October’s Biggest Video Games, Ranked By Metacritic Score

October was a busy month with the release of some heavy hitters on multiple gaming platforms. As the weather gets colder, now is the perfect time to catch up on the backlog of great games that have been piling up.

In our ongoing monthly feature, we take a look at some of last month’s biggest games as ranked by Metacritic score.

6. Manifold Garden

Metacritic Score: 85 / User Score 7.7

Developer William Chyr Studio released Manifold Garden onto the PC last month, with a PlayStation 4 launch coming later this year. This has been a surprise treat as a great looking indie first-person puzzle adventure. An innovative take on how gravity is employed throughout the game makes this an unforgettable title that requires a bit of thought to get through, all the while providing stunning visuals and scenes that remind us of Doctor Strange with the altering of reality.

5. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)

Metacritic Score: 85 / User Score 8.6

Surprising no one, the popular game in The Witcher series was a smash hit as a port to the Nintendo Switch. The task of bringing the game over to what is simply a glorified tablet seemed impossible, and yet the game looks and feels fantastic. Our review at TheGamer did focus on one major caveat, and that was that if one looks for a way to re-experience this classic game on-the-go, the Switch is a great place to play the game. If, however, this is your first time playing The Witcher 3, you can find the game for cheap on PC quite often, and the graphics could potentially be far better.

4. The Outer Worlds

Metacritic Score: 84 (Averaged Across Platforms) / User Score: 8.2 (Averaged Across Platforms)

The hype surrounding the release of The Outer Worlds was immense and completely justified. The creators of the game were in large part former developers of some of the best titles in the Fallout series, and their passion and dedication are apparent throughout the original, funny story and exciting gameplay. Compared to something like The Witcher 3, this game may seem a bit on the shorter side, but the overall quality of the game appears top-notch and is one should not be missed. Now, if only they would hurry and release the Nintendo Switch port!

3. Luigi’s Mansion 3

Metacritic Score: 86 / User Score 8.8

Despite being set within a story of a dark, haunted hotel, Luigi’s Mansion 3 can be considered one of the best-looking games for the system. The environments are distinct and colorful, and the attention to detail is unmatched. Apart from the visuals, Luigi’s Mansion 3 boasts some great puzzles and boss fights. A mere few days have passed since its release, and already it has become the fasted-selling Switch title of the year. If you only play one Nintendo Switch game this year, it would have to be this one.

2. Frostpunk: Console Edition

Metacritic Score: (Averaged Across Platforms) 88 / User Score: (Averaged Across Platforms) 7.6

Frostpunk: Console Edition surprised everyone with how well it played compared to its popular PC counterpart. The story focuses on an alternative reality, post-apocalyptic city builder, and given how well it did on PC, there was no surprise that it would be a hit on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. From the developer that created the outstanding This War of Mine, players can expect some gritty story as they attempt to build the last city in the world. The dark mood of this world gone cold, great looking design, and beautiful soundtrack leave no doubt as to why the game remains so popular.

1. Disco Elysium

Metacritic Score: 91 / User Score 8.5

The biggest surprise in October was the success of Disco Elysium, an open-world RPG that puts players in the role of detectives with a unique set of skills. How the story and your character unfold is entirely up to the player. One can work hard to crack cases or work only with self-interest at heart to become a truly despicable person.

While the game is certainly dialogue-heavy, this is one of those few titles that claim that choices matter and follow through on that promise. Ultimately, there is a single linear story to complete. However, how one arrives at that location is what makes the game so unique.

Source: Metacritic.com