What to play this weekend: Hat in Time, PUBG and Zelda DLC – CNET

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They put a motorcycle in The Legend of Zelda. That’s kind of amazing. 

Nintendo

The end of the year is always a bittersweet time for my gaming library. It’s flush with new games from November sales — but there’s rarely anything new on the horizon. I was ready to settle in for a lazy holiday break beating my (newly swelled) backlog.

I should know better than to get complacent.

Earlier this week, the Game Awards drastically changed my gaming plans. Sure, most of the major releases I’ve been waiting for all year are already here, but now there’s a new chapter to play in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild — a chapter that gives Link a motorcycle.

By the time I’m done with that, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will have finally hit version 1.0, complete with a new map to explore. On top of that, Nintendo announced that both Bayonetta and its sequel will hit the Switch early next year.

I guess I don’t have as much time to play my backlog as I thought.

  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC Pack 2 (Nintendo Switch, Wii U) — What’s that? There’s more Breath of the Wild to play? And now there’s a motorcycle for some reason? Okay Nintendo. You win. Take my money. 
  • Battlestar Galactica Deadlock (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) — It’s a Battlestar Galactica strategy game, and by all accounts, it doesn’t suck — reviews say it does the 2004 show justice, even if it’s not the most innovative title out there. Apparently, the replay mode is particularly neat, letting you watch your battles play out from various angles including the nose-cam of a Viper starfighter. 
  • Jak and Daxter Bundle (PlayStation 4) — Earlier this year, the first Jak and Daxter game found its way to PlayStation 4. If you’ve been waiting to play the rest of the series, it’s here: Jak 2, Jak 3 and Jak X Combat Racing all in one bundle. Get your nostalgia on. 
  • A Hat in Time (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) — Speaking of Nostalgia, Humble Bundle’s self-described “cute-as-heck 3D platformer” is out on consoles this week, too. Hat in Time is a modern take on N64-era 3D platforming… and it looks like an adorable joy. 
  • Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package (PlayStation 4) — Dead Rising 4 actually launched on PC and Xbox One about a year ago, but if your platform of choice was the PlayStation 4, you probably missed it. Now you can make up for that — and you’ll get all the game’s DLC, too. 
  • Reigns: Her Majesty (iOS, Android, Windows PC) — Can you play a medieval ruler by swiping left or right a la Tinder, one regal decision at a time? Apparently so, because the original Reigns was popular enough to spawn this sequel, and we’re hearing the writing is pretty great as well. I never got around to playing the original, but I’ll be buying a copy now. 
  • Oh My Godheads (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) — A game where “you can go head to head with a head” while swinging swords and throwing explosive pies at your friends. Chaotic couch multiplayer with a sense of humor. What more can you ask for? 
  • The Sexy Brutale (Nintendo Switch) — If you found a way to mix Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day with a game of Clue, you’d probably have something like The Sexy Brutale. Play as Lafcadio Boone, a man cursed to relive the same murder-filled day over and over again… and try to stop the murders. It’s not actually all that sexy, but it is a pretty brutal puzzle game. 
  • Teslagrad (Nintendo Switch) — Great platforming puzzles. Beautiful environments and art. If you didn’t play Teslagrad in 2013, it’s back. And this time it’s portable.  
  • Streets of Rage (Android, iOS) — If you haven’t heard of Sega Forever, pick up your phone right now. For the last year or so, Sega’s been releasing its retro games library for free (with ads) on Android and iOS. The latest? Streets of Rage. It’s free. It’s a classic. It has local multiplayer. Go download it! 
  • Hearthstone: Kobolds and Catacombs (iOS, Android) — If you’ve stopped playing (or never started) Blizzard’s hit World of Warcraft meets Magic: The Gathering collectable card game, this 135-card expansion might be a good time to hop in. You get three free packs and a free legendary weapon, and there’s a new single-player mode that’ll let you try cards without building an expensive deck of your own. Plus, spells that get upgraded the longer you play. 
  • PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Desert Map soak test (Windows PC) — 100 people paradrop onto an island, scavenge for weapons, and fight until only one remains. If you’re one of the 24 million (and counting) people who bought into PUBG’s novel Battle Royale game concept, you can now experience the game’s next level — literally. The long-awaited Desert Map, along with new weapons, vaulting, and killcams, are now available on the game’s test servers. The desert is a HUGE environment, and it makes the game feel fresh. 
  • Omen of Sorrow Demo (PlayStation 4) — If you’re hungry for a new fighting game that’s not part of a legacy franchise, Omen of Sorrow might be for you. Picture a new classic arcade fighter starring a cast of monsters and myths inspired from classic fantasy and horror stories. The game isn’t actually out yet, but there’s a free demo on the PlayStation store right now. 
  • A ridiculous amount of Switch games — Seriously guys, the eShop has over 20 new Nintendo Switch titles. If nothing else on this list has piqued your interest, go take a look.