Though this is only a week after Forspoken’s launch, president Yosuke Matsuda (who is stepping down in June) revealed that reviews “have been challenging.” “However, the game has also received positive feedback on its action features, including its parkour and combat capabilities, so it has yielded results that will lead to improvement of our development capabilities of other games in the future.

“That said, its sales have been lackluster, and while the performance of new titles with February and March release dates will be the ultimate determinant, we see considerable downside risk to our FY2023/3 earnings.”

Matsuda also spoke about a decline in net sales year-on-year in the HD Games sub-segment. While the “release of major titles a year earlier had created a challenging” hurdle, he revealed that “many of the new small and mid-sized titles we launched this year did not perform as well as we had expected.” Though not specified, some titles that fall into that category include The DioField Chronicle, Valkyrie Elysium, Harvestella, Star Ocean: The Divine Force, Dragon Quest Treasures, and more.

Octopath Traveler 2 and Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line were released last month, and it remains to be seen if they can balance out the underwhelming year-on-year performance.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (on PC)

When the remastered duo launched for PS5 in January, it debuted in fifth place on Gfk’s UK physical sales charts. Pretty good, even if it didn’t hit the top 20 for The NPD Group’s best-selling games for the month. Its PC version is a completely different story, though, hitting a peak concurrent player count of only 10,851 on Steam when it was released in October. Either because there wasn’t much hype around it, or other big titles took all the attention, the collection just didn’t resonate.

CrossfireX

With a whopping 38 out of 100 Metascore and lacklustre marketing, it was somewhat expected that CrossfireX wouldn’t do great. Lo and behold, it didn’t chart anywhere in The NPD Group’s February 2022 sales rankings, nor did it warrant a mention in Gfk’s physical charts for the UK. However, given how popular Crossfire’s multiplayer is in China and South Korea (with over $1 billion in revenue each year since 2014), this won’t hurt Smilegate’s bottom line one bit.

Monark

You could call Monark another victim of Elden Ring’s overwhelming presence, especially in Europe, where it launched on the same day as the Souls-like. That’s probably why it wasn’t mentioned anywhere in Gfk’s physical sales charts for the week. It also had only 177 peak concurrent players on Steam in the West. Then again, when released last year in Japan, it barely hit 16,000 units sold on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Couple that with poor critical reception, and its failure is understandable.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire Tokyo was one of the premiere PS5 console exclusives this year and sadly didn’t perform up to par. It debuted in 12th place for The NPD Group’s March 2022 charts, and in 11thth place for Gfk’s UK physical game charts. Not only that, but it sold 80 percent less than The Evil Within 2 in the UK, which was considered to have performed poorly at launch. Though it managed sixth place in its debut in Japan, it only sold 10,144 units in its first week. Even the Steam numbers were nothing to write home about, with a peak concurrent total of 14,086 players in its lifetime.

Shadow Warrior 3

Shadow Warrior 3 was intriguing in how it not only went with a super-linear approach to its levels but also stuck to previous-gen consoles and PC. Blame it on the lack of marketing buzz, the shadows of Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, or something else, but when released on March 1st, 2022, it was nowhere to be seen in Gfk’s UK physical sales charts or GSD’s digital sales charts. Even the peak concurrent player count on Steam was a mere 1,651 players.

GRID Legends

Another game which likely suffered due to releasing too close to Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West is Codemasters’ GRID Legends. It debuted in 18th place in Gfk’s UK physical sales charts and was pretty much never heard from again after that. Yes, not even in The NPD Group’s best-selling titles for February and March 2022. SteamDB reveals a peak concurrent player count of just 455, which is just a few days after it launched.

Roller Champions

Roller Champions’ success is a bit harder to measure since, well, it’s a free-to-play title. That being said, its digital revenue hasn’t warranted any mention this year. It launched to very little reaction on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, and the Switch release did nothing to help this either. Lest anyone thinks the recent Steam release would aid in a resurgence, it has had a peak concurrent player total of 141. Such was the response that reports quickly circulated of the game being sunset, which Ubisoft denied.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

One of the big three releases of December, Marvel’s Midnight Suns has a lot going for it with the XCOM team involved, strong critical acclaim, and some well-known Marvel heroes. It even had 15,500 peak concurrent players on Steam. Sales-wise, the story is less positive, as it debuted in a mortifying 26th place in the UK physical sales charts. Granted, Firaxis is known more for its PC player base (as seen with the Steam user count), and the digital sales could help, but the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 numbers can’t be entirely discounted. Maybe it was just the victim of too many big releases on the same day, as evidenced by The Callisto Protocol performing way better.

