Steep
(Dec. 2 – PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Extreme sports video games aren’t as common as they used to be. A couple of generations ago, you couldn’t throw a controller without landing on some BMX, skateboarding, or snowboarding title. But as video games evolved, developers drifted towards genres they couldn’t do before. There’s still a place for some over-the-top action, though. Titles that let you make incredible tricks amid gorgeous, realistic backdrops. Steep is set to be one of those titles.
Developed by Ubisoft Annecy, Steep will let players explore a mountain paradise full of tons of activities for snowboarders, skiers, and more to get into. The best part is that it will present a living world for you to explore, and where you can meet other extreme sports aficionados and carve your way down some slopes together.
Super Mario Maker
(Dec. 2 – Nintendo 3DS)
Super Mario Maker proved to be quite the surprise when it released on the Wii U last fall. While many fans were hoping for a brand new Mario release, they were instead told to make their own. It seemed like an odd idea, one that was fun, yes, but would easily get old. It turned out that Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing (as they tend to).
Now, fans will be able to take the level building antics on the go when Super Mario Maker releases on the 3DS. Sure, the graphics won’t be as beautiful as they were on a home console, but graphics were but a small part of the experience. Creating seemingly impossible challenges and trying out the toughest creations uploaded by others offers hundreds of hours of platforming fun. If you never picked up a Wii U for whatever reason, this is your perfect opportunity to try one of the greatest games to hit the platform.
Dead Rising 4
(Dec. 6 – Xbox One, PC)
Dead Rising 4 brings yet another installment into the insane zombie-slaying action as fan-favorite protagonist, Frank West, returns. Set in Willamette, Colorado during the holiday season, Frank once again must survive a zombie outbreak as he uses everything around him to slay hundreds of living dead.
If you’ve never played a Dead Rising Game before, let us break it down for you. You get dropped in a sandbox with thousands of monsters hunting for brains and you can use pretty much anything around you to do some slaying. Want to combine a teddy bear with some guns? Go for it. Blades and some boxing gloves? Nobody will stop you. As long as you think it will work, go nuts.
What’s really going to help this latest release stand out is the fact that there is truly no timer whatsoever. Capcom Vancouver really wanted to push exploration, so they’ve removed anything blocking you from doing just that.
The Last Guardian
(Dec. 6 – PS4)
The last Guardian has been in development for a very long time, around nine years if you want to count. Originally slated for a 2011 release on the PS3, it is finally releasing, although it will be taking advantage of the current generation’s power.
Players will control a small boy who finds himself in a large castle with a mysterious beast named Trico. Why the boy is there, or what his tattoos mean remain a mystery, and just what Trico actually is will certainly come to light when we finally get to dive in. One thing that is for sure, though, is that with it coming from the same minds that brought us Shadow of the Colossus, we’re sure to be set for one of the most gripping games of the year.
The Walking Dead Season 3: A New Frontier
(Dec. 20 – PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, 360, iOS, Android)
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the releases of Telltale’s third season to their award-winning The Walking Dead series, the wait is almost up. Players will get to see what’s going on with Clementine and that baby she saved back at the end of Season 2.
The developers are trying to make it so that all your choices from the previous entries carry weight this time around, which can make for some deep experiences. There have been a lot of tough decisions over the past few years, some of which have us carrying heavy regrets. We can’t wait to see what that means for the overall story when Season 3 finally lands on multiple platforms later this month.
About the author
