A glorious break is on the horizon. A solid nine days between terms, full of glorious spring weather and opportunities to spread your wings, and explore new corners of the earth. Or you know, stay inside and play video games. Here’s what you should pick up if you want your Spring Break to be full of highly productive slacking.
Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, PS4, 360, ONE): All the way back in September of 2013, I came into Eugene for my sophomore year about two weeks before classes started. I had a small house to myself and the entire town was empty. GTA V had just released. The following days were crammed with marathon 10-hour sessions — slamming through all of the game’s massive story content, exploring the amazing world of Los Santos. Those days were some of the most pure gaming pleasure I’ve ever had, and with the game now available on next-gen systems, you’ve got all the reason to get lost all over again.
Rock Band/Guitar Hero (360, PS3, PS2, Wii): In case you haven’t heard, we’re getting very close to a resurgence of the music game craze of the mid-2000s. The rights holders for both franchises are allegedly preparing next-generation versions of the games, so why not take the time to re-hone in on those plastic axe shredding skills? Even if you’ve played plenty of the game at drunken parties, when was the last time you focused on the art of plastic rock? Solo Rock Band is a bizarre experience — transforming a person into a pair of eyes glued to the screen, attached to hands that desperately want to finish “Freebird” on the hard level. But when the time comes again for a Rock Band night, you’ll be the envy of every dork in the room.
Bayonetta 2 (WiiU): If you’re lucky enough to have picked up a WiiU, I desperately hope you’ve also bought Platinum’s beat-em-up beauty Bayonetta 2. While the game’s campaign can be completed in a few hours, there’s an obscene level of depth waiting to be discovered. Every encounter has a Platinum medal waiting you, new weapon combos to change strategy and a store full of goodies that can only be afforded after many playthroughs worth of currency drops. Honestly if you’ve only finished Bayonetta 2 once, you’ve barely completed the tutorial.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter, @Mushroomer25