Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 501

Tried AC Mirage but didn't click so back to Baldurs Gate! I'll also try and finish off Mario Wonder too. Have a good weekend folks!

BG3 it’s been slow progress lately due to a lack of gaming time. Almost screwed myself last night getting into a battle I was unprepared for by mistake and my previous save being over an hour prior. Scraped through in the end.

Alan Wake 2, I’m not too far into it but loving every second

I am about an hour away from the Spidey platinum and then I will give more time to Alan Wake 2.

Managed to clear up all side content on SM2 the other night for the plat to make room for some rally on EA WRC. had a quick go last night and i wasnt feeling the menu, music and career mode at all compared to WRC generations so need to give it more time. Also listning to the latest vinyl in my ever growing new hobby, Ian Brown: The greatest. Have a great weekend everyone 🤘

Dreamlight Valley

On the brink of completing Cyberpunk, then if I have time make my way through the backlog (which is growing all the time)

Just finished Spider-Man 2 story got a few trophies left for the plat hopefully get that today and I've got Alan Wake 2 to play only a couple of hours in but already enjoying it Remedy make fantastic games. On Xbox probably nothing though i do really want to go back to Starfield but the amount of crashes on Series S was ridiculous. On Switch I'm going to continue on Pokemon Diamond and try and stop myself buying Super Mario Wonder lol.

Still all the same things as last week as I've not had much time!! Got all three weapons in blasphemous 2 and unlocked a good chunk of the map. Lies of P has started to get its hooks into me and just beat the mad donkey. I'm on Chapter 5 of Dead Space as well but the thing I'm most excited about this weekend is the couple of hours I've carved out for myself later to finally start Disco Elysium. Have a great weekend folks!

Hoping to find a spare couple of hours for the GT7 update content!

Lords of the fallen. I had my new tv delivered yesterday after a week of dealing with a stinking cold and deciding on which one to purchase. Initialy i only wanted a 42 inch as i'm limited to space in my gaming area (until the spare room is sorted) but i ended up with a 50 incher 🤣 because it was just too good to pass up. Its a stunning beast and just looks beautiful. Dolby atmos but now i'll need a new soundbar. Have a brilliant weekend and stay safe in that awful weather 👍

I'm totally hooked on Spider-Man 2. Close to the story ending now, and 77% overall completion. I'll try to get the platinum this weekend. Seems very doable, but I hate those spider bots. I don't want to use a guide for a game like this, but searching for these critters can be very tedious...

Too many games. Too many many games. We need some more time in here! We need some more time in here!

Bought Robocop on disc so I'll mostly be playing that (awesome so far). Maybe some more Alan Wake 2 as well. As well as DUSK... and Remnant 2.. and Scorn... AND Quantum Error (which is probably one of the weirdest gaming experiences of the year 🤣)

Too many games.

Wrapping up the platinum in Spider Man 2, then working on the platinum for my GOTY Lies of P!

I May finally crack open BG3 this weekend or dive straight into finishing Alan Wake Remastered so I can get AW2!

Enjoy the weekend everyone

@Loamy is quantum error fun or enjoyable or got some jank to it that still makes it a blast to play? I’m on the fence with that one!

More of the best game ever made (there, I said it ) in Baldurs Gate 3....I will literally never stop playing this masterpiece.
Sinking into the amazing Diablo 4 which if I'm not careful will consume my life
Will dabble into Forza Motorsport and StreetFighter 6...another GOTY contender
Have a great weekend guys and gals ❤️

@ErrantRob being completely honest it's a fantastic idea with extremely poor execution. If you like playing games with a critical eye, then it's a very interesting experience.

It's frustrating and has so many flaws and annoyances in it's game design. The combat, specifically with the human enemies, is hilariously bad. It way overshoots it's scope for such a small budget. It's insanely long-winded in its cinematic presentation with odd pacing in gameplay. Yet the "firefighter meets Event Horizon" setup is so intriguing. It's a sad example of wasted potential, yet a fascinating experience nonetheless.

