Whether you’re in the Exclusion Zone or taking a break at the Research Complex, check out these games this weekend!

It’s the first weekend of December, and we’re quickly approaching Christmas — so you know what that means: let’s talk about video games! This week we talk Marvel, dive into the exclusion zone, fight an alien menace at an Antarctic research complex, and start our journey as an Exile.

New Release: Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals is the newest in the hero shooter genre (think Overwatch), and while it’s been talked about for a few months now, it came out of the gate swinging. 6 vs. 6 battles with over 30 characters — all of which are unlocked at launch — with a battle pass that never expires, and the ability to exchange in-game currency on a 1:1 level, Marvel Rivals is looking to take a chunk out of the hero shooter genre in the way that only Marvel can.

Get Marvel Rivals for free on Steam.

New Release: The Thing: Remastered

Taking place after the events of the movie The Thing, The Thing: Remastered is a remake of the 2002 gem placing you in the shoes of Captain J.F. Blake who has been sent to investigate the deaths of the scientists at Outpost 31. A third person action horror title, The Thing: Remastered has taken some of the complaints of the original title (such as random scientists just seemingly being infected for no reason) and made changes to make the game a more seamless, terrifying experience.

Get The Thing: Remastered for $30 on Steam.

New-ish Release: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 blends genres, mixing horror, survival, and first person shooters into something that has to be seen to be believed. You are a stalker, a treasure hunter who came into the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone looking for riches — or perhaps you came here to find the real truth behind what happened. In either case, the Exclusion Zone is just as hostile as the other enemy factions you will encounter, and nothing is ever as easy at it appears. It’s always when you least expect it when your gun jams just as you face down a radioactive brown bear…

Get S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 for $60 on Steam.

Early Access Release: Path of Exile 2

The long awaited sequel to Path of Exile, Path of Exile 2 enters early access today — December 6, 2024! This time we’re in the lands of Wraecrest, which has been free from sources of Corruption (with a capital C!) for years; but the Count of Ogham has decided power is worth the cost, and well, things get bad really quickly. Releasing in Early Access with six classes (though twelve have been announced), when the game gets a full release each class will also have three subclasses, leading to a total of 36 possible class combo choices. If you’re familiar with Path of Exile‘s gigantic skill tree, oh, it’s made a return too. With three of the six acts available in this early release, Path of Exile 2 is sure to have a long, long tail.

Get Path of Exile 2 for $30 on Steam.