Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 371

Metro Exodus. This is simply the most immersive FPS I've ever played. As soon as it showed the download was 67GB, I knew I was in for something big. The graphics - lighting is superb! Details on relevant objects and especially guns is the best I've ever seen. I mean this a game where you're actually using your gas mask and it matters. Your torch and night vision goggles need to be charged up regularly. Weapons jam when you haven't been cleaning them, and they get dirty quicker in the desert. I mean you slot your car key in the door to open and in the ignition to start. You have a crew to come back to and actually care about them like Arthur's. I get it it had a rough launch with game-breaking bugs, long load times etc but the Metro Exodus I'm playing right now it's a different one and a 10/10 masterpiece at that. It's part Fallout4, part TLOUII, RDRII and some Far Cry. I can't even play any other game alongside it right now, it's highly engrossing. "Miller, over and out." 😆

PS5 - Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Switch - Monster Hunter: Rise

I have went back to Star Wars JFO to try and wrap up the plat. Also playing The Outer Worlds, really great game. I'd there are any fans of fallout that haven't played it yet, I would definitely suggest checking it out. I picked up ghostrunner in a sale, and wow it is tough as nails. When I finally beat the first level I had 40 deaths! Good thing loading is almost instant.

I'll be training recruits to be assassinos in the excellent Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. I forgot how good this game is, such an improvement on AC2.

I've also just ordered myself an Xbox Series S. Quite excited to check out Game Pass and some older backwards compatible games.

Gran Turismo Sport and I aim to plat God Of War.

Dirt 5 (PS5) Still making playground tracks, ABZU (Ps4 on PS5), Trine 4 (PS4 o PS5), Genshin Impact (PS4 on PS5).

Well SInce i finished up Deliver Us The Moon on Xbox 1 great game by the way people should check it out i'll outside of my daily games of Wreckfest and Madden i'll be playing.

Ps4: Little Nightmare 2 & Assassins Creed 2
Ps3: infamous & Mirrors Edge
Switch: Monter Hunter Rise
Xbox 1: Resident Evil 7 & Hitman 3

The Last of Us part 2
I'm guessing I'm around the half-part of the game. For now, I think it's better than the first one, especially in the gameplay department. Of course, it's a technical marvel (even if you shouldn't look at the characters' faces outside of cutscenes...)
As for the story (I know it has been divisive). The story is quite good actually, but the push to make every main character unlikable is getting a bit on my nerve. I'll see how it fares at the end.
And yes, some unnecessary elements are forced in the story for the sake of being there, and it's hard to detach yourself from it. But when you do, the story is good, if very formulaic.

Still Yakuza 5, hopefully finishing up most of the completion requirements. Maybe start Rez infinite in VR.

My last weekend of freedom- I'm back at work as a driving instructor on Monday after 4 months in lockdown so will be working most weekends after this !
So I'm playing Outriders on GamePass, only an hour in so far and its all very average, but not a valid opinion yet
Also Starcraft 2 on PC with some Cyberpunk on PS4 thrown in !
Have a good weekend guys ❤❤

AC Valhalla, 145 hrs so far, I think i will be well over 200 by the time I complete it...maybe Far Cry 6 will be ready by then.

I started Cyberpunk again just to see how the new patch worked, and now I'm 32 hours into a new character again. Just can't leave it alone for some reason. Disco Elysium when my eyes need a break. Thinking of yet another return to Skyrim, too. It's my safe place when I can't get into something newer. I might even go outside to see what THAT's all about.

With all these delays I've been diving deep into the backlog, I'm playing more games than I have time to xD

FFXIV - Just started this week and I'm enjoying a lot more than I thought I would. Very much so a comfort food game.

Persona 5 - Finally made it to the Royal content which I gotta say I'm really impressed with how they made it all tie together. May be one of the best expansion pieces I've seen.

Outriders - I like this game for what it is. If FFXIV is comfort food, Outriders is junk food the moment to moment gameplay and modding is fun. Overall pretty warm on it.

MGS3 - I'm consistently amazed with how well the MGS games hold up after almost 20 years. The fact that this PS2 game can be so immersive blows me away.

Apex Legends - Trying to hit Master Rank in between single player staleness.

Ori and the Blind Forest - Loving the art style and platforming here.

Sackboy A Big Adventure and Apex Legends for me here

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Nice man awesome that you're having a good time. Flamelurker is so annoying!!! I still have to defeat him too. I do like how the game isn't linear and you can choose which worlds you wanna go to.

@TheArt Nice to hear your praise of Metro, I'm waiting out for that next gen update so I can be blown away

Darksiders 2 since I have had it for ages but never played it. Also more Farpoint.

