Some of the top developers and publishers in the world have an array of exciting video game releases lined up for fans as 2022 enters the last quarter of the calendar year in October. These include Blizzard Entertainment, Asobo Studio, WB Games Montréal, Square Enix and Activision — all of them established names in the world of gaming.
But the big names aren’t the only ones doing some heavy lifting in the gaming scene in October. There is one, such as Wild River which worked with a European government ministry to bring an artistically beautiful game. There is another, Santa Ragione — a small, Milan-based Indie game studio — which promises a title that might as well turn out to be one of the finest psychological horror games ever made like Limbo, Detention and Sanitarium.
And joining them is LEGO, which has already been making waves through 2022 with LEGO Star Wars in April and LEGO Brawls mobile game in September.
As for genres, first-person shooters and role-playing games dominate the pack. Like previously, most games are set to come to all major platforms — PC, Sony’s PlayStation consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox consoles and Nintendo Switch.
Here are the video game release dates for those coming up in October 2022
Overwatch 2
Image: Courtesy of Overwatch/@PlayOverwatch/Twitter
Release date: 4 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch
Overwatch 2 follows Overwatch, the acclaimed 2016 first-person shooter game which spawned everything from gaming merchandise to memes. According to PC Gamer, the free-to-play multiplayer Overwatch 2 “is functioning as a revamp for existing Overwatch PvP, it’s less of a sequel and more of a relaunch.” The report says that the original game will be replaced.
Developer Blizzard Entertainment said on 15 September that they are “enabling cross-platform with cross-progression, means anyone can access the game and join their friends, for free.”
The gameplay in Overwatch 2 essentially remains unchanged — players come together to form teams comprising hero characters and engage in PvP battles against one another. As in the original, characters are classed as Damage, Tank and Support, which, to put it simply, are attackers, defenders and healers, respectively.
Hero characters include both old and new faces. While Hanzo, Genji, Tracer and Widowmaker — famous characters from the original, can again be selected as player characters, new faces include Junker Queen, Sojourn and Kiriko.
Six new maps and over 30 skins are to be available on the day of launch. Subsequently, Blizzard Entertainment will release a season 2 of the game on 6 December 2022, with at least one new character and one map. The game will get more heroes, maps, skins, modes, battle passes and other features in 2023.
LEGO Bricktales
Image: Courtesy of Thunderful Games
Release date: 12 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
LEGO Bricktales is a diorama puzzle game, designed for those who love displaying their creative talent within a fun-filled adventure story. The game has been published by Thunderful and developed by Clockstone in collaboration with LEGO Group.
The game features five beautiful diorama biomes, from a medieval castle to a Caribbean island, all of which are LEGO-themed. Within this environment are puzzles and other challenges, which players are required to solve using their own creative thinking to progress. The game environment includes construction spots where players might have to build anything from bridges to a throne using LEGO bricks.
This is the second LEGO-themed video game in quick succession. LEGO Brawls, a famous mobile game, became playable on consoles in September 2022.
Fueled Up
Image: Courtesy of Fueled Up Game
Release date: 13 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Fueled Up is a fantastic fun-filled game where up to four players can team up to save spaceships from getting completely destroyed by an alien space octopus.
As they work together, they have to save whichever ship they are in, from threats and problems ranging from asteroid showers to engine failures and space squids, so that it doesn’t blow up or get caught by the octopus.
The game has been developed by Fireline Games, which is co-publishing it with Gamera Games. The makers describe the game as a “chaotic couch co-op.”
As per the game’s trailer, it has a sandbox-like design and attractive gaming visuals.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Image: Courtesy of Focus Entertainment
Release date: 18 October
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
In 2019, developer Asobo Studio and publisher Focus Home Interactive (now Focus Entertainment) released a game titled A Plague Tale: Innocence. It was a sleeper hit of the year, winning several major awards in the gaming industry. A Plague Tale: Requiem is its sequel, therefore, it is one of the most important games coming in October.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is set in 14th century France during the Black Death and the Hundred Years War. It follows Amicia as she tries to keep herself and her younger brother, Hugo, safe from both the plague and soldiers of the infamous Inquisition, six months after the events in the first game.
Hugo suffers from a strange curse which is somehow connected to hordes of rats who devour anyone in their path. The siblings reach the south of France to find a cure for Hugo, but his curse follows him to the lands.
The gameplay involves action and stealth features. Amicia carries a crossbow and other unique weapons in her arsenal to take down enemies.
Batora: Lost Haven
Image: Courtesy of Screenshot via Stormind Games
Release date: 20 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Batora: Lost Haven is an interplanetary action-adventure RPG developed by Stormind Games. The main character is Avril, who must find a way to restore her homeworld following a devastating incident which has also granted her unique powers.
Players control Avril as they travel across the universe — visiting alien planets, taking missions from aliens and engaging with enemies in her quest.
The game has multiple endings, which means that decisions taken within the game determine the conclusion of Avril’s quest. The artwork of the game is particularly noteworthy; the landscapes reflect the 1950s sci-fi hand-painted style.
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
Image: Courtesy of Screenshot via shootasbloodteef.com
Release date: 20 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
A 2D side-scrolling game, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is cartoon-like in graphics but promises an extremely exciting gameplay.