I know this doesn't really help you out 😂 I don't want to actually recommend it - it's the 'worst' game I've played this year (maybe tied with Postal No Regerts). But it also has something special at its core. As someone who enjoys odd and sometimes terrible games, I feel an attachment too it. Probably wait until a heavy sale or until the sequel comes out. If they listen to feedback then they could strike gold.

Ps5 Alan Wake 2, Robocop, Spider-Man 2 and Assassin's Creed Mirage and Im replaying Control. On Switch I got Rain Code and Ai Somnium Files 2

External got corrupted and deleted all my games - downside to digital. Redownloaded MAFIAII to start 2nd run on Hard, can't believe Plus users have been giving this classic for free and some are whining. Got stronger and gone back to wipe out all the magisters in Fort joy in Divinity OS2. Then some MHW Iceborne and Elden Ring probably.

Started a fresh Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough to make my way into Phantom Liberty.

Still working my way through AC Valhalla. Just cleaned up the Isle of Skye and really enjoyed the reunion with a favourite character. This game is excellent but I'm expecting to burn out.

@R1spam - Disco Elysium is great. Enjoy!

This weekend I am dangeling in the sky tearing tower of Jusant!

Finishing off Darkwood this weekend. So atmospheric! I’m trying to get a bit of BG3 in too. Have a good one, folks!

In the last couple weeks, I’ve finished both Final Fantasy XVI and Resident Evil 4, both of which, in my opinion, are 10/10 masterpieces.

With those out of the way, I need to start something new this weekend. It’ll either be Final Fantasy VII Remake, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered or maybe even Persona 5 Royal. Each have been sitting in my backlog for forever, but I’m determined to get at least two of them wrapped up before the year is out. Hopefully I’ll get one of them kicked off today.

Taking a back seat and letting my niece start a new save in Spider-man 2 whilst she's staying the weekend. She did the opening missions last night and was having a blast.

@DonkeyFantasy Care to share that GT7 money grind trick?

Im playing the amazing ni no kuni wrath of the white witch remastered.and the excellent bioshock infinite the complete edition.i will be watching my boston Celtics 💚🖤 play.my Pittsburgh Steelers 💛🖤 play and won on Thursday so they got the weekend off.i will be watching legendary sitcoms tv 📺 comedy shows in Sanford and son.good times.and saved by the bell.word up son

I will be playing the utterly amazing Final Fantasy XVI! I'm playing since the middle of the week, what a visual spectacle, thrilling gameplay! I will put some hours in Disco Elysium and maybe Alan Wake Remastered. If I still find time, Yakuza Kiwami 2. Safe journey my friends!!

@The_Pixel_King Persona 5 Royal is a mammoth of a game. Took me months to complete the vanilla P5 once, and for sure you will want to play NG+. I did it 3 runs for the platinum, and Royal is ever greater. Spider-Man Rem and FF7 Remake are much shorter games.

But play Persona 5 someday, it's one of the best JRPGs I ever played in my entire life. A 10/10 game.

After getting the platinum trophy in Spider-Man 2 last weekend, I’m fully committed to Alan Wake 2 and Sonic Superstars this weekend.

Trails of Cold Steel 4.

Spider-man 2 - easily the greatest superhero game ever made.

Beat Dead Space (2023) on my XSX yesterday and Professor Layton and the Lost Future alongside the original PL trilogy on my 3DS.

Started playing Final Fantasy VII on my Switch today which is a mostly blind playthrough beyond the Aerith twist and what I know from FF7R.
Also started Fortnite Chapter 4 Season OG on PS5 yesterday. Never played before ch3 s3 so it’s pretty neat.
And finally I started Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask on my 3DS.

Another weekend of Spider-Man 2. I might mix in a bit of Spider-Man 2 with it. If I get really burnt out though, I'll definitely throw in some Spider-Man 2 to really mix things up.

I’ve been getting the urge to play Persona 5 again, but I’m trying to clear some smaller games first. I’ve got Lake, coffee talk and lil gator game clogging up my hard drive 😂

Still on Spidey 2 and I don't wanna rush it but Robocop is calling my name very loudly and haven't even looked at Mario Wonder yet!!