Need for Speed Unbound

Due to its release timing, we won’t know how Need for Speed Unbound performed in the US until next month. As for the UK, its launch week physical sales were down a staggering 64 percent compared to Need for Speed Heat, earning it only 17th place. This may seem expected, but it’s the tenth-biggest IP in the region’s history. Things hardly improved the next week when it slipped to 19th place following a 19 percent sales drop. Steam player numbers aren’t so great either, with a peak concurrent total of only 14,063.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force

Compared to Valkyrie Elysium, Star Ocean: The Divine Force performed decently when it launched in Japan, with over 44,000 units sold on PS4 and PS5. The problem? It’s the weakest game launch in the series. The first Star Ocean in June 1996 sold over 81,000 copies on the Super Famicom, for crying out loud. The Divine Force failed to crack Gfk’s top 10 in the UK and debuted in 14th place for the US, according to The NPD Group, before quietly fading away.

Gungrave G.O.R.E.

Gungrave G.O.R.E. launched a few weeks after Sonic Frontiers and God of War Ragnarok, and days after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Shock of shocks, it neither charted in the UK nor the US. On Steam, it has a peak concurrent player total of 138, which says it all.

Harvestella

This one hurts, simply because I loved Livewire’s Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. Sadly, Harvestella matched up in neither sales nor critical acclaim. It debuted in second place in Famitsu’s Japan sales charts with 26,644 units sold on Nintendo Switch, but only reached 38,704 sales before dropping out entirely. On PC, it had a measly 3,395 peak concurrent players via Steam.

The DioField Chronicle

Square Enix may have some heavy hitters coming in 2023, but this year has been rather disastrous for the publisher. It released a flurry of underwhelming titles and commercial flops, like The DioField Chronicle. The strategy RPG launched at 17th place in Gfk’s UK physical sales charts and sold about 12,068 units in its first week in Japan across Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. SteamDB notes 1,272 peak concurrent players over its lifetime, which is pretty sad.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PC)

Considering how valuable the PC market has been for Sony with Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War (2018), and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, it was expected that Sackboy would follow up on that success. Alas, it wasn’t to be. It recorded a meagre 610 peak concurrent players since launch, far less than even Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Sony hasn’t revealed sales numbers, and maybe it’s unfair to expect much out of a lesser-known IP on PC. Nevertheless, it’s still disappointing.

New Tales from the Borderlands

Released on October 21st, 2022, you’d expect a new Borderlands title, much less the follow-up to Tales from the Borderlands, to get a decent response. But either due to the lack of marketing, Telltale not returning, the premise or a flurry of other releases, New Tales from the Borderlands came and went with very little response. It wasn’t mentioned by Gfk in its UK physical charts for the end of October and throughout November. Even worse, it didn’t even chart in The NPD Group’s US sales charts for October and November.

“I’d be delighted if we could keep this game going. We ask for all your support,” he said.

Taka went on to touch on the development teams’ ambitions with potential sequels, saying that with Harvestella having been focused on laying down the basic foundations, there were a lot of ideas that it couldn’t implement, which the developers would ideally like to implement in future titles.

“There’s still lots that we have not yet been able to accomplish,” Taka said. “However, if we try to create everything in the first title, the foundations of the game become unclear. Once it becomes a series, we’d like to keep adding more exciting features using the engaging foundations of the basic system.”

Harvestella hasn’t exactly the set the world on fire with its critical and commercial reception, so it remains to be seen whether Square Enix will decide to invest further in the property. It saw a modest debut in Japan, where it sold over 26,000 units upon release.

In our review of Harvestella, we gave it a review of 7/10, saying, “Harvestella is rough around the edges, and it’s not particularly accomplished at anything it sets out to do, but it’s a fun, engaging farming sim at its core, and certainly worth a look for fans of the genre.” Read the full review through here.

Harvestella is available on Nintendo Switch and PC.

The next couple of positions are occupied by new releases, though neither have seen particularly impressive sales. Square Enix’s farming sim action RPG Harvestella has enjoyed a modest debut, selling over 26,000 units at launch. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco continues to have poor luck with sales on the Switch, with Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom’s Switch version taking the No. 3 spot, having sold just over 11,000 units.

Bayonetta 3 and the Switch version of Persona 5 Royal, both of which debuted in the previous week’s charts, both had decent second weeks, sitting in fourth and fifth place with over 10,000 units sold and over 7,000 units sold.

