Nine upcoming video games creating a buzz this autumn
With new editions of Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Star Wars, Super Mario, Wolfenstein and Middle-earth, a Marvel Capcom fighting face-off among the end-of-year releases, there’s plenty for gamers to get excited about
Autumn is approaching, which means we’re about to the reach the most wonderful time of year to be a video game player.
In late August, Electronic Arts launched its pro-football simulation Madden NFL 18, which has become the unofficial beginning to the video game season in the US. Between now and December, video game publishers will release some blockbusters.
Here’s a look at nine upcoming games that will get players excited.
Destiny 2
PS4, Xbox One, PC (from Oct 24)
Online-only multiplayer first-person shooter
Released on September 6
Why will we talk about it? The first Destiny placed players in the role of Guardians protecting the last city on Earth. In the sequel, that city has fallen to a new threat, and players must reclaim their status as Guardian and restore the city. The franchise will also support PC for the first time on October 24.
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Single player/multiplayer tag team fighting game
Available on September 19
Why will we talk about it? Capcom’s popular fighting series returns, pitting Marvel Comics heroes including Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange against Capcom veterans including Mega Man and Chris Redfield (Resident Evil). One big change: instead of three-on-three battles, players will pick two characters to fend off other duos in either single-player matches or competitive battles online.
Cuphead
PC, Xbox One
Run and gun platform
Available on September 29
Why will we talk about it? The action game’s incredible visuals resemble cartoons from the 1930s like Felix the Cat. The cooperative adventure features Cuphead as he attempts to repay a bet he’s made with the devil. Developers said they used classic techniques such as traditional hand-drawn cel animation, as well as old jazz recordings, to enhance the game’s ambience.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Action RPG
Available on October 10
Why will we talk about it? Because defeating orcs never gets old. The follow-up to 2014’s spectacular Shadow of Mordor expands on the popular Nemesis System, used to sway orcs to fight on your behalf instead of just killing them. The action is bigger this time, as players command large armies of orcs and even dragons to overrun and capture enemy strongholds.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Action-adventure stealth
Available on October 27
Why will we talk about it? With the franchise approaching its 10th anniversary, Assassin’s Creed goes back to its roots. The franchise features assassins in a brotherhood spanning centuries. Origins looks at how the Brotherhood was born, tracking the story of Bayek as he creates the group in ancient Egypt. Players will explore the pyramids, seek out lost treasures, and vanquish countless foes. You are an assassin, after all.
Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo Switch
3D platform
Available on October 27
Why will we talk about it? Mario’s world opens up in ways players haven’t experienced since the days of the Nintendo 64 console. Mario’s cap is now a living thing, cleverly named Cappy. Players can use Mario’s hat not only to defeat enemies but to take control of them in interesting ways, such as flying through the skies as Bullet Bill.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Action adventure first-person shooter
Available on October 27
Why will we talk about it? The game takes place in an alternate timeline where the Nazis won the second world war. The game is set in 1961 in Nazi-occupied America. Players follow hero BJ Blazkowicz, a US hero as he takes on the Nazi hordes.
Call of Duty: WWII
PC, PS4, Xbox One
First-person shooter
Available on November 3
Why will we talk about it? After years of games set in modern-day war zones, Activision’s flagship series returns to the second world war. The story follows a US Army squad battling in Europe between 1944 and 1945. Conflicts take place in Belgium, France and Germany, and touch on the historic landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy.
Star Wars Battlefront II
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Online multiplayer action shooter
Available on November 17
Why will we talk about it? Not only do players get a new story taking place right after the events of Return of the Jedi, the sequel introduces epic space battles to the series, with players weaving past enemy ships in either X-wings or Tie fighters. Familiar faces will pop up, too, including Darth Maul and Rey from The Force Awakens.
