Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 433

That Red Dead replay - I hope to do it once ps5 patch drops. Hopefully. Someday

I've just finished Deliver Us The Moon and it was pretty good, I think I'll be messing about with some more driving games but I also want to play through Resident Evil Directors Cut

Only one possible thing for me if anyone reads my comments from other weeks, a little expansion released for a particular game.

Minayle and Chichae best girls!

Assassin's creed Valhalla

Mass Effect: Andromeda. Slapped on a handful of Quality of Life-mods and now I’m actually having a surprisingly good time with it.

GT 7 of course, got to start tackling the Menu's again but really my focus is on the Circuit Experiences and going back to the Driving Licence tests, trying to get a Gold on each one.

Resi 8 is my 'main' SP game, taken out three bosses (House Beneviento was everything people said it was, creepy as hell!) and progressing nicely. Found most things but I'm sure there's a goat in the church. I can hear it but I can't see the darned thing. Brilliant game though, a lot of fun.

Did start Observation last weekend but only played it for a couple of hours. It's definitely... interesting rather than brilliant. Will try to put another hour or two into it this weekend.

Have a good one, folks.

I had my second Covid vaccination yesterday and I’m feeling pretty rough, but it will not deter me from tackling Cuphead’s exquisite Delicious Last Course. Speaking of DLC, I’m also back into the fabulous Dead Cells in a pretty big way. The recent update really helps progression.

My wife is at work, so I’m also about to watch the first of the last two Stranger Things Season Four episodes right now. With all the ramped up horror elements, it’s by far the best season yet.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

MHR: Sunbreak on Nintendo Switch… but purposefully limiting myself to small sessions so as to prevent burnout! Only just kicked it off and excited to try the new Switch Skills for Greatsword (hear that they’re great) This will basically be my ‘travel game’ while I’m away with work

Then when home, still on that Platinum grind with Nioh 1 - finally made it to region 5 (of 6) and still loving it. IMO - not quite as polished as the FromSoftware outputs, but would argue that Nioh combat is far superior… just excellent fighting mechanics!

@PenguinLtd Sekiro beckons…! IMO this is FromSoft’s ‘Magnum Opus’ and just an utterly fantastic game. Incredibly punishing, but there is also a beautiful simplicity to it - no ‘builds’ per se, or stat allocation to worry about, you simply just pick up and play.

I’d love sequel!

@Majk_SVK Hell yeah, improved frame rate, 4K options, Dualsense features etc - all of that would have me running back to it for a third playthrough in a heartbeat.

Which is why it won't happen of course. Damn you, Rockstar lol.

At least we have the improved The Witcher 3 to look forward to on PS5, another GOAT contender.

Last week, I played Tiny Tina's Wonderlands via the game trials in PS+ Premium and I was surprised by how much fun I had. Never really was a fan of Borderlands, so I didn't bother when it released. It happened to go on sale the same day at a local retailer, so I grabbed it. Working my way through the game. Having a good time with it.

Also, I finally sat down and removed all of the rubber layer on my PSVR unit which started flaking and always caused a huge mess both on my head and in my room, lol. I still have quite a backlog on PSVR and can't wait to tackle that until PSVR2 comes out.

Just beat Thunder Serpent Narwa in Monster Hunter Rise after moving to PC, so onwards to Sunbreak!

Also playing Ghost of Tsushima on PS5 and the ever present Stardew Valley on Switch.

Bloodstained RotN, have reach the final boss, fight didn't go well, so will be exploring and upgrading things for a while before I have another attempt. Also playing Last Stop, it's good, not sure why I disliked it when I played it originally.

@The_Pixel_King I've been meaning to pick up Dead Cells again. What difference has the patch made in terms of progression?

So I played and beat every mainline ff and some spinoffs.. except XI. I finally decided to start it but so far I'm disappointed by how terribly it has aged and it feels like a chore so I may never finish it. I will do my best to finish the nations part at least.

@Col_McCafferty I'm confident it will happen you'll probably just have to pay 60 quid for the privilege...

Finally playing God of War 4 (ps4) for the first time after beating omori, TMNT shredder’s revenge and yakuza 6 last week.

