way. Read our full Planet Zoo 2 preview.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
Release Date: October 22
This series has not changed all that much in 20 years. Each sport used either a single Joy-Con or a split pair of them, relying almost entirely on simple motion controls with the occasional button press. I played 100-pin bowling, returning from the original Wii Sports Resort, where a lone red pin denotes the front of an army of pins to knock down. This was a classic back on the Wii, and I’m glad to see it back after it wasn’t included in 2022’s Nintendo Switch Sports. Read our full Nintendo Switch Spors Resort preview.
Stupid Never Dies
Release Date: October 22
While Stupid Never Dies isn’t necessarily a roguelike, it does have some of that DNA in its approach to progression. Each venture into the dungeon has a time limit, and Davy won’t be able to make it all the way to the KOM right away. You keep any loot you collect, but each fresh run resets Davy’s level back down to zero. However, as you progress further you will build an XP multiplier, allowing you to level up faster, and make it deeper on the next attempt. Read our full Stupid Never Dies preview.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, and a co-host of Next-Gen Console Watch. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
