Holy cow, can you believe we’re already in December? Hard to believe we’ve got another year of great games under our belt. But we’re not done yet. December is typically considered a slower month in terms of game releases, so your wallet definitely has some time to recover. Still, though, there are quite a few games worth checking out this month on Xbox One.
The Crew – December 2, 2014
Thanks to a delay, Ubisoft’s open-world, social-infused racing game, The Crew, will now be released on December 2nd. Don’t expect early reviews though, as Ubisoft recently announced that media will not be given review copies ahead of the game’s release since it is a game that’s so dependent on social and online interactions. While I’m sure that may frustrate some of you on the fence, it’ll be nice to have some reviews that properly reflect the online experience, not some facade setup privately for journalists.
As for the game itself, The Crew offers an open-world experience in which players can race across the United States, which is split into five regions: the Midwest, East Coast, South, Mountain States, and West Coast. These regions each host a slew of racing challenges and missions for you to complete. While the content, customization, and sheer size of The Crew is promising, early hands-on time with the game have revealed not-so-stellar car handling.
Game of Thrones – Episode 1: Iron From Ice – December 3, 2014
Telltale Games announced over the weekend that Episode 1: Iron From Ice of its Game of Thrones series will release in December. As we learned earlier this month, Telltale's game series is based on the world, characters, and events of HBO's TV show, Game of Thrones, which in turn is based on George R.R. Martin's books, A Song of Ice and Fire. In the game, you will control five members of House Forrester in their story, interacting with fan favorite characters throughout the season. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, you will be placed in a precarious position "where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom.”
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris – December 9, 2014
Lara Croft’s isometric adventures continue this month, taking you deep into the deserts of Egypt to the Temple of Osiris. Hoping to be the first inside, Lara Croft arrives at the temple only to discover that rival treasure hunter Carter Bell has beaten her to the entrance. Both seeking to find the Staff of Osiris, they soon discover more than they bargained for. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, like its predecessor, is a downloadable-only title.
Like I said, it's not a terribly busy month, so you should have some time to catch up on the ol' backlog of games from October and November. That being said, December does pack its own little punch with The Crew, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, and hopefully Game of Thrones. A good way to end the year, I say.
