November 1 – Apex Legends Season 15 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 2 – Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom (PS5/Switch/PC)
November 2 – Mario Party via Nintendo Switch Online (Switch)
November 3 – Deep Rock Galactic Season 3 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 4 – Aeterna Noctis (Switch)
November 4 – Harvestella (Switch/PC)
November 4 – It Takes Two (Switch)
November 8 – Sonic Frontiers (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 9 – God of War Ragnarok (PS5/PS4)
November 10 – Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 10 – Garfield Lasagna Party (PC)
November 11 – Tactics Ogre: Reborn (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
November 11 – Valkyrie Elysium (PC)
November 15 – Somerville (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 15 – Syberia: The World Before (PS5/Xbox Series X|S)
November 15 – Pentiment (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 15 – Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (PS5)
November 17 – Goat Simulator 3 (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
November 18 – Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (Switch)
November 18 – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PC)
November 22 – Gungrave G.O.R.E (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 22 – Evil West (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 28 – World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (PC)
November 30 – Gundam Evolution (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One)
November 30 – Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PC)
It’s a testament to the eclectic folk at WellPlayed that we don’t open this month’s edition of Tight in the Jorts with just three words. Some say they are the most powerful three words any human can utter: I love you God of War. Spooktober may be over, but the Ghost of Sparta is back to practise his flesh-whittling techniques with a Leviathan Axe. It may be hard to ignore Kratos’ colossal presence and sumptuous beard, but we’ve at least got to try, damn it. November is actually stacked with plenty of impressive titles to tempt you, and WellPlayed’s crack team of journalists are here to tell you what’s unleashing Ragnarok for jortkind this month.
Nathan
November sees Spring in full swing, with pet hair everywhere, sweet pollen polluting the lungs of fragile asthmatics, and uplifting greenery aplenty. But for every blessed season to bring us forth from the darkness comes more new games to hide us from the sun. As a gardening enthusiast with no garden, I’m tickled by the potential of the new Story of Seasons entry on November 2 with Doremon: Friends of the Great Kingdom. Perhaps the Doraemon anime influence doesn’t appeal or is too lighthearted, in which case my old mate Square Enix has a more melancholic, apocalyptic fantasy take on the farming sim with Harvestella on November 4. Turning up the action dial are some heavy hitters on the way, courtesy of God of War Ragnarok and the underdog vampire slaying romp that’s got WellPlayed’s contributors in a buzz, Evil West. Personally, my jorts tighten each month at the prospect of hyping myself up for titles that will simply get resigned to the backlog. Amongst these are Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, Warhammer 40k Darktide (co-op shooters require friends too and they’re in short supply at the moment), and the PS5 port of YS VIII. Leaving my best, most heavy-duty denim destroyers for last will be the exciting new choice-driven mystery from Obsidian, Pentiment, and my most anticipated release of the remaining year, Tactics Ogre Reborn on November 11.
Jordan
Now that the plague has come and gone, and Cursa has been bested, we’re in for a month without much in the way of blockbuster releases. Wait…November has WHAT releasing this month? Oh for fu- Kicking off my November jorts is easily God of War Ragnarok. Daddy Kratos ruffled all my feathers in the best way back in 2018 and if the previews are anything to go by, Ragnarok looks to be just as good as the previous game. Jumping ahead by a bit over a week from God of War, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet is going to take some time. Yes, Sword and Shield had a lot of issues, too many to count, but that doesn’t stop me from hoping that Game Freak will get their arses in order and make a cohesive experience in a Pokémon game. The same day as that is Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PC. I adored my time with the PC port Spider-Man Remastered back in September and, at least on the PC feature front, this looks to be no different. I also just prefer Miles Morales over Peter Parker.
Okay, now imagine a horde shooter developed by a team of incredibly talented individuals who clearly love the game they are working on, constantly updating it and breathing life into the characters and the design of their game. Did you picture Left 4 Dead? WRONG, what I am actually talking about here is Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. Developed by Swedish studio Fatshark, Darktide is poised to be the horde shooter to complement their stellar previous title, Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Ever since the announcement of Darktide, I have been eagerly awaiting its release and the announcement of its delay back in August did bum me out a little, but I would rather wait a little longer to ensure a more polished and refined game than…well *begins to list most AAA titles*. Give me a Bolter during the week to offset my smashing and bashing of Skaven, Chaos, and Beastmen heads.
