Wrapping up one year and kicking off another, winter is the perfect time to spend your holiday money and gift cards to re-up on new games. Marvel has already kicked off the season with a new multiplayer game, while other studios are readying their own dose of nostalgia with games set for the Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Alien franchises.
'Marvel Rivals'
This month, Marvel debuted its brand new 6v6 player versus player (PvP) shooter, with a whopping 33 playable characters from the Marvel universe. Fans of third-person shooters like "Valorant" or "Overwatch 2" will likely enjoy Marvel's take on the format. Create teams with your friends that balance the powers of several familiar superheroes as you battle across the eight launch maps and three modes: Convoy, Domination and Convergence. There are plenty of "intuitive abilities and counters in Marvel Rivals — all you have to do is take the time and have the patience to learn them," said PC Gamer, a sister publication of The Week. Rivals' maps are "one of its most distinctive features, as battlegrounds transform throughout a match either through a dynamic destruction or bespoke map events." (Dec. 5; order here for PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S)
'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle'
Xbox is closing out its year with a new Indiana Jones game that tells an original story set between the events of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" movies. The mostly first-person action-adventure game "lends itself to many playstyles, with some stealthy bits and plenty of puzzles to solve," said Sports Illustrated. Players can indulge in the intrepid world of an Indiana Jones story, visiting several locations worldwide, including Rome, Egypt, Shanghai and the Himalayas. The game will make its way to the PS5 sometime in 2025. With a "host of gorgeous and lavishly detailed levels, satisfying combat hinged on jawbreaking haymakers," "The Great Circle" is an "irresistible and immersive global treasure hunt for Indy fans who've felt underserved by the likes of 'The Dial of Destiny' and 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,'" IGN said. (Dec. 9; order here for Xbox Series X/S, PC)
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'Alien: Rogue Incursion'
Fans of the horror series "Alien" and virtual reality rejoice. This upcoming VR game is "set to bring players face-to-face with the dreaded Xenomorph like never before," said Game Rant. The central antagonist has become increasingly popular as a character in various video games in recent years. Now, it gets to take center stage in this brand-new virtual reality experience. Horror franchises "lend themselves well to VR video games" as the "feeling of actually being up close and personal with enemies like the Xenomorphs helps to elevate the fear while playing," Game Rant added. From what has been shown so far in previews, "Alien: Rogue Incursion" looks like it will do a "good job of recreating the dark and sinister atmosphere of the original movie and games like 'Alien: Isolation.'" (Dec. 19; pre-order PCVR or PlayStation VR2)
'Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles'
Almost a quarter century after it debuted in 2000, "Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles" is getting remastered for modern consoles with a few new additions to the gameplay. The Lucas Arts game initially appeared on the PlayStation before hitting the Dreamcast and the Game Boy Advance. Set during the events of "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," the game is a mix of "platforming and beat 'em up gameplay," said IGN. Playable characters include Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia and Plo Koon. The newly remastered game comes out early next year with "13 newly unlocked characters from the beginning, all levels unlocked, versus and training modes introduced in later releases of the game and two-player couch co-op." (Jan. 23; pre-order for PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, XSX/S, PC)
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