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November is the biggest month for gaming in 2020 and for one reason only: new consoles. The Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 both release this month and only a couple days apart, on November 10th and 12th respectively.

Even though the month will certainly ride off the high of those consoles, there are more games releasing that just the launch day titles for each box. The Nintendo Switch has a big new release in the form of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and you can’t overlook that Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War will certainly still be selling millions of copies on the PS4 and Xbox One hardware.

With all of that said, here are ten games you should be excited about in November.

Dirt 5 – 06/11

If you’ve watched any of the trailers for Dirt 5 you know the game is looking and sounding a little different. It’s more colourful, playful and there’s an almost Forza Horizon vibe to it. This is because it’s being developed by Codemasters Cheshire. If you don’t know the name, don’t worry, it’s a rebrand of Codemasters Evo, which was a rebrand of Evolution Studios. Yes, the team that created Driveclub and Motorstorm.

Dirt 5 is looking to include a variety of vehicles as well as a focus on off-road racing. The game uses a dynamic weather system and a seasonal system that doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Forza Horizon 4. If you want some star power in the campaign, Nolan North plays the villain while Troy Baker plays your mentor. Of course, everything we’ve seen so far looks stunning, especially on next-gen hardware.

The game is out on November 6th and for Xbox and PS4 players you can get a free upgrade to next-gen. PlayStation players just need to be aware they won’t be able to transfer their save data.

(PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Google Stadia)

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 10/11

Vikings! It’s a setting and theme that many Assassins Creed fans have been calling for and it’s nearly upon us.

You play as Eivor, a Viking who is leading the raid on ye-old England (Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms especially). Social stealth is returning for this game which means you’ll be a Viking able to nimbly hide in crowds and even feign death if necessary. The hidden blade is back as well!

Most importantly you’ll be going on raids with your fellow Vikings as you grow your camp and strengthen your presence in the region. I’m sure there will some twists and turns in the present-day storyline as well if you like keeping up with that side of the franchise.

(PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PC)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon – 10/11

The long-running Yakuza franchise is taking a sharp twist and turn with Yazkau: Like a Dragon.

Technically the eighth entry in the franchise, this entry will prove a great entry point for new players as the game changes from an action RPG to a straight-up RPG. Yes, it’s turn-based battles. There’s a summons. You call a freaking lobster from your phone as a summon. I have no idea what’s happening in this game anytime I watch a trailer but I know I want to play it.

(PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)

Demon’s Souls – 12/11

If you never played Demon’s Souls back on the PS3, the PS5 is launching with a stunning looking remake from BluePoint Games. That’s the same developer who did the beautiful remake of Shadow of the Colossus a couple of years ago.

As far as we know, nothing has changed in the core gameplay, but you will load significantly faster on next-gen hardware. Since deaths come quick and fast; this might be a game-changer.

(PS5)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 12/11

Insomniac Games is promising an Uncharted: Lost Legacy equivalent experience for this Spider-Man spin-off.

The game focused on Miles (duh) around a year after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man. Peter has been training him and he’s his own superhero. The lead villain is The Tinkerer who looks to be Miles first true test as a superhero.

Really, all you need to know is that this is more of Insoamic developed Spider-Man and I’m sure everybody is on board. 

(PS5, PS4)

The Pathless – 12/11

From Giant Squid (Abzu) comes The Pathless. You control The Hunter, a master archer who’s on a mission to lift the curse on their island home. Achieve this by collecting crystals and returning them to towers that will allow you to weaken and defeat the spirits cursing the island. There’s no map or fast travel system in this game though, so you must use your ‘spirit vision’ and wits to explore safely with your eagle companion by your side.

Although this game is launching on PS5/4 on launch day, it’s also a big release for Apple Arcade as it was one of the original games showcased when that service was revealed.

(PS5, PS4, iOS, PC, tvOS, Mac)

Bugsnax – 12/11

In Bugsnax you sing the theme tune a lot while playing as an investigative reporter who is travelling to a mysterious island to research repost of half bug, half snack people.

The gameplay sounds like it’s heavily inspired by Pokemon Snap. There’s over a 100 Bugsnax to capture when you arrive on the island and it seems like you’ll need to use them and your smarts to solve puzzles and explore the island finding more Bugsnax.

(PS5, PS4, PC, Mac)

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War – 13/11

Another year, another Call of Duty. This is a big one though as it’s the first new entry on next-gen hardware and there’s a new standard to be set. Treyarch is developing Cold War and the gameplay seems to centre around more covert ops than full-on battles. Which makes sense — it’s the Cold War.

Honestly, last years Modern Warfare looked so good and integrated some fantastic additions to the franchise so I’m hoping Treyarch are able to keep up or step up from last years entry.

(PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – 12/11

The Kingdom Hearts franchise is taking a trip down the rhythm action game genre with Melody of Memory. Kairi is reflecting upon the events of the main games and narrates them for you as you play levels that depicted key battles and beat heartless to the beat.

Kingdom Hearts has a deep and much-loved catalogue of music so this is sure to be a blast for fans. It’s releasing at an odd time —the week of the new consoles — but don’t forget that you’ll be able to play it through backwards compatibility on both Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – 20/11

This is both a sequel to the first Hyrule Warriors — which showed what a crossover between Zelda and Koei Techo’s Dynasty Warriors looked like — and a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The story takes place in The Great Calamity, 100 years before Link awakens in Breath of the Wild and will depict the battles between the armies of Hyrule and Calamity Ganon’s army.

Typical hack-and-slash Dynasty Warrior combat returns but there are also puzzle elements and you’re even using the Sheikah Slate Tool from Breath of the Wild so the game feels and looks more like a proper Zelda entry.

(Nintendo Switch)

Is there something you’re excited about not on this list? It’s very likley as there’s simply too many things releasing in November! But let me know what game it is in the comments section below.