Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 524

Days Gone NG+ and I borrowed TLOUP2 Remastered so going to try those in between trying to finish the Fallout TV series which I’m thoroughly enjoying. Maybe even purchase Fallout 4 as it’s only £3.99!

I’ll be playing final fantasy 7 rebirth and Loretta on the 5. GTA vice city stories, shinobido 2 and paper please on the vita and I should attempt to finish horizon call of the Nicolas Cage on psvr2.

Ive been playing alot of Ghost of Tsushima and GT7 lately. Ive got Rebirth that i wanted to get through before Stellar release. On chapter 10 but for some reason when i put it on now i really cant be arsed to play it so end up just putting something else on. Strange as i absolutely loved it to begin with. Helldivers now and again but i dont feel a need to constantly be playing it atm.

Dragon's Dogma 2 44 hours played. System Shock on Steam which is awesome. Also Fallout show and Rebirth if I get time

Finished Demon’s Souls and I loved it! Never thought I’d be able to say this, but Elden Ring really opened this genre for me.

Now I’m playing the Stellar Blade demo. After half an hour it’s clear this will be an instant buy. Next I’ll either try Death’s Door or SW Jedi: Fallen Order.

Going to beat Rise of the Ronin tonight at some point. Currently halfway through Kyoto. What a game, been loving every bit of the 50+ hours I have in it already.

Have a great gaming weekend everyone.

I've still not made any progress since hitting chapter 10 of Rebirth really want to try and get it finished but don't want to play it think I'm burnt out on open world games that take ages to finish. I bought Firewatch so i may play that and try and finish up Banishers.

@Kidfunkadelic83 I've done the exact same thing with Rebirth was loving it then i hit chapter 10 took a break for a day and never went back.

The Trails series continues to dominate my time. On the second chapter of Cold Steel 3 now. I'm now starting to think there's a real chance I'll be fully caught up by the time Daybreak comes out!

Hoping to start Final Fantasy 8 today after picking it up in the sale. Looking forward to finally giving it a proper chance.

Happy weekend all

PS5: This week I platted Helldivers 2 and Street Fighter 6. So theres obviously only one thing to do. Play more HD2 and SF6. That is the plan until Stellar Blade comes out.
Switch: Supermario Wonder (backlog work)
XSX: Nothing

Sidenote. SF6 might be the best modern fighting game Ive ever played. Its just so smooth. And Ive been having a lot of fun playing Helldivers with friends and strangers. Even had some randoms willing to help me with some coop trophies.

Doing the endgame in Dragon's Dogma 2. I'm not holding out much hope for completing it though as I'm under-levelled and low on supplies. Makes it interesting though.

I'm continuing exploring in the 2nd game of the most recent series Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration.

Its now been 6 years since a new TR game was released.
It says on Crystal Dynamics website that a new game is under development, but unfortunately there is very little detail about the game.

I’m gonna try out Immortals of Aveum tonight basically for PS Stars thing and then back to Dragon’s Dogma II

I’m 52 hours into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and still haven’t even beaten chapter 7 yet. I’m absolutely loving this game and will be playing a lot more over the weekend, but will I be able to beat it by the time Stellar Blade comes out? One thing’s for sure, I’ll have a lot of fun trying.

I'm finally done with the Rayman Legends platinum grind! Now I'm working on Resident Evil 3 remake with some Balatro runs in between.

Dragons dogma 2 for me and helldivers in the evening. That new adjudicator rifle really ***** up those bile belchers.. loving it. Have a great weekend folks 👍

@kirkn loved the reboot trilogy. Especially rise. Shadow was good but something felt off compared to the other two but i still thoroughly enjoyed it

My local GAME is moving to sports direct and clearing it's stock so got physical edition of Tunic for a good price and resi 7 dirt cheap but think may finally get the new avatar game this weekend

Today's my birthday and I've been gifted Dragons Dogma 2, so will give that a go later tonight.

Still at it with Unicorn Overlord. I need to jump back on FF7 Rebirth but I can’t escape UO. I will make time for WWE 2K24 to though.

