When it comes to big-budget AAA games, October looks like it will be one of the most densely packed months of the year. We’re getting new entries in beloved series like Dragon Age, Super Mario Party, Call of Duty, and more as well as remakes of games likeSilent Hill 2.In between those games, we also have experimental indies and bold new IPs from lauded game developers, includingMetaphor: ReFantazio. Some of the most notable games of 2024 will be coming out this month, so there’s almost certainly going to be something that appeals to you out this October.
There’s actually so much coming out that you might have some trouble sifting through it all and determining what you want to pick up. To help, I’ve rounded up what I consider the eight biggest video game launches of the month, which everyone should have on their radar. On top of that, I have a comprehensive rundown of everything else to expect through this packed month of games.
Silent Hill 2 (October 8)
Recommended if you like:Resident Evil 4(2024)
Konami’sSilent Hill 2is an all-time video game horror classic, setting a high bar for narrative, world-building, and mind-bending visuals that almost every horror game since has tried to live up to. After laying the series to rest for years following the cancellation of Hideo Kojima’sSilent Hills, Konami is making a concerted push to bring the series back. The linchpin in all of this is aSilent Hill 2remake from Bloober Team, the developer behind horror games likeThe Medium. It follows in the footsteps of the remakes of horror classics likeAlone in the DarkandResident Evil 4, turning the eerie adventure into a contemporary third-person action-horror game while reimagining some narrative elements. It’s the horror game to play this October.
Silent Hill 2will be released for PC and PS5 on October 8.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (October 11)
Recommended if you like:Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Back in the PS2 console generation, the Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi series of 3D brawlers were some of the best anime games out there. These fighters captured the bombastic action of the popular shonen manga and anime and the utterly destructive powers of its characters. Bandai Namco Entertainment is finally bringing the series back withDragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. This fighter will feature a whopping 182 fighters to play as at release, a story mode that lets you reshape the tale ofDragon Ball Z, and a mode that lets players create their own battles and cutscenes. If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, this is looking like the ultimate game for the franchise.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zerolaunches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 11.
Metaphor: ReFantazio (October 11)
Recommended if you like:Persona 5 Royal
After directing the last three Persona video games, Katsura Hashino wanted to create something new. Hashino formed the Studio Zero team under Atlas, and its first game is launching this month. The end result isMetaphor: ReFantazio, a turn-based RPG that swaps the high school drama and demons of Persona for more a traditional medieval fantasy. It’s far from typical in its presentation, though, asMetaphor: ReFantaziooozes with style. It’s always exciting when developers can branch out and try something new and not just work on the same franchise over and over again.
Metaphor: ReFantaziowill be released for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 11.
Super Mario Party Jamboree (October 17)
Recommended if you like:Pummel Party
The Mario Party series has gotten a new game every few years since it began on the Nintendo 64 era.Super Mario Party Jamboreefeels like a culmination of sorts for the franchise as it combines the more experimental nature of games likeSuper Mario Partyand the throwback nature ofMario Party Superstarsin one package. It features five new game boards that are wildly different from each other, a big cast of characters that includes newcomers like Pauline, and more wacky side modes to play with others. The Mario Party series is the king of party games, and I doubtSuper Mario Party Jamboreewill do anything disastrous enough to change that.
Super Mario Party Jamboreelaunches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 17.
Batman: Arkham Shadow (October 22)
Recommended if you like:Iron Man VR
Camouflaj proved it could translate the superhero experience to virtual reality withIron Man VR, and now it’s giving Batman the same treatment. Better yet, it’s technically the next entry in the Batman: Arkham series, which was started by Rocksteady. While VR games aren’t for everyone,Batman: Arkham Shadowlooks like it will be a very faithful and intricate conversion of the Arkham series’ gameplay to VR. I’ll also appreciate the more Batman-focused narrative in the wake of some of the wild swingsSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’sstory took earlier this year. If you own a Meta Quest headset, it seems likeBatman: Arkham Shadowwill be a must-buy.
Batman: Arkham Shadowlaunches for Meta Quest 3 and 3S on October 22. If you buy one of those headsets between now and June 17, 2025, you can redeem a copy ofBatman: Arkham Shadowfor free.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (October 25)
Recommended if you like:Battlefield 2042
For 2024’s Call of Duty, Treyarch and Activision are returning the Black Ops series.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6will continue the story set up inBlack Ops Cold War, with a focus on spies and espionage in the 1990s. Of course, it will also feature the multiplayer and zombies modes that are standard with every new Call of Duty game. The biggest change is Omnimovement, which gives players more freedom to move and dive in any direction while they are shooting. WhileCall of Duty: Modern Warfare IIIfelt underbaked,Black Ops 6is shaping up to be a much more comprehensive package.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 25. It will also be available through Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (October 29)
Recommend if you like:Tell Me Why
While Don’t Nod has moved on from the Life is Strange series and is now makingLost Records: Bloom & Rage, Deck Nine is working with Square Enix to continue the series withLife is Strange: Double Exposure. This game is a follow-up to the firstLife is Strangeas it follows Max Caufield years after the events of the game that kicked this series off. She now works at a college called Caledon University, but after one of her friends is murdered, she discovers that she now has the power to shift between parallel timelines. As she solves this mystery, players will have to make a lot of different choices that will have massive impacts on the narrative. Hopefully,Double Exposurelives up to the high bar previous Life is Strange games set.
Life is Strange: Double Exposurewill come out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29. It will also be ported to Nintendo Switch at a later date.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (October 31)
Recommended if you like:Baldur’s Gate 3
It has been nearly a decade since the last Dragon Age game, but BioWare and EA are finally reviving the series this October.Dragon Age: The Veilguardcontinues the story that began inDragon Age: Inquisition, as players assemble the titular fighting force to take on Solas, a companion fromInquisitionwho has gone evil and is trying to tear open the Veil that protects Thedas. Expect a choice-heavy RPG with more fast-paced, real-time combat than previous games in the series. As this is following the rocky launches ofMass Effect: AndromedaandAnthem, BioWare really needs to redeem itself withThe Veilguardif it wants to restore player faith in it as a premier RPG developer.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardlaunches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on October 31.
