Here are the best games to keep an eye on in October 2020

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

We’re on the eve of a new generation. This November, Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S will be unleashed on consumers. They promise plenty of great features and great games, but they are still over a month away. Not to mention the preorder woes.

This means we still have plenty of time to look at the current generation of consoles and the great games that are releasing in October. Whether it is action games, sports games, or throwback titles, there’s a lot to enjoy. Let’s dive in.

Dominate the competition

Online gamers have plenty to look forward to with the launch of Super Mario Bros 35 on Nintendo Switch (Oct 1). This unique title is being released as part of the Koopa-pounding plumber’s 35th-anniversary celebrations. Pitting you against 34 other players, you and your competitors will traverse traditional Super Mario Bros-style levels. Collect coins, defeat enemies, and send obstacles onto your opponents’ screens in an effort to become the last Mario standing. If this captures even a hint of Tetris 99’s magic you’ll be in for a treat come launch day.

October will also see the launch of Fall Guys Season 2 for PS4 and PC. Much like Fortnite, this online phenomenon has taken Twitch streams by storm, and the launch of the second season promises tons of fun. Expect new games to play, lots more costumes and personalization options, and an insane amount of expletives as you get pipped to the elusive crown once again. Get ready to rage quit on October 6.

MMO fans can look forward to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands for PC on October 27. It’s the 8th expansion for the iconic game and features the game’s first-ever ‘level squish,’ which reduces level 120 players to level 50, with a cap of level 60. Featuring a whole new leveling system, it follows on from the events of Battle for Azeroth and will explore a ‘world between worlds.’

Action-packed excitement

Head back to the galaxy far, far away, and become an experienced pilot when Star Wars: Squadrons launches for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 2. Set after Return of the Jedi’s Battle of Endor, the single-player mode alternates between two pilots: The New Republic’s Rao Highmoon and the Empire’s Case Kassandora. Multiplayer will support up to 10 players in two separate modes, so it looks like there’s plenty to keep you busy with this one. Best of all, if you’re playing on PC or PS4 it’s VR-compatible, so you can finally live out your dreams of joining or crushing the Rebellion, depending on your perspective.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time promises to be loads of fun when it launches on PS4 and Xbox One October 2. Taking cues from 2017’s N. Sane Trilogy, it ignores Crash Twinsanity, Mind Over Matter, and other games in the series to become the new canon. Explore new worlds, new abilities, and new playable characters. Then tell the game to fuck off as you miss the same jump for the 15^th time in a row.

Onechanbara Origin hits PC and PS4 on October 14. Look, the game is suspect at first glance. Bikini-clad sword-wielders bounce around the screen fighting zombies, horrific monsters, and other scantily-dressed women. But get past the slightly pervy exterior and you’ll enjoy a solid hack-and-slash game with plenty of room for character upgrades, some great combos, and plenty of accidentally hilarious dialogue. Onechanbara Origin is a reworked remaster of the first two games in the series with a whole new lick of paint. Let’s all just pretend to ignore the maid costumes and fluffy bikinis though, yeah?

The big hitters

FIFA 21 launches on PC, PS4, and Xbox One October 9. It’s the latest installment in EA Sports’ worldwide soccer franchise and promises incremental updates over last year’s phenomenal title. The FIFA Street-inspired Volta mode is back, along with the insanely profitable FIFA Ultimate Team. An all-new dynamic attacking system promises more ways to show your creativity and create unique scoring opportunities, while the depth of Career Mode gives even more control over your favorite team’s domination of the opposition.

Watch Dogs Legion finally hits PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia (hey, remember Stadia?) on October 29, with a next-gen upgrade hitting in November on PS5 and Series X. After several delays, you’ll finally get to explore a post-Brexit London. There have definitely been fewer delays on this than the real-world Brexit though. Take control of literally anyone in Westminster, bring them to DedSec’s ranks, and uncover deep conspiracies. The first two games in the series had tons of promise but failed to live up to the hype, so hopefully Legion is the one that finally cracks into the upper echelons with GTA.

For More Eclectic Tastes

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is a title that will keep PC players entertained for dozens, if not hundreds of hours from October 15. It’s a remaster of the smash-hit 2005 title, upgraded with 4K visuals, a series of new challenges to experience, and two additional races to play as. This real-time strategy title set the bar for the genre 15 years ago, so dropping back into the rock-solid gameplay is sure to elicit joy for anyone who loads it up. Single and multiplayer campaigns will return, and it’s also going to be included on PC Game Pass from release, so there’s no real excuse for not giving it a go.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe finally drops onto Nintendo Switch on October 30. Another enhanced port from the ill-fated Wii U’s library, Pikmin 3 is a charming title that tasks players with exploring planet PNF-404. Use the plant-like creatures to discover the planet’s secrets, combat enemies, and amass treasures. New prologue and epilogue chapters have been added, and like other Switch ports, all DLC is included.

Last but not least, Supermassive Games want to terrify you with The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope. Following on from Man of Medan and Until Dawn, it’s a story-based survival horror game, so an October 30 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One is perfectly timed to scare you over Halloween. Branching narratives, multiple endings, and a host of decisions to make give plenty of replayability. Like Man of Medan, Little Hope also has two multiplayer modes. ‘Shared Story’ allows players to co-operate online, while ‘Movie Night’ encourages you to get some mates round and pass the controller as you play.

Like I said at the start, we’re in the twilight of the PS4/Xbox One generation. There are plenty of games waiting to get attention before then, though. Maybe it’s time to take a few hours out, sit down and try something new. Whatever you play in October, relish it, because we’re about to see a whole new era.

What do you think? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• You can now stream games from your Xbox to your iPhone
• PAX Online gave me a preview of what gaming conventions could become
• Amazon is getting into cloud gaming with a new service called Luna
• Roccat just released its first headsets since Turtle Beach bought them out

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.