Author: Greg Lozano
As the year draws closer to its end, game studios are preparing to release large titles across all platforms. While PC gamers will be getting a considerable amount of titles through the month, PS5 and Switch will be getting exclusives that will bring diehard fans of the system into a state of glee. For the first time in several months, expect an extensive game library that will be released this month!
The Casting of Frank Stone (PC, PS5, XSX/S) September 3rd
From the development team that brought From Dawn and The Quarry comes a new interactive horror narrative based in the world of Dead by Daylight. Set during the summer of the 1980s, players will engage the story of four aspiring filmmakers where every choice will branch the narrative in a new direction. Solve environmental puzzles and engage with quick time events as you uncover the story that lies in the town of Cedar Hills.
Harry Potter: Quddich Champions (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) September 3rd
Were you one of the many that wished Hogwarts Legacy had a Quiddich mode? The sad news is that HL still doesn’t have such a mode. The good news however is that a new Quiddich game is coming out with a full single-player campaign mode and an online mode where people get to engage with other team members. If you ever dreamed of being a part of a league in one of your favorite franchises, then now is your chance. Play as one of your favorite members from the books or create your own avatar as you fly around and score as many points or happen to make your way to the golden snitch. One of my favorite things about this game is the affordability level of it as it is for sale for $30 for the base game, or $40 for the special edition!
Age of Mythology: Retold (PC, XSX/S) September 4th
A spinoff series from the Age of Empire games comes the remake of Age of Mythology. RTS or Real-time strategy games revolve around building your civilization to a powerful enough stage where you can take your units to opposing forces and victory comes upon defeating your opponent(s). For fans of Greek, Norse, and Egyptian, players will be able to interact and engage with three gods of whichever mythos they choose when they build and go to war against any rivals. Both single-player and multiplayer exist for anyone that wants to test their skills against the CPU or other players. If you are subscribed to GamePass this game will be free to download.
Astro Bot (PS5) September 6th
Sony’s big exclusive releases in one of the most fun and wild looking platformers of this generation. When the game was first announced, it was met with incredible praise, and rightly so. This game looks like it takes the imagination of Little Big Planet and Super Mario Odyssey and just expands a wild imagination to a single-player experience of wonder. The company’s idea behind the game is to create an experience that, regardless of the age of the person, they will enjoy each moment they are experiencing. This is one of those titles that I can’t wait to get my hands on.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collections (PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch) September 6th
Step into the role of Miles Edgeworth, a prosecutor looking for details to ensure the right criminals get the justice they deserve to be served. This remake collection consists of both part 1 and part 2 of Ace Attorney: Investigations with a graphical overhaul, and a story mode that improves the quality of life. All versions will be digital, but the Nintendo Switch will have a physical release as well if you are a game collector. These games are surprisingly fun and filled with great music as well. And for those that pre-order the game, expect some bonus songs as well.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines 2 (PC, PS5, XSX/S) September 9th
Jump into one of Henry Cavill’s favorite franchises and hack away in this 3rd person action game that mixes ranged and close combat. My knowledge of the franchise is rather limited, but it has to be good if it has existed since the late 1980s. This game offers both single-player and multiplayer.
Yars Rising (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S, Switch) September 10th
Based on Atari’s long standing series comes a new 2D platformer that incorporates stealth, hacking, and retro minigames. For those that want to experience an engaging action game while bathing with atari age games, this is for you. I can honestly say that I am impressed with Atari’s return to gaming. This isn’t their first game to release this year, but reestablishing IPs that were once gone and introducing them in ways that makes the console that almost destroyed gaming all together in ways that actually feel like they’re world’s apart from that catastrophe makes their redesigned titles welcoming. I look forward to the reviews for this.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S, Xbox One, Switch) September 10th
Initially slated for March release (as I did write it on the list for that month as well), it has been delayed but finally moved to its release. While unfortunately all of the possible hard copy collectors editions are out of stock, people will still be allowed access to the digital version as well as general hard copies on select platforms. If you grew up a fan of the show, I expect nostalgia to flow through you in ways that bring joy.
