Zoom meeting, anyone?
Don’t fancy venturing out as nights get chilly? Race and battle friends online or build your own little worlds with these brilliant new game releases
IT’S really starting to feel like winter, the rain, the wind, the darker nights.
And while the shops are already packed with festive goodies, let’s not lose sight of the great titles which hit consoles this month.
There’s a new Call of Duty game, Vanguard, to keep us in on Bonfire night. Then there’s racing fun with a new Forza and dino-dodging with a new Jurassic World game.
Forza Horizon 5 (PEGI 3) XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, PC Release: November 9
Another incredibly successful franchise, this may be the 5th Forza Horizon title, but it’s the 12th main series instalment.
The racing takes place in Mexico, albeit a fictional representation of the country. Billed as the ‘largest, most diverse Horizon yet’ – its map is 50% larger than Forza 4’s – prepare to drive through areas including an active volcano, beaches, ancient Mayan temples, jungles and stunning cityscapes.
And if that’s not enough, the game will be the first to introduce Horizon Arcade, a suite of 130 mini-multiplayer games that are strewn across the map. These fun little distractions include set missions, like jumping over other vehicles.
Call of Duty: Vanguard (PEGI 18) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S PC Release: November 5
The Call of Duty franchise is an absolute juggernaut, as Vanguard, the 18th instalment in the series – which only started life in 2003 – seems to prove.
This game returns the series to its WWII roots, this time focused on the origins of Special Forces, with the game taking place across four different frontlines.
Vanguard’s gameplay mechanics will be similar to those introduced in 2019’s Modern Warfare, such as mounting weapons on flat surfaces for a better kill rate.
But new additions mean you can now ‘blind fire’ at enemies when you’re hidden for cover, and break through destructible environments.
Multiplayer is where Call of Duty really comes to life, and with 20 playable maps at launch, there’s more action than ever.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (PEGI 16) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, PC Release: November 9
The term ‘business simulator’ sounds so boring, unless it’s used in the same sentence as the word ‘dinosaurs’.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 is just that, a business simulator that gives you a crack at running your own dinosaur theme park.
Unlike like its predecessor, Jurassic World Evolution, this game is set in America, with the country’s different biomes presenting various challenges when you come to build your park and care for its inhabitants.
You can choose from 75 prehistoric species to put on display, which must be incubated before being released.
And that means that while you wait for your tiny dinos to hatch, you can set about building restaurants, toilets, hotels and gift shops to keep the visiting masses happy.
You might also want to build a few bunkers too, just in case anything goes wrong...
Shin Megami Tensei V (PEGI 16) Switch Release: November 12
This is the latest entry in the acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series, itself part of the hugely successful Megami Tensei franchise.
The post-apocalyptic RPG, set in modern day Tokyo, sees you play as a high school student harnessing their newfound powers to fight through a demon-infested wasteland.
With more than 200 types of demon to battle, you’ve got your work cut out for you, although some of these foes could turn out to be powerful allies.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl (PEGI 3) Switch Release: November 19
Fans eagerly awaiting January’s arrival of Pokémon Legends: Arceus can tide themselves over with this twin release.
The games – announced as part of the ongoing Pokémon 25th Anniversary event – are remakes of the 2006 games Diamond and Pearl, which debuted on the Nintendo DS.
The original story has been faithfully reproduced by developer ILCA, but the visuals have been much improved.
Rumours are circulating there’s a new way for players to catch rare shiny Pokémon, sparked by a tweet of a picture of the game’s revamped Pal Park. The caption cryptically read – ‘Here is good place for newcoming fans’.
Fans have only a few weeks left to find out.