On the hardware side of things, the pendulum has swung back in favour of the Switch, predictably enough, with Nintendo’s platform selling over 90,000 units over the course of the week. The PS5 trails behind it by a significant margin, having sold over 13,000 units.

You can check out the full Japanese physical software and hardware sales charts for the week ending October 30 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Splatoon 3 – 51,715 (3,287,416)
2. [NSW] Harvestella – 26,644 (New)
3. [NSW] Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom – 11,278 (New)
4. [NSW] Bayonetta 3 – 10,103 (51,388)
5. [NSW] Persona 5 Royal – 7,791 (65,829)
6. [NSW] Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Offline – 7,781 (218,732)
7. [NSW] Minecraft – 7,602 (2,840,716)
8. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 7,501 (4,891,234)
9. [PS4] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – 7,351 (31,722)
10. [NSW] Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits – 6,854 (30,151)

Hardware sales (followed by last week’s sales):

• Nintendo Switch – 90,478(38,634)
• PS5 – 13,274 (38,866)
• Xbox Series X/S – 3,113 (3,674)

Harvestella is set in a fantasy world where four giant, intricate crystals dictate the passage of seasons, each found in a different part of the world. Lately, however, these crystals, known as Seaslights, have been acting up, which has resulted in a frequent occurrence called the Quietus- a one-day event where the air is filled with a deadly dust that anyone who comes into contact with will die, forcing people indoors. Amidst all this, you step into the shoes of an amnesiac protagonist (because of course the protagonist has to be amnesiac), found unconscious in a tranquil village right in the middle of the Quietus, completely untouched by its deadly effects.

"Part-action RPG, part-farming sim, it’s a game that tries to blend to very different styles of gameplay, and for the most part it does so successfully- or at least successfully enough that it’s always enjoyable on at least a fundamental level. At the same time, however, neither aspect of the experience feels like it’s fleshed out enough, which means that Harvestella is never anything beyond predictably satisfying in any of its core mechanics, and often with plenty of rough edges."

Harvestella’s story has some interesting ideas and ropes in some intriguing elements (like time travel, for instance), while its fantasy world also feels surprisingly rich and fleshed out. Of course, I don’t want to overstate things- the story is fine for what it is, if not extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination. It does a decent job of keeping you invested- and if nothing else, it’s far more comprehensive than what you’d ordinarily find in games where one of your primary focuses is farming. For the most part, the story doesn’t feel like it interrupts the relaxed farming gameplay loop too much either- though conversely, that relaxed structure does impact the story’s pacing at times.

On the gameplay front, Harvestella invokes a similar response- it’s perfectly serviceable, and for the most part, even enjoyable, even if it’s not exactly remarkable. Half of this game is modeled after games like Harvest Moon and Rune Factory– it’s a farming sim (as I’ve mentioned a couple of times), where you’re focused on maintaining and expanding a farm, tilling and watering the soil, planting seeds and harvesting crops, and once you’ve unlocked the ability to do so, tend to livestock. The in-game time moves forward constantly, and you have a limited amount of time each day before you have to return home and go back to sleep, which means you have to decide which tasks to prioritize and which long-term goals you want to work towards.

Meanwhile, Harvestella also allows you to explore the town where you’ve made your home and get to know its denizens. That is done through side quests, which tend to focus on various NPCs and party members, and while I wouldn’t exactly describe any of them as standouts or highlights of the game, there are enough good ones to make sure that side quests don’t feel like a hindrance (even though side quest design and structure at its core mostly tends to be pretty rote). Improving your relationships and bonds with characters is also something that Harvestella lets you do, as farming sims often do, and while the game’s cast doesn’t have any characters that will live long in memory, the activity at its core is engaging enough.

"Combat is a very simplistic hack-and-slash affair- so simplistic that it doesn’t even allow the ability to dodge."

All the expected gameplay mechanics are here – from keeping an eye on your stamina throughout the day and being able to upgrade and improve your house to gathering resources and crafting useful new equipment and more – though Harvestella tends to keep things simplistic for the most part. It never feels too restrictive, and the tools it afford to expand your farm and improve the efficiency of your farming feel valuable, but if you’re expecting something that rivals the depth of, say, Harvest Moon’s farming sim mechanics, you’ll be left wanting.

