Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 579

Just about halfway through my Dante Must Die run on Devil May Cry HD and it’s as insane as I was led to believe! The boss fights at this difficultly are just something else… and even though I’m just this one trophy away from the platinum rn, I’m still not overly confident that I’ll be up to the task of seeing this one through.

Hope all of your weekends are less stressful than mine 😅

We continue... Clair Obscur - Expedition 33... I imagine there are a lot of us currently elbow deep in Ink and craving a really good crunchy baguette.

After beating the wonderful Forspoken (including the DLC), I finally started playing Veilguard. Just like Forspoken, it seems like it didn't deserve any of that hate. A very well made and fun game. I may upgrade to the deluxe edition, just to support them, even belatedly.

Finished South of Midnight earlier on XBX. What a stunning game ! This wasn't on my radar at all, read the reviews, thought I'd check it out on GamePass. So glad I did. Great gameplay, superb graphical style, just a joy to play- get all over it if ( when ) it comes to PS5. It reminds of the PS game Kena Bridge of Spirits, but better
Also will blitz some long sessions in on Oblivion Remastered which has its claws in me like it's 2006
Have a great weekend guys and gals ❤️

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and maybe a bit of Hotline Miami

@naruball ...i agree - two great games, particularly Veilguard, that are far better than the haters would have you believe. Is the Forspoken DLC worth it ? Tempted

Metaphor loving it.

Also finally purchased physical copies of final fantasy7 integrade, ffrebirth, ff16.

Still going for the Ishin plat. Lots of little bits to do, minigames and equipment smithing mainly.

I finally finished Eiyuden Chronicles 100 heroes which I really enjoyed although I found the ending a bit of a letdown.
I have now started Assassins Creed Shadows and looking forward to continue!

@KingPev yes, in many ways it's even better than the base game. It's much more linear and focuses on story and action, while also introducing new spells. I bought it when it was on discount and thought it was a steal. If it's on sale again, you should definitely consider getting it. It only takes a few hours to beat, but it's action packed. Highly recommended.

@MonkeyDLuffy19 ....we're getting the impression you love epic JRPG's 😉 ...some quality gaming ahead of you there !

@naruball .....sold ! I'll definitely be getting that

Playing Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I got all 7 sages so it's time to face Yuga x Ganon at Hyrule Castle and rescue the princess.

Have a good weekend everyone 🍻

Edit:
Just finished the game. There's some plot twist although i already expected after the cutscene showed that character has the painting.

Overall, Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a great Zelda game. I give it an 9/10. I really like it 👍👍

Paused playing Monster Hunter Wilds and started D4 season 8. Hopefully can get it done in two-three weeks max to resume MHW.

Marathoning the Ninja Gaiden trilogy ^__^. Just got a physical copy of Ninja Gaiden II Black so I can finally experience that version ^__^

Going to be an awesome weekend as Vampire Survivors/Brotato on the switch then curry night tonight 🔥
Sunday playing Silent Hill 2/Dead Space as have an empty house!
Also watched Last of Us last night and really enjoyed the first two episodes. It inevitably means I want to replay TLOU2 😂
Enjoy your gaming bank holiday weekend everyone!

Halo: Spartan Strike (Windows Phone) - Loving this style of play. I would love more Halo in this style...

@KingPev wonderful! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Since I've been overburdened with work over the last couple of weeks, I've only been playing a few rounds of Battlefield 1 online. Goddamn, how I miss a good BF game. Fingers crossed the next installment will be a banger.

Got a nice long weekend ahead of me; so I shall be running around Oblivion and heading back into Persona 5 Royal to finish up some minor trophies.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3. Both superb turn based RPGs and both games have Shadowheart in them.

This bland dude will be playing Kingdom come 2, lost record and tomb raider 3 on the 5pro and sims 4 on the lappytop.

I'll be going between Oblivion remastered AC Shadows and Days Gone remastered i really need to stop starting so many massive open world games at the same time lol. I was playing Clair Obscur on Xbox but my Gamepass expired.

Days Gone Remastered for me. Ill try to finish it before tuesday when Balatro drops on PS+.