I plowed about 80 hours into Unicorn Overlord but think I’m done with it now, very fun at first but got a bit stale.
So I’m finally checking out AC: Black Flag a few years late, and I’ll play some more ‘Immortals of Aveum’

@playthedangame happy birthday. Have a good one

Sonic Racing Transformed and Chinatown Wars, on my Vita. There's some incredible stuff out, but I'll take the comfort foods until real life calms down. I'm focused on finding the right comic book series for my five year old to get him into reading. I'll take suggestions. He really likes Venom, and creepy designs like that. To other parents, Scribblenauts is great for being sneaky about spelling.
As (maybe) Satan, trust me.

Going to finish Robocop today. Might download Twisted metal 2 and dark forces remaster as I’m feeling a bit retro. Also Helldivers as that’s still very much an every couple of days game for me.

Back to Horizon Forbidden West and Monster Hunter World Iceborne. Will be continuing Elden Ring and AC Valhalla also. A bit of Bloodborne probably, haven't gotten nowhere in the Old Hunters.

@LikelySatan just saw your post and thought I’d say -The original Secret Wars run is good, has crossovers (lots of super heroes and villains), it’s on a far off planet and introduces Spider-Man to the ‘black suite’. I loved that as a kid. Might be worth a look for your son 👍🏻

@LordFunkalot love it! Thanks!

Alternating between Tomb raider remastered and Pacific Drive, which is really addictive and can spend hours in auto shop, it certainly brings my Ocd to the fore!😁😁

Can we have a poll for this like on NintendoLife? They do it much better

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown: It's a neat platformer that is challenging in a way similar to the Metroid series. I like the idea of screen captures to remember items you can later obtain and the pastel artwork is phenomenal.

Elsewhere I will be trying the Stellar Blade demo out to see if I want to purchase it. From the screenshots and chatter I probably will, but here goes.

I will be playing the awsome the last guardian.the boy and trico is a excellent protagonist.the graphics and gameplay is excellent.and the story is amazing so far.i will be playing the incredible rayman legends.rayman is a excellent protagonist.the gameplay the boss fights is excellent.and the story is cool.and the artsyle graphics is amazing.im still playing the excellent metal gear 5 the phantom pain definitive edition.and im still playing the amazing crash bandicoot n sane trilogy.i will be watching my boston Celtics 💚🖤 play.i will be watching legendary sitcoms tv 📺 shows in Sanford and son.good times.family matters.martin.the Jeffersons.and saved by the bell.word up son

@dBackLash Well done, that Rayman Legends plat is indeed a hell of a grind. I never got there myself, gave up on it in the end

@Rangers420 yeah thats exactly how i feel anout it. It started off so well too. I was on it every night until i got to the gold saucer, which i didnt like at all then after pushing through it i just cant be bothered.

The original Helldivers, a great game… and has done two things for me personally: 1) reminded me about how much I love twin-stick shooters and 2) whetted the appetite for Helldivers 2.

Doing a replay of ff7 Remake

On PS5 i will be continuing with the awesome Unicorn Overlord, Im currently half way through Elheim and the difficulty is ramping up. I will also hopefully complete Trails of Cold Steel 3 this weekend, Still have 2 more games to go before I can move onto Daybreak 😔.

On Switch I'm currently on Chapter 5 of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC so I might be able to complete that this weekend, I will also be putting some more time into AI The Somnium Files Nirvana which so far has been excellent and just as crazy as the last game.

Got a free weekend so I will be flip flopping between loads of games due to my ADHD levels of attention span.

PS5 - Infinite wealth, Helldivers, immortals of aveum, Tekken 8

Series X - Halo Infinite, Dragons Dogma 2

Steam deck - Dave the diver, Balatro, Cozy grove, Vampire Survivors.

A bit late to the party, but Rise of Ronin.
So enjoy open world games, do what I want and when etc.
Really enjoying the game so far and exploring all the areas etc.
performance mode on, motion blur off, VRR on. Plays smooth and perfect on me 65” Samsung, not a single issue so far.

