November 2011: Greatest Month in Gaming? (by Carl B.)

November 1, 2011, by Carl B. - The Holiday season is always the biggest moment of the year for the games industry, with plenty of high profile games releasing over the course of October to December. 2011 has been above average for gaming in general – awful for Nintendo only gamers – but there is a bevy of hot titles coming out in November alone. Is November 2011 the greatest month in gaming?

As a Nintendo fan, this November is absolutely perfect for leading up to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Anyone that's a Nintendo only gamer will likely struggle to wait for Zelda in 19 days, but those of us who own either a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 have an awesome month to look forward to.


Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception releases today for PlayStation 3. The previous Uncharted title was absolutely fantastic – it's easily one of the best games released this generation. Uncharted 3 currently has a 93 rating on Metacritic with 58 reviews.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases next week on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii. There's no doubt that Modern Warfare 3 will sell like hot cakes, but it's still up for debate as to whether or not Activision has changed the gameplay mechanics enough to offer new experiences to players; Call of Duty has been a carbon copy of the original Modern Warfare for several years now. This is also a game that Wii only owners should keep on their radar, given the quality of the Wii version of Black Ops.

The big 3DS release of November is Super Mario 3D Land. Previews for Mario's latest title herald it as a mix between classic Mario, the Galaxy series, and something completely unique – sure signs that 3D Land, despite a goofy name, is likely to be an incredibly high quality title. Cave Story 3D also releases next week, so 3DS owners itching for something to play might want to pick that one up.


Other than Zelda and Uncharted, my most anticipated title this month is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I've been holding off on reading previews so I come into the game with minimal spoilers, but what I have read is very promising. Bethesda has reworked the old Elder Scrolls engine to the point where NPC faces no longer look awkward and the game even supports sideways movement animations while in third person. Welcome to 2011, Bethesda!

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the biggest release of the year for Nintendo fans. The first two reviews for the game have been incredibly positive: EDGE, a magazine critical of the Wii, awarded Skyward Sword a perfect score, while Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game a 98%. We've been waiting five years for this game to finally release, and thanks to an amazing November, the wait will be pretty easy.


Is November the best month ever in gaming? Not quite. November 1998 is just as good if not better than November 2011, thanks to these amazing releases: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Half-Life, Baldur's Gate, StarCraft: Brood War, and Tomb Raider III, among others.