The other half of Harvestella is an action RPG- though perhaps calling it referring to it as an action RPG lite would be far more accurate. Nothing exemplifies that better than the game’s combat, which is disappointingly straightforward and limited. Combat is a very simplistic hack-and-slash affair- so simplistic that it doesn’t even allow the ability to dodge. You have a few abilities that you have on cooldown, and there are multiple classes to play as, though the progression, too, feels half-baked. Classes end up feeling bland and, often, not too unique, while combat ends up feeling like a chore. Exploring dungeons and other locations over the course of several in-game days, as such, also feels like a significantly weaker part of Harvestella’s gameplay structure, owing to how much more focused it is on combat.

Meanwhile, when it comes to visuals, I’m honestly conflicted about how I feel about Harvestella, because while there are aspects of how the game looks that I truly appreciate, others are shockingly subpar. Where its art design is concerned, there’s a lot to like about Harvestella. Its setting isn’t going to pull up any trees in the fantasy genre, but you can see that this is clearly a game where the art department had an absolute field day. From a technical perspective though, it’s absurdly lackluster. Things looks muddy, environments and models are lacking in detail, the animations are stiff and wonky, and everything just looks choppy and blurry. Though there are sights in Harvestella that might be gorgeous when viewed in their concept art form, in a much more real sense, the game itself doesn’t look great.

"Though there are sights in Harvestella that might be gorgeous when viewed in their concept art form, in a much more real sense, the game itself doesn’t look great."

The easiest way to describe Harvestella is as a classic example of an unpolished yet enjoyable AA Square Enix game, of which we’ve seen quite a few in recent months, from The DioField Chronicle to Valkyrie Elysium. It’s rough around the edges, it doesn’t shake up any formulas, and it doesn’t ever come close to setting any new standards in its genre, but it’s not an unenjoyable game. In trying to be both a farming sim and an action RPG, it ends up failing to make an impression as either- though it’s a much better farming sim than it is an action RPG, and taken as a whole, it’s a decent experience that’s worth clocking a couple dozen hours into… if you have nothing better to play.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.

As GamesIndustry notes, sales were down by 42 percent week-on-week but up by more than 40 percent compared to last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard. FIFA 23 is in second place, with sales dropping by 12 percent. Several Nintendo Switch exclusives saw their sales increase and positions rise compared to the previous week. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was in third, with sales up by 35 percent.

Nintendo Switch Sports had a 54 percent sales increase and captured fourth, while Splatoon 3 rose to fifth place following a 19 percent increase. Among the new entries for the week were WRC Generations at 22nd place and Harvestella at 25th. Check out Gfk’s top ten best-selling physical titles in the UK for the week ending November 5th below.

Aside from the Quietus, there are four seasons to experience, each with unique recipes, crops, and NPCs. As Ein, players can farm, fish, craft, and much more to accrue resources and funds to deal with the Quietus. There’s also a Job system for combat, allowing one to switch between different abilities depending on the fight. Various companions will also join your party to help out.

For those on the fence, a demo is available on Nintendo Switch, with save data carrying over into the full game. Various improvements have been made based on demo feedback, which you can learn more about here. Sadly, none of those applies to the demo, so be warned.

Fishing should also be more rewarding, thanks to reduced hit time. The cooldown time for switching Jobs is reducing in combat, and the Mage’s normal attack speed has been increased. Finally, while in combat, a warning effect will play if a character’s HP drops too low.

Other improvements include partially reduced loading times, a modified UI during saves and auto-saves, and various bug fixes. All these changes will only be available in the game, and not in the demo.

Harvestella launches on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

There are four seasons in-game, but in between each is the Quietus, which brings death and rot. During the Quietus, you have the option to explore an exclusive dungeon. What is its purpose? You’ll need to defeat the enemies on each floor and venture further to find out. Another Job, Lunamancer, has also been revealed. Specializing in debuffing enemies and wide-range magic, it uses the planet’s mass to its advantage.

In addition to growing crops, making food, and eating it, you can also partake in Cooking Deliveries. As you visit different towns, various residents may request a particular dish. If you deliver, they’ll pay you and even provide new recipes. There are also the Conellu Dolls, found in various locations and dungeons. Collecting these and giving them to Chief Conellu in his hideout can net some “great stuff.”

Harvestella launches on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC. Stay tuned for more details on its day-one update.

Here are the 15 biggest games to look forward to in November.

The Chant

“Weekend getaway to a spiritual retreat turned to hellish survival against cosmic monstrosities,” isn’t the worst description for Brass Token’s The Chant. After a rift to The Gloom, a dimension of negative energy, opens and various horrors take over a peaceful island, it’s up to Jess to collect weapons like salt and incense, craft items, and harness spiritual energy to fight back. And also run away, because flight is sometimes just better than fighting.

