Tag: Talking Point
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 618
Take off
These weekends come around quick, don’t they? Not that we’re complaining! It’s another opportunity to spend a couple of days cuddled up with our favourite consoles. What are you playing? Aaron Bayne: I reckon I'll chip away a little at Cairn this weekend, but me and the lads have also been playing Left 4 Dead 2 on our Steam Decks...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 617
No Joker
It's the last week in January, and let us tell you, things are about to get crazy with new releases in February. Utterly insane. Aaron Bayne: More of the same for me this week: review embargoed games on PS5 and No Rest for the Wicked on PC. Jamie O'Neill: Out of all of the winter settings I've played in video games this January, my...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 616
No rest for the wicked
It's glacial outdoors so you've genuinely never had a better excuse to cuddle up on the couch and enjoy some good old fashioned video games. You better get working on your backlog to be honest, because the release schedule is about to get bonkers. Aaron Bayne: I've got a couple of embargoed games in the mix that I can't talk...
Talking Point Did ANTHEM Deserve the Hate?
You're not singing anymore
ANTHEM is dead. Or at least, it soon will be, depending on when you're reading this. While the online looter-shooter never quite set the world on fire, it's worth remembering that there was quite a lot of hype behind ANTHEM ahead of its eventual release on the 22nd February, 2019. This was, after all, a new property from...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 615
Shirts off
Want to know a secret? We banked the last three or so WAYPs way early in December. Yeah, it’s not a very exciting secret, is it? But that means, starting this week, we’re back in real-time! Jamie O'Neill: I'm happily addicted to drifting around corners in Arcade Archives Ridge Racer, so I've dug out my old disc to play the nostalgic...
Talking Point What Are Your PS5 New Year's Resolutions?
Start as you mean to go on
Losing weight? Pssht, it’s the biggest cliché in the book. Learning a new language? We guarantee you’ll have deleted Duolingo by March. Clearing your debt? Have you seen the release schedule. No, forget all those boring New Year’s Resolutions – they’re played out. We want to hear your PS5 resolutions for 2026...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 614
Welcome to 2026
And so here we are: the first WAYP of 2026. Fortunately, this is one feature where we don’t intend to reinvent the wheel. So, you can expect the same regularly scheduled Talking Point, every Saturday, just like it’s always been. Aaron Bayne: Honestly, I'm not sure what I'll play this weekend. I'll maybe just chill out with some...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
Seasonal slump
How’s your tummy handling all of those turkey sandwiches? You may want to consider a long brisk walk this weekend to shed some of those holiday calories. If not, you can just join us for some good ol’ fashioned video games. Aaron Bayne: After beating Resident Evil 4, I'm now moving onto Resident Evil Village on the PSVR2. I...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
The final countdown
‘Twas the weekend before Christmas, when all through Push Square, you couldn’t find an editor – neither hide nor hair. That’s because everyone’s playing PS5, and here’s what’s on our list. Aaron Bayne: This week, I reckon I'm going to finish off Resident Evil 4. This has taken me an age to beat despite it not...
Talking Point With Expedition 33 Winning Best Indie Game, What Does 'Indie' Mean to You?
An old debate returns
What does "indie game" really mean these days? Questions about this terminology have been circulating for years, but as the video game landscape evolves, they return every so often as people continue to wrestle with it. Cut to The Game Awards 2025, where — among many others — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 picked up the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 611
Two weeks to go
It's now just a couple of weeks to Christmas, and the release schedule has really started to slow down. That's good news for those of you with backlogs, because it means there's finally an opportunity to catch up. Aaron Bayne: I'm getting withdrawal from The Finals (it's been four weeks), so with the launch of Season 9 this...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 610
Three weeks until Xmas
Have you put your Xmas decorations up yet? Now we're in December, you have our permission. Go get it done and play some games. Aaron Bayne: It's a mixture of things for me this weekend. I'm playing a bit of Elden Ring Nightreign with my mates, I'll be checking out the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora third-person mode, I'm...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 609
Thanks for everything
Did you have a good Thanksgiving? We sincerely hope you're enjoying the holidays if you celebrate. And if you don't, well, it's the weekend now anyway. Time to play some games! Jamie O'Neill: I'm karate chopping down the last five weekends of 2025 in 1990s style, by examining Jin Kazama's Mishima karate technique in the PS1's...