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown (PC, PS5, XSX/S) September 12th
Unfortunately, this is one of those games that is getting a lot of bad press from early players that were a fan of the series. When the demo became available three months ago, people mentioned that it felt as if it were still in its alpha stages. While the team mentioned that there will be extensive post game release content, it begs to question, why release a faulty game that will make the experience not a welcoming one until more content releases? This looks like one of the first titles on this list to openly avoid, or at least wait for the reviews before thinking about purchasing.
Funko Fusion (PC, PS5, XSX/S) September 13th
Another title I might suggest to stray from. The world of Funko is a fun one, as many franchises have molded their characters into Funko’s but as far as a game goes, it does not feel like a known direction was established. There are literally hundreds of brands that Funko has under its belt, however, if you are expecting Disney or some other franchises that may not be as big as the main Universal brand, you may be left disappointed. While the Lego games implemented the action to build with Lego blocks in said universe, Funko Fusion is just a 3rd person shooter and no real sign of anything beyond that. However, if none of that matters and you just love Funko’s, then by all means, have the fun you were destined to have.
Final Fantasy XVI (PC) September 17th
While the game released on PS5 last year, it makes its debut on PC with all expansions this month. I loved this game. It felt like an RPG with action game elements and not the other way around. While the overall story is rather typical of a hero’s tale, the characters are insanely well written to the point where I absolutely admired the heroism of Clive and his team. The voice acting is nothing short of superb and there are plenty of customizations to engage the combat in ways that fit your play style. If you’re in the mood for a big adventure and only have a PC, this is a title worth playing.
The Plucky Squire (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch) September 17th
This game screams imagination and I’m all for it. Looking like it took inspiration from 2D Zelda games, players were adventure through picture books, paintings, side-scrolling landscapes, and 3D worlds in ways that just seem fun. Puzzle solving looks like it’ll be a blast in this inspiring title, and when told that there will be moments of being able to use a jetpack as well, one can only fathom what possibilities lie within the game.
Enotria: The Last Song (PC, PS5, XSX/S) September 19th
While many soulslike games have come out since Demon’s Souls, and FromSoftware still making amazing titles and expansions such as Elden Ring and its latest DLC Shadows of the Erdtree, not many games have taken the same approach that Bloodborne did which the difficulty was met with fast-paced evasion and no blocking. Enotria looks to grow off that concept, ditching the blocking system all together and focusing on responsive evasion and parries. Expect a difficult title filled with marvel as it is imagined in a world of Italian lore, and quite frankly, a title worth looking into.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S) September 19th
Normally when you put zombies into a game, one expects it to be a horror title, but Dead Rising throws out the horror and replaces it with insane arcade style action that just brings it into an over-the-top action game of enjoyment. The graphics received a total overhaul and if this was a title that you never had the chance to play 20 years ago, this may be your chance to enjoy what gamers loved back then. Packed with intense boss battles, this game is worth playing if you ever get the chance.
God of War: Ragnarok (PC) September 19th
I will be honest, I did not enjoy playing this game. It is not to say that it is a bad game, by no means. It fills every checkbox of what you should expect from a AAA title, but to me, I felt like I’ve played games like this for all of my gaming life and I found no enjoyment with it. The narrative is fantastic and worth investing attention into it. I don’t want to sway people from this game if it is to their liking, I just happen to be the outlier that could not find enjoyment with it. There is a reason this title was nominated for game of the year on PS5, and now PC gamers get to enjoy it as well. It’s also ten dollars less on PC than it is on PS5 with the option to mod.
Frostpunk 2 (PC) September 20th
This is an interesting concept that is rather rare in its genre. Anyone familiar with the city builder style games like City Skylines and SimCity might find interest in this post apocalyptic city builder where ensuring that your city’s survival withstands the harsh winters that look to consume civilization. The team wanted to ensure that it was more than just a sequel carrying the same elements of the previous title, so it is definitely worth a person’s interest if city building is your style of game.
