Now that we’re in September, summer is officially over. But that cooler air also means the fall gaming season has begun, when game publishers trot out some of their biggest and most exciting projects. We’ve gathered the most intriguing titles — including RPGs, simulators, FPSes, and more — so there’s a little something for everyone to sink their time into.
The team behind Planet Coaster brings their simulator prowess to the wild with Planet Zoo. In their latest, Frontier Developments invites players to create and manage their own dream zoo, with over 50 animals that each have their own unique behaviors. No two animals, even of the same species, are alike.
You’ll get to hand-craft every habitat to your own specifications. Animals react dynamically to their surroundings and will behave differently if thriving or unwell. As for the guests, all the accommodations are customizable, along with some winding safari jeeps to help your guests explore the exhibits.
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2016’s DOOM rebooted one of the legendary FPSes with style, rethinking the shooter as a fast-paced, demon-punching power fantasy. But the sequel won’t stop there. Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power as you rip-and-tear your way across dimensions with the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat. Powered by idTech 7 and set to an all-new pulse-pounding soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon, DOOM Eternal puts you in control of the unstoppable DOOM Slayer as you blow apart new and classic demons with powerful weapons in unbelievable and never-before-seen worlds.
The sequel also includes an all-new multiplayer. BATTLEMODE is a 2-versus-1 multiplayer experience built from the ground up at id Software. A fully-armed DOOM Slayer faces off against two player-controlled demons, duking it out in a best-of-five round match of intense first-person combat. BATTLEMODE launches with 6 handcrafted maps and 5 playable demons, and new maps and playable demons will be released for free.
The cult classic Shenmue franchise returns with Shenmue III. After eighteen years, it’s time to pick things back up with Ryo Hazuki and his quest to find his father’s murderer. The open-world villages that made the original so iconic make a return in Shenmue III, as well as a new “Affinity” system. You’ll have to earn peoples’ trust before they give you the information you seek. Also new is the combat system, built from the ground up.
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Race like a maniac down the circuit, track, or streets in the newest installment in the Grid franchise. The emphatically titled GRID promises another highly detailed and authentic driving experience with the series’ signature tight controls and handling. The developers promise that the learning curve will be friendly to newcomers, but still engaging for veteran simulation racers. This time, when you bash someone else off the road over and over, they’ll come back with a vengeance, returning as a “nemesis” to make life difficult for you on the road.
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Children of Morta is a roguelike about fighting against monsters and corruption — but really, it’s about family. You’ll get to know each of the six members of the Bergson family as they try to protect their home from otherworldly threats. The retro art style is applied across scenic, autumnal vistas as well as more dangerous fantasy worlds. Each family member has their own set of skills and upgrades to be obtained through playing, promising that smashing monsters is what truly brings people together.
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The storied RPG designers at Obsidian Entertainment return to their first-person style with The Outer Worlds. In the game, your character is dropped onto the Halcyon colony, where corporations run everything. Obsidian’s dark sense of humor abounds: your character picks up skills and perks, but also flaws, too. If your character gets attacked by a certain monster, prepare to develop an in-game phobia of them. The dialogue promises to be rich with choice, which should make for some tense moments, especially given that no one is safe. At any moment, you can kill any NPC, even if they’re essential to a quest. No one is given “plot armor.” Sounds like Obsidian at their very best.
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That’s no moon — it’s EA’s new single-player adventure Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. This new addition to the Star Wars story takes place after the infamous Order 66 wipes out the Jedi. You play as force-user Cal Kestis as he runs from the Sith and Purge Troopers, manipulating environments and twirling a lightsaber with finesse. Writer Chris Avellone, who helped pen the classic Star Wars RPG Knights of the Old Republic 2, returned to help with the story, which promises an adventure in the galaxy worth seeing to the end.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare promises major changes to the time-tested Call of Duty formula. Even the minimap has been scrapped, accessible here only as a killstreak perk. Players will have to rely on audio cues to smoke out their enemies, and a new two-vs-two mode looks to bring the game into a more tactical setting.
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Code Vein’s enemies move in deliberate patterns, forcing the player to learn, adapt, and plot the best combination of weapons for each challenge. The brightly designed anime RPG adds some intriguing abilities into the mix, like fire missiles and teleporting. With these tools at your disposal, you traverse the post-apocalyptic city with your other party members, who happen to be bloodthirsty immortals like yourself.
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