With 2025 drawing to a close, there is still one last batch of gaming adventures to explore. From the far corners of space to the underworld and beyond, new stories are waiting to be told in this month’s gaming releases.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
A cosmic battle awaits in this side-scrolling adventure. Inspired by classic comic adventures, Marvel Cosmic Invasion will see players choose their champions to do battle against an alien invasion. From the streets of New York to the Negative Zone, the story will challenge players to find the best combination of heroes in order to advance to the final battle – where Annihilus awaits. Each hero will bring their own skills and abilities to the fight, with players able to pair them up to perform tag team moves for those moments when teamwork makes all the difference between victory and defeat.
With a pixelated art-style, arcade-inspired gameplay and a roster comprised of 15 of the galaxy’s heroes (with a couple of anti-heroes in the mix), this brawling adventure is a tribute to the iconic comic origins for all to enjoy. Whether taking on the challenge solo or in either online or couch co-op, players will explore the Marvel universe and save the day in the fight against the living death.
Marvel Cosmic invasion will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from December 1*
Let It Die: Inferno
Take a dive into hell in this survival sequel. In Let It Die: Inferno, the world is recovering from the effects of Earth Rage when a giant chasm opens. After it claims the lives of everyone who tries to investigate, the chasm becomes known as “Hell’s Gate”. But this isn’t enough to keep people away, especially after a rare resource – SPLithium – is discovered inside. In this world, the player is a Raider, an immortal adventurer who resides on the Iron Perch, a floating base in the sky, but is driven to undertake their own investigation of Hell’s Gate and the power within. With the ability to switch bodies and the boon of immortality, players will be able to take the plunge multiple times into the depths, with each attempt holding new challenges and new stories to tell.
Players who pre-order will unlock a special emote and charm depending on their chosen platform (Raider’s Will charm and Peace Tornado emote on PlayStation and Gleaming Raider charm and Crane Pose emote on PC). The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, 500 Death Metal in-game currency, a support pack, Sasuke Body bundle and the ability to create room matches. The Ultimate Edition includes the base game, Sasuke Body and Ten Body bundles, support pack, Power-Up support pack, the ability to create room matches and 1000 Death Metal.
Let It Die: Inferno will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC from December 3*
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Samus is back in this long-awaited next chapter. For Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, players are taken to the planet Viewros, where Samus Aran has been mysteriously transported to. Now stranded on this mysterious world, Samus must gather resources and find a way to survive the horrors of this new world, which has also caused her to gain psychic abilities. But the mystery of her arrival and these new powers are not the only battle she faces, as the Lamorn race views her as a hostile entity to be eliminated. If that wasn’t enough for Samus to deal with, there’s also the bounty hunter Sylax, who has a deeply rooted grudge against Samus and will do anything to stop her from returning home.
Both the Switch and Switch 2 versions are available to purchase in physical and digital forms, with a Switch 2 upgrade pack also available. Both forms also include the option to purchase the Beyond Power bundle, which consists of the game, a holographic sticker sheet, and a 61x35cm Metroid Desk Mat.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 from December 4*
Octopath Traveler 0
Rebuild your home in this RPG prequel. Set in the town of Wishvale, Octopath Traveler 0 sees players celebrating the annual Day of Reverence, which ends in tragedy and disaster as fire consumes the town in the wake of an attack. The once bustling town lies in ruin, and it will be up to the player to help rebuild it – should they choose to do so. This is where a pivotal choice has to be made: do you focus your energy on restoring Wishvale, or do you instead choose the path of revenge by venturing out to hunt down those responsible for the devastation? With a fully customisable character and town building, players will be able to build their world from the ground up while also enjoying the exploration and encounters the world around the town brings.
Players who pre-order will unlock the Travel Provision pack, which includes bonus items to help them in the early stages. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the base game, a digital artbook, and the Deluxe Travel Provisions pack. The Collector’s Edition includes the Standard Edition on the platform of choice with Deluxe Digital Edition upgrade code (sent via email), art booklet, Arrangements Break & Boost Volume 3 CD, an Osterra Continent map gaming mat, a set of three eight-sided metal dice, Traveler’s playing card and a replica Ring of the Flamebringer.
Octopath Traveler 0 will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 from December 4*
Skate Story
Freedom is the end goal in this skateboarding adventure. In Skate Story, the player is a demon trapped in the underworld. Trying to find a way out of the Emptylands of the hells, they strike a deal with the Devil – if they can find a path through the nine layers of hell and reach the Moon, the Devil will grant them their freedom. The Devil agrees to this deal with two conditions of their own: they must do so on a skateboard, and they must not only reach the Moon, but swallow it. With the task set, the player must skate their way through the realms of the Underworld, encountering other tortured souls in need of saving.
