Welcome to the second week of mighty October! Put down the video games and take that special someone to the State Fair. Engage a neighbor in a spirited political debate. Brew a cup of herbal tea and enjoy it outside on the patio. Never mind, those are terrible ideas...let’s play some games, shall we? This week we have a naughty bear, alien invaders, a spectral assassin, dancing, kinecting, and orcs have to deal with the human menace.

Multiplatform

Dishonored
Revenge solves everything. Players assume the role of Corvo Attano, protector to an empress, in this first-person revenge story. The empress gets herself assassinated and Corvo lands on death row for his failure, but it is not Corvo's destiny to die in prison. Set in a plague and vermin infested port city, Corvo has no set path for revenge and the entire city is at his disposal. We have been promised the whole “your actions will have consequences” deal before (cough Bioshock cough) but Dishonored developer, Arkane Studios, is finally offering to weigh a player’s morality with more than a good ending/bad ending. Players will have a variety of weapons, as well as Corvo’s spectral abilities, at their disposal. Make em pay starting October 9 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise
505 Games is offering up this homicidal sequel as a downloadable title. I know what you asking: Jones, is it bigger than the first game? 10-4 amigo: it has more missions, new places to go, and a bigger arsenal. A new combat system is also in place, which includes some new power moves. 505 has also stated the developer will be offering at least 12 DLCs in support of this title, which include weapons, costumes, and something called “ultra kills”. I like the sound of that! PS3 and Xbox 360 players can get their costumed teddy bear killing spree on starting October 10, for about $15.00.


XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Earth is under attack from alien invaders and you are the last defense against eradication. Firaxis has taken the developmental reins from Microprose, who produced the original XCOM in 1994. This strategy game calls for leaders who are adaptable on the battlefield, dedicate resources for maximum effect, and work well under pressure, because time is definitely a factor in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Highly destructible environments, widely varied enemies, and high-tech weapons and gadgets highlight one of the most highly anticipated sequels of the year. The battle to save earth starts October 9 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.


Just Dance 4
The world’s number one dancing game is back with 40 new ways to look stupid dancing in front of your tv! Oops, I meant 40 new songs to dance to. Ubisoft is churning out this third (rhymes with turd) sequel on the Wii, Wii U, PS3, and Xbox 360 on October 9. Blah blah blah, here’s the trailer...

 

Xbox 360

Harry Potter Kinect
Warner Bros Interactive and Eurocom are teaming up to break The Curse of the Crappy Potter Games. Players will be able to play as either a cast member or scan their face and join Hogwarts as a custom character. Kinect interactivity promises to deepen the Harry Potter experience with interactive spellcasting, quidditch, and adventuring. Naysayers be warned: this is the studio that brought us Dead Space Extraction. Harry Potter Kinect experience will span all of the Potter material, from the Sorcerer's Stone to the Deathly Hallows, and is available, for Xbox 360 Kinect only, starting October 9.

 

PC

Of Orcs and Men
The war between orcs and humans is over, and the victorious humans are crusading to wipe out the last of the orcs and goblins in this RPG. French developers Cyanide have teamed up with fellow French studio, Spiders, to deliver a (hopefully) fresh experience to an RPG grudge match that has been raging since Gary Gygax sold his first set of ten-sided dice. Set from the perspective of an orc and single goblin companion, your quest is to assassinate the human emperor who ordered the genocide of your respective races. The studios have promised some interesting new features, like being able to throw the goblin companion, and 20-30 hours of gameplay. PC gamers will not have to wait long: this one drops October 11.