Kotaku’s Weekend Guide: 4 Sweet Games We Can’t Wait To Dive Back Into

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Reach the Mad Mall

The first time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower. The second time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower. And the third time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower, too. I have now played Antonblast and can confirm that while it shares similar Wario Land vibes and ‘90s DNA with last year’s crowd-pleasing, lightning-quick 2D platformer, Antonblast is definitely its own thing. It’s more challenging, even faster, and shares some familiar tropes from the slippy-slidy obstacle course racing of Crash Bandicoot, including stampeding through boxes, hitting a cache of explosives, and dying. The idea is to breeze through levels as quickly as possible, smashing through all kinds of colorful junk littering each stage, and survive the gauntlet of hazards and boss fights placed in your path. It’s loud, chunky, and occasionally gives me a headache with all of the screenshake. It’s also a firehose of satisfying arcade action and chaotic animations. I keep going back for more. — Ethan Gach

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Start over!

Back in 2015, I had worked my way pretty far into The Witcher 3, only to find that I was capital-L Lost. I didn’t know what was going on. Barely understood the universe, and that’s to say nothing of my sloppy knowledge of the mechanics. So I restarted the game from the beginning with the intention of going through it nice and slow and, look at that, it became one of my favorite games of the 2010s.

Now, on the cusp of 2025, I find myself in a similar situation with GOTY-nominated RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. Whether it was my diving in while in a, um…high state of mind or simply that the game is so heavy—a little too heavy, in my opinion—on the fantasy political lore, I’m a bit too lost at this point to grasp what’s going on. But I do know that this game has had me intrigued since I decided to temporarily shelve it in favor of Forbidden West and I knew I was going to have to revisit it.

So my goal for this weekend is to get a fresh start! I’m really excited to start unpacking Metaphor’s themes of, well, metaphors. I’m particularly intrigued by how the game plays with the ways fiction serves as important inspiration, offering a way to envision a better world. And I’m a sucker for anything with turn-based combat. The game is also visually delightful, so if I still struggle to keep up with the plot, well at least I’ve got something pretty to look at. — Claire Jackson

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Turn my brain off

I don’t know if it’s just the state of the world or if it’s seasonal depression or what, but I have been feeling really out of it lately. It didn’t feel great to be stuck at home while a lot of folks I know were gathered in Los Angeles for The Game Awards, and with my usual Marvel Rivals teammates MIA, I didn’t even play the games I’d normally play because it just felt bad to solo queue. This weekend, I’m gonna try to fight my inclination to avoid the game and instead play the Not-Overwatch until I pass out. I have to travel next week for the holidays, so getting started on something really involved right now wouldn’t be the best play. Instead, I’m gonna flank randos with Star-Lord’s ultimate until I get a clip. — Kenneth Shepard

Play it on:
Current goal: Level up my battle pass some more!

And so, another weekend in which I’m planning to play more Fortnite is upon us. I’m starting to worry that people reading these every week might assume it’s the only game I play. It’s not! At this point in my life, though, I have to admit that Epic’s free-to-play battle royale is one of my most played games, likely beating out Skyrim, Half-Life 2, and even Halo. The number of hours I’ve put into Fortnite is probably starting to get close to surpassing the time I’ve spent with GTA Online. Scary to think about.

Anyway, every few months Fortnite gets some new mode or event and I spend a few bucks to buy a skin or whatever and have a ton of fun playing it with my wife. Yeah, I know gamers playing the same four games and nothing else are slowly eroding the industry and destroying everything, but it’s not my fault that no other game lets me kill Goku while dressed as Spider-Man with Grogu on my back. Come on Call of Duty, are you even trying? — Zack Zwiezen

And that wraps our picks for this week! Happy gaming!