October is known for scares, comfortably cold weather, and gourd-flavored lattes. But let this October be an oasis of fun. Here are the biggest games of the season.
Rock Band 4 – October 6 (PS4, XBox ONE)

Few games have filled my weekend nights with more fun than Harmonix’s Rock Band series. A room full of friends, a couple of beers and hour after hour of great music accompanied by some plastic instrument theatrics. This fall, the iconic game comes to next-gen consoles with Rock Band 4. Featuring a new “Freestyle” mode for guitar solos and compatibility with the same peripherals and downloadable content you already own, it’s a party starter for sure.
Yoshi’s Wooly World – October 16 (WiiU)

Nintendo has always made games that stand out in a crowd, and Yoshi’s Wooly World is no exception. A natural evolution of the platforming formula defined by the Super Nientendo Entertainment System (SNES) classic Yoshi’s Island, Wooly World casts the entire landscape in fuzzy colors that span the full rainbow. Developer Good-Feel previously crafted the similar Kirby’s Epic Yarn, one of the most gleefully happy games of the Wii generation. If you need a bright spark in the dark fall season, be sure to snuggle up with Yoshi this October.
Guitar Hero Live – October 20 (PS4, XBox ONE, WiiU, PS3, XBox 360)


It’s been six years since video game publisher Activision last put out a Guitar Hero game and refurbished living rooms in America with plastic drums, guitars and microphones. For the reunion tour, developer Freestyle Games (who previously worked on the blissful DJ Hero series) have ditched the drums and bass in search of a more focused music experience. A new six-button guitar will attempt to better simulate the feeling of playing an instrument, new live-action video backgrounds capture the sights of taking the stage, and a new streaming service entitled “GH Live” hopes to free users from the tyranny of paying for countless downloadable songs. But at heart, it’s still about shredding along to great tracks and living the rock star fantasy.
Halo 5: Guardians – October 27 (XBox ONE)

Six installments, two studios and one disastrous compilation – the Halo series has seen it all. Guardians looks to bring the iconic shooter franchise back to the spotlight with a handful of major gameplay shifts. The campaign (now fully playable in four-player co-op) will expand the perspective beyond Master Chief with the introduction of Spartan Locke. The multiplayer modes you grew up loving are still fully intact, but the big push this year is on Warzone – a new 12-on-12 multiplayer mode designed for competitive play.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter, @Mushroomer25