Categories: Originals

The best games of September 2015

SOMA – PC, PS4 – Sept. 22

SOMA is the latest horror game from developer Frictional Games, creators of the terrifying Amnesia series. This time, instead of a protagonist gradually going insane in the walls of his own mansion, we are transported to the depths of the ocean floor to the facility known as PATHOS-II, where good intentions have gone horribly wrong. SOMA’s best quality is its atmosphere and storytelling, and its philosophical takes on the notion of existence will stay with you long after you’ve beaten the game. For more on SOMA, check out our review.

NBA 2K16 – PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One – Sept. 25

As EA’s NBA Live franchise continues to struggle finding its footing, the NBA 2K franchise continues to roll along and is far and away this year’s premier basketball game once again. The biggest addition to this year’s game is the enhanced AI on defense that adapts to player tendencies and forces you to run real basketball plays, as opposed to simply dodging and weaving your way to the basket. MyCareer mode has also received a facelift in that it has become a documentary, directed by Spike Lee himself. It follows the player’s path from becoming a high school basketball player to an NBA superstar.

LEGO Dimensions – PS4, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One – Sept. 27

Developer Traveller’s Tales has officially joined the toy-to-life brigade with their latest game, LEGO Dimensions. This time, players have access to the largest catalog of characters that any LEGO game has ever released. Provided you can pay for it all. Batman, Lord of the Rings, Ghostbusters, Portal and even The Simpsons all collide together in one epic mashup seemingly made from the dreams of every fan of everything in existence. Like every other toy-to-life game, it requires a heavy investment to get going, as the Starter Pack will run you a hundred bucks. What makes LEGO Dimensions different, is that the player has to build everything in real life before they can even get started in the game. Yes, this includes the toy base.

World of Warships – PC – Sept. 17

Developer Wargaming has returned with World of Warships, doing for battleships what they did for tanks in World of Tanks. Battles are slow but methodical and reward patience and strategy with satisfying victory. World of Warships emphasizes realism over action, but that’s not to suggest that the game won’t make you sweat. Enemy fire rains down from the sky, and from underneath if you aren’t careful, so your head is constantly on a swivel. Best of all, World of Warships is free to try, and its cousin, World of Tanks is widely regarded as one of the best practitioners of the Free-to-Play model in the industry.

Skylanders: Superchargers – PS4, PS3, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, iOS – Sept. 20

The Skylanders franchise is one of the most profitable franchises in gaming, and it looks to continue that trend with its latest entry, Superchargers. The big addition to this year’s entry is racing, as Activision has launched a new line of toy-to-life cars for the game. Players are able to engage in Mario Kart-esque races that offer some of the most dynamic game mechanics that the series has seen to date. For more on Skylanders: Superchargers, check out our review.

FIFA 16 – PS4, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS – Sept. 22

Just because PES 2016 may have taken over the top spot in football simulation, doesn’t mean it was a runaway vote. FIFA 16 still offers plenty of advantages over PES, namely the breadth of licensed teams and players, as well as the ability to play as Women’s National teams. EA has tweaked a few notable gameplay aspects, namely that player speed be the ultimate determining factor for possession. Now there is more of an emphasis on midfield defense being the thing that escalates play, which ends up making the game feel like it’s being played on a more level field.

Destiny: The Taken King – PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 – Sept. 15

OK this isn’t technically a full game release, but the effect it had on the game’s previous state is undeniably substantial. Destiny has seen its share of (rightly earned) criticisms over the past year, namely a lackluster story and repetitive quests. But The Taken King is representative of what Destiny should have been all along, and completely reworks a lot of what made Destiny feel like such a grind. If you were one of those people that didn’t invest in the game at release, the best value Destiny has ever seen is right now. For more on Destiny: The Taken King, check out our review.

NHL 16 – PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 – Sept. 15

After a lackluster next-gen debut, EA’s NHL franchise has officially rebounded with NHL 16. During the offseason, EA recruited a selection of community members that were nominated by the fans, called “Game Changers”, that provided feedback on the previous year’s entry and got to test new features. One of the positive effects of this move was the return of a feature that was noticeably absent from last year’s game, EA Sports Hockey League. If you have EA Access on Xbox One, you can check the game out before investing.

