1. Close to the Sun has horror, puzzles, and BioShock vibes
After arriving on PCs in May, Close to the Sun is finally coming to consoles. Set in an alternate world where Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are at intellectual battle, you play Rose Archer, a journalist searching a giant ship called the Helios looking for your sister. As you explore the gigantic vessel you'll need to solve puzzles, look out for the odd insane stowaway and deal with forces called Temporal Anomalies. It's atmospheric and the setting is evocative, and worth a look for anyone who misses wandering around Rapture.
What: Close to the Sun
Where: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
When: October 29
2. Luigi's Mansion 3 takes you to a haunted hotel that'll get you in the Halloween spirit
Luigi and his friends Mario, Peach, and the Toads have been invited to stay at the Last Resort hotel, but all is not as it seems. What was meant to be a dream holiday quickly turns into a nightmare for the poor green plumber. His trusty vacuum the Poltergust G-00 has gotten a bit of an upgrade, with a variety of moves to help you take on all those pesky apparitions haunting the place. One of the most exciting new additions to Luigi's arsenal is his gooey green doppelganger Gooigi, who can help the cowardly plumber navigate his way through all the hotel's many obstacles. Packed full of Nintendo's signature charm, this is one spooky adventure that'll get you in the mood for the Halloween season.
What: Luigi's Mansion 3
Where: Nintendo Switch
When: October 31
3. Prepare to return to the Overlook Hotel in Doctor Sleep
Arguably the best horror movie of all time, The Shining may be hated by Stephen King, but Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece remains an icon of cinema. Who in their right mind, then, would attempt to make a sequel? Step forward horror maestro Mike Flanagan, the mastermind behind the Haunting of Hill House, who has directed Doctor Sleep.
Where The Shining revolved around Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) losing his marbles at the Overlook Hotel, the follow-up focuses on Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), who is reticently coming to terms with his own Shining powers. Going up against him is the terrible, child-killing Rose the Hat, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is terrifying, and makes the revisit to King’s story all the more chilling.
What: Doctor Sleep
Where: Cinemas
When: October 31 (UK)/November 8 (US)
4. Terminator: Dark Fate will make you forget about everything post-Judgment Day
Arnie’s back – and so is Linda Hamilton. For the first time since T2: Judgment Day, the pair team up to help fight Skynet and its wave of time-traveling murderbots. If that doesn’t have you pining for the end of the world, you’ll be pleased to know that Dark Fate wisely sidesteps the so-so sequels and semi-reboots of the 21st Century and, instead, acts solely as a follow-up to the original two movies.
Director Tim Miller recently told sister publication Total Film, “I wanted the franchise to have some kind of noble future again,” and the trailers show just enough energetic action and bullets entering exoskeletons for me to believe him – even if everyone is slightly older and grayer this time around.
What: Terminator: Dark Fate
Where: Cinemas
When: November 1
5. Apple enters the streaming game with Apple TV+
There is already a wealth of streaming services available, yet that hasn’t stopped competitors from getting in on the action. Before Disney+ launches later in November, Apple has Apple TV+ coming to a device near you. Where Disney, Netflix, and Amazon already have huge catalogs of content, Apple’s fighting an uphill battle and are relying on big names to pull in viewers.
The highlights of the launch line-up include the news program spoofing The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell; See, a science-fiction series led by Aquaman actor Jason Momoa; and Dickinson, which revolves around Hailee Steinfeld’s Emily Dickinson. Whether Apple TV+ can compete with the big-dogs of streaming remains to be seen, but there’s no denying their first batch of programs are very impressive.
What: Apple TV+
Where: iOS devices
When: November 1
Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.
