Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 487

Plenty of Hunt: Showdown for me this weekend, as per usual. Without a doubt one of the better FPS games out there.

I'm also going to continue my attempts at the Pantheons in Hollow Knight. The OST in this game is so good. Anyway, here's hoping I'll beat the Pantheons eventually. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

Slay the spire, I dont have enough of it

I finished FF16 this week. In the end I quite liked it. The cast of characters is great, the story and world was very Final Fantasy. And whilst a bit of a change, the combat was fun, if not a bit less expansive that I'd have liked. A solid 7/10 game.

Now I'm spending most of my time on Trails in the Sky FC. Just started chapter 3. Also continuing Act 2 of the Diablo 4 campaign. Contemplating taking something off the backlog too. Maybe Ryza 1 or Tokyo Xanadu eX+.

I didn't play much FF16 this week, so I will treat myself to at least one long-ish session on that, I reckon! I got to a point where I don't know whether to put points in to the odd massive ability, or to upgrade abilities that are more spammable. For so long I've just left thousands of points unspent, even though you can respec easily, because I can't decide what to use them for 😅

On Playstation 5 I will be continuing with Final Fantasy 16, currently 70% done and don't want it to end. I will also be playing Neptunia Sisters vs Sisters and Senran Kagura Burst Renewal for my anime fix 😂.

On Switch now that I've completed Kirby Return to Dreamland I can now start Pikmin 4 so I will be playing a lot of that this weekend. I will also be playing Rune Factory 5, hopefully I can complete the story soon as its starting to drag now, to a point where I'm not even farming anymore.

Giving Martha is Dead a go when the kids aren't around. So far so good.

Then replaying the awesome Rise of the tomb raider now @ 60fps all on my brand new blue pad that my 5 year old son is obsessed with lol

Seeing some playing Tekken 8 got me super jealous. Even though I'm deep into SF6, I'll always prefer Tekken. Hopefully it'll release soon.

I'm finishing the DLCs of Alan Wake. Completed the vanilla part and thought it is pretty good. Got me looking forward to Alan Wake 2.

@Bentleyma I really enjoyed Gylt

Dredge, what an addictive wee game 😀⚓️

Black Ops 2 TDM. Well that’s the goal. I imagine at least 1/3 of that time will be spent backing out of matches where people are killing me through walls. From across the map. In the air.

In typical FromSoft fashion I'm finding places in Sekiro right under your nose the whole time, entire cities behind crevices. And still on my 2nd run in the magnificent Horizon Forbidden West. Gallivanting in AC Valhalla. Not sure I'd be gaming a lot this weekend though.

I picked up Anno 1800 in the sale and have been hooked, so I'll no doubt be sinking a load more time into that

I've been away overnight, but when I get home I'll probably be finishing off Sniper Elite 5, and contemplating whether to do it all again on Authentic to get the platinum

I finished Far Cry Primal yesterday so for something completely different I’m playing SpongeBob Battle for Bikini Bottom. I’ve never watched Spongebob but the game is pretty fun so far

Im still playing the excellent octopath traveler 2.the fantastic the legend of heroes trial of cold steel.the incredible 2019 game of the year winner.instant classic and one of the best games ever made in sekiro shadows die twice.incredible boss fights.fantastic graphics.wonderfull story.sekiro is a fantastic protagonist.and the gameplay is so fun.the incredible red dead redemption 2.and the amazing 🕷 spiderman.i will be watching legendary sitcoms tv 📺 comedy in Sanford and son.good times.and saved by the bell.word up son

@Smiffy01 Ooo I think I’m gonna play that next!

I finally upgraded my PC and playing Exoprimal via the 1€ PC Game Pass.

I'll be playing the Tekken 8 cnt again. Have a great weekend folks 😄

Remnant 2, though I’m currently stuck on the Nightweaver boss (playing solo). Will keep trying. Started Pikmin 4 yesterday which I’m enjoying. I think I’m gonna give Diablo 4 a rest for a while as I’m starting to feel burnt out on it, which is bad timing considering the first season only recently started!
Update: just defeated The Nightweaver! 🙂

Diablo 4 of course. Have a cracking weekend everybody 👍

@Kyushutrail Enjoy 👍👍

FF16 wrap up I think. I’m about 70% through whatever that means for hours left.