Talking Point Does PS5 Have a Sequel Problem?
Bigger and better?
There's a silly notion going around that the PS5 has no games, which is of course nonsense, but when you stand back and look at some of the console's biggest titles, there is an interesting pattern. Many PlayStation fans have fond memories of the PS4 era, a time in which Sony was doubling down on its first-party efforts...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 608
Dispatched
Wow, we've quickly arrived at the business end of the year, huh? The Black Friday sales are in full force, and December is almost upon us. Here's what we're playing this weekend. Jamie O'Neill: I'm still trying to play a variety of new 2025 games each week, and as the calendar shows there are six weekends left in the year, I want to...
Talking Point The Game Awards 2025 Nominations Announced - Who Are Your Winners?
Who deserves the trophy?
The Game Awards has just unveiled the shortlists for every category at this year's event, highlighting many fantastic titles that have launched throughout 2025. As expected, there are some standouts nominated for multiple awards, with the most-nominated titles including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, and Death...
Talking Point Will PlayStation's Mobile Push Be a Success or a Flop?
The power of the cell
We all knew this was coming, but PlayStation's efforts in the mobile space are beginning to show at last. The platform holder has been building up a mobile division of PS Studios, and it's taken several years to really get off the ground, but following this week's announcements, we're finally starting to see the investment...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 607
Keeping it indoors
The UK is currently under siege from a storm, ushering in what feels like the start of winter and cold temperatures. As a result, there's never been a better time to fire up the PS5 and stay inside. Here's what'll keep us occupied this weekend. Jamie O'Neill: I'm on a retro Namco fix after last week, and with seven weekends...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 606
Holiday
November has arrived, which means the busy release schedule is about to subside, and we're moving swiftly into the festive season. Here are the games keeping us busy this weekend. Jamie O'Neill: We now have eight WAYP weekends left in the year, so I'm continuing to focus on new releases, although admittedly with a retro tint. This means...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 605
One for the weekend
With the clocks already changed in the UK and the US catching up this weekend, we're very much diving head first into the slog that is winter. The cold months also happen to be the perfect period to play video games, so here's what's keeping us busy. Aaron Bayne: I've been waiting years, and ARC Raiders is finally here! That's...
Talking Point If Xbox Drops the Cost, Would You Be Happy Still Paying for PS6 Multiplayer?
Pay to play
Rumour has it that, with Microsoft's upcoming Xbox hardware, the company plans to drop the requirement to pay for access to online multiplayer. If that really is the case, Sony's PS6 could be the only next-generation console still charging for the privilege. Obviously we won't know for certain whether this will happen until it happens,...
Talking Point Is PS5 Really in Competition with TikTok?
Keep scrollin', scrollin', scrollin'
One talking point that’s been popping up a lot recently is that console manufacturers are no longer in competition with each other. The theory – one which has been explicitly mentioned by Microsoft recently and alluded to by PlayStation in the past – is that social networks like TikTok are the real enemy,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 604
Small mercies
The clocks are about to get back in the UK, which means months of dark and dismal gaming await. Fortunately, there's no shortage of things to play. Here are the games keeping us busy. Jamie O'Neill: There are ten weekends left in 2025, so I've made a list of 10 WAYP PS4 and PS5 new releases that I want to spend more time with before...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 603
There's lots to choose from
It’s that time of the week yet again, folks – it’s time for us to talk about all the games we’re playing. Obviously, the release schedule has been absolutely stacked lately, so there’s no shortage of titles to choose from. Here’s what we’re playing. Aaron Bayne: The Arc Raiders Server Slam kicks off this...
Talking Point PS6 In 2027 - How Do You Feel About Sony's Next-Gen Console?
