GRIND's Recommendations for October 2025
🎃 BooHoo!
FINALLY! Summer’s over, the harvest is in, and my favourite season is here: SPOOKTOBER! Get your skeletons out of the cupboard, hang ghosts from the trees (or the eaves) and prepare a jar of garlic ointment! It’s time for all things horror, spooky and dark!
…
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ENTIRE HORROR SEASON HAS BEEN MOVED TO SEPTEMBER AND WE HAVE NO HORROR RELEASES IN OCTOBER??? What’s next? Am I going to find out that Mariah Carey has escaped from the SCP containment facility again? Wait a minute… It’s less than 100 days until Christmas… so probably, yeah.
Anyway, if you’re not yet caught up in the premature carols fever, let’s see what releases are keeping us busy in the tenth month of the year.
Small disclaimer: after many exercises, meditations under waterfalls, Yoga that opened all our chakras, plus a semester at Hogwarts, we still can’t see the future. Terminator 2D: No Fate was on the original list, but its release has been postponed to November 2025.
Ghost of Yōtei
Release date: 2 October 2025
Platforms: PlayStation 5
We're kicking off the spooky season with a game that has shaken the industry! And no, not because it's horror, but because it promises to be incredible in every way. Critics have already rewarded it with solid 7s, 8s, and 9s, and GRIND is here to tell you if it deserves the MUST PLAY label. What we know for sure is that Ghost of Yōtei is more ambitious than Ghost of Tsushima, and Atsu uses completely different tactics from Jin. So get your shamisen and a pair of geta ready, because we're about to spend many hours in Ezo.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2
Release date: 2 October 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
The big surprise of the month comes from Nintendo, who are bringing two of the most beloved Wii games back to life: Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, in remastered versions, with 4K graphics and 60FPS fluidity. If you haven't had the chance to experience the 'space' adventures of the famous Italian plumber, now is the perfect time to embark on a journey among the stars! And for series veterans, Nintendo has added new chapters, a more user-friendly UI, and an assist mode that helps you get through those sections that, back in the day, made you throw your nunchuck.
Battlefield 6
Release date: 10 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
It's been seven years since the last *good* Battlefield... And no, we're not talking about 2042 here at the editorial office. Mega-developer Battlefield Studios, a giant conglomerate formed by DICE, Ripple Effect Studios, Criterion Games, and Motive Studio, has seriously mobilised to give fans exactly what they wanted: a memorable experience, with a good story and a fun multiplayer. Unlike 2042, the new title comes with a single-player campaign, and the online modes seem to be exactly the kind of organised chaos that made the series famous.
Little Nightmares 3
Release date: 10 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox One
Thanks to Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco Entertainment for not forgetting that this month is called SPOOKTOBER! The Little Nightmares franchise continues, this time under the guidance of Supermassive Games. The new game places a greater emphasis on co-op and action, but retains the same oppressive atmosphere and unique artistic direction that made the series so memorable. With two completely new protagonists, the developer can let their imagination run wild. The action takes place in “Nowhere”, a realm accessible only in sleep, and Alone and Low must find a way to escape this strange and unsettling place.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Release date: 16 October 2025
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Fans were expecting a remake of the famous sixth-generation Pokémon games, but the developer chose a surprising approach: continuing the Legends series! While technically still a spin-off, the first one was exactly what we wanted: an open-zone where we could catch Pokémon in real-time. Pokémon Legends: Z-A promises to improve the formula, and this time the action takes place in Lumiose City. So, get your Xerneas and Yveltal out of the PokéBank and face Zygarde again! And if you didn't get a chance to catch it in X & Y, now's your chance!
The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes
Release date: 16 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is……..
NOPE, nope, nope, nope, nope.
Ok, I haven't been affected by SCP-6221-15 yet, and we don't accept Christmas games in Spooktober, so you can relax. Immediately after the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest consoles on the market arrive: ROG XBOX ALLY and ROG XBOX ALLY X. The prices are a bit spicy (600 Euros and 1000 Euros respectively), but if you have anything left in your savings after the September and early October massacre, and you don't already own a portable console like the Switch 2 or Steam Deck, this collaboration between Asus and Xbox seems like an excellent investment.
The two models allow access to the entire Game Pass library, as well as carefully selected titles. And if you need an extra boost of power, the 2025 XG Mobile is ready to transform the console into a true gaming beast, elevating it to the level of a laptop equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.
Ninja Gaiden 4
Release date: 21 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
It's been 13 years since the last main series Ninja Gaiden release. Although we've had remasters, remakes, and even a spin-off that paid homage to the 1998 classic, Ryu Hayabusa's story seemed to have ended with Ninja Gaiden 3. However, we can breathe a sigh of relief: the adventures in this bloody universe continue on 21 October 2025!
This time, the protagonist is Yakumo, a young shinobi with an atypical power. He can use his own blood or that of his enemies to create dangerous weapons to defeat the demons that have invaded Tokyo. Although Ryu Hayabusa is also present, his role is more that of an adversary and a model for the young hero.
We'll find out more details after launch, but the trailers suggest that Ninja Gaiden 4 remains faithful to Team Ninja's established formula: constant action and challenging fights. And if you have Xbox Game Pass, you'll be able to try it out on launch day, 21 October 2025.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
Release date: 21 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Thanks to The Chinese Room for ignoring the internal memo that said all horror releases had to be in September. This legendary game joins Silksong as one of the titles that managed to escape development hell.
Bloodlines 2 has a long and turbulent history, but what really matters is that we'll be taking on the role of Phyre, an ancient vampire who wakes up in 21st-century Seattle, right around Christmas. Her mission? To solve an ancient mystery threatening the Masquerade. Besides the usual rivals, such as other vampires, werewolves and ghosts, our "hero" must also face the forces of the Vatican, who have unleashed a second Inquisition to purge all supernatural creatures.
The Outer Worlds 2
Release date: 29 October 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Obsidian Entertainment seems to be in top form. After the launch of Avowed in February, the studio returns in October with a sequel to their famous space RPG: The Outer Worlds! This time we return to the colonies of Arcadia, where we land right in the middle of a war between the Protectorate (a totalitarian government) and the Auntie’s Choice corporation. The conflict erupted due to the faster-than-light travel system, on which the lymphotropic systems depend.
And the good news for Game Pass subscribers: the game will be available on launch day, 29 October 2025.
These were GRIND's recommendations for October 2025. We hope at least one of them catches your eye. And, if you haven't caught Christmas fever yet, close the door, draw the curtains, and let these games keep you company through an epic autumn.