Beyond that still refusing to finish TOTK because I’ll lose all motivation to do other side stuff once I do.

Lastly Remnant 2. My goodness what a blast I’m having with it. It’s bigger and better and more refined Remnant 1. And I’m more into the lore having watch a couple of YouTube videos and realizing how much I didn’t know!

Beat Final Fantasy I, II and III last week on Switch without any knowledge about 2 and 3 and with minor knowledge about 1, alongside a replay of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and a blind playthrough of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intermission on Ps5.

Started Bayonetta on Switch which I don’t know anything about beyond having played chapter 1 and 2 on WiiU years ago.

Might start Final Fantasy IV after.

Finally started with FFXVI this week. I must say the character design takes some getting used to. I like Clive and Cid a lot, but there's something off about Benedikta I can't put my finger on. Also, the switch to an action oriented "go to point A, slay monsters, go to point B, watch cutscene, slay monsters, go to point C, defeat boss character, watch cutscene" style Final Fantasy doesn't stick yet. I like a more open approach to RPG's, but I guess it's just a matter of time before the story and battle system really unfold. I'm sure I'll have a great time eventually.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

@Nightcrawler71 what world did you begin on? I’m traveling through Yaesha and have found it to be kind of a cruel opening world for solo play. Just so so many enemies at once that I’m doing a lot of run run run as I gun.

I'm currently playing

PS5 - Cyber Punk 2077

Xbox - Halo Infinite

Switch - Strange Brigade

I'll be killing them mongols, one by one, in Tsushima.

I started The Callisto Protocol on PS5 last night. Two crashes in thirty minutes - this is the physical version and updates had yet to download before I started the game.

Is the updated/patched game going to improve matters? I detected stuttering, predominantly during cutscenes. What little I’ve played seems good, but if these issues persist it’s going to impair the experience.

Ps5 Remnant 2 Handler build, Dead Island 2 side missions, Final Fantasy XVI. Switch Zelda TOTK unlocked the map, got the Master Sword about 65 hours played so far. Ghost Trick Phantom Detective never played this on the DS definitely a classic

I will be moping up the final content of Assassin's Creed Origins, play some Rogue Legacy 2, and some Witcher 3 or Hogwarts Legacy, whatever I feel in the moment. Many options, little time...

I’m sailing around still in spiritfarer picking up lost souls and feeding them complete garbage lol.

Been playing Gotham Knights I'm actually enjoying it more than i was expecting after the reviews it got. Might go back to Forspoken too I've not played it since the first 4 hours on the day i bought it.

I’ll be heading to Vegas soon for vacation so for my flight I decided to bust out my PlayStation Vita this weekend and get a good start on The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II. I played the first one years ago and loved it, but I accidentally broke my handheld but never got around to playing the rest of the series despite owning a PS4 and now PS5.

I also picked up Gravity Circuit for the PS5. This game is rad. It’s essentially an ode to Mega Man X, only with this your combat is melee based rather than long range weaponry. It’s tough as nails, and I’m not entirely sold on the controls, but if you like 2D action platformers, this is a must play.

@ErrantRob my game started in Losomn, which I really enjoyed (apart from the final boss!). I didn’t even realise people could start off in different worlds 😱 I’ve just started the next world, which for me is Labyrinth. I’ve been playing solo, using handler archetype. This is useful for solo play as the dog can not only help you fight but also revive you (using one of your dragon hearts).

@Kraven I bought a 2nd hand Vita a few days ago with The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel I and II. The vita looks great and I’ve found so many cheap 2nd hand games Good times ahead

Trinity Trigger with a side of Octopath Traveler II

Final Fantasy XVI

Still working my way through it and still loving it. 66 hours and 93% done. I know I won't finish it this weekend, but hopefully I get plenty of time with it this weekend unlike during the week.

I’ve been stuck at 90% completion in FFXVI for a couple weeks lol. It’s been a busy summer with the kiddo so I haven’t had much time to sit down and actually finish the game. I’m hoping that Sunday is the day I can sit down for awhile and not be bothered 😂

Talking to my necktie again whilst attempting to (poorly) manage my propensity for substance abuse, alongside solving an unsightly murder and juggling the conceptualisation of my own identity....

