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.

Standalone expansion Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice released for PC back in December 2021, introducing a new set of missions, environments, and more, and soon, it will also be making its console debut. Publisher Daedalic Entertainment has announced that Aiko’s Choice is releasing for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 6, exactly three years on from its PC release. Pre-orders are open now. Check out the announcement trailer below.

In our review of the standalone expansion upon its original release, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Aiko’s Choice is utterly unconcerned with critics of the base game, and instead focuses entirely on giving fans a more intense version of its concepts.” Read the full review through here.

Unlike the Shadow Tactics base game, Aiko’s Choice is not available on PS4 and Xbox One, though it remains to be seen whether that’s something that publisher Daedalic Entertainment will address at some point in the future. 

PS5 players can look forward to Hardspace: Shipbreaker, while PS4 players gain access to LEGO City Undercover, Just Cause 3, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Surviving the Aftermath.

PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can look forward to four classic titles. Rally Cross and Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace are playable on PS4 and PS5, with both titles released on the PS1. Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection, Legend of Mana and Secret of Mana (the 2018 remake) are playable on PS4.

Thanks to backwards compatibility, all PS4 titles will also be playable on PS5. As for PS Plus Essential subscribers, check out the latest offerings here (which includes A Plague Tale: Requiem).

You’ll need an Epic Games account to claim both titles and the Epic Games Launcher to download and play them. Kerbal Space Program is Squad’s acclaimed simulation title where players control an alien race known as Kerbals. Their goal is to build a rocket and successfully launch it into space, taking realistic physics and aerodynamics into account. Kerbal Space Program 2 launches on February 24th for PC via Steam Early Access.

Aiko’s Choice is a standalone expansion for Mimimi Games’ Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. Starring Aiko, the kunoichi, who must deal with enemies from her past, it features the return of the base game’s cast in three new main missions. There are also three difficulty levels and three “interlude” missions to complete. Check out our review here for more details.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Ghost of Tsushima is many things. A great action-adventure title with stellar sword combat. A well-told story with strong characterization and memorable events. And to top it all off, the stealth is incredibly on point, whether assassinating enemies from above, poisoning them from afar, or using smoke bombs to slit their throats at close range. While stealth helps trivialize the game as one gets further in, it helps reinforce the legend of Jin as the Ghost, becoming a fiercer foe as his skills improve.

Bathhouse – Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Of the many places that Sam Fisher has infiltrated, you wouldn’t think a bathhouse in Tokyo would provide many challenges. Nevertheless, Chaos Theory’s Bathhouse mission, which involves gaining entry into the location and discovering Douglas Shetland’s contact, is surprisingly tense. After Fisher eavesdrops on the conversation, he’ll then need to survive a battle between the I-SDF and mercenaries before subsequently neutralizing Shetland’s bombs. On the plus side, at least the player can decide to stab or throw Shetland off the roof instead of shooting him since Sam finds it more courteous (we think).

Along with the five characters from the base game making a return, players can choose three new main missions set in new environments. There are also three “interlude” missions to complete and three difficulty levels to exercise one’s skills. Once again, whether the player decides to go the non-lethal route, slaughter all foes or a mix between the two styles is completely up to them.

For more details on Aiko’s Choice, check out our review here. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC but the expansion doesn’t currently have a release date on consoles. Stay tuned for more details on the same in the coming months.

If you’re already somewhat familiar with Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun from playing it, then stepping into Aiko’s Choice should immediately fill you with a sense of familiarity, much like returning to a childhood home. While you’ll notice that the UI has a slightly different look and a few other small visual cues have been tweaked, this is structurally the same set-up. Several different characters, all with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. Also, the feudal Japan setting that honors the complexity and muddiness that enveloped that era much better than most games with that setting do; it’s all here. So those that felt that nostalgia from the Commandos games once they played Blades of the Shogun, should get a little taste of the same with Aiko’s Choice after enjoying its predecessor. The story takes place before the climactic events of the base game and focuses on three main missions that are every bit as big as any mission from the base game, and arguably even more challenging.

"Aiko’s Choice doesn’t do much to address the handful of minor annoyances that accompanied the original game, but it does lean into what worked best, and in this case, with such a solid foundation to stand on, this expansion ends up scratching that “more of the same” itch in all the right ways."

The game is of course focused narratively on the titular Aiko, but of course you are still joined by the brutally strong but slow Mugan and the much more tactically flexible Hayato. Between those two, you can generally get through most situations, but the bag of tricks Aiko brings to the table round out the cast very well – both narratively and functionally. Mugan, as you might expect, is most useful in a face-to-face scuffle. He can easily dispatch multiple foes at once and take quite a beating before going down. But his movement is limited to dry land, flat surfaces, and can only climb to a rooftop with the help of a ladder – many of which need to be unfurled by one of the other characters before they’re usable. Alternatively, Hayato and to a lesser extent Aiko are a bit more versatile with the ability to scale rooftops with grappling hooks. They move more nimbly and can dish out hot plates of death in multiple ways. Aiko is a bit more close range and support focused than Hayato though, so it’s not like these two don’t have their own lanes. Between the three of them, you really can set just about any plan into motion. Whether you want to keep Mugan hiding in some bushes near an enemy patrol route so he can jump out and slay everyone after blinding them with one of Aiko’s concoctions – like I often did – or mixing things up further by picking off samurai with Mugan’s canon then tearing through the rest of them with Hayato’s blade and/or shuriken; it’s up to you.

