Awake From Your Food Coma To A Hidden Sparking! Zero Class And More Of This Week's Tips

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Thanksgaming 2024 is over, but the effects of that food coma are probably still lingering. Read on to catch up on the tips, deals (if they’re still good) and reviews you may have missed during the holiday week.

An image shows game covers grouped together.

It’s cold outside and nearly Thanksgiving, so its time for Valve’s annual Autumn Sale, or Fall Sale for those of you who ain’t too fancy. A lot of games are currently discounted on Valve’s massive digital storefront, so we’ve dug in and found some of the biggest and best discounts to check out. - Zack Zwiezen

Gale holds a magical knife while his eyes glow purple.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is over a year old now, and developer Larian Studios is still bringing a bevy of new features to the RPG in its upcoming eighth patch. Some of these features were announced a while ago but are finally making their way to the game with this update which, it seems, is currently a few months out. Larian is looking to do some stress testing on Patch 8 for all platforms in January, so it sounds like the update will roll out to everyone later next year. Larian has outlined most of the new features coming to Baldur’s Gate 3 in a lengthy Steam post, so let’s unpack what’s coming. - Kenneth Shepard

A screenshot of a theme park in Planet Coaster 2 shows snarky comments.

Like most Frontier Developments’ games, including Planet Zoo, Planet Coaster 2 retains much of the charm and freedom that allow many players—though not me—to creatively construct a park that virtual visitors actually want to spend time and money exploring. Thankfully, alongside the freeform building mechanics, the game does feature a rather large suite of blueprints you can plop down easily. Even better is the slew of new mechanics, like procedural weather, waterparks, and more streamlined park management tools to help you run a bustling amusement park more efficiently. - Brandon Morgan

Trunks intensely glares at the camera while readying a glowing sword.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero delivers a ton of what fans have wanted from a DBZ fighting game, including a humongous cast of characters. There are 180-plus fighters to choose from and nearly half need to be unlocked. Although it’s easy to assume that such a large roster would have minimal differences, there is more depth than stated. Every fighter is categorized into specific character types that determine their best traits and how to play them. - Samuel Moreno

Sony has announced more PlayStation 2 games are coming to PS Plus’ Classics Catalog next month, and the lineup includes two of the best platformers ever released on the console: 2004's Sly 2: Band of Thieves and 2005's Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. Oh, and of course, some other stuff will be arriving in December for all PS Plus subscribers, too. - Zack Zwiezen

The protagonist of Slitterhead atacks a monster while Steam user reviews float around them.

Created by the same talent behind the Silent Hill and Siren series, Slitterhead was already positioned to perform well within the horror gaming community. With a unique premise, including possession and body horror, along with a vibrant city full of glowing neon lights illuminating the ever-present darkness, the third-person action-oriented horror game stood a great chance at making waves. Despite the studio’s reputation and history, they remained an indie outfit, which likely explains the game’s somewhat soft, understated reception. - Brandon Morgan

Art from Nine Sols, Mouthwashing, and Zelda.

It’s the Thanksgiving holiday week, and that means if you work for a company worth a damn (and some that aren’t worth a damn, but I digress), you probably have the next couple of days off. (Apologies to anyone who works retail.) You might be buying some games you missed this year during Black Friday sales, or perhaps you’re completely at a loss for what to play. Fear not, my friend. We’re here to suggest some games to get you through the long weekend, and all the nonsense your hometown will put you through while you’re there. - Kenneth Shepard

Upon completing the game’s prologue and finally stepping foot into the Zone proper, you’ll head for Zalissya, this game’s version of the rookie town. There, you’ll encounter a handful of characters who will help propel the story forward, along with merchants, technicians, and even your first up close and personal interaction with a faction. You’ll also need money—well, coupons in this universe. You’ll find Mityay arguing with another Stalker in the merchant’s shop, and if you choose to accept his quest, he’ll send you to a dangerous anomaly field known as the Poppy Field. It’s gorgeous and deadly in equal measures. - Brandon Morgan

It happens to the best of us: You’re delving into a dank, decrepit bunker in the post-apocalypse searching for rare loot, casually popping off shots at the various rat-like mutants scurrying through the dark when your weapon jams. In a moment of panic, you attempt to reload and clear the jam, but your weapon is so degraded it’s unusable. What now? In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, these situations occur rapidly and frequently, making the series’ signature dangerous environment more harsh than ever. Thanks,realism. - Brandon Morgan