Niche Release Recap for September 2022

With September here, along with the usual big hitting releases coming during the Fall seasons. It’s time for another Niche Release Recap for the games coming out this month.

Last month saw some big names when it came to classic titles of the past, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection and Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed. However, it seems that September will be bringing out some fun new titles.

1. Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness

A title based on the popular anime series, Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is a survival RPG game where players explore the Abyss, a dangerous place with a powerful curse. It’s also filled with mythical (and more dangerous) creatures as well.

Developed by Chime Corporation and published by Spike Chunsoft, you play as Riko, the main character of the anime/manga franchise as she teams up with Reg, a robot boy. The game also has another story mode where players follow a nameless cave raider in the Abyss as well.

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is slated to launch on September 2nd for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC (via Steam).

2. Splatoon 3

Nintendo’s popular shooter franchise continues with Splatoon 3. It’s a title that needs little introduction, but for those unaware. Splatoon 3 is a third person shooter which primarily revolves around PvP multiplayer. Players take the form of inklings or octolings, which are humanoid squid/octopus type characters.

The newest title’s plotline will involve the return of the mammals, which were thought to be extinct. While the locale for the hub world will be moving to a desert area called Splatsville.

Splatoon 3 will be releasing on September 9th exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

3. Soulstice

Soulstice is an upcoming hack-and-slash adventure game developed by Reply Game Studios, a AA dev team. Its story follows a pair of sisters, Briar and Lute, who have been reborn as “chimera”. The former gained superhuman strength while the latter lost their physical body to be bound to her sister and welds powerful magic.

Players will take over both during fast and intense combat. Using both their skills and abilities to battle against their foes while figuring out the truth behind their powers.

Soulstice will be launching September 20th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam).

4. Return to Monkey Island

Return to Monkey Island was announced as the sixth installment in the long running point-and-click franchise. This game brings the return of Ron Gilbert who created this series 30 years ago. Players will take the helm of main character Guybrush Threepwood, who has been the lead for the franchise since the beginning.

Despite being the sixth game, the plot will take place directly after Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, but has been described as “not a sequel”. It also has been stated this will be the final game in the series.

Return to Monkey Island comes out September 19th on Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).

5. The Diofield Chronicle

Square Enix announced The Diofield Chronicle back earlier this year. Its a strategy RPG, but unlike typical Japanese titles of this nature. The game is not tile-based and it will be of real time combat called the “Real-Time Tactical Battle System”.

The plot is simple, following a war-torn continent where a war raged on between the Trovelt-Schoevian Empire and the Rowetale Alliance. After the empire takes victory, they turn their sights on neighboring country Alletain whom the mercenary protagonists share a relation to.

The Diofield Chronicle launches on September 22nd for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam).

6. Valkyrie Elysium

Another title which Square Enix announced was Valkyrie Elysium. A new game in the Valkyrie action RPG franchise which began back in 1999. This will be the third game in the series to get a home console release, though there were some which came out on handheld/mobile platforms.

This RPG is based on Norse mythology where players will take the role of Valkyrie who was created by the All-Father Odin in the hopes of saving the world.

Valkyrie Elysium is slated to launch on September 29th for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It will come out on PC (via Steam) on November 11th later this year.

7. Freedom Planet 2

Developer GalaxyTrail announced the sequel to their retro style platformer Freedom Planet way back in 2015. It’s been a long while since then, and the game even missed a release date back for Spring of this year. However it’s now officially going to be coming out later this month.

With the original described as a love letter to Sega Genesis platformers, it appears the sequel will be doing more of the same and then some. Players will be playing once again as the cast from the first title, Lilac the Dragon, Carol the Wildcat, Milla the Hound, and Neera the Frost Knight.

Freedom Planet 2 comes out on September 13th for PC (via Steam) and “other platforms”.