Was thinking of getting a Sony OLED or mini LED TV but gaming wise both TVs are really restricted on what you can adjust in game mode or make little difference. As where LG and Samsung let adjust everything up or down to the maximum.
You would think the makers of PS5 would make their TVs more gamer friendly etc.

I want to do lots of gaming tis weekend, if time allows it. Started with Yakuza 3 yesterday, and will carry on to Tales of Arise, with occasional jumps into Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Let's go chums!!

Finishing off this wild ride, I imagine.

I’m still playing Persona 5 royal itching for that shiny Plat. In IRL I’ve just come back from my first driving test mock and it was awful. So I may just binge eat my weight in chocolate, whilst watching Midsummer Murders.

After eight years since my first trophy, I have finally managed to click with Helldivers.
Also Midnight Suns, Puzzling Places and Epic Rollercoaster (I actually don't think it is THAT bad although still would have preferred Rush of Blood vr2).

@Northern_munkey It is a great weapon, destroys automatons too. I am working towards the grenade pistol now, that looks awesome!

Just plenty of Helldivers 2 for me saving Super Earth ✊

@playthedangame Happy Birthday buddy and Happy gaming to everyone else 👍

Since last week

The Expanse - finished the game. It started pretty good but the last third of the game before the end wasnt quite as good as the story slowed down and the environments werent as fun. Overall though I enjoyed it!

Robocop - Im really enjoying this game. Its good, old school fun AA gaming at its best with pretty funny dialog and characters.

Synapse PSVR 2 - The game is really good and super fun and VR makes all the difference as Im not usually in to roguelikes, but the gameplay and mechanics are great!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth... I just, this minute, finished all of the VR challenges AND got the Johny's Trove Gold Trophy! I only have the Hard Mode chapters to do before the Platinum is mine... So this will be my final weekend before I move on... on to the original FFVII!

Dragon's Dogma 2

I felt stupidly overpowered on new game plus so I started again on an alt account. The game is still amazing, especially in a life or death fight with a huge beastie at early levels.

Mostly Marvels Midnight Suns (PS5). I've settled into the routine of the game and now trying to upgrade everything, level up characters etc. Still wish the combat to other activities ratio was skewed a bit more towards the former. Hey ho.

Happy gaming people.

Just arrived in Costa Del Sol in Rebirth and I need to start Season 3 of Foamstars but atm I'm at work with my PS Vita playing Sly Cooper 4

Game on!!

I have about given up on Hollow Knight: Silksong ever releasing, so I bought Enderlillies in the store sale for ten dollars. If it is half as good, I will be happy.

Addicted to AC: Valhalla. Sooo good.

Just bought the physical deluxe edition of pacific drive on Tuesday but haven't had much time to dive in yet on it,still in the garage working things out for controls,menus etc ,a lot to learn but really great atmosphere at this very early stage of the game ,feels like it's got so much heart and soul and love the art style ,bit like firewatch which was great.will play abit more of pacific drive later on today after spending a gd dose of time cycling this afternoon enjoying this very nice early spring weather after a very miserable and wet winter.looking forward to the looting in pacific drive as well and so far really enjoying it

This weekend I’m working on the platinum trophy for Rise of the Ronin. This could arguably be Team Ninja’s best game yet. And that’s saying a lot considering how incredible and influential the Ninja Gaiden series is — the original and Xbox version(s).

I will say this, however - I’m running into the same issue I had with NiOh 2, which is the game is too long. The fat could be trimmed in their (main) quest design. Currently, I’m 75% through Chapter Two and have 100%’ed each map, and unlocked the third region last night. My OCD brain can’t not do them all along with the open world collectibles. But dang-it, it has captivating combat and an addictive gameplay loop.

I’ve also been reading a lot more books lately. I’m in the process of finishing James Clavell’s Shogun series. Part II is absolutely incredible. After that lengthy adventure I’m going to dive into Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and the first of a horror trilogy, My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones.

Saints Row is done and platinumed, so now I can finish my platinum run of LA Noire (now a retro game!) with no real sidetracking.

