Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 436

I’m in the phase of just finishing a game and being indecisive on which of the double digit games I have in my collection to play next. I’ve been holding off on Horizon Forbidden West because I feel like there will be DLC in the future. But it’s tempting me to play now. Maybe I’ll go back and play some Sackboy worlds. Gonna take it easy this weekend tbh

I'll be playing Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Editon this week on PS4.

I've only put in an hour or so into Divinity at the moment (after dropping Ghost of Tsushima) but I'm really enjoying it so far.

Playing the sequel first and then going back to a previous installment is always an interesting endeavour (having gone through Original Sin II over two years ago)... But so far it's not that far removed aside from only being able to make a human character this time around and a few different skill lines.

Only took about ten minutes for me to slip back into things like a pair of comfy slippers.

Seeing as I'm free from work for the next six weeks... I might actually get a decent way through this too before I'm back to teaching in September

Have a good weekend everyone!

I'm currently speed levelling the new Arcanist class in Lost Ark plus I just unlocked a new chunk of the story with my main.

I'll probably be continuing my first Cyberpunk playthrough running at Full Beans on PC, I'm also starting to think about adding in mods.

I REALLY want to start Stray but I'm trying to finish things before I start that.

Im playing some more Ghostwire Tokyo this weekend, which I'm really enjoying. I have Stray ready to go, which I'm hoping I will get to tomorrow. But knowing me, I'll probs play some more Sims 4. 😂

Finished Stray so now I will to back to Star Ocean the last hope 4k which I'm enjoying but the lack of fast travel is starting to make the game so tedious with walking to and from towns for side quests, also just bought The Pathless which il try tonight.

On switch I will be playing some Rune Factory 5 and Yoshi's Crafted World

I'm gonna try and get into Ni-Oh again I've been on a Tecmo binge at the moment playing a bunch of my favourites but I never really got into Ni-Oh so I'm gonna give it another go

Finishing up Stray as I haven't had the time over the past few days.

Also got a hankering for some Cities Skylines, been a few years since I have played that so downloaded it and bought a couple of DLCs and will probably end up sucked into building a monstrosity of a city before putting it to the side for a few more years.

Have a good one all!

Will be playing Destiny 2 mainly. There’s a Solstice event currently where you can get upgraded armor pieces, so I plan on making some high-stat armor for my Hunter.

Also some Binding of Isaac: Repentance on the side.

Happy gaming everyone.

On Ps5 I completed Stray which was brilliant and now going back to Dying Light 2. On my laptop Im playing As Dusk Falls. On Series X Im playing Power Wash Simulator and Forza Horizon 5. On Switch I just received Live A Live and also playing Neon White and AI The Somnium Files 2

Back on Returnal, fell off it when I reached the ice biome and its obnoxious difficulty spike but I took a week or so off and saw the credits roll last night. Onwards!

Over on XSX I'll be checking out the new FH5 Hot Wheels DLC. Have a good weekend all!

Saints row 4, stray and syberia

Stray on PS4. Already got the plat for PS5 so it's PS4s turn. Also playing Assassin's Creed Valhalla

@Keyblade-Dan coincidentally I platinum’d Ni-Oh yesterday… and had a great time with it. The mechanics are quite intricate, but the combat is absolutely sublime once it clicks. Give the first couple of missions a go, and you’ll know if it’s for you! I loved it so much that I’m going to dive into the sequel after a small break

PS5: Having got the Nioh platinum this week, I’m looking to start a shorter game before diving into Nioh 2…. Probably Re3Make, which I understand has quite a short campaign

Switch: Really pushing forward now with MHR: Sunbreak and wanting to escape the MR cap and start crafting some endgame builds for Greatsword. Currently in MR5 and the difficulty curve has really stepped up…. Need to upgrade gear asap to avoid getting stomped! Very fun expansion though, multiplayer is also pretty good

Stray for me and I am tempted to give the Serious Sam collection a look on extra as it looks like dumb fun & I really enjoyed Shadow Warrior 3!

