As the year begins to dawn, we look forward to the holiday season. As the snow falls, gifts are exchanged and the Big Man himself pays his yearly visit; we, as gamers are more focussed on what lies in wait for the gaming scene when the festivities begin.

Marvel Rivals

Due to release on December 6 of this year, Epic Games’ Marvel Rivals takes place in 2099 in a world where Fantastic Four super villain, Dr. Doom, has manipulated the timestream to cause a catastrophic effect known creatively as “The Timestream Entanglement”. The doctor’s antics have caused a rift between parallel universes and unleashed heroes and villains alike into a shared destination in time and space.

To stop Dr. Doom’s dastardly plans, you will need to fight it out against a whole host of Marvel superheroes and villains in an arena like no other. Marvel Rivals will feature destructible environments, character-specific move-sets and special attacks and take place across four different maps that will be familiar to any fan of the esteemed franchise. So far, there has just been four maps confirmed but keep an eye on this space for updates as and when they come in.

Maps:

• Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya
• Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands
• Yggsgard: Royal Palace
• Yggsgard: Yggdrasill Path

Marvel Rivals will be releasing on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam and Epic Games’ store.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Developed by MachineGames and published in partnership with Bethesda Softworks, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looks set to be a full-bodied adventure title, packed with everything you would expect from the childhood hero of many, Indian Jones.

The game will take us all across the world as we visit ancient rainforest temples and deep into the tombs of the scorching desert. In true Indiana form, we will traverse formidable lands and uncover ancient secrets as we embark on a thrilling adventure to uncover the reasons behind the theft of a seemingly irrelevant artifact.

Of course, along the way we will meet an interesting array of characters as we immerse ourselves in a rich story, full of twists, turns, highs and lows. We will be forced to think outside the proverbial box as we solve mind bending puzzles and escape deadly traps.

As my fellow Indiana fans will know, an Indie adventure simply wouldn’t be an indie adventure without the trademark whip, revolver and, of course, that distinct hat that has become symbolic of the original tomb raider.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be released on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It’s also confirmed for a Game Pass day one entry when it releases on December 9 of this year.

Monumental Valley 3

With a planned release date for December 10, Monumental Valley 3 will be launching exclusively on Netflix games. The game plays out as an adventure puzzler and awash with pastel hues, creating a gentle and relaxing atmosphere in which to dive.

Monumental Valley 3 will take us through a world reminiscent of the works of M.C Escher as we take control of Noor, a lamp-holding heroine embarking on a escapade to find a higher power. Fans of the previous two games will recognize the distinctive art style that carries into the third instalment.

Summary

While these are only three games due to hit the shelves on this holiday season, they each bring something unique to the festive table. Personally, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the highlight of the month. For an fan of the movies since they first graced this earth, to see a game on the horizon is nothing short of sublime.

Have very happy holidays, MyGamer.