Here it comes
Recently, PlayStation and AMD released a video in which they discuss new technologies in their joint venture, Project Amethyst — and it sounds as though Sony's next console will implement these innovations in its hardware composition. During the video, Mark Cerny says he hopes to bring the tech to a future console "in a few years'...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 602
War never changes
The days are getting shorter and the temperature is beginning to drop, so it’s the perfect time to start snuggling up with video games again. Fortunately, there’s been a lot releasing over the last few months, so here’s what’s keeping us busy. Aaron Bayne: I'll be taking to the battlefields with the lads in Battlefield 6...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 601
Home to Hokkaido
Welcome to October, the month of spooky times. It's a little while before Halloween arrives, but there's so much to play right now, including the newly released Ghost of Yotei. Don't forget our guide! Aaron Bayne: It's got to be Ghost of Yotei for me this weekend! Jamie O'Neill: The spooky month is upon us, and it's four years...
Talking Point Are You Getting Sick of Sony's Supposedly 'Samey' Approach to Story Telling?
Sad dad
A new IGN article about Sony’s approach to story telling in its first-party games has gone viral. The piece – entitled ‘I’m Getting Bored of Every PlayStation Game Telling the Same Story’ – has attracted both agreement and ire in equal measure, as any good op-ed should. But do you agree with it? The underlying thesis for the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 600
Celebrate good times
Y'know what? We've been so busy this week we forgot it was a milestone edition of WAYP this week. Well, drat! We were going to do something special as well! Oh well, we'll put the festivities on pause for another 100 issues. See you in 2027, folks! Craig Reid: After a long week, I fancy getting my teeth into Black Myth:...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 599
Another milestone awaits
We're approaching another milestone here at WAYP, as next week will mark our 600th issue! This series has been running for over 10 years now, which is a truly remarkable feat. Thank you for all taking part! Aaron Bayne: This weekend, I'll be digging into more Dying Light: The Beast with a few mates. The co-op has been such...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 598
Almost another milestone
We're reaching a milestone moment here on WAYP, with almost 600 issues in the bag. And y'know what, there's been some close calls, but we still haven't missed a week. Impressive consistency! Jamie O'Neill: The physical version of The Game Kitchen's 8/10, grrreat Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound released in the UK yesterday (Friday,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 597
WAYP for it
Another week, another edition of WAYP. Obviously, it’s always fun to consider all the new releases on the horizon, but it’s equally entertaining to take a step back and focus on what we’re playing right now. So let’s dig into it. Aaron Bayne: I've been getting back into No Man's Sky as of late. The new Voyagers update is a lot...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 596
We go again
As the weather starts to change and the kids go back to school, the release schedule is honestly getting chaotic. Here's what we're playing. Jamie O'Neill: My mind might be playing tricks on me, but I swear that my PS5's power indicator light briefly flashed from blue to green when I first inserted my Gears of War: Reloaded disc!...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 595
All systems go
After a quiet summer period, video games are starting to come out again, and Gamescom is in full swing as its two big weekend days open the doors to the public. Here are the games occupying our time this Saturday and Sunday. Aaron Bayne: With some early access granted, I'll be checking out The Outer Worlds 2 this weekend. Jamie...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 594
Door to Phantomile
We're on the cusp of an avalanche of new PS5 releases, so this weekend may be your last opportunity to clear out your backlog. Here's what we're playing. Jamie O'Neill: I only have access to portable gaming for a while, so I'll boot up my PS Vita to replay one of my favourite PS1 games, which is Namco's wonderful Klonoa: Door to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 593
The old country
We’re on the cusp of a gaming avalanche, so this may be your last proper weekend to clear through your backlog. And that’s only if you’re planning to skip some of the new releases this week, like Mafia: The Old Country. Aaron Bayne: It's all about Battlefield 6 for me this weekend. I've been loving my time with the beta so...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 592
Rage bound
The weather's turned decisively grey here in the UK, so does that mean summer's almost over. Oh well, there's no shortage of gaming goodness to get involved with this weekend. This is what we're playing. Aaron Bayne: After some hands-on time with Battlefield 6, I reckon I'll be booting Battlefield 2042 this weekend. The new game feels...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 591
Ready or not
As we move deeper into August, the looming release schedule is starting to get busier. With so many games on the horizon, here's what's keeping us occupied this weekend. Aaron Bayne: I'm squadding up and getting tactical this weekend with a bit of Ready or Not. Jamie O'Neill: While I can't decide if I'm more nostalgic for the first,...
