These Games Are Burning Up!

Even though 2022 has been a weird year, with far more delays than any year I can remember, some of the top publishers in gaming still have major releases set to release every month. We wanted to take a moment to focus on just a few of the games we can’t wait to check out this September, and a few more we’re excited to play in the months ahead. So here are the games our staff thinks are burning up in September.

Kaichu – The Kaiju Dating Game

Planned Release: September 7th

Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Kaiju, so hot right now. When I think of giant monsters that smash cities, I think of many different things. None of those revolve around dating them, but the team at Squiddershins seems to look at these giant creatures differently than I do. Kaichu – The Kaiju Dating Game lets you romance six different kaiju in 24 locations as you work to fall in love with the monster of your desire. While these kaiju are nonverbal, news anchors will interpret their actions and what they have to say about your potential romance. Be careful, though. When it comes to romancing a monster, things can get awfully destructive if you break their heart.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero

Planned Release: September 27th

Platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC

Usually, when a game is announced, you might have to wait a year or two to play it. In rare cases, we might have to wait four or five years. (We’re looking at you, Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4) Fans in the west have waited a lot longer for Trails From Zero though. Initially released for the PSP back in 2010, the sales struggles of Trails in the Sky meant the rest of the PSP games in the series never got translated. Thankfully, patience leads to new opportunities, and NIS America is bringing those missing games to the west for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. While the game has had an excellent fan translation online for years, finally, players who don’t speak Japanese will be able to enjoy this epic tale from an official source.

Metal: Hellsinger

Planned Release: September 13th

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre mashups are often a lot of fun, but a first-person rhythm shooter is one that I hadn’t even realized I wanted until I got to try a demo for Metal: Hellsinger earlier this year. Shooting to the beat of the awesome metal soundtrack powers up attacks. As you do so, the music just gets more intense and powerful. It’s the sort of cycle that feels incredible when everything is going well for you. The rocking original soundtrack perfectly fits the game’s demonic vibe as you shoot your way through the domains of Hell. Troy Baker is here, too, as the game’s narrator, and while this may not be the September title where the most players will hear his voice, it’s the one that our staff can’t wait to check out.

Slime Rancher 2

Planned Release: September 22nd (Early Access)

Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC

When Slime Rancher launched back in 2016 in Early Access, its success was a bit of a slow burn. It kind of felt like nobody was talking about it initially, but as time passed, everyone had been pulled in by its charm and fallen in love. Slime Rancher 2 won’t take people by surprise as the first one did, but when it launches in late September, a lot of members of our staff look forward to checking out this sequel which will launch in Early Access like its predecessor. Players will find a whole new world to explore, all new slimes to capture, and be able to build their own conservatory on Rainbow Island. As is the nature with Early Access games, it may take some time to really be sure of what the final game will be, but soon enough, we’ll be able to start our journey.

Splatoon 3

Planned Release: September 9th

Platforms: Switch

When Splatoon 2 came out for Nintendo Switch shortly after the system’s launch in 2017, fans forgave it for feeling more like Splatoon 1.5 than a proper sequel. Nevertheless, it still felt great to play, and it meant we could all keep enjoying Splatoon without having to keep our Wii Us hooked up. Five years later, though, fans are expecting a little more out of the series’ third installment. Will Nintendo be able to live up to these greater expectations? A recent Nintendo Direct focused on the game definitely showed promise. We’ll all know how far Nintendo chose to push the series soon enough.

Warming Up

While those are the five games releasing in September that have our staff fanning the flames, there are some other exciting games set to release throughout the month. Square Enix will bring the Valkyrie Profile series back after more than a decade when Valkyrie Elysium launches September 29^th. They have a whole other promising RPG with more of a strategy twist launching as well in The DioField Chronicle (pictured above), which launches September 20^th. Steelrising sets a fascinating-looking RPG in the French Revolution on September 8^th while we’ll finally get to check out the final build of Soulstice when it launches September 20^th. Or, if you want something a little more laid back, becoming the town chemist in an open-ended sim-RPG is always a choice when Potion Permit launches September 22^nd. If that’s not enough exciting upcoming games for you, click over to the next page to see some of the hottest games we can’t wait to check out in the months ahead.