The biggest month of the year is finally year. New entries in such popular franchises as Pokemon and Need for Speed will launch alongside Hideo Kojima’s latest IP and Respawn Entertainment’s single-player, narrative-driven Star Wars title. The following are the most promising November 2019 games that PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC users should keep on their radars.
November 2019 Games | Need for Speed Heat
Need for Speed Heat will commemorate the franchise’s 25th anniversary when it releases for Origin and EA Access on November 5. Set in a fictionalized version of Miami, the game will feature performance upgrades that are unlocked through rep and racing wins rather than randomized Speedcards. It seems like developer Ghost Games has learned from the poor reception that Payback received in 2017 due to its implementation of microtransactions, but that remains to be determined for sure. Fans without Origin or EA Access should rest assured knowing that the title will be available for all PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch users on November 8.
ALSO: Toyota isn’t in Need For Speed Heat because it ‘promotes illegal street racing’
November 2019 Games | Death Stranding
It’s still hard to summarize what exactly Death Stranding is about even though it’s set to release for PlayStation 4 soon on November 8. Starring the likes of prominent actors like Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Léa Seydoux, the title will task players with piecing together the United Cities of America through communication nodes. Along the way, they’ll encounter a group of militant separatists called the Homo Demens, the likes of which seek to maintain independence from the federal government. While most of what we’ve seen of the game indicates that there’ll be a lot of walking involved, here’s hoping that Kojima will include a few spectacular set pieces to keep naysayers at bay.
November 2019 Games | Pokemon Sword and Shield
The eight generation of Game Freak’s long-running Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Sword and Shield, will release for Switch on November 15. While the core gameplay of the franchise will remain unchanged, a number of new features like cooperative raids and Dynamax and Gigantamax forms will be included in an attempt to make this entry feel fresh. On top of that, Pokemon Sword and Shield will also have open word areas for players to lose themselves in. Of course, the games will introduce a bevy of new critters for trainers to catch, too. Despite the controversy that both titles have garnered so far, they may offer enough new content to win over their harshest critics.
November 2019 Games | Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set a few years after Revenge of the Sith and stars Cal Kestis, a young Jedi Padawan who somehow managed to escape Order 66. After saving his friend from being devoured by a Sarlacc using the Force, Cal becomes the target of an Empire inquisitor known as the Second Sister and must journey to new and familiar Star Wars worlds to avoid her. Rogue One‘s Saw Gerrera will guide Cal on his journey alongside a new character named Cere Junda, a former Jedi Knight who serves as the protagonist’s mentor. Though Jedi: Fallen Order has potential, fans will have to wait until the game releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 15 to find out if it’s a worthy addition to the overarching universe and yet another hit from Respawn.
November 2019 Games | Shenmue 3
Shenmue director Yu Suzuki blew everyone away at E3 2015 when he announced that he had plans to develop a third entry in his beloved series. A little over four years later and Shenmue 3 is finally set to release for PlayStation 4 and PC on November 19. Fans will step into the shoes of Ryo Hazuki once more in order to track down the infamous Lang Di in Guilin, China. As Ryo traces the murderer’s footsteps, he comes face-to-face with Ling Shenhua, a mysterious woman who had previously only shown up in his dreams. Together, the pair must fulfill their supposed destiny by putting an end to Lang Di and a mysterious new antagonist named Niao Sun, the likes of which is only briefly featured in the series’ second installment.
While many fans may not be too happy about Shenmue 3‘s exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, it may offer them the satisfying continuation they’ve been waiting nearly 20 years for.
November also sees the launch of Google’s cloud gaming service, Google Stadia. It will interesting to witness how the platform performs critically and commercially, as it has been met with mixed reception from fans and game journalists so far. For the record, our personal tests with Stadia at PAX West 2019 went incredibly well with Mortal Kombat 11 but was slightly laggy with Doom Eternal. But with titles like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Borderlands 3, Final Fantasy 15, and more set to release alongside Stadia, there’s a chance that the service will stick around for a while. That’s a good thing, as it’ll only force competitors like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to step their game up in the future.