Happy gaming everyone

I've still got BG3 on pause. As much as I love it, 50 hours in and about half way through Act 2 I just needed a bit of a break. It may end up being a few months before I go back but I'm excited to finish it when I do.

I've played some AC6 and MK1 but most of my time has been dominated by Trails In The Sky SC on Steam Deck. Closing in on the last part of the game now. So far the Trails series has not disappointed. Even these slightly older games feel really fresh and modern. And certainly very engaging. I'm totally sucked in to the series. I've got all the other games released so far on Switch/PS5, bar Sky The 3rd, which I will pick up as soon as SC is over.

I've also been eyeing a Meta Quest 3 for a couple of weeks now (having tried one a fortnight ago). With the addition of MR I feel like this is a great point to jump into VR, even if the software side for MR is somewhat limited right now. There seem to be a few standout games, with something of a multiplayer focus, but the store seems stuffed with lots of small "tech demo" style experiences. It's right on the edge of feeling like a good value proposition for me. Does anybody have any experience with the Quest? Any thoughts on what it's like for single player gaming?

Possibly a bit of MediEvil, maybe a touch of Dark Souls III, perhaps even a little Fantavision for bonfire night.

This weekend I’m playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It’s been an absolute joy so far. I’m not that far, but I just beat W3. The level of creativity and imagination in every stage is mind-boggling. The platforming is also precise, and the powers are all fun to use. I’m really enjoying my time with this one, and it’s up there with Super Mario World for my favorite 2D game in the series. I can’t wait for Super Mario RPG.

The main game I’m focusing on, however, is Alan Wake 2. It has been absolutely sublime, in more ways than one. Remedy creates incredible game worlds that are full of rich, environmental details that draw you into the atmosphere. It oozes in style, and is easily their most stylish game to date.

One thing I find great is how methodical the game presents itself. It knows the story it wants to tell and it goes at its own pace with unbelievable confidence. It trusts you to be patient and let it unfold naturally. And there is a story to everything - even upgrading your weapons. If you pay attention, there are references to Control during this aspect.

The characters are great, too. Saga Anderson is a fresh, unique character that is very memorable. I like how enthusiastic she is despite being an FBI agent; she loves a great mystery. I think her character taps into the modernism of true crime fans today (something I’m a big buff of myself), but with a touch of Twin Peaks.

I am also pleased with the exploration. There is almost an Metroidvania element to it. I don’t want to provide spoilers, but you’ll understand what I mean if you are playing the game. In the first Alan Wake you weren’t rewarded for exploring due to hardware limitations. While that’s still present here, with new technology the world feels more alive. Nothing feels out of place. Some of the best moments are optional side areas that provide environmental storytelling.

At the end of the day, I’m extremely impressed. Remedy knocks it out of the park once again, and despite their larger budget they stay true to their roots. This game does things that I’ve never seen in a game before and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them.

Having platinumed The fantastic technical and narrative ride that is Spiderman 2 I've now jumped into my very first Star Ocean game with Star Ocean The Second Story R on PS5 and so far Its alot of fun and has so many options. Though it does bring up some points about old school game design that I'm probably going to discuss on a Podcast later today.

Happy Gaming! 😃

I was about three hours into Phantom Liberty but dropped it as I just wasn’t feeling it (despite it being my most anticipated release of the year). Decided to dive into my PS3 backlog and chose Never Dead. I am surprised it reviewed so poorly as I’m having a great time with it despite its shortcomings. It could be the nostalgia goggles talking but I do miss a lot about the PS360 generation. Gaming (and life!) was simpler back then.

Surprised to see someone playing Nikke. It's VERY easy to dismiss due to the characters designs as just another fan service Gacha...but there is rarely another game that invests me with it's story more than this one.

Finishing up Lies of P, then back to Armored Core 🔥x6; Super Mario Wonder fillin’ in the cracks!