Then, when it comes to games - I'll be continuing Day #2 in Disco Elysium.

Still not got that body down yet..

The Crew 2. It's alright, but I can't shake the feeling it would be 10 times better in VR. This is a normal curse for us VR folks.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. I'm somewhat surprised to see that it runs fine on my PC, so I'll be playing through that. Also continuing with Hogwarts Legacy, and perhaps also find another game to start.

One ESA is over, Sonic Adventure 2, plus Genshin and GT7 for the dailies.

Picked up a ROG Ally so probably just testing that out with various Gamepass and Steam titles.

I think I’ll really put in some time for FF7 Remake on PS5 and Street Fighter 6 on Xbox Series X.

Octopath traveler 2. The game is so far really fun. Combat can be pretty hectic when you're using every ability. But I'm already getting really tired of random encounters now. I triggered like 10 of them on a really small stretch of land to get to new nearby village, it was obnoxious

Also the stories are extremely simple and cliched so far, they border on comedic. And it's kinda funny that one story has you trying to take back a country from a tyrannical evil while another sets you off on a journey to dance for people lol

I've been melting in the Mediterranean sun with a pint of Mythos, yamas squad!! I did find some time to check out oxenfree 2 on android, which seems pretty decent and a little totk. Just did some sky islands with light puzzles and it's some of my favourite gaming moments ever.

If I find the time (big if) I'll keep playing Far Cry 5.
I have a lot of other games I need to finish, but right now I'm hooked on slaying cultists lol

I'm 74 hrs into the incredible ride that is Final Fantasy XVI and I still have alot to do. But I think I'm at the final mission. After XVI I'll probably go back to Octopath Traveler 2 or maybe try Alan Wake Remastered. Keep on Gaming!

After making gradual progress over the last few weeks, I somehow went absolutely crazy and completed tons of levels on Humanity yesterday. Going to try and keep that momentum going through the weekend.

Trying to find the very rare most wanted criminals in the very good Gotham Knights.

I've been playing a lot of Pikmin 4 throughout the week so I may continue playing that.

@Zuljaras Castlevania III Dracula's Curse is one of my all time favorites! Rock on! 🤘

I’ll be playing ff16 and twisted metal 2 on the 5 and prey(2006) on my XsX so I will also be fiddling with my xbox advert X new ui experience to see if I can make it less awful but its not looking like I can.
Why would you take the only good thing about the interface “groups” and gimp it on the main menu and hide it deep in the interface, sweet baby Scott Bakula it’s bad

@Nightcrawler71 I should have started with Handler but I really wanted to see how the game faired without the dog. Wish I hadn’t! I do hear the maze and the next world get easier because of gear and upgrades you’ve achieved by then.

And I wouldn’t have know about starting on different worlds either except that everyone I’ve talked to starts where you have and I had to look it up to see why I did! Apparently there are three main worlds you can visit in any order based on what the game rolls for you.

Traveling for work so stuck at hotels - PS5 gets a break

1. F1-23 (Steamdeck) Belgian GP weekend 🏁
2. Monochrome: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten (Steamdeck)

Finished FF16 now waiting for Armored Core VI.

I should be playing final fantasy 16, but I'm buying elder ring on psn since it's discounted to about $35 on my country psn 😅

And I still plan to play armored core 6 next month too, man there's just too many great games to play this year 😃

Also sonic frontiers is just $17.5 on psn so I'll play that too.

I'm doing another playthrough of Spider-Man on ultimate difficulty (which is strangely easy), followed by a playthrough of Miles Morales ahead of Spider-Man 2. I'm also playing FFXIII on PC and will get in some obligatory FFXIV time.

I’m on TotK this weekend, which I’m finding interesting and frustrating in equal measures. Also going to watch the new Venture Bros movie at long last

Playing Diablo 4 but kind of winding down. I am 120 hours in, it's been fun, have a great build, learned a ton from Maxroll.gg, cleared things like Altars, Strongholds, Renown Map, finished campaign, dipped into many side quests, did some grinding for gear in certain dungeons. Problem now is I have little interest in starting a new character for seasons, redoing things, and starting from scratch. Also I find organically finding the cosmetics in the game are much better than the store or season. Yes the noise around the game is deafening, but I've been down the buff/nerf road before in games like Borderlands/Wonderlands. Devs focus on max time played, so if a build is too strong, they cut it down with an update, so you don't get overpowered and then bored. Although it's important to note, it really mostly affects high-end hardcore players, I have seen little impact on my build as a casual player. I'd recommend the game, it looks amazing, sound and music is stunning, and it's a lot of fun.

