With November done and dusted, it's safe to say that the winter rush is over. We look forward to this period of peace every year, but it isn't long before we realise that we soon have to get busy with our Game of the Year coverage. Writing about games is a hard life, folks.
Anyway, before we can crown a winner for the whole year, we first need to look back over November's best titles and pick a victor for last month. As is usually the case, our internal staff vote was a close call, but as we all know, only one release can be awarded Game of the Month – so let's get down to it.
Bronze Trophy: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
It may have caused a colossal amount of controversy when it was announced, but there's no denying that Modern Warfare Remastered is a remaster done right. One of the most influential shooters ever made, the game that transformed Call of Duty into a true juggernaut is still a fantastic title. Reviewer Joey Thurmond called it "a legend to be revered for its grounded, focused gameplay", and gave it an impressive 9/10.
Silver Trophy: Watch Dogs 2
By most accounts a very successful sequel, Watch Dogs 2 pumps some life into Ubisoft's dreary sandbox property, expanding its gameplay scope by giving you way more freedom when it comes to hacking and general exploration. Reviewer Matt Adcock concluded that it's a "fun-packed and exciting ride, which benefits from less generic mission design and a vibrant open world to enjoy." Marcus and the gang get an 8/10.
Gold Trophy: Dishonored 2
Another sequel that, according to most, is a step up from the previous game, Dishonored 2 introduces yet more crazy powers and deadly tools that are yours to unleash upon your unsuspecting enemies. Intrepid reviewer Alex Stinton was all over this one, awarding it an 8/10 and calling it "a whale of a time". Cheeky. "Running wild in Dishonored 2's fascinating world of stealth playgrounds never fails to be both fun and challenging," he wrote.
Platinum Trophy: Final Fantasy XV
The last ten years weren't for nothing, it would seem. Final Fantasy XV launched to a solid critical response last month, and many fans have been calling it a real return to form for the now legendary series - even if this latest instalment eschews the traditional gameplay structure that the property is perhaps best known for.
"Final Fantasy XV is a strange, patchwork beast that's made up of countless different components," we wrote in our review. "Having been in development for so long, things could have gone far, far worse for Noctis and the gang, but as it stands, this is an engrossing journey that delivers a unique experience – and that's something that can rarely be said about today's open world games [...] Final Fantasy XV fills us with hope that the series can still carve out its own path, even after all these years." A deserved Game of the Month winner, we reckon.
So, where do you stand on this? Do you agree with our winner, or even our nominees? Remember to vote in our poll, and then tell us what game you enjoyed most in November and why in the comments section below.
What was your Game of the Month for November 2016? (62 votes)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
- Dishonored 2
- Final Fantasy XV
- Watch Dogs 2
- Other
Please login to vote in this poll.
Comments 23
Congrats to Final Fantasy XV! Game of the Year starts soon...
Emily and Corvo for me.
It's just a shame they couldn't have spread them out a little more, ugh
For me, Novembers Game of the Month was Call of Duty:Infinite Warfare with Modern Warfare 2nd.
I know Modern Warfare is a 'classic' and the remaster has been handled exceptionally well - it really is more of a remake - but it didn't take me very long to get fed up with Last Stand and Martyrdom users, Campers with Claymores, M16 and Stopping Power users and the endless grenade spam too.
Infinite Warfare isn't that bad. The Campaign at least is much more cohesive and fun than Black Ops 3's, Zombies too is a lot of fun. The MP still flows like a CoD game and plays more like Black Ops 3 than the mess that was Advanced Warfare. Aesthetically the game looks great and plays well from a technical PoV. I do think the variant weapons are again a bit much but at least we have the opportunity to get them without spending additional money. Yes the MP could be better, Titanfall 2's movement feels more fluid but I think it was a conscious decision to tone it down by IW to avoid the mistakes of Sledgehammer. Maps are bigger in TF2 as well so the more fluid movement helps get around these better.
Its not the best game of the year, that's for sure, but its not the worst CoD game either. I still 'generally' prefer a new experience to something I already have experienced. Its not like MW's campaign can surprise me, its not like the things that annoyed me about the MP are not in the game anymore...
Interesting the game with the best review score gets the bronze...
@get2sammyb when does game of the year start? The winner has to be uncharted 4 😉
Undoubtedly FF15
@Michaelkirk02 Ratchet & Clank is winning on the forum, and rightly so in my opinion
@kyleforrester87 I've still to play it. Is it any good?
@Michaelkirk02 Yeah, very good IMO - all the better with the PS Pro patch, too. Just a well polished, fun game to romp through. Romp. That's a fun word.
@Michaelkirk02 Hilariously, we finalised it today.
@Dodoo Yeah @JoeBlogs is basically right. We come up with a shortlist that's based on the highest scored games that we reviewed over the last month, and then we vote on them. The order of Game of the Month is determined by the amount of final votes once voting closes.
Oooo I reckon Pushsquare will give Last Guardian the number 1, and Uncharted number 2...hmmm
I've said it a billion times already, but Final Fantasy 15 is great!
Prompto singing / beatboxing the battle over music from the sprite based final fantasies after a fight is an amazing touch. I only noticed it last night, truly inspired. Ba ba baba ba bada baba....
@themcnoisy not so funny the 100th time though lmao
modern warfare remastered came out in october on ps4. i've not actually played any games from november and none of the titles particularly interest me. i've never played a FF game, have been wondering if i should give FFXV a go, but i'd probably just get confused..
i've only played 5 games this year, so my GoTY listing at the moment would be: 1) Uncharted 4, 2) Ratchet & Clank, 3) The Division, 4) Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare Remastered, 5) Titanfall 2. i've got TLG still shrinkwrapped, so haven't put it on the list til i play it.
@leucocyte Go ahead and give FFXV a try. Other than recognizing some monsters that are long running staples in the series and gil being the unit of currency, it is a completely stand-alone story. Any confusion you have about the story will likely be shared among all of us who have played it, and that includes FF veteran or newcomer. I just finished the main story about an hour ago, and it's been an enjoyable 2 weeks. It's an accessible game, and while I don't think it's the best FF, it's a good place to introduce yourself to the series. I would probably wait a few weeks til it's been patched a time or two more though.
@leucocyte Modern Warfare Remastered was an early access style thing in October - we only count official release dates.
Final Fantasy XV for me. Such a great game.
I was going to get WD2, but I've been put off by the characters after watching some videos.
Way too hipster for me.
@ShogunRok @JoeBlogs I see, thanks!
Since it was the only new game I played in November, I concur.
I am loving my time with the four dudebros! Really taking it slowly.
Next: the last guardian. I find a lot of comfort in the thought that when I finish XV there will be another special thing ready for me.
FFXV for me, easy. December's obviously going to be Last Guardian, even though I'm not as in love with it as plenty of others. Nothing wrong with that. I just would have preferred Trico to be a squirrel, that's all.
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