Developed and published by Rougueside, its story is set on an alien planet, Luteus Alpha, what is dubbed the ‘Armageddon sector.’ The player character is tasked with rescuing their hair squig from the despot Warboss Ogruk Gutrekka. In the process, the player character encounters everyone from humans to orcs.
Dialogues in the game are comical, while the artwork is hand-drawn. There are attributes like “Teef” and “Waaagh!” which can be used in situations such as acquiring hats or destroying enemies. The game has multiplayer options for both online and local co-op play.
Gotham Knights
Image: Courtesy of Screenshot via gothamknightsgame.com/Warner Bros. Games Montréal
Release date: 21 October
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
A sure favourite of all who love DC comic books and the DCEU films featuring Batman, Gotham Knights is different from the immensely popular Arkham game series despite the fact that it comes from the same developer, Warner Bros. Games Montréal.
The game follows allies of Batman and members of his family — Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood — after the death of the Dark Knight.
Commissioner Gordon is also no more, which has further emboldened the likes of Penguin, Harley Quinn, Clayface, Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls — some of the most infamous names in Batman’s rogues gallery. Commenting about Harley, the game’s director, Patrick Redding, told IGN that players will see a “slightly older version” of the iconic character, which has influenced the cinematics and gameplay.
“This is Harley Quinn, even though from a silhouette or haircut perspective, she’s really changed,” associate character art director Jianli Wu told IGN, “which is different from, say, Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze, we retained the dome, the goggles and all that. For her, we broke that.”
The action roleplaying game presents an open world Gotham City, for players to explore more freely and interact more actively with the environment.
Horse Club Adventures 2 – Hazelwood Stories
Image: Courtesy of Screenshot via Wild River Games
Release date: 25 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Those looking for video games for kids, the release of Horse Club Adventures 2 – Hazelwood Stories is like a dream come true. It is rated PEGI 3, which means it is suitable for all age groups.
The game is a sequel to the Horse Club Adventures, which was released in 2021. Like the first version, the sequel, too, features the girls from Schleich Horse Club. This time they get to explore the neighbouring village named Hazelwood.
The single-player game centres on winning competitions such as dressage, Western riding and show jumping. Horses and player characters can be customised according to the taste of the player.
Its fairytale-like artwork is indeed captivating and highlights the rich European landscapes that travellers love to see. Interestingly, the sequel is supported by the German government’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.
Saturnalia
Image: Courtesy of Santa Ragione
Release date: 27 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Saturnalia is a survival-themed horror adventure in which players have to explore an isolated village and do all they can to stop an ancient ritual.
The village in the game is designed like a labyrinth; no two things are similar, according to its Indie developer Santa Ragione. Remembering the paths in the game requires player intelligence, especially when the four player characters have a limited number of matches.
But what makes the game more difficult is that each time all four player characters die, the village changes its appearance. This means that roads, buildings and other identifications are not the same once a player returns to it following a revival.
The game has been influenced by the folklores of the Italian region of Sardinia. Stop-motion and rotoscoping film techniques have been used alongside ‘sketched’ artwork and animations for the graphics. Its audio, too, is styled on Italian giallo classics from the 70s and uses ancient music and sounds.
The game has been created in collaboration with Big Trouble.
Star Ocean The Divine Force
Image: Courtesy of Square Enix Games
Release date: 27 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
While there are many highly anticipated games releasing in October 2022, expectations from Star Ocean The Divine Force are particularly high. This is because it comes from legendary game publisher, Square Enix.
“On a routine transport mission, Raymond Lawrence’s spaceship is attacked by the Pangalactic Federation and he crash lands on an underdeveloped planet,” reads the official synopsis on the game’s website. “He meets Princess Laeticia, who is fighting to protect her homeland from an invading empire. Together, they set off on an adventure that will shake the foundations of the entire universe,” it reads further.
Not much is known about the gameplay, but it is largely a star battle set in a futuristic universe. Designed like anime-themed games, the environment is filled with fantastical creatures as well as buildings.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Image: Courtesy of Call of Duty
Release date: 28 October
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Anyone who has ever played any version of Call of Duty would know that it is one of the greatest game franchises ever created. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the latest in the long line of ‘Modern Warfare’ sub-series, which is counted among the best in the Call of Duty franchise.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a sequel to the 2019 game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and is developed by Infinity Ward with Activision as the publisher.
According to the official synopsis of the game, the story follows key characters from the previous game as they form Task Force 141 and face their “greatest threat yet.”
The game is set in 2022, with missions spread across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Key characters include both new and returning characters, such as Ghost, Farah, Price and Soap.
Players can dive right into the first-person shooter’s incredible combat mechanics which includes underwater, stealth, offshore and aerial assaults.
While the official full-version video game release date is 28 October, the creators have a special early access edition featuring the Campaign mode for those who pre-order. It is to be launched on 20 October and its benefits include immediate use of free content on other Call of Duty games — Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone.
(Main image: Overwatch/@PlayOverwatch/Twitter; Featured image: Call of Duty)
Source: https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/gear/tech/video-games-releasing-in-october/
