December 2020 has quite the hard act to follow when it comes to triple-A video game releases. November saw the dawn of a new generation of gaming with the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as well as a slew of high-quality, extraordinarily impressive launch titles that are sure to take up space in players' backlogs for weeks to come.
In comparison, December seems like the calm before the impending storm that 2021 is shaping up to be. Sure, there's undoubtedly the most anticipated release of the year with Cyberpunk 2077 finally seeing the light of day, but the rest of this month's releases are made up of charming indie games and smaller-scale titles that have a rare chance to shine in a less crowded release window.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
Releasing December 3 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and Google Stadia
Launching on what seems like every platform but the Samsung Smart Fridge, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new IP developed by the same Ubisoft team behind 2017's excellent open-world action RPG Assassin's Creed Odyssey. It tells the light-hearted tale of a stranded Greek soldier named Fenyx who sets out to free the gods from Typhon, a vengeful titan seeking to punish Zeus for banishing him to Tartarus.
Inspired by the desire to embrace the mythological side of ancient Greece as opposed to Assassin Creed Odyssey's more grounded setting, Immortals is set in a fantastical open-world called the Golden Isles where players will employ a wide range of god-like abilities to solve puzzles, navigate platforming challenges and face off with mythological creatures in ability-based melee combat. Toss in the charming narrators of Zeus and Prometheus, as well as a stunning visual style similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Immortals Fenyx Rising has the potential to be a sleeper hit for fans of the action-adventure genre.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light
Releasing December 4 for Nintendo Switch
Originally released in 1990 for the Famicom, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light is the very first entry in the series. It introduced players to Marth, prince of the Kingdom of Archanea as well as a popular fighter in Super Smash Bros. But as well known as his character has become, Marth's Fire Emblem debut has never seen the light of day outside of Japan -- that is until now, as Nintendo is finally localizing the title to celebrate the 30th anniversary of what has become one of its flagship franchises.
A tactical RPG featuring 50 different characters that can be recruited over the course of Marth's adventure, Shadow Dragon pioneered the finely tuned turn-based combat, customizable character classes and permadeath that the Fire Emblem series is now known for. The English localization will also include a number of quality-of-life improvements, like save states and the ability to rewind should your favorite character fall in battle.
These changes should make the 30-year old game a bit more approachable for modern audiences, whether they're returning players or new fans experiencing it for the first time. Just be sure to act fast; Nintendo has stated that the game will only be available for a limited time, similar to the questionable approach first seen with Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Releasing December 8 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch
A direct sequel to the incredibly charming Puyo Puyo Tetris, which combines the popular Japanese puzzle series Puyo Puyo with the beloved Tetris franchise, Sega's Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 seeks to recreate the unique experience that propelled the first game into a surprise hit. In it, players face off against CPU or online opponents in their choice of either Puyo-style or Tetris-style puzzles, where matching four or more same-colored Puyos or completing a line of Tetriminoes clears them from the board, sending garbage over to your opponent's side, filling their screen to end the match.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 features a brand-new adventure mode with story cutscenes and an overworld. It also introduces character-based Skill Battles, online leagues and challenge modes that feature both endless Tetris and endless Puyo Puyo gameplay options. With an unusual amount of depth and character for a puzzle game, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 looks to be a truly unique experience that's sure to be just as popular as the first successful fusion of these two popular puzzle franchises.
Haven
Releasing December 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X
Developed by Montpellier-based studio The Game Bakers (the team behind the indie action shoot 'em up Furi), Haven looks to tell a mature tale about the developing relationship between two lovers as they explore an alien planet and struggle with the ups and downs of intimacy. It follows starry-eyed couple Yu and Kay as they flee to a forgotten world to be together, battling the fearsome creatures that inhabit the planet and exploring what it means to be in a committed, mature relationship.
Haven's gameplay is a mixture of visual novel-like storytelling, exploration, resource gathering and timing-based combat where both Yu and Kay are controlled simultaneously. Its visual style is absolutely stunning, resembling the vibrant colors and fluid movement of games like Journey and offering a similar drop-in/drop-out multiplayer experience. Whether it's watching the everyday developments of a mature adult relationship (in space) or slaying alien monsters for crafting materials using two characters at once, Haven looks to be one of December's quirkiest indie offerings.
Cyberpunk 2077
Releasing December 10 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Google Stadia
After numerous delays, hundreds of E3 awards and an unprecedented level of hype stemming all the way back to the game's initial reveal in 2013, CD Projekt Red's dystopian first-person open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077 will (barring any more unexpected delays) finally make its long-awaited debut this month. The studio's previous game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is considered by many to be a masterpiece of the open-world RPG genre, so expectations for Cyberpunk and its shift in both perspective and setting are unsurprisingly sky-high.
Set in Night City, an American megalopolis located somewhere in Northern California, Cyberpunk 2077 presents a brutal, lawless vision of the future where corporations and street gangs struggle for power across the game's six regions. Players control V, a fully customizable protagonist where even your initial choice of backstory affects the way the opening hours play out and how characters treat your character. Gameplay features a mix of first-person gunplay, ability-based stealth, third or first-person exploration and an absolutely staggering amount of side quests and activities to play outside of the main storyline.
Cyberpunk 2077 aims to reinvent the open-world genre, and everything shown so far suggests that CD Projekt Red has succeeded in ushering in the next generation of action-RPGs -- even if the PS5 and Series X upgrades aren't coming until next year. The game gives players an incredible amount of freedom in choosing their gameplay styles, providing a wealth of options and skills that make nearly every approach viable in any given situation. Plus, with the studio's track record of delivering a compelling narrative supported by immersive world-building and excellent gameplay, all signs point towards Cyberpunk 2077 meeting (and perhaps even exceeding) gamer's monumental expectations.