Along with managing her spirit, players must also care for Jess’s physical and mental health – these will influence her survival and abilities throughout the story. Then there are the other survivors, slowly giving in to the negative energy perpetrating the island. Can they be saved? We’ll find out when The Chant launches on November 3rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

God of War Ragnarok

Over four years since its predecessor debuted, selling millions of copies over a few days, and three years past in-game, the sequel to God of War (2018) is finally upon us. The story sees Odin and Asgard preparing for Ragnarok while Kratos and Atreus avoid the conflict. Of course, it’s not long before they’re involved, battling the likes of Freya, the Valkyrie, the Einherjar, and the mighty Thor himself.

A lot has been said about the experience, with reports extolling its massive size and the development team claiming it’s bigger than they envisioned. Nine realms to explore, new shields and abilities to equip, an expanded combat system, more verticality, larger levels, more enemy variety – the list of improvements goes and goes. On November 9th, the world will finally have a chance to play it on PS4 and PS5.

Sonic Frontiers

If nothing else, you have to admire the guts of Sega releasing Sonic Frontiers just one day before God of War Ragnarok. Nevertheless, those looking for a brand-new 3D platformer to dive into should find promise in Sonic’s latest adventure. After his friends disappear during a hunt for the Chaos Emeralds and he delves into Cyber Space, Sonic finds himself on the Starfall Isles. This archipelago of five different islands is filled with mysterious mechanical beings, and a new enemy named Sage also emerges.

Sonic Frontiers goes for an open-world-esque approach for its exploration, with the different islands presenting various platforming challenges, puzzles, and Guardians to fight. Upon accessing a portal, he can venture into Cyber Space with levels inspired by older titles. Sonic Frontiers launches on November 8th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and is undoubtedly the biggest Sonic title yet.

Football Manager 2023

Another year, another promising new Football Manager title from Sports Interactive. Football Manager 2023 marks the series’ return to PlayStation but also features improvements to its scouting, squad planning, AI managers, and more. The UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League are all fully licensed, and new features like Supporter Confidence and Dynamic Manager Timeline promise to bring you closer to the sport than ever.

Football Manager 2023 is out on November 8th for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Arcade, along with launching day one on Game Pass.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties

Techland has been updating Dying Light 2 Stay Human regularly since launch, and on November 10th, its first paid DLC Bloody Ties will release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Aiden enters a tournament to take on various challenging foes in Carnage Hall for fame and rewards. Things aren’t what they seem, though (surprise, surprise), and you’ll soon be investigating the tournament’s true purpose. In addition to a new story, Bloody Ties also provides new gear, a new weapon in the Shield Glove, and arena missions called Spectacles. You can also fight new mutated foes in Arena Challenges to truly test your limits.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Yes, it’s another Pokemon game on the Nintendo Switch for the fourth year in a row. Nevertheless, Pokemon Scarlet and Violent look genuinely interesting. Instead of a regional approach like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Paldea is a seamless open world. As a student of Naranja or Uva Academy, the player participates in a treasure hunt with the freedom to go just about anywhere. All the tropes of a Pokemon title are here – an enthusiastic rival Nemona; Professors Sada and Turo; and even new Legendary Pokemon like Koraidon and Miraidon that serve as mounts when exploring the region.

In terms of story, players can choose from three different routes – Path of Legends to locate the Herba Mystica while fighting Titan Pokemon; Victory Road to challenge eight Gym Leaders and eventually the Pokemon League Champion; and Starfall Street, where they must battle against Team Star. With several new Pokemon, new moves and items, and Terastallization providing new properties for each Pokemon, Scarlet and Violet could be the best 3D titles in the series yet. They’re out on November 18th for Nintendo Switch.

Evil West

Third-person shooter meets stylish beat ’em up combat in the Weird Wild West with Flying Wild Hog’s Evil West. As Jesse Rentier, players must battle vampires in the American frontier. This is done in several violent ways, from firearms to a gauntlet that can electrocute enemies. Throughout the campaign (which supports co-op), you’ll discover new weapons, unlock new perks and upgrades, and ultimately save the country. Evil West is out on November 22nd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

WRC Generations

Originally slated to launch last month, KT Racing’s WRC Generations was delayed and now launches on November 3rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Career Mode, multiplayer, Quickplay and other modes return along with Split Screen for local play. Leagues Mode is new and involves players completing different events every week and receiving a ranking.