Also a bit of fortnite, planet coaster and theatrhythm final fantasy curtain call.

Cuphead and Monster Hunter Rise. Both of them have just received big expansions, that I'm currently having a blast playing through.

And I'm still making my way through Persona 4 Golden, which I'm super enjoying.

Finally caved and bought Elden Ring. Have never played a Souls game before so I was very apprehensive. Went with a mage build and am enjoying the game so far, but it is somewhat annoying that I felt the need to turn to YouTube so frequently for guidance as it hurts the sense of discovery and exploration but without it I’d be completely screwed so bit of a rock and a hard place situation there. Only about 8-10 hours in so the hope is that once I level up a bit and get some decent gear I’ll be able to truly wonder about the game more freely.

Stubbornly holding out hope for PS5 upgrade but would love a replay of RDR2.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

@Col_McCafferty I really, really wanted to like RDR2 but for some reason I couldn’t.

Got a high-end PC and can push everything to the max on a 4K OLED TV with 60+ fps. It is an absolutely amazing experience but still couldn’t get into it. I gave it a good 10 hours or so. Can’t wrap my head around as to why I don’t like it.

@Relygon Can understand that. Overall I enjoyed the game a lot but the start and finish were both a bit of a slog.

I finished Spiderman with the dlcs. Was a great game, but imo to many stealth missions and didn't really enjoy the challenges a bit to frustrating for me. Now I'm debating to start Ys 9 or Infamous second son next, I probably will go with Infamous since I'm still playing Dq11 on my Xbox, what a fantastic jrpg that is. So funny in the past I didn't really love jrpgs and turn based games but nowadays those are my favorite games. Oh how tatse can change when you get older lol

Returnal. Made it to the 3rd biome which is a massive difficulty spike over the first 2. Eventually arrived at the boss and inexplicably died during the boss reveal cutscene. Not looking forward to the fight if the cutscene can one shot me!

Have a good weekend all!

Just finished Final Fantasy VII Remake's INTERmission DLC. Can't wait for Rebirth now! I finally reached Act 2 in Ghost of Tsushima just now, and I'll be slashing my way through the main storyline this week. Really interested in Death Stranding and Returnal as well, but I'll try to resist the temptation and tackle them one at the time.

I'm having a chill weekend with Cozy Grove and some Lego Marvels Avengers.

Ps5 Ghostwire Tokoyo. Its an item hunt game in a spooky tokoyo setting with Japanese culture running through its veins, perfect for me.

Ive set up my PS3 again, so access to ps1, ps2, ps3 discs again.
Always play the odd race in Motorstorm which is still the best game of its type despite the years.
...... and the plastic guitars are back. Me and the wife were missing guitar hero, so its back in our house in a big way! When was it I was supposed to have grown up? 😁

I'm moving in with my boyfriend soon, so I haven't bought any games recently. However, I'm enjoying Apex Legends at the moment, so that's what I'm playing.
Have a good weekend everyone!

@Relygon You are not alone. I tried really hard because it was bought for me, but after about 25 hours I never went back to rdr2 either. I appreciate theres lots to like, but it just bored me, and i can put 100s of hours into games, so it was hard to see why...

Red dead 2 apart from elden ring this year has been abysmal for gaming

I just finished Kaito Files and its probably one of my favourite DLC of all time. The story was brilliant and had me hooked. Im playing Dying Light 2 which is a grind but enjoyable. Im also playing Cuphead and will probably pick up the DLC soon. On Switch Im playing Live A Live demo to transfer my progress to the main game and AI The Somnium Files 2 is out next week

Ys 8 lacrimosa of dana. Assassins creed origins with all the dlcs.resident evil 4.and valkyria chronicles remaster. Watching resident evil movie.watching legendary 📺 tv sitcoms in living color.good times.sanford and son.saved by the bell.martin.word up son

@Jey887 You can tweak the difficulty, which has allowed me to progress where I was previously stuck. I’ve bought all the DLC as it released and now I can enjoy it to the fullest. Go back in, you’ll really appreciate the nuances to the difficulty.

Finally starting Edge of Eternity

The way some people feel about RDR2 is how I'd feel about Elden Ring. It's just not for me.