PS5 wise:
P3 Reload
FFVII Remake Rebirth
Sonic Superstars
MGS2
Star Ocean Second Story R

PS4 wise:
ESO
AC2
Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen
GTA3

Kingdoms & Lords (Windows Phone) - Still getting my footing in this one.

Earthworm Jim HD (Windows Phone) - Buttville is seriously kicking my rear end...

Angry Birds Star Wars II (Windows Phone) - Always a special place in hell for three starring every single level in this game

I’m still working through Rebirth and am obsessed with Unicorn Overlord on Switch right now. Also a bit of Helldivers 2 to get my friend off my back who keeps harassing me to play with him because I’ve been too into Rebirth.

I finished Open Roads last night, and it is very disappointing. I thought Push Square and Pure Xbox did an excellent job reviewing it and I agree: Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever did really excellent voice work. Everything else was really mediocre, including a central “mystery” that was very easy to solve half way through the three hour run time. What a shame.

I am going to try out Immortals of Aveum for no additional charge to see how that goes!

Rise of the Ronin and Unicorn Overlord. Gaming life is good.

@LikelySatan The Amulet series has been a big stepping stone for our kids. Definitely worth looking into, plus the final volume recently released so it’s a complete story.

@mac_da_man Robocop giving citations in that game is some of my favorite funny dialogue in some time. Great game, and Peter Weller is awesome.

@Jimmer-jammer thanks so much! We'll check it out.
Also Psi Ops is dope.

Got 30 more wins left to get my heavy Class trophy in The Finals completed. Currently playing HiFi Rush having struggled to garner any enthusiasm for it since buying two weeks ago. It’s starting to show signs of enjoyment.

Fired up the PSVR2 last night having finally gotten around to getting my eyes checked out and getting contact lenses. Holy cow, the clarity is so much better. Will be working on a 1000 piece jigsaw in Puzzling Places tonight and tomorrow. Wish I didn’t look like a Klingon after taking the headset off

Haven’t really had much to play as of late so I’ve been going back and getting 100% on some games I platinumed but never 100%’d. After doing that with Fallout 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn recently, I’m now on Horizon Forbidden West and hoping the Burning Shores DLC and NG+ will keep me busy until the next Remnant 2 DLC lands and Stellar Blade shortly after that. happy gaming this weekend everyone!

PS5 - Final Fantasy XVI

Switch - Princess Peach: Showtime

I'll be playing some Ape Escape via PS Plus Classics, even though I find it's controls rather hard to adapt to.

Bought ancient dungeon. Only done a few runs but fun so far and only £16. Looking forward to seeing how deep it goes.

im playing dolphin emulator games on PC

Age of empires 2 with friends, Remnant 2 also with friends and Wild West.

Finished (& Platinumed) Alan Wake 2 this morning so I don't know what to go back to next.

Rebirth, Helldivers 2 and Snowrunner.

I want to keep going in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but the lack of fast travel for most of the game thus far has made it more of a slow journey. And I’d like to clear a game or two before Stellar Blade!

Dragons' Dogma 2, MLB the Show and the Division 2.

Back to Elden Ring - trying to get the platinum trophy. My original playthrough took 174 hrs and collecting the missing items just showed me how many places still not discovered - simply amazing!

Apart from that I played Stellar Blade demo and will not buy the game just yet because I´m just not in the mood for this kind of game after finishing FF16. However demo was good and Eve is...ya´ll know

Also helping out my sons in Unravel 2 - picked it up for them but they are still young and not so patient and skillful

When I´m not on the TV, working on my playthrough in Super Mario Bros. Wonder on switch lite.

Happy gaming and enjoy the weekend!

Tears of the Kingdom - Finishing up the final temple then some shrine hunting.

Final Fantasy XVI - On the homestretch of the main story. Looking to get the last side quests and some trophies connected to them knocked out this weekend.

