The Biggest November 2023 Video Game Releases

Square Enix isn't just dedicating itself to remaking one of the most beloved Final Fantasy games of all time - it's also doing its Star Ocean series faithful a huge service by giving them a remake of their very own. The second game in the sci-fi planet-hopping JRPG franchise is receiving that complete makeover via Star Ocean: The Second Story R. From a visual standpoint, this rejuvenation of a JRPG classic matches up 2D pixel characters and 3D environments to produce a striking treat for the eyes. Once again, players can choose from one of two protagonists at the start of their galactic adventure (Claude or Rena), which will impact the story perspectives you come across and the party members you end up recruiting to your cause. The original's fast-paced action combat returns with two new features ("Break" and "Assault Action") that'll make every enemy encounter even more exciting this time around.

The Talos Principle emerged as a truly thought-provoking game that centered on extensive puzzle-solving and a story that incorporates themes of philosophical science fiction. Now we're set to return to this series' world full of intelligent robots and laser manipulation-based puzzles for a sequel with brand new gameplay mechanics focused on gravity manipulation and mind transference. The Talos Principle II will expectedly feature some of the most challenging brainteasers ever featured in a video game, a wealth of varied environments to explore, and a narrative that'll make you question your very own ideals as you follow it to one of its epic conclusions. Sci-fi aficionados will surely get a satisfying experience to derive from The Talos Principle II.

One of the more intriguing November 2023 video game releases you guys and gals need to keep an eye on is this clever adventure game that follows a young woman named Jala, who comes back to her childhood home of Washington, D.C. just in time for her sister's wedding. But before she attends that marquee event, Jala must check off a few boxes on her to-do list - those tasks include confronting & reconciling with her exes, mending broken friendships, and dealing with the more judgmental members of her immediate family. Thankfully, Thirsty Suitors presents those situations in a fun video game manner courtesy of turn-based battles, skateboarding segments, and even cooking minigames. The stylish makings of this adventure game, plus its huge gameplay variety and themes that most children of immigrants can relate to make it another one of the more eccentric games to keep an eye on.

Burning hella calories and getting your summer body right way before the new year starts are commendable goals. One of the most entertaining and trippiest ways you can accomplish those goals is by picking up one of the strangest yet incredibly endearing Switch releases of 2023. WarioWare: Move It! brings Mario's wicked doppelganger back along with his fellow buddies who enjoy a good batch of "Microgames." For this latest foray into seconds-long minigames, players can get even more active than ever before as they move their arms furiously to chug a train, wave a fan to remove some fur off of their buddy, and even use their butt to fill in the blanks for an onscreen autograph. Those and a wide swath of other hilarious minigames guarantee you'll have a great time with your friends during a night full of hijinks-filled party game sessions.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

Super Smash Bros. players got a fresh platform fighter alternative with 2021's release of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. After a batch of welcome updates (IT EVEN GOT VOICE ACTING!) and welcome roster additions, that game ended up turning into a solid party brawler full of recognizable cartoon legends. Now developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs are ready for a second round of cartoonish smackdown with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. With this follow-up comes new characters, which include Squidward from SpongeBob Squarepants, Gerald from Hey Arnold!, The Angry Beavers, and Jimmy Neutron. Gameplay additions come in the form of a new story mode involving players stepping up to stop Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmium from taking over the Nickelodeon universe and new super moves that can turn the tide of battle in an instant.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

Just like the Dungeon Keeper series, the simply-titled Dungeons franchise does away with all the world-saving themes of numerous other games of its kind and instead gives everyone the ability to embrace their more sinister side. Dungeons 4 marks the return of the beloved franchise characters The Absolute Evil and the Dark Elf Thalya in a sequel where constructing your very own dungeon and helping it thrive are the main gameplay concepts. In order to do that, you'll need to abide by your creatures' living needs, place traps everywhere for the invading Elves & Humans of the "Overworld" to get mauled by, and accrue enough "Evilness" in order to spread it out far & wide across that aforementioned realm. IT'S TIME TO BE AS BAD AS YOU WANNA BE, FOLKS!

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was set up as the ultimate finale for series frontman Kazuma Kiryu. At first, that was certainly the case as the franchise changed its name to Like a Dragon and put a new protagonist named Ichiban Kasuga in the driver's seat for some quirky turn-based RPG action. Like a Dragon Gaiden gives old-school fans of Sega's open-world IP a return to the upstanding man that defined it for so many years. This time around, Kiryu adopts an undercover codename ("Joryu") and works as a secret agent for the "Daidoji" faction. Even after faking his own death and going into hiding to protect his orphan children, Joryu gets brought back out onto the field by a mysterious individual who looks to expose the real him. The return of beat 'em up gameplay lets players master two combat styles ("Yakuza" and "Agent") during a mission that'll transport them to Osaka and Yokohama for some wild melee skirmishes and over-the-top minigames. This Like a Dragon spinoff certainly has our attention when it comes to the biggest November 2023 video game releases.

