Previously slated for Q1 2025, game director Shadow Guo recently confirmed in a Q&A video that the Xbox and PlayStation versions “need more time.” “The console version is shaping up nicely, but we feel that the overall user experience, especially player input, including controller balance and interaction compatibility, hasn’t yet met our standards.”

Since the team wants to avoid an unpolished release, it’s spending more time “fine-tuning the console build.” There’s no ETA on their launch, but Guo said a console roadmap would be provided “in the future.”

In the meantime, PC players can look forward to the addition of the Kill Cam in the next season. Select maps will also receive night versions alongside “new content” tailored for the same. Guo also promised more “optimizations and improvements” this year, with the next developer livestream to reveal additional details.

For more details on Delta Force, check out our review of its early access version. You can also learn more about the Black Hawk Down campaign here.

Though it’s playable solo, the developer advises co-op play with three other players. Each chooses a class and loadout before jumping in, starting with urban warfare and eventually taking point. Mild spoilers are available for what each chapter entails, but much like the film, a friendly chopper goes down, and it’s your job to save them.

The Black Hawk Down campaign launches on February 21st at 7 PM PST. Check out the launch trailer below for a brief look at the campaign. Delta Force is available on PC, though it’s also in development for Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, and Android. Check out our review of the open beta version.

The story isn’t just a reimagining of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down’s campaign but Ridley Scott’s Academy Award-winning film from 2001. The developer promises a “definitive retelling” of the incident, designed “from the ground up” for “next-level immersion.” It will be playable solo and in co-op with others. Expect further details in the coming weeks.

Delta Force currently offers Warfare and Operations, the former bringing Battlefield-esque Operators, 64-player matches, and vehicles across five maps. The latter focuses more on PvEvP across separate maps, as players work alone or with up to two others to shoot, loot, and scoot (ideally before dying). As they level up, more equipment becomes available alongside more challenging difficulties.

Check out our review of Delta Force’s open beta here. TiMi Studio Group hasn’t indicated how long it will last or when it will launch for Xbox, PlayStation, iOS and Android, so stay tuned for updates.

There are two modes available currently – Warfare and Operations. The former contains five large maps supporting up to 64 players with vehicles. You can choose from different Operators divided into roles and an extensive line-up of customizable weapons. Different modes mix things up significantly, whether you’re fighting in a single sector or going all out with vehicles.

Operations is an extraction shooter mode where squads of three players deploy into maps, pick up loot (including weapons), and attempt to extract without dying. AI combatants, including bosses, present threats, but you must also deal with other players after your loot. On top of traditional extraction maps, there’s a Raid focused more on co-op PvE with progressively more challenging stages.

You can read our review for more details. Delta Force will also launch for consoles, iOS, and Android down the line, though a release window hasn’t been revealed.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete

Animal Crossing fans may have to wait until the Nintendo Switch’s successor for a sequel, but Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete may fill the gap. Based on the defunct free-to-play title launched in 2017, this is a version of the game without the microtransactions and playable offline. It launches on December 3rd for iOS and Android, retailing for $9.99 until January 31st, 2025, and providing a whopping 10,000+ items to unlock, numerous events, and different animals to interact with while building your ideal camp.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PS5)

After a troubled launch on PC and some redemption on Xbox Series X/S, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is finally making its way to PS5. Launching on December 3rd, it includes all the improvements and revamps, from the new Talent Trees for each class to Mastery, the Party Finder, and the brand new Havoc system, which adds challenging assignments post-Trust Level 30. If a compelling four-player co-op shooter based on Warhammer 40K sounds like your thing, Darktide may fill that void.

Infinity Nikki

One of my most anticipated games of 2024, Papergames’ Infinity Nikki is a free-to-play open-world title with gacha elements. However, it’s also a dress-up adventure title, where organic exploration and a relaxed atmosphere take precedence over min-maxing characters and still not beating Memory of Chaos 12. As Nikki and Momo arrive in Miraland, there are bosses to tackle, Curio Domains to conquer, and outfits granting different abilities. It’s oddly endearing, and launches on December 5th for PC, PS5, and mobile.

