Look, if you thought August was an exciting month for games you’re wrong. September is where it is at. Get with the times! Okay, well August was a very exciting month for video games too. In fact, some pretty spectacular titles came out last month including Road 96, Dodgeball Academia and the Ghost of Tsushima DLC. However, September truly has some bangers up its sleeve, so many, in fact, we’re doing 11 games this time.
We’ve even got the long-awaited Kena: Bridge of Spirits arriving later this month. We all have our collective fingers crossed in the hopes that it will finally come out. New World is another title that has been left off this list as we already included it in our August list before it was delayed. However, alongside the obvious slew of exciting triple-A titles is a handful of phenomenal indies we cannot recommend enough. So, be sure to read on for our top 11 most anticipated games of September.
Lake – September 1st
We have been excited for Lake ever since the LudoNarraCon event back in April. Back then, we stated it was “simply perfect”, praising practically every facet of its existence. Now, having played and reviewed the full game, we are happy to share that it is the indie game of the year. If you want to know why you can check out our full review here.
Nevertheless, it is safe to say that if you’re looking for something truly wholesome, fun and endearing, or simply a pleasant way to pass a few hours, Lake is 100% the game for you. In fact, in the process of writing this singular paragraph, we’ve gone back and played Lake an additional twelve times. Okay, ten, but the point still stands. Lake is amazing, and everyone should play it.
Lake is coming to Xbox and PC this September 1st.
Ultra Age – September 9th
Ultra Age is an upcoming action-packed JRPG developed by a team of just 11 people. From what we’ve seen, and indeed played, this is an incredibly impressive effort from such a small development studio. Ultra Age currently has a demo available on both PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch which offers around 30 to 40 minutes of gameplay. While it drops you in partway through the narrative, it does offer a satisfying glimpse into what exactly you’ll be up to across your adventure.
We have played the demo on both the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and surprisingly it holds up fairly impressively on both consoles. On the Nintendo Switch, the visual downgrade is barely noticeable, especially in action. Ultra Age is definitely one to be hyped about and is bound to keep you busy this September. If you’d like to know more about it, you can check out our article here.
Ultra Age launches on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 this September 9th.
Kraken Academy!! – September 10th
Kraken Academy!! is another title we had the pleasure of reviewing during the LudoNarraCon event in April. In our review, we stated, “With an off-the-walls narrative, hilarious dialogue and gorgeous character art, Kraken Academy!! has definitely become one of our most anticipated indie games of 2021.” Frankly, we still stand by that sentiment 100%. Kraken Academy!! continues to look like it’ll be an incredibly bizarre yet fun time.
If you’re into fascinating worlds, characters and krakens and love yourself some high-quality character portraits and a killer soundtrack, then Kraken Academy!! is absolutely the game for you. We honestly cannot overstate how excited we are to play the full release of Kraken Academy!! later this September.
Kraken Academy!! is coming to PC this September 10th.
Tales of Arise – September 10th
We’ve been fans of the Tales series for quite some time now. While we’ve not loved every Tales title, we appreciate what they have to offer and the contributions they’ve made to the JRPG genre. However, and this is very big, however, Tales of Arise looks to be our next favourite JRPG.
From its stunning reveal way back when to the litany of narrative, gameplay and character trailers we’ve received over the past few months, Tales of Arise continues to impress. Admittedly, we don’t have hundreds of hours to sink into Tales of Arise, especially considering the sheer volume of incredible games launching this month (we’ve barely started this list). Nevertheless, we’re incredibly excited to sit down with a warm cup of brew and delve deep into this fantastic and jaw-droppingly stunning JRPG. If you’d like to know more about it, you can read our article here.
Tales of Arise is coming out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC this September 10th.
Life is Strange: True Colours – September 10th
We love Life is Strange. In saying that, like the Tales series, some of the entries into the franchise are a little more miss than hit. However, when we saw the reveal trailer for Life is Strange: True Colours we couldn’t help but get all giddy. Not only does True Colours look set to return the franchise to its former glory, but it also feels like an entirely unique and fresh entry in the series. The characters, world and mystery all seem suitably captivating. Even the recently announced prequel DLC, Wavelengths, has got us contemplating the Ultimate Edition.
If you’re a fan of the franchise, or someone who hasn’t even heard of Life is Strange, True Colours is likely for you. As always, you can learn more about Life is Strange: True Colours by reading our article all about it.
Life is Strange: True Colours is launching this September 10th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Google Stadia. A Nintendo Switch version is coming sometime later this year.
