Five of the best – or highest profile at any rate – releases in the gaming world releasing this Autumn, chosen and previewed by Hannah Collins. Sequels, series, comebacks and extended universes are the order of the day, it seems.
Diablo IV: Vessel Of Hatred
PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Leaning harder than ever into the ‘would make a great metal album name’ thing, this is the latest expansion for the iconic online RPG dungeon crawler. Vessel continues the fight to prevent Succubi Queen Lillith from supplanting her dad Mephisto via cannibalism, with new angel-bashing weapons and jungle-themed class – the Spiritborn.
Available Tue 8 Oct. Price: £34.99-£79.99. Info: here
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero!
PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Dragon Ball is no stranger to video games but Sparking Zero! is a noteworthy entry for returning to the battle arena gameplay of the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi era. You can expect a character roster that includes the new Daima Goku, 3D space manoeuvrability for fights and customisable scenarios.
Available Fri 11 Oct. Price: £54.99-£94.99. Info: dragonballsparkingzero.com
Sonic x Shadow Generations
PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC
The long and rocky history of Sonic games could be about to get a supersonic kick up the blue backside if early reviews are to be believed. Capitalising on the third ‘live action’ movie’s Keanu Reeves-voiced Shadow, this iteration includes a standalone Shadow campaign with more distinctive powers for the anti-hero.
Available Tue 22 Oct. Price: £37.57-£187.87. Info: sonicxshadowgenerations.com
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
PlayStation, Xbox, PC
BioWare’s classic fantasy RPG is back after a nearly 10-year absence. Veilguard is situated in the magical Thedan city of Tevinter and features exhaustive character creation options (with six Factions to join), pauseable combat options with the new Ability Wheel and a wondrous new world to explore.
Available Thurs 31 Oct. Price: £69.99-£89.99+. Info: here
Mario & Luigi Brothership
Switch
If I tell you this game involves sailing, you’ll be able to appreciate what Nintendo did with the title… In the upcoming lite RPG, the plumbing bros take hybrid ship-island Shipshape around the drifting islands of Concordia to make friends and battle enemies using new power combos called ‘Brother Attacks’.
Available Thurs 7 Nov. Price: £49.99. Info: here
words HANNAH COLLINS