Spider-Man 2 - finished and platinumed it earlier in the week. Amazing game, amazing developer and amazing Spider-Men 🙂

Dead Space - great remake. Playing on easy though, makes it less scary otherwise I would probably have a heartattack 😅

Jusant - nice and relaxing. Playing shorter sessions, which makes it last longer and not get repetetive

Call of the sea - finished this yesterday. Nice puzzler with a story and a setting that I liked. Some puzzles were hard though. (Could just be that Im not that smart though 😆)

@Loamy that helps tremendously! I’m not a stranger to games people label “bad”. One of my favorites this year was Wanted Dead, which asked you to play a particular way to enjoy it. I loved it. So knowing those issues definitely helps me gear myself toward making a purchase on sale for it. I love the premise too, and can forgive a lot of aspects when a studio wants to punch above it’s weight.

@R1spam
Great to hear you're still pushing ahead with Blasphemous2... can't wait to hear your thoughts on the penultimate boss - he is the most BS boss I've faced in a while, my #2 worst of all time!

Lies of P is great isn't it? I'm playing on Deck, just storming through NG+ to get full trophies/achievements. Some of the early NG bosses are no joke, especially while you have limited resources. Brilliant first-effort from the devs, can't wait to see what they bring next!

Disco I played earlier this year... just wow. Unlike anything I've ever played before, and unlikely to play anything again similar. You definitely need to be in the right headspace, and it is a bit jarring coming from a Souls-y game into this. Brilliantly written and v funny, it is certainly a good time!

Having finished the excellent Callisto Protocol I’ll be mostly driving this weekend. GT7 and WRC 23 for me!

I'm giving Lies of P another go. I wasn't really feeling it the first time I tried it, but now that I have a build in place it really starting to click. I just wish they'd work on the tracking and hitboxes because you take way too much damage to not have those dialed in right.

Finished Spiderman 2 last night. Loved it. Superb gameplay visuals and story.

I'll do some final side missions and then move on to Assassin's creed mirage maybe via a palette cleanser like carion or dark pictures house of ashes

@gollumb82 I really enjoyed Callisto in the end at 2nd attempt. Stunning looking game

@mac_da_man I had to resort to guides for some later puzzles on call of the sea but thought it was a great game

@3Above I’ve been debating myself as to whether or not I want to buy Star Ocean Second Story R for my PS5 or Nintendo Switch. It seems like a perfect handheld game. If only I could convince my wife to let me get a PlayStation Portal. 🤔

Just bought Red Matter. The sequel was phenomenal, so excited to dig deeper into the story. Shame this didn’t come out first though.

@rusty82
Good to hear I’m not the only one who enjoyed TCP immensely. I heard a lot of negative things about this game which led to me avoiding it and what a mistake that was. Luckily, thanks to PS Plus I got to play it risk-free. Graphics and audio design are some of the best in gaming.

Get some racing in with GT7 and play some Baldur's Gate 3.

Robocop and Little Goodie Two Shoes, for goodness sake!
Really liking Robocop so far, I keep saying "Nuke" in a low voice every time I find some. It's a little rough, but nothing a patch can't fix. Playing in quality mode and getting some slowdown in cutscenes, not gameplay though.

Robocop: Rogue City (absolute blast this far) and/or Control/Alan Wake 2.

@ATaco
I so wish Sony would allow us to have games like this again. Sad times since 2018.

RoboCop Rogue City on PS5. Loving it.

Xbox - Lamplighters league, cities skylines 2
Playstation - parasite eve
Nintendo - Mario wonder
Pc - steamworld dig

Just started Undertale on the Vita.

I've gonna leave Hanako waiting at Embers so I can hang around with my chooms Johnny and Kerry.

Still chipping away at BG3, over 200 hours into this playthrough! But about to jump into FUGA: Melodies of Steel 2 as I forgot it launched earlier this year - furry child slaughter awaits!

Not much on the PlayStation this time. Still just messing around with Super Mario Wonder on Switch.

