The Month in Games – November 2020

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Among the releases for November are Viking sagas, some comic-inspired adventures, war on a cold front, a new chapter in the world of Yakuza and the beginning of a new generation of gaming.


Yakuza: Like A Dragon

A new saga begins in the latest from the Yakuza franchise. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, players follow the story of Ichiban Kasuga. A low-ranking member of the Arakawa Family, Kasuga is asked to take the fall for a murder committed by a high-ranking member of the Tojo Clan. Hoping that this will endear him to the patriarch and clear his debt, Kasuga agrees to go to prison. Upon his release 18 years later, he discovers that the family has forgotten him completely. When he goes to see the leader, Masumi Arakawa, Kasuga finds himself left for dead and at the beginning of a journey to uncover the truth about why he was chosen to take the fall all those years ago.

Players who pre-order will receive the Legends Costume Pack. The Day Ichi Edition features a copy of the game in a Steelbook case. The Hero Edition includes a copy of the game, Job Set and Management Mode Set. The Legendary Hero Edition includes the game and all the content in the Hero Edition along with four additional sets – Crafting, Karaoke, Stat Boost and Ultimate Costume. The Xbox Edition will be playable on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X via the Smart Delivery system.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon will be available on Xbox One. Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PlayStation 4 from November 10*


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Viking legends await in the new Assassin’s Creed. In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, players take on the role of Eivor (playable as male or female), a ninth-century Viking warrior who chooses to travel to England with their brother Sigurd in search of a new home and new riches. They soon find themselves not only in the middle of the conflict between the rulers of England but also an age-old battle between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients. In the present day, players will discover what lies ahead for Layla Hassan following on from the events of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Players who pre-order any edition will unlock the Way of the Berserker mission. The Gold Edition includes the game and Season Pass, which will unlock new events and items post-launch. The retail-exclusive Drakkar Edition includes the game, Berserker Longship pack, a new Raven skin and Rune Set to improve weapons and gear The Ultimate Edition includes the game, Season Pass and the Ultimate Pack, which includes a Berserker Gear pack, Berserker Longship pack, Berserker Settlement pack and a Rune Set. The Collector’s Edition includes the Ultimate Edition in a Steelbook case, a set of lithographs, copy of the select soundtrack, a 5cm statuette of Eivor and his raven and axe, a 30cm Ubicollectibles™ replica of Eivor and her Drakkar, collector’s case and Certificate of Authenticity.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, and PC from November 10* and PlayStation 5 from November 19*


Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

There is a new web-slinger in this action-packed sequel. Set a year after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales follows the titular teenage as he gets to grips with his new powers and his new identity. Having spent time training with his mentor, Peter Parker, Miles soon find himself put to the test as protecting his home life in Harlem – and his mother’s campaign to join the City council – is under threat from an outside conflict, as the battle between Roxxon Energy and a group known as “The Underground” threatens to consume all of New York.

Players who pre-order via the PlayStation Store will receive additional suits for Miles, a Gravity Well Gadget and extra skill points to unlock powers and abilities. The PlayStation 4 version will include a digital copy of the PlayStation 5 edition. The Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5 includes a copy of the game along with a copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, which will feature all three chapters of the Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps DLC.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 from November 12*


Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War

Take your place in history with the latest from Call of Duty. Set during the Cold War of the early 1980s, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War will put the player in the middle of the conflict as they hunt down their primary target – the Soviet spy, Perseus. On orders from President Ronald Reagan, the player will be part of an elite team of operatives led by CIA officer Russell Adler, with veteran officers Alex Mason, Frank Woods and Jason Hudson as part of the operation. Making your way across Europe, the player will be tracking Perseus in the hopes of stopping his plans before they can take hold.

Players who pre-order the Digital Standard Edition will receive early access to the Multiplayer Beta and a Woods Operator Pack, which includes an additional skin, weapon blueprint, voice quip and finishing move, to use in both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone. The physical Standard Edition on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will have a copy of the game, with the option to upgrade available on PlayStation and both playable on next-gen consoles (without next-gen features). The next-gen physical Standard Edition will include a copy of the game on PlayStation 5 with the Xbox version suitable for both Xbox Series X and Xbox One.

There will also be a Cross-Gen Bundle of the game available for each console family (PlayStation 4/5 & Xbox One/Series X) which will include the bonuses available in the Digital Standard Edition. The Ultimate Edition includes the game, the Land/Sea/Air Pack – with new skins for Operators, vehicles and new blueprints – plus one season of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Battle Pass, which will include 20 Tier Skips to use as a boost, and the Confrontation Weapons Pack to use in-game.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, and PC from November 13* and on PlayStation 5 from November 19*


Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S & PlayStation 5

November 2020 brings a new era to gaming, with the launch of the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and the PlayStation 5 to officially begin the ninth console generation.

Releasing first will be the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series S. The Xbox Series X will feature a 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive, 1TB of memory and will run at 4K/60FPS. The Xbox Series S is the digital-only version of the console and will feature a smaller memory capacity at 512GB in what Xbox describe as their “smallest [sized] console ever.” Both consoles will have expandable memory and will include backwards compatibility for both games and Xbox One hardware.