@Bentleyma nice, I just picked one up as well! Used to have one years ago, so happy to get back with an old friend. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is awesome

It’s more Final Fantasy 16 for me this weekend. I’m about 50 hours in and I’m hoping I’ll be able to complete the first DLC this weekend so I can have some time to play something else before the second DLC drops this month. I’ve also been enjoying the recently re-released Resistance: Retribution on the PS Portal this week and I forgot how good this game is. The dialogue and voiceover is underrated. I am really hoping for a Resistance trilogy remake someday. Those games are special. I’d also be happy to squeeze in some Helldivers 2. Picked up a PS Vita this week and am just waiting on the memory card to come in the mail before I can start downloading my old games again. Miss the system and wish I had never sold mine back in the day. I remember I sold it for CoD: MW (2019) lol.

I just finished Ghost of Tsushima, did everything possible within the main game. It took me round about 73 hours.

Inbetween I took a sneak peak at Iki Island and I liked it better for it feels more compact. The main game has just to much of everything. All in all it was a pretty good game.

Will finish up Iki Island and after that I am not sure, I started:

Mass Effect 2
God of War 2018
Death Stranding
Dragon Quest 11
Yakuza 0

No idea where to go next.

Whatever you play, I hope you all have of fun with it. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Currently Playing

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5)
Diablo IV (XSX)
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)
Half-Life (Steam Deck)

Paused

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (PS5)
Divinity: Original Sin (XSX)

Days Gone. First time trying it and I really like it! It’s not a masterpiece like TLOU, but it’s pretty fun

I'm laid up with a chest infection and working my way through old PS+ Essential games that I claimed, but never tried. I'm 50% of the way through Control. It's really good at implying the unknowable and making me think I should do Alan Wake next.

Still working my way through Persona 5 Royal - currently 80 hours in and working on the fifth palace. I also managed to stumble upon Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania Bloodlines at a local game store so I bought them and I’ve been playing those with my son. Happy weekend, friends!

FF7 Rebirth: I feel like the story has just started in Gongaga after basically going MIA since the boat trip. Chapters 5 to 8 have really killed the pacing and IMO didn't need to be as long as they were. The characters are still a joy though I think Aerith has been given the short end of the stick and has almost no character moments so far. I can see why this game undersold.
It is TOO MUCH and the burn out feels very real. The mini games are TOO MUCH.
The weird way the women over emote in cutscenes to be Kawaii is TOO MUCH (not seen this level of weird women animations since Catwoman in AK).
This game oscillates between a 5 to 10/10 so quickly.

Nier Replicant: A very very good story. Unsure if I'll grind out everything for ending C and D though. I've cried at least twice so far. The emotional moments in this hit a lot harder than Rebirth and it is weird to see a game so much more focused on its characters while retaining a semi similar open world structure. I think this game is proof that AAA open worlds are way too big for no reason.

BG3: in Act 3... Overwhelming but my god this game is so consistently excellent in a way people claimed Elden Ring was. The combat is my only major issue with the game because of how many people are on screen in some fights now. Turns are way too long lol. The story also feels a little disjointed after Moonrise Towers but I'm hoping it picks up soon.

FF7 Rebirth currently in the Shinra manor Cait's route, started DD2 and just bought Eternights as well.

Playing through immortals of Aveum. A fun game. That deserve way more sales than it got.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is gonna be seeing a lot of playtime this year 😂

@Mostik I've switched over to the eruptor which I was not too keen on at first as its most definitely not a close range weapon and your squad mates will not thank you if you fire at a mob right near them either due to the splash damage but it closes bug holes and takes down chargers with 2 shots to their arses. If you want an extra helldiver for some violent comedy moments then hit me up..N_munkey72

@LN78 No, but I definitely checked! Hyperstone Heist and Sunset Riders are near the top of my list. Someone had just sold their Sega collection so I got some great stuff CIB - Contra Hard Corps, Castlevania Bloodlines, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles. I ended up passing on games like TMNT: Tournament Fighters and Battletoads/Double Dragon. They had the best selection of Sega CD and Saturn games I’ve seen in a while but I’m not currently collecting for those systems. Whoever sold it off took really great care of their stuff.

