Blimey, what a ride. November was always going to be an absolute monster in terms of new game releases, but after living through it, we’re surprised we’ve barely managed to survive the past 30 days with our wallets still intact. Perhaps it’s somewhat fortunate, then, that the influx of triple-A software has now started to wane ahead of the Christmas holiday season, though it won’t be long until things pick up the pace again with 2012’s offerings. For now though, we’re left with the near-insurmountable task of wading through last month’s line-up in an attempt to staple-gun our shiny Game of the Month sticker on a worthy winner.
Where to begin? Well, one word pretty much sums up November – sequels. For starters, we had the eagerly-anticipated arrival of Nathan Drake’s latest adventure with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which once again delivered in equal measures of action-packed set pieces and sumptuous visuals. Also playing the triple-A trump card was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which proved the public’s appetite for military shooters hasn’t waned as it smashed entertainment records for the series. Fantasy fanatics meanwhile were kept satisfied with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a mammoth RPG that is sure to keep you entertained well into the New Year. Stabby sequel Assassin’s Creed: Revelations also arrived last month, bringing with it the conclusion to Italian stallion Ezio Auditore de Firenze and original hero Altair’s part in the saga, with Saints Row: The Third bringing up the rear, delivering thrills, spills and…purple dildos?
And that’s only some of the highlights. November also played host to a number of sleeper hits, including the Blue Blur’s triumphant return to form in Sonic Generations and platform legend Rayman strutting his stuff in the brilliant yet criminally overlooked Rayman Origins. Naturally, getting down to the nitty gritty of picking our Game of the Month wasn’t an easy task, and the quality of the games on offer is as such that we could have awarded the accolade to any of the above mentioned. Still, not wanting to cop out and arbitrarily slap the award on any old Tom, Dick or Harry, the staff at PSU Towers conversed and ultimately managed – eventually – to whittle down the list to two notable contenders: Skyrim and Uncharted 3. And the result? Skyrim takes the cake.
While the game isn’t a monumental leap over Oblivion in terms of core gameplay mechanics, it doesn’t stop Skyrim from being a sprawling sandbox brimming with life, intrigue and scaly dragons. The main quest is but the tip of the iceberg; countless dungeons and side quests await explorers as you venture out into the wilderness and soak up the eyeball-popping visuals, from sumptuous sunsets to lush forests. Then there’s the dragons, which offer some truly spectacular, adrenaline-pumping battles you absorb their souls in order to learn all-powerful attacks known as Shouts. Got friends or a significant other? Then you better hope they are the forgiving type, as you’ll be hooked on this for months.
Still, while we could waffle on about the game all day, do yourself a favour and read our review, penned by PSU U.S. wordsmith, Adam Dolge. Here’s a snippet to tide you over:
"If you measure enjoyment on sure obsession and addiction, Skyrim is easily one of the greatest games of the generation, perhaps of all time. Open-world RPG fans have every reason to be excited; Bethesda truly delivered an extraordinary game."
Don’t agree with our choice? Let us know what you feel deserves the award for Game of the Month – November 2011 in the comments section below.