Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 404

Just started The Persistence: Enhanced yesterday, having a good time so far.

Edit: First, huh? Woo!

The usual - Genshin Impact.

Might also play some Formula Retro Racing or Bus Driver Simulator - Countryside Edition, was pleasantly enjoying them on my first plays yesterday.

Decided too jump back on the avengers in anticipation for the spiderman launch plus its quadruple xp weekend so I thought why not

Mahjong by Microsoft (Android) - Daily challenges and also still working on puzzle packs.

Bad Piggies (Windows Phone) - Still really enjoying this.

Burn the Rope (Windows Phone) - Need to get back to this, as I've not played in a few days.

Tested positive for Covid-19 (no serious symptoms, luckily) and can't leave the house, so I've got A LOT of time to play games. Just got 100% of the items in Metroid Dread on Switch and finished the game, got the platinum in Tales of Arise on PS5, and will try to do the same in Mass Effect 3 this weekend.

Kena, COD Vanguard (campaign) and Skyrim will be next.

Digimon World: Next Order and I'm probably going to grind the side missions in Necromunda: Hired Gun !

@LittleToyTitan I'm so sorry to hear it! Glad you're holding up well. Lots of rest and vitamins, and you'll be good as new!

SWITCH
Shin Megami Tensei V - continuing my playthrough of this! Enjoying it so far, much-needed challenge!
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - On the other end of the spectrum we have a very easy game I'm playing lol. Coming up to the second gym!

PC
Death Stranding - Starting this one today! Heard mixed opinions about it, but I'm finally playing it for myself.
Garry's Mod - Drunken mayhem with friends later tonight!

Have a good weekend everyone.

I am mostly playing Totally Reliable Delivery Service which is a bad game but I started it with my daughter and I’m close to getting all the trophies. 🏆

Also I’m balancing that bad game with a great one- Guardians of the Galaxy which I’m really enjoying. (Which I got from Tesco for £29 with club card in the Black Friday sale)

Have good weekend everyone

Jumped back into gears of destiny (outriders)..finished all the side quests and the main campaign so now i'm playing the endgame content..really enjoying it..

Scarlet nexus on UGP on the XSX. Enjoying it so far.

Minecraft on the ps5 with my brother. He wants to build a castle with me.

Pokemon brilliant diamond on the nintendo switch. Been radar hunting. Got 4 shiny nidoran (f) yesterday.

My family had to put our dog down this week 😥😥😥 He lived to a ripe old age of 18, which for a dog is amazing. Although the pain is immeasurable, I know it will pass and have many fond memories with our time with him. Rest in peace Oscar. So to get my mind off things I've finally started playing Persona 4 Golden on the vita as I've been travelling a lot this past week. It helped me fall asleep on one of the most painful days of my life. I can already tell this will be a special game for me as it will remind me of this period of my life. This game just gives me a warm feeling and a smile whenever I play it. Have a good week everyone 😊

@GorosBat I’m really sorry to hear that. Hope the game can give you some distraction and comfort.

I’ll be carrying on with dark souls 3. I’m making slow but steady progress and really enjoying it, even though it makes me want to throw the controller at a wall sometimes😆

@lolwhatno so if this is your first Arcane game this is what you need to know in order to decide whether to buy it in its own, or as a collection:

The level design stuff is an Arcane staple, they create a sandbox and give you an objective, but you can approach it how you want. The Dishonored games have this in common, but are Whalepunk assassination games rather than Sci-Fi horror.

I know that I loved all of them, but if the theme is what's got you hooked, it's fair to skip the earlier games.

Got the secret ending for Returnal. Hopefully they add a new biome or boss as DLC as this is probably my game of the year. Im now playing Demon's Souls and just beat the first boss and also the same on Kena. Incredible art style on Kena feels like playing a Pixar movie. Might pick up Tails of Iron while its on sale looks decent. Happy gaming all!