Marvel Rivals

What happens when two Doctor Dooms wreak havoc with time and space, causing heroes from across realities to partake in interdimensional conflicts? You get NetEase’s Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play hero shooter that makes you feel like you’re Spider-Man. Or Venom, Iron Man, Captain America, and Jeff the Shark. With 6v6 battles, Team-Up Attacks that promote synergies between related characters, and a stylish presentation, Marvel Rivals offers its own take on the genre’s objective-based competitive play. It’s out on December 6th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, with 33 heroes, eight maps, and even more content to come post-launch.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice (PS5, Xbox Series X | S)

Mimimi Games is sadly no more, but Shadow Tactics lives on. Xbox Series X/S and PS5 players will finally get their hands on Aiko’s Choice, a standalone expansion focusing on the titular Kunoichi. There are three new main and interlude missions alongside brand new environments, as Aiko must confront her past and defeat her old sensei. If you enjoyed the base game and synergizing your party’s abilities to clear missions, lethally or otherwise, then Aiko’s Choice is a must-play. It goes live on December 6th for consoles.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

MachineGames’ newest full-fledged title is upon us, and it’s decidedly not a shooter-focused affair. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is based on the acclaimed movie series (we don’t know about the latest films), taking place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade as Indy scours the globe to investigate the Great Circle. Don’t let the first-person, sometimes third-person perspective fool you – this is more of an action-adventure title with platforming and puzzle-solving. You can rely on stealth to knock out enemies or engage in melee combat. With MachineGames touting this as their longest game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could be a great way to end the year when it launches on December 9th for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen anything from the franchise, and while not a new game, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered is still a dream come true. Out on December 12th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC, it remasters both Soul Reaver titles (if the name didn’t give it away) with improved visuals and even a new map and compass for exploration. Long-time fan or not, both titles are action-adventure classics that must be experienced.

Delta Force

Over 15 years since NovaLogic’s Delta Force: Xtreme 2, the series is making a comeback. Developed by TiMi Studio Group, Delta Force will be available in open beta form on PC starting December 5th. The free-to-play title features single-player and co-op, but multiplayer is the real appeal alongside an extraction shooter mode, Hazard Operations, and massive battles with vehicles and dozens of players available. Could it finally restore some luster to the Delta Force? We’ll find out next week.

Path of Exile 2 (Early Access)

Between all the delays since it was first announced, Grinding Gear Games’ long-awaited Path of Exile 2 is finally out on December 6th, albeit in early access, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Don’t take this to mean it’s lacking content. There will be three campaign Acts, six classes (each with two Ascendancies), hundreds of passives, tons of Skill Gems, and much more to play around with. It should take a newcomer about 25 hours to finish the story content, but then you get to the endgame. The Atlas of Worlds has changed and taken some points out of Last Epoch’s Monoliths of Fate.

With Waystones equipped, you travel to nearby map nodes, clearing out enemies and bosses to clear corruption. Accessing Towers will unlock more of the map, which means more corruption and challenges. You’ll encounter revamped league mechanics like Breach, Delirium, Ritual, and Expedition, each with different rewards, bosses, and pursuits. The amount of content doubling during early access is mind-boggling, and we can’t wait to dive in.

Alien: Rogue Incursion

Alien: Isolation 2 is official at long last, but it will take a while to arrive. In the meantime, Alien: Rogue Incursion could serve as a decent substitute, at least for those with PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 3, and SteamVR headsets. It launches on December 19th and focuses on Zula Hendricks, a former Colonial Marine who ventures to the planet, Purdan, to investigate an SOS. As you might guess, it’s Xenomorphs, and while iconic tools like the Motion Tracker, Pulse Rifle and Shotgun are available to fight them off, caution and careful movement are also important for survival.

