This Week In Games: The End Of Year Wind Down Begins

There’s only a few weeks left before Christmas, which means the question of which games are out this week gets significantly easier to answer. This week will see the launch of the year’s last two proper blockbusters, Halo Infinite and Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, before the holidays begin in earnest.

Halo Infinite has been one of the biggest topics of conversation over the last few weeks, creating a stir with every mention. Fans are at once enamoured with the strength of its multiplayer gameplay, but loathe its battle pass and pushy microtransaction model. Though the multiplayer is free and already in the wild, the game’s campaign releases on December 8. Its a pretty big moment for 343 Industries, which has spent the btter part of a decade almost-but-not-quite recapturing the quintessential vibe. If Infinite truly is the beginning of a new era of Halo, we’ll see it first in the campaign. Check out our preview here before the reviews start dropping!

The week’s other major release is Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, the latest expansion to the wildly popular MMO. FFXIV found a new life during the pandemic, as people looked for more connective, social games. Boosting this tide of fresh interest was a wave of disgruntled fans departing Blizzard’s World of Warcraft in search of greener pastures. Thus, Endwalker has become a kind of flashpoint. For many of its new players, Endwalker will be their first FFXIV expansion. Will it keep them on the hook? Find out when it drops on December 7. Keep an eye out for our review!

Beyond that, it’s kind of bibs and bobs. Some fun indies, Disney relaunches, and some Switch ports await. The Touryst makes its Steam debut, Gang Beasts and The Wild At Heart get retail launches, and Bungie continues its 30th Anniversary celebrations with a wealth of Destiny 2 goodies. Here’s all the games coming out this week:

After the Fall (PC, VR)

Destiny 2: Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)

Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition (Switch)

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)

Gang Beasts (Switch)

Halo Infinite (Xbox, PC)

Heavenly Bodies (PC)

Marsupilami Hoobaventure: Tropical Edition (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)

Oddworld Soulstorm (Xbox)

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space (PC)

The Eternal Cylinder (Xbox)

The Touryst (PC)

The Wild At Heart (Switch)