Anyway, try and talk about the games that you are playing and try to ignore the troll.

😉

So I completed Zorro The Chronicles and it was ok. Felt like the old movie tie-in games we used to get on the PS3. Completed in a few hours (so nice easy platinum) and enjoyed it for what it was.

Also, started playing Crysis Trilogy Remastered and really enjoying the first game so far.

In between those games, a bit of Fall Guys and Fortnite. Gutted they didn’t bring back the Stranger Things skins for season 4 vol. 2. Epic games letting us down again with another missed opportunity.

@The_Pixel_King Oh nice. Thanks for that. I think I made it to 3 cells before falling off due to difficulty. I will have a tinker with the new options.

Chugging through wild arms and failing asleep mid race in grid legends. Plus some everybody’s golf ⛳️ 🏌️

STILL playing Ni No Kuni II.
it's not too long of a game but I'm enjoying the side quests and exploring the map and just seeing how far I can go. the combat is quite fun as well.
> might dabble with Bloodstained ROTN.

Should finish up my divinity original sin 2 playthrough today. Then Cuphead until my thumb hurts.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Still on my 2nd run of AC Odyssey, enjoying it better when I'm not comparing it to the legendary RDR2. The on again off again MHW, feel like no game does prehistoric animal-like monsters better. Plus some GT Sport.

I know I shouldn't, but I can't stop playing FIFA 22 on amateur setting, it's absolutely brainless.

Assassins creed origins for me this weekend..i quite like wrc10 and i cant make my mind up about returnal..it looks and sounds amazing but i'm just not quite getting it..have a good one folks 👍

Just got the platinum for the ace The Outer Worlds. Looking forward to the sequel. Got GoT on the download so in the meantime it's more Cyberpunk 2077 and AI Somnium.

I'll be getting pretty hot & heavy into Mass Effect this weekend, as I started the fantastic Legacy Collection. Apart from that, I might break it up by sending Sony Santa Monica a few spicy pics, just to keep them on their toes. I jest, of course. Hopefully, they're all relaxing after a stressful week.

@Shigurui Man that 3rd boss is no joke, and is a superb boss encounter. Was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Got my platinum for Unpacking this week, not difficult but a very enjoyable game - highly recommended. Also nailed Shadow Warrior 3 before it leaves PS Premium funny game but a bit basic.

@Jey887 Same here, I got stuck at three cells, too, but now I’ve managed to get my fifth. The latest patch is a really cool and considered adjustment from the devs.

@CthulhuFhtagn It's not that impressive considering I started my ff journey back in 2013 with ffxiii. My top 3 are ffvii, ffvi and ffv. Ffv literally has everything I love about the franchise in retrospective. Great boss fights, the best summon interpretations, major series mainstays like Gilgamesh & Enkidu, the best job system with 20ish playstyles which makes the game highly replayable because if exploited every playthrough becomes different and also it's a traditional warrior of light story in a medieval setting. The only downside is its weak plot!

I have been loving my playthrough through the Kingdom Hearts series! Coming into it as an adult I was extremely skeptical of connecting with the game, but all of my doubts have been laid to waste. I adore this series, really enjoying my current playthrough of KH2, it is significantly better than KH1 in every way. After playing 2, gonna move on to Birth by Sleep!

Still playing Assassin's Creed Origins. Finished the main story early in the week, then finished The Hidden Ones a few days ago, and now I'm working my way through The Curse of the Pharaohs. I should finish that this weekend as long as the grinding to get to Level 55 doesn't take even longer than expected.

Just finished the second palace is P5R. The DLC Personas make the game a breeze if you've already played the original P5.

@Arisen @CthulhuFhtagn

I can't look at a conversation about FF and not jump in

Excellent top 3 my friend, we basically have the same tastes except my personal list goes: ffxiv, ffvii, ffvi (although catch me on the right day and this last answer might be ix) ffxiv reminds me of ffv in regards to amount of jobs you can play

@Constable_What is it good. I fell off MHR a good while back but did get to the end. Loved my time with it up until i got distracted.

I've been playing Hollow Knight for a few weeks and I'm having a ton of fun with it.

