December is finally here, and 2023 finally comes to a close. It’s been a long year, full of sequels, blockbusters, remakes, remasters and indie titles with an absurd amount of quality all around. What’s left to keep you occupied until the cycle begins anew in 2024? As it turns out, quite a bit. Here are the biggest games launching in December 2023.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
After many open world games that were released in 2023, we have another game that looks to end the year on a high note with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Developed by Massive of The Division fame, it sees players traversing the new Western Frontier and meeting the different tribes. Of course, the RDA remains a threat, and thus, the player must fight back.
As a first-person game, players can use firearms and bows to take out enemies. There are other things to immerse players in the experience, from free-running through environments and checking landmarks to finding specific objectives to a mini-game for plucking fruit. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launches on December 7th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, and should be a strong end to a year of blockbusters.
Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch)
One of the most acclaimed superhero games of all time and one of the best video game trilogies is finally coming to Nintendo Switch in Batman: Arkham Trilogy. It’s out on December 1st and includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight with all their skins, Challenge Packs and story DLC. Altogether, it requires 53 GB of space on the Nintendo Switch, with the physical version requiring a download of the second and third games. How performance pans out remains to be seen, but Batman: Arkham Trilogy warrants a look for newcomers on the Switch.
SteamWorld Build
Image and Forms’ SteamWorld series returns with SteamWorld Build, which launches on December 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. Unlike previous entries, this is a city-builder with elements of Dungeon Keeper thrown in. As part of a group of robot settlers, you build up a town, aiming to excavate Old Tech from the mine to find a way off the dying world.
It’s your job to hire Workers, expand the town, rebuild the train station and mine, bring in Engineers, manage resources and expenses, and much more on the surface. Meanwhile, you mine different resources below, fight off dangerous creatures (including giant worms with an appetite for robots) and explore relatively unknown paths while delving deeper.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5)
Despite its flaws, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is an interesting take on Tolkien’s world and launches on December 5th for PS5. Set in the Fourth Age, players create their custom Dwarf and venture to Moria to reclaim it. One doesn’t simply walk in, even with the word “friend”, so you must navigate its once-grand halls, desolate caves and abandoned quarters filled with Orcs, Goblins and other nasties.
As a survival sandbox adventure, gathering materials and crafting new weapons and armor is necessary, especially when encountering powerful bosses like the Watcher in the Water. There’s plenty of mining, though staving off the darkness, eating and establishing bases throughout is also important.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Xbox Series X/S)
Probably the biggest release of the month already available on other platforms, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a headliner for Game of the Year. The game features an intriguing journey with multiple quests, unique consequences and an incredibly reactive world, including the titular city itself.
With hundreds of different ways to play, a typical playthrough can take about 75 to 100 hours, depending on the player. The Xbox Series X/S version is out next month, with the developer to announce a proper launch date at The Game Awards on December 7th. Local split-screen won’t be available for Xbox Series S at launch, but it’s still in the works.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance
As a “gritty” real-time strategy game, Slitherine’s Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance focuses on future wars between humans and Legion in the Dark Fate timeline. As the Founders’ commander, you must fight back against the deadly machines, battling across maps and recruiting allies to your cause.
Between different tactics, unit training, vehicles, weapons and more, you can also make decisions that influence a faction’s behavior towards you. If that weren’t enough, physics-based destruction allows for even more mayhem, while Skirmish and Multiplayer allow for playing as the Resistance and Legion. Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance launches on December 7th for PC.
The Day Before
After delays, a shift to Unreal Engine 5, even more delays, a trademark dispute, and – you guessed it – delays, Fntastic’s The Day Before is finally launching on December 7th for PC…via Steam Early Access. Players can explore New Fortune City and its surrounding areas, purchase and customize weapons, scavenge resources and fulfill requests for Woodberry Survivor Colony’s residents.
There’s an extraction shooter vibe, especially since you can encounter other players while battling against hordes of zombies. We won’t believe it until it’s in our hands, but The Day Before has our attention. Time will tell if the gameplay can keep us hooked until more updates roll out.
Custom Mech Wars
Craving mech combat action, especially after clearing Armored Core 6 three times? Need something to fill the void? D3 Publisher’s Custom Mech Wars probably isn’t the answer, but it looks like a fun time. Launching on December 14th for PS5 and PC, you can customize whatever mech you want. It can result in hilarious combinations, from tanks with legs to oversized arms and much more with no restrictions. A story mode with support for up to four players is available, promising a “variety” of missions.
Pioneers of Pagonia
Between SteamWorld Build and Against the Storm, it’s a month of city-builders, and Pioneers of Pagonia is yet another to add to the list. It’s set in a world of numerous islands, as you build a settlement, make alliances and explore the world (with maps procedurally generated). Of course, you’ll need to deal with bandits, wild creatures and more while helping fellow tribes. Launching in Steam Early Access for PC on December 13th, there are over 40 buildings and 70 goods to manage, along with a map creator and difficulty options.
Trinity Fusion
Currently available in Steam Early Access, Trinity Fusion is a rogue-lite action platformer where players control their parallel selves on a mission to save the multiverse. Levels are procedurally generated, with “hundreds” of custom rooms, though some hand-crafted areas and challenges are also in play.
There are three different parallel versions, each with unique abilities, and their worlds offer different biomes to explore, from caverns and labs to cities in the sky. Overall, the visuals look good and the gameplay smooth – we’ll see how the final version fares when it launches on December 15th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.
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