Jumped into Lego 2K Drive and Gotham Knights this past week. 2K Drive seems so fun with lots to do so far. They are opening up a user content shop this week (cars created by players) so interested to check that out.

Biggest surprise was Gotham Knights, what a charming and fun game. Only 5 hours in, but tooling around solving crimes as Batgirl is a blast. Considering it was $20 US with the current PSN sale, I feel like its a great deal. I highly recommend the add-on pack (also on sale for $7) because it provides new gear and a lot of resources for creating new weapons and suits, along with new color schemes.

Also there is good and bad 30fps implementation, this is excellent 30fps, I have no issues at all and I am a big "I can only do 60fps" person. I feel like it adds a bit to the noir style, it plays like a movie. Absolutely worth a 20 if you are on the fence.

I’ve been playing Aliens Dark Descent. The look and atmosphere in the game is excellent but I’m not sure if the gameplay is for me. Also, the checkpoint system is very frustrating. I played 10 minutes of the first mission and had to quit - now I’m back at the command deck skipping through all the post-prologue cutscenes and I have to start the first mission again from scratch. I’ll persevere with it but I’m on the fence at the moment.

Just started Final Fantasy XIV

Just completed Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart and TLOU Part 1… amazing games. Might move onto some of my backlog now… 😊

@ErrantRob it may be worth you going into the “world settings” and re rolling the campaign. Apparently you will lose your current progress in that world, but still keep all of your skills, traits, resources, perks etc. The game will then give you a brand new world, hopefully different to the one you’ve started in. Do a Google search for “remnant 2 what does re roll campaign do” and look into it. It may be worth doing if you’re struggling in your current world. Also, make sure you look everywhere - every nook and cranny - as you can often find loot, especially rings which often provide some good buffs. Also upgrade your guns/melee weapon whenever you can (back at the ward 13 hub, which you can return to from any of those Red checkpoints).

Well I made it through that week of early shifts. YIPPEE. 🎉 And I have lots of games played to show for it. Like Pikmin and more progress made in Trails To Azure. I did however drop a game and that’s Advance Wars. Mission 23 is just impossible even with a step by step guide and I’m just done making myself miserable. Anyways onto this week. For once I have a Saturday off so I’m finally gonna start Rain Code to celebrate and then late night finally get back to my darling FFXVI. The week ahead has mixed days of early and late so on early days I think I’ll finally start Ghost Trick and Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed and on late days well that will be FFXVI nights. Also with the announcement of FFXIV Dawntrail I’m planning on finally getting back to and Conquering my fear of FFXIV: Endwalker in early August. Very hype for EVO next weekend and loving the FFXIV fan fest this weekend. Anime for the weekend is simple y’all already know we going Atelier Ryza, My Tiny Senpai, ZOM 100, Liar Liar and Ayaka. Music of the weekend is SF6 OST, RWBY V9 OST, Summer anime OPs and podcasts are Castle Superbeast and Into The Aether. Happy gaming and have a great weekend everyone,

I was complaining about FF16 not clicking with me before, but now at 43% it’s getting rather awesome both story and combat wise.

Only downside: my right trigger finger is hurting like hell from cramping up on the R1 button.

PS5 - Horizon: Forbidden West. About 25% of the way through and the world has opened up.

XSX - Weird West. Just started, seems like an excellent game.

Switch - Metroid Prime Remastered. My first Metroid and enjoying it so far. About 50% of the way through.

Wild at Heart. Been getting my use out of PS+. By the time I'm done with that, Sea of Stars will be here.

I started Twisted Metal when it came to the PS+ classic collection and so far have beaten the game with about half the roster. I gotta beat the game with the other half of cars to get the platinum.

