The December-January period is always a little quieter than the rest of the year, with bigger games usually launching a little earlier in the run-up to the holidays, but there are still some cracking titles heading to PlayStation 5 and PS4 that are worth a look.
Below, you'll find our usual roundup of highlights hand-picked by us, as well as a larger selection of physical games that'll be available throughout December 2022 and January 2023. Enjoy!
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Marvel's Midnight Suns - 2nd December
Kicking off a packed 2nd December this year we have Marvel's Midnight Suns, a new tactical RPG that's set in the darker side of the Marvel Universe. You'll be teaming up with Midnight Suns – Ghost Rider, Magik, Blade and Nico Minoru – as you battle against demonic forces of the underworld to stop Lilith, Mother of Demons from resurrecting her master Chthon.
Check out this gameplay trailer to see the game in action, or secure your order below:
Need For Speed Unbound - 2nd December
Next up and also launching on 2nd December is Need for Speed Unbound, the latest entry in Criterion's racing franchise.
Promising "hours of electric, adrenaline-pumping racing action," Unbound will boast separate single-player and multiplayer campaigns, weekly qualifiers, custom riders that can be precision-tuned, and a fresh soundtrack. You'll be starting at the bottom and racing the top in this latest Need for Speed, and we can't wait to check it out when it arrives on 2nd December.
The Callisto Protocol - 2nd December
Did we mention that 2nd December was busy? Blimey.
The Callisto Protocol is a narrative-driven, third-person survival horror set 300 years in the future, where players take on the role of Jacob Lee – a victim of fate thrown into Black Iron Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary located on Jupiter's moon, Callisto. We're told to expect a "unique blend of shooting and close-quarters combat" in this one... We'll let the PR set the scene:
When inmates begin to transform into monstrous creatures, the prison is thrown into chaos. To survive, Jacob must battle his way to safety to escape Black Iron Prison, while uncovering the dark and disturbing secrets buried beneath the surface of Callisto.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion - 13th December
More Final Fantasy VII remake goodness is headed our way on 13th December, when Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion makes its way to PS5 and PS4.
A prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core was originally released on the good old PSP in 2007. This new HD remaster introduces renewed 3D models, an "improved battle system", fully voiced dialogue in both English and Japanese, a newly arranged soundtrack, and – of course – fully remastered graphics. You can relive Zack Fair's story by grabbing a copy below.
Forspoken - 24th January
In January, we'll be following the journey of New Yorker Frey, who finds herself transported to the magical land of Athia in Forspoken.
The game is an action RPG that'll have you using magical abilities to traverse sprawling landscapes, battle monstrous creatures and defeat powerful matriarchs. It's said to have been designed to "harness the full power of the PlayStation 5's hardware" and has a score composed by none other than God of War composer Bear McCreary. One to keep an eye on, then.
More Upcoming PS5 and PS4 Games for December 2022 and January 2023
But of course, that's not all. Here's a tasty selection of upcoming physical games that are patiently waiting for you to snap them up.
PS5 Games
PS4 Games
Digital-Only PS5 and PS4 Games for December 2022 and January 2023
Below, we've listed some of the most notable digital releases coming to the PlayStation Store during the next couple of months. You can find complete release schedules for PlayStation 5 and PS4 at the links:
- Gundam Evolution (PS5) - December 01st
- Divine Knockout (PS5) - December 06th
- Firefighting Simulator: The Squad (PS5) - December 06th
- Samurai Maiden (PS5) - December 08th
- The Rumble Fish 2 (PS5) - December 08th
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (PS5) - December 14th
- Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PS5) - December 22nd
- A Space for the Unbound (PS5) - January 19th
PS5 and PS4 Essentials
If you need to stock up on the essentials for your PS5 or PS4, such as new controllers, PS Plus subscriptions or SSDs for more storage, make sure to check out our dedicated buying guides:
- Best PS5 SSD: Boost Your PS5 Storage Capacity
- Best PS5 External Hard Drives
- All DualSense PS5 Controller Colours
- All PS5 Console Cover Colours
- Best 4K TVs for PS5 in 2022
- Where to Buy Cheap PlayStation Wallet Top-Ups, PS Plus Subscriptions and Gift Cards
What PS5 and PS4 games will you be buying in December and January? Tell us in the comments section below.
Comments 14
I might eventually get Crisis Core but want to play the Yufi FF7R DLC first. For now, Witcher 3 PS5 upgrade is all I'm getting this month.
Just got Platinum in WRC Generation, tried out NFS Unbound via GamePass because I wanted more racing. But it didn't work for me, the control is lousy, stiff and I hate "tap break to drift". So now I'm only looking forward to Witcher in December.
I've been trying out the NFS Unbound trial and it's rather good...
Extremely polished and very stable performance.
So many games I want to play the coming months yet there’s so much in my backlog because of PS Plus Premium that I don’t really feel the need to spend any money.
@Darude84 Start knocking out the backlog, by the time you finish, these new games will be on sale.
Crisis Core FF7, Persona 4 Golden and potentially Forspoken along with FE Engage on Switch in January... Don't remember this many games coming out in January before
My copy of Forspoken has been preordered for what? Two years now? That one and FE and Hogwarts two weeks later. It’s a lot, but I’m excited. I should take some vacation time to game for my birthday!
I'll see what the reviews are like for Callisto Protocol, I'll have The Witcher to work through this month anyway so I'm not really in any rush and might wait for a sale.
Otherwise, quite interested in Forspoken, will see when it gets closer to release. If Monster Hunter is a go for January then I'll most likely be picking that up
Callisto Protocol
Crisis Core
Cup Head
Death's Door
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot
Forspoken
Dead Space
Samurai Maiden (if physical is available)
All physical copies.
Need for Speed, more like need a better game. There isn't anything that stands out to me as a must-buy right now.
@LazyLombax Yes, that’s my intention indeed.
No early reviews for Callisto Protocol is pretty disheartening. Glad I did not pre-order.
I'll be pre-ordering Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (PS5) and Forspoken (PS5) for sure.
As for the games listed below, I'll be waiting until they're 50% off or cheaper in 1-2 years.
December 2022:
Marvel's Midnight Suns
The Callisto Protocol
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
January 2023:
Dead Space Remake
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters - Calendar Edition
One Piece Odyssey
I'm looking forward to the Forspoken reviews and final code hands on impressions because so far I really don't know what to think about it... I suspect part of that is video compression turning lovely particle effects into colourful mud.
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