Completed Crysis 3 Remastered. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it because I heard it was the worst one but it’s easily the best entry in the series for me. It’s not even a contest. Really impressed with the graphics - especially with the new PS5 patch, it looks like it was made last year, not nearly 10 years ago. There’s some nice variety to the levels compared to Crysis 2 (which felt a bit samey after a while). Some of the environments (the streets of Manhattan reclaimed by nature) reminded me of TLoU. The level where the aliens are hunting you in the tall grass was brilliant - “Don’t go into the long grass!!!” Really looking forward to Crysis 4 now and I’m glad I gave the trilogy a chance after all these years.

I also got a chance to try out my Nephews Oculus/Meta Quest 2 VR headset and it was amazing. Its probably unfair to compare them but it completely blows PSVR out of the water. No wires, no PC or Console required, the ability to cast whatever game you’re playing to a tv or mobile phone via Bluetooth. Being able to draw a ‘play zone’ on the floor with the controller and the camera automatically switches to the real world if you step outside of zone. Genius! I wasn’t sold on VR when I bought my PSVR but I’m absolutely sold on it now.

Finally, I got the platinum for Stray 😸

On my ps5 i will finish up Stray, not as good as I hoped or expected. Being only able to jump on fixed positions is a big let down for me, removes the sense of freedom. After I finish it I'll go back to Nights of Azure.

On my Xbox I just finished As dusk falls, which was a brilliant narrative choice game. Going back to playing ac Origins now.

Working this weekend so not much time for me but hopefully some resident evil 2 remake, which is brilliant so far and hopefully a bit more guardians of the galaxy. Have a good one folks

@CJD87 Awesome well fingers crossed it clicks this time because it's a game that I really want to like🤞

I've finally started Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition. While I love the art style, the world etc., it is so painfully slow. A true 90s RPG in every sense which is cool in one way but terrible in another, lol. Especially considering how long it is. I kind of want to pull all they way through but not sure yet whether I will be able to do it.

Nioh 2 with all the dlcs.amazing game.one of my favorite games ever.amazing gameplay.story is good.and nioh 2 looks really good on my ps4 pro.final fantasy x/ x 2 Remaster. darkest dungeon ancestral edition. One of the best rpgs ever.the gameplay still holds up.story is really good.graphics is good.best indie games ever next to streets of rage 4.back to the pit.watching legendary 📺 tv sitcoms comedy.in living color.good times.sanford and sons.the Jeffersons.saved by the bell.and martin.word up son

Playing Final Fantasy remake Intigrade. Fun so far even though it's branching off the original quite a bit.

A little bit of Stray when it gets dark so I can utilize my adaptive lighting and get fully immersed because it's such a nice looking game that deserves it. Maybe play some on a different save in the day so the dog can watch a little too.

Probably a bit of The Crew 2 at some point, the street racing hasn't really clicked with me, but the pro racing and Touring Car events have. And some random off road, free roam and aerobatics.

Autumn and Winter I'll be back delving in to bigger and more serious games, I imagine, so just light gaming for now and getting value out of the PS Plus Extra Catalogue in between big purchases.

Imagine if Stray added a multiplayer feature where you could just gather with say, 10-20 other cats on a server and do cat stuff, that'd be a laugh for chill weekend gaming 🙀🐱

Just finished dead space 1 & 2 for the first time on my Xbox going to try stray out then start dead space 3

Almost got the Platinum in Ghost of Tsushima. I'll be switching between that one and Stray. When I'm done with those, I'll finally start Elden Ring.

I'm playing raji this weekend as i've decided to have a break from assassins creed and elden ring..nice to play something thats pretty chilled out and is actually giving me a bit of insight into hindu mythology..have a good weekend folks 👍

@PenguinLtd I’ve tried with no success four times to get into breath of the wild. I don’t know why I don’t like it. I really want to, but part of me wonders if that hype is what ruined it for me.

I will for sure proceed in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Watched 2 more episodes of the excelent spanish production "Boundless" (Sín Limites) yesterday on Prime Video, so it got me inspired. I started the Intermission DLC of FFVIIR this week (amazing, beautiful), and will follow up. If I find the time, Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbbiden West are in order too. Good weekend folks!!

I’ll finish up Stray and Ultra Age on PS5 this weekend before moving on to more No key Saves the World, or my second casual Elden Ring playthrough. Who knows.

Switch sees Neon White and AI Somnium Files

My Series S Weird West is calling me and I need to purchase the Hot Wheels for Forza. I hear it’s sublime.

