The first half of the year has been great for gaming. Games such as “Resident Evil 7” and “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” proved that older series can still be amazing. New International Properties (IPs) like “Horizon: Zero Dawn” and “Player Unknown Battleground” rose in popularity and have become well known and critically acclaimed. The second half of the year, however, has a lot of new releases including new IPs and well-known series. Here are a few games to look out for in the upcoming months.

“Super Mario Odyssey”: Mario is the most well-known video game series to date. Gamers and non-gamers alike have heard of the Italian plumber and his adventures to save Princess Peach from Bowser. The newest addition to the franchise has Mario travelling to places like New York City, dubbed “New Donk City” in the game, as well as prehistoric times to rescue his princess. The game will be reminiscent of “Super Mario 64” as the trailers have shown. The gameplay seems to revolve around Mario’s hat, which is possessed by Mario’s friend Cappy throughout the game. Players can throw Cappy at certain things, such as enemies, and control them for a limited time. The game looks to be going in a great direction and will be a great addition to the Nintendo Switch. It will be released Oct. 27.

“Cuphead”: “Cuphead” looks to be something fresh and new in the gaming community. It is a new IP created by StudioMDHR Entertainment for the Xbox One and PC. The game is a platformer where you fight bosses in order to appease the devil. The visuals are inspired by 1930’s cartoons. Not much of the game was shown at this year’s E3 convention, yet the game looks great and runs smoothly. The boss battles look fun and challenging. The game is set to hit stands on Sept. 29.

“Assassin’s Creed Origins”: “Assassin’s Creed” is back after taking a year off from their usual, yearly releases. Ubisoft wanted to work hard and put their time into the newest entry of the popular series, which shows. The game seems to be more about exploration and discovering things compared to previous “Assassin’s Creed” games. The combat is similar to “Dark Souls” as you rely on precision strikes and dodging rather than aimlessly pressing the attack button. The game looks great and will be available on Oct. 27.

“Middle Earth: Shadow of War”: The sequel to “Shadow of Mordor” looks amazing. The game is set in the world of “Lord of the Rings” and follows Talion, the main character of the first game, as he prepares to fight Sauron. “Shadow of Mordor” innovated gaming by introducing the nemesis system, a system allowing a player’s enemies to remember them and seek revenge. Players will find this system expanded upon in the new game. It will be released Oct. 10.

The fall months looks bright in the world of gaming. Hopefully, the year will end as strongly as it started.