Undertale – PC – Sept. 15

People are going crazy for Undertale right now. It may not look like much, but it is gradually making waves across the internet as arguably the best indie game to release this year. Described as “the friendly RPG where nobody has to die”, Undertale draws inspiration from games like Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VI in both visuals and game mechanics and adds an infusion of hilarious parody to its storytelling. Undertale’s battle system, isn’t necessarily used for battle, as players have the option to negotiate their way out of any encounter and can even become friends with the game’s bosses. Undertale currently retails at a very consumer friendly, $9.99 and is averaging a 97 on Metacritic.

Tearaway Unfolded – PS4 – Sept. 8

Despite the fact that the PlayStation Vita hasn’t sold well at all for Sony, there are still some really great games that have hit the platform. Tearaway was a puzzle platformer that released back in 2013 from developer Media Molecule (of LittleBigPlanet fame). It is an insanely creative game that emphasizes the experience over difficulty and utilizes all of the different functions of the DualShock 4 controller. So anybody looking for something new needs to check it out. Tearaway Unfolded is a port of the Vita game, but don’t get fixed on the fact that it’s not the original version. For more on Tearaway Unfolded, check out our review.

Super Mario Maker – Wii U – Sept. 11

Super Mario Maker ended up being Nintendo’s big game of E3 2015, and despite the disappointment of not seeing more of Zelda Wii U, Super Mario Maker has proven since releasing that it is quite a formidable exclusive. The game offers a wide array of tools and assets to make the levels you always dreamed about as a kid. And if design isn’t necessarily your thing, the game has level after level of user generated content, giving you a seemingly endless list of gameplay options. The key to Super Mario Maker’s future is you, so if you are a fan of the franchise, don’t hesitate to get in there and your creativity flow. For more on Super Mario Maker, check out our review.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 – PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 – September 15

Perhaps it was only a matter of time, but FIFA 16 may finally start playing second fiddle to the PES series again. Back in the early 2000’s Pro Evolution Soccer was the penultimate world football simulation during the PS2’s heyday, but has struggled to keep up with EA’s super popular football giant over the past gaming generation. 2016 however, is a different story. With revamped collision and possession mechanics, the game has been rebuilt to feel more natural. The big thing that holds the PES franchise back is its lack of licensed teams, especially when compared with FIFA, but the gameplay this year simulates some of the most natural football you will ever play.

This month was arguably the best month of releases on 2015’s gaming calendar yet. It started off with a nuclear explosion-sized bang with Hideo Kojima’s (and likely Konami’s) final entry in the long running Metal Gear Solid series and continued by pouring out one quality sports title after another. Wii U owners also got to let their inner Miyamoto out, while a highly scrutinized multi-billion dollar MMO Shooter reinvented itself to fulfill its…Destiny. Terribly hilarious (or vice versa) puns aside, September was a great month for gamers, and here are the best games that we recommend you spend your hard-earned dollars on.

Armello – PS4, PC – Sept. 1

Armello finished runner up to Grow Home on PSN’s vote for September’s Free PS Plus game, but that doesn’t mean it was an inferior game. Armello is a digital board game full of vibrant fantasy characters, political intrigue, and backstabbing, as players attempt to usurp the throne of the kingdom from its leader that has fallen ill and moves ever closer to death. The game combines a mix of mechanics from card games, board games and role playing games to create an experience that is both in-depth and entirely unique every time that you play. For more on Armello, check out our review.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 – Sept.1

What is there to say that hasn’t been said about The Phantom Pain by now? If it isn’t 2015’s Game of the Year, it’s undoubtedly in the conversation. It is a master class in game design and cinematography, and despite the fact that the story can confound even some of the most devout Metal Gear fans, it is a game that stands on its own, above its contemporaries. Nobody should let any politics about Konami get in the way of what is going to be remembered as one of the greatest games of this generation. For more on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, check out our review.

Daniel R. Miller

I'll play anything at least once. But RPG's, Co-Op/Competitive Multiplayer, Action Adventure games, and Sports Franchise Modes keep me coming back. Follow me on Twitter @TheDanWhoWrites