December is very rarely a big month for gamers. After all, most of the biggest releases of the year will have come in the previous few months in the build up to the holiday season. Publishers usually do not want to put their latest game on store shelves knowing that people are far more likely to be buying the biggest titles of the year as gifts for their families and friends. However, there are still a few big hitters coming during December that are aiming to make their way into Christmas stockings over the coming weeks.
Big Hitters
Without a doubt the biggest release in December of this year is The Last Guardian. This PlayStation4 exclusive is the third game in a series of thematically linked titles from noted developer Fumito Ueda. Much like the highly acclaimed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, this game is expected to bring together unique gameplay with a breathtaking world. While it has been in development since 2007 and gone through various different iterations as the studio struggled to cope with the PlayStation 3 hardware, few fans have any doubts about whether it will be a success. In The Last Guardian, players will work with a legendary bird-like creature to evade guards and overcome a number of obstacles. It is due to release on December 6.
The Dwarves is a tactical role-playing game from KING Art and Nordic games. Based on the novel The Dwarves by Markus Heitz, it went through a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $300,000. It will task players with traversing through a variety of dungeons and other environments while battling monsters that pose a threat. It is due to release on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Following on from the success of South Park: The Stick of Truth, South Park: The Fractured but Whole is a direct sequel created by Ubisoft. Set to release on December 6 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the game is a turn-based RPG that sees players taking control of the fiction cartoon characters as they go on a new adventure as superheroes.
Coming on December 31 is a highly anticipated remake of Final Fantasy VII. The original game is one of the most popular and highly regarded entries in the series and fans have expressed a wish for a high definition remastering for some time. Square Enix eventually gave in to those demands and announced during E3 that a remake of Final Fantasy VII was in development – though this will be a retelling of the original story with new content and features rather than a simple remastering as has been common in the past few years. The developer has taken the job extremely seriously, with Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, and Kazushige Nojima all returning to the team to work on production. Unfortunately for Xbox One and PC owners, the title will only be available on PlayStation 4.
Other Releases
Akuto: Mad World | December 1 | PC
Beekyr Reloaded | December 1 | PC
Maize | December 1 | PC
Furi | December 2 | Xbox One
Gravity Rush 2 | December 2 | PlayStation 4
Little Briar Rose | December 2 | PC
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | December 2 | Nintendo 3DS
SkyTime | December 2 | PC
Steep | December 2 | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
CRANGA!: Harbor Frenzy | December 6 | PC
Shadow Tactics – Blades of the Shogun | December 6 | PC / Mac
Earth’s Dawn | December 7 | PC
OneShot | December 8 | PC / Mac / Linux
Valkyrie Drive –Bhikkhuni | December 11 | PS Vita
Bridge Constructor | December 13 | PlayStation 4
Infinity Wars: Reborn | December 13 | PC
Stifled | December 13 | PC
ARK: Survival Evolved | December 16 | Xbox One
Don Bradman Cricket 17 | December 22 | PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
Free Games
Xbox
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | Xbox One
Outlast | Xbox One
Outland | Xbox 360
Burnout Paradise | Xbox 360
PlayStation
Invisible, Inc. | PlayStation 4
Stories: The Path of Destinies | PlayStation 4
Hyper Void | PlayStation 3
Tiny Troopers Joint Ops | PlayStation 3
VVVVVV | PS Vita
Color Guardians | PS Vita