The PlayStation 5 (left) and Xbox Series X (right)
©Sony/PlayStation ©Microsoft/Xbox

The PlayStation 5’s release will bring players 8K output at 120FPS for both the regular and digital-only editions. The regular edition will include a 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive which will allow players to run PS4 games as well as PS5 games. Both consoles will come with an 825GB SSD, which is expandable, to store the user’s game library. Both PS5 consoles will have fast loading so players will be able to enjoy their games even easier, utilising haptic feedback to ensure full immersion and that play has no limits.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available from November 10*. PlayStation 5 will be available from November 19*


Free to Play

Players on Xbox with an active Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription will be able to download and play four titles this month. On Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X, Aragami: Shadow Edition will be available from November 1-30*, with Swimsanity! available from November 16 – December 15*. On Xbox 360, and Xbox One via backwards compatibility, Full Spectrum Warrior will be available from November 1-15* followed by LEGO Indiana Jones from November 16-30*

PlayStation users with an active Plus subscription will have three new titles to download and play for free this month. From November 3*, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition will be available on PS4, with Bugsnax available on PS5 when it launches on November 19*. The PlayStation Plus Collection will be launching on November 19* on PS5. Featuring a selection of the PS4’s best titles – including Days Gone, Persona 5 and The Last of Us Remastered – this will be added to the PS Plus subscription on PS5 at no additional cost.

Over on Prime Gaming, five new games will be added to the lineup of free titles available via the platform. From November 2*, A Knight’s Quest, Smoke and Sacrifice, Lethis – Path of Progress, Victor Vran and Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan will be available to download and keep. Information on how to claim these games, and how to check out all the offers available to Amazon Prime members can be found on the Prime Gaming website.

Also Released This Month

November 3*:

  • Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition (Switch)
  • The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – The Complete Edition (PSVR)

November 5*:

  • Ancestors Legacy (Switch)
  • Kosmokrats (PC)
  • Troy: A Total War Saga (PC)

November 6*:

  • Black Desert Prestige Edition (Xbox One, PS4)
  • Cloudpunk (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
  • Descenders (Switch)
  • DiRT 5 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC),
  • Instant Chef Party (Switch),
  • L.O.L Surprise! Remix We Rule the World (Switch)
  • My Universe: Fashion Boutique (PS4, Switch)
  • Naught (PS4, Switch)
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch),
  • New ‘n’ Tasty! Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (Switch)
  • PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC),
  • Pokemon Sword/Pokemon Shield Expansion Pass (Switch)
  • Stardew Valley (Switch)
  • Tracks – The Train Set Game (Switch)

November 10*:

  • Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia (Switch),
  • Borderlands 3 (Xbox Series X/S),
  • Bright Memory (Xbox Series X/S)
  • Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Stadia),
  • Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5),
  • Enlisted (Xbox Series X/S),
  • Evergate (Xbox Series X/S),
  • Fuser (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch),
  • Gears Tactics (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
  • Lift-Off Drone Racing Deluxe (PS4)
  • Maneater (Xbox Series X/S)
  • My Universe: Cooking Star Restaurant (PS4, Switch)
  • NBA 2K21 (Xbox Series X/S)
  • Observer: System Redux (Xbox Series X/S, PC)
  • Planet Coaster: Console Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5),
  • Prodeus (PC – Steam Early Access),
  • Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S),
  • The Falconer (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC),
  • Train Sim World 2: Collector’s Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4)
  • Warhammer: Chaosbane (Xbox Series X/S),
  • XIII Remake (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC),

November 12*:

  • Astro’s Playroom (PS5)
  • Borderlands 3 (PS5),
  • Bugnax (PS4, PS5, PC),
  • Demon’s Souls (PS5),
  • Farming Simulator 19: Premium Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4)
  • Fortnite (PS5),
  • Just Dance 2021 (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Stadia)
  • NBA 2K21 (PS5)
  • Observer: System Redux (PS5),
  • Professor Rubick’s Brain Fitness (Xbox One, PS4, Switch)
  • Sackboy – A Big Adventure (PS4, PS5),
  • The Pathless (PS4, PS5, PC, Apple Arcade)

November 13*:

  • 3D Mini Golf (Switch)
  • Drunken Bar Fight (PSVR)
  • Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (Switch),
  • Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered (Switch)
  • Harvest Life (Switch)
  • Hellpoint (PS4, Switch)
  • Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (Xbox One, PS4, Switch),
  • My Riding Stables: Life with Horses (Switch)
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (Switch)
  • Rapala Pro Fishing Series (Switch)
  • Street Outlaws: The List (Switch)
  • World of Solitaire (Switch)

November 17*:

  • Cris Tales (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, Stadia)
  • Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch)
  • Mars Horizon (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch)
  • Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Switch, Stadia),
  • Sniper Elite 4 (Switch)
  • Truck Driver (Switch)

November 19*:

  • Godfall (PS5, PC),
  • Maneater (PS5),
  • Monster Truck Championship (Switch)

November 20*:

  • Eldrador Creatures (Switch)
  • Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Switch),
  • Katamari Damacy Reroll (Xbox One, PS4)
  • Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (PS4, PC, Switch)

November 24*:

  • Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues (Switch)
  • Football Manager 2021 (PC)
  • Imperator Rome (Switch)
  • Just Dance 2021 (PS5)
  • Watch Dogs Legion (PS5)

November 25*:

  • Vigor (PS4)

November 26*:

  • Pang Adventures: Buster Edition (PS4, Switch)
  • My Universe – My Baby (PS4)

November 27*:

  • Fantasy Friends (PS4, Switch)
  • Pinstripe (Switch)

November 30*:

  • Ghost of a Tale – Collector’s Edition (PS4)

*Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary and are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing.

Words by Megan Roxburgh


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