Find out more about this game right here.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

2021's Tales of Arise not only satisfied series fanatics, but it also brought in a batch of newcomers who got to experience one of the best entries in Bandai Namco's signature JRPG franchise. An epic struggle that culminated in the fate of two differing worlds and its people being treated to new destines came to pass at the conclusion of this game. Now, the aftermath of that grand journey will arrive in the form of this substantial expansion titled Beyond the Dawn. Alphen, Shionne, and the rest of this game's motley crew of world-savers come across a mysterious young girl named Nazamil, who just so happens to be the daughter of a "Renan Lord" and a "Dahnan." With her now in their midst, Tales of Arise's party members must band together to change Nazamil's harrowing fate and come to grips with the consequences of their actions from the main campaign.

The rebooted Modern Warfare games have grabbed tons of positive acclaim since coming back in 2019 as a major brand of Call of Duty action. The resurgence of Captain John Price & Simon "Ghost" Riley, epic campaigns that offer a nice mix of explosive shootouts & stealth-based missions, and the inclusion of the battle royale Warzone mode have all kept COD fans quite pleased as of late. Now Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is looking to keep the sub-series strong winning streak alive. For this COD entry's campaign installment, players will be thrust back into "Task Force 141" as they embark on a search for Vladimir Makarov, a Russian ultranationalist and terrorist looking to trigger a third World War. On the multiplayer front, all 16 of the base maps from the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will come back in remastered form for series aficionados. Zombies Mode will also get its time to shine here with a story that transports players to "Urzikstan" in 2021 for a more open-world take on the signature COD side mode. ATTENTION! You can get early access to this game's campaign by pre-ordering any edition of it so you can start saving the world on November 2.

The oldest of old anime heads will probably have their jaws hit the floor at the sight of this latest game on our list of the biggest November 2023 video game releases. UFO Robo Grendizer, the late 70s devoted to a heroic giant fighting robot who battles invading forces for its new home planet of Earth, is getting quite the major video game treatment. UFO Robot Grendizer: The Feast of the Wolves gives fans direct control over the powerful mech for an adventure that includes epic on-foot battles with giant rivals (such as Damdam and Goru Goru) and even bullet-hell spaceship shooting sections. This anime game adaptation will follow the first story arc of the anime and feature rousing renditions of the orchestral tunes that accompanied that saga's most jaw-dropping moments.

Publisher/developer Frontier Developments is most known for its work on a litany of strategy/simulation games such as F1 Manager, Jurassic World Evolution, and Elite: Dangerous. Next up on our list of the biggest November 2023 video game releases is another game from the real-time strategy realm and it just so happens to take place within the Warhammer universe. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin gives you the power to become a ruthless warlord who'll lead one of four factions (which are the "Stormcast Eternals," "Orruk Kruleboyz," "Nighthaunt," and the "Disciples of Tzeentch") as they try to enact total rule over the "Realm of Ghur." The game's procedurally generated campaign looks to be a fun solo challenge, plus its cross-platform multiplayer mode welcomes 1v1, 2v2 with up to three AI players, and even two-player co-op.

It's rare that we have a new piece of hardware to highlight on these monthly gaming release lists! Sony has something special in store for fans of cloud gaming and the PS5 ecosystem as a whole. Say hello to the PlayStation Portal, a special device that is definitely one of the marquee selections on this list of the biggest November 2023 video game releases. This newly implemented handheld device comes outfitted with an eight-inch LCD HD screen and the same two analog sticks & buttons attached to the PS5 DualSense controller. The PS Portal is keener towards staying indoors and letting you play your PS5 games by streaming them from your console via a wireless connection thanks to the Remote Play feature. This cloud gaming hardware works pretty great when you're looking to run through some PS5 games when someone has the main gaming TV in your house occupied.

Next up on our list of the biggest November 2023 video game releases is a AAA VR experience with a big IP attached to it. Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Nexus VR turns players into many of the legendary assassins they've come to love throughout the series to play out a new collection of missions from a first-person viewpoint. Thanks to the tech of the game's longrunning "Abstergo Industries" organization, you'll be thrust into the past as you navigate historically accurate locales and interact with each time period's most important individuals. Expect stealthy maneuvering, intense melee combat that emphasizes active blocking, parrying, & counterattacking, and slick parkour sequences that make you feel as if you're actually jumping across rooftops. Assassin's Creed Nexus VR looks to be the next killer app for Meta Quest 2/3 headset owners.

