Marquez

@GirlVersusGame Thanks for the info - really useful and yes, looks like my kind of game. Playable on Portal so you think? In terms of clarity of gameplay, text size etc.

@themightyant Very true - this, the new Expanse game... we should let them stand or fall on their own merits, and without the constant references to ME. But given it's such a clear inspiration for the devs I get why the comparisons keep cropping up.

@Don_Quixote227 Sold! Though I did hear some mini-bosses are reused? Everybody's feedback is so positive, sounds like a GOTY contender.

@ShogunRok That's a shame, even though it's almost better than nothing. I was more invested playing with my (Fem) Shep, as well as my Baldur's Gate 3 and Dragon's Dogma 2 mains more recently, because I had that creation agency. But if this game lives up to its potential I'll take what I can get!

@JB_Whiting 'Much more forgiving than Sekiro' is what I want to hear - I watched my son just about manage the challenge of the Sekiro platinum and I'm nowhere near his skill levels in these kinds of games. Re the busy work I've read similar criticism already but as it doesn't tip over that 30 hour mark I can make allowances for it. Not like it's AC Valhalla...

The potential is definitely there but Mass Effect is such a high bar, I'm not expecting it to meet that expectation. Like what I've seen so far though, apart from the lack of a character creator.

I'll pick up Mewgenics at some point, although at time of writing it remains 'Announced' in the PS Store with a release countdown clock targeting midnight and... no price or buy button.

UPDATE Mewgenics now available at a price of… £33! Expected less, waiting for sale.

@Simu001 @LemanRusk - thanks for the input, I need to buy this game regardless don't I... either before or after Wolverine.

@Mr-Cage I love that you're bemoaning 'quality of writing' in a checks notes rambling 67 word sentence.

The reception for Onimusha has me considering a delay in purchasing Wolverine and getting Onimusha instead. I only have space for one of them before Control: Resonant releases, which I've preordered. Wolverine review embargo lifts in a few days, I'll make my decision then.

For those of you playing Onimusha - what are your favourite things about it?

For all of the people saying Bluepoint would have been great for this... while I bemoan the self-inflicted death of Bluepoint, they excelled at third person action adventure remakes and FPS are a very different thing. At least People Can Fly have some great shooter experience.

It's crunch time isn't it... I'm planning to finish Star Wars Zero Company this weekend and then I need to work out whether I can fit in either Onimusha or something from my existing backlog before Control: Resonant releases. (I haven't pre-ordered Wolverine... yet)

And re the Friday WAYP cadence @get2sammyb - I like it, but maybe earlier than midnight UK so everyone can get involved at once? 2200 is probably closer to an Americas/Europe/APAC sweet spot?

Star Wars Zero Company for me, though I'm yet to try Mortal Shell 2 and keep hearing/reading amazing things about it.

I'm looking forward to September's poll - that one is going to be absolutely outrageous. And maybe don't bother running one in November... @ShogunRok

This is a fantastic game, even with the technical issues, and will be in my top three for the year so far if the story sticks the landing. 3 main missions to go...

Subtitle of the month there @ShogunRok

This sounds like an excellent excuse to start a new playthrough (got roughly 2/3 in first time around). That pre-price hike Pro purchase was the smartest thing I've done.

With PvE coming in Marathon season 3, I'd expect a short spot for it to drum up interest.

@IntrepidWombat Agree, I set the target to make sure I could play more of what I enjoy... and actually complete games for a change. It's a fine balance!

@old_gamer74 I'm getting better at stopping games I'm not enjoying, that's one thing I've been pretty good at. But yes... a few big games on the go is not helping. Variation will.

@old_gamer74 Ah there are some good tips in there - thanks! One thing I do struggle with is wanting to play long game after long game, if I can better mix and match longer/shorter games with a bit of AI guidance and use the comfort games as palate cleansers - I will be back on track for sure.

@old_gamer74 I admire your discipline, I targeted 30 games this year and have only completed 10 so far (4 plats) with another 5 on the go. My problem is getting dragged back to my comfort games (mainly Marathon, Balatro, Civ VII)... any tips welcome so I can get back on target!

@GirlVersusGame I can tell you now that even after a handful of hours, Zero Company has me hooked. There's a real breadth and depth to the interlocking progress and upgrade systems that I'm loving, and the missions have been fun, if a little easy on normal (I'm sure they'll ramp up). I'd already recommend it, without knowing where the story is going. It's just a really well-constructed game from what I've experienced, which I really appreciate.

This holiday weekend is all about staying indoors and playing Star Wars Zero Company with a bit of Stellar Blade and the Premier League on the side.

Have a great weekend all, especially if you're taking advantage of the final UK Bank Holiday before we inevitably slide into the gloomy darkness and declining weather between now and Christmas. At least that's how it works here in the north.

EDIT I got here one post before @Zuljaras and regardless of the early posting of the article (or their holiday), I'm taking that as a WAYP win.

Before I went on holiday I was going to finally start Stellar Blade, and didn't. Now I'm back from holiday... Stellar Blade maybe?

