November 2020 is drawing to a close and the next-gen (now current-gen) drama is starting to die down a little. The end of the year is in sight and lots of people are planning some sort of return to normalcy with their family this Christmas. In the gaming world, the last big title of the year is looming into view, so make sure to check out our review of Cyberpunk 2077 when it finally arrives.
TheGamer has been playing and dissecting each and every one of the major new titles as they have been released. These are our reviews of some of the biggest releases of November 2020, including a visit to the afterlife of Azeroth, a journey to the world of PNF-404, a crash landing on the planet Requiem, and a bad trip to the worst rave.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands - Review In Progress
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is the latest expansion to the popular MMO, and it takes the player on a journey to the afterlife. The story of the World of Warcraft series has always been easy to ignore, but Shadowlands does a great job of weaving its narrative into the gameplay. Shadowlands might have the best storyline of any World of Warcraft expansion to date, and it adds depth to what would otherwise be a standard MMO affair. The new zones are a lot of fun to explore, and the quests feel relevant to the overall story. Our review is still on-going, but Shadowlands is shaping up to be one of the best titles of the year.
You can check out Eric Switzer's review of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands here.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe - 5 Out Of 5 Stars
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is an enhanced version of one of the best games on the Wii U, with new modes and side-stories for the Switch port. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is still a joy to play and the new co-op mode means that it can be enjoyed with a friend. The only downside to this is playing with a single Joy-Con each, as the controller struggles to match the functions needed for the game. The new side stories starring the old Pikmin cast are excellent and the new difficulty modes will provide a challenge for even the most skilled Pikmin masters. This game is a must-have purchase for Switch owners.
You can check out Bella Blondeau's review of Pikmin 3 Deluxe here.
Halo 4 PC - 4.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Halo 4 has come to PC as part of the Master Chief Collection, and the quality of the port is stellar, as to be expected of Microsoft's flagship series. Halo 4 involves Master Chief crash-landing on an alien world, while Cortana starts to succumb to a technological degenerative condition called "rampancy" which can only be fixed on Earth. The story of Halo 4 is surprisingly emotional, and it helps keep the player moving through its relatively short campaign mode, though there are also the Spartan Ops missions to keep things going after the main story concludes. The same incredible Halo gameplay is here and all of the new additions (like the wider variety of Covenant troops) only enhance the whole experience.
You can check out Daniel Alvarez's review of Halo 4 here.
Strobophagia - 2.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Strobophagia is a horror game set at a rave, with trippy visuals and a thumping beat that is meant to emulate the worst of bad trips. Or at least, that's what the game is meant to be. In truth, Stobophagia drops the ball with its insistence on linking all of the player's actions to their in-game mobile phone, which is something you'll be staring at more than the acid monsters. It doesn't help that the phone itself is a pain to navigate. Strobophagia is a great looking game, but it doesn't live up to its potential.
You can check out Sam Watanuki's review of Strobophagia here.