Wasteland 3 & MH Rise for me this weekend

@TheArt I have a question about Metro Exodus. When I bought the first two games' Redux version, I was excited to be able to play them in Russian, for the immersion. But what was my deception when I saw that the ambient dialogue was not subtitled. And the English with a heavy Russian accent was really not to my taste.
As far as I know this issue persists in Exodus, and hasn't been fixed, am I right?

What’s going on guys I’m attempting by far my most difficult platinum ever: Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition on PS4. Wish I never got a trophy in it way back when, but it is what it is and no sense crying over spilt milk now. Let’s see if I can be one of the 0.14% on PSNProfiles who has this nasty platinum.

Happy gaming everyone.

Dying light the following.judgement.until dawn.and the best indie games ever darkest dungeon.word life.word is bond.word to your mother.word up son

I'll be wrapping up the Outriders campaign and then playing a few hours on Shadows of the Damned today and probably make a start on AC Valhalla tomorrow. Happy gaming all!

Outriders, telltales Batman and sea of thieves

Horizon Zero Dawn in particular The Frozen Wilds segment. Stunning vistas, top notch gameplay, weird and not-so wonderful new machines and some really beautiful snow!

It's almost as cold in Banuk territory as it is in the real world.

😉

Also playing Uncharted The Lost Legacy, good fun. Some nice banter and puzzles that aren't overly complicated but make you feel slightly smart when you work them out. Those statues though, I made it out but I fear Chloe will suffer long-term concussion!

Enjoy the weekend mateys.

PS5 - Crash 4 and Dirt 5

Series X - Yakuza 7 and more Forza Horizon 4

Switch - Mario 3D World

I abandoned FF7R this week and started Zombi instead. It was gathering dust in the gargantuan pile of PS+ games I forget I even have. And I have to say... It's pretty bloody good! It's got a great atmosphere and I'm enjoying the Bioshock-esque guiding voice aspect. I barely even notice the shonky graphics. A lovely surprise after FF7R's disappointment.

Some Oddworld: Soulstorm which is definitely not a 4/10 game

@get2sammyb I’m considering a revisitation of No Man’s Sky on PS5. Any marked differences you’re noticing with the PS5 version? Is graphical presentation and technical performance a big upgrade?

Will be playing Marvel's Avengers, got the Nioh platinum yesterday, will probably continue with the DLC. Plus will do another playthough of I saw black cloud's, to see if I can get another ending.

Asscreed Valhalla on ps5. everything feels slightly off about it, from the animation to the hdr implementation. But I appear to like it though because I spent eight hours playing it today so I guess that’s good. I may try to play more dead army 4?? Whatever the hell the Nazi plus game is and more oddworld soulstorm.

@Col_McCafferty I finished everything on Frozen Wilds yesterday, man, there's some really tough parts in there. Very challenging! And the less said about the light node puzzles the better. But still one of the best single player DLC'S ever

Started Final Fantasy VIII for the first time ever. This combat system will take some getting used to. Otherwise good stuff so far!

@playthedangame ....THE best FF in my opinion. Yeah the combat system is weird at first as is the levelling system but you get used to it. The new version has some nice scalable options too, to help

@playthedangame Draw. Draw. Draw. Summon Not my favorite FF but still FF - and that's never bad

Persona 5 Strikers for me. Just finished up in Osaka, so think i have one jail left to go. I've been playing 13 sentinels too.

I'll be playing Longest 5 minutes on my Vita too and deciding how much money to spend before the store gets taken down.

Once i finish Persona i will probably get around to Bugsnax or the Pathless on PS5 before RE: Village arrives

Mickey looks so angry

Switch - Smash Ultimate!

PS4 - Weekly GTA Online session with friends!

PC - Gonna try Hypnospace Outlaw via Game Pass!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Finished the sinking city last night but I'm still needing my elder god fix. So I'll be starting some call of cthulhu for awkward stealth sections. 😂😂

@KingPev When the Frostclaw rears up it's very imposing. The ropecaster is my go to when tackling that beast...and then I run!

Are you talking about the ones to open doors and...other things? They're not too bad, just a lot of trial and error.

It's bigger than I thought but I'm not complaining, after I've finished this there isn't anything anywhere near as compelling in my backlog. Tempted to replay either Spider-Man or Dragon Age Inquisition after in addition to The Lost Legacy.

God of War this weekend when the kids allow it! Going for the platinum on this one and it's also my first playthrough. I'm loving it so far.

@Shepherd_Tallon Control is amazing. The ps4 version has some very obvious technical flaws, but i do look forward to playing again on ps5.

