The Biggest Games Releasing in December 2022

December is here, closing out another fantastic year of games. There have been some big releases, from Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West to God of War Ragnarok and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. For all of its highs, lows, delays and setbacks, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

But it’s not over yet. December offers even more big releases worth checking out, whether you’re a survival horror fan, racing game enthusiast, or looking to toss a coin to your Witcher, once again. Let’s look at the biggest games launching in December 2022.

The Callisto Protocol

Striking Distance Studios’ The Callisto Protocol immediately made an impression when it was revealed to be directed by Glen A. Schofield, co-creator of Dead Space. The over-the-top brutality, moody interiors, terrifying atmospherics, and sci-fi setting call Visceral’s franchise to mind. However, it builds on that formula in unique ways. Melee combat and stealth are possible, and you’ll need to rely on the former with how scarce ammo can be.

The mutant Biophages aren’t just shambling, violent reminders of Black Iron’s inmates. They’re monstrosities that can transform, becoming stronger if you don’t kill them fast enough. Of course, death plays a major part in The Callisto Protocol as protagonist Jacob Lee can be eaten, crushed, dismembered, and all kinds of horrible things (which you get an Achievement/Trophy for witnessing, so feel free to experiment). Along with working through the prison, Lee traverses Callisto’s surface and investigates the remains of the first colony.

With a 14 to 15-hour playtime, alternate routes, and a compelling mystery behind the terror, The Callisto Protocol is looking to be a scary good time. It’s out on December 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel’s superheroes, a dark premise, and tactical turn-based combat from the team behind XCOM? That’s a concept many got behind before its official reveal, but a lot more is going on in Marvel’s Midnight Suns than meets the eye. Developed by Firaxis, it sees The Hunter resurrected to fight their parent, Lilith before the world ends. They’ll do this with the Midnight Suns, a collection of heroes ranging from the upright Captain America and Spider-Man to the more occult-minded like Nico Minoru, Magick, and Ghostrider.

Combat plays out in a turn-based fashion like XCOM. However, each hero’s abilities consist of cards drawn and played as the fight progresses. You can have three heroes in a party for a mission, and additional actions like throwing enemies into the environment are available. It’s a big shift away from tactical cover-based combat, but over 80 abilities for The Hunter and unique play styles for each hero (including Heroic Cards) make for plenty of customization. Plus you can hang out with heroes at the Abbey to upgrade their passives, unlock new cosmetics, Combo Cards, and much more.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns also releases on December 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. The campaign is about 50 hours, but completing the side content can push that past 80 hours.

Need for Speed Unbound

Criterion Games is back on the Need for Speed franchise with the colorfully stylish Need for Speed Unbound. Set in Lakeshore City, players dive into the resident underground street racing scene, completing weekly qualifiers and participating in The Grand.

Along the way, they’ll meet several characters, including A$AP Rocky, who hosts the Takeover Scene. There are over 140 vehicles to choose which are extensively customizable with tons of different parts. Much like Need for Speed Heat, you participate in races and events during the day to earn money or Bank and then risk it all at night for bigger returns. The cops are also back and more brutal than ever, with everything from a pursuit helicopter to Undercover Camaros, and do anything to stop you.

So far, it all sounds very Need for Speed-esque, but Unbound embraces street culture with its use of Tags. These special effects apply to boosts, drifts, jumps, and much more for some visual flair. You can also use work from artists like Sentrock and JC Riviera as Wraps for your car and strip it down to its innards with new full kit options.

Need for Speed Unbound releases on December 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Whether gimmicky or a huge step up from Heat, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution

As the follow-up to The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Chapter 2: Retribution continues the journey of the player character, The Tourist, in New Orleans. You’re still killing Walkers, whether it’s with firearms or axes, and exploring the environment for resources and other survivors, who you can either help or harm. The sequel offers new locations to explore, new quests, and new weapons like the sawed-off shotgun and chainsaw.

You’ll also encounter a new faction, the Exiles, and it may be worth helping them. They’re rejected by the Tower and unfavored by the Reclaimed, so you’ll need to weigh your options carefully (especially since the former seems to make some big moves). There’s also the Axeman, an unstoppable enemy that constantly pursues you.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution is out on December 1st for Meta Quest 2, but also coming to PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR2 in 2023.