Deathloop – September 14th
It must be true… This is Deathloooooooooooop! It’s almost upon us everyone. So, whip out your phone, search Deathloop Déjà Vu into YouTube, and get ready to awkwardly shuffle and bob your head. Deathloop is by far one of our most anticipated games for this month. If it weren’t for the fact that it was only releasing on next-gen consoles, maybe even I’d be happy (check out our podcast to understand that reference!).
We’ve seen a ton of gameplay over the past few months and even experienced a few delays along the way. Suffice to say, we’re pretty much hyped and ready to go at this point. The action-packed first-person shooter seems set to throw us for a loop with its ’60s aesthetic and Groundhog Day mechanics. We cannot wait to get our hands on this one and die time after time after time after time…
Deathloop is launching on September 14th for PlayStation 5 and PC.
Gamedec – September 16th
We love meta-narratives as much as the next person. But when it comes to Gamedec, well consider our fancies well and truly tickled. Gamedec sees you play as a virtual reality expert turned detective who ventures into virtual worlds to solve crimes. Our heads are turning just thinking about it. But the uniqueness of Gamedec stretches beyond its incredibly fascinating set-up. Its world, characters and gameplay all look simultaneously intriguing and horrifyingly dystopian. And oh boy do we love it.
We’ve had a slew of fantastic isometric titles over the past few months/years, but Gamedec truly feels like something unique and is something we’re very excited to try out. As always, you can find out more details about Gamedec here.
Gamedec is releasing on the Nintendo Switch and PC this September 16th.
Eastward – September 16th
We’re pretty confident that Eastward is going to be spectacular. Everything we’ve seen surrounding the game has gotten us pretty excited, especially its tantalising and atmospheric trailers. The world of Eastward just seems so enticingly exciting. Sure, it helps that it has Chucklefish backing it, a publisher and developer who’ve pretty much made and published nothing but incredible games so far. I mean, just look at Wargroove for a minute, and tell us it isn’t one of the best indie titles on the Switch.
Tangent aside, Eastward, both visually and narratively, looks pretty phenomenal. It’s grungy, stylish and wholesome all at the same time, which is a pretty tough feat to pull off. We highly recommend checking this out if you’re one of the few people who haven’t seen it yet. This is bound to be one of the best indies of the month, if not of the year.
Eastward is coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC this September 16th.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits – September 21st
Last month we came close to including Kena: Bridge of Spirits in our most anticipated article. Unfortunately, it was delayed at the last minute until late September. Well, September is finally here, and just like the month before it and all the months before that, we’re unequivocally hyped for Kena. A lot can be said about Kena: Bridge of Spirits‘ incredible visual style, least of all that it is truly mesmerising. It complements the seemingly wondrously fantastical narrative that underscores your exciting adventure.
While we haven’t seen as much as we’d like to, especially when it comes to Kena’s combat and exploration, we admit it’s always nice to be surprised with the final product. So, for now, we’ll just have to wait until the end of the month to finally get our hands on what is this writers’ personal most anticipated game of the year.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is releasing on September 21st for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Diablo 2: Resurrected – September 23rd
If you’re a fan of the Diablo franchise – let’s be honest who isn’t? – then you’ve likely heard of the upcoming Diablo 2 remaster. Well, for those of you who haven’t, it’s happening and it looks glorious. As big fans of the franchise ourselves, Diablo 2: Resurrected looks set to be our long-desired foray back into the classic title.
It’s great that a whole new audience will have the opportunity to play Diablo 2 and have as much fun as this lot of old farts did. It features up to 4K with 60fps as well as cross-progression which is a nice touch. Honestly, we had a blast playing Diablo 3 on the Nintendo Switch, and will likely enjoy its predecessor on the platform just as much.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is resurrecting this September 23rd for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, the Nintendo Switch and PC.
Lost Judgment – September 24th
Last, but most certainly not least, is Lost Judgment. Lost Judgment is the surprise sequel to the critically acclaimed and frankly fantastic Judgment from 2019. It seems set to take the franchise in a bold new direction, while still maintaining a lot of what made it excellent.
We’re personally very excited to play Lost Judgment as not only will it continue the riveting adventures of our favourite band of amateur detectives but will also incorporate a lot of the newer elements in the Yakuza series. Most importantly, Lost Judgment will see you visit Yokohama as well as a school. Basically, it looks to be as silly and goofy yet charmingly dark as the first one. We can’t wait. You can read all about it in our article.
Lost Judgment is releasing for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S this September 24th.