Got the platinum for God of War on Thursday night, So Started Oddworld Soulstorm and having fun with it so far. Probably dive into some other games as well but not sure which!

@Col_McCafferty yeah the Frostclaws and Fireclaws are very tough to beat, the camera doesn't help when they get in close. I find spamming Tearblast to dismantle them first helps. And you're right, after completing this all other games seem anti climactic! Roll on the sequel !

@Shepherd_Tallon Awesome. Looking forward to that - and the dlc which i didnt play first time around! What was your final verdict on shadow of the TR btw? Brilliant right?

@Col_McCafferty did you unlock Aloy's special armour in the base game? I found it essential for defeating some of the beasties in Frozen Wilds, thanks to the extra attributes it gives you

Completed Remnant from the Ashes the other day, diving straight back in to go for the platinum

@KingPev Yeah, tearblast is good but for some reason I don't do well with those types of weapons, not quick enough perhapsfor my game style. Same goes for the new Banuk weapons even though they're really cool to use. It's what I really like about the game, there is no right or wrong way to go about things just what suits your own style.

@Rob_230 I did but it seems to only take one hit from these new machines and the shield collapses and as some are so quick (especially the Scorcher) you don't have long enough for it to recharge.

I'm going to try one of the Banuk outfits and see how that goes. I think the key with Shield-Weaver outfit is to act as if you don't have it, that way it may last longer. Maybe you can get a tad too complacent when wearing it.

After playing the RE3 remake for the first time last week, I re-bought RE2 in the sale on PS4 and decided play thought again. Both great games in their own way.

Dirt 5 although the online multiplayer is a joke...who at codemasters thought that that was the way to implement multiplayer racing? Shoot them...zombie army 4 is a blast and i'm loving it..

I just picked up Assassins Creed Valhalla from the PS Store sale so that’s what’s up!

Pokémon Blue Version (Game Boy) - I've finally made it to Cinnabar Island. I'll be heading for Seafoam Island to catch Articuno soon.

Angry Birds Stella (Windows Phone) - Nearly done with this one.

Gerbil Physics (Windows Phone) - Still plodding along with this one.

Oddworld...and it's GREAT. A truly wonderful Oddworld game with incredible cutscene quality, a surprisingly deep narrative, modern touches that work, and deeper gameplay. I have experienced ZERO bugs and the games runs well on PS5 at 60. Decent DualSense implementation and superb audio design accompany this fantastic Oddworld game.

In my humble opinion, Oddworld Inhabitants and big Lorne Lanning built a superior game to 2014's New N Tasty, largely developed by Just Add Water. It's a fabulous remake of Abe's Exodus that encapsulates all of the original spirit while improving everything. The 4/10 via PSquare is a travesty.

I started up Outriders on Game Pass, so I’ll probably jump into that more if I get a chance. Other than that, probably helping my 4 year old with Toy Story 3 or Astro’s Playroom.

I finished the fourth jail in Persona 5 Strikers just last night.
Still having a blast playing it. Plan on maxing out everyone's Master Arts before moving onto the next city.

@TraCuz- I'd definitely continue doing multiple playthroughs if it gets a PS5 upgrade. Would be nice for a change if only PushSquare could simmer down on Yakuza for a second and highlight slept on games like this.

@Olmaz Well I don't know if I get your question but their English with that accent doesn't bother me really, it's funny sometimes actually. It's the accent in AC Odyssey that was driving me crazy sometimes. 😆

Just bought P5 Strikers on PS4. Even though I have a Switch, I still favored framerate over portability. The game looks good in 60fps. Plus, I'm used to playing Persona in PS consoles that It'd feel weird for me to play it on a Nintendo console

New and tasty for the loftimus. Its daft and infuriating.... I love it!

I’m going old school as I jump on the Turbo Grafx Mini. If anything on PS4 would probably be Tekken 7.

CyberPunk 2077. It’s very early days but I’m liking it so far. Had a few technical issues like the game freezing for a second when sprinting through busy areas and seeing a headless/armless reflection in the mirror at my safe room (lol). But Im not letting those things get to me. The world CDPR have created is absolutely stunning. Without the little technical issues this game would be something really special - it still is but it’s just slightly let down by the little niggles. Overall though I feel completely invested (in my character and the world) and I can’t wait to play more later.

Playing nothing this weekend, as I have loads of other things I need to do (like planting potatoes for my dad on his allotment) and it's also Wrestlemania weekend.

