It’s a good month for RPG lovers. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Bravely Default II on PC, Diablo II: Resurrected, Tales of Arise, and New World finally launch. Life Is Strange: True Colors brings the time-honored storytelling adventure to thrill players, while Deathloop promises to test your friendships by pitting assassin versus assassin in a loop of shooting, killing, and repeating.
Cookie Clicker
Release Date: September 1 (PC) The best friend of endless hours of procrastination and non-working days is definitely and officially here for PC. Cookie Clicker is an idle/tap game about how a small cookie can lead you to conquer the world and, eventually, send a a phallic-shaped rocket into space. In particular, it has been a great companion in the past when I wanted to take a break from work and visualize my future as a sweets magnate. Cookie Clicker is simple. After 15 clicks, you buy an auto-click skill, and from there, you make your money work for you. Warren Buffet would be proud. But suppose you are a machine of capitalism and believe that anyone who wakes up at five in the morning is destined to rule and set the trajectory of the world. In that case, you can spend the day with frantic fingers on the cookie, making more money, expanding your industry, and becoming the contemporary emperor alongside hundreds of grandmothers. Cookie Clicker is currently playable via browser, but its official version will be released for Steam in 12 languages and feature Achievements.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Release Date: September 2 (PC) After the resounding success of its homonymous predecessor, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous started another campaign on Kickstarter with a goal of $300,000 and raised a bit over $2 million. This shows the game’s overall success and fans’ feedback. In Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, we embark on a journey into a demon-polluted realm with our highly customizable character among 10 races, 21 classes, and 6 Mythic Paths, which further expand your battle capabilities to help you succeed on your journey. With a completely non-linear storyline and a world filled with side-quests, find 10 unique companions and, if it comes in handy, have a romance with them to appease battle fatigue. You better watch out, Demon Lord, because Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is just around the corner for all PC players. The console version will release in 2022.
Bravely Default II
Release Date: September 2 (PC) Square Enix once again expands its library to the PC. Bravely Default II, previously exclusive to Switch, arrives on Steam on September 2. The Bravely franchise recaptures the essence of classic Final Fantasy. Turn-based combat, several jobs, each with its own specialty, and the concept of Heroes of Light and crystals deliver a typical JRPG vibe from Square Enix. With its unique Brave and Default system, players can accumulate turns in combat with Default and use Brave to unleash a flurry of attacks combining abilities from different jobs for powerful, even game-breaking, combos. Bravely Default II follows the lives of four heroes and their journey through five realms of Excillant as they attempt to recover the elemental crystals. The game is not a direct sequel to the two predecessors, so it can be enjoyed alone. The game is nearing the 1 million units sold milestone, and we believe that the milestone will be achieved with the PC release.
The Medium
Release Date: September 3 (PlayStation 5) Released for PC and Xbox Series X|S earlier this year, the horror game The Medium, from Polish studio Bloober Team, now arrives to PlayStation 5. In The Medium, we play Marianne, a woman who can transit between our world and the spirit realm. The game has a unique mechanic where both worlds can overlap in real-time, and the protagonist can exist in both at specific parts of the game. During this psychological horror story, Marianne needs to solve puzzles and use their powers against shadowy creatures, including the central antagonist, The Maw. If the game’s ending is messing with your head, check out this article where we explain it. On PS5, the gameplay promises to gain an extra level of tension thanks to the DualSense controller technology.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate
Release Date: September 7 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC) Sonic Colors: Ultimate is the remastered version of the game initially released for Nintendo Wii in 2010. The remaster comes with technical improvements like improved graphics, increased frame rate, and brand new modes like Rival Rush, in which Sonic must race against Metal Sonic. Sonic faces off against Dr. Eggman to save the Wisps, an alien race that the villain is using as fuel for his interstellar amusement park. Hop in this rainbow-colored adventure, racing through six unique worlds to free the Wisps.