1. Animal Crossing New Horizons
2. Yokai Watch 3 Tempura 3DS

Horizon zero dawn complete edition and days gone.2 of the best ps4 exclusive games.aloy and decon st john is 2 of the best protagonist ever.both games protagonist.gameplay.graphics.and story is amazing.watching. a house on the bayou.excellent movie with a surprise twist.a really good movie.watching in living color one of the Best sitcoms tv shows ever.and saved by the bell.watching my 💛Pittsburgh Steelers🖤 beat the Bengals.word is bond.word life.word to your mother.word to god.word up son

I'm playing cruis'n blast on switch, it's like million of colours converged and change into a game, I'm amazed by the stage in this game, it's one of the best looking arcade game that I played.

One Finger Death Punch 2 on PS4 and playing some of the newly added back compat stuff on Xbox, most likely Max Payne 3 and Aces of the Galaxy. Have a good weekend all!

Guardians Of The Galaxy which I received for my birthday last Monday which I'm enjoying immensely!
Also received Scarlet Nexus but not started that one yet.
Also like my mate @Anti-Matter I'm hooked on Animal Crossing..probably the only game I've ever played every day for over a year!

Finishing a leisurely replay of Judgment before getting Lost Judgment over the Xmas holidays. Definitely better the second time for me.

@GorosBat So sorry about your dog! It's absolutely gutting when you lose a beloved pet,no matter how old they were.

@davesmith01 what i would give to experience that game for the first time again. have fun!

After taking a break to beat what is one of my top three games of the year, Death’s Door, I’m now back to working my way through the incredible Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut on PS5.

Far Cry 6, although I've finished all the missions, done two insurgencies, and am now just flying around opening boxes, collecting cigar cases, honouring idols and going fishing. The whole game felt very conventional compared to the craziness of 3, 4 and 5.

I might finally start The Puppeteer on PS3. I've had this on my pile of shame forever and I think I am in the mood for it. Might also play a little more of Death's Door. I've only had a quick look at it but I really liked what I've seen so far.

@GorosBat sorry to hear that..i have a 4 year old sproodle called bear and he is an amazing comfort to my wife..god knows how i will ever replace him...

PS5: Deathloop. Hell of a lot better than I expected actually.

Series X: BioShock Infinite and Mortal Shell!

I finished Kena: Bridge of Spirits and absolutely loved it. So much better than I expected. It reminded me a little of Prince of Persia (2008), clearing away the corruption and battling/saving lost souls consumed with anger and bitterness. Only without the wall-running and a million light seeds to collect.

One thing that does let it down slightly was the jump in difficulty on ‘Master’ difficulty. I don’t like to use the word ‘impossible’ but this is one of the hardest difficulty modes I’ve ever played. And I’ve platinumed a few tough games in my time.

Unfortunately, the devs patched out the glitch which allowed you to skip the Master difficulty playthrough (spoil sports) but somehow missed the several invisible wall glitches throughout the game which prevent you from progressing and require a manual save reload. Priorities people...

I’ve earned every other trophy in the game except the Master difficulty one but I’ve decided it’s not worth the stress. It does leave my final thoughts on game on a bit of a sour note. But other than this, I thought the game was excellent.

@Wazeddie22 thank you 😊 I thought it wouldn't be as bad as when a family member dies, but I was wrong. We got him at 9 weeks old when I was 6 and he's been beside us the whole time. Dogs really are like having another child, and the only people who think otherwise are people who haven't experienced the joy of having a pet.

Crash 4 for me, picked it up for £5 at tesco

I also replayed Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. It’s been years since I last played it but what a masterpiece of a game.

It’s often overlooked as the lesser entry in the series but I still rank it very close to the second game, in terms of pure fun and the feeling of adventure.

The game is perfectly edited and flows seamlessly from one chapter to the next. The level design is very clever, keeping you in one location but using different parts of the space (upper/lower levels, interior/exterior etc.).

The game is quite short by today’s standards but it feels complete and replayability is huge. I’ve completed this game at least 30 times over the years, since its original release back in 2007 and it never gets old. It’s still as good now as it was back then. And still inspires that same feeling of awe and wonder all these years later.

It’s probably 5-6 years since I last played this game but I still remembered where 58 of the 60 hidden treasures were without using a guide 🤪

Ready for my replay of Uncharted 2 now 😬

@dschons Thanks! I just beat the pontiff boss this morning and I finally get why it’s worth pushing through all the frustration and endless deaths.