Tomorrow is the Belgian cup finale. I hope RSCA takes the cup. It's been a long time since my team won a price.

Have a great weekend.

I’ve been obsessed with Forager, but I have all the islands and it’s become a bit too grindy now.

I have 2 remaining games on my backlog - Battlefield 1 and Robocop. So probably one of those!

I am deep into my play through of Oblivion: Remastered. Then also will be doing some Iron Banner in Destiny 2. Happy Gaming All.

By Sithis I'm still playing Oblivion, and being somewhat sociable in the non pixel world. My journey so far has brought me all over the map, and still on foot. It might sound like torture not to use a mount or fast travel, and sometimes it can be when you have a certain quest that sends you to every city for a specific reason but it makes my playthrough last longer.

I'm at 132hrs and still on Expert. Gear is finally making a difference even-though enemies have so much more health. I've been cheating a little by leveling a couple of stats in work, and have had a few close calls when NPCs spawned into the room I was in and all immediately started shouting at once leading everyone on the work call to ask 'what was that noise?'

I'm about to hit lvl30, I've borrowed and not returned over 10K items, I'm close to 1K creatures killed, I've only technically murdered one person and that's still up for debate, I've made a couple of million gold from selling said borrowed items (merchant maxed/haggle too) I've got a decent property portfolio, and I've somehow completed 71 quests though I'd assume those are Guild quests since I completed 2 of those already. I've got a 20K bounty but again only technically (there are ways around that) and apparently I've told 7 jokes, I don't know how. That's about it, hope everyone has a fun game filled weekend, with maybe some sun too, it's lovely today.

Also if anyone runs into a bug with enchanting (I tested this on a friends game too, both PS5s) cycle your in-game text from medium or large to small. The bug was that you could cycle skills and attributes while enchanting but X didn't select them so you always ended up with whatever skill/attribute was at the top. This way you can cycle and select. Don't ask me how or why it works but it does. And if you are coming to the game for the first time you can actually have x4 enchants on a weapon, I saw a lot of posts on other forums about there being a limit of one. It's only one enchant if you apply a sigil stone, it's x4 when using an enchanting altar. You'll also unlock more spells to apply to your gear if you learn/buy/and level that spell first so keep that in mind too. The first time you try you'll only see a few, there are near endless combinations. For example I'm currently leveling destruction magic so I can apply a weakness to fire enchant on a bow. The same bow will also get soultrap, fire damage and weakness to magic. I'll probably make one that turns whoever it hits against their allies too, for fun.

Obligatory non-spoiler image. This game needs photo-mode.

My primary focus this weekend will be Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Not too long ago, I was raving about Kingdom Come Deliverance —rightfully so; 200 hours later I finally got the platinum — and said I can’t see anything topping this as my frontrunner for GOTY. Well, that sentiment has changed.

I’ve put roughly 20 hours into this game. I recently completed Act 1 and am near the tail-end of Act 2, and I am blown away. The story is heartfelt, with twists and turns that have left me in utter disbelief. And the shocking moments that do occur don’t happen for the sake of trying to pull a fast one on your emotions. No; it happens organically, with beautiful allegories behind its decisions. You don’t see this often with modern RPGs.

Many developers neglect the story for gameplay and exploration. Clair hasn’t substituted anything. Everything is purposeful. It has taken all that makes an RPG what it is — story, party members, bantering, evil villain(s), a classic leveling up system, beautiful OST, exploring a vast open world — and elevated it above all of its contemporaries in a masterclass execution.

The combat has left me just as speechless as the narrative. It keeps you engaged from start to finish, and always evolving with new mechanics. Even more impressive is how many builds you can create — quite literally at least a hundred, and they aren’t minor. Just when you think turn-based mechanics couldn’t evolve in a redefining way, here comes a studio with their first game knocking on the door saying, ”Surprise”!.

In a similar fashion as how Dark Souls paved the way for a lot of the games we see today, I truly believe Clair will be the example with turn-based RPGs moving forward. What is even more impressive is how many various builds you can create — quite literally at least 100 different variations. Speaking of DS, you can see how that historic franchise was an inspiration for this game. There are thrilling boss fights where you need to learn patterns, know when to dodge and counter, and understand weaknesses and affinities. There are even multiple phases. It’s quite astonishing how they have used the FromSoftware formula and implemented it seamlessly in a turn-based system. There is a layer of strategy to each combat encounter.

