Like most gamers, I’m assume, I still have a backlog of games I need to play, but there’s so many others I’m looking forward to getting my hands on in the Fall. Here are 10 I’m anticipating the most.

As a gamer, I think it’s been a pretty solid year. I have played a number of games through completion, and I have played others extensively, although I haven’t finished them. I plan to go back to them at some point, but it’s hard to do so when there are constantly other games being released. The perfect example is the upcoming Fall lineup. There are many games I’m interested in playing (10 of them, to be exact). I’m sure there are more, such as Call of Duty: Vanguard. I’m hoping it can be a return to form for the series, especially with its multiplayer. I’m mostly excited about the new Warzone map and what other changes they’ll be making to the Battle Royale mode. But, for awhile now, I’ve been a bit distant from the series and let’s see if this new entry can bring me back.

I’m also intrigued by New World, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, they just won’t be making my top 10, unfortunately. The chances I do check them out are pretty high though. Anyway, let’s begin.

10. Solar Ash (Oct. 26, 2021)

What captured my attention with Solar Ash is the aesthetic. The game is simply gorgeous to look at, so I can only imagine the feelings I’ll have while actually playing it. I’m a huge fan of Annapurna Interactive and the style of games they produce, such as What Remains of Edith Finch, Gone Home, and Journey, which are all beautifully crafted games and incredibly atmospheric. Being developed by Heart Machine, Solar Ash is similar to Hyper Light Drifter in style, but rather than being an action-RPG, it’s an adventure platforming game. It’s been said the player will focus more on the character’s movements and how she gets around rather than the actual combat, which is a unique direction. I’ll be checking this one out once it launches.

9. Lost Judgment (Sep. 24, 2021)

It’s kind of strange to say, but I’ve never played any of the Yakuza games in their entirety. I’ve always thought pretty highly of them because of the graphical design, the engaging story elements, and the high octane, action-adventure gameplay. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s next ambitious project is Lost Judgment, which is a sequel to Judgment. Everything I’ve seen of the game impresses me more and more each time. I love the feature where you can switch between three different fighting styles as the main character, Takayuki Yagami. Being a detective, I’m sure there will be some of those elements to explore as well.

8. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Oct. 5, 2021)

Essentially, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a Super Smash Bros. clone with Nickelodeon characters. Considering Smash is one of my favorite fighting series of all time (even though I’m pretty mediocre at it) and I grew up watching Nick cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Danny Phantom, and Rugrats, this is a game I, or anyone for the matter wasn’t expecting, but I can’t say it isn’t a fantastic idea. I hope it isn’t just my nostalgia talking though. I genuinely want this to be a fun game with a solid community behind it. I think it can succeed because of these classic characters and as long as they keep adding more and keeping the game fresh with new content, this could be a hit no one was expecting. I’m probably going to be a Danny Phantom main, but they better stop disrespecting my boy Donatello, the best Ninja Turtle, who isn’t even in the game yet. I’m just sayin’.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy (Oct. 26, 2021)

After seeing the disaster Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers ended up being, I’m cautiously optimistic about Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a different developer, that being Eidos Montreal, but both come from the same publisher, Square Enix, and seeing some of the gameplay clips, I can see some similarities between the two. However, it does look much better than Avengers ever did. It could be my bias talking as well since James Gunn’s film is one of my favorite superhero movies of all time, and this game is obviously heavily inspired by the characters and the designs from it. I don’t like the fact we’ll only be playing as Star-Lord, but at least we’ll be able to issues commands to the rest of the squad, which makes for an interesting dynamic. The story is shaping up to be fun to play as well with its witty humor and high stakes missions this team of misfits is always embarking on. I don’t think it’ll be Rocksteady Games’ Batman: Arkham series or Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man levels of fun or quality, but I think it’ll be good enough to enjoy and I’m excited to find out.

6. Metroid Dread (Oct. 8, 2021)

It may not be Metroid Prime 4, but at this point, I’ll take all of the new Metroid content I can get. By no means am I an expert at the Metroid side-scrollers, but I’ve always been fascinated by them and how the series inspired so many other games to follow it. I mean, I guess you can consider Metroidvania a genre at this point, right? Metroid Dread is looking to return to the series’ roots and it’s the first entirely new game since Metroid Fusion back in 2002 (the other releases have been remakes). I can see diehard fans being extremely hyped up for this and I’m right there with them. I’m looking forward to seeing how this game can up the ante, while also staying true to what made the originals so great to begin with. I can’t I’m ready for the difficult gameplay and all the back-tracking I’ll be doing though.

