Games of November

November is the biggest month of the year for gaming (and also a certain editor's birthday and I don't accept checks) as such writing this piece has taken far longer than any of my other pieces. We here at PS3informer have created a list of standout titles this month and rate how good we expect the title is going to be based on preview builds and what features are in the game.

November 5, 2007 BlackSite: Area 51

I had a lot of hope for this title. In fact, even the devs themselves had a lot of hope as they pounded on their manly gamer chests and claimed they weren’t afraid of releasing their game on the same month as Halo 3. And then the devs killed the game. First it was a 2 month delay, pitting the game to go against the Juggernaut, Call of Duty 4, then came news of no online co-op and, for the PS3 version, no ranked games and no voice chat. (Why a game released 1 year after the launch of the PS3 can’t have an online mode similar to Resistance is beyond my comprehension) The only thing Blacksite has going for it now is its story, and even that won’t carry it far. The situation this game is in could be compared to if Bioshock was released the same day as Halo 3. Honestly, why would any PS3 owner bother to pick this up over Call of Duty 4?

Rating: 6.5

November 5, 2007 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

When it comes to spending your hard-earned cash on a video game for the holidays, you can’t go wrong with Call of Duty 4. Unlike last year’s edition, which was created by Treyarch, Infinity Ward has taken over once again and the results are clear. COD4 is the most realistic looking console FPS. (I give best looking to UT3, with Crysis taking the prize in the PC category) also, I hear this game makes dreams come true.

Rating: 10

November 6, 2007 Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War

Here’s a game that I expected to suck. But it actually was pretty good. The premise is similar to Dynasty Warriors, kill a bunch of people, but the process of defeating armies is the polar opposite. Where one game forces you to take one guy and beating a bunch of people up (with your backup there to just be slaughter mercilessly) this game focuses on you, a mercenary for hire, commanding troops into battle. You can command different types of troops, from swordsmen to archers to cavalry adding just a bit of strategy to the mix. This game will be overshadowed by COD4 but hopefully it finds a niche market that desperately needs to be filled.

Rating: 8

November 6, 2007 LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Essentially, this is the past two quirky LEGO games on one disk. If you already own both games then there’s really no reason to pick this one up, but if you don’t (or you want to get it on the PS3) then go for it.

Rating: 8

November 13, 2007 Assassin's Creed

Not being a fan of sandbox games, Assassin’s Creed deserves an award for holding my interest. I’ve played dozens of mercenary themed games and yet none of them take place during the crusades, an era that seems ripe for the video game picking. I’m expecting to be impressed and I’m sure Jade Raymond, who has not returned any of my calls, emails, love letters or marriage proposals, will not disappoint me.

Rating: 9

November 13, 2007 Need for Speed ProStreet

It’s hard for me to predict how good this game will be, since it’s dropped its arcade controls and opted for a more realistic handling. I’m expecting average game play, certainly nothing like what I experienced on the GT5 demo.

Rating: 7.5

November 13, 2007 Soldier of Fortune: Pay Back

Gratuitous FPS violence in the name of survival? I’m there.

Rating: 7.75

November 19, 2007 Medal of Honor: Airborne

Airborne was a mediocre shooter on 360 and PC and I can’t expect it to be any different on the PS3. It’s prospects for success would’ve been better in October.

Rating: 7.75

November 20, 2007 Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles

Unless you have Oblivion and don’t want to pony over the money for the Game of the Year Edition, you probably shouldn’t buy this game.

Rating: ?

November 20, 2007 Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

I fell in love with Kane and Lynch (not in that way) after reading about it in my Game Informer. (It was the cover story) However, I had to re-evaluate this game from ‘awesome’ to ‘pretty good’ because there’s no online co-op. For you people with ‘friends’ that might not seem like such a big deal but for me, I need to pay some shady women I find on the street to play with me, and they’re really expensive, $50/hour. (Man, it’s just a cooperative video game session. Does it really need to be so expensive?) Hopefully the online multi player will more than make up for it.

Rating: 8.5

November 20, 2007 Rock Band

In order to fully appreciate the genius that is Rock Band, you need $200. (Plus some friends, so that costs me even more) I’ve never had any musical talent. Guitar Hero was a gift. It let me live out most of my rock fantasies (minus the groupies). Rock Band is going to change that solo-act into a group session. If you have the money, Rock Band is going to be the best thing since, well, Guitar Hero.

Rating: 10

November 20, 2007 Time Crisis 4

As the first Light Gun game on the PS3, Time Crisis has the opportunity to really make some changes to the genre that’ll become mandatory for future games to replicate. The worst I expect from it is to be like Time Crisis 3 with prettier graphics, though that’s still not a bad thing.

Rating: 8.5

November 20, 2007 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

The last* of Sony’s games is looking to impress the most. (*Singstar gets released in Europe in December) I’m not saying Ratchet and Clank wasn’t great, it is. But I expected it to be great because it followed the same tried-and-true formula the past games exhibited. Uncharted is a drastic leap for Naughty Dog. The game is beautiful, with its lush jungles and ancient ruins and architecture but, as Lair taught us, looks over substances does not equal heavy sales. With its mix of platforming and gun-play, Naughty Dog needs to ace both these categories to be a big hit. Given their track record, I’d say there’s no cause for concern. Still, my fingers are crossed.

Rating: 9.5

November 27, 2007 Haze

In a month over saturated with First Person Shooters, Haze is stuck being the last one out of the gate. (Though better here alone than at the beginning with Call of Duty) The story in Haze is interesting, online 4p co-op is appealing and for those people without friends (like me) and internet access (not like me) there are bots in the multi player mode, So even on lonely nights you can still get your killing-spree on.

Rating: 8.25