Youtubers Life 2 PS4 All Day Long. 😎

I have reached Gold rank Youtuber, got 9th position from Top 10 Youtubers, accumulated more than 600K subscribers.
Still working on finishing the main quests to get NT codes from 5 different peoples.

I’m still playing Monster Hunter Rise / Sunbreak. Since I accidentally deleted my original save, I had to start Rise all over. Initially, it was a chore due to all the tutorials but I buckled down and got through it - and became addicted once more. I didn’t want to cheat myself and use the Defender gear sets just to rush through the game; because I needed to reacquaint myself with the mechanics and intricacies of the game, particularly the weapon and talismans crafting (which I’m still struggling to understand even after 40hrs in the game).

I did finally defeat the Thunder Serpent Narwa (my first time fighting this creature since I stopped playing after defeating Magnamalo). The fight was rather easy, but it was thrilling spectacle that was quite impressive.

So, I’m now officially into Sunbreak and it’s an absolute blast. I’ve only done a few hunts, but there is obvious QoL improvements that make the game more enjoyable. Furthermore, the new locations and monsters are a joy to learn and explore; there’s deeper layers to them compared to previous levels. I fought the Blood Orange Bishaten last night and that was a very fun romp.

I’m also playing Kirby and the Forgotten Lands with my 7-year-old daughter. We are having a ton of fun with this game; in fact, I’m surprised by how much I am loving it. Last night we beat the first area and Gorimondo, and we are now at the beach. It’s incredibly creative, and that is what Nintendo does best. Y’know when you play first party Nintendo games there will be some intriguing new features that will simply put a smile on your face, and at the end of the day, that’s what video games are about.

If I get the time (I work for the next seven days straight, and my fiancé has her friends over at the house for the weekend) I will start up Live A Live. I’ve been itching for an old school RPG, and I absolutely adore the 2.5 HD art style, so this game looks like a melding of everything I’m craving right now.

Working toward “Omni 90” in FFXIV, currently leveling samurai and dark knight. Been neglecting my healer jobs since Heavensward, so I’ll probably start white mage next. I’m also about 1 1/2 hours into Stray and loving it so far. It’s nice to be able to enjoy cats again after living across the street from a crazy cat lady for the last 5 years.

Beyond: Two Souls. First time playing it, as I passed on it originally since it was so divisive. While I do agree with the reviews that it's the weakest Quantic Dream game out of the 3 PlayStation exclusives, I am still enjoying it.

Finished up Forza horizon 1, infamous second son, stray and the awesome adventures of captain spirit in the past few days.

Currently playing Life is Strange 2 and the plan is to play God of War Ghost of Sparta after that.

I decided to try and conquer a game I've always wanted to get better at but always got stuck and couldn't advance any further. That game is Ninja Gaiden and I'm having a really fun time with it now that I'm older and wiser!

Still on 2nd runs of AC Odyssey & Far Cry 5. I'm impressed by some gear I bought in the former with that free little 200Helix you get, at least I can't fault them for selling extra gear because there's a gazillion available free in the game already. Unlike Atlus & Persona 5 with its 3 outfits and selling a 100. Apart from your hands, wrists and legs, I wonder the point of outfits in fps games like FC5 and CP2077... it's a waste.

I’m been playing gravity rush remastered recently on ps premium never got around to playing it before but it’s a great game with a great soundtrack as well

Sunbreak- I've put over 80 hours into it and am deep into the endgame. I'm actually having a bit of a break from the game and only dabble into it here and there to try out new builds. Whenever the free content updates come out I will invest more time into this brilliant expansion, the sheer number of quests available has given the game greater sustenance compared to base Rise, this time giving us an actual end game with the qurio related quests, which unlock the final tier for most weapons along with the outfit voucher tickets for us fashion hunters (the true endgame).

Rune Factory 5- Played about 15 hours of it so far and am enjoying more than RF4 Special simply from the fact that in RF4 I knew that RF5 was coming so I held back from fully investing time into that game. RF5 is basically 4 except in 3d, so more of the same upbeat relaxing farming, JRPG life sim gameplay that I enjoy. I can see myself playing over 100 hours, albeit it at a leisurely pace.