But the one common thread that underlines every approach is that impulsivity or callousness will almost always lead to death sooner rather than later, which makes the game’s UI constantly reminding you to save quite appropriate. The bottom line is, there is no easy answer to the many predicaments you’ll find yourself in throughout Aiko’s Choice – and that is really the entire point. Guiding these lethal assassins through the game’s many stealth puzzles feels like an exercise in extreme patience at first, which it is, but once you settle into it and start taking out groups of enemies with deliberate planning and systematic attention to detail, the satisfaction is of an intensity that few experiences out there can rival. Basically, nothing about Blades of the Shogun was ever simple or fast, and that remains true here. Perhaps even more so, as this game logically expects those who play it to be at least somewhat familiar with the original. As such, after a very brief refresher, it pretty much throws you to the wolves with multiple enemy types, alternate paths, and countless ways to screw up. It’s a game that rewards slow, methodical calculation and makes zero apology for it.

This undoubtedly limits the appeal of the series but should just as assuredly make fans of the genre feel particularly catered to. Of course, with the extra spice of “Shadow Mode” returning here, where you can orchestrate a series of actions from multiple characters in order and trigger them with the press of a button, Aiko’s Choice wisely retains the special sauce the base game is most known for on top of everything else. All that said, the lion’s share of the gripes and groans many had with the base game are just as present here. Namely, the camera control system can still lead to lots of accidental shifts of perspective in tense moments where you’re clicking around a lot, and some areas are so obnoxiously fortified that the already slow deliberation that you’re expecting can sometimes feel downright stagnant. Not because the game needs you to do things in any one particular way, but rather, because every single approach you will likely ever think of is studiously countered in some form. Some will find this additional challenge to be too much, as I would argue it can be, but I also think those gluttons for punishment that really reveled in the tougher moments of the base game will get what they want here.

"Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice is basically a love letter to fans of the base game, just as it is an extra level of challenge. While it could flippantly be said that “if you liked the original, you’ll love this”, and that is technically true about most standalone expansions, it’s particularly true here."

The visual style of Blades of the Shogun makes a triumphant return in Aiko’s Choice. The graphics are clearly not meant to be looked at too closely, but taking in the different locations is still a breath of fresh air for the genre, which usually sees most of its shortcomings in this area. Characters and points of interest pop off the backgrounds nicely, but don’t distract from the larger tapestry. Animations are fluid and believable, but not overdone to the point of being preoccupied with excessive nuance. While a more muted or down-to-earth color palette might seem like a more logical choice for the subject matter, there is something about this more vibrant, romanticized look that just can’t escape your eyes. Aside from that, the finer details on little things like the gently floating rowboats in the background all contribute to the larger depiction of the time and setting in a rather convincing way, even though you might not overtly notice many of these things at a glance. The visuals are tastefully complimented by a garnish of appropriate but still somewhat understated music that pretty much hits the bullseye for what a game like this needs. Appropriate mixing and instrumentation in the soundtrack for games like this is a bit of a rarity, so that makes Blades of the Shogun and its new counterpart stand out that much more.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice is basically a love letter to fans of the base game, just as it is an extra level of challenge. While it could flippantly be said that “if you liked the original, you’ll love this”, and that is technically true about most standalone expansions, it’s particularly true here. Where the original game narrowly focused on a particular subgenre with its diehard focus on stealth and strategy, Aiko’s Choice, narrows the focus even more, on the hardcore of the hardcore. Despite not putting as much effort into evolving the experience as it probably should’ve – especially considering how long it’s been since Blades of the Shogun was released – it’s hard to not appreciate an expansion so clearly made for fans of the original game.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Desperados 3

THQ Nordic’s Desperados 3 is a unique game in the fact that it uses its popular Wild West themes to create a compelling stealth experience. As one of five playable characters, Desperados 3 offers a wide variety of weapons and skills to conquer the many different combat scenarios it presents players with. It plays primarily like a tactics game, and you can either take your enemies head-on or employ more creative strategies which usually involve stealth. Another important point worth mentioning is that the game is a prequel to Desperados 2 and as such fans would, of course, have to know the basic plot before jumping into the game.

Standalone expansion Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice was announced earlier this year, and not long afterward, it was announced that it would launch some time in December. Now, a specific release date for it has been confirmed- the expansion is out on December 6. It will bring several new main missions, side missions, environments, and playable characters.

Set in Edo-period Japan like the base game, Aiko’s Choice will see the titular protagonist will join forces with deadly allies and go up against her former sensei, the cunning spymaster Lady Chiyo. Publisher Deadalic Entertainment has also released a trailer that summarizes the story of the base game and sets up the upcoming expansion. Check it out below.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice will launch on December 6 for PC. The base game is also available on PS4 and Xbox One, though there’s no word on when (or if) the expansion will launch for the consoles.