5. Battlefield 2042 (Oct. 22, 2021)

It’s no secret the Battlefield series has been absolute hot trash the last few years. You can arguably say it hasn’t been good since Battlefield 3, which released almost a decade ago. I enjoyed Battlefield 4, but it was far too similar to 3, so it doesn’t really count for me. Every other installment after that has been highly disappointing. Fortunately, 2042 is looking like a return to form for the series, which is something I’ve been hoping would happen for so long now. What makes Battlefield work for the fans is the high intensity gunfights and vehicular warfare, along with the massive maps to play on. There are so many possibilities, when done right, when playing Battlefield, such as choosing how to take out the opposition, playing the objective, and so on. From what I’ve seen of 2042, the series is trying to return to this, and I have to respect the developer for trying to accomplish this task. I hope it’s successful, because if it is, I can see myself playing it quite a bit once it releases.

4. Deathloop (Sep. 14, 2021)

Deathloop has a concept I have yet to see in a video game before. Sure, we’ve seen the time loop aspect in many games and films, and from some gameplay breakdowns, it does feel similar to a roguelike. But, I think Arkane Studios is really taking this game to the next level by combining all of these elements and creating one epic experience. I love the idea of being an assassin (you play as Colt), who’s tasked with taking out eight other assassins in unique and different ways. The thing is, if you die, you start all over, but you keep the knowledge you gained from the original run, which will definitely benefit you when trying to approach the situation all over again since you’ll remember the patterns and behaviors of those you’re trying to kill. By far, the most innovative feature is the multiplayer portion. Although optional, you can take on the role of another assassin named Julianna. As Julianna, you’ll invade other player’s loops and try to ruin their run by killing them as Colt. It all sounds awesome, but I can also see it being incredibly frustrating and tedious. Only time will tell, of course.

3. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Sep. 21, 2021)

From the footage I’ve seen, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is giving me all types of Pixar feels with its aesthetic, such as the character design and the vibrant, colorful world you’ll be playing in. As for gameplay, it also seems to fit right in my wheelhouse. I’m getting plenty of Legend of Zelda and Horizon Zero Dawn vibes from it. You’ll wield a staff while also having a bow and arrow at your disposal. There are even some Pikmin vibes since you can collect tiny spirit companions, the Rot, and command them to complete specific tasks, such as moving objects. Deep down, I know what will grab my attention the most is the heartfelt story this game is ready to tell. I can see myself getting fully immersed in this, similarly to some animated films I love watching.

2. Far Cry 6 (Oct. 7, 2021)

I believe Far Cry 3 is one of the best first-person shooters of its era. It has the best story in the entire series, by far, and the villain is as menacing as they come. The games to follow it have still been enjoyable, but none have been able to come close to replicating the same sense of wonder and excitement Far Cry 3 did. I’m hoping Far Cry 6 is able to do the same. So far, everything I’m seeing about the game is fantastic, other than a few gripes, but they may not even be gripes until I actually test it test it for myself. First of all, what stands out the most is the main antagonist, Anton Castillo, is portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito. Ever since his role as Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, I’ve been an enormous fan of him. I think he’s in familiar territory with this character, who oozes pure savagery and has an aura about him that’s both intimidating and vicious. It also hits pretty close to him since the fictional island, Yara, is based off of Cuba, so I wonder what the game will be ready and willing to portray when it comes to the plot and other contents. It wasn’t this high on my most anticipated games list last year, but I’m very excited to check this out, and more-so than other games on this list, especially after seeing extensive gameplay previews.

1. Halo Infinite (Dec. 8, 2021)

Will Halo Infinite finally breathe life back into the series? As a huge fan, especially of Halo 3, I sure hope it does. I was lucky enough to be a part of the last tech preview/flight for the game and although I had my problems with what I played, I did enjoy myself for the most part and I do think the game has a ton of potential. Sadly, I don’t ever think any other Halo game moving forward will reach the heights of greatness and quality Halo 3 brought to the table. However, I do think Infinite can come pretty close. If 343 Industries tweaks some things with the gameplay, and I do believe the framerate drops on PC were a big factor into how the overall game felt, then Infinite can be something special for years to come. It helps the multiplayer will be free, but not having co-op campaign available at launch won’t make me buy the campaign at launch either. Lastly, Halo is the perfect game to incorporate a Battle Royale mode. The developers have been persistent in saying it’s not happening, but I beg to differ. As a fan, I’m excited to experience this game in its entirety and I hope it doesn’t disappoint.