Every year, the fall season sees quite a few big video game releases. As fall 2021 comes at the tail end of the first full 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 like LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga that have no specific window, games like God of War which 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.
15 Life is Strange: True Colors (September 10)
Life is Strange: True Colors is 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 of Alex Chen who, unlike other Life is Strange protagonists, 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 Colors releases September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
14 Deathloop (Sept 14)
The time loop game has become increasingly popular, and Deathloop may prove to be the one of the greats of the genre. In Deathloop, 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 the core gameplay loop of Deathloop.
Deathloop releases on September 14 for PC and PS5 (as a timed exclusive).
13 Lost Judgment (Sept 21)
In Lost 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 the Yakuza franchise, Judgment will forever represent one facet of the franchise, while Yakuza and Ichiban Kasuga follow another. Notably, there's been some controversy over Judgment, its actors, a PC version, and more that could prevent another game in the spin-off franchise, but overall, that seems unlikely.
Lost Judgment releases September 21 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
12 Far Cry 6 (October 7)
After some delays, Far Cry 6 will 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, including Vaas, Pagan Min, and Joseph Seed.
Far Cry 6 releases October 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
11 Metroid Dread (Oct 8)
Metroid Dread was 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 with Metroid 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 Dread releases October 8 for Nintendo Switch.
10 Back 4 Blood (Oct 12)
Back 4 Blood is being made by the same developers as the original Left 4 Dead, with the comparisons of the two making the former a spiritual successor of the latter. Given Left 4 Dead's popularity, Back 4 Blood already 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 Blood releases October 12 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
9 Battlefield 2042 (Oct 22)
Battlefield 2042 is setting itself up as the definitive Battlefield experience. 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), while Battlefield Portal serves as a sandbox to make customized multiplayer modes and maps. Hazard Zone, a co-op multiplayer mode, has yet to be detailed.
Battlefield 2042 releases October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
8 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Oct 26)
Although it leaked slightly ahead of time, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was still an interesting announcement and has a lot of potential. Whereas Marvel's Avengers has struggled as a live-service game, Guardians of the Galaxy is 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 Galaxy releases October 26 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
7 Forza Horizon 5 (November 9)
Up next, Forza Horizon takes 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). When Forza Horizon 5 releases 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 5 releases November 9 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
6 Shin Megami Tensei 5 (Nov 11)
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is being developed at Atlus and 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 5 releases November 11 for Switch in Japan and November 12 worldwide.