November and December are jackpot months for gamers, ushering in several super hot blockbuster titles. Here are our picks.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

As has become an annual event, November means another entry in the Call of Duty franchise, with Ghosts crouching out of the shadows in the first week of this month. While Ghosts is being touted as taking the franchise in a new direction, certain staples are a given – a convoluted story, frantic firefights, more explosions than you could shake a Transformer at, and, of course, glorious multiplayer. Dog-loving gamers may just pick want to pick up the title to learn the fate of your canine companion, Riley, in the unlikely event that you needed yet another reason to add to Activision’s coffers.

Releases 5 November

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

We have been gushing constantly over Assassin’s Creed IV and with good reason – it looks spectacular. The game takes players to the steamy Caribbean amid the ‘Golden Age’ of piracy (the non-digital, Jack Sparrow version of the word) to step into the shoes of another of Desmond’s ancestors, pirate and assassin Edward Kenway. Players can expect islands to explore; naval combat to indulge in; plenty of loot to plunder and treasure hidden in waterlogged caves to discover. Along with stealth assassinations, the game looks set to boast a fair share of silky smooth platforming. Furthermore, planned DLC from day one should keep players occupied in what is promising to be a killer sequel.

Already released since the  29 October on PS3, Xbox 360 and releases on the 22 November on PC and Wii U

Killzone 4 Shadow Fall and Knack

While the above two titles may seem at opposite ends of the game spectrum, they do have one thing in common, both are exclusive launch titles for the PS4 and should appear, along with the  new console, on its 13th December launch. First person shooter Killzone 4 Shadow Fall, set some time after the events of Killzone 3, is looking nothing short of spectacular. Knack meanwhile, appears to be a more whimsical action-adventure title. The titular hero is capable of sudden and rapid growth as well as of absorbing different materials, enabling it to garner new abilities. This comes into play as players find themselves having to protect humankind from an army of invading goblins.  

Releases 13 December

Gran Turismo 6

Racing simulation fans can rejoice, as Gran Turismo slips into high gear and screeches onto the track in December. The game, considered as the benchmark for racing sims, will boast an exhaustive number of cars as well as a plethora of track locations, including the likes of the legendary Bathurst Circuit, the Goodwood Hill Climb track and now also Silverstone. What about the cars, you ask? Well, expect to slip into the virtual cockpits of BMW Z4 GT3 '11, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Audi R8 LMS ultra, amongst many others, we answer. Make room in your game calendar from the 6^th of December.

Releases 6 December

Honourable mentions

No less deserving of a mention for a jam-packed couple of gaming goodness months, that other FPS doyen Battlefield 4 (just released), and action platformer Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus (22 November) will also be competing for your year-end bonus.