10 Gaming Recommendations For December 2021 & Beyond
Regardless of whether or not you are still quarantining to any extent, odds are that some of your favorite dining and entertainment spots are still not open like they used to be. In turn, you are likely consuming digital and streaming-based content like you were in mid and late 2020.
Fortunately, video games are still in a “golden age” of sorts. No matter your console of choice, the games these days are amazing, including the music used in them. And even if most of the video game developers were forced to change up how they make their games as of late, there are still plenty of new and exciting things for gamers to be psyched about, no matter how much gaming you do. Below is a look at some recent gaming industry developments which recently hit my radar.
The critically-acclaimed, top-selling Monster Hunter series reached new heights earlier this year with the global release of Monster Hunter Rise on Nintendo Switch. It is the latest installment in the action RPG series and transports players to Kamura Village, a colorful and tranquil setting that attracts visitors with its unique culture and innovative hunting technologies. The core gameplay experience in Monster Hunter Rise stays true to the highly-praised previous Monster Hunter entries, where hunters must equip their armor and select from one of the 14 different weapon types. As players defeat monsters and progress through the game, items carved from fallen foes can be used to craft unique weapons and armor that will increase their chances of future success and survival. Hunters can tackle these challenges solo, or with up to three other hunters in cooperative local or online play.
For the first time in a Monster Hunter game, wire-based grappling actions can be performed by using a “Wirebug” while standing or in mid-air, adding an all-new level of aerial maneuverability to hunting strategies and attacks. Additionally, the game debuts the “Wyvern Riding” technique, which allows players to temporarily take control of a monster and yields spectacular battle sequences during a hunt. Monster Hunter Rise also introduces new hunting partners called Palamutes, personalized and rideable “Canyne” companions that will provide players with a new set of attack options. The “Canyne” Palamute companions join the series favorite “Felyne” Palicoes in assisting players while out on a hunt. Monster Hunter Rise will open the gates of Kamura Village to PC players on January 12, 2022.
Thanks to Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem, family game night is about to get terrifyingly-exciting. Players get to help Wednesday, Pugsley, Gomez and Morticia save the Addams Family Mansion in this hilarious 3D party adventure. Explore the mansion’s darkest depths and magical mysteries like never before, to discover secrets and save the legendary house. Use each iconic character’s special abilities, like Gomez’s Mazurka Saber or Wednesday’s pet octopus Socrates, to solve puzzles and find relics that reveal the mansion’s hair-raising history.
Play with and against friends in competitive multiplayer minigames that will have you bumping and jumping over each other to win. Now available on Stadia.
Now available on Stadia — as priced at $19.99 — The Falconeer is an open-world air combat game. Players dive into a spiraling saga of warring factions, unique side quests and narratives, and adrenaline-fueled mounts and powerful weapons as you take to the skies. As proof that this is a top-notch game, it was nominated for a BAFTA Games Award within the “Debut Game” category.
Hundred Days is a winemaking simulator game now available on iOS and Android. Published by Pixmain, Hundred Days takes players through the fascinating and realistic journey of the winemaking adventure. Players will grow their own unique vineyard, learn the ropes of managing a winery, produce, bottle, market and then sell their own wine to try and succeed in the wine business, simulating the winemaking journey and the challenges of building a wine business. Inspired and loosely based on the personal experience of Yves Hohler, the lead designer and co-founder of Broken Arms Games, being both a professional of the video game industry as well as taking over the family winemaking business after studying oenology, Hundred Days embodies the true crossover of passion for the wine industry and gaming.
A tycoon game with a narrative twist, Hundred Days is available in 9 languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Russian and Chinese.
Hello Engineer is a multiplayer machinery-building construction game set in the Hello Neighbor universe. Scavenge, craft and overcome challenges in the sandbox world of a mysterious amusement park. Put together incredible machines built of scrap, and beware of the Neighbor. This one is currently available to Stadia Pro subcribers and playable in single-player and 2-4 player online multi-player modes.
AMC Games & Shudder Present The Fabulous Fear Machine
The Fabulous Fear Machine is a narrative-driven strategy game that challenges players to conquer the world through fear. The newest game from the Madrid-based developer Fictiorama Studios, The Fabulous Fear Machine combines an audacious social simulation with pulp horror roleplaying. Partnering with AMC Games and Fictiorama on the title is AMC Networks’ premium horror streaming service Shudder, whose expertise at spreading fear proved invaluable for the developers. The Fabulous Fear Machine will be coming to the PC gaming platform in Spring 2022. Watch the game’s teaser trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejibudAnawY
Developed by Ubisoft Toronto, Far Cry 6 immerses players into the adrenaline-filled world of a modern-day guerrilla revolution set in Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time in the heart of the Caribbean. Playing as local Yaran Dani Rojas, players will explore and entire island nation and join the revolution to liberate its people from the oppressive rule of dictator Antón Castillo and his teenage son Diego, as brought to life by Hollywood stars Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) and Anthony Gonzalez (Coco). Now available on Stadia.
On the musical end, Ubisoft recently digitally released the Far Cry 6 Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Pedro Bromfman. The soundtrack features 21 tracks from the highly-anticipated 6th main entry in Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed Far Cry franchise. Composer Pedro Bromfman commented about this soundtrack release as follows: “The album is based on a very modern score, drenched in lush soundscapes, driving percussion, processed organic instruments and a ton of synthesizers. We tried to capture the soul of Yara, and its characters, by rooting the score on traditional Latin American and Caribbean music, while being completely free to experiment with contemporary sounds, elements and techniques, in hopes of creating something very fresh and unique.”
Just Dance 2022 is a dance rhythm game developed by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on June 12, 2021 during the Ubisoft Forward E3 press conference as the 13th main installment of the series, and was released on November 4, 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia platforms. Ubisoft’s newest entry to the annual dancing series includes a new partnership with Todrick Hall and new tracks to dance to. Arguably the only non-sports franchise video game I am anxiously-awaiting each year.
The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is the 8th installment of the beloved Jackbox Party Pack franchise. It features 5 hilarious new games, and all of these games will surely energize your next game night, holiday party, happy hour, video call, and/or next hosting-oriented social occasion. No extra controllers are needed as the game’s players can use their phones or tablets to play along. Now available on Stadia.
TweetAbout the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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