While 2025 is almost over, video game releases aren't slowing down. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is out today, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is out later this week, and more games are on the way throughout the month. With The Game Awards not far off as well, December is poised to be a very exciting month for gamers.

As I just mentioned, the flagship release of this month is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. First announced for Nintendo Switch in 2017 and rebooted mid-development, it's one of the most anticipated games of the last decade and will pay off one of the more turbulent development cycles in Nintendo's history. I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing how the game as a whole pans out.

More than just Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is coming out in December, though, so I'm taking the time to spotlight it and some other games coming out. Hopefully, you discover something new that interests you and put it on your radar ahead of its release next month.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2

Kicking off this month of releases is Marvel Cosmic Invasion, a beat 'em up based on the 2000s comic book storyline Annihilation. It harkens back to 16-bit era classics like Captain America and The Avengers, X-Men, and The Punisher, and serves as a refreshing alternative to the AAA games like Marvel's Deadpool VR and Marvel's Wolverine.

I've been playing this one ahead of its launch today, and I'm absolutely loving it. Developer Tribute Games has made yet another amazing brawler that succeeds not just through fan service (though there's plenty here) but through engaging gameplay as well. With a diverse cast of well-known and obscure characters, it's one of the most creative and entertaining Marvel video games I've played in a long time.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Launches for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4

It's hard to believe Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here. Retro Studios' long-awaited fourth crack at the Metroid Prime formula has been in the works since 2019, after the game rebooted its development. Now, it's delivering a Metroid Prime experience that's almost all set on one planet and features some new gameplay features like psychic powers for Samus to use and a motorcycle for players to ride around on.

Whenever it takes this long for a game to come out, expectations are going to be high. Considering recent Switch 2 games like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders have been, the bar of quality this game needs to meet has gotten even higher. While I don't know if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will meet that bar, I know it's at the very least going to be an interesting game to experience and one of the most notable games of 2025.

Octopath Traveler 0

Launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 on December 4

Octopath Traveler is the Square Enix series that first introduced us to the HD-2D art style, and it's returning this month with a new entry. Well, it's at least new for consoles. Octopath Traveler 0 is a console port and expanded version of Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, a mobile game released back in 2020. Don't let the game's mobile origins make you underestimate this game, though.

It still retains the HD-2D aesthetic, turn-based combat, and exploration gameplay of its predecessors. Octopath Traveler 0 just adds onto that with a massive town-building element. It's all of the best parts of Champions of the Continent without any of the free-to-play gacha fluff. It's a lengthy game too, so Octopath Traveler 0 will make for a worthy RPG time-sink over the holidays.

Routine

Launches for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on December 4

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond isn't the only game with a lengthy development cycle launching on December 4. Indie horror game Routine has been in development for even longer, as it was first announced in 2012. After some creative reboots and multiple Unreal Engine upgrades, it's finally going to be released into Xbox Game Pass later this week.

It's a tense first-person horror game, which was a gaming craze back when it was first announced in 2012. Still, Routine does feature some fresh ideas for this kind of horror game, not directing players very much and featuring permadeath to make dying a real threat. It'll be exciting to finally see this game's saga come to an end very soon.

Skate Story

Launches for PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 8

2025 has been an outstanding year for skateboarding games. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 provided us with some old-school skateboarding gameplay, and Skate's revival offered a less realistic but still loads of fun free-to-play alternative. Now, Skate Story is here to offer something that feels out of this world. Its premise is ridiculous, as you're playing a demon trying to skate to the moon so you can consume it.

The result is a skateboarding game with tactile controls like Session, but the audiovisual craziness of something like Lumines Arise. There's certainly no other skateboarding game quite like Skate Story, and it'll be an innovative way to end one of the best years for the skateboarding game genre in a long time.

Unbeatable

Launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on December 9

Beautiful visuals can go a long way in selling a game, and Unbeatable certainly benefits from that. It's a rhythm action-adventure game set in a world where music is illegal. Trailers for this game have been instantly eye-catching due to its beautiful animation and rocking 1990s-inspired soundtrack.

It suffered a last-minute delay just before its November release, so hopefully all is well when Unbeatable finally launches next week. If it is, we could have one of the year's best indie games on our hands. If nothing else, I'll at least be listening to its soundtrack a lot.

Terminator 2D: No Fate

Launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on December 12

Finally, Terminator 2D: No Fate is coming out later this month and will appeal to the retro gaming crowd. Much like Marvel Cosmic Invasion, it's taking a well-known IP and adapting it as an old-school sidescrolling platformer and shooter rather than a modern AAA video game. As a fan of many of the 16-bit shooters it's inspired by, I can't wait to play this game for myself.

Like Unbeatable, this game has actually been delayed at the last minute several times, although that's happened because of some issues with the physical version of the game. I'm very excited to see how Terminator 2D: No Fate turns out, as I think this approach for video game adaptation has a lot of potential for many classic 1980s film franchises.

There is no boring month for game releases anymore

While months like October and November may have more packed release schedules, this lineup of December games shows that there are no slow months for the video game industry anymore. I didn't even mention the Switch 2 ports of games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, or virtual reality games like Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow. There's always going to be something new for you to play, no matter what platform you're on. You just have to be paying attention.