Miles Morales from Ps++, a bit of eFootball, Wytchwood, Dead Cells...

Lost in Random with a few Guilty Gear Strive matches thrown in. Also watch Stranger things and hopefully finish reading Excession today.

Have a good one folks!

Mahjong by Microsoft (Android) - Finally coming back to earn my last three medals that remain.

Age of Empires: Castle Siege (Android) - Nearly halfway through it now.

Make it Rain: The Love of Money (Windows Phone) - Just starting this.

Capcom Fighting Game Collection for the most part on PS4. Maybe squeeze in King of Fighters 15 and WWE 2K22 as well.

Working my way through GHOSTWIRE: Tokyo over the holiday weekend. It’s strange for sure but definitely fun and enjoyable. I’m also finishing up re-playing RESISTANCE: Fall Of Man after not having played it in over 13 years. Going to dive into RESISTANCE 2 once I’m done w that.

@TraCuz- ahh xiv I hate how much I love that game because it drains away my time but I still resub to play the next big raid. Pandaemonium is so good. Still not sure if it's a reference to ffii or if it is its own thing but we'll see

This weekend I’ll be playing two games. First up:

Neon White (Nintendo Switch) - This is one of the best games I’ve ever played. It may very well exceed Elden Ring for my GOTY.

I decided to buy this game on a whim because I wanted to try something different from what I usually play. In about an hour I could tell this game was special. The entire game has a unique color to it, and the characters you meet along the way are just as colorful. Each person has their own personality (there’s a cat named Mikey who loves mob related movies and television!). As you play the game you can find gifts that you are able to bring back to the hub world and give to characters. By doing so, you’ll unlock new dialogue options, memories, and side quests that will flesh out their backstory. Some people might consider the people and dialogue cringe, but I think it hits all the right notes due to its exceptional voice acting, humor, self awareness, and references to pop culture.

All of this would be meaningless if the game wasn’t fun to play; thankfully, it’s an absolute blast. The controls are tight and responsive, which is the most important thing considering the game is essentially a speed-runner’s dream. There are about 90 levels to traverse through and each one is different and incredibly well designed. You’ll never encounter the same level twice. The more you progress the more challenging it becomes, but your skills are advancing as well, so each level can still be completed in less than a minute. As a result, there is a perfect balance between the two that motivates you to replay prior levels to get a better score than your original run.

Overall, I think this game is a masterpiece. I understand no game is “perfect”, but Neon White is perfect for me. One main reason is because I don’t get to play games as much as I used to due to adulthood and raising a family, and when I do get to play I get burnt out if I play any longer than ten hours. However, I find it impossible for me to lose steam with this game because of how rapid levels can be completed. It almost feels like a whole new game each time. I really hope more people will play this gem because it deserves recognition.

Lastly, I’ll be playing Diablo III (Nintendo Switch). I originally started the game on my Xbox Series X and made it to Act III, but then I noticed it was on sale for the Switch and instantly jumped on it because of the portability. Thankfully, the game runs smoothly and I’ve had no issues at all. I’m currently halfway through Act I and am enjoying every minute of it. I can’t wait to see what Blizzard does with Diablo IV.

Sonic Origins, been nice to revisit the games in widescreen on my Switch Lite and try some of the time challenges. Also might try get a bit better at Final Vendetta. If I play something more modern, I should get back to Elden Ring.

More Cyberpunk 2077. I'm just driving around Night City looking for a fight haha. This game has really good gunplay, which helps a lot.
On PS3- started a replay of Race Driver: Grid. Burnbaby Reloaded still gets my blood pumping

Leveling red mage and fisher in FFXIV and wrapping up Newfound Adventure. Hoping to play a little more Horizon Forbidden West too, but that’s become something I only play when my wife is able to watch and we have a 5 month old baby, so probably won’t make too much progress in that 😁

Still working my way through Elden Ring. I'm almost 100 hours in and with it being my first FromSoft game, I'm seriously enjoying this way more than I thought I would.

