November may be over, but there are still plenty of promising titles slated to arrive this year. Keita Takahashi’s colorful Wattam will finally release alongside Life Is Strange 2‘s fifth episode, while celebrated designer Julian Gollop will launch a spiritual successor to his X-Com franchise named Phoenix Point. The following are all of the most promising December 2019 games that PS4, Xbox One, and PC users should keep on their radars.
December 2019 Games | Wattam
The next title from the mind behind Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, Wattam, is best described as bizarre. When it releases for PlayStation 4 and PC sometime this December, it’ll allow fans to interact with all sorts of inanimate objects such as sushi, seashells, trees, toilets, and poop in order to solve puzzles and play mini-games. The title markets itself as being “the ultimate good-around simulation,” which means players will be free to push the game’s physics however they like. Wattam may just be the perfect title to play with friends this holiday season, as it will include local co-op functionality. Also, who doesn’t like playing with poop?
December 2019 Games | Life Is Strange 2 Episode 5
The fifth and final episode of Life Is Strange 2 releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on December 3. Note that light spoilers for episode four may be found below.
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Now that Sean and Daniel have been reunited, it remains to be seen if the pair will finally make it to Puerto Lobos in one piece. It’s possible that Reverend Mother Lisbeth’s acolytes will follow them across the border, especially if the cult leader dies as a result of the player’s choices. If the first installment of Life Is Strange serves any indication, this sequel will culminate with an awesome display of supernatural phenomena. Fans should be excited.
December 2019 Games | Phoenix Point
Phoenix Point may evolve the turn-based strategy genre when it releases exclusively for the Epic Games Store on December 3. Set in 2047, players will be tasked with rescuing humanity from the brink of extinction by eliminating an alien threat that adapts according to the tactics and weaponry that fans use. At the same time, users will have to compete against other human factions for resources because a variety of Lovecraftian horrors have wiped out Earth’s food supply. Considering how Phoenix Point managed to obtain $765,948 via crowdfunding platform Fig back in 2017, it’s safe to assume that a lot of X-Com fans are excited for its launch. It’ll be interesting to see if the title exceeds the lofty expectations of its developer, the likes of which hopes to sell at least a million copies of the game.
December 2019 Games | Darksiders Genesis
Though Darksiders Genesis will maintain the franchise’s signature hack and slash combat, it’ll take a page from Blizzard’s Diablo series by shifting the camera perspective and incorporating more loot for players to hoard. The fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Strife, will be playable for the first time and his brother, War, will be making his return after appearing in the first game. Genesis’ narrative will take place before the events of the original title and explore the origins of the Seven Seals that must be broken in order to trigger the apocalypse.
Fans will be able to alternate between the two instantaneously in combat, blasting away foes at a distance with Strife’s pistols and slicing enemies with War’s sword, Chaos Eater, up close. A co-op mode will allow two friends to take on the role of each Horseman, helping each other navigate platforming segments and collect currency that can be used to purchase items like weapon enhancements, creature cores, and more.
Fans of the apocalypse should be pleased to know that Darksiders Genesis will launch for PC and Google Stadia on December 5. A console release is currently planned for February 14, 2020. Here’s hoping the end of the world won’t happen before then.
December 2019 Games | MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries will release exclusively for the Epic Games Store on December 10. For those that may be unfamiliar with the franchise, it allows fans to destroy cities with a variety of deadly mecha called BattleMech. As its name implies, Mercenaries will allow users to take on the role of a mercenary leader, granting them the opportunity to build a fearsome company and take advantage of humanity’s expansion into the vast, uncharted cosmos. There’s a chance that its revenge-fueled plot will be more intriguing that it may seem at the surface.
Though this fifth installment will be the first single-player entry the series has seen since 2002, developer Piranha Games will include a multiplayer component that will give players the chance to take on a series of PvE-based missions with up to four players. The studio has also stated that fans will be able to pilot a wide variety of BattleMechs, just like in the last game. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries may not appeal to the everyday consumer this holiday season, but that doesn’t prevent it from sounding like a whole lot of fun.
Fans who had a hard time keeping up with all of 2019’s quality releases should be warned that 2020 seems to be just as busy, if not more. In January alone, highly anticipated titles such as Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot are set to launch. Shortly after, games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Nioh 2, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, and Cyberpunk 2077 will release back to back. Hopefully Santa will leave us all a little more cash in our stockings this holiday in preparation for the rush.