Life is Strange: True Colors
Release Date: September 10 (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, PC) A new game in Square Enix’s popular adventure series is arriving. Life is Strange: True Colors is the first major game in the franchise to be developed by Deck Nine Games, who previously worked on the prequel Before the Storm. We play Alex Chen, who recently moves to the Haven Springs area of Colorado to live with her brother Gabe. Unfortunately, shortly after her return, Gabe dies tragically and under mysterious circumstances. Thus, the young woman sets out to investigate the truth behind her brother’s death. With her empathic ability, Alex can see and feel the emotions of the people around her - which can influence the narrative’s directions and Alex herself - as an ace up her sleeve. Unlike previous games in the series, True Colors will be released with full content but is still structured in an episodic format. The Switch version was delayed, and there’s no release date yet.
NBA 2K22
Release Date: September 10 (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, PC) The new game in 2K Games’ popular basketball franchise NBA 2K22 most significant innovation is its editions’ covers. There will be a total of five athletes covering the different game’s editions. The standard version has Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks illustrating it. The 75th-anniversary edition delivers us Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and current NBA star Kevin Durant. Not only that, for the first time in the series’ history, a woman will be on one of the game’s covers, with Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Edition. As for gameplay, the game offers on-court improvements. Precision jump shooting, dunking in traffic, and other offense plays have become skill-based. Defense will also be improved with a new blocking system and shot contention. Season features will introduce new ways to level up and win awards in the City or The Neighborhood.
Tales of Arise
Release Date: September 10 (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, PC) The Tales Of series is one of the longest-running JPRGs games in the gaming world. Boasting over 20 installments between the main franchise and spin-offs, fans were longing for a new mothership title release since its latest in 2016, Tales of Berseria. Tales of Arise tells the story of Alphen, our protagonist, who wants to free Dahna from Rena, the planet in the sky that has been stripping Dahna’s natural resources and people of their freedom for so long. Alongside Shionne, whose simple touch can cause agony, the numb-to-pain Alphen is the perfect duo to fight for freedom in this new installment. The game takes the iconic LMBS (Linear Motion Battle System) formula and improves upon it, adding elements such as dodging and blocking to ensure more dynamic combat.
WarioWare: Get It Together!
Release Date: September 10 (Nintendo Switch) The weird but fun WarioWare returns with a plethora of eccentric microgames to both entertain and enrapture you. Now with a co-op system, nothing beats wading through a string of bizarre antics if not alongside loyal companions. And why, mind you, do we play so many games of an eclectic nature? Because the last Wario business went wrong, and that is the only way to make things right, I guess.
Deathloop
Release Date: September 14 (PlayStation 5, PC) Deathloop is probably the last Bethesda timed-exclusive game for Playstation 5. It’s refreshing to see Microsoft honoring the deal even after acquiring Zenimax. The game was developed by Arkane Studios, creator of Dishonored and Prey. In Deathloop, we play an assassin named Colt, who is stuck on the island of Blackreef in an endless time-loop. To escape this fate, he must kill eight targets known as Visionaries. Eager to thwart his plans, however, is his rival assassin Julianna, who can be controlled by an AI or another player. With each death in this retro-future, 60s-inspired FPS, you return to the beginning. You must use all the knowledge you collected in your previous run to achieve your freedom by gathering new weapons, intel, and abilities. Deathloop will be PS5 console exclusive for a year before being released to its own company’s console, Xbox Series X.
Eastward
Release Date: September 16 (Nintendo Switch, PC) Eastward is a beautiful retro-inspired adventure game with some RPG elements developed by Shanghai-based indie developers, Pixpill. Eastward introduces us to two protagonists, John and Sam, who live in an underground village, and must escape the miasma spread over the land. In order to escape the tyrant of the underground, the duo decides to venture into the earth above. In the adventure, you will meet several settlements with inhabitants of the most distinctive peculiarities. Fend off against various types of monsters with a range of weapons from a flamethrower to an old frying pan, and alternate between John and Sam to solve elaborate puzzles.