Slowly making my way through Diablo 3. Made it to act 3 in the campaign and it's been fun so far but way way too easy. It can get really repetitive as a result, just mindless tearing through mobs of enemies like if it were a musou with the occasional skill press just to see something new. I don't know if it's cause I'm just playing on the default difficulty, or if the real game starts after the campaign in that adventure mode thingy, or it's just that they made the necromancer class too OP, but it's ridiculously easy

Ghostwire Tokyo for me. TMNT as well, and trying to just grind money in GT7 so I can maybe get the legendary cars next go round in the shop. Otherwise a lot of Neon White and Little Noah on my Switch this weekend while holding my newborn.

@BlackMayge everything you said resonated with me. Raising two infants leaves me with short pick up and play sessions. For the same reason check out Dungeons of Dreadrock on Switch. It’s a light puzzler you may enjoy with a slow pace and plenty of hints when you get stuck. I enjoyed all 5-6 hours with it and got it on sale for 5$ though I’d gladly have paid the 10$

I'm still chasing the platinum in Horizon Forbidden West!

Pacman 256 (or whatever it's called) with the wee man, good for a wee break from bigger games and a fun little coop game.

Still working through GoT, about to have to clear out the Forge after saving Yuna's brother, just tidying up a few side quests and the like before doing that. Assume I'm nearing the end of Act 1 at this point but haven't really checked as don't want any spoilers.

Have been messing around with Empire of Sin as well, it's always interested me as I love this type of game but never pulled the trigger because of reviews. Happy it's on Extra so as I can give it a go, seems ok though I've not done very much at all.

Gravity Rush 2 and Until Dawn for me.

Ghost of Tsushima. Getting a little bit burned out and emotionally drained though to be honest. I'm pretty much clearing the map of all quests and activities as I move from one spot to another following the main story, because I do want to completely rid the land of the Mongol invaders and not leave a pocket of them behind while moving ahead (and that is thanks to the emotional storytelling) And it is pretty well designed for doing that kind of map sweeping, and some of the side quests feel like part of the main narrative anyway (shout out Lady Masako and Norio) but where it's at its best is the yellow main quests, and I'd love if the game had more of them, with the big set piece battles and duels and more of the story, rather than base clearing for 8 iron, rescue the hostages and wait for them to say thank you 3 times in each camp.

It seems like only 3 major quests per act and region, so far. And liberating 6 farms to get some armour I'm not going to use nearly broke me lol. And then there being a seventh farm that isn't involved in that quest just sat there in an area no part of any quest has taken me, just feels like it's kicking me while I'm down haha.

I could easily rush ahead with the main story, but then it'd be over and I'd have no reason to finish exploring.

Combat is really nice though (holding circle and being patient before flicking the analogue stick to complete the dodge move at the last second and countering is very satisfying) the storytelling feels really sympathetic to samurai movies and Japanese culture and is a nice change of pace.

But I really need something with more comic relief and silly stuff in next time I play through a game, as I've now played 3 AAA, nearly 100% serious tone games in a row.

So yes, playing Ghost of Tsushima this weekend, but also having a break from it to bake and do other things, maybe I'll compose some Haiku

Yeah it can be a time sink, but I love it to pieces. Incredibly special to me. I really appreciate the approach and mentality the team has towards subbing, sub when the game has something for you and unsub when it doesn't.

As far as FF2 reference I'm unsure, but I'd lean more towards no since they said Pandae is original content since people are tired of crossovers (nier, eden, omega). Personally I adore the crossovers.

Been playing just Tiny Tina Wonderlands non-stop weekly and finally decided to take a break (before a family intervention occurred) and thought now is the time, it's finally the moment for Cyberpunk 2077 PS5. Years of disappointment, delays, scandals, so I was expecting to take a look and maybe bounce off of it. I am now 20 hours in and it is kind of...awesome?

Great Fallout vibe with a defined sense of place, tons to do and collect, lots of missions, great characters, and bold stylish art direction. Have not hit any bugs, although travel is kind of a downer. Cars are hard to drive (motorcycle fixed that) and needs auto-drive like Watch Dogs Legion, fast travel never seems to be near you, and so much is vertical, it would be close to impossible to find stuff high up without the mapping system. When Mr. Reeves shows up along with a plot twist, it was a damper, because he seems so annoying (the character, not the icon of course) but we seem to be starting to bond...so who knows?