Other than lip syncing issues and invisible walls, I haven’t found a false note anywhere. I’ve been waiting for the game to plateau, but it still hasn’t come. I wish I could write a full length feature on this game because I’ve barely scratched the surface, from voice acting, the metaphors, the unique character designs, and the world building. Alas, that can’t be the case, so I’ll sum up the game like this: Clair Obscur is genre defining, and a generational game. Let’s not take it for granted.

@Zuljaras Have fun! who is that Nosferatu looking man on the left with the long fingers? and who is his friend on the right? They look great, especially the detail on that cyclops's eye.

Hopefully before Fantasy Life i releases later this month (I've pre-ordered the Deluxe edition on PS5 already), I'm aiming to grab Logiart Grimoire's platinum, having grabbed all achievements in the Steam version already. Such a sweet underrated puzzler, and easily my favourite picross title to date.

Meanwhile, playing a surprisingly wonderful indie RPG on Steam Deck called Crystal Project; so far I've cleared 8 crystals and my team's nearing Lv.40, just casually grinding atm so I can afford some better gear.

Enjoy your weekend y'all!

Playing through forspoken trying to clear every area on chapter 11 so getting close to the end I think

I'm having a codemasters weekend whilst mourning the loss of yet another legendary developer bought up by EA. truly a great loss. I also lost the argument with myself and bought forza horizon 5 so it will be extremely rude not to play that too..but not today..today belongs to codemasters. Have a great weekend everybody 👍

@graymamba Grats, it gets worse. You'll come out even greyer at the end.

Rounding off the last side missions and NCPD missions before going into endgame (roof scene) with Cyberpunk.

I will be playing the awesome rpg greedfall.with all the dlcs.i will also be playing one of the greatest rpgs ever in the excellent ni no kuni wrath of the white witch remastered.i will also be playing fan favorite in the amazing kingdom of alamur rerecogning.i will also be playing the instant classic the tremendous resident evil 7.i will also be playing fan favorite the phenomenal infamous second son.i will also be playing the wonderful code vein. I will also be playing fan favorite.and I will be playing one of the greatest video games ever made in the incredible 2018 God of war.i will also be watching the nba playoffs.my boston celtics 💚🖤 will be playing on Monday. I will be watching legendary sitcoms TV 📺 comedy shows in family matters.good times.the Jeffersons. Sanford and son.different strokes.and saved by the bell.word up son

More shadows and Snowrunner! Finally on the Alaska map where it’s actually snowing 👍

Almost got Clair Obscur with all the hype but got EA WRC instead cause I'm still in the middle of a BIG RPG - BG3. It'll be easy to play those 2 side by side. EAWRC looks sooo good and I think it's a bit forgiving for us controller users, I played DiRT RALLY for a long time on PS4, always had a DiRT game since PS3. I'm in the city in BG3, it's so huge and packed it's overwhelming, WHAT A GAME!

@Northern_munkey It's sad what's happening, but I don't want to believe Codemasters' Rally games are done.

Black Ops 6, on the last section of the new event (PS5)
Forza 5 (PS5)

@Northern_munkey That all got much worse when I looked at the list of games they made. Even Operation Flashpoint and Project CARS. I knew they did Colin McRae, DIRT and TOCA but not those. I considered doing the same with LittleBigPlanet after sackboy got sacked but I have limited time to game this weekend. Enjoy!

Finished Lies of P so I will fully dive into Clair Obscur after only progressing past the prologue. Hope the LoP DLC is out soon and that “Summer” doesn’t mean late August so I can play through while I’m off work. Maybe a Summer Games Fest shadow drop 🧐
Have a great weekend everyone!