Tails of Iron
Release Date: September 17 (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, PC) Whenever I see a game described with brutal and punishing combat, the Soulslike genre pops in mind. Tails of Iron seems to be a 2D sidescroller version adapting the genre, just as Salt and Sanctuary and others have done. In Tails of Iron, we play Redgi, heir to the Rats Throne, and must restore our kingdom to its former glory by defeating Greenwart, the leader of the Frog Clan. The adventure is narrated by the raspy and raw voice of Doug Cockle, the voice of Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher). Throughout the adventure, you will meet companions who will give you new blueprints to craft new weapons, forge armor, and brew potions that best suit your style. Do you have good reaction speed and favor fast combat? Spears and light armor are your picks. But if age is already catching up with your reflexes and you don’t want to rely on rolls, stick to high defense with heavy armor and axes to turn yourself into a tank. Or rather, a ratank.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Release Date: September 21 (PlayStation 4/5, PC) After being delayed, Kena: Bridge of Spirits will finally release. The game was one of the highlights from 2020 Sony’s Future of Gaming. An indie game from Ember Lab, Kena promises to bring a dynamic and charming style that will feature a very open world with plenty to explore. The player will take on the role of Kena, who is a guardian spirit, and needs to purify areas with the help of Rot. These tiny companions will accompany the character in her adventure. She will restore the main village throughout the game, which acts as the player’s hub world. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is played in a third-person perspective. Kena uses her staff in combat, which can be further upgraded into a bow. With the help of Rot, you can complete tasks by moving objects, taking certain shapes, or distracting enemies.
Diablo II: Resurrected
Release Date: September 23 (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, PC) IMHO Diablo II is the epitome of the series. It has it all. Tenebrous atmosphere worthy of the depths of hell. Several classes with robust customization and ingenious skill tree, and the notorious loot system from dungeon crawlers and near-infinite replayability. The remastered version brings graphical upgrades and online gameplay, but with just one button you can seamless transition between classic and updated graphics for the nostalgia. Diablo II: Resurrected also features the Lord of Destruction expansion that brought a new act to the base game and two new classes, Druid and Assassin. The only problem is whether or not you will want to give money to a company involved in a series of scandals lately. But it’s not our responsibility to judge, only to inform.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut
Release Date: September 24 (PlayStation 5) Kojima’s love-it-or-hate-it Death Stranding is getting a remastered PS5 version. An expanded version entitled Director’s Cut with several upgrades and some oddly new features. The new version of the game will feature improved game combat mechanics, including better melee combat for Sam and a VR targeting workout. However, the new ways to deliver the various packages are vital to smooth the gameplay, including ramps for motorcycle jumps and even catapults. The Director’s Cut will also include new missions that expand the game’s narrative. And, believe it or not, a racing mode called The Fragile Circuit. In Death Stranding, the player controls Sam Bridges, a man tasked with delivering hope to a decimated America by connecting its last survivors, after a cataclysmic event destroyed civilization.
Chernobylite
Release Date: September 28 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) Already available on PC, Chernobylite is a survival game with RPG elements. The protagonist Igor, a nuclear physicist, decides to explore the Exclusion Zone in search of his wife, Tatyana, 30 years after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. During his journey, he encounters other so-called stalkers, Russian military personnel, and allies to enter the abandoned plant and discover the truth behind the mysteries involving his wife and the strange substance that begins to spread through the area. Chernobylite was to be released on September 7 but has been postponed to the end of the month on the 28th.
New World
Release Date: September 28 (PC) In New World, you are a castaway on the supernatural island of Aeternum. With no classes or races, the only thing that defines your progress is your ability and hours logged into the game. Each weapon has its own skill tree and level, and the various trades can be mastered intermittently. The focus of the New World is definitely on PvP and warfare. The faction and company that controls a settlement or territory will gain bonuses in that area. Still, you better be prepared because as soon as an antagonist declares war on your settlement, expect a 50x50 player conquest, a lot of bickering, stranded allies, and latency issues to define the victor.