Anyway...having a lot of fun and combat surprised me, its tight and varied with lot of weapon options and almost infinite types of builds. Surprisingly impressed so far. Looking forward to more hours in the world.

I am playing Tails of Iron. Really good game, with challenging, fun combat.

I had a Logitech g29 in the past and sold it, regretted selling it and bought another last week. This week I got totally addicted to racing in Watkins Glen in GT7's daily races.

Genuinely, you really feel like you are driving a real race car, having to pit and change tyres and push the car hard. One mistake and it's curtains. It's incredible.

yakuza 3 more side story fun than main.

@frankmcma I was really loving Cyberpunk, it's definitely not a bad game, it isn't the Witcher 3 in a future earth setting, but it is good. My issue was I'd bought it early, and even though I was loving it (60 hours worth of investment and love) the crashes got more and more common, and finally I gave up at about two thirds in. Then when I tried it again after I'd finished Far Cry 6, Cyberpunk looked and played terrible in comparison, and that seems weird because Far Cry 6 has some really weird textures in places. Maybe it's just how the gunplay felt as well, it's hard to put my finger on, but it felt wrong.

So I can't make myself buy the PS5 digital version, and I can't get myself to jump back in on PS4 Pro disc version now. But yes, I'm not surprised you are loving it. I feel I've missed my chance to finish a story that I was actually invested in as so much time has gone and it seems a bit outdated to me now. Maybe one day if I see more and more people are enjoying it again lol

@Ravix The PS5 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is so much more enjoyable than the PS4 version. I know it's technically the exact same game but the crisp resolution, the 60 fps and the near total lack of bugs and crashes make it a very different kind of beast. I do hope you play it again.

I'm chopping off limbs in dying light 2 and being impressed all over again by GTA 5 story mode.

Finally started my 5th playthrough of The Witcher 3 and it’s still a stunning game, albeit one that certainly has some issues and is starting to look dated now. But for a 7 year old game it’s still incredible, the characters, setting, writing and world building still amongst the best ever and the two expansions absolutely incredible in quality and quantity. Plus the gorgeous soundtrack …

… anyway, that’ll keep me occupied for a few hundred more hours then I can rinse and repeat all over again when the PS5 version releases. That should bring my total playtime to well over 1000 hours in which I could have achieved so much more but, and this is the important part, it wouldn’t have been half as much fun!

I've gone retro and am having a whale of a time playing GTA Vice City on my trusty PS2. It's years since I played GTA 3 and Liberty City Stories, don't ask me why it's taken me so long to get round to Vice City. I'd forgotten just how much fun the driving is in those games. After a few hours of exploring, I've started using a 100% guide as I sadly don't have the time to try and discover everything by myself.

GT7 that I have been playing since release. I also started the PS2 version of Max Payne on PS5 and am thinking about starting up Dragon Quest XI to tide me over until Soul Hackers 2 releases.

@Constable_What well ive just picked up Rise for the first time in 5 months and trying to mop up my 7* quests but i got my party killed about 3 times already 😬. I need to practice again before i take on anything harder 😁

ME3 and just uprgaded PS Plus to get Spiderman ps4

Played some donut County, very well written and funny dialogue. Played some ori and the blind forest, its truly beautiful in hdr. I've also downloaded the portal collection on switch. I've played one before and it's fantastic but looking forward to a replay and hitting up the sequel.

TMNT, Fall Guys and Desert Strike on the Megadrive which is awesome!

@Luigia TMNT is such a great game right? Got 1 more trophy for thr platinum. Props for Desert strike too. I love the strike series.

@Kidfunkadelic83 thanks Mate and I’m loving TNMT, and just as much fun as Streets of Rage 4 👍🏻

As for Desert Strike I love these old games and wish they made more of them.

@Luigia i liked SOR4 but i find TMNT much more enjoyable. The added run and dodge mechanism makes the game for more. It feels so fluid. Yes i agree, another awsome series lost to the past 😕

@Kidfunkadelic83 TMNT is pure fun and agree with your comments. I’d love to see DLC for TNMT and a Streets of Rage 5 as the beatem up genre is back with a bang!

