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The Covid-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the diverging fortunes of video games and Hollywood.
While the former thrived during lockdown, the latter had difficulty adapting, with cinemas still now looking for ways to draw audiences.
Gaming has continued to steadily grow as the younger generation has become enthralled with the worlds they introduce. The movie industry has even leaned on video game properties as films such as Minecraft and Super Mario Bros.
All of this highlights the importance of the autumn and holiday season for the video game industry.
This time of year is akin to the summer for movie studios, as publishers unleash a torrent of video games.
Indie titles such as Hades II and Hollow Knight sequel Silksong have drawn buzz, while other established franchises have also made noise over the past few months.
Here are three other big releases this autumn.
Borderlands 4

The Borderlands movie may have flopped at the box office, but the series it was adapted from continues with a new game that carries on the distinct take on the loot shooter genre.
It lets players team up online to venture around the planet Kairos, which was opened after the events of Borderlands 3. A villain named the Timekeeper rules there, and it is up to a new set of Vault Hunters to help the Crimson Raiders defeat him.
The series gives players four intriguing protagonists to choose from: Rafa, a gun-wielding exo-soldier; Harlowe, a Gravitar focused on area-of-effect attacks and controlling the battlefields; Amon, a tank-like Forgeknight; and Vex, a Siren who can spawn minions and drain life from enemies like a necromancer.
The fun in the series lies in levelling up characters, grabbing better gear and making your chosen hero devastating on the battlefield. While the game does not reinvent the wheel with its save-the-world plot, its outlandish humour sprinkled with touches of humanity makes it stand out.
As with every sequel, developer Gearbox Software improves the gameplay, this time by adding an open-world element.
Players are given tools to explore the vast planet of Kairos, including the Digi Runner, a double jump, glide and a grappling hook.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

The kart-racing genre will have plenty of competition this holiday season. Mario Kart World dominated headlines as the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, and Kirby Air Riders is coming in November. While those heavyweights will draw attention, fans should not overlook Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
Where Nintendo took an open-world approach, Sega’s sequel to Team Sonic Racing is a game in the traditional genre format featuring a decent roster of racers from the Blue Blur’s past adventures.
It also has a rival system, in which the game picks a competitor to shadow the player, which adds more personality to the competition.
But the game’s randomness sets it apart. Each course starts with a regular lap, but the second one transports racers to a new destination chosen by the pack leader. The third and final lap teleports players back to the original course, albeit with new obstacles, to create an unpredictable race narrative.
CrossWorlds also offers more depth by letting players unlock car parts for different racing styles, using Donpa Tickets earned by completing races.
Players can mix and match pieces to build vehicles that excel at speed, acceleration, handling, boost usage or build (to overpower other racers when you knock into them).
All of this creates a novel experience with a surprising amount of replay value.
Mafia: The Old Country

The game series has carved a niche for itself by embracing mafia history and lore. Previous games aimed for accuracy while focusing on the Prohibition era and the periods after World War II and the Vietnam war.
The Old Country goes back further, to turn-of-the-century Sicily, where the modern world is emerging out of the old. Horses and cars share the road. Firearms are common, but people still fight with knives.
Players take on the role of Enzo Favara, a miner who survives a tunnel collapse and flees the pit after attacking a cruel underboss. His escape takes him to Don Bernardo Torrisi’s land, where he becomes embroiled in the politics between the Torrisi family and that of his former boss, mine owner Don Ruggero Spadaro.
In a narrative-driven game with some open-world elements, players control Enzo as he rises through the ranks to become a trusted underling of Don Torrisi.
The developer, Hangar 13, creates a fascinating world with memorable scenarios but also some predictable moments.


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3 major video game releases in autumn 2025, including Borderlands 4

A screenshot from Borderlands 4, the latest release in the hit loot shooter series. Other new video games this autumn include Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Mafia: The Old Country. Photo: 2K Games

A screenshot from Borderlands 4. Photo: 2K Games

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features a decent roster of racers from Sonic’s past adventures. Photo: Sega/dpa

A screenshot from Mafia: The Old Country. Photo: 2K Games

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Guests take pictures of Amazon Echo smart speakers during an Amazon product event in New York on September 30, 2025, at which Amazon announced its next generation of Kindle, Ring, Blink, Fire TV and Echo devices. Photo: AFP

Panos Panay speaks during the Amazon product event in New York on September 30, 2025. Photo: AP

New Ring doorbells are on display during the Amazon event. Photo: AP

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is on display during an Amazon event. Photo: Reuters

Blink products are seen during the Amazon product event in New York on September 30, 2025. Photo: AFP

From crazy Mario speedrun record to US$1.6 million cartridge, Nintendo’s mascot in numbers

Mario waves at Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in the US. Photo: AFP

Mario jumps at a Nintendo store in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: AFP

Mario and Luigi are seen at Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. Photo: AP

Microsoft sees future of the internet as AI agents crawling websites for us, tech willing

Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella speaks at the Microsoft Build conference, in Seattle, Washington, where talked about the agentic web as the future of the internet. Photo: AFP

Microsoft believes AI agents are the future of the internet. Photo: Reuters

The success of ChatGPT has led to competing products from Google, Meta and xAI. Photo: Shutterstock

Microsoft’s plans for the internet may have to wait for technology to catch up. Photo: AFP

Is Chinese animated film Nobody this summer’s Ne Zha 2? Its story and art style explained

The Chinese animated film Nobody reimagines Journey to the West from the demons’ perspective, blending tradition and modernity to create a box office success. Photo: Weibo/Nobody’s official account

The film integrates the traditional Chinese ink style into its poster design. Photo: Weibo/Nobody’s official account

A collection of Nobody merchandise at the film’s premiere in Shanghai. Photo: Shanghai Observer/Zhong Han

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Loot shooter Borderlands 4, Sega’s new Sonic title and Mafia sequel The Old Country are all out now. Here’s what makes each one stand out


Loot shooter Borderlands 4, Sega’s new Sonic title and Mafia sequel The Old Country are all out now. Here’s what makes each one stand out.


3 major video game releases in autumn 2025, including Borderlands 4

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Loot shooter Borderlands 4, Sega’s new Sonic title and Mafia sequel The Old Country are all out now. Here’s what makes each one stand out

Loot shooter Borderlands 4, Sega’s new Sonic title and Mafia sequel The Old Country are all out now. Here’s what makes each one stand out