Overthrown (Early Access)

With so many noteworthy survival crafting titles this year, it seems right to end with another, specifically Brimstone Games’ Overthrown. The premise is as you’d expect, with resource-gathering, farming, construction, and more, as you throw objects at them to expand. However, there’s a fair bit of combat as you fight off bandits and other threats. As one of the more popular titles during the last Steam Next Fest, Overthrown has generated some hype. Here’s hoping it delivers even more when it arrives in early access on December 5th for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The Spirit of the Samurai

One of the more intriguing side-scrolling action games we’ve seen over the years, The Spirit of the Samurai focuses on three characters: the samurai Takeshi, the spirit Kodama, and Chisai, a cat. Between exploration and fighting off Tengu and Jorogumo, the real hook is the stop-motion animation, resulting in an unorthodox yet hypnotizing aesthetic. The Spirit of the Samurai launches on December 12th for PC, and if you’re looking for an unconventional Metroid-style experience, this could be worth checking out.

UFL

Aside from EA Sports FC, there isn’t much by way of other football titles to really embrace. UFL could change that, offering a free-to-play experience developed on Unreal Engine 5 with over 4500 real-life players, club management, a Premier Division, and much more to dive into. Given how other free-to-play titles like eFootball ended up, we’re a little skeptical, but UFL is still worth watching out for when it launches on December 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Skydance’s Behemoth

If you’re looking for a different kind of VR experience, something with more visceral melee combat, there’s Skydance’s Behemoth. Set in the Forsaken Lands, players control Wren the Hunter and embark on a quest to take down the Behemoths to end a terrible curse. Developed by the team behind The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, it’s out on December 5th for PlayStation VR2 and Meta Quest and has offered some pretty satisfying combat thus far.

My First Gran Turismo

Less of a full game and more of a free trial version of Gran Turismo 7, My First Gran Turismo is meant to get newcomers into the franchise with specific tracks, cars, and events. It’s out this Holiday season for PS4 and PS5, potentially launching on December 3rd (the same day as PlayStation’s 30th anniversary). Though the content remains unknown, if you’ve ever been unsure about Gran Turismo 7, My First GT could be the perfect test.

While Tom Clancy’s once-future soldiers went open-world in titles like Ghost Recon Wildlands and Breakpoint, Delta Force opts for a different approach – bargain bin Battlefield, circa 2042. Such are the bargains that it’s entirely free-to-play and opts for large-scale PvP warfare where two sides compete to capture sectors on a map a la Conquest. There’s a ton it successfully embodies including the Operators and their separation into roles, the myriad of vehicles, right down to the squads – yet it seemingly lacks the soul.

"I’m not too keen on the Operators’ designs. Shepherd, Uluru, and Vyron come across well enough, but D-Wolf is skirting credulity, while Hackclaw and Luna come across as characters you’d see in mobile shooters."

Delta Force isn’t a bad game, though, providing a decent alternative for those who want a break from Battlefield 2042. The amount of polish is also surprising, especially with the solid performance. However, the magic DICE’s franchise manufactured over all its years on the market feels like just that, lacking any organic agency.

As it launches into open beta worldwide, Delta Force features two modes – Warfare and Operations. The former is a 64-player mode, where two teams of 32 players (divided further into multiple squads of four) assail different sectors on the map. There are variants available – like Blitz, where there’s no base respawn, and Siege, consisting of a single sector with multiple points and each team having limited tickets. I spent most of my time in Hill of Iron, a King of the Hill variant where your M1A4s, LAV-AAs, Assault Helicopters, and more were commonplace, but the goal to capture and hold various sectors remained the same.

When hopping into a match, you can choose from eight Operators divided into four roles – Assault, Support, Engineer, and Recon. Engineers can repair vehicles and cut through fences with a welding gun; Assault has faster movement speed and makes for stronger infantry; and so on. Three Operators were locked from the outset, but they each bring unique abilities to the table. For example, Luna’s Detection Arrow can scout out an area and detect any hostiles nearby.

And that’s all well and good, but I’m not too keen on the Operators’ designs. Shepherd, Uluru, and Vyron come across well enough, but D-Wolf is skirting credulity, while Hackclaw and Luna come across as characters you’d see in mobile shooters. The fact that they have cheesy lines also doesn’t help, like Luna saying her enemies will get shafted. Get it? Because arrows have shafts. It’s even more humorous since you’ll likely never kill an enemy in PvP with an arrow.

"The Battlefield bones are solid and reliable, even with the lack of destructible environments as a non-factor. A campaign is in the works, but there’s no indication of its arrival."

