Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 437

Finally back from my work commitment in Ireland and I’ve been itching to start stray

I dusted off my Switch so I can play Xenoblade Chronicles 3. On my PS5 I’m still playing Stray and F1 2022. I also bought a couple of indie games in the PS store summer sale - Raji an ancient epic (enhanced edition), and Cloudpunk. Haven’t started either yet, and with Cloudpunk I’m going to wait for the free PS5 upgrade in a few weeks time.

Still playing Cozy Grove and chasing those last little annoying trophies. I've got Stray staring at me but I need to finish Ghostwire. Looking forward to having a gaming weekend away from work as it hasn't been the best week.

I just started Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart and I’m loving every second so far

Stray. Enjoying it so far but it is not purrrrrfect. Anyone else sick of cat puns by now?

Still making my way through Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition for PS4.

I've got about 17 hours in and finally I've got around to solving the murder of councillor Jake that my characters were originally sent to Cyseal for...

... But it seems we have a higher calling in saving time itself from some Eldritch Dragon thing?!

It's not as good as Original Sin II but it has a great foundation that the sequel built itself upon!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Xeno Crisis is simply ace and knowing it was made for Megadrive but ported to modern consoles really feels authentic 👍🏻

Stray for me, might be able to finish it this weekend in which case I will start Returnal seeing as it's on PS Extra now.

Loved Xenoblade Chronicles, played it on the Wii back in the day so might take a punt on 2 before 3.

Crysis Remastered on my new Laptop and its still a great Sci - fi shooter. Might pick up Black Mesa for a bit of Half Life. On Ps5 House Of Ashes and Final Fantasy Stranger. Series X What Remains Of Edith Finch and Until Dusk Falls. Switch Neon White, Live A Live

Youtubers Life 2 PS4 All Day Long. 🤓

I have reached Silver rank Youtuber, accumulated more than 100K subscribers, working on again in finishing the storyline.

Mostly I'll be battling the horrific Returnal collectible RNG. I've seen both endings now so I'll spit my time between Tower runs and reruns of the 2nd, 5th and 6th biomes. Love the game but the platinum grind is a bit much. Have a good weekend all!

@WCB I still need to get back into Story Mode as only 20% of the way through

Red Dead Redemption 2: I decided not to wait until a PS5 update (if it ever comes) and started last week.

Got Xenoblade chronicles 3 and Digimon Survive yesterday so will be playing them most of the time, I still need to complete Star ocean Last Hope 4k but I'm burnt out on that, it's just way too grindy. Will also continue with Rune Factory 5 in between

@Mysterio This is my dilemma also I want to replay Red Dead Redemption 2 but that 60fps update is nowhere to be seen and seems to be ditched in favour of GTA 6

I've been playing Griftlands. It's like Slay The Spire but with a story/campaign. Great game!

Going for the last push to complete Ghost of Tsushima (PS5). Absolutely wonderful game but longer than most games I usually play so need to remain focussed, determined and most importantly caffeinated!
Have a good weekend and successful gaming folks.

Still on my 2nd run of AC Odyssey and now feels like I'm a real fan now and want the other ACs because I'm not playing it with an RDR2 mindset. Plus just checking in to HFW to do some few side quests after the main campaign cause I was missing it. Then might be Multiversus which so far is okay, hasn't really blown me away like Genshin Impact did. And then some GT Sport probably and anything else.

I'll be continuing my play through pf Stray and some GT7 scapes in Tomica

Kingdom Come: Deliverance I kind of just wanted to have a mess around and see what trouble I could get in, but I've almost instantly fallen in love with this game again and it feels like I'm set in for a full play through. I'd forgotten how troubling fighting large groups could be at first too and pleasantly got murdered by a group of bandits to bring me right back down to earth 😅

Before this I also spent over 48 hours in jail and very nearly died, as I got arrested in Neuhof and sent to Rattay, kind of on purpose to clear my name as I'd spent all the money I had on me on a horse and hid my loot. But upon my release I was rearrested for my theiving in Rattay, and then upon my second release I was searched just outside the door as I had to steal and eat some cheese and I accidentally pressed pickpocket guard instead of surrender which made things even worse 😅😅😅 The buffs upon release of 2 vitality as well, perfection 😂

This game is the best ⚔️🛡️

I'm still on FIFA22, I should really get a football management SIM.

I think I'm reaching the ending of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, so I will continue there. Mopping up some final trophies in Horizon Forbidden West too, and if I find the time, complete one of Cyberpunk 2077 endings. Have a great weekend folks!!!

@Tsushima yeah exactly. I decided to play it and it still looks amazing. Although you notice the 30 fps it is not a very 'fast' game and I don't play it that way either

Nioh 2 with all the dlcs.one of the best games ever made.amazing combat.story is really good.the graphics looks really good on my ps4 pro.sekiro shadows die twice.2019 game of the year winner.one of the best game ever made.the gameplay is extremely fun.the graphics looks really good.its one of from software best looking game.and the story is n.i.c.e.im enjoying it.the resident evil 2 remake for ps4 is one of the best remakes ever.and one of the best games ever.the graphics looks amazing on my ps4 pro.the gameplay is really good.and the story is cool also.and the classic manhunt.one of the most iconic and fun games ever.the gameplay is one of a kind.extremely gory.the graphics still looks good on my ps4 pro.the story is really goid also.watching legendary 📺 tv sitcoms comedy.in living color.good times.sanford and sons.the Jeffersons.saved by the bell.and martin.word up son

NINTENDO SWITCH

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - finally getting into this series with this game! The story sounds hauntingly beautiful.

Omori - starting this one as well this weekend. Heard really good things about it so I thought why not.

PC

Yume Nikki - absolute cult classic. Also heard that this inspired Omori so it'll be good to play it again!

GTA Online - multiplayer with friends tonight!

Have a good weekend everyone!

@Ravix It's my favorite WRPG of all time with one of the best open world designs ever created imo. Enjoy.

@dschons yeeees, it's so damn good. I never thought I'd replay it, even though I loved it so much, just due to the sheer size and time it takes. But it's got me hooked again bad

Even the bugs and frustrating moments don't take away from the overall feel of satisfaction that your playing something truly great.

I've barely advanced the story and I've already created tonnes of my own narrative moments without prompt from the game itself. I recommend it to anyone that loves games and history. And has patience 😛

Mostly Digimon Survive with occasional bouts of Pocky and Rocky.

On my ps5 I'm still working my way through Nights of Azure. Pretty decent action rpg that's on ps++. Nearing the end now I think.

On my Xbox I just started Binary Domain. A shooter made by RGG (yakuza games), it's the last rgg game available on modern consoles I have yet to play. It's nothing like their other games, more like a gear of war type cover shooter. I'm not the biggest shooter fan but this one isn't that bad at all.

As I'm going to be giving away my ps4 and psvr next month I'm currently playing as much VR as possible as I doubt psvr2 will have back compat. Currently making my way through skyrim vr. Amazing game and it's just so cool seeing the world in VR. All 240p of it.

The awesome Guardians Of The Galaxy and the serene Stray. Also watching some mens and womens footy this weekend.

I’m doing the licenses in gt7. Took me 2hrs this morning to get gold on S4! S5 and 6 were easy, but S7 is kicking my arse. Properly rage inducing since no other game I’ve played since I was a child.
Edit: and finally finished all the licenses with gold. A productive weekend, lol.

Just got a Switch yesterday, so I'll be using that for the foreseeable future. First Nintendo system since the NES, so it's pretty exciting. I will be kicking things off with Xenoblade Chronicles today. I've been wanting to play the series for a while, and it's a big reason why I bought the Switch, so I might as well start there (and at the beginning of the series of course).

Mainly Multiverus this week. I really like the game but I’m not sure it’s suited to having a Battle pass.

I’ve been playing the game every day trying to complete the daily challenges and I enjoy the first few matches. But I’ve had enough long before the daily challenges are complete. The grind is just too much and it feels like a real chore to level up.

I’ll try to complete this pre-season Battle pass but I think I’ll be sick of the game by the time the first season starts proper. I don’t think I’ll be buying the next Battle pass unless they fix the progression and make it easier to level up.

The thing is, I also play Fortnite and I just don’t have the time to invest in two live service games at once.

At least with Fortnite you can miss a few weeks and still complete the Battle pass. With Multiversus, the rewards for playing/winning matches are so stingey, you can’t miss a single days challenges or you won’t be able to complete the Battle pass. And that just makes me not want to bother with it at all.

Well i was going to spend the weekend playing ac origins but i bought lost epic and cant put the bloody thing down..have a good weekend folks 👍

Edith Finch and Stray on the 5. Knights contract and Driver San Francisco on the 3

Bear and Breakfast
Aragami
Deep Rock Galactic
Rune Factory 5

PS5: Finally kicked of Resi3Make... been holding off for months, waiting for PS5 upgrade! Enjoying it so far, about 2 hours in. I hear the campaign is relatively short, which is what I'm looking for at the moment (coming off the long hard 80+ hr grind for Nioh1 platinum!).

Switch: MHR Sunbreak, where the difficulty curve is no joke. Hit MR40 now, but there have been plenty of stumbling blocks along the way... New GS switch skills are great, as is the skill swap option. Being able to take Rage Slash and TCS into each hunt is brilliant.

Psychonauts 2! This game was very much worth the wait all these years later.

I'm trying to platinum Horizon Forbidden West. 3 trophies to go! I need to Start Stray too.

Not really in a gaming mood today, might play something at some point. Going out later on to celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary, being together for 10 years and having bought a house.

If I do play it'll probably be some Guilty Gear Strive!

Get well soon Mr. Tailby. Glad you are feeling better-Covid is no joke. Stay safe everyone.

I finished the story campaign for Avengers last night and I am done. Combat was kinda fun for a bit and the protagonist is delightful, but overall it is one of the more aggressively mediocre games I have played. No desire to keep at the grind of the other content.

Today I plan to start Death’s Door. Heard good things, really excited!

@Perturbator Griftlands has been on my wish list for quite some time. Glad to hear it is good! Thanks for the scouting report!

I might start A Plague Tale: Innocence again. I just beat it a few days ago but was two leather short from fully upgrading my sling and it kept me from getting the Platinum. Going back to specific chapters doesn’t seem to work for the upgrade as it will not save over the original file. The only way I see to get it is to replay the entire game from the beginning. I hate to waste those hours, but the one missing trophy is truly bothering me. If anyone knows a workaround, please let me know. And I might squeeze in a few games of Multiversus when I get frustrated with rats. At least Tom and Jerry aren’t playable this week.

Whatever I play I will play 50% more than I did this weekend last year and try and put a smile on Jim Ryan's face.

I really should finish Stray. Im dragging my feet a bit because Ive really enjoyed its atmosphere and dont want it to end..

Me and my wife are all in for Guitar Hero at the moment after years without, and having discovered I needed a ps2 to play the the first few titles, I've just set up a ps2 next to the 3 and 5. No doubt I'll have some old fashioned ps2 fun this weekend, Im rather fond of ssx tricky, so I might take that out for a spin.

... Oh and I must play more of the forza hotwheels stuff, thats pretty good fun.
Whatever you're playing, I hope you have fun.

Assassin"s Creed Origins. 100% the base game and now it's time for the DLCs.
Amazing game.

My main course this weekend is Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This franchise might be my favorite as far as JRPGs go. These games know how to balance quirky anime tropes and heartfelt moments in ways most games are unable to. I’m currently two hours in and I’ve already gotten misty eyed. The characters so far are relatable; and there is a certain scene early on that really resonates with me. The combat arts and talents is very much improved, and the animations are really cool. I already know there will be twists and turns and I’m excited to discover them.

I’ll also be progressing more in Monster Hunter Rise / Sunbreak. I’m currently 80 hours in, just reached HR40, about to hunt one of the Elder Lords in Sunbreak, and the game continues to surprise me, particularly with new monsters. The gameplay loop is so addicting, and respects your time because you get as much out of it as you put in.

I was thinking about it yesterday - MH: Rise might be the first game in probably a decade (maybe longer) that I’ve played repeatedly for the sheer fun of it. Typically, I play games for the story. If there are side quests I do my best to complete all of them before I beat the game; however, once I see the credits roll I have no desire to go back and play more. This is the main reason why I haven’t got the Platinum trophy for Spider-Man Miles Morales - I can’t stomach going through the game on NG+ despite having every single trophy aside from that. And yet, MH has done the unthinkable and is constantly rewarding me with new things that actually compel me to continue playing. For me, this is a game that I consider “essential,” and it may go down as one of my favorite games of all time solely for that reason.

I'm switching between Ghost of Tsushima and Returnal. Loving both and I gotta admit I was wrong about PS Plus Extra. Saving a lot of money on just these two titles.

@KilloWertz Welcome to the Switch family! You have a lot of catching up to do! 😂😂 I hope you enjoy your new Switch and happy gaming!

I'm a few hours into Stray. It's a lot of fun! I'm enjoying my time with it.

Just finished Ghostwire Tokyo last night and i loved every minute of it! I have a few trophies to go until I get the platinum, so I'll be doing that.

I also started Xenoblade Chronicles 3 last night, it's safe to say that will keep me busy for a while.

I really wanna play Stray but I'll hold off until next month and buy the physical copy. Have a great weekend and happy gaming everyone!

When the kids aren't hogging the PS5 with Star Wars Battlefront II, I've downloaded Mafia 3, in the hope of finally finishing it after a three-year hiatus.

Also playing through Man of Medan with my better half, which we're enjoying. It's all gone a bit pear shaped mind - I may have accidentally killed off a couple of characters last night with some questionable decisions.

I just entered the PlayStation fold having picked up a PS5 this week. Naturally I’m playing Spider-Man! Might pick up RE2-3 and Shredder’s Revenge. Feel free to add me - LilJazzy2.

Killzone: Mercenary (Vita) - I'm back on the multiplayer until the servers close in two weeks.

Mahjong by Microsoft (Android) - I'm done with July and just waiting for the August events to start.

Make It Rain: The Love of Money (Windows Phone) - Still great for playing in bursts.

Playing through BRIGHT MEMORY: Infinite this weekend. Hard to believe that just one person made it! It’s unfortunately short but a very fun FPS.

Switch will be me fighting the temptation to buy Triangle Strategy! My backlog is big enough! So probably more Little Noah.

PS5 sees the lovely Nobody Saves the World, RE2 Remake, and tons of Multiversus with my mate. Maybe more Tales of Arise too

On Series S I need to get back to Weird west.

Sackboy in glorious 4k! Making the jump from 1080p to 4k is like going up another gen. I love my ps5 even more!

I downloaded Multiverse, pretty fun game that I just need to get use to. I’m trying to main Harley. Also playing Capcom Fighting Collection and get getting back to King of Fighters 15.

@DTfeartheBEARD Thanks. I know I definitely do have a lot of catching up to do. The amount of games I have missed out on over the years was one reason I kept myself from buying a Switch until now, as it is a daunting task when you think about it, but I'll manage.

I know there's no way I can play them all, but I'm still considering subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online at some point to at least play a few of the classic SNES games (like A Link to the Past, a Metroid game or two, and Starfox). Not right now as I want to play some actual Switch games first, but it's a thought at least.

