The 12 essential video games of December 2024

The last month of 2024 has finally arrived. Although most of the big video game releases for the holiday season have already seen the light of day, there are still several interesting titles planned just in time for Christmas. An iconic shooter gets a modern new interpretation on PC in Early Access, while football fans wait for a brand new free game. Marvel also offers a 6v6 multiplayer shooter with a plethora of characters to choose from, while VR players will face towering creatures and xenomorphs in two major releases. At the same time, Indiana Jones is preparing to make his return with his first major game in several decades, thanks to Bethesda on Xbox and PC, and a highly anticipated action RPG will finally see the release of its long-awaited sequel. Let’s explore the most anticipated video games of December 2024 together.

Formerly known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops, the upcoming game is simply renaming itself Delta Force and aims to bring this iconic tactical shooter franchise back to life. This title modernizes old games into a contemporary FPS, with several multiplayer modes and a remake of the single-player campaign of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down released in 2003, inspired by the Ridley Scott film. Planned as a free, cross-platform game, its Early Access release is limited to this month only on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Early Access introduces the two main multiplayer modes, Operations and Warfare, while the Black Hawk Down campaign will arrive later.

UFL, first announced at Gamescom 2021, is finally arriving this month. In 2023, the game made noise with news of Cristiano Ronaldo’s involvement as an investor. UFL offers a slightly different approach to competing soccer titles, focusing on creating fantasy teams with real-life soccer stars. The gameplay is also planned to be a bit more arcade compared to the realistic approach of EA Sports FC and eFootball.

We had the opportunity to test the game in July, and you can read more about it in our UFL preview.

Infinity Nikki is an open-ended adventure in a charming anime style. The game emphasizes clothing and exploration, allowing you to create complete sets that influence scores in multiple categories and give Nikki unique abilities. It’s a gacha type game, similar to Genshin Impact, where you will have to collect numerous manufacturing materials as well as different in-game currencies.

You can check out our guide to Infinity Nikki release times and preload details for the exact times you can download and start playing.

Virtual reality gamers have been spoiled recently, and after several months of excellent VR titles, we’re now awaiting a big release with Skydance’s Behemoth. In this game, you play as an outcast hunter roaming cursed lands, having to eliminate immense behemoths. Planned by the creators of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Behemoth promises fights that live up to its title.

We had the chance to test the game earlier this year, and you can read more about it in our preview of Skydance’s Behemoth.

Marvel’s all-new heroic PvP shooter is here, featuring 33 playable characters from the Marvel Universe. Focused on team composition, the game will feature dynamic synergies where two or three superheroes combine their abilities. At launch, the game will have five maps and three game modes.

You can find out more information about this shooter in our Marvel Rivals preview.

After five years of waiting, the sequel to Path of Exile finally arrives in early access on PC via Steam and on consoles. Path of Exile 2 will introduce many new features, with an overhauled skill system, new main classes, and over 50 new bosses to face.

Latency between consoles and PC will also be fully ensured, with a split-screen cooperative mode that players have been waiting for for a long time. This month, Path of Exile 2 will launch into Early Access, and the developers will continue to add content to double the size of the game over the next six months.

The last big Xbox release of the year is an Indiana Jones game, which tells an original story set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Mainly a first-person adventure, this game also alternates with third-person sequences for certain gameplay mechanics.

Like any good Indiana Jones story, players will visit multiple locations around the world, including Rome, Egypt, Shanghai and the Himalayas.

Also read: All the Indiana Jones games ranked from worst to best before The Great Circle was released. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will also be available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass upon release, with additions planned for the standard subscription later.

The Soul Reaver games are considered classics of the 90s and early 2000s, renowned for their visuals, narration and soundtrack. After more than 25 years, these games need a little update, brought to you by the remastering experts at Aspyr. The Soul Reaver 1 and 2 remasters will be similar to the Tomb Raider collection we received earlier this year, improving the visuals while using the source code and engine of the original titles.

This game evokes nostalgia for fans of the 90s TV series with a 2D fighting game style. By remixing events and episodes, it promises a dynamic return to the origins of Power Rangers. A must-have for fans!

The popular mobile puzzle game returns with Monument Valley 3, launched this month and offered exclusively to Netflix subscribers. This third opus will be accompanied by the previous two, Monument Valley 1 and 2, allowing players to enjoy the entirety of this memorable series.

Spirit of the Samurai is a side-scrolling action adventure set in feudal Japan, using stop-motion animation techniques. This metroidvania pits you against hordes of undead and demons, using combos and special attacks.

Finally, a virtual reality horror game, Alien: Rogue Incursion features Zula Hendricks, a former Colonial Marine, on a mission to the unexplored planet Purdan, where she will have to face formidable xenomorphs.