8 Big October Games We've Already Played if You Want to Know What We Think of Them So Far

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

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"8 Big October Games We've Already Played if You Want to Know What We Think of Them So Far"

Fresh previews, ready for your consumption before the full games hit your hard drive later this month.

Posted : Oct 2, 2026 2:03pm UTC

October is here, which means the Fall is in full swing, which means some of the biggest games of the year drop this month ahead of You Know Who . We've already played some of the biggest ones, so check out our previews of Phantom Blade Zero, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Final Fantasy Resonance, and more below.

There are three difficulty options to choose from, but even at the default setting that I played at, Phantom Blade Zero is hard, and I loved that about it. It never felt cheap; it just demanded more from me. In just over an hour of play, I was easily ten times the player I was when I started. It’s a feeling of achievement that is reserved for the very best action games on the planet. If the rest is anything like what I played, I feel like there’s a real chance that Phantom Blade 0 might be one of those games. Read our full Phantom Blade Zero preview .

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

I had an absolute blast with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. The art and animation are absolutely gorgeous; combat is fun and dynamic with plenty of room to carve out your own personal playstyle thanks to the variety of weapons, Arcana, and relics; exploration was appropriately rewarding and there were plenty of secrets hidden within the cracked walls of the Parisian streets; and the bosses provided a nice challenge without ever feeling too overwhelming for how early I was in the game. Read our full Castlevania: Belmont's Curse preview .

Resonance has the most impressive use of HD-2D I think I’ve ever seen. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and you can see it from the overworld. It’s the way the clouds pass gently overhead, the way the wind seems to rustle the grass beneath your feet. What’s equally stunning is the way your character’s spite moves through all of this. HD-2D is gorgeous, but it can sometimes look like your character is a little out of place in the world. Not so here. Your character looks distinct, but it always seems like they fit. Read our full Final Fantasy Resonance preview .

Warhammer 40K was always such a natural pairing with what has come to be called the "boomer shooter" – these crunchy, nostalgic celebrations of ‘90s mayhem that take notes from the likes of old-school Doom, Quake, and Rise of the Triad. The original Boltgun was one of those team-ups that seems so obvious in retrospect that I was almost mad I didn't think of it myself. With Boltgun 2, the couple of levels I played show a desire to evolve a bit beyond those templates, though. It still has the look and feel of all the blood-drenched classics, while dialing up the scope and expanding the environments and character roster. Read our full Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2 preview .