Talking Point Sony's Investing in Anime, But Why Isn't PlayStation Leading the Charge?
Rogue synergy
Sony saw the anime boom before many of its rivals – and to its credit it’s been investing accordingly. Back in 2021 it acquired streaming service Crunchyroll for $1.1 billion, and it’s since invested in multimedia conglomerates like Kadokawa and Bandai Namco
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 590
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
Will the heat ever subside? It's roasting out there, and our DualSense feels like it's been melting in our hands of late. Still, we'll be rubbing down our pads this weekend and playing the following games. Aaron Bayne: This weekend I'll be flitting between the new Destiny 2 expansion, Edge of Fate, and...
Talking Point What Do You Want from God of War Maker Sony Santa Monica Next?
The man, the myth
It’s been several years since God of War Ragnarok and its superb roguelike add-on Valhalla released, which means some fans have started to ponder what developer Santa Monica Studio is up to. One of Sony’s flagship first-party studios, the American dev has worked on some of PlayStation’s very best games, including two eras of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 589
The sun is shining
The sun is absolutely blasting right now, so there's never been a better time to pull the curtains shut and play some video games. Here's what's keeping us busy. Aaron Bayne: The sun is blazing here so I doubt I'll play too much this weekend, but if I do it'll likely be some Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. Jamie O'Neill: I love...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 588
We go again
It's been an eventful week in the video game industry, so we could all probably do with a bit of a breather, couldn't we? Here's what we're playing. Jamie O'Neill: Since chatting with @playstation1995 about SEGA's classic beat-'em-ups in last weekend's WAYP, I've been hankering for Lizardcube's artwork to depict some Streets of Rage 4...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 587
Stand and deliver
A big week has marked the release of another Hideo Kojima classic, with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach now publicly available for everyone. Needless to say, it's dominating the WAYP discussion. Aaron Bayne: I'll likely chip away at both Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Dune Awakening this weekend. Issy van der Velde: This...
Talking Point Do Early Access Editions Go Too Far for Story Games Like Death Stranding 2?
Spoilers everywhere
Warning: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach footage is now floating around online, just ahead of the game's official launch. Obviously, if you're planning on playing Kojima Productions' imminent sequel, you may want to be careful while browsing social media and streaming platforms. Some who have received the game early have...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 586
The last guardian
We're in the thrust of a heatwave here in the UK, so there's never been a better opportunity to shield yourself from the scorching sun and enjoy some good ol' video games. Here's what we're playing this weekend. Issy van der Velde: For my multiplayer kicks I'm diving back into GTA Online and its Money Fronts update. When my...
Talking Point Is It Officially Game Over for PSVR2?
Facing reality
This week, Beat Saber developer Beat Games announced it was cutting support for the PSVR2 and PSVR versions of its popular rhythm action game. The news is devastating for Sony’s headset: while the PS4 version of the title is a little long in the tooth these days, the PS5 edition is still an excellent way to enjoy one of the premier...
Talking Point What's Your PS5 Game of the Year for 2025 So Far?
It's been a busy six months
We're basically halfway into 2025, and that can only mean one thing... it's time to start thinking about Game of the Year (kind of)! Look, things tend to be pretty quiet during these summer months, and so we always think it's worth taking a step back and appreciating the titles that have already struck a chord. You never...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 585
Fun in the sun
The sun is shining, the gaming is good, yeah. Honestly, with all of the non-E3 madness out of the way, we're looking forward to some sunshine and gaming goodness. Aaron Bayne: I'll be chipping away at Death Stranding 2 this weekend, and that's all I can say about that! I may nip into some matches of Gears of War Reloaded for this...
Talking Point What Are Your Most Anticipated PS5 Games for the Second Half of 2025?
Don't stop now
It's been a strong year for PS5 gaming so far. Over the first six months or so of 2025, we've had the pleasure of playing some very high quality titles — and even a few genuine Game of the Year contenders. But now that we're well into June, it's time to start looking ahead to the second half of the year — and not just because...
