November 1 – Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 1 – Alien Hominid HD (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 1 – Alien Hominid Invasion (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 2 – RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
November 2 – The Talos Principle 2 (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
November 2 – Thirsty Suitors (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 2 – Star Ocean: The Second Story R (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
November 2 – Dead Island 2 ‘Haus’ (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 2 – For the King 2 (PC)
November 3 – WarioWare: Move It! (Switch)
November 3 – Warcraft Arclight Rumble (iOS/Android)
November 3 – DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 3 – Quantum Error (PS5)
November 7 – Salt and Sacrifice (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC via Steam)
November 8 – Gunhead (PS5/PC)
November 8 – Risk of Rain Returns (Switch/PC)
November 9 – Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
November 9 – Tales of Arise ‘Beyond the Dawn’ (PS5/PS4/Xbox SeriesX|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 10 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 14 – Broken Roads (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
November 15 – KarmaZoo (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch/PC)
November 16 – Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR (Meta Quest 2/Meta Quest 3)
November 16 – Dredge – The Pale Reach (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 17 – Persona 5 Tactica (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
November 17 – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Remake (Switch)
November 28 – Calico (PS5/PS4)
November 29 – Gothic II Complete Classic (Switch)
The temptation to open this month’s edition of Tight in the Jorts with a hacky “can you believe how fast this year has flown by??” is mighty but here at WellPlayed we’re beginning to wonder how often can you really be that surprised by time’s arrow marching forward? Alongside our incredulity at its pacing, there’s an inevitably to many things this November; another Call of Duty, another Assassin’s Creed, another round of indies to whet the appetite and another Nintendo remake ringing the Switch’s death knell. This month’s tightness is well rounded then, your requisite existential dread neatly crammed into our denim britches. Tight in the Jorts indeed.
Jordan
2023 really has been a year full of heavy hitters, so even though my backlog has grown quite rapidly, there are still games this month that get my jorts all sorts of tight. Kicking things off is Alien Hominid Invasion. Remember Castle Crashers or Battleblock Theater? Those games ruled, and developer The Behemoth is looking to bring back their old Alien Hominid IP with both a remastering of the original game in Alien Hominid HD and a new entry in Alien Hominid Invasion. It’ll be good fun to have just a small, silly game to play with some friends over a weekend or two.
Okay, picture this. Imagine the art style of the Borderlands games without the bad writing that accompanies it. Pair that with the heightened movement of Titanfall and you have Gunhead, a game that looks like it is as much about running as it is gunning. With the recent return of Titanfall 2, my excitement for Gunhead has increased dramatically. Hopefully, it can deliver on its promise.
One of my favourite Roguelikes is Risk of Rain 2, but I never played the first game. I am aware that it plays remarkably differently, and so the idea of Risk of Rain Returns, a delightful remaster of Hoopoo Games’ 2013 title packaged with new Survivors (characters you play as), overhauled multiplayer, and a bunch of other stuff tickles me greatly.
Look, the Yakuza games rule so it’s no wonder that I’m keen for Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name. More ridiculous things for me, please. On top of that, RPGs are bloody sick and so we have a game made right here in Australia with Broken Roads, and the Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Remake to aid Baldur’s Gate III in consuming all my time in good RPGs *glares at Starfield*.
Nathan
You could wring my jorts right now and drain enough moisture to fill a glass. And like the thirsty gaming reprobate I am, I will be greedily downing that glass of sweaty jort juice in the hopes of quenching my desires for the packed November release slate. After that disturbing image, you’d be correct in guessing I’ve got Thirsty Suitors well across my radar. The skateboarding adventure of a young woman fighting off scorned lovers looks an absolute stylish treat.
