We’re now well and truly at the business end of the gaming calendar. The really major triple-A games are still a month away, along with the release of the two next-gen consoles (in the West anyway), but October has some promising game releases itself.
Here’s a round up of all the game set to hit stores in India this month.
Just Dance 2014 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – 1st October
Most gamers tend to be pretty awkward on the dance floor, but if you wish to develop and sharpen them smooth moves, you could try out Ubisoft’s Just Dance. For those who don’t know, Just Dance is essentially a party game where you mimic the moves of your character on screen, dancing to the beat of the latest tunes. If you’re the shy kind, you can try the game out while no one’s looking, but the best way to experience Just Dance is in the company of some inebriated friends.
F1 2013 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) – 4th October
Codemaster’s stellar F1 series returns this month to deliver the most realistic interactive representation of the current Formula 1 season you can find. Aside from updated rules, team rosters, cars and event calendar, F1 2013 debuts the new Classics mode, that lets you play as F1 legends of the 1980s and 1990s and get behind the wheel of their iconic cars. You can also take on all of the racing legends one by one until you’ve beaten them all.
NBA 2K14 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) – 4th October
NBA 2K14 is already being hailed as the greatest basketball game ever, with a few new features over last year’s critically acclaimed release. New this year is the Euroleague license, which sees the top European basketball clubs appear alongside the NBA regulars. NBA 2K14 also sees the return of the Crew Mode. NBA 2K14 is available on PC for just Rs 499, so if you have any interest in basketball games, don’t pass on this one. If you’re planning on picking up an PS4 or Xbox One, NBA 2K14 will also be available for both at launch.
Beyond: Two Souls (PS3) – 11th October
Beyond: Two Souls is David Cage’s second foray on the PS3, and like Heavy Rain before it, is rather heavy on storytelling aspects. You play as Jodie Holmes, a gifted young girl who’s been tethered to a spirit named Aiden that she doesn’t quite have under her control. The game will not play like a conventional third person action game, thanks to its over dependence on QTEs (quick time events), but if it’s anything like Heavy Rain, you’re in for a very immersive, interactive movie kind of experience (if that’s your kind of thing).
Batman: Arkham Origins (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) – 25th October
Developed by newly formed studio, Warner Bros. Montreal, Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel that takes place roughly five years before the events of Arkham Asylum. Players don the grab of the Dark Knight in Gotham City on a fateful Christmas Eve as they strive to take down eight assassins baying for his blood. Expect a more refined combat system, new gadgets, a truckload of new enemies, and of course, a brand new multiplayer component that has definitely piqued our interest.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (PS Vita) – 25th October
Releasing on the same day as Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a 2.5D action game being developed exclusively for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo DS. The game will retain most of the gameplay elements players have experienced in 3D Arkham games, but will somehow implement them into 2D space. Batman will also have access to most of his gadgets, such as the grappling hook, explosive gel, Batarang, Batclaw and lots more to take down the unpleasant denizens of Blackgate Prison.
Football Manager 2014 (PC) – 31st October
Sure, FIFA 14 and PES 2014 both have career modes that let you control things from a manager’s perspective, but neither comes even close to the depth and detail offered by Sports Interactive’s best-selling Football Manager series. For the uninitiated, Football Manager is a management simulation game, where the emphasis is more on managing your club and its players than scoring goals on the pitch. This year’s game promises close to 1,000 new changes, from transfers and interaction with players and media, to tactics and how matches play out.