Ys Origin- I finally got around to finishing Ys 2 chronicles after putting that off for a couple months getting mid way through the adventure for whatever reason. I preferred Ys 1, as the dungeon design wasn't as confusing as 2 (talking about you Solomon Shrine), the game was half as short and I didn't need to use the fire magic for 90% of the journey like I did in 2. Music in both games are absolutely divine and as I play more games in the series I'm coming to terms that this is the case for the entire series in general!

So, Ys Origin is what I've started and I'm already almost finished with the 1st playthrough, the combat is just THAT good! There are 3 different characters to choose from, each with differing stories and bosses and as the name would suggest is the origin story of Ys. The game is a prequel set 700 years before Ys 1+2 and is quite possibly a perfectly made origin story, making all the references and story connections to bridge between the OG games, simply astounding. If anyone wants to get into Ys I think Origin is a perfect start as the gameplay holds up really well, it is extremely fast, fluid and arcadey, constantly swapping between different abilities seamlessly to quickly dispatch all foes and god damnnnn that soundtrack slaps!

Thanks for reading my entry for this week and happy gaming😊

I'm currently playing through Death's Door. The game is a lot of fun. Not as challenging as I was expecting (of course stuff will be easier after beating Hollow Knight and Cuphead back-to-back).

After Death's Door is finished I plan on playing Stray and then River City Girls.
I'm on an indie binge at the moment!

Capcom Fighting Game Collection and Capcom Arcade Stadium 2. Lots of Capcom games.

On PS5, I've been playing Stray, it's OK, hasn't really gripped me, will no doubt have a few more goes of it through the weekend. On the Series X, I'll be playing Arkham Origins, the only Arkham game I haven't completed, so far found timing counters a lot easier than when I streamed the game on PS Now. On PC i have quite a few FMV games to play.

Playing the excellent Stray and also AI: The Somnium Files which is witty, has excellent voice overs and is chock full of typical Japanese perversion. I love it!

I picked up 2 games in the current PS Store sale for pretty cheap: RAJI: An Ancient Epic & BRIGHT MEMORY: Infinite , so I’m playing through both of those. Haven’t started BM yet, but I’m almost done w Raji and I have to say it’s a pretty solid game for only $9 US! Gorgeous visuals, fun action / adventure / platformer and pretty easy yet just enough of a challenge in spots that it doesn’t get boring. Definitely recommended.

I really can't decide, I've not turned my ps5 on for a few weeks now. And I'm off to Mexico Tuesday, but my wife is at friends all weekend so it's a perfect opportunity to get some gaming in. I may give Crash 4 a go or a few other smaller games like R-Type that's on ps extra currently.

I’m playing Stray, F1 2022, Assassins creed Origins and I hope to finally start Raji an ancient empire (enhanced edition), which I picked up in the PS store summer sale for about £6.

GT7. Just having a fit while trying to get gold on the IA-10 license.

Made the mistake of starting a new farm on Stardew Valley a few days ago, just intending to play a few hours here and there between other games. But you know how that story ends....

Next week, Rimworld may be the one to tear me away from it.

Cyberpunk 2077. Just got Johnny's piece and wheels. 3rd playthrough and I'm still just as engrossed in the game as I was the first time I played it. When I finish I will probably start Ghost of Tsushima with the aim of finishing it before The Last of Us: Part 1 hits. Enjoy your gaming escapades guys and gals!

Stray weekend for me! Happy gaming everyone! Meow!

@Would_you_kindly Brilliant scary games. Cant wait for the Callisto Protocol in December from the original creator of Dead Space and EA remake of Dead Space even though they hate single player games lol

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) - As the game turns ten this year, I've finally decided to beat it. I've made it to World 3 so far.

Mahjong by Microsoft (Android) - Close to finishing the July medals I need. Then back onto challenge packs again.

Make It Rain: The Love of Money (Windows Phone) - Still playing here and there.

@Tsushima yeah really enjoying them the jump scares have got me a few times lol

I've decided I'm going to get through my backlog, starting with games I purchased off the PSN store. I've made a ton of progress over the months and am now on "This is the police". Besides that, I also take the occasional break to play Farming Sim. Still playing 17 because I'm such a cheepskate lol

MAIN GAME = Spider-Man: Miles Morales
SIDE GAME = Stray

Away for the weekend so PS5 taking a well deserved break

1. Stray (SteamDeck) waiting for PS5 physical release
2. F1 (SteamDeck) French GP weekend 🏁🏎️🏎️🏎️

Stay cool everyone!