Playing through Skyrim on PS5! It really is a pinnacle game, writing was so good and shows how Starfield didn’t quite reach that level. Going to go for the platinum as it doesn’t seem too crazy.

In between household chores and getting ready for the week ahead, dipping my toes in to several games to see what grabs my interest for a play through. After finishing Persona 3 Reload and finishing a run of Persona 5 Royal that I started a year ago, I'm left with the question, "What do I play next?"

Trails in to Reverie - I loved Cold Steel and the Crossbell duology. For some reason, I can't get in to this one. Maybe it's Falcom fatigue.

Octopath Traveler II and Soul Hackers II - both are sitting on the shelf on plastic. I enjoyed the Octopath Traveler II demo, and I've been on a MegaTen kick. Either is viable.

Dragon Quest XI - this one is also sitting on the shelf, but I haven't broken the plastic just yet. I'm playing through the demo now and am really enjoying it. This may be the one.

Evil Within 1 and 2 - landed both very cheaply. I live survival horror, but just haven't played these too yet.

I also have some extended backlog ... I've been meaning to replay Final Fantasy 8, which I haven't beaten in over 20 years. Xenogears and Breath of Fire IV are others that I've been meaning to get around to since they came out.

Decisions decisions.

Alrighty here we go with another WAYP. Pretty decent week this week as I got to beat Hi-Fi Rush, try out Eddy Gordo and dabble in Helldivers 2 and Penny’s Big Breakaway. All absolutely excellent tho I would say my favorite of that was Hi-FI Rush. The final boss fight with Kale is just a work of art. Also picked up a copy of Pepper Grinder and preordered Saga Emerald Beyond. Also secured the money in the bank for the FFXVI DLC coming out this week The Rising Tide. And I would say the most important and interesting part of this week if you couldn’t tell by my little reference there is I would now say I’ve gotten into professional wrestling. Yep I saw Wrestlemania last weekend and it just clicked for me finally and I just love it. Like most things with “sides” I would say like marvel or dc I’ve firmly decided on WWE over AEW. As for games this weekend aside from hifi rush and penny like I said I’m thinking of finishing off the weekend with some Trails Into Reverie and Persona 3 Reload. Other than that I got some real early shifts this week so I’m thinking of looking on the bright side with that one and using it to work on some more Unicorn Overlord. Other then that the switch plans are simple: Princess Peach Showtime, Another Code, AI The Somnium Files and the games I’ve listed before. And on the PS5 I’m thinking of dabbling in some FFXVI before the DLC as well as other games like Dragons Dogma 2 and FFVII Rebirth as well as the other games I’ve listed before too. Anime of the week have to go to such excellent shows like Mashle, Solo Leveling, High Card, Shangri-La Frontier, Delicious in Dungeon and Witch and the Beast. Tho I won’t lie my main focus I feel this month in terms of shows is gonna be on Game Adaptations. I wanna watch Twisted Metal and Fallout before the Knuckles show comes out and I think they all will make a excellent trio of shows. As for podcasts of the week you know it’s the usual beauties like Castle Superbeast and Big Think Dimension, Into The Aether, RPGsites Tetracast, WIndbreaker and Firelink, Nextlander, Minnmax, Remap Radio and this week special newcomer Easy Allies podcast. All seriously awesome and excellent listens. Of course we gotta give a special amd lovely shoutout to my good friend over at twitch.tv/akibread and their absolutely excellent streams. As always be good to each other. Stay safe and have a great rest of the weekend. And Happy Gaming.

Just platinum'd the fractured but whole.
Much better than I anticipated, and has so many laugh out loud moments, my whole household started watching the play though

@NoHope I recommend Yakuza 0 😎

Finally going to finish GoW:Rag, which I've really loved. Bought Star Wars: Survivor so that'll be next

@Northern_munkey Nice one buddy, I'll add ya and mention push square.
Yeah the eruptor is my new primary now, it absolutely wrecks the bots, still doesn't stop me from getting rocket sniped though 😂