Ara: History Untold (PC) September 24th
Players will be allowed the agency to create in an alternate historical Earth where they will span through centuries of civilizational development. This turn-based strategy game looks to pit players from as far as ancient times to beyond the modern era in both single-player and multiplayer options. Various conditions such as health, sickness, war, peace, will envelop the game as players navigate their civilizations towards growth.
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S, Switch) September 24th
An interesting personal story about the original game that was released. When I went to school to take classes on game design, my professor was one of the people that worked on the original title where they convinced Disney to reclaim the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from Universal by giving them NBC’s Al Michaels in exchange for the rights to the character. While the original game was decently received, the remake looks to improve on all of the faults that plagued the original title and establish a much smoother experience. For the sake of getting to be a part of history, this game is one that is worth checking out.
Greedfall II: The Dying World (PC) September 24th
Another title that players have voiced strong opinions regarding its combat system and how it seems to have taken a step back rather than forward. If you are a fan of games from Bioware such as Dragon Age, then the system may not be a downfall for you. The development team has been known to take heavy influence from Bioware games, and if you enjoyed titles such as those, this very well may be up your alley.
Lollipop Chainsaw: RePOP (PC, PS5, XSX/S, Switch) September 25th
One would think a month could only house one fun filled zombie action game, but no, we have another title with quirkiness and the undead. The gameplay is a simple 3rd person hack and slash, but somehow its simplicity allowed it to be enjoyable due to its comically insane story written by James Gunn (yes, that James Gunn before he did big Marvel and DC projects). The game is lewd, it’s raunchy, and it definitely feels like a time-period peace, but if you can enjoy it for what it was of the time, you will find enjoyment with it today. The soundtrack is fantastic, and there is a streamer mode that will alter copyrighted songs to other original tracks to prevent gamers from getting demonetized.
The Legend of Zelda: Echos of Wisdom (Switch) September 26th
If you were to tell my younger self that there would be a Zelda game where you actually get to play as Zelda and not Link, I’d be filled with interest and doubt (and no I’m not talking about Hyrule Warriors). Fortunately for us in 2024 such a title exists and it looks like it’s taken inspiration from the award winning Tears of the Kingdom and dropping it in a top-down old school Zelda game with the charm of Link’s Awakening remake for the Switch. Of all the titles releasing this month, this is by far my game of choice as I know that I will be sinking countless hours in this game and engaging in conversations wondering how others may have solved in a vastly different way. Allow your creativity to be expressed in Hyrule in this incredible installment.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers (PS4/5, Switch) September 26th
While Earth Defense Force 6 received rather low reviews upon its release, the original release of EDF: WB was met with high praise on steam. A voxel based shooter where you and up to three others can save the world from the invading forces.
EA Sports FC 25 (PC, PS4/5, XSX/S, Switch) September 26th
It’s an EA sports game. My stances won’t change when it comes to this company. I don’t think titles that are released annually should be sold for 70 dollars, but I am not the target demographic for these titles and those that are tend to be willing to pay that price each and every year. Even their website occupies a gig of memory.
Starfield: Shattered Space DLC (PC, XSX/S) September 30th
Bethesda has been working on this title post launch religiously. If people remember, they even worked to respond to negative reviews in the past and it was just not good publicity on their part. When someone criticized that a lot game felt empty and lifeless, they responded that space in reality is vast and empty, and quite frankly, no one plays a game to experience a simulator unless they specifically buy a simulator style game. The team has been hard at work to push out this expansion as well as some more in the future, but with the game working off a 12 year old engine, it just feels outdated.
Those are the games that are releasing for the month of September. I would say that my top 5 are as followed:
- The Legend of Zelda: Echos of Wisdom
- Astro Bot
- The Casting of Frank Stone
- Epic Mickey Rebrushed
- Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
The 5 games that I would put on my avoid at all costs list are:
- EA Sports FC 25
- Starfield: Shattered Space
- Greedfall II
- Funko Fusion
- Test Drive Unlimited