The Klonoa collection. Might check out Stray.

My plan is to play Stray today. However yesterday I upgraded to Premium for 10 bucks and have started 4 games streaming after downloading Stray, New Vegas, Fallout 3, RE4, and Saints Row 2. So maybe probably it is Stray today.

Surprised just how much fun I’m having with the hot wheels forza expansion.
That and going back to HFW and Dying Light 2.

The Little Acre! Picked it up in a deep sale some years ago

I'm playing Crash Bandicoot It's About Time.

@UltimateOtaku91 "lack of fast travel is starting to make the game so tedious" thank your lucky stars you're not playing it on the Xbox 360 xD not only no fast travel, but changing planets meant constant disc swapping (rip Xbox 360 games being on DVDs, at least the PS3 rerelease was on bluray and didn't have that problem).

Finishing off my NG+ run of Blue Reflection Second Light and will then be continuing FFVIII remastered

Been making the most of my £3 top up to extra for the next month. Finished Stray, Lost Words: Beyond the page and Seasons after fall and just started The Last Stop.

Got the Plat for Seasons after Fall and will work on the others.

Long story, I downloaded RE 1 2 and 3 on PS3 a few years ago for €7.50. Never played them until this week. Really surprised as to how good and playable they are. Absolutely amazing games, I'm having a ball.

Well, after ~50 hours, I've finally finished yesterday the main game of Ghost of Tsushima DC , and Platinumed it 🏆
Now I'm off to Iki island, already spent 1-2 hours in it.
It's a good game overall.
But I still don't see why so many people think of it as a masterpiece.
I mean I like it, it's entertaining, it has a good story, has some mechanics and elements that are not encountered in your run of the mill open world games (category which, i guess, is comprised mostly of Ubisoft titles).
But it also suffers from the same "bug" as it's Ubisoft "colleagues": repetitiveness. Stuff like the Standoffs, golden bird mechanic, secondary missions that involve liberating enemy camps etc.
Speaking of those secondary missions, you've got to love the "nearby" term in this game. Many of the NPC's requesting your help don't seem to know what the term means.
It goes something like this:
NPC: "my family was captured and taken to the camp nearby".
You: "Leave it to me, I will save them"
The message appears that a new location has been added to the map, so you quickly press Start to see the map, and which way to go... maybe just over the hill to the left, or on top of the small mountain to the right.
The next expression on your face is this O_O quickly followed by 🤦‍♂️
The "nearby" camp is aaaaallll the way on the other end of the map... and with no fast travel destination around it or even close to it! Yeah a lot of "sweet" words come to mind after that, none of which I can safely post here ^_^ And it didn't just happen once, or twice... I encountered around 8-10 of those instances during my playthrough.
Anyway, all in all it's definitely worth a playthrough, and the money. But to my eye at least, it's not the masterpiece many reviewers and players out there make it out to be.

Mafia Definitive on PS5.
Oddly, I didn't click with Stray, played for about an hour, and tuned out. Oh well.
Glad others are loving it though👍

Chorus, Stray, Ghostwire.

Stray, forza 5 hotwheels and loads of motorstorm!

Ghostwire is on hold for bit, its a wonderful collect-a-thon, but theres so much competing for my attention right now....

Tekken 2 and Trek to Yomi.

@KidBoruto Oh, very good DLC, short and sweet!! Nero was very hard to beat! And the graphical enhancements in the Intergrade version are substantial and noticeable. To play it in 60 fps is awesome!!

Ghost of Tsushima is amazing overall, I will go for platinum!! The writing, immersion, acting, is immaculate.

I didn't felt Revelations shorter, I think the game moves in a faster pace, it's more adventurous, and the parkour is more fluid. I liked a lot the story, a older Ezio in a strange land, and the romantic interest. It's a worthy entry.

@KidBoruto I'm trying to muster courage to face the hard playthrough of FFVIIR. There are the other games too, but the DLC motivated me to at least hunt the other trophies. The game is so good, the best battle system Square ever conceived!!

I hope you feel the same as me when you play AC III. How unfair were the critics with the game. Moving from Revelations to III, the improvements are crystal clear. Connor is a compelling protagonist in a very complicated scenario.