Hello Neighbor 2

The first Hello Neighbor was a unique concept. A stealth horror game where you snuck around the mysterious Mr Peterson’s house and tried to avoid capture, and each time you failed, his AI would learn from it. Unfortunately, bugs and issues with performance and controls severely hampered its potential.

Hello Neighbor 2 seeks to remedy that, opening up the entirety of Raven Brooks for exploration. You’re a journalist investigating Mr Peterson, but it seems the town itself has something to hide. There are multiple neighbors now, from the Taxidermist and the Baker to The Mayor, who possesses an attack dog. An AI Neural Network is employed for the neighbors, ensuring that they learn from your tactics and optimize their methods accordingly while still acting naturally. As the game progresses, you’ll come across different events, some predetermined and others procedural.

In terms of improvements, the controls should be more fluid, and players can benefit from improved climbing to better explore the world. Hello Neighbor 2 is out on December 6th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, in addition to Game Pass. An average playthrough will take about eight hours, but there is side content to indulge in.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Next-Gen Update

After a few delays, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is finally set to release on December 14th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (with the update also free to PC players). It adds ray-traced global illumination, 4K/30 FPS and 60 FPS modes, FSR 2.0 support, vastly improved vegetation and screen space reflections, and other improvements.

In terms of quality-of-life features, the long-running Wolf School Gear quest bug has finally been fixed. The map allows for filtering out all the different question marks, and the mini-map is more dynamic, with objectives disappearing while exploring or fighting. A new camera setting that sits closer to Geralt, accessibility features for subtitle size and HUD scaling and a new control option for using Signs are also being added. PS5 players can also benefit from DualSense support. Of course, all versions also receive access to content based on Netflix’s The Witcher, providing new armor for Geralt and alternative appearances for characters like Dandelion.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is out on December 14th for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5. It’s a free upgrade for owners on PS4 and Xbox One, but if you’ve never played the original game and its expansions and want to see what the fuss is about, this will be the definitive version.

Choo-Choo Charles

If you asked someone to define a survival horror game, traveling on the tracks while a demonic spider train tries to eat them would have been the last guess. Developed by Gavin Eisenbeisz, Choo-Choo Charles is about the same demonic train, who goes by the name Charles. It’s your job to kill it. You start with a relatively mediocre locomotive and can upgrade it with weapons like a flamethrower, heavy cannons and rocket launcher.

Scavenging parts is necessary to achieve this, though, which is only possible while traversing the world.  With a vast open world to explore and secrets to uncover, who knows what else could lie in store? We’ll find out when Choo-Choo Charles launches on December 9th for PC.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion

One of the best PlayStation Portable games ever, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, gets the remastered treatment. “Remaster” is probably an understatement, though – Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion looks almost like a remake with redone assets, character models, environments and effects, all in Unreal Engine 4. It even runs in 4K resolution on Xbox Series X and PS5, with a variable 60 FPS (though PC players can take advantage of up to 120 FPS).

On top of this are tons of quality-of-life changes and improvements. Combat is more fluid with linkable combos, and you now have more slots for Materia and items. A new Dash function has also been added to get around the environments faster, while the combat UI looks far sleeker. Limit Breaks are also freely accessible without relying on the Digital Mind Wave (and you can now skip the latter’s cutscenes). There are also new cinematics for the Summons.

There aren’t any new story elements, but if you want to know more about Zack’s story and the events leading into the original game, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is the best option. It launches on December 13th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Quest Treasures

As a spin-off of Square Enix’s Dragon Quest series that releases on December 9th for the Nintendo Switch, Dragon Quest Treasures tells the story of Erik and Mia. Upon boarding a Viking longship and meeting mysterious creatures named Porcus and Purrsula, they venture to the land of Draconia.

Unlike other games in the franchise, Dragon Quest Treasures is more about exploration and treasure-hunting. Draconia comprises five different islands, each with various treasures like weapons and armor (some of which may be familiar to series fans). With the help of various monsters, you can navigate the environment with their unique Fortes, look for the treasure through their eyes with Fortune Finder, and even fight hostile monsters. They’ll even carry your treasure.

Upon finding the treasure, it’s back to base for evaluating it for the best price. It’s all to find the seven Dragonstones, but overall, Dragon Quest Treasures presents a unique spin on the traditional formula of turn-based combat. In addition to series favorites, there are new creatures to encounter, rival gangs to battle, and a wide range of monsters to recruit.

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