But I've loaded up some stuff ready to start chipping away at from next week

Jedi fallen order
FIFA 21
UFC 3
Cities skylines
Abzu
Enter the gungeon
NBA 2K16 (I know this is very old, it's out of the backlog lol)

I'm making good progress on the village requests with Monster Hunter Rise. Also want to head back to Super Mario Galaxy 2 and finally beat the penultimate world. And going to start working on the achievements for Danganronpa Ultra Despair Girls now I've finished the story. Also doing some rhythm game fun with IA/VT Colorful.

outriders and loving it !!!!

I finally gave up waiting for a ps plus version and bought the Ezio Collection. This weekend i will be playing that and getting the platinum in Celeste

Playing oddworld soulstrom for ps5 and still playing valheim on pc, already past the 80 hours mark lol.

I only found out that players can lays foundation for house after playing more than 50 hours, needless to say now I'm spending my time making small outpost house when harvesting wood or other resources, making house is really addicting in this game.

uncharted 4's co-op mode, mhw: iceborne and dark souls 3... i'm in the mood for some online playing this weekend

Actually after Sack Boy and Demon’s Souls, I’m finally getting around to Astro’s Playroom.

@Rob_230 I really really enjoyed my time with The Pathless, I liked the change of pace from usual games where atmosphere and puzzles took the front seat. The chase sequences and final boss are really cool.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L I hear ya man, I've gotten him so low so many times. I'm currently taking a break from the game because I gotta farm for heals and I don't feel like it haha.

On the other hand tho I'm glad it's clicking like that for you. Are you thinking you're gonna make that jump to Bloodbourne? Lately for the games I think about when not playing are Persona 5, FF14, and MGS3

@TheArt PS5 version is already confirmed with Raytracing and all that, just no date given as to when

@TraCuz- Amazing. Great feedback 👍 The videos i have seen online look ace and the music seems wonderful. Really excited to get stuck in. And after playing a number of 50 + hour games, a 12 hour game seems like a breath of fresh air too

@Rob_230 Breath of fresh air is a perfect description of that game, especially after something as narrative heavy as Persona. Lemme know what you think, maybe we can discuss it whenever you play?

Absolutely nothing as I’m in San Diego for the weekend

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Yeah overwhelming for sure haha, I made it to like the 4th or 5th boss on Bloodbourne and ran out of patience for trying. Sekiro I also ran out of patience when I ran into a "headless" enemy. Anyone who has played knows the struggle xD.

I think I adore Persona 5 the same way as you with MGS3, and I think if you're gonna make the 100+ hour commitment to that game you should get Persona 5 Royal. It's for sure the best and definitive way to play as they toned down on some of the grindy aspects of P5 vanilla, not to mention the additional content. If you've spent an hour or so toying with it and can see yourself playing it further then I say Royal is 100% worth the purchase. Digital deluxe is $30 rn in Spring Sale on psn.

FFXIV (Heavensward) and Control

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Persona 5 is one of the best games on Playstation 4 without a doubt. Royal is better, but if you are on the fence and 5 is available to you via the ps plus collection then give it a try. As @TraCuz- says, Royal cuts down on some of the grinding however, which is always good, and all the extra content was worth every penny in my opinion. What a game!

Based on your profile name if you are a fan of turn based final fantasy titles, this should scratch an itch that has long been missing from the FF titles since X

@Rob_230 What a game indeed! I'm always down to chat about it btw, and did you see The Pathless comment?

Painting my Warhammer Chaos Chosen of Khorne Standard Bearer.

Getting to the end of RE0 on my playthrough of the main series - I had forgotten how annoying the grappling hook was!

Hi there fellow gamers.
This weekend is mainly two games:

• Outriders PS5. Level 30(Max level), World Tier 11 and a half. Loving the game way to much. Getting quite addicted to it.
  I NEED MORE LOOT. 😜 Playing with some friends,
  Two tricksters and a Devastator. All I hear and see are shotgun blasts and teleports everywere. It´s super fun I tell you;
• Bravely Default 2 Switch. Going trough chapter 2. Playing kinda slowly, but steady. As good as the first one so far.
  And maybe Assassins Creed Valhala on PC..... Maybe.
  I´m having way to much fun with Outriders. Money well spent. For me at least 😉
  Cheers, stay safe people and happy gaming weekend to us all

Planet Coaster on PS5. Been playing a lot of Hitman 3 lately, I’ve also got AC: Valhalla installed too so maybe some of that. I’m determined not to build up a backlog this gen, I want to actually finish the games I buy. Those will keep me going for some time, I imagine. Happy gaming & stay safe everyone.

I'm spending my gaming time between pickpocketing in Skyrim (pursuing the platinum), and endlessly climbing mountains in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (requiring frequent real world naps).

