Gaming
Games
The games you need to play in December
Celebrate the festive season in style with a glut of great games set for the end of 2017.
The tinsel's glistening, the turkeys are fattened and, if you're in a family film from the 1950s, the chestnuts are roasting. With the festive season underway, and enough great games en-route to see you through to 2018, it's hard to argue that this really is the most wonderful time of the year. So, whether you're eager to spend the holiday season battling zombies, hiding from overzealous neighbours, or grappling with blob-related puzzles, December's got you covered.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (December 1, Switch)
The much-anticipated follow-up to 2010's phenomenal (and rare) action RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gives players the opportunity to experience a fresh story in the series, set in a new world and with a different cast of characters.
Developers Monolith Soft introduce Rex, a scavenger, and Pyra, a living weapon (guess who drew the short straw when it came to cool descriptors). The duo form part of a team that you'll navigate through an open world, searching for treasure, exploring different cultures and battling beasties. While its predecessor was available on Wii and Nintendo 3DS, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is making its way to the Switch, with the Joy-Con making the epic battles an even more mouthwatering prospect.
2. Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package (December 5, PlayStation 4)
PlayStation 4 users eager for a chance to cut a swathe through the anarchic world of Dead Rising can breathe a sigh of relief, thanks to the forthcoming release of the titter-inducingly titled Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package. Dead Rising 4 first appeared on Xbox One and PC in 2016 to middling reviews, and yet the series's legion of fans ensured that Capcom's open-world zombie smash-'em-up has endured and made the leap to Sony's current flagship.
Intent on not delivering the same game two years later, Capcom will drop Frank's Big Package with an array of extras, including DLC like the fantastically named multiplayer Super Ultra Dead Rising 4 Mini Golf, and bonus content such as Capcom Heroes – which lets you dress hero Frank West as, you guessed it, classic Capcom characters.
If you're not a fan of the lawnmower-wielding chaos of the series, this may do little to change your mind, but for those who are eagerly awaiting their chance to dive back into the mayhem, Frank's Big Package should give you plenty of bang for your buck.
3. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection (December 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Much like weight-gain and over-sentimentality, zombies seem to be unavoidable this festive season. After the return of Dead Rising, it's time for the somewhat subtler undead styling of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection. The acclaimed series takes a melancholic, heartfelt look at the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse through the eyes of convicted murderer Lee Everett and a number of both original characters, and familiar faces from the comics.
The Walking Dead's episodic, choice-driven narrative unfolds differently for different players, but regardless of your approach to the game, chances are there'll be plenty of times when you'll need a spare hand to dab the tears from your eyes. With the series set to arrive on PlayStation 4, and improved graphics for the older instalments, there's never been a better time for players to dive into one of the most emotionally involving gameplay experiences ever created.
4. Hello Neighbor (December 8, Xbox One, PC, Mac)
A game for fans of Rear Window or Bart of Darkness, The Simpsons' parody of the Hitchcock classic, Hello Neighbor is a stealth survival horror game in which you must sneak into your neighbour's house and find out what he's hiding in the basement. The twist, however, is that the AI for your moustachio'd foe is self-learning, and so you have to have your wits about you if you're to elude detection. This includes smashing windows to draw his attention, building barricades from furniture should you be located, and the old favourite, hiding quietly with bated breath.
While the game's cartoony visuals allude to a jaunty adventure, it’s actually a fist-clenchingly tense stealth experience, with the neighbour a genuinely terrifying presence. Indeed, the only way developers Dynamic Pixels could make him more frightening is if he looked like Ned Flanders.
5. LocoRoco 2 Remastered (December 9, PlayStation 4)
So, we've had beast battles, not one, but two zombie apocalypses, and a horrifyingly intense encounter with a neighbour. If this all seems a little too much for the time of year when family fun and relaxation are the name of the game, then you may be up for LocoRoco 2 Remastered, the PSP puzzler now appearing on PlayStation 4 with a fresh sheen and the promise of addictive, inventive head-scratchers.
The first LocoRoco was acclaimed as one of the best titles on the Sony handheld, with the sequel building on these strong foundations. The game tells the story of the LocoRoco, a blob-like species that's under attack from the Moja, visitors from another planet who aim to use dark music to enslave them. What results is an absolutely joyous rhythm-based puzzle platformer – one that's strikingly original, brilliantly colourful and only a little bit twee. It's also wonderfully accessible, and so if you fancy something a little less stressful at this time of year, maybe pay a visit to LocoRoco.
6. Okami HD (December 12, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC)
For those of you who didn't get a chance to play Clover Studios' gorgeous 2006 adventure, December should be a very exciting time indeed. In Okami you play as Amaterasu, the Goddess inhabiting a white wolf, tasked with restoring a broken world. Originally appearing on the PS2 and then remastered for the PS3, the next-gen treatment should be reason enough for excitement, with Okami one of the most visually stylish games of its generation.
Its hand-drawn, painterly world is still unique and yet Okami was never a case of style over substance. The Celestial Brush – your most valuable weapon in the game – helps turn the style into substance, using the world itself as your canvas. By learning core brush techniques, you can solve puzzles and manipulate the world around you. It's a feast of a game, and one that would make a welcome stocking filler.
7. Fallout 4 VR (December 12, PC)
In last month's games to watch we discussed a Bethesda RPG set to find a new lease of life through the wonders of VR. We guess it's true that the more things change, the more they stay the same, because in December another Bethesda favourite is receiving this treatment. Fallout 4, the enormous post-apocalyptic epic is back on our screens this month, offering users the chance to forage, craft and explore the streets of famous US cities in various states of disrepair.
The game is somewhat controversially set to only appear on the HTC Vive to start with, though Bethesda have suggested that they'd like to see it on as many platforms as possible. We really hope this is the case, as console users would hate to miss out on the chance to use the Pip-Boy as strapped to your character's arm. With VR all about immersion, little touches like this could help bring the world of Fallout 4 back to vivid, desolate life.
8. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (December 12, Xbox One)
The unbelievable rise of PUBG has been well-documented. More and more people seem to be yearning for the sweet taste of chicken dinner and in December PUBG is making its way to Xbox Game Preview, where console gamers will be able to test their skills on the last-person-standing shooter, either as a lone wolf, or as part of a team.
According to the good folks at PUBG, the console version will retain the feel of the PC hit but will include tweaks to offer a somewhat different experience. If PUBG's short history is anything to go by, don't bet against players spending more time with this than their families over the festive period.