@playstation1995 ...you've been watching those sitcoms since the dawn of time it seems ....get 'em watched already ! 🤣🤣

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - and I'm a little dissappointed as its not as good as I hoped, meaning Life is Strange good, but its good enough for me to want to finish the story and see how it ends. It helps a bit that we're on a family trip and I'm playing on the portal (bloody awesome little device that), and this is the perfect kind of game for it. I might have dropped it otherwise and started Clair Obscur instead but I can wait a few more days to play that 🙂

I'll be killing freakers by the dozen in Days Gone: Remastered. Loving the game just as I did back when it originally released back in 2019, and although I have not played it since, I seem to remember much of the story, which is striking to me because I have a terrible memory...

I'm in part 5 of Yakuza 5, so I will invest some time in that wonderful game. In the mood for some adventure in Uncharted 4 (PS5) and Borderlands 3 (huge game, there is so much DLC content to!!). If I can, I will fit some runs of Blue Prince as well, as I'm curious about al those mysteries. Safe weekend guys!!

@GirlVersusGame project cars was slightly mad studios not codemasters but I get you..sorry to see little big planet gone too..

@TheArt I haven't tried EA wrc on a pad but it's a cracking game. Bit of a rough diamond but has a lot of content. Add me on psn if you fancy some rallying mp..

Hide and seek with my ex.

Yet more Trails in the Sky Second Chapter for me this weekend. I've been dog-tired this week with work and most nights got very little played before going zonk, so hoping to have a bit of a binge this long weekend (here in the UK) to catch up with myself a bit.

Have a great weekend folks.

@Bentleyma You 100%'d the game already? I haven't looked at the trophies, without spoilers did they at least make it difficult?

Dead Island 2. It’s a mindlessly fun game. Don’t go into it expecting “The Last of Us” story telling. But it’s enjoyable in its own ways

@graymamba Yep, I feel your pain mate 😁

My advice, eat your greens, lots of protein, quality sleep... and master the advanced techniques like the critical hits, grenade rolling, slash cancelling etc... they really help. Good luck!

I'm finally giving God of War (2018) a second chance.
Struggling to enjoy it, really. It's so freaking slow compared to the old games. Kratos can't even jump now. They took everything I liked about God of War and discarded it. Not a bad game, just not God of War.

@KingPev they show it every weekend that's why.so I always watch them.its always on TV 📺 every weekends.word up son

I’m obsessed with Expedition 33. This has cracked my top ten games of all time and after Act 1 I can see it cracking my top 5. Truly incredible work and as a gamer who has been playing since owning an Atari as a kid, that speaks to what they’ve accomplished here.

Also still working on Blue Prince and First Beserker of Khazan. What a year of games!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

@Bentleyma Ah I thought so, I finished two guilds already and other than the very start of the game haven't touched the main story. Maybe next week, or further down the line. I think my next playthrough with be all melee, I'll try it on Master and see how Soul'sy I can make it.

Days Gone Remastered, enjoyed its plat first time round and gonna enjoy it all over again. Slowly getting there with the Infinite Wealth plat as well. Also looking forward to trying RoboCop soon from Plus

Doing a few arch tempered Rey dau runs in MH Wilds and continuing with TLOU. Still really good so far

I also picked up MH World on pc and damn I finally understand the hype about pc a little. It's an extremely gorgeous game... when you turn off all the settings capcom had on by default anyway 😂. Been having so much fun with the insect glaive here

Still playing through Outlaws and FF7 CC Reunion. Both are really good; both have a little too much trivial side content. Thankfully, most of the superfluous stuff can be ignored and so I’m still having fun. Of the two I might complete FF7CC first, then will start Lost Records for my Portal game if I do.

Welp, I decided to buy the PS5 upgrade for Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut and replay it from the beginning since I haven't played it in years and never finished the Ikl Island expansion. I also teamed up withe buddy to fight Arch Tempered Rey Dau in MH Wilds. GREAT fight!

Happy gaming everyone!

Finished Bloodborne/Old Hunters platinum.

PS4 - Uncharted 4

PSP - NHL 07

Finished oblivion last night (main quest at 40 hours - loads of side quests left to do) and have moved on to Clair obscur. Just finished the prologue which was amazing.

I’m going to revisit Skyrim after this having fallen off it every time I’ve tried in the past. My main problem is motion sickness and the fact there’s no FOV slider.