The 1992 classic Flashback turned many heads due to its cinematic visual presentation, gripping sci-fi plot threads, and effective use of action sequences & puzzle-solving sequences. After all this time, fans of that genre-defining classic are finally getting a follow-up. Flashback 2 is being done by Paul Cuisset (the creator of the original game) and will give players another opportunity to save the world as Conrad B. Hart, the young agent of the "GBI" (Galactic Bureau of Investigation). This time, you'll need to defend the solar system's "United Worlds" from the "Morph" alien invasion led by the menacing General Lazarus. This platform shooter will pit you against all sorts of foes across a vast cyberpunk universe - with your trusty "A.I.S.H.A." AI weapon at the ready, you'll get to wipe out your alien foes during intense firefights as you navigate futuristic expanses.

Whenever beautifully animated fighting games get a mention, The King of Fighters XIII immediately enters the conversation and gets its just due from fighting game fans everywhere thanks to its striking visual palette. SNK is doing this game a massive favor by reviving it with a huge blessing in the form of rollback netcode. Now you'll get to pull off all those sick Terry Bogard, King, Mr. Karate, and Shen Woo combos online against the rest of the "sweats" that still play this game while experiencing smoother & stronger online play. We salute SNK for reviving its classic KOF games and even modern-day Samurai Shodown with the best netcode option available for today's thriving fighting game landscape. Not only has it been a great year for gaming as a whole, but it's also been a great year for fighting game fans thanks to releases such as this one!

Those Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games go so hard! Say what you want about its default anime arena fighting game trappings - pulling off all those "Ultimate Jutsu" super moves as your favorite characters from the ninja-filled manga/anime elicits so much excitement! Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is launching as a fully featured compilation that features every member of the series' 124-character roster, every battlefield, and every chapter that summarizes the biggest events & climactic battles from the drama-filled Naruto timeline. Plus the new batch of characters brings this game's massive roster up to over 130! What makes this ultimate collection even better is its inclusion of additional fighters, such as Kawaki and Jigen, and an entirely new original storyline that puts Naruto and Sasuke at odds once again.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

Persona 5 started life as a massive JRPG that has now taken on a newfound existence as an actual franchise! Besides its original release and the upgraded Persona 5 Royal, the game's beloved "Phantom Thieves of Hearts" have starred in a "Musuo" beat 'em up, two dancing rhythm games, and even an anime series. Now the latest spinoff to take place within the extra stylish and energetic world of Persona 5 will throw fans headfirst into the strategy RPG genre with Persona 5 Tactica. After being whisked off to a mysterious world ruled by war and strife, the Phantom Thieves must band together with a group of freedom fighters called the "Rebel Corps" in opposition to the "Legionnaires." Cutesy stylized renditions of your favorite Persona 5 characters will be displayed as you participate in strategic turn-based encounters featuring the best parts of XCOM, Fire Emblem, and even Persona as "Persona" summonings will be present.

For the longest time, dedicated fans of the SNES classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars figured they'd never see it revisited due to the supposed licensing issues between Nintendo and Square Enix. But lo and behold, the world learned that a remake for one of the most unique turn-based RPGs of all time was indeed real when it was revealed during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct. Mario, Bowser, Peach, Mallow, and Gino are back once again in a greatly enhanced version of their whimsical travels together. The visuals are eye-popping, the music has been improved to the highest degree, and the same active combat interactions from the original are back in fine form. First-timers and longtime supporters will get to enjoy saving "Star Road" and ending the troublemaking reign of the "Smithy Gang" in full 3D.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

Gangs of Sherwood looks like it'll be an amazing foray into a fantastical world inspired by the iconic legend of Robin Hood. What makes this game even more of a worthy pick-up is its fun implementation of co-op that lets up to four players select their favorite member of the "Merry Men" in a bid to rebel against the armies connected to the "Sheriff of Nottingham." Robin, Marian, Friar Tuck, and Little John come together to rob the rich, bless the poor, and use their signature combat prowess to foil their unrelenting oppressors. Take a look at the synergy on display between all four characters and you'll most likely get excited by all the cool maneuvers every character can pull off in unison with their teammates. Gangs of Sherwood looks to be one of the better co-op experiences of 2023, for sure!

Development studio Nightdive Studios has been doing a great job of remastering two of the best N64 first-person shooters that hail from the Turok series, which are Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. The studio is preparing to do the same for Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion. Just like the last two games, this threequel will get up to 4K/120FPS performance, highly upgraded rendering features, improved visuals for elements such as character models, optional motion/gyro controls for the Nintendo Switch, etc. It's worth noting that the latest version of the KEX Engine development engine is being applied to this remaster to make Turok 3 look, sound, and play its very best. Prepare for a throwback FPS where dual protagonists give players signature attributes to utilize toward level progressions and combat. This is the sole remaster to look out for on this list of the biggest November 2023 video game releases.