Autumn Of Gaming- September

This coming month is a notable opener to the Autumn of Gaming, packing loads of big releases that, while perhaps not guaranteed to be this year's big sellers, will please all of their wide fanbases and probably newcomers who choose to take a dive too. If you're one of the latter, don't worry: you've probably noticed there's been very little out in the last eight months, but now pretty much whatever you choose is a surefire way to have fun whiling away your life on. Here's every title you can expect to see this month...
2ND-8TH SEPTEMBER:
DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO- If you've ever wanted to switch between cars on the fly mid-race, then Driver: San Francisco is where you should head. The plot is your average popcorn blockbuster fare, yet there's a superb thrill from making use of such an innovative driving gimmick!
MADDEN NFL 12- Who wants to play some American Football?!? Not me, personally, but if that's your sort of thing then this is just as suitable as ever. Don't expect huge strides forward, though.
9TH-15TH SEPTEMBER:
DEAD ISLAND- Remember that controversial video of a family being ruthlessly slaughted by zombies in reverse time? It was for this exciting survival role-play game, taking place on a summer vacation island where the visitors find themselves plagued by an undead infestation. Not Game of the Year material, perhaps, but a fun diversion from the predictable RPGs like Fallout and Elder Scrolls where you know what you're getting.
WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE- A supreme hack-and-slasher, this one's plot is definitely for hardcore Warhammer fans, every bit as convoluted as the strategy game, but if you're keen on Gears of War and Bayonetta this'll be right up your street.
RESISTANCE 3- One of Sony's biggest PS3 exclusives of the year, the Resistance franchise has always set the bar for first person shooters, so this epic finale should be a big one to look out for!
STARFOX 64 3D- This one's a Nintendo 3DS exclusive, a remake of StarFox 64. That was an epic flying and shooting title in its day, however the real question is will it hold up in 2011?
RISE OF NIGHTMARES- Lo and behold, we have a new Kinect game! Rated 18 for good reason, this hack-and-slasher sees players investigate a haunted house filled with your worst nightmares...expect a little bit of lag, apparently, but violent and satisfying fun nonetheless.
16TH-22ND SEPTEMBER:
GEARS OF WAR 3- And of course this is Microsoft's "look what we've got on our console" exclusive for the year, deliciously gruesome shooting with an epic sci-fi plot tagged on, and of course one of the best multiplayer modes in recent times.
F1 2011- A great racer improved, the latest Formula One game boasts the best aesthetics and gameplay features yet!
23RD-30TH SEPTEMBER:
FIFA 12- Expect this one to garner big sales no matter what your opinion of it. The latest FIFA has even deeper gameplay innovations, better graphics than any other sports game and improved Be A Pro modes.
X-MEN: DESTINY- This one is sadly looking to be a bit of a repetitive shambles so far, as Marvel seem to have poured most of their efforts into October's Spider-Man: Edge of Time. However, X-Men fans will undoubtedly love the various continuity references and the multiple alliance paths on offer here.
MY POTENTIAL BEST GAME FOR SEPTEMBER- I would wager the battle here is between Gears and Resistance, and via GAMEFest and later plays I hope to give you a definitive verdict on which one wins out later in September!