@freddquadros Thanks for the advice, buddy. I can’t wait to finally play P5R, but I equally want to start both FF7R and Spider-Man because FF7 Rebirth is on the horizon and my wife is getting me Spider-Man 2 for Christmas. I loved Miles Morales, so I’m really excited to play the two main games.

Also, I’m thrilled you’re enjoying FF16 so much. It’s such an incredible game. Just when I thought nothing could beat Tears of the Kingdom as my game of the year, Devil May Clive came along and blew me away! The music, visuals, story, combat and boss fights are all top drawer. It might even be my new favourite game of all time, but I need to let some time pass and see if I still feel the same a few months down the line. Enjoy my friend!

About to finish the FF7 Remake for the first time, and I think I'll just play it again after I do. It's just so amazingly PlayStationy and I love it 🙂

Finishing Spiderman 2. What a game!

Also some diablo season 2 and the FFXIV fall guy's event

Later than usual. But i have now acquired the platinum for Black Flag. So apart from my ongoing couch coop on BG3, will have to pull another game from my backlog to focus on.

Gonna Start ROBOCOP. So excited. Also got all 60 rainbow conch in Sea of Stars so now I can get the good ending. Some Mario Wonder and SFxTekken on PS3 with my son

@Kraven This game would be great Portable! One thing to note with the switch version is load times. It's not really long but my friend says it's about 2-3 sec longer to load in and out of battles than on PS5.

Edit: You could probably try the demo on PS5/Switch and see if it something you can live with.

Will be spending time on Gran Turismo 7 after the jam packed update this week. Starting up on WRC for a different type of driving, and getting some Street Fighter 6 in between!

Still playing Horizon Forbidden West, which came with my PS5. Had to buy the console with this packed in, but I don’t mind; dozens of hours of gameplay, and absolutely stunning in 120HZ VRR!

PS5 - Assassin's Creed Mirage

Switch - Super Mario Bros. Wonder, One Night Burlesque

@gollumb82 I had it and didn't give it enough time to grab me so traded it in. When it came on plus I gave it another go and got hooked. Couldn't put it down after that. The atmosphere and lighting were incredible.

Chicken Can't Fly (Windows Phone) - Nearly done with this.

Doodle God Blitz (Windows Phone) - Halfway point now.

Honkai: StarRail and if I feel any better and have the energy I need to get back to Lies of P. Alan Wake 2 is in my crossbar also calling me, too many games and never enough time 😭

I’m taking it easy and probably playing a couple point-and-click games before Sunday Football. Finished Kaito Files on Thursday and love Kaito so much 💙😍💙 I need a Kaito Gaiden-esque game

Completed the excellent Spiderman 2. Hopefully dlc is incoming for it. Now onto Mario wonder.

It's my birthday weekend and I'm spending a chunk of it with Baldur's Gate 3... Finally!

Playin some Spider-Man 2 like many of you, as well as, LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga on Switch.

@CJD87 Yeah, I'm still loving Blasphemous 2, the platforming is better than I originally thought too. My first boss took me a few goes but the areas seem manageable so far and importantly, when I die, it's my fault and I know what I've done. I've only played a couple of hrs of Disco but it's already got its hooks into me, it's so funny, dense and dark. Can't wait to play more. It runs OK on a switch, apart from the like 3 min boot up at the start, thought it wasn't going to run and id be stuck with strictly 🙈 Lies of P makes me think I should try Sekiro, the legion arm grappling hook rules! Did you play Sekiro? Bet you it runs awesome on steam deck

@R1spam Yeh Disco actually runs OK on Switch, albeit the boot-up is pretty long as you rightly say.
LoP is probably more similar to Bloodborne, but IMO it borrows heavily from all of From's portfolio... even the Lying/humanity system has echos of Demon Soul's 'world tendency'. A great first-time offering from a new dev, really exciting to see what they bring to the table next!

Yes Sekiro was actually my first FS game, and remains my favorite (even over Elden Ring). I played Sekiro on PS5 and it was smooth as anything 60fps. I am tempted to maybe re-buy for the Deck, as apparently it is one of the best games in terms of running/performance (both ER and Sekiro run brilliantly on Deck apparently

Happy gaming mate!