Oh, also dipping in and out of lords of the fallen which is a great souls clone

@Onearmbandit can't beat a curry night

@rusty82
My first in 6 months. Me and some friends do it once a month and been meeting for nearly 3 years. I’m dying for a vindaloo haha

@Zuljaras just wanted to say that Heroes of Might and Magic is my favourite franchise ever. Looking forward to Olden Era.

Baldur's Gate 3

I'll finish this... someday.

Played more Oblivion remastered earlier, they did an amazing job at updating it but also keeping it feeling very much the same and nostalgic, love it.

Like many, Clair Obscur. I am not a fan of turn based combat games but this one is incredible. Aside from that going to try and finish Another Crab's Treasure. Both are unexpected surprises and brilliant.

Halo infinite, Excite Bike, Black Ops 6

@KingPev well I also brought shin megami tensei vengeance earlier this I owned the standard version on switch and wanted the full one luckily I work in a school so will be off for 6 weeks during the summer I plan on spending around 5 weeks gaming 😂

@Zuljaras I can’t adequately express how envious I am of your colleague! Looks amazing 🤩

Expedition 33 has consumed my gaming life…

Wrapped up the platinum for X-Men Origins Wolverine. Such a fun action game that I wish we got more of. Not sure what to tackle next, the backlog is out of hand. Maybe Kena, maybe Black Myth Wokong, maybe Metaphor idk lol.

@AltimusPrime Congrats on the newborn!! May God bless your family!!

Still working my way through Rise Of The Ronin and basically biding my time til DOOM: The Dark Ages. RotR is decent enough and I’d certainly recommend it to anyone waiting for Ghost Of Yotei. It’s a Ghost Of Tsushima lite mixed with a Ubisoft game.

Forza Horizon 5!!! Also gonna binge watch Whitechapel on Netflix with my Missus

@AltimusPrime Congrats on the kiddo! Classic RPGs are the way to go in a time like this — it’s the perfect comfort food!

Nothing that involves a screen! Out of town with my wife for our anniversary, and so far we've done an escape room, she's kicked my tail three times at Boggle, and I sank all her battleships. We'll see what's on the menu tonight before driving home tomorrow.

For me it's Jedi Survivor, which I think is a really great game. Makes me kinda like Star Wars again.

Continuing Expedition 33!

Xbox - Ninja Gaiden Black
PS3 - Killzone 1
XSX - Nier Automata
Vita - Uncharted Golden Abyss
Switch - Xenoblade Chronicles X
GameCube - Viewtiful Joe
Quest - Arkham Shadow

My rotation is why I never seem to complete anything.

Finally started Expedition 33 this weekend, and WOWZA, what a game!! The world and story are super engaging so far, but the combat! The COMBAT!!! So incredibly awesome. Highly recommended y’all!

Playing Oblivion Remastered and I've already got further than I did back in the day. Don't know why it never clicked but it's clicking now.

Just started Elden Ring awsome game character creater o i hate it.

@GirlVersusGame sorry I forgot codemasters acquired simply mad games who made the project cars games and then EA bought codemasters and shelved project cars. It's a very convoluted situation as you don't know who owns who anymore at EA..madness.

@Titntin forza h5 man..what a ride this is. Took me a while to get my wheel dialed in but I've got it to where its almost perfect. I've lost an entire evening to this game and I love it. Much better than motorfest to be honest.

@MonkeyDLuffy19 ...I'm totally not jealous 😅😅

@Northern_munkey All good, I just remember really liking that game. So much so I bought the game of the year edition after the day one edition. I can't even remember why, unless it has destructible models. If so that's definitely why.

Edit: So I booted up my old PS4 and had a look. It does have destructible models. I found a folder full of images, all before and after of my races. Good times.

I kinda feel like going back to Stellar Blade.

Checking out the new Pro patch for Returnal, in the tower. Looks so crisp now. 🤌

Hogwarts. It is a happy fun game which we need more of these days. Rather enjoying the whole thing

Still playing Forza Horizon 5. Already played a ton of if on Xbox and PC but I’m playing it all again on PS5 and still loving every minute of it. Amazing game.