It's also the first weekend of the Premier League getting in the way of gaming, so let's see.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Top game, maybe not GOTY but definitely in the awards mix.

Game with too much content gets more content.

Loved my 70+ hours but tapped out with a good few chapters left. One for the winter.

@AhmadSumadi I loved them both, I'm pretty sure for the first one there were a bunch of awards nominations - particularly for the lead performance. Intrigued by the new release, even as a prequel/side story - I'm sure I'll check it out.

@AhmadSumadi I've added Requiem to my end of year platinum cleanup - a handful of trophies to go after my first complete playthrough. How long did it take you, including NG+?

A bit of leisurely Dorfromantik, a trip to watch The Odyssey and then I’ll be looking to pick a medium-sized game from the backlog, 20 hours max; I’m off on my hols in a few days and will be going mainly tech free for a week so I want something I can finish before I go.

Have a great weekend all!

Sounds like the perfect palate cleanser between all those massive autumn releases. Loved the original.

"You're FITS but my gosh don't you know it".

I just finished A Plague Tale: Requiem and really enjoyed it; I may go back for the platinum, but I feel like I want to play something else this weekend.

Now staring at my backlog and wondering what to do next... I will rely on this WAYP comments section to inspire me!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Fable doesn't need to worry about God of War: Laufey eating into its sales, it needs to worry about Game Pass eating into its sales... ironically, its availability on PlayStation will boost the numbers, and I hope it does well. Personally I will be playing both.

@GamingGod Chippy is going to be essential this week... got a cracking one five minutes' walk away. And as for the garden, yeah it's pretty brown out there right now.

Later post than normal for me as I've just managed to sneak in a cheeky barbecue before the UK weather closes in and it rains for the next seven days...

Started A Plague Tale: Requiem and I'm really enjoying it so far, on Chapter 4. It reminded me immediately how much I loved the first one: the characters and voice acting are a real highlight and the way failing in stealth gives way to brutal, sling based combat is excellent. Excited to see where the story goes.

@Dalamar It isn’t, this just looks like a top tier video game ass video game!

@somnambulance Ratchet for life, with you on that.

If you didn't enjoy that, regardless of your stance on Insomniac being stuck on Marvel... you're just a miserable person. Very excited for this.

@Oram77 Re 21, I agree he should go back to complaining about his digital trophies, that he doesn't own. The irony.

“We are the stewards of over 20 game franchises that have made a billion dollars in their lifetime. And we paid 75x that for some of them, when we bought Activision Blizzard.'

A real shame, but anyone taking a break for health reasons should be supported. I'm still looking forward to how this one shapes up and who knows, it might make a star out of whoever has stepped in.

@Dorkthrone The trial PvE mode coming towards the end of this season allows you to queue solo/duo/trio but as it's Cryo Archive based, communication will be important. I agree with you that there's another missing component here - an 8-10 hour campaign that onboards people into the lore and the world. It seems like an easy win, doesn't it? Solo campaign, extraction PvP, cooperative PvE. And then build on it.

@GirlVersusGame It's so different to launch - not least the expanded roster of leaders and civs, but also the new ability to carry your civ through all three ages and not switch. Personally I quite like switching as long as there's some historical context. They've also reworked victory conditions to make it clearer what your goal is and how to get there - not much of a game changer for veterans like me who've been playing since Civ IV, but much more friendly for newcomers to the series. Definitely move it up your list, let me know what you think when you give it another go.

@old_gamer74 Nice - my target is 30 in 2026, but I'm stuck on 12 right now due to my comfort games (see my earlier post, Balatro is the other key offender) - I wish you luck!

The recent 1.4 update has turned Civ VII into the more 'Civ 6.5' (or should that be VI.V?) experience everyone expected at launch, and it's proper got its hooks into me again. So I'll be playing more of that, even though it's getting in the way of all the great stuff still in my backlog. But we all have our time-sink comfort games... right?

Have a great weekend all.

@MrStark You'd have to base it in facts for it to be so.

But yeah, you do you and have a lovely weekend - whatever you're up to.

@MrStark Everything after ‘but’ in your post is your opinion. Apology accepted.

@MrStark They didn’t give negative feedback on the game itself, they laid out for Naughty Dog what it’s like supporting a top tier live service game - basically ND would not have the bandwidth to build any single player experiences alongside supporting Factions II. Get your facts straight…

It’s an excellent game, but a niche game. Top tier gameplay, art style, sound design… but a small target market. Let’s see if it can fill some of the Destiny-shaped hole when season 3’s PvE mode drops. It deserves to succeed.

Another soon-to-be exhausting comments section. Roll on Sony providing additional clarity on the new all-digital model and then roll on 2028, and a bit of peace and quiet some time after that.

@Mythologue I think you're being generous! Looking at the wording - '...if Sony gets its way'. - clearly designed to fan the forum flames. It's not a discussion, they've made a decision. Anyway yeah, let's not get dragged in - keen to hear more and in the meantime, it is what it is.