@Northern_munkey Sadly, you don't. You just have to make sure you enjoy every moment you have with them and give them all the love and attention you can possibly give them, as I'm sure you know 😊 I forgot where I saw this quote " A dog is a future investment for one of your saddest days in your life", but I must say it is worth it as I can't possibly imagine growing up without a pet as a dogs positive impacts far outweigh the negatives. I'm sure this goes for cats and other furry critters as well. Thanks for the kind words 😊

Just finished Deathloop and contemplating going for the platinum, it's a great game I would highly recommend it. Tempted to see what Outriders is about following that!

@davesmith01 Congrats. I found Pontiff to be one of the hardest ones.

Thoroughly exploring Volga on my 2nd run in the incredibly detailed and immersive Metro Exodus. Then of course tarrying in the wilderness of RDRII. Some laps in GT Sport and anything else.

@lolwhatno Beat PREY a few weeks ago, it's just another Arkane classic and if you haven't played Dishonored, you'd have to get the whole Arkane Collection. It's a MUST. I was sad Arkane is going to Xbox under Bethesda but I was happy to learn the creatives behind left and created an independent Wolfeye studios, with their debut game Weird West coming in January. Need to look out for that one.

@fR_eeBritney - I beat Kena on master but rather than say it's hard I just found it to be downright cheap. The offscreen attacks, boss damage output and insta attacks/lack of telegraphing were obnoxious. I've beat all the usual suspects like Ninja Gaiden, DMC etc on their hardest difficulties and none are even close to being as cheap as Kena. I don't blame anyone for walking away from that BS.

@dschons I think, for me, he’s definitely the hardest so far. It’s between him and the abyss watcher.

@GorosBat My condolences, rest in peace Oscar, sounds like he was a great companion in those 18 years

Questing across ESO whilst watching Critical Role for some tranquility. Apart from that I have to head back to AC:Brotherhood to try and get that plat before the end of the month to continue my streak of at least one Plat a month. 😂😂😂

Playing R&C Rift Apart. Really fun game, well made and designed, nice music, gameplay is good and I like the characters.

I started it on Hard after reading that it could be too easy on a lower setting. I have had some challenging encounters but nothing impossible. Only slight bugbear is the Clank puzzles, I soon grew impatient with these so skipped them. A bit sad I know but I'm sure I'm not the only one. 😉

May try and dip into Valhalla as well but Rift Apart is a hard one to put aside.

Enjoy the weekend, people.

Hi there fellow gamers.
Finished Rachet and Clank Rift Apart during the week, so now
it´s time for some new and recurring games. Only need one trophy in RC for the Platinum though.
This weekend is going to be Guardians of the Galaxy on PS5, the characters and writing is on point, Metroid Dread on Switch, getting upgrades to reach new areas never gets old and Forza Horizon 5 on PC, wich is just a fun to play every once in awhile.
Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming weekend to us all

Continuing with KoA: Re-Reckoning with a slice of Hot Wheels on the Pro!

@lolwhatno Hi there friend.
Told you the game is great. The intro is really good. It sets the mood perfectly for the rest of the game.
You´re gonna love the brilliant level design and one of the most genious weapon/tool created, the Gloo Gun.
Just like @theheadofabroom said the sandbox level aproach that Arkane does is one of the highlights. The other is the game mechanics. And the Gloo Gun fits like a glove in Prey.
So many different ways to do things. It´s very fun.
Ps: Dishonored 1 and 2 are awesome as well. Both are very worthy to have and play around with the A.I. with all the crazy stuff you can do with the characters powers.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

@fR_eeBritney Hey there friend.
I really should go back to Kena on PC, but I kinda wanted to get the game on PS5 to get another Platinum for the collection.
I´m glad the game is good. Now I´m kinda curious with the
game´s Master difficulty. Is it really that bad?
I do like challenging but fair gameplay that some games have and not the obnoxious DMC3 Dante Must Die or Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Master Ninja difficulty level. Cause that´s just nuts.
Also, Uncharted Drake´s Fortune is still a very good game and my second favourite Uncharted.
Remember playing the game back on the PS3 and being blown away by the visuals and the characters.
Naughty Dog sure does knows how to make awesome games.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

Another here playing Rift Apart. Sure is fun.

