If you signed up for PC Game Pass just to play Bethesda’s sprawling space epic Starfield, then you may still be too busy system-hopping for your attention to stray to other matters like dealing with your backlog of laundry or indeed playing other games. But compelling though Starfield may be, it’s not going anywhere, and this month has seen an eye-catching influx of new triple-A and indie games hit Microsoft’s subscription service vying for your attention.
Embroil yourself in a compelling crime tale aboard a neon-lit container ship as legendary yakuza Kazuma Kiryu, survive the horror of gaming’s most menacing spaceship in a critically-acclaimed horror remake, and dust off your three-piece suit to marshal your lads to glory. Got your attention? Then read on for the best of PC Game Pass this November.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Yakuza series’ fan-favourite Kazuma Kiryu returns for another fisticuffs jaunt through Japan’s underworld. This time set inside a buzzing mini-city aboard a barge known as The Castle, Kiryu will encounter the Like a Dragon’s trademark eccentric characters and side-missions as he works his way towards the Coliseum at its centre where players can take control of several other formidable fighters to take on swarms of combatants.
Kiryu himself can switch between the ‘Agent’ and ‘Yakuza’ combat styles this time round, using all manner of brutal gadgetry such as Rocket Boots, electric wire, and explosives to scatter his hapless enemies like bowling pins. Then, when you need a break from the fighting, just kick back at the Cabaret Club or hit the races at the Pocket Circuit.
It’s a smaller-scope adventure than series fans may be used to, but that makes it an easily digestible snack that leaves you with time for other Game Pass treats.
Persona 5 Tactica
A unique twist on one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, Persona 5 Tactica swaps out the classic anime style of the mainline series for a Chibi look, and experiments with a new turn-based combat system that may resonate with XCOM fans.
The story sees the Phantom Thieves return, slipping into a parallel dimension ruled with an iron fist by an organisation known as the Legionnaires. You’ll need to use your tactical nous to pick the best squad setups, and use their newly interchangeable Personas to save this strange realm, all while dousing yourself in the excellent characters, writing, and visual pizazz that the series is renowned for.
Dead Space (via EA Play)
15 years after intrepid horror fans first stepped aboard the forsaken mining spaceship, the USG Ishimura, EA delivered what our Sean Martin described as “a definitive remake and promising precedent for Dead Space’s future.” As space engineer Isaac Clarke, you respond to a distress call aboard the ship to find it overrun by violent mutants known as Necromorphs; people corrupted by a mysterious alien artifact.
Cue a dozen or so hours of using industrial-grade tools to grind and slice the relentless monsters leaping out at you from the vents and other dark bowels of the ship. The remake modernises some of the ship’s layout, and looks absolutely stunning, while retaining the claustrophobic cosmic dread of the original game.
Jusant
Looking for something a little more relaxing? Ascending sheer rock faces as the world disappears amidst the clouds thousands of feet below may not be everyone’s idea of a chill good time, but Jusant manages to turn the tough activity of climbing into something beautiful and serene.
Our Kaile Hultner loved it, praising its accessibility, unique visual style, and focus on the meditative qualities of climbing rather than the obvious dangers associated with it. Playing a young climber, you steadily and wordlessly ascend a giant tower at the world’s centre, carrying a mysterious object that can restore the stricken world below to life.
Sega’s perennial time-sink returns for another season, offering even more tools to tinker with for hundreds of hours on end. Pick a team to manage, and set yourself a target however great or small—be it getting Eastbourne Borough into the English football league for the first time, kickstarting another golden age at Manchester United, or navigating the nuances of the newly licensed J1 League in Japan.
New features include an improved matchday engine, more granular control over set-pieces, and more shrewd rival manager AI in the transfer market, ratcheting up the intensity when trying to procure those prized players. Whether you’re picking up from last year’s outing, or returning to the series after a hiatus, there’s plenty new here to dig into (just ask our reviewer Phil).
PC Game Pass is available via xbox.com.
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