In addition to new Hybrid Cars, major revamps have been made to the progression and Team Creation while cross-platform play has also been implemented. As the developer’s last game under the license (for now), WRC Generations could see it going out on a high note.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me

A documentary crew is invited to a recreation of serial H.H. Holmes’ infamous “Murder Castle” by a mysterious recluse – what could go wrong? Not every scary situation in The Dark Pictures Anthology is as avoidable as this, but I digress since The Devil in Me is going for something different with its killing rooms. You’ll still have to make decisions that can influence whether the central cast lives or dies.

But this time, there are more movement options like running, climbing, and jumping, an inventory for managing items, puzzles that require tools, and more. This is in addition to online mode and five-player local co-op. As the season finale, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me should end things with a venerable bang when it launches on November 18th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PC)

Warhammer: Vermintide developer Fatshark’s latest title leans more into the sci-fi Warhammer 40K universe, eschewing hack and slash for more first-person shooting (but still having some hacking and slashing). It’s set in the Hive City of Tertium on Atoma Prime, which has seen an influx of Chaos forces. As a “reject,” one must undertake missions across various maps, working their way up to better weapons and gear while opting for tougher difficulties.

Four classes – Psyker, Zealot, Ogryn, and Veteran – are available, each with different subclasses to specialize in different play styles (like the Skullbreaker Ogryn being more melee-focused). It will sound pretty familiar to Vermintide fans, which isn’t the worst considering how much fun co-op was in that series. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is out on November 30th for PC, with the Xbox Series X/S version launching “shortly after.”

The Entropy Centre

Amid all the action-packed titles releasing this month, it’s nice to have something more laid-back and cerebral. Stubby Games’ The Entropy Centre takes place after an extinction event seemingly wipes out mankind and as perhaps the last one alive, you venture to the heart of the Entropy Centre, which orbits the Earth in a space station, for answers.

The first-person puzzle-solving and time manipulation will look familiar, but Stubby Games puts an interesting spin on this by having you find the solution and then rewind time to solve the puzzle in reverse. The Entropy Centre is out on November 3rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Gungrave G.O.R.E.

Announced back in December 2017, Gungrave G.O.R.E. has been a long time coming. It’s out on November 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and PC, and launching day one on Game Pass. Set after Gungrave VR, it follows the Gunslinger of Resurrection, who is out for revenge.

Along with third-person shooting, there’s also close-quarters combat and brawling, and various types of enemies like mechs, zombies, and more to take out. Despite the long development cycle, it remains intriguing and worth keeping an eye on.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PC)

If you’ve already played Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC, then Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a no-brainer. Taking place one year later, it sees Miles Morales as Spider-Man, protecting Harlem from the conflict between Roxxon Energy Corporation and the Tinkerer’s Underground. While many of the same environments and gameplay elements remain, Miles has unique abilities like Venom Blast and Camouflage to even the odds.

There are also new gadgets like the Gravity Well, Holo-Drone, and more to further spice up the gameplay. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is out on November 18th for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and while it’s not as long as the previous game, there’s still a great story, side content, and suits to collect.

Tactics Ogre: Reborn

Tactics Ogre: Reborn is coming to PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC and serves as a remaster of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. Even with the upscaled HD visuals and artwork, re-recorded soundtrack and fully-voiced cutscenes, there is so much here to make it feel like a brand-new game.

Random encounters are gone, replaced with Training Battles; skills have been retuned while Finishers now use MP; Buff Cards throughout different battles provide positive and negative effects; new Charms provide different bonuses; and much more. You can even rewind actions within the last ten turns in case of an unfavorable outcome. With its numerous classes and skills, incredible branching story, and various quality-of-life improvements, it may end up a dark horse among some of the bigger releases this year.

Harvestella

The world, governed by four crystals called Seaslight, periodically suffers the effects of the Quietus, which ruins crops and brings death. As the duration of the Quietus increases, you control Ein and must figure out how to stop it.

Along the way, you’ll visit various towns, each with unique crops, materials, and recipes, and interact with many characters (including Aria, who is seemingly from the future), fish, craft and more. Maintaining a farm to fund your mission is one thing – you also need to venture out and fight monsters to make progress with the investigation. Good thing there are 12 different classes, each with unique weapons and abilities to assist in this.

Releasing on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC, Harvestella could fill that Rune Factory-sized hole.