What PS3 games should you buy – October 2010

FIFA 11
UK Release: October 1
Is it better than FIFA 10? We think so, but it’s a close call. Is it better than PES 2011? Yes, once again, it is.

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
UK Release: October 8
Aside from some annoying, tedious boss fights, this is an absolute must-have for fans of fantasy adventure. In the polish and presentation departments it’s very hard to fault.

Enslaved: Odyssey To The West
UK Release: October 8
Excellent cinematic presentation and art direction make this new twist on a classic tale a major step forward for the studio that brought us the slightly disappointing Heavenly Sword.

Medal Of Honor
UK Release: October 15
From what we’ve seen, the 360 version looks rough as old underpants, but there are no such troubles with the PS3 version. It still doesn’t soundly trump Modern Warfare at its own game, but it is a worthwhile and far less silly alternative.

DJ Hero 2
UK Release: October 22
While Neversoft has continually screwed around with the Guitar Hero formula to the point where it’s spoiled, FreeStyleGames has kept its head and simply produced a DJ Hero sequel with new mixes, bigger artists and DJs, improved multiplayer and a few sensible gameplay tweaks. Nothing more and nothing less than what you’d want from a sequel.

EA Sports MMA
UK Release: October 22
On balance, it’s probably about as good as UFC Undisputed 2010. What it lacks in big names, it makes up for with some neat gameplay ideas. Fighting obsessives will certainly be happy that there are now two quality MMA games for their collections.

Fallout: New Vegas
UK Release: October 22
It might lack the polish and engaging atmosphere of Fallout 3, but New Vegas is still a massive and compelling RPG with an ingeniously non-linear main quest and heaps of optional distractions besides.

Vanquish
UK Release: October 22
When it’s in the zone, Vanquish is about as good as action gaming can get. Much more than the ‘Gears Of War only faster’ many were expecting, it draws upon the best ideas from a wide range of influences and blends them into an eye-bleedingly intense whole. The best game of the month.

Blazblue: Continuum Shift
UK Release: October 29
It’s not been that long since the first Blazblue was released in Europe, but already a sequel is upon us. As you might expect, it’s not hugely different to Calamity Trigger but hardcore beat-‘em-up fans will still find lots of gameplay depth to explore.

Rock Band 3
UK Release: October 29
Aside from the addition of keyboards, there are no ‘bullet point’ type additions to Rock Band 3, but that’s a good thing. No faffing about with gimmicks, Harmonix has simply continued to improve and refine its ‘platform for music’ philosophy.