Every year, the fall season sees quite a few big video game releases. As fall 2021 comes at the tail end of the firstfull year of the PS5 and Xbox Series X generation, there are plenty of highly-anticipated games releasing. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the industry, and there are a few odd peculiarities here and there as a result.
Regardless, it’s time to look forward to see what is releasing come this fall. It should be noted that, for a game to qualify, it must have a confirmed release window for this fall, so games likeLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagathat have no specific window, games likeGod of Warwhich was delayed out of 2021, and many others may have been considered but removed for these reasons and more. Furthermore, the following list is sorted by release date, not in some numerical order.
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15Life is Strange: True Colors (September 10)
Life is Strange: True Colorsis the third entry in the franchise, this time coming from Deck Nine instead of Dontnod Entertainment. That’s not the only shake-up related to the game, though, as while it is still chapter-based, it is releasing as a whole game that can be played start to finish. In it, players take on the role ofAlex Chen who, unlike otherLife is Strangeprotagonists, has been dealing with her powers for quite some time. She sees them as a curse, as she is able to sense others' emotions and, if the emotions are too strong, she too can be influenced by them. It’s an interesting premise that ought to have equally interesting implications for its gameplay as well.
Life is Strange: True Colorsreleases September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
14Deathloop (Sept 14)
The time loop game has become increasingly popular, andDeathloopmay prove to be the one of the greats of the genre. InDeathloop, players control Colt (unless in they are in multiplayer, where they control Julianna). Colt’s mission is to kill the visionaries, break the time loop, and get off the island he is stuck on, while Julianna’s mission is to stop him. Every time he dies isn’t the end though, as retaining that information, learning more about the visionaries, and then emerging out the other side as the victory is thecore gameplay loop ofDeathloop.
Deathloopreleases on September 14 for PC and PS5 (as a timed exclusive).
13Lost Judgment (Sept 21)
InLost Judgment, players once again step into the shoes of detective Takayuki Yagami, with him investigating Akihiro Ehaha’s involvement in the murder of one of his accusers this time around. Despite the obviously serious storyline, players should still expect the soft, comic moments of the storyline, as well as some tweaks and adjustments to the overall gameplay. It would seem that, as a spin-off of theYakuzafranchise,Judgmentwill forever represent one facet of the franchise, whileYakuzaand Ichiban Kasuga follow another. Notably, there’s been somecontroversy overJudgment, its actors, a PC version, and morethat could prevent another game in the spin-off franchise, but overall, that seems unlikely.
Lost Judgmentreleases September 21 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
12Far Cry 6 (October 7)
After some delays,Far Cry 6will be releasing October 7. The next entry in the long-running Ubisoft franchise will see players take on the role of Dani Rojas (male or female), as they come into conflict with Anton and his son. There’s still a lot of questions about how that’s going to go down, but luckily fans don’t have too long of a wait for answers. What’s more, fans know they’ll be getting DLC where they get to explain the franchise’s villain past, includingVaas, Pagan Min, and Joseph Seed.
Far Cry 6releases October 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Metroid Dreadwas one of the most shocking announcements at E3 2021, and the fact that its release is only a few more months away adds to that.Metroid Dread, not to be confused withMetroid Prime 4,finishes the primary story arc established between Samus and the Metroid creatures. After seven EMMI robots are dispatched to ZDR, Samus must travel there to investigate their disappearances and discover what else is going on with ZDR.
Metroid Dreadreleases October 8 for Nintendo Switch.
10Back 4 Blood (Oct 12)
Back 4 Bloodis being made by the same developers as the originalLeft 4 Dead, with the comparisons of the two making the former a spiritual successor of the latter. GivenLeft 4 Dead’s popularity,Back 4 Bloodalready had a lot going for it. This time around, players will be facing down horde of Zombies known as Ridden, as one of a group of veteran “Cleaners.” Each has their own personality, which should make for a good time regardless if a player picks Walker, Holly, Hoffman, Evangelo, Karlee, Doc, Jim, or Mom to fight undead with.
Back 4 Bloodreleases October 12 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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9Battlefield 2042 (Oct 22)
Battlefield 2042is setting itself up as the definitiveBattlefieldexperience. While there’s no single-player campaign, a story is told through its multiplayer offerings. Due to a Kessler Syndrome Event (a hypothetical space phenomena due to space pollution), 70% of satellites around Earth crash to the planet, resulting in global blackouts and more. In about two years, or by the year 2042, tensions related to these events elevate to war between the United States and Russia. Game Mode All-Out Warfare includes Conquest (two teams fight to capture control points) and Breakthrough (one team tries to capture the other team’s control points), whileBattlefield Portalserves as a sandbox to make customized multiplayer modes and maps. Hazard Zone, a co-op multiplayer mode, has yet to be detailed.
Battlefield 2042releases October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
8Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Oct 26)
Although it leaked slightly ahead of time,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxywas still an interesting announcement and has a lot of potential. WhereasMarvel’s Avengershas struggled as a live-service game,Guardians of the Galaxyis a single-player adventure where players control Star-Lord. They’ll be able to use his elemental guns and jet boots for some seemingly intensive gameplay, while also giving commands to other members of the team to use their special abilities. Story-wise, the Guardians have been exploiting the universe to make quick money after a massive intergalactic war, and following a bet between two team members (which sounds right up the MCU version’s style moreso than the comics), the Guardians accidentally unleash some threat on the galaxy.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyreleases October 26 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
7Forza Horizon 5 (November 9)
Up next,Forza Horizontakes fans of the franchise to Mexico, complete with “hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.” The open-world environment is incredibly detailed as its cars, with each set to complement the other. The open world is described as social, evolving, diverse, and adventurous, and perhaps the best part is that the game, as a Microsoft exclusive, is ready to put its money where its mouth is (so to speak). WhenForza Horizon 5releases on November 9, it’ll release day and date on Xbox Game Pass as all exclusives do, so fans have little reason not to check it out.
Forza Horizon 5releases November 9 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
6Shin Megami Tensei 5 (Nov 11)
Shin Megami Tensei 5is being developed at Atlusand is set in modern-day Tokyo, complete with old and new gameplay mechanics. The players take on the role of a high school student sucked in an alternate Tokyo overrun with demons, forcing them to fuse with a being named Aogami to become the Nahobino. The game is looking to tackle real world issues, express its own style of charm, and deal with demons all at the same time.
Shin Megami Tensei 5releases November 11 for Switch in Japan and November 12 worldwide.