James
What do the year 2022 and Sonic the Hedgehog have in common? Apparently, the relentless need to go fast. As we collide with November (it’s Christmas next month, what is happening?), my Jorts list is somewhat smaller than expected but peppered with some intriguing releases. First up is The Chant, an action-horror title that could either be compelling or rote, depending on how well it handles its new-age cult plot and third-person gameplay. The inclusion of skills and crafting doesn’t exactly inspire hope but I’m willing to forgive some bloat if The Chant can say something worthwhile in the process. Elsewhere, I find myself strangely excited to dive into Sonic Frontiers, the open-zone-ification of the blue blur that feels trapped between old and new in a fascinating way. Having already had some time with the game I know for a fact it plays well, but how exactly it holds up over a dozen or so hours remains to be seen.
Pentiment also makes the list for its bold sense of style and unique approach to narrative gameplay. Obsidian Entertainment is at the helm once again and while I maintain that The Outer Worlds was some of the studio’s weaker work, I’m still curious as to how this one will come alive on the page. The last official entry on my list is arguably the most exciting to me, a small horror title called Malice that sees you and a friend forced to co-operate to survive an earthquake in Japan that strands you both inside a haunted mansion. Apparently, Malice will only take about three hours to complete and must be played with another person to solve puzzles and whatnot. It’s a neat concept and Japanese horror is a fantastic launch pad for it. There are a handful of other titles in my periphery – that free-to-play Gundam Evolution thing might be cool, and maybe this time they’ll make a good God of War game.
Mark
I’ll be honest, boy, nothing matters this month except Somerville. The day before I started writing this, boy, the release date announcement trailer dropped, so everything I had planned to write about November Jorts was trashed. That’s for good reason, boy, as Somerville comes from a team formed by former Playdead CEO Dino Patti, and given their success stories (Inside and Limbo, for those not in the know), I have super high hopes here. There are hints of Inside D.N.A. from the footage we’ve seen so far and everything points to another chilling, creative journey that should deliver another banger for Xbox Game Pass, boy.
I suppose I should mention some of the other games this month, boy? This is Tight in the Jorts after all, boy. Pentiment looks like a super creative concept, certainly looking like nothing else on the market and again it’s a sign that Xbox are willing to give the many studios under their umbrella a chance to spread their creative wings and not be afraid to try something new, boy. A new Pokemon mainline game that actually wants to be something bolder, boy? It’s about time, boy. I’m especially thrilled with the idea of exploring the open environments with a few friends, boy. Tactic Ogre: Reborn, meanwhile, continues the revival path towards an eventual Final Fantasy Tactics remaster (right, boy?), but I’m honestly glad it’s back because I need more tactics games in my life. Finally, boy, and I’m surprised I’m writing this, Sonic Frontiers looks good. I mean, at the very least it’ll deliver a competent platform game, of which there are very few on this list, boy.
Zach
The penultimate month of the year is here, and as usual, it’s chock-full of game releases that we’ll tell ourselves we’ll totally play while glancing over our shoulder at our ever-growing backlog pile of shame. I know most people have their Norse jorts freshly ironed and ready to go for when God of War Ragnarok releases, but for me, it’s all about below the knees this month, with my studded cowboy joots (are denim boots a thing?) ready to kick vampire arse in Evil West. It’s been my second most anticipated game since its announcement, with its gameplay looking like containing flavours of God of War, Devil May Cry and Darkwatch – god I’ve wanted a new Darkwatch for so long. It just looks like it’s going to be good old-fashioned fun and cowboys and vampires is a combo we don’t see often enough. Other than that, you know Pentiment is right up my alley with its historical-focused and narrative-driven gameplay. As always, I’m keen to sink my teeth into The Dark Pictures entries, with The Devil in Me shaping up to be an intriguing finale. Other titles to get a cowboy hat tip of approval are The Chant, Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties, Somerville, and Ghost Song. Oh, and God of War Ragnarok.
