text: Pint O' Comics » GAMING POINT OF LOU – SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEO GAMES
  Welcome back one and all, it's time for the monthly look ahead to September's upcoming new video game releases. Keep in mind this isn't a comprehensive list, it's just the ones that pique my interest the most, and since this is my column I make the rules!!!!! So scroll up (down?) and take a gander.
  Knack 2 – 9/5 – (PS4) – Sony Interactive Japan
  This one is a bit of a surprise. Knack 1 was a launch title for the PS4, and wasn't met with the warmest reception, many conisidered it an outright failure. Even so Sony is looking to give it a second chance. Gameplay will stay firmly rooted in the action-platformer roots of the first, with the major update to this version being the addition of Co-Op multiplayer. Now you can bring a friend along to help in both combat and solving environmental puzzles. Players will also harvest relic energy to upgrade Knack's skills. Here's to hoping the second time is the charm for this series.
  Destiny 2 – 9/6 – (X1, PS4) October (PC) – Bungie
  Here it is folks, my most anticipated game of the year. The love of my life returns for its second act. The Red Legion have destroyed The Tower (and our precious vaults), taken The Traveller Hostage, we have lost our connection to The Light, and The Speaker is nowhere to be found. The Vangaurd is scattered, and it is up to us to destroy Gary (Gaul) and save the day. New Armor, New Weapons, New Planets, and more await our discovery. My biggest hope is that Bungie has addressed the concerns of the player base coming off the Beta (see my Beta review for details on that). On September 6th, the fight to take back the Earth begins….
  Pro Evolution Soccer 2k18 – 9/12 – (X1, PS4, X360, PS3, PC) – PES Productions
  PES has always been considered superior to EA's FIFA franchise by those in the know, and now it returns for its 17 iteration. Sporting not only a special "Barcelona Edition", but also the standard suite of yearly upgrades to ball physics, game speed, and tactics. 2K18 will also have improved 2V2 and 3V3 co-op online multiplayer.
  Divinity Original Sin 2 – 9/14 – (PC) – Larian Studios
  Divinity Original Sin, quite possibly one of the best RPG's ever created, gets its ubiquitous sequel. The Kickstarter reached it's $500K goal in less than 12 hours, eventually topping out north of $2 million, and along the way unlocking stretch goals that the developers hadn't even thought of yet. DOS2 takes place centuries after the first game, when War and Religious Persecution are the order of the day. All Sourcerers are named criminals by Bishop Alexander The Innocent, so naturally you have to kill him..Players will build their hero from the ground up, aquiring up to 3 recruits along the way. These recruits will pull double duty as both A.I. controlled teammates and drop in multiplayer characters. Divinity 1 is a game of beauty, and if this one is even 1/2 as good as the first players are in for an experience second to none.
  Samus Returns – (9/15) – (3DS, 2DS) – Nintendo / Mercury Steam
  It feels so good to say this: SAMUS IS BACK!!! It's been 13 years since her last proper 2D outing, 2k4's Zero Mission. Samus Returns is a remake of 1991's Game Boy title Metroid 2. Samus is dispatched to the Metroid homeworld of SR388 to eliminate them at the source. Along with graphical upgrades, the addition of both a melee counter (a first for the series), and new Aeion Abilities will aid the titular bounty hunter in her quest. If you are feeling particularly spendy there will also be a limited edition Samus themed Nintendo 3DS for sale (Oh my poor bank account this month….)
  Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite – (9/19) – (X1, PS4, PC) – Capcom
  The wildly popular Marvel Vs. Capcom series returns for it's sixth mainline entry, boasting some major gameplay upgrades:
  1) A full fledged cinematic campaign, a first for the series. Ultron Sigma has merged the Marvel and Capcom universes, and you have to team up with your counterparts to take him out.
  2) The series staple of 3 v 3 assist based combat has been changed to a 2 v 2 tag based combo system.
  3) The addition of Infinity Stones to combat, the stones will grant you certain stat boosts and ability depending on which of the six stones you choose.
  The game will also feature a roster of 30 characters, with Black Panther, and Sigma already announced as DLC.
  Project Cars 2 – (9/22) – (X1. PS4, PC) – Slightly Mad Studios
  Here's the rundown: 182 cars from 38 different manufacturers including Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini hailing from every era of Motorsport. 46 Tracks with 121 unique layouts, a brand new time and weather system that will allow changing track conditions based not only on time of day, and precipitation, but season as well. Major upgrades to the physics engine, most notably in the handling department. And a revamped online multiplayer including online ranking, online championships, and improved matchmaking. If all of what I just typed made you want to fall asleep then this might not be the game for you, BUT if what I just said made you get your racing wheel and pedals out of the closet to dust them off, then come September 22nd, you are going to be in racing heaven my friends…
  Cuphead – (9/29) – (X1, PC) – Chad and Jared Moldenhauer
  Finishing off the month is the hotly anticipated Cuphead. Taking home IGN's best Xbox One game of E3 2015. The indie project from brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer channels the art aesthtic of the classic 1930's era Fleischer studios cartoons to bring you a run and gun boss rush style game. The story is simple, the titular Cuphead lost a bet with The Devil, and now has to spend the game repaying it. The game will feature an RPG style overworld map complete with secret areas. Along with a two-player cooperative mode, which will let a buddy tag along as mugman. This game has a ton of hype behind it, and it's one that I've had my eye on for the better part of 2 years now. The Xbox 1 has been starved for exclusives, and come Sept 29th it may be adding a major one to it's stable.
  Well that's it for this month folks, hopefully you found something here that caught your eye. Expect a full rundown on Destiny 2 as soon as I get it in my hot little hands. I'll see you next month as we kick off holiday season rush, when the games start coming hot and heavy as the major publishers push their offerings in to the wild just in time for the shopping season. Until the folks, keep gaming.