November is a gift for gamers
REMEMBER, remember the month of November. Once the sparkly delights of Bonfire Night are over, it’s a straight run to Christmas. And while most of us have our thinking caps on for gift ideas, let’s not lose sight of the great titles which hit the shelves this month.
Red Dead Redemption 2 finally lands on the PC, Hideo Kojima’s long-awaited Death Stranding is released, and Pokémon fans get twice the fun with Sword and Shield.
This month also brings Black Friday (November 29), when you might be able to bag yourself a real pre-Christmas bargain – if you can wait that long to play, that is.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 (PEGI 18) PC Release: November 5
REJOICE PC gamers, as you finally get your hands on one of the best games of the past decade.
At its most basic it’s a cowboy simulator which allows you to live out your wild west fantasies, but it is much, much more than that.
The RDR2 world is glorious – bustling towns, breath-taking vistas, lush forests, fast flowing rivers, and windswept plains – Earth porn at its very best. The characters are beyond lifelike, stunning attention to detail making it easy to relate to those you encounter on the streets, and giving you real pangs of guilt when you accidentally kill someone instead of saying hello.
Your horse requires upkeep. Food, water, shoeing – it’s almost as time consuming as caring for protagonist Arthur Morgan, who requires baths, haircuts and shaves to make him even halfway presentable.
The result of all this is almost complete immersion, the feeling of a shared existence with Arthur as he does his best to survive a hostile and unforgiving way of life.
DEATH STRANDING (PEGI 18) PS4 Release: November 8
AFTER years in development, Hideo Kojima’s long awaited Death Stranding finally arrives this month.
Kojima is the creator of Metal Gear solid, and this is his first project since parting ways with Konami in 2015. Starring The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen and a stellar cast of big names, it is being billed as ‘a completely new type of action game, where the goal of the player is to reconnect isolated cities and a fragmented society.’
The trailer has me intrigued, even if the first few reports from those lucky enough to have seen footage from the game suggest they are still not 100 per cent sure what’s going on.
All will become clear next week.
NEED FOR SPEED: HEAT (PEGI 16) PS4, PC, XBOX ONE Release: November 8
IT’S one of the longest-running racing game franchises in the industry, yet Need for Speed’s 25th anniversary in August went unmarked.
Heat is the series’ 24th instalment, and EA is hoping it will pour some much-needed fuel on the games.
One of the joys of the Need for Speed series is that it’s a distinct arcade racer, allowing you to pull off moves that would be impossible in the real world.
But it looks like Heat will allow you to tinker under the bonnet of your vehicle, so you can make the handling more realistic if the arcadey feel has been putting you off.
It looks gorgeous, bright neon lights, beautiful city skylines and streetscapes that shine whatever the weather.
This is first Need for Speed game I’ve been excited for in a long while.
POKÉMON SWORD/SHIELD (PEGI 7) Switch Release: November 15
THESE promise to be the next huge additions to the world of Pokémon.
Set in the more modern region of Galar, where Pokémon trainers are treated like pop stars, the games boast several new features.
You will be able to take part in co-operative raid encounters – similar to those in Pokémon Go – and there will be ‘Dynamax’ and ‘Gigantamax’ forms for Pokémon, that turn your cute little dudes into Godzilla-sized fighters.
A new mechanic called ‘Poké Jobs’ asks Pokémon to complete requests, such as helping with construction or cooking, that will gain you experience or rare items.
And Camp mode lets players spend time playing and cooking curry for their Pokémon to earn extra bonuses.
Early reviews are calling it a bold step forward for the franchise, but one that might not sit quite as well with die-hard fans.
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER (PEGI 16) PS4, PC, XBOX ONE Release: November 15
WITH the final part of the Star Wars saga landing in December, a new adventure is hitting consoles.
Almost a decade since the release of the last single-player Star Wars game, Fallen Order is hoping to fix some of the damage done by the controversial Battlefront series.
Set shortly after Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi have been all but wiped out and the Empire is rising.
As Cal Kestis, a padawan forced into hiding when the Empire issues Order 66 – the extermination of all Jedi – you must try to rebuild the Jedi Order.
Those who have had some hands-on time with the game say combat is intuitive and natural while, the ability to blend lightsaber action with Force powers is elegant and brutal.