As for Desert Strike, if anyone has the game laying around please dig it out, it’s brilliant!

I was running through some PS+Extra platinums over the week because I panicked when I saw Shadow Warrior 3 was leaving soon, so I jumped on that *****. You can easily plat SW3 in 8 hours flat, so if you hustle you can still do it. The only hang-up is going to be maybe 3-4 challenges needed for upgrades. I had to take a break from knocking out those plats for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart though - going to knock that out tonight.

It’s been an eventful weekend so far! On Friday the adaptive triggers in my Dualsense went bust after just a week and a half of owning my PS5

I took it into the store and they replaced it with the galactic purple model. Hopefully I will be okay moving forward but it was a bit of a shock considering I’ve never had a problem with any of my DS3 or DS4 controllers.

Finished the lovely puzzle game Expand (great soundtrack, too!) and got the platinum on Astro’s Playroom yesterday afternoon. Last night I played some TMNT for the first time at my mate’s place - they’ve done a fantastic job with that game! Brought back so many memories of playing TMNT on the Super Nintendo all those years ago…

Independence day weekend here in the US! So work and then firing up the grill for some burgers, dogs and beers! Depending on how things go, might carry on with the lovely gt7. My favorite Gran Turismo game since gt3. Only like 10 menu books left... Don't want it to end... Also might carry on my very long (and boring) playthrough of Alan wake remastered.

Probably Pocky and Rocky Reshrined since it just arrived. Otherwise I'm watching some anime and keeping tabs on news from the Anime Expo.

@Relygon I didnt like RDR2 that much either. But to be honest I did enjoy the start when everything felt fresh and full of possibilities.

Later on however I found the gameplay to be very repetitive and the story dragged on for way too long making the whole thing a chore. Combat was far too easy and very repetitive, the missions consisted of literally nothing more than shooting dozens of bad guys, and the hunting meant if you had killed one animal you knew the trick to do them all.. just my 2 cents

Sekiro for the first time after buying it in a sale on PS5.
Spelunky on my switch.

I’ve got a deathwish it would appear…..

Elden ring. 1st playthrough was quite rough due to russians attacking Kyiv in march. Still got me through that time as the best distraction available. 170 hours for the first playthrough. Started as a strenght build but eventually evolved into strenght/faith hybrid.

After it became calmer in Kyiv, I did another 140 playthrough with focused strenght build and had a blast with it.
Now its time to go back to my 1st character and play 1st tier of NG+. Having fun completing side quests and exploring all the nooks and crannies missed in the first playthrough.
Found out you can actually complete Fia's and Ranni's quests BEFORE reaching Altus plateau, this is quite a discovery.

As with all Fromsoft games, it is hard to put it aside before I have around 1000 hours with it.
Horizon Forbidden West awaits its turn patiently on my digital shelf. Sorry, Guerilla. Wrong timing with the release window)))

@Flurpsel Yeah, I see. It’ll have to stay in the backlog for now, maybe I’ll take another look at it again in a few years.

@Col_McCafferty I wasn’t trying to trash-talk the game. All I’m saying is that I was surprised I didn’t love it. It seemed like a perfect fit, I love massive open-world games with “endless” possibilities.

@Blacksmith1985 wow man, stay safe.

Enjoy your gaming, it's a hobby that has helped me in the past when I needed something else to occupy my mind.

Seems churlish to point this out, but HFW had an official release date before ER. FromSoft deliberately releases their game close to HFW, not the other way round. I see this fiction posted all the time online, almost as a way of further taunting GG and Sony.

I don't see the similarities anyway, they're both open world and released within a week of each other but that's it. Might as well compare Far Cry with ER.

@Col_McCafferty they're both AAA action RPG in open world.

And both combat-focused.

What more similarities do you need?

Shadow Warrior 3 and going for the Platinum before it leaves the Plus service. It's leaving tomorrow I think

@astro911 you said Astrobot and what a game! I platinumed too and my fav game on the machine! What a showcase of the Dualsense also.

I bought TNMT and simply loving it! The 90’s are back

@Blacksmith1985 hmm, I don't really view HFW as a RPG though and AAA games push the envelope with graphics and audio design, ER clearly doesn't. And name a game that isn't combat-focused lol.

