September 1 – Ooblets (Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 1 – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R (PC)
September 2 – Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness (PS4/Switch/PC)
September 2 – The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
September 6 – Circus Electrique (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 6 – Disney Dreamlight Valley (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 6 – Temtem (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 6 – Gloomwood (PC)
September 7 – Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
September 8 – Steelrising (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
September 9 – NBA 2K23 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 9 – Splatoon 3 (Switch)
September 9 – Broken Pieces (PC)
September 13 – Sunday Gold (PC)
September 15 – Metal: Hellsinger (PS5/Xbox SeriesX|S/PC)
September 15 – Wayward Strand (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
September 16 – Melatonin (Switch/PC)
September 19 – Return to Monkey Island (Switch/PC)
September 22 – The DioField Chronicle (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 22 – Serial Cleaners (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
September 22 – Potion Permit (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC/Mac)
September 22 – Slime Rancher 2 (Xbox Series X|S/PC)
September 23 – Taiko no Tasujin: Rhythm Festival (Switch)
September 27 – Grounded (Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
September 27 – Tunic (PS5/PS4)
September 28 – The First Descendant (PC Beta Test)
September 29 – Valkyrie Elysium (PS5/PS4)
September 30 – FIFA 23 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
We learned (or perhaps relearned) something about Australian politicians last month – they’re just a little bit sneaky. But I’m here to assure you that at WellPlayed we are veritable paragons of honesty, you need only cast a glance at a smoldering, recently exploded pair of jorts to know with certainty that a new release has one of us in a tizz; unlike secretly swearing yourself into five separate ministries, that tends to be hard to hide. So with Spring in the air, what’s got WellPlayed’s crack team of journalists dancing with denim destruction?
Mark
Let the floodgates open. I took one look at the release schedule for the next month and almost lost myself within it – just look at some of these bangers! Granted I could go on about The Last of Us forever and I’m more than grateful to return to that world with a new coat of paint, but once again it’s the indies that are going to steal the show for me. You’ve got a head banger in Metal: Hellsinger, an old-school banger in Return to Monkey Island, an early access banger in Slime Rancher 2, and you can cap all that off with the PS5 and PS4 release of one of my GOTY candidates, the legit banger Tunic. There are a few other titles here that might get lost in the shuffle, but I’d also keep a close eye on Serial Cleaners and Melatonin, and admittedly I’m very curious about both Steelrising and Gloomwood too, but only the Gaming Gods can tell if I’ll have enough time for them all. And Splatoon 3!
Nathan
Any anime fans in the house? Perhaps don’t leave the house this month. Just remember to wash your jorts because September kicks off with two absolute crowd pleasers courtesy of Bandai Namco. Ending the week with a bang, not only do Jojo’s fans get a new helping of Stone Ocean on Netflix, they also get the ultimate deluxified edition of the PS3 fighter Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle R. Maybe you’d prefer seeing a child and her robot companions exposed to existential and literal horror instead? On that same Friday, September 2, our Bandai Namco runneth over with Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness (they love a long title, don’t they?). To pump up my big daddy jorts-wearing crowd, keep a watch for Gloomwood‘s stealthy imsim early access release on September 6. Sure to excite this same crowd is Metal: Hellsinger, the FPS rhythm shooter rocking heads on September 15. Lastly, it wouldn’t be a month worth drowning in Hennessy if not for a few robust JRPGs and adjacent titles. Firstly, Square Enix’s brand new strategic RPG The DioField Chronicle marches onto the stacked battlefield of September on the 22nd. While I wasn’t initially sold, I’m keen to play more. Feeling likewise is Valkyrie Elysium from the same publisher, a game who’s less than stellar trailers still haven’t shaken me from wanting to dip my toe in the series. Phew. Saving perhaps my quietest yet most eager release for last is Trails From Zero. A visually dated entry in the celebrated Legend of Heroes franchise only now reaching international shores 12 years later. This is the one I need to review. Come on daddy Jackson, this has been on my top three most anticipated this year. Don’t do me dirty.