To accompany the game’s release, a curated playlist will also be available on streaming platforms. Skate Story, Vol 1 will be available to pre-save via the links on the Skate Story website, where players can also access details on how to play the pre-launch demo.
Skate Story will be available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC from December 8*
Code Violet
Survive the horror and uncover the truth in this action-packed adventure. Set in the 25th century, Code Violet follows the story of Violet Sinclair, a woman stolen out of her time by the Aion Colony on Trappist 1-E. Awakening in the Aion Bioengineering Complex, she is informed of her new fate in life. With humanity being driven to the brink of extinction and Earth uninhabitable, Aion have developed technology to abduct women from the past to be surrogates for the surviving colonists. But not all is as it seems within Aion, as you are not the only one who is part of Aion’s experiments, which are not just limited to human life in the colony.
Players who pre-order will receive the Retro American Bombshell Pinup set, the Annihilator sub-machine gun, and Cherry Pie earrings (which boost Mites for upgrading weapons). The Digital Deluxe edition includes the base game, a copy of the game’s soundtrack, a Violet Sinclair avatar and five bonus outfits – Ms Sassy, DinoMatrix, Star Shadow Siren, Sugar & Spice and Big Sky Cowgirl.
Code Violet will be available on PlayStation 5 from December 12*
Free to Play
To celebrate the end of the year, PlayStation Plus subscribers of all tiers will have five titles to download and keep for free as part of their subscription. From December 4* The Outlast Trials and Neon White will be available for both PS4 and PS5, with Synduality Echo of Ada, Killing Floor 3 and LEGO Horizon Adventures available on PS5. Details on how to claim the titles can be found on the PS Plus section of the PlayStation Store.
Full details on this month’s titles that will be available to claim for free via Amazon Gaming – along with the games being included in the Luna cloud streaming subscription service – can be found on the Amazon Gaming website.
Also Released This Month
December 2* – Kingdom of Night (PC), Rising Heat (PC), She’s Leaving (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Simogo Legacy Collection (Switch, Switch 2, PC), Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Switch 2), Catto’s Post Office (Switch), Destiny 2: Renegades (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Holy Justice: Galaxy Outcast (PC), Wildgrowth (PC), IRacing Arcade (PC), Kingdom of Knight (PC), BROK: The Brawl Bar (Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Switch), Red Dead Redemption (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch 2, iOS, Android), Sleep Awake (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
December 3* – Don’t Scream Together (PC), Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders (PS5)
December 4* – Blood: Refreshed Supply (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Routine (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC), SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit 2 (Apple Arcade), Toy Smash Kaboom (PC), Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Switch 2), Thief VR: Legacy of Shadows (PSVR 2, Steam VR, Quest 2/3), Football Manager 26 (Switch), Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows (Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC), Cloudheim (PC), Northgard Definitive Edition (PC), Toxic Crusaders (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Night Swarm (PC), Ferocious (PC), Echoes of Elysium (PC)
December 5* – Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny (Switch 2)
December 8* – Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PS5), Yakuza Kiwami 1+2 (Xbox Series X/S, PS5), Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Angeline Era (PC, Mac)
December 9* – Unbeatable (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Romancing SaGa – Minstrel Song (PC), Death Howl (PC), Farming Simulator: Signature Edition (Switch 2), Milano’s Odd Job Collection (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, PC), Planet of Lana (iOS, Android)
December 10* – Drywall Eating Simulator (PC), Mutant Football League 2 (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Unattached: City of Shadows (PC), Montezuma’s Revenge 40th Anniversary Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch), NeverAwake FLASHBACK (PC)
December 11* – Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Switch 2), Pioneers of Pagonia (PC), Star Trek: Infection (Steam VR, Meta Quest), Ashes of Creation (PC), Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost (Switch)
December 12* – Terminator 2D: No Fate (Xbox, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection: Physical Edition (Switch, Switch 2), Gem Miner TD (PC)
December 16* – The Rogue Prince of Persia (Switch, Switch 2), Aaero2: Black Razor Edition (PS5, PC)
December 18* – Dadish 4 (Switch, PC, iOS, Android), HEART of CROWN Online (Switch, PC)
December 19* – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – From The Ashes (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
*Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary. Information correct at time of writing.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.