@Shigurui Yeah, I totally agree with that. I don’t mind games that are hard and test your skill level to the max but Kena’s difficulty is cheap like you say. Very frustrating.

Congrats on beating it on Master - that takes some serious doing (and determination)! 🙌

I only made it to the Wood Knight boss and called it a day. I knew how much more difficult some of the later bosses would be (and that I’d probably end up hating the game 🤣) so I walked away there and then.

The thing is, I was really looking forward to replaying the game with a bit more challenge and getting the platinum.

I’ll probably just wait now until I get a PS5 and replay it on Hard mode.

It’s a brilliant game otherwise.

Mainly Disciples: Liberations, which is a great game that I am really enjoying. The replayability in it is also astounding...

I may also get a couple of games of Gears 5 Horde in too, if my mate is around.

I've been hoping to dive into Forza Horizon 5 before the Halo Infinite campaign drops (I'm not particularly fussed about the multiplayer, but may give it a shot when I have time), but Disciples is much longer than I anticipated, and so I'm not quite sure when I'll be finished with it.

@Divergent95 Thx, man. That will be lots of rest, vitamins and video games. Getting better each day; I'll be ok.

Red Dead Redemption 2 , takes most of my time. Currently on chapter 2 making very slow progress in the main story as I am focusing in exploration and trying for a 100% completion.

When I get tired of exploring the wilderness I play some HADES and trying to escape the underworld.

@lolwhatno it’s the first I’ve made any progress on. I guess I finally got what makes it special. I’ve found it really hard, but every time I’ve felt like giving up I’ve made a little bit of progress that’s encouraged me to carry on and I’m loving it now. I’ve done a little farming, but not loads actually.

@RaZieLDaNtE Hey there 😁, yeah it’s definitely not a fun time on Master difficulty. You just have to read some of the comments in the forums online to see how much people are struggling with it. You’ll see the odd person saying it’s a cakewalk and that they beat it blindfolded with their arms tied behind their backs... using the controller with their feet 🤣 but it’s not easy at all and will test your patience to the absolute Max.

I definitely recommend finishing it though (on one of the lower difficulties). It’s still one of the best games I’ve played this year 😁

@fR_eeBritney - Thanks, it was absolute stubbornness that got me through, I only need the collectibles for the plat but I deleted the game about one second after that master trophy popped. It probably won't happen but the devs really need to do a balance pass on the game. You can tell they just turned stuff up to 11 and called it a day.

@RaZieLDaNtE - If you think DMD and Master Ninja modes are nuts then avoid the Kena plat. Those games have ultra tight controls and require a high skill level but are mostly well balanced on their highest difficulties, Kena controls like syrup in combat and simply isn't balanced at all past normal.

After a long time I’ve started getting back into games.

This weekend I’m playing DBZ: Kakarot…. wow!
Like the most important aspect the fighting/controls is mediocre, but everything else is such a great nostalgia trip. Like fans have played the story countless of times, but the way it’s presented is so need. Also don’t get me started on the beginning theme : ‘Cha-la Head-cha-la…!’

So good playing it with Japanese voicing.

Replaying Control but the UE edition this time round. I’ve also got The Persistence on the go and have received my copy of GotG so might have to take a look at that 😁

@lolwhatno I don't know of any specifically good Let's Play series, but noclip have made some great documentaries about how they went about designing it which I can't remember having any egregious spoilers?

@lolwhatno I’ve probably missed loads of stuff. I’m definitely not, if I’d done more farming I’d have probably made life a bit easier on myself!

Just got Outriders, $20 via current sale, hour or two in and it’s pretty fun. Looting and shooting with a cool Borderlands vibe. Game does a great job ramping you up quickly with various systems and options. Devs seem very committed to constant improvements. If you get stuck you can always dial back the World Tier you are on to make the current run a bit easier. Seems like a game you can jump in for 10 minutes or an hour or two. Still early yet but so far I think it’s hooking me in!