Beyond abilities and somewhat annoying personalities, each role can only access certain weapons. If you want to take down vehicles on foot, Engineers with Stingers and AT4s are a must. The weapon variety is otherwise fairly robust, with a decent array of assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and whatnot, each customizable with different attachments. Sound design, especially weapon noise, could use a bit more oomph but otherwise, the weapons provide enough of a responsive kick.

Each map visually looks quite good, with Ascension and its rock lands – including a prominent vantage point for snipers – standing out compared to Threshold’s extensive pine forests. Texture quality and atmospherics are pretty decent, with performance steady even with extensive chaos, be it aerial bombardments or tanks rolling through and helicopters soaring overhead (even if some pop-in is occasionally noticeable). I’m a bit divided on the overall design, though. They flow well enough and offer distinct points of interest, whether you’re scaling the giant rock or navigating through the tunnels on Ascension, but they feel a little too plain at times.

It’s all the better for rolling through with vehicles, even if I couldn’t figure out the helicopter controls for the life of me. However, Rushing an objective with little time left and annihilating everyone with an LAV-G1 can feel very good. Though vehicles can feel oppressive (and not just because of the mode variant), there are options for counter-play, including mounted AA guns for helicopters. While the current selection whelmed more than anything, several others will be available at launch, so I’ll reserve some judgment.

Overall, Warfare is solid – not especially amazing, but not completely throwaway. The Battlefield bones are solid and reliable, even with the lack of destructible environments as a non-factor. A campaign is in the works, but there’s no indication of its arrival. That leaves Operations, an unorthodox mix of PvE and PvEvP, which is more than a little inspired by Escape from Tarkov.

"The injury system also takes a page out of Tarkov’s book with an injury system, where body parts can be broken, max health reduced, and vision blurred, and different items are necessary to deal with them all."

I say unorthodox because, from the outset, you have maps to face off against AI combatants to extract loot while also dealing with other players (solo or in a squad). The cheesiness is apparent once more as your commanding officer tells you to “shoot, loot and time to scoot” regarding the gameplay loop. If you die, everything is lost.

The injury system also takes a page out of Tarkov’s book with an injury system, where body parts can be broken, max health reduced, and vision blurred, and different items are necessary to deal with them all. There are missions to complete, and depending on the materials, you can upgrade different departments back at your base to unlock new items.

Though I mostly spent time on Space City, the map is pretty robust, with multiple extraction points and intriguing structures on top of bosses. Facing off against an enemy that utilized ground drones felt harrowing, and Operator abilities arguably shine more here. While I wouldn’t put it anywhere near the top in terms of overall quality, especially with the lack of unique events and relatively easy AI, it’s far from disposable.

Those seeking more of a challenge can try out higher difficulties or engage in raids like Operation: Serpentine. The latter is a PvE activity supporting up to three players and features four stages with no threat of losing your loot. The downside is that enemies are more lethal, making it tough to surmount solo. As you level up, you’ll unlock new options at the base like the Auction House for buying or listing items to sell and shopping. I like how you can meet the other Operators, manning different stations and completing supply requests. It’s a nice touch and lacks much by way of annoying voice lines.

"Whether it can sustain long-term interest is another matter entirely, but with Battlefield more or less deposed till the next instalment, you could certainly do worse when it comes to clones, at least in PvP."

Progression is your standard earning XP from matches to level up and unlock new weapons. Using a weapon more will also unlock further attachments to customize it, but there’s otherwise an array of daily logins, challenges, and rewards to claim that became way too dizzying to keep track of. Some of it is essential to Operations, but there’s nothing noticeably pay-to-win (unless you count XP tokens for faster leveling).

Overall, Delta Force is a competitive shooter unabashedly ripping off from the best, be it Battlefield or Tarkov. However, it does so in a much more competent manner than expected, even if it can all feel rudimentary. Nevertheless, with its low barrier to entry and relatively minimal bugs outside of the odd person hanging outside of a vehicle, it’s worth checking out. Whether it can sustain long-term interest is another matter entirely, but with Battlefield more or less deposed till the next installment, you could certainly do worse when it comes to clones, at least in PvP.

This game was reviewed on PC.