October's release calendar is stacked with big names: a new Gears of War, a new Castlevania, Call of Duty, Phantom Blade Zero, Switch Sports Resort, Final Fantasy Resonance, Valor Mortis and Star Wars: Galactic Racer. There’s also Ace Combat, which reviewers are calling one of the strongest games of the year.
None of those made my list. These five smaller games are the ones I’m clearing time for this month.
Jonathan Blow is back, 10 years later
1. Order of the Sinking Star. It’s been 10 years since Blow’s The Witness, which I still consider a masterpiece. His follow-up is another puzzle game, and it’s a big one.
Blow is a divisive person. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But as a designer he’s top tier, and I want to see what he’s built this time.
A horror game that looks like Twin Peaks
2. Silver Pines. This is a survival horror metroidvania set in a strange town, and the art direction is excellent. It pulls from Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Twin Peaks.
I have no idea if it’ll turn out well. It has my attention anyway.
A road movie you play
3. Forever Ago. You play a 70-year-old man who sets out on a journey after a personal tragedy. I don’t know what the gaming equivalent of a road movie is called, but this looks like exactly that.
My one worry is the emotion. I’m hoping it’s earned and not forced.
Driving without the racing
4. Over the Hill. It’s an exploration game built around a 4×4, from the team behind The Art of Rally. Racing games have started to bore me a bit lately. Driving games, though, I still love.
The visuals are great, which is no surprise given who made it. And the world looks like one I’d want to poke around in.
The one I’ve already played
5. The Séance of Blake Manor. This came out on PC last year. I played the first few hours and loved it.
But I hate playing on my PC, so I’ve been waiting for the console version. It hits PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2 on Oct. 27. If you like detective games, don’t skip it.
Oct. 8 is going to wreck my schedule
Silver Pines, Forever Ago, Hellraiser and Order of the Sinking Star all launch on Oct. 8. For me, that’s probably the most crowded release day of the year. I’d clear the evening now.
