Listen, I’m a Grinch. I have close to zero festive spirit, and I despise all of that blasted, unerringly happy stuff that permeates just about everything at this time of year.

What a day! We not only have three incredible games out today in Super Mario Odyssey, Assassin’s Creed Origins and Wolfenstein II; the New colossus, but Thor: Ragnarok has opened in cinemas, and Stranger things season 2 debuts on Netflix. It’s going to be a busy, busy weekend. While I’d love nothing more than to play Mario all weekend, I have responsibilities getting in the way. Are you playing any of the big three games this weekend? Bingeing the whole of Stranger things? Let us know!

We don’t usually dole out perfect score at Critical Hit, but this year alone we’ve given two games that accolade. Interestingly, they’ve both been Nintendo games, for the company’s newest hybrid console, the Switch. What makes a game "perfect?"

Even if I were blind, deaf, and unable to feel the ambience world around me, I’d know that we were in full-blown Spring. How? The goddamned hayfever is driving me mad. My eyes are swollen, my nose is a snot machine in overdrive, and I’m sneezing like I’ve been mainlining black pepper. I haven’t been surrounded by this many discarded tissues since I was 13.

Sorry, Orena - You don’t get to take away cash prizes after the fact and then act as if everything is dandy. I also strongly believe that those in the scene should stand up and speak out against this behaviour.

Cosplay is not Consent. It’s a phrase we’ve all heard and seen on expo and con floors. So why do we STILL have issues at local events?

It’s Friday the 13th! In the month of Halloween! That probably means we’re all going to die! In the unlikely event that we make it through the day unscathed and still bound to this mortal realm, I planned to spend my weekend converting no good orcs into once willing to fight alongside me.

Who really "won" the main event of Freddy vs Jason? The Springwood Slasher? Mama Voorhees' hydrophobic baby boy? I think we all know that Fred Krueger walked away with a clean victory in that classic film.

It's been yet another weird week in game, ripe for some poor schlub to recap all of it into one handy list of links and unfunny segues. Fortunately, I happen to be just that guy.

Ahh Cuphead. It’s a delightful game, which very nearly caused me to throw my Xbox in the bin in frustration. When I eventually bested it, (the last two bosses are a goddamned nightmare) the feeling of elation of having beat the devil and his lackey is indescribable. And yet, it’s something that so few people will get to experience.

I’m drowning in games and hardware to review right now. It’s just that time of year, I guess – but whatever notions of free time I have, have just gone out of the window. I’m not complaining, mind you – I live for this stuff. Anyway, that means that my weekend has been determined for me, and I’ll be playing games and with accessories all weekend. What’s your weekend look like?

The number of “must-have” games in October is mind-boggling, and it’s going to take a juggling act to not just balance the fiscal side of things, but the temporal one as well. Which ones are taking your time and money?