Other that, continuing my journey in Elden Ring about 290 hours in now, and always getting at least a few rounds in of Crypt of the Necrodancer daily.

Happy gaming everyone.

This weekend I picked up F.E.A.R. On the PS3. I’m into it about four hours now and I’m quite enjoying it. For an early PS3 game the AI is really fun to fight. And on PS5 I’m working my way through Killzone Shadow Fall. I’m having a good time with that as well. I guess i was was in a shorter mood. And when I need a break I play a few rounds of MK11. Have a great weekend!

Since finishing FFXVI, I can't seem to get a game to stick. Probably play more of the indie games and shorter experiences I have in my backlog. Other than that I'm currently reading up on Japan's history from 1850 to the present day. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend everyone!

@Darude84 You should check if any of the other control layouts work better for you.

Thanks! I looked at that, but all 6 configurations come with a heavy use of R2 and/or R1. R1 is either evading or spamming attacks.

Edit: I overlooked configuration D, which interchanges Evade and Eikonic Feat and leaves the rest the same. That could work for me!

@Darude84 fingers crossed you find it more comfortable.

@MightyDemon82 If I can still cross my fingers 😅

Remnant 2 all weekend long.

@Duck_Farmer I loved evil west. Pure fun. No airs and graces just fun combat and gore

@sentiententity I was playing it a few weeks ago. Was loving it but got a bit bored of it a few hours in

@rusty82 lol - I got the game wrong. It's Weird West I'm playing, not Evil West. I've edited my post.

Still Ghost Recon Breakpoint, it seems I don't mind a 200 to 300hr unfinishable RPG where you can fire rpg's

@Nightcrawler71 appreciate the advice! Remnant 1 had a similar re roll campaign that I never took advantage of. I did manage to find a few rings and really make progress yesterday on Yaesha so I’ll see how well my gunslinger fairs after finding some new loot.

@darkswabber ....you did all that in a week ?? KUDOS ! My God, that's some quality gaming time

@KingPev base FF7R was started before this week but yeah I beat FF7R on saterday, FF7R intermission on sunday, FF1 on saterday, FF2 on Tuesday and FF3 on thursday.

EDIT: I’m also probably beating Bayonetta today.

@Duck_Farmer ahhh ok. Not played that one

Currently, I've been immersed in a lot of Star Wars-related content. I am on my last chapter of "Jedi Survivor," and I must say, the sequel surpasses the original by miles – it's simply fantastic!

Books wise - I'm also engrossed in "Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade," and so far, it has been an exhilarating journey.

Recently, I completed "Star Wars: Convergence," the first book in Phase 2 of the High Republic series, and it was truly awesome. The way the story unfolds in that era is impressive.

Some months ago I read Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars’ - Is a Must-Read Before Playing ‘Survivor’

Although my passion for Star Wars has kept me occupied, I haven't forgotten about my progress in playing FFXVI. I suspect I'm about 60% through the game, but with all the exciting Star Wars adventures, it's been challenging to find time to continue.

On another note, I managed to snag "TellTale Batman S2" during an Epic sale, which was quite a feat, considering it's hard to find in my country. The PlayStation Store doesn't even offer it, and the disc version is unavailable anywhere.

@kyleforrester87
What happened to your Aliens Dark Descent run? I finally finished it yesterday and it was a banger of game - will go for the platinum on this one. Also downloaded Pillars of Eternity 2 yesterday (been in my pile for a long time). If I recall correctly you said it was a great game…

This weekend I decided to start Divinity: OS2 after bouncing off of it some years ago ( I usually love these kinda RPGs so I dunno why) and wow, it's clicked now. Best turn-based RPG I've played in over a decade.

There's so much freedom in how you approach objectives throughout the game. Intelligent combat system with awesome abilities and spells plus battlefield status hazards and traps. And don't get me started on the lore/ writing throughout this game 👌 it's nigh on perfect balance between a heavy story but with the ol Larian comedic relief.

I'm insanely hyped for BG3 now. Larian are masters at their craft ❤️

@kyleforrester87
There’s definitely less jabbering but sometimes it’s completely out of context, for example a marine will starting spouting that there’s a Xeno in the area and there’s nothing there. The game is still quite buggy (literally) as it crashed on me three times yesterday. Overall it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the game.