Got Hitman 3 lined up but I'm currently deep into Horizon: Zero Dawn and guessing it'll be the best part of a week before I'm ready to move on. I just finished all the hunting lodge stuff, and all the main game cauldrons (wondered into the DLC content by mistake and then rapidly backed away to leave that until the main campaign is over). Having the usual issue I have in open world games where I get lost in the side content. I'm at level 42 or something like that, and my main quest is for level 18, so I probably need to get on with that. I'll probably finish off the tallnecks, corruption zones, etc etc first though because I'm having too much fun exploring the world.

@TraCuz- yeah absolutely 😊 hopefully i'll be able to start soon, but as ever Persona is taking over . Up to 53 hours on Strikers and i still anticipate a long way to go (i am trying to defeat all the secret bosses before going to the final jail)

Still working my way through Dead Space on XBOX one X and Game Pass. And also still Playing Little Nightmares on PS4. Keeping it creepy.

Going on a platinum run for the games I was close to completing. Went back to Vampyr and Shadow of Mordor but they turned out to be slogs... SO right now I'm close to the plat on Detroit: Become Human, then I'm gonna see how Shadow of the Colossus fares for me...

Got 3 Platinum on Friday. Started fresh on Saturday with Dragon Quest Heroes 2. The locked 2160c 60fps is a refreshing change from last weeks games.

@theheadofabroom Mate, no time spent in this game is wasted. Enjoy it, savour it. Yes the main story is where the heart is but it's just great moving through the world and taking out machines whilst hunting for the next metal flower or Banuk figurine.

And yeah, in my humble opinion you should leave The Frozen Wilds until after you've completed the main story.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Persona 5? Nah, you wouldn't like it. Probably moan about the sound effects in when navigating through the menu screen as well as the music.

Stick to those grim affairs which you currently enjoy.

I'm still mostly playing Monster Hunter Rise but I have started up a new game of World on the PS5. Been enjoying it more this time around now that the franchise has clicked. I do miss my palamute companion though.

I've also put a bit more time into God of War. The game is absolutely stunning in 4k/60Hz. First time playing through the game and glad to be experiencing with the PS5 patch.

I've also been tempted to pick up 13 Sentinels in the current sale. Looks quite interesting, though like many people who haven't played it I'm not completely convinced by the combat sections of the game. Seems as if this fear is put to rest by most people who've actually played the game.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Yeah I know but I just find your opinion to be truly bizarre as it's clear to me the sound design in this game is amazing.

Ha, I did say currently. Well done you on playing a couple of kids games*. To be fair one of them was free on PS5 and really a showcase for the new controller.

*I've played a bit of both games on my brother's PS5 and enjoyed my brief time playing them. They're both visually pretty. cute and a lot of fun. A bit like Horizon then.

😉

But yeah, I suspect Persona 5 might be a bit much for you. Told Kyle he wouldn't like The Last of Us Part II and I was correct. Some gamers on here seem to like stuff that I don't and ***** on that which I do. After enough time spent on here you start to get a feel for who likes what, such as The Art and me are probably on the same page when it comes to gaming whereas others.... aren't.

@Col_McCafferty No time enjoyed with anything is wasted, and I'm very much enjoying Aloy's adventures so far. I don't generally do games on day 1, but I'm seriously considering Forbidden West being one of those along with the next God of War

@theheadofabroom Yeah, HFW is a day one purchase for me even if I only have a PS4 when it's finally released.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L well, don't say I didn't warn you.

☹️

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L A stopped clock is right twice a day, mate.

😉

We'll give it a shot then, I'm only annoyed that I ended up buying P5 last year instead of waiting for the Royal release. I didn't know much about Royal at that time, thought it was more of a spin-off than an enhanced version of the original.

That means at some point I'm going to need to buy Royal outright as it's definitely a game I'd like to play again.

Hitman III, fantastic sequel and visually stunning. Can’t wait for PSVR II to play it in VR!

Subnautica and Rocket league are taking most of my time but also playing mafia, gta5 online and a secret beta test too.

More Skyrim and a little bit of Final Fantasy 7 remake

PS3 Naughty Bear Panic In Paradise. I have had the demo since 2013 and $15 unlocked the full game a couple of days ago. The game was released in 2012.

It is a stupid fun simple game with cartoon bears that looks good and with smooth frame rates. I am glad i purchased the game.

I got 4 games running simultaneously....Miles Morales, AC:Valhalla, Greedfall and finally Immortals:Fenyx Rising....I’m enjoying Fenyx very much....