These trendy trunks are squeezing a little more future ambition into the buxom backlog with some notable RPG additions. After feeling a little left behind by the action-focused turn of Final Fantasy XVI, I’m adoring the latest 2.5HD Square release in Star Ocean: The Second Story R. Seriously, the razzed-up sprites with modern flourishes get me every time. What also dazzles me is the surprise new DLC for 2021’s fantastic Tales of Arise. I hoped at the time of my review that we would see more of this world and its complex characters, and I’m so pleased Bandai Namco delivered. Lastly is the remake of Super Mario RPG, a wildly unusual Mario title that I last played in high-school and found to be a great curiosity that couldn’t hold my attention. Will the glow-up sustain its aged bones in 2023?
With every November also comes a reliable blockbuster weekend or two, courtesy of heavy hitters like Call of Duty. The fact that Modern Warfare 3 is leaning hard on nostalgia by focusing on remastered versions of classic maps makes me hopeful I might finally lure in some mates who stick around beyond launch week.
And finally, the indulgences that I’m most excited to devour before the year’s end. Yakuza fans are blessed with two whole releases this year, with Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man With No Name serving up the year’s best name while also returning beloved masculine good boy Kiryu Kazuma to our screens. Finally, Persona 5 Tactica. A game with enormous shoes to fill, being an X-COM or Mario & Rabbids turn-based strategy title that has all the prestige of one of gaming’s greatest RPGs overshadowing it. If Atlus can not only nail the style and sound of Persona 5, but expand on it too, then we’ll be halfway home to another Atlus tactical classic.
Mark
Let me talk to ya. Persona 5 is one of the greatest RPG’s of all the times, and that’s a stone cold fact. Persona 5 Strikers was a brave attempt at mixing that same formula with the Dynasty brand too. So my expectations of another run with the Phantom Thieves in Persona 5 Tactica is high. Damn high. Just spending time with my favourite band of rebels is enough to quench my thirst, but within a unique genre for the brand, there’s a chance to really mix things up and be brave in the process. Though I doubt it’ll be another 100 hour megaton content drop, hopefully there’s enough here to satisfy my thieving heart.
But, and I cannot stress this enough, to have a full Super Mario RPG remake launching at the same time, I can’t help but be torn. The original SNES release skipped Australia the first time around, though thanks to Nintendo’s good (but not so good) online services, players have since had a chance to discover its greatness. The hope is that Nintendo don’t half-arse what’s otherwise a classic, and given their track record (Metroid Prime Remastered, anyone?) I feel as though it’s in good hands.
So, which to choose? It doesn’t matter which one you choose! In fact, go play them both at the same time, throw caution to the wind and have at it. You’re going to have a good time either way. Besides, don’t they call this the silly season?
Adam
My birthday is in November, and this year I’m asking my friends, family and loved ones for a goddamn break from game releases so I can go outside and do some summer activities. Knowing that’s a fool’s request, I look forward to the games that November has to offer, shutting my curtains and getting comfortable on the couch in defeat.
After the horrors of Alan Wake II and the high-octane action of Spider-Man 2, something relaxing and more low-key is just what the doctor ordered. Thankfully, the chemist had it in stock, in the form of KarmaZoo. It’s an online cooperative platformer with dozens of characters to choose from and hundreds of hand-crafted levels to play through, but it has this other, intangible quality that makes it so warm and appealing. Just what you need in the throngs of an Australian summer.
Equally as well-suited for warmer weather is VR, and why not throw parkour and swordplay into the mix while you’re at it. Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR might sound stomach churning to some, as you scale tall buildings before jumping from them, but I’ve built up a tolerance to virtual reality, so I’m more than curious to flick my hood up and strap on a hidden blade. Rounding out my odd November trio is an adventure game based on a Polish novel from the 1960s. The Invincible caught my eye with its retro-futuristic aesthetic, only to draw me in the rest of the way with the promise of a hard science fiction story with more than a few sinister elements mixed in. I’ve purposefully stayed clear of follow-up trailers and demos, so I’m primed to get lost in this one.
What games are you keen for in November? Do you sometimes feel like some unknown presence is watching you? Waiting? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and on social media.