Halo Infinite mostly. Haven't had a multiplayer shooter this hooked in a very long time. Sprinkle in some GoTG.

@lolwhatno The best kind of reward/compliment is you finding joy in something that I enjoyed as well.
It´s always nice to see some enjoying something I recomended. Wich usually happens every single time 😉
Cheers, stay safe and use the Gloo gun to your full content

I finished Celeste last night. Really really good game. I wish I played the game sooner.

Now that Celeste is finished I can start up Kena.

[Insert obligatory error joke here.]

Wayyyyy too many games at the moment.

Series S: Halo Infinite, FH5, Tales of Arise, Back4Blood (coop with friends) and Forgotten City.
Switch: I would be playing Metroid Dread but my gf is still wrapping up the Pokemon Shield DLC's.
Ps5: Ghost of Tsushima DC and Death Stranding DC, I'm doing all the grinding possible before finishing the main story.

There's not enough hours in a day right now I swear.

@fR_eeBritney Thanks for the reply.
So basically it´s a Huge difficulty spike. If you can "Master" the game in normal, it might not be that bad.
Also, the game needs to be fun and the gameplay needs to be tight. If not, there´s just no reason to go for it.
That´s how I feel for difficulty associated tropies.
But there are so many good games out now and not so much time to play them all. Good problems to have, right?
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

@Shigurui Hi there friend.
Like I said before, I do like challenging games like Dark souls, Ni-Oh, Sekiro, Ninja Gaiden and have beaten every DMC game on DMD, except 4 and 5.
Just didn´t have enough patience to be honest.
As for NGS2 Master Ninja difficulty and those Team Missions on PS3 that´s not challenging, that´s just masochistic and anoying. To me at least. The basic strategy Is jumping, charge, collect the essence and do the ultimate technique.
Rinse and repeat.
And cheat, because the A.I. cheats all the time.
Give me challenging games like Returnal and Demon´s Souls and I´m set.
Having said that, I can´t wait for a new Ninja Gaiden 4 and Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop enemies constantly. Now that´s what I like to call Fun times.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

aside from recovering from a massive hangover, playing dark souls 3 still, and some GTA 3 definitive edition. tried to go the platinum route, but those darn street races are difficult for me.

@dschons Puppeteer is a great game with an amazing art style and sense of imagination, you should have a lot of fun with it. It's also a perfect game to play in the lead-up to Christmas - like a videogame pantomime (cue someone responding, "Oh no it isn't!") 😃

Still soldiering my way through Dark Souls 2. Still loving it. Been throwing myself repeatedly at the Iron Keep and making steady progress. Just beaten the Smelter Demon (eventually). No idea how on earth you go in an elevator from Earthen Peak to Iron Keep, that was a bit random. The visual continuity of the world seems to break down a bit there 🙄😁

@TimeDelayedGamer I've just started it 20 minutes ago and I'm already getting great vibes

I thought I get back into Samurai Shodown and Guilty Gear Strive.

@kyleforrester87 I’m about 75% through Pillars 1, really need to finish it one of these days.

I’ve just started Monster Hunter World, loving it so far. Also playing a few rounds of COD, Tetris Effect and PES2021.

I'm working my way through NFS: Payback. Got it free on PS Plus from ages ago. Why did no-one tell me it was a PS version of Forza Horizon? It's brilliant! Having a great time.

Just finished Moonlighter, thinking about checking out the DLC. Will be picking away at Deathloop, starting to get the hang of it, I think it's going to be a good one. A little bit of Skater XL sprinkled in for good measure.

Trying to finish Sekiro. I’ve not loved it to be honest. I’m just going for the easiest/worst shura ending because I’m done with it but I’m currently stuck on the boss.

Managed to get a PS5 for my mate and lent him Returnal so also coaching him through that which is fun

I'm playing Two Point Hospital Jumbo Edition this weekend.

Gta 5 and rec room cards against humanity

Decided to have a crack at the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy so did Definitive Edition 100% this week. Just finished up. Also been playing Knockout City a bit. The mechanics allow for some rather complex strategies if you are meticulous and I managed MVP 4 or 5 times in my 14 or so matches. Will probably continue FF 14 tomorrow or maybe will give the final level of Contagion VR (managed the platinum without even trying the last level lol) a go.