Also, I'd advise you to leave some time between finishing ER and starting HFW. At least that's what I've got from others that played ER.

Anyway, stay safe.

@Luigia Yeah it was an absolute blast and as you say a fantastic showcase for the Dualsense! Astrobot is a adorable and I’m looking forward to Team Asobi’s next project.

I was playing TMNT on my friend’s Series X via Gamepass so I plan to pick it up on PlayStation and replay once it goes on sale.

Started Ghostrunner tonight from my PS Plus backlog of PS5 games. I’m really loving the setting but I think this game is going to make me rage quit haha. I just don’t have the patience anymore for so much trial and error. I play games to have fun, not to get frustrated. 😂 Definitely feels like one of those games that favours a mouse and keyboard setup.

I traveled to attend a metal show yesterday, but already restarted playing Assassin's Creed Chronicles China before it. When I return home today, Horizon FW and maybe AC Black Flag is in order... Must rest, my headbanging was epic.

@PenguinLtd have you tried DS 2 or 3, or 1

Resident evil village with the unlimited content from the shop for $8

@astro911 you used the immortal words “I play games to have fun” and now I’m older, I always remember this as the reason I got into games. Top reply 👍🏻

@Col_McCafferty I would argue about graphics and sound design, but anyway main parameter here is budget. And it is comparable.

Re combat focus: The Witcher 3. Combat is arguably one of the weakest mechanics. It doesn't sell this game. But plot and side quests do.

Starting god of war for the first time tonight

Strange but this is the firs time in over 40 years as a gamer that over the past two months I've hardly switched on a gaming system. Series X has not been turned on for three plus months. Switch was last on at Christmas and my PS5 has been on for short doses ... Twenty minutes here and there but I have not felt like or been able to catch up with many games in my collection...just can not be arsed.

Generally I am hugely dedicated and that's with an active outdoor life, family and self employment. I just find alot of games the past few years getting more and more repetitive.

@Luigia Cheers! I often forget and have to remind myself.

@Mezzer I'm nearly 38 and I've gone through patches where I don't feel like playing much and nothing seems to grab me. I think as we get older and gain more experience things feel far less "new" and more of the same, hence it takes a lot more to grab and hold our attention. So it's completely understandable that things have felt more and more repetitive to you over the past few years. Personally speaking I feel that I have far more unique experiences waiting for me in my huge backlog compared to new releases on any platform despite the better framerates, particle effects, graphics and load times etc.

The good thing is you have other things in your life including work, family and the outdoors to keep you grounded and give you balance. But I'm sure something will eventually come along that piques your interest and helps ignite the fire to play games again. For me recently it was Astro's Playroom and now I'm really looking forward to Stray later this month for something novel and different!

@astro911 excellent comments and echo them.

@Mezzer sometimes twenty minutes here and there is all you need and feel the same as you. Some modern games demand hours of your time before you’ve done anything and feel a real turn off.

@KidBoruto I watched the last 2 episodes of Stranger Things saturday (more than 3 and half hours combined). What a journey, awesome!!
Yesterday I played Horizon FW for many hours, the part I was was full of shocking reveals and gutpunchs. One of the best games I ever played. gonna play AC IV today.

Yeah, I love rock/metal off all kinds. For me, it's something sacred, it's from the heart.

@TraCuz- Bit of a late reply, sorry. Managed to beat the boss last night, yeah edge of the seat stuff for sure. Onwards!

@PenguinLtd check out Blasphemous. It's a 2d side-scrolling metroidvania with Dark Souls elements.

@KidBoruto Yeah!! I signed PS+ Extra this week, so I started the gorgeous Ghost of Tsushima DC!! Now i'm playing AC IV, Ghost, Horizon FW, Cyberpunk... Damn hahaha I go cycling the games daily. Today is Horizon, and maybe other...

AC IV is very gripping, by the way. Even more than their predecessors.

@KidBoruto Yes, amazing game!! So deep, touching!! i will plat it as well!!! No doubt, it's a treasure!!

The show will come,. they are fastfowarding others first. Let them take time and do a great material!