October is shaping up to be the biggest month for video game releases this year, with multiple, first-class titles launching for multiple platforms. There’s Overwatch 2, the sequel to Blizzard’s massively successful first person shooter. There’s Bayonetta 3, a sequel and Nintendo exclusive that’s been eight years in the making. There’s the latest Call of Duty, which follows the prior Call of Duty.
But the biggest hype surrounds the long-anticipated Gotham Knights, starring Batgirl and the three Robins (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Timothy Drake). It’s the new blood squaring off against the Court of Owls, the Illuminati-esque group that’s been pulling the strings in Gotham City since the 1600s.
All this, and more. Here is your video game news roundup for October 2022.
Xbox Live Gold Free Games for October 2022
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Windbound (October 1-October 31)
You play as Kara, a warrior who is shipwrecked on an island. She must forage to survive, and can eventually build a boat to explore the surrounding areas. Dangers lurk.
Bomber Crew: Deluxe Edition (October 16-November 15)
It’s World War II, and you’re in charge of training and leading an elite crew of bombers. Be brave but careful, because if you lose a crewman, he’s gone for good.
Playstation Plus Free Games for October 2022
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Hot Wheels Unleashed (October 4)
Race your favorite Hot Wheels car on a custom-built track, complete with loops and drops. The coolest thing about this game is how it commits to its theming—you’re racing miniature cars, and if you look in the background, you can see the garage, or kitchen, or bedroom where everything is set up.
Injustice 2 (October 4)
From the same folks who brought you Mortal Kombat, Injustice 2 is a fighting game starring the heroes and villains of the DC Universe—Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and more. It follows the first Injustice: Gods Among Us, and it adds deeper strategy and a massive character roster. Including DLC, you have 38 characters to choose from.
Superhot (October 4)
This is a first person shooter with a unique gimmick—time only moves at a normal pace when you physically move, and it slows to a crawl when you’re still. It turns what’s usually a fast-paced, twitch reflex experience into a strategy game.
Google Stadia Free Games for October 2022
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Arcade Paradise (October 1)
Turn your family’s laundromat into a lucrative arcade hangout in this throwback simulation game. Play over 35 arcade-style games, and subsume yourself in the ‘90s retro vibe.
Drawful 2 (October 1)
Receive a crazy prompt, attempt to draw it, and have everyone in the room try and guess what it is. Think Pictionary, but with more silliness and embarrassment.
Other Games (October 1)
Slaycation Paradise, Tangle Tower, Looking for Aliens, The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem
Amazon Prime Gaming for October 2022
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Fallout 76 (October 1)
A prequel to the other Fallout games, Fallout 76 takes place 25 years after a nuclear war decimates the planet. It is an online multiplayer, and takes in place in an open world environment, in an area once known as West Virginia.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (October 1)
Set between the events of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, this game has you play as ranger Talion, who shares his body with elf lord Celebrimbor. Together, they amass an army using a newly forged Ring of Power to stop Sauron.
Other Games (October 1)
Total War: Warhammer 2, Glass Masquerade: Origins, Loom, Hero’s Hour, Horace
LEGO Mighty Bowser (October 1)
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LEGO’s new partnership with Nintendo has borne more fruit. This time, it’s a massive, 2807-piece King Bowser, complete with a buildable display. The final model has articulated limbs, and when you turn a switch, his mouth opens and shoots a fire projectile.
Overwatch 2 (October 4)
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Blizzard’s initial foray into first person multiplayer shooting received universal critical acclaim and popularity; the original Overwatch attracted 50 million players at its peak. The upcoming sequel revises the gameplay (five-man teams instead of six-man teams) and will have a roster of over 30 characters to choose from. And best of all, it’s free-to-play.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers (October 14)
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Taking place in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse continuity, The Breakers is an asymmetrical multiplayer—one player is the powerful Breaker, and seven others are the Survivors that defend themselves against the Breaker, and must escape via time machine in a multi-phase fight.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (October 20)
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The original Mario + Rabbids game sounded like a mess on paper; how could these two franchises possibly meld into something coherent? But to everyone’s delight, Kingdom Battle had strategic, turn-based gameplay and a subversive sense of humor. The upcoming sequel ditches the grid interface for something more free-form and real-time, and it adds a Rabbid Rosalina and Bowser to the character lineup.
Gotham Knights (October 21)
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The four playable characters in Gotham Knights all have their own unique movesets, strengths, and weaknesses. They also have different storylines; to understand the entire story will necessitate multiple playthroughs. It’s playable both in single player and two-player online co-op.
Bayonetta 3 (October 28)
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The Bayonetta franchise returns with its deadly, sexy, titular witch, who teams up with Infernal Demons to take down the evil Singularity. Heavy on action and cool-ass action shots, Bayonetta 3 has a “Witch Time” mechanic, which slows time and allows you to pull off some slick counterattacks.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (October 28)
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The 19th entry in the massively popular Call of Duty franchise makes minor improvements to aesthetics and outward appearance, and major improvements to enemy AI and water traversal. Join Task Force 141 on a counter-terrorism initiative that will take you across the globe.
Resident Evil Village: Winters' Expansion (October 28)
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The DLC for last year’s horror hit includes new characters for Mercenaries mode and a closing chapter to the Winters family’s long-standing misfortunes, starring Rosemary Winters as the playable character. It also includes an add-on third person camera mode, so you can replay the original game with a little more context and situational awareness.
