Star Wars: Battlefront – PS4, PC, Xbox One – November 17
It’s a good time to be a Star Wars fan right now. With a brand new movie coming out for the first time in over 10 years and a reimagining of a beloved classic multiplayer shooter just over the horizon, there’s a lot to be excited about. Star Wars: Battlefront was EA’s big game of E3 2015, and they knew it. They delivered an epic trailer that brought every Star Wars fan to their knees and the game went on to be the most popular beta in company history. Suffice it to say, Star Wars: Battlefront is going to be a big deal.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon – 3DS – November 20
The Mystery Dungeon series has always been more of a love letter to Pokemon fans than it has been a headliner series to turn skeptics into converts. Instead of being the trainer, you ARE the Pokemon, albeit transformed from a human. Super Mystery Dungeon will feature all 720 known Pokemon and will be the first in the series to feature Mega Evolution and Fairy type Pokemon, both of which made their debut in Pokemon X/Y. It may not be Pokemon Z, but for the hardcore fans, this is a nice consolation prize.
Welp, that's November and it looks epic. A lot of gamers will likely be broke heading into December, but that's why some of the best holiday shopping is done at the Dollar Store. Till next time.
Fallout 4 – PC, Xbox One, PS4 – November 10
If history is any indication, we could be looking at 2015’s Game of the Year right here. Bethesda has taken that honor over their last three major releases, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, so they’ve got a winning streak on the line. Fallout 4 is a clear evolution of the series with improved combat and even more ways to customize your post-apocalyptic experience. Console players will be getting in on the modding fun that exploded with Skyrim, so everyone will be able to look forward to some amazing (and probably hilarious) community content for years to come.
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Xbox One, Xbox 360(?) – November 10
in 2013, Crystal Dynamics successfully revived one of the greatest classic ‘90’s franchises of all time with Tomb Raider, taking the exploration fans adored, and meshing it with modern 3rd person shooting and survival mechanics to make something truly special. This time, Microsoft got the jump on the competition by snagging timed exclusivity rights on Xbox One. Rise of the Tomb Raider will be building on the things that made the first game by expanding the size of the game’s explorable spaces, adding swimming and tree climbing movement mechanics and completely eliminating loading screens.
Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void – PC, Mac – November 10
Blizzard is a rare breed of game company these days. Instead of going for yearly releases on their big franchises, they choose to support their major games via expansions and updates, which is undoubtedly a big reason why their fans love them so much. It makes every game they release feel that much more significant. Legacy of the Void is Starcraft II’s final long awaited Protoss-focused expansion, which began with Wings of Liberty (Terran) in 2010 and continued with Heart of the Swarm (Zerg) in 2013. It’s taken five years for Starcraft II to come full circle, and the long wait is nearly over. Expect to get a lot of mileage out of this game as I expect Starcraft III to be along in about 15 years.
November has always been the month that has transformed the validity of children’s Christmas lists from “not too bad” to “not on your life, kid”. At least that’s how it was for me. I would make my list, then once I realized what new games were out, I would ask for it back from my mom, make the “necessary additions”, then hand her something back that was quite meatier and much more unrealistic than before.
November is an exciting time for games, and big time developers save their biggest titles for this time of year and 2015 is no different. A lot of the games this month need no introduction. These are the ones we went crazy over during E3 (outside of The Last Guardian, FF 7, and Shenmue 3), the ones that kept us up at night dreaming and speculating over time and time again. Now, finally (FINALLY!) they are within reach, and it’s almost surreal. Here are our most anticipated games for the month of November.
Need for Speed – PS4, Xbox One, PC – November 3
Need for Speed is part of a recent slew of games that is re-branding itself based on its series roots by refusing to give it a surname or numbered entry. This entry will be taking an alternative approach to narrative design by featuring live action dialog that translates seamlessly into in-game UI. The game itself is a nocturnal romp through an open West Coast world that aims to let the player build their reputation in five unique ways: speed, style, build, crew, and outlaw. Each method affects the way that races play out, which extends to the realms of replayability. If you're still on the fence and are an Xbox user, you can check out the game on EA Access.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III – PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 – November 6
It wouldn’t be a holiday season without a new Call of Duty, and this time Black Ops is back with it’s third iteration and is looking to take the series to new heights. Literally. Wall running and reverse power sliding headline the game’s new expanded movement mechanics as the series continues to push itself more into the realms of science fiction. Another major addition to the series is going to be the inclusion of four player online co-op, which has made Developer Treyarch design the campaign levels in a way that is more open to accommodate more players.