Been playing a bit of Halo Infinite. And just a little bit of Forza Horizon 5. But on PS4 I restarted InFAMOUS Second Son. I’m shocked at how good that game still looks on a base PS4. That HDR patch made a huge difference! Have a great weekend!

Farming Simulator 22. I wasn't expecting to buy this but glad I took the plunge, just a heap of fun to play.

Halo infinite & Halo MCC . im playing an xbox for awhile until the ps5 comes next week . still undecided on whether i wanna keep it when it comes.

Getting backstabby in KOA: Reckoning, new game plusing P5R and getting speedy in Forza Horizon 5.

The past few weeks have been pretty barren on the gaming front for me, had a lot of 'real life' stuff going on.

My dad has just had a big cancer operation and spent a month in the hospital - he's home now and recovering. But it was a testing time for everyone.

And then various other things have kept me away from the controller. Back on it a little bit this weekend though.

Trying to get through Wreckfest (still) and my son has been playing little big planet 3.

I've got a series S coming in a few weeks (as part of a phone contract) can anyone recommend any of it's hidden gems?

Happy gaming everyone!

As time allows this weekend, I will continue my journey through Kena: Bridge of Spirits
In the meantime i also tested out a Bloodborne infinite ammo rapid fire glitch, to see if it works in the last version of the game or is just another bug from an older version (as it's usually the case with BB glitches people post on youtube).
But this one is genuine, it works very well with the last version of the game.
You just have to be very fast with the weapon removal, and then keep a steady rhythm while shooting.
Oh I can just see this used with an allied NPC to keep a boss occupied, while you pound it to dust with the cannon.
Special props to the one that found it, this is Good fun!
Especially if you've already platinumed the game, and now you're just messing with it.
The link is below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N44Pv5jeeFI&ab_channel=Distortion2

@sanderson72 same, juggling re reckoning with the recently purchased yakuza like a dragon too, both games will take up a lot of my time!

Been playing lots of Halo Infinite multiplayer on Series X and having so much fun, will play through MCC to get myself ready for Infinites campaign next week. This weekend I’ve been playing Guardians on PS5 since it was on Black Friday sale and it’s great, needed a fun single player game to tide me over and I’m currently finishing up the last little bits of collectibles for Rift Apart platinum. Happy gaming everyone!

Treated myself to Resident Evil Village and Spider-Man Miles Morales on PS5 (Black Friday digital deals £57 for both)
Dabbled with both in the short time I’ve had snd both seem great.
A bit of time with Halo Infinite too which is a really fun game.

Got Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart about two weeks ago and beat it on Friday! 100% it and I’m two trophies away from platinum. Been going through my backlog with Spyro Trilogy, GoW, Horizon Dawn, and Spider-Man. I think I’m going to play Spider-Man first!

@Gloamin
It seems really cool so far. Made it into the castle and being chased around in the basement by the daughters.
I’m not a huge Resi fan but absolutely loved 4 when it came out all those years ago on the GameCube and when I read (on a couple of sites) that Village is a natural successor to 4 coupled with the absolute bargain price of (£23) I had to buy it.
I’ve not watched any spoilers at all deliberately since it was released so I’m excited for the battles and the monsters ahead!

With the series x still down for the count I've been mostly catching up on my unfinished PS4 games. GoT, spiderman (main game) I just keep getting bored and leaving it. Death loop which I know I'll get in game pass anyway but for half price why not ... And yeah getting in some fh5 on the series s I got as a spare.... It's no x though.

Scarlet Nexus was in my backlog for a while. Just started playing this week. Seems like a merge of pieces of Tales of Arise, Control, and Persona 5 Strikers. All good here.

I've been doing a Halo marathon the past few weeks.completed Halo 3 on Friday and started Halo 4. Will get to Halo 3 ODST hopefully before Halo Infinite comes out.

On the PlayStation front , been slowly progressing in TLOU2. not because i am not enjoying but i dont want to complete it to fast.

Mafia definitive edition