'Marvel's Wolverine' and 'Control Resonant', among the 9 most outstanding video games this September

Faced with the imminent arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar's blockbuster, the industry has agreed not to take risks and to bring forward its main releases to avoid direct confrontation with the big rival. The result is an exceptionally packed September, where several heavyweight bets for all platforms coexist.

We start the calendar with a small big proposal from the Valencian talent of Digital Sun, which recovers one of the most successful formulas of the Spanish indie scene. Moonlighter 2 continues Will's story and maintains his basic life goal of combining the daily life of managing the shop with exploring dungeons. The most striking change in the sequel is the leap to three-dimensional graphics, but there is also a lot of improvement in the mechanical aspect. The studio has iterated and improved the roguelite elements and combat options, as well as delving into the variety of customers and shop items, all to create a gameplay loop as addictive as the first day.

A great production by Rebel Wolves, a new studio formed by several veterans of CD Projekt RED (many of them developers of The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077) and published by Bandai Namco. This action RPG features a new IP set in a turbulent era of medieval Europe, which is under the threat of vampires. The player embodies Coen, a hunter turned against his will, who alternates between his human form by day and his vampire form by night. The title opts for an adult and dark narrative, complex moral decisions, and visceral combat that combines traditional swordsmanship with magical powers when darkness falls.

One of the month's biggest exclusives for Nintendo's console is an ambitious cooperative space adventure designed exclusively for two players. Developed by Shapefarm and directed by Jacob Lungden (key designer of hits like It Takes Two), the game stands out for its meticulous aesthetic that pays homage to the anime of the 80s and 90s like Dragon Ball or Ranma ½, with animations from the renowned Japanese studio Studio Massket (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners). Orbitals allows for free role swapping between the two protagonists as they solve puzzles, overcome platforming challenges, and pilot ships as a team, in an experience ideal both online and locally (with our familiar split-screen).

Twenty years after the last main installment, Capcom revives one of its most emblematic dark fantasy sagas. Way of the Sword brings back the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (created in the image and likeness of cinema icon Toshiro Mifune) during his fight against demonic hordes in Edo-period Kyoto. The title maintains the classic essence of the franchise but with a spectacular staging thanks to its RE Engine. The game opts for demanding katana duels that require high-precision parries and an atmosphere imbued with Japanese folklore and supernatural horror. There is anticipation to see if the game is a success and consolidates Capcom as one of the great developers of the moment.

Insomniac Games temporarily sets aside the charismatic Spider-Man universe to delve into a much darker, more adult, and visceral adventure. The new PlayStation Studios exclusive puts the player in the shoes of the mutant Logan in an adventure with an original and independent plot. The gameplay focuses on action and brutal hand-to-hand combat, which makes the most of the console's power and the controller's haptic feedback to make you feel the weight of the blows and the ferocity of his claws, as well as to reflect the protagonist's injuries in a visual spectacle of blood and guts. Marvel: Wolverine is one of the big draws of Sony's console catalog for this final stretch of the year, and although the company broadcast one of the most controversial advertisements in recent years, it will still be available for purchase in physical format.

Intelligent Systems and Nintendo's veteran role-playing and strategy saga makes the generational leap exclusively for Switch 2. This installment recovers the franchise's usual tactical depth: turn-based combat, unit management, and development of bonds between characters. As the main novelty, Fortune’s Weave introduces time travel mechanics and expands the universe of the popular Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019) acting as both a prequel and sequel. Set in the Empire of Dagda, the plot allows following the story of four protagonists as they compete in the so-called Heroic Games before a great threat descends upon the continent.

Remedy Entertainment is back with the direct continuation of its acclaimed 2019 science fiction adventure. Control Resonant is a single-player action game with a strong emphasis on telekinetic abilities and the paranormal elements of the world, but in this sequel there are significant changes. The protagonist is not Jesse Faden, but rather the player embodies her brother, Dylan Faden, and has the main objective of reuniting with her. The new combat prioritizes direct contact much more, as the new supernatural weapon has the ability to acquire forms such as a scythe or a giant hammer, among others. Finally, the settings leave behind the interiors and brutalist architecture of the FBC to unleash paranormal events in more open scenarios throughout the city of Manhattan. As expected, the characteristic visual signature and unsettling atmosphere of the Finnish studio will not be missing in one of the most interesting games of the month. That said, for collectors, the physical edition arrives a little later, on October 15.

Developed by Scottish studio Screen Burn (Observation, Stories Untold) and published by Annapurna alongside Konami, Townfall takes the celebrated psychological horror franchise in a more intimate, narrative, and experimental direction. The installment is set precisely on an island in Scotland during 1996, where fog has taken over an isolated coastal population. The player steps into the shoes of Simon Ordell, a man obsessed with deciphering encrypted radio signals and anomalous frequencies while the town's reality warps around him. A substantial change is the use of the first-person camera, which, along with suffocating sound design and a strong burden of mystery, makes the new Silent Hill one of the essential appointments for horror lovers.

The Swedish independent studio Something We Made releases the sequel to one of the coziest photography games of recent years, awarded the BAFTA for Best Debut Game of 2022. Toem 2 proposes a new photographic adventure focused on small details, full of quirky characters and everyday situations that must be resolved through the camera lens. As the main novelty, this second installment introduces an improved camera equipped with gadgets that will be used to solve puzzles in unconventional ways. Without losing its characteristic hand-drawn black and white artistic style, the game becomes the ideal title to close September with a relaxing, beautiful, and all-ages-appropriate experience.

Bonus level!

Beyond the main releases, we cannot forget about the local scene nor the most relevant ports and updates.

‘Halloween’

September 8

An official adaptation of John Carpenter's mythical film into a video game format. The title invites us to survive the most terrifying night in Haddonfield and face the tireless figure of Michael Myers, all with a touch of retro horror aesthetics.

‘Screenbound’

September 10

This indie explores an idea as crazy as it is original: playing simultaneously in 3D and 2D. In a volumetric environment, the protagonist is also located using the flat scenery seen on the screen of a portable console that he carries everywhere. A proposal of ingenuity and spatial coordination.

‘RuneScape: Dragonwilds’

September 15

Jagex's classic universe expands with a spin-off focused on survival mechanics and cooperation in an open world infested with dragons. An ideal option for lovers of classic fantasy looking to share an experience with other players.

‘Dune: Awakening’

September 22

After succeeding with the PC launch, the massive online multiplayer survival game set on Arrakis finally arrives on consoles. The fight for spice control now opens up to PlayStation and Xbox players.

‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered’

September 29

As a final highlight, the arrival of a remaster of the award-winning action role-playing title from the universe of The Witcher was announced at Gamescom. This update brings up to date a work published over a decade ago, and arrives for free for existing owners of the game on all current platforms. This move aims to revive interest in a title that is scheduled to release a new expansion next year, and to link the universe and plot with a fourth installment that is already in development.

The Switch 2 catalog expands

In addition to receiving two new exclusives this month, Nintendo's console continues to offer more options by adapting great titles with new ports. On the 3rd comes the action of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and later, on the 18th, the family humor of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight arrives. The pace doesn't stop, and on the 24th, both the unsettling adventure of Hell is Us and the 2D action of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance join. To close out the month, on the 29th comes Minecraft Dungeons II, and the 30th ends with a heavyweight release: the great spy adventure 007 First Lightpartially developed in Barcelona.