In the last chapter of Plague Tale Innocence (PS5). Hope I'll wrap it up today, but not sure if I jump right into the sequel or will start something else.

Apart from gaming, lots of sport too: PL (congrats to Liverpool FC, well deserved this season), darts, F1...

Have a nice weekend and happy gaming, everyone!

Forza Horizon 5

The casting of Frank Stone for me, I played through it and saw most of the outcomes, still a few left. I will continue and try to get them all.
Enjoy gaming / life and the rest of the weekend.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colussus. Because why not. It is so over the top I am having an absolute blast.

Going to hit Old Blood and Youngblood afterwards too, despite the mixed reviews - especially the latter.

Anyone any thoughts on those 2?

This weekend it's No Rest For The Wicked, "gamely" and figuratively.
Have a fun time everyone!

I've got Expedition 33 going no matter what but after platinuming Lies of P last weekend, I've found myself in a PSD (Post-Soulslike Depression) and I'm currently looking for something to scratch that itch. Just gave Code Vein a whirl and bounced off it - something felt off - and I have The Surge 2 ready to rock.

Is it time to just commit to the Nioh series, and if so which one?

Well here we go with another wonderful WAYP. The week was some awesome games all around. Mostly Trails Through Daybreak, Mario and Luigi, Pirate Yakuza, WWE2K25, Dynasty Warriors Origins, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Atelier Yumia, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Fatal Fury City of the Wolves and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Yeah I finally got to start City of the Wolves and honestly it may be the most fun fighting game like ever. Absolutely loving it from story to matches with friends this game rules and I can’t wait to play more. Most of the weekend was spent with Split Fiction. Had the GF over and yeah we finally got to get a session of Split Fiction in and honestly while at first we had to get reintegrated with it there were some really funny and cool moments while we played. Excited for more. Rest of the weekend I’m thinking is gonna be some Trails Through Daybreak and Monster Hunter Wilds or Dynasty Warriors Origins or maybe Borderlands 1. Trails I’m trying to beat and like legit think I can do it. Then it’s moving onto Daybreak 2 but until a decent shot comes up it’s probably gonna be some fun Mario and Luigi Brothership. And Monster Hunter is still awesome. Just working on raising those Hunter Ranks to maybe dabble in some of that seasonal stuff in the Grand Hub. With Dynasty Warriors I genuinely just wanna beat that too and really clear out the storage on the PS5 and the current games I’m working on. And with Borderlands I’m just thinking of trying to do a marathon of the games before Borderlands 4 comes out. Otherwise I’m thinking this week is mostly gonna consist of some Trails Through Daybreak, Mario and Luigi Brothership, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, Tales of Graces F Remastered, Split Fiction, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Dynasty Warriors Origins, Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Disgaea 7, Atelier Yumia, Fatal Fury City of the Wolves, Bakeru and Pirate Yakuza. Wanna try to start Clair Obscur this week too so I can see what everyone’s so hype about and what game could possibly pull fighting game streamer Maximillian away from FFCOTW. The wrestling thing this week being AEW Double or Nothing. Yeah we talking AEW this time because yeah they kinda do have a interesting setup for DoN this year as maybe we could see a war over the World Championship depending on if the person holding it changes hands or not. Jon Moxley or Samoa Joe. Anime of the week gotta go to Okitsura. Again we still trying to work on the catch up so we can start spring animes but it’s really just been all wrestling and other shows. Also saw Thunderbolts* this weekend with the GF and honestly may be the best movie I’ve seen this year. Genuinely teared up and laughed and smiled and loved the movie amd the characters special shoutout to Yelena she rules. Podcasts of this week gotta go to Castle Superbeast, Big Think Dimension, Into The Aether, RPGsites Tetracast, Minnmax, Jeff Gerstmann, Kit and Krysta, Punching Up, Easy Allies, Second Wind, Nextlander, Cultaholic Wrestling, Weapon Wheel Podcast and Remap Radio. As always yall stay safe, be cool to each other. Have a totally safe and awesome weekend and of course Happy Gaming.