Bayonetta. Stopped it after chapter 1 2 years ago, now finally can finish it as no other game interests me currently.

@KilloWertz So did you quit gaming for a while? Nintendo has held on to my wallet for the past 5+ years with all the Switch releases that continue to come out with no sign of slowing down! Switch is easily my biggest collection of games (250+) I have compared to my other consoles and I still feel like I'm missing out on so many others.
So many games, not enough time to play them all...

@Tsushima Red Dead 1 I played on PS3 and probably around 20-30fps but one of my best games ever! Don’t let 30fps put you off

Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2 finally dropped with Digimon waiting on deck

@BlackMayge I agree 100% with your comments on Sunbreak... such a great 'pick up & play' game, almost quite arcade-style! I've probably poured more hours into that game than any other in recent years, by a huge margin. I just hit MR40, but the difficulty is stepping up big time! What is your weapon? Let me know if you ever do multiplayer, I'll add you mate!

as a long time MK fan (since the 1st one actually - PC days) and since it's been a while I haven't played or got any (last time I got the MK X on PS4), it was time to get the MK11 Ultimate Edition a run; so I'll be playing that

My Switch had been gathering dust for a loooong time, until I started playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 yesterday. What. A. Game!
No idea how they made it look so good without the poor little thing going up in flames. Amazing job by Monolith. Sorry Stray!

@DTfeartheBEARD No, I've just been on Xbox and PlayStation ever since Sega bowed out of the console business. The only Nintendo system I've ever owned was the NES. It should be exciting to jump in to, for me, a completely new ecosystem basically and to see where this goes.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 this weekend, nothing else matters for me. Up to chapter 2 now and having a real blast, minus those annoying tutorials!

@JohnnyShoulder
You got to be kitten me right meow, cat puns will furankly never die out and I would litterally be clawareful to say such a thing or my kitty will unleash a CATegory 5 purricane.

Can't do anything big because I need to be ready for Yakuza 7 on Tuesday. So gonna play Solitaire Conspiracy, then maybe something like Paw Patrol On A Roll.

I am gona wrap up Chorus, incredible game. Also hooked on Ghostwire now

@PegasusActual93 Fur play, I can compete with that! 😂

Finally going to get the plat in HFW. After that, need to finish up Guardians of the Galaxy and Stray.

• Tales of Arise - I want to finaly finish this title. I'm in the last act. Game's nice but there are better 'Tales' then this one
• Gran Turismo 7 - loving it to death
• Fire Emblem Three Kingdoms - wasn't able to make myself finish this one although recently I've regained some motivation

CoD WWII, Stray, LEGO Pirates of the Carribbean (PS3), Curse of the Dead Gods

@GuardianOfTime both MKs are incredible, little bit short, but great.

Playing the awesome “Days Gone”
I’m actually sad that this game didn’t get the praise it deserved. It’s so beautiful and immersive, the weather and environment is fantastically done. Also the unbelievable potential this game had was to me higher then any other game. It’s tragic they won’t release a sequel, because there are so many mechanics they could add to this but we will now probably never see it happen. But yeah, this is my second play through and I’m enjoying it even more then ever.

@eM1x029 the story I’ll play for sure, but I’ll be visiting it constantly after that. That’s why I live these games, it never ends. Same as GT7; it’s not just a store that ends and that’s it.
Cheers

Hi there fellow gamers.
No gaming for me this weekend though. Decided to re-watch the Bleach anime without the filler episodes. Yes, I read the Manga tothe end, but as a fan of it and since Tite Kubo-san is directly involved in the anime production, that kinda get´s me excited. I still very much enjoy shounen anime, even though I´m a 37 years old man 😜
Just want to respond to some of you in the following posts.
Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming weekend everyone.

@KilloWertz Congrats on getting a Switch, my second favourite Nintendo system ever. (first is DSLite. Played so many games there, it´s not even funny) There are quite a few really good games on the