Jordan
September is the month of learning whether I’m a kid now or a squid now. The jorts are certainly in for work this month, with there being a number of solid titles to bolster my backlog. First up, Temtem. I’ve played a significant amount of the early access offerings of the game since it first launched back in January 2020, and it has continued to deliver on a lot of the things that I wish Nintendo’s Pokemon games would, so I am very excited to see how Crema Games backs the official launch of the game. Gloomwood is an indie game that just had me sold on its setting alone, and I was a little bummed out about its delay last month. Splatoon 3 is my big ticket item, as I am sure you can tell from my very first sentence. I am a massive fan of Nintendo’s ink-based platform shooter and the latest offering looks to be their best yet. Metal: Hellsinger looks like my jam and I am keen to give it a proper spin. Wayward Strand looks awesome and supporting local game studios is a plus. Valkyrie Elysium is my last big title. It looks dope and, depending on how reviews fare, I may just have to finally use my PS5 again. Honourable mention goes to Swordship, I don’t know too much about it but the gameplay trailer I saw looked cool and I like the name.
Holly
Excuse me but how is it September already? Not that I’m complaining because we’re getting an amazing lineup of games. Kicking off the month we are getting a remake of one of my favourite games The Last of Us: Part I and it looks absolutely stunning, can’t wait to have my heart broken all over again. Tuning into something a bit more lighthearted, Disney Dreamlight Valley looks like a cute Disney version of Animal Crossing, and it’s free to play! Now I’m terrible at fighting games but I’m keen for anything LEGO, so LEGO BRAWLS will both excite and frustrate me at the same time. All things considered, it appears September means business.
James
They say variety is the spice of life and September is certainly packing some seasoning into the Jorts this year. Temtem first blipped onto my radar as a potential ailment for my growing woes and disinterest with the Pokemon series. A brand new take on the monster collecting RPG that has the benefit of learning from decades of game design could be a perfect gateway to recapturing aging millennials who want something new that feels just old enough. Speaking of faded retro glow, Gloomwood is strutting onto the scene with its old school PC aesthetic and intriguing combination of genres. An immersive sim smattered with survival elements, the game is even sporting a canesword and Victorian-era setting, the perfect honey trap for this Bloodborne fan. Which reminds me, Steelrising is yet another 2022 game that is taking a swing at the FromSoftware crown with a French Revolution backdrop and sick looking action RPG trimmings. To wash down the grimdark deluge, look no further than Potion Permit, an adorable pixelated tale that sets you loose in an open-ended adventure as the town’s alchemist. Help sick villagers, collect ingredients in the haunted woods, and do it all with a dog in tow! If this line up teaches me anything it’s that I maybe just want to roam the lands with a cool animal and sword by my side, but alas.
Zach
Like clockwork, September not only means the beginning of Spring but also that the gaming onslaught is about to commence. September wastes no time kicking into gear, with the release of The Last of Us Part I – a rebuild of Naughty Dog’s acclaimed 2013 title landing on September 2. While its existence has been questioned by many, personally I can’t wait to relive the harrowing and emotive story of Joel and Ellie with improved visual fidelity and refined gameplay. It’s one of the best games ever made, and with a TV show on the horizon I welcome the rebuild for those who have yet to experience the game or want to again. There are a ton of other releases that are threatening the integrity of my denims this month, including Steelrising, Broken Pieces, Sunday Gold and of course the Aussie-made Wayward Strand, a unique narrative-driven adventure that I have been excited to play since I first saw it at PAX Aus in 2018. Speaking of adventures, there is perhaps no adventure series with as great a legacy as Monkey Island, and this month Guybrush Threepwood makes his return in Return to Monkey Island. I am very keen to see what Ron Gilbert has in-store for players and for the record, I dig the art style. Rounding out the month is FIFA 23, and with my beloved Burnley suffering relegation last season I am keen to take them back to the promised land.