The crew motorfest. 95 hours and its still in my dreams at night, cant put this bugger down!
So many amazing titles waiting their turn...

Have a great weekend..

I have been messing around with the Streaming feature with PS+. It's not bad and streams fairly well, when my internet is not messing up. Also staring down the Plat in Control (my Halloween game this year). But for most of my time and all next week I'll be playing the "Has it shipped yet" game with Amazon.jp for my copy of Like a Dragon Gaiden.

Since the GT7 patch it’s been mostly playing against the new Sophy AI. What a joy to race against! I also blasted through the new weekly challenges. I’m over 100 hours into GT7 and i still can’t get enough of it. And when i need a break I’m actually playing through The Calisto Protocol. I’m really liking it so far. Have a great weekend everyone!

@Fuzzymonkeyfunk Couldn't agree more. I'm taking my time. About 20 hours (maybe 2/3 through?) and I adore it. Best survival horror I think I've played and personal GOTY.

@Kraven Couldn't agree more. I'd never played much of Remedy's past games, but the reviews and gameplay footage convinced me to try AW2. I've been blown away. The storytelling and environmental design are exquisite. It's genuinely scary and unsettling throughout. Not sure how far you are, but just finished a certain genre-bending section (keeping it vague for spoilers sake) and I nearly died from gameplay joy.

@somnambulance I hear ya. I'm probably a terrible uncle, but I've been playing with my 9 and 11-year-old niece and nephew. But they love watching horror games.

Alrighty another week and another entry. I think the best way to sum up this week was: reality. Despite being on vacation it was stressful yet in all that some bright glimmers shine through. With that out the way I was able to beat TOTK and finish off my Resident Evil Marathon. Unfortunately Pikmin 4, Fire Emblem Engage and Sonic Superstars weren’t finished off so I got some work as we head into GOTY season. Also watched the final episode of the final season of the final part of attack on titan (part 3) with some friends last night and that was nice if not bittersweet. See you later, Eren indeed. On the topic of pickups I picked up a grand total of 4 things on my vacation this week. Like a Dragon Gaiden, Tales of Arise DLC Before the Dawn, Warioware MOVE IT, and Star Ocean The Second Story R. Suffice to say between LAD and Tales this week and the week after being Super Mario RPG and Persona 5 Tactica I’ve got something basically for every week in November. Of course after those last two it’s time to knuckle down and really beat some games to put together GOTY lists. Big thing this week I’m looking forward to is enjoying a nice long relaxing session of Star Ocean 2 tomorrow for the last day off of my vacation. Shoutout to Kris Wolfheart of the GigaBoots Podcast Network (aka big think dimension) for being this games strongest warrior and now it’s more widely available. Also I think I’ll announce this here that I think my next long term marathon after having done all the mainline Resident Evil games is I’ll do all the Star Oceans. I mean I now own them all. And with Star Ocean 2 you can now play the whole series in one place. That being PlayStation but that’s another thing hahaha. Either way this week I also think I’ll try knuckling down on games like Sea of Stars on the PS5 again. I really wanna try to beat most GOTY contenders for those sorts of podcasts at the end of the year so I can understand what’s being talked about. In terms of anime this week yall already know gotta shout out Spy X Family and JJK again. Again big special shout-out to the end of Attack On Titan. And Eminence in Shadow just keeps delivering. As for podcasts this week we kinda back to that full rotation homies of Remap Radio, Minnmax, Castle Superbeast, Big Think Dimension and Into the Aether. As always have a excellent weekend yall and Happy Gaming.

It was a long, difficult, frustrating, exhilarating challenge but I finally reached Master rank in SF6 this weekend. I'm hanging up the ranked gloves. I'm done lol.

I'm so honestly busy with last term assessments that I could barley play anything this weekend

been enjoying Fate/ Samurai Remnant when I can though, and Neon abyss has been a good drop and drop out game for me during this term.

@Korgon Bro that's super impressive!
congrats!

@Hooder
Thanks man! I still am honestly shocked I was able to do it.