The last month of 2016 is just around the corner and new titles keep on showing up. If you do not want to miss those out, check our list of upcoming games for December!
December has just arrived and you will surely appreciate the extra injection of free time that this entails. The upcoming holiday season is the best way to catch up with all the amazing games that 2016 has seen. And oh boy, what an interesting year this has been!
We know that December tends to slow down when it comes to releases, specially after the big curves of October and November. However, December is packing a punch of its own with the releases of Dead Rising 4 plus the almost mythical The Last Guardian (yes, it’s really happening). To top this up, we have a weird indie title called Maize and (probably) the big finale of Batman: the Telltale Games Series. Wanna know more? Off we go then!
Maize
Platforms: PC
Release Date: December 1
Ok, so, how to start writing about this one? Probably by following what its creators, the Toronto-based studio Finish Line Games, have said about it. “Maize is a first-person adventure game about what happens when two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and create sentient corn”. They also warn us: the idea of a responsive cereal is the least ridiculous thing about the game. How would you react when I tell you that your side kick is a grumpy, talking Russian robot bear? Or that you need to assess what this sentient, a-bit-of-a-jerk, corn stalk wants from you and the world in general? It really does not get better than this.
Maize surely touches upon the absurd and the weird – but that makes for a fabulous ground for surprises. Which is what you may just need right now.
Steep
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Release Date: December 2
Steep is an open-world action sports game featuring skiing, wingsuit flying, snowboarding, and paragliding. It has not received so much promotion from its creators, Ubisoft, but the beta phase showed that it will have a niche of its own. Steep brings your typical winter sport elements, the races and the stunts, plus a multiplayer mode that allows you to cooperate, compete or simply slide down along other adrenaline lovers. According to Ubisoft there are four types of play style in steep: Explorer, Freestyler, Bone Collector and Freerider. We leave up to you to discover those in this virtual mountain paradise.
Super Mario Maker
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: December 2
Nintendo’s building classic for the Wii U comes now for the 3DS, more portable than ever. Super Mario Maker allows you to create wild levels or “courses” mixing classic elements of the Mario series. It contains the so called Super Mario Challenge, a 100 built-in courses run, plus the possibility of sharing your masterpieces via the StreetPass feature and local wireless.
The Last Guardian
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: December 6
Alas, The Last Guardian it’s finally here! In The Game Fanatics we have been following the trajectory of this game and covered all its implacable delays since some months now. We have experienced all emotions out there because of it – ok, only those of impatience, desolation, and euphoria. But here it is: the development journey that started almost ten years ago has come to an end. And we seriously cannot wait to interact with Trico, our very own legendary creature. Or see the secrets that lay behind those forgotten walls.
The Last Guardian comes from the creative mind of Fumito Ueda, who directed both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. It somehow combines gameplay aspects of its predecessors and has everything in place to take us to an unforgettable journey of friendship and exploration. Those who have tried it out have already praised the atmosphere, the puzzle schemes and the relationship between Trico and the little boy. Beware, there will be some serious teary moments coming with this one!
Dead Rising 4
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Release Date: December 6
The next Dead Rising game comes more mischievous and creative than ever! Capcom resumes here the adventures of former photojournalist Frank as he roams the Christmas-themed streets of Willamette, Colorado, slashing the hell out of those zombies. The main novelty of this fourth installment is the ditching of those infamous time limits, which will grant players that extra “peace of mind” when exploring the game’s open environments.
Frank’s camera has also received an overhaul and there are new tools and materials to make our inventive killing machines reach new levels. And you’ll need those since Dead Rising 4 features way more zombies on-screen than ever before, without sacrificing resolution. Just keep an eye on two new zombie types, the Fresh and the Evo, and you’ll be fine. They are just more predatory than usual.
Batman: The Telltale Games Series – City of Lights
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android, iOS
Release Date: December ??
With City of Lights, Telltale will close their episodic game dedicated to the Dark Knight. A fascinating tale that delves into the psyche and motivations of Bruce Wayne as he witnesses the war of politics over Gotham and tries to keep the crime under control as Batman. Telltale’s Batman is another great example of engaging storytelling, topped with a brand new engine (better performance, better graphics).
A little disclaimer over here: you may want to take the December date with a grain of salt. Telltale tends to announce their upcoming releases only one to two weeks in advance so our calculations also put this one in particular to hit early or mid-January.
What games are you playing this December, fanatics? Are you trying to catch up with some 2016 titles or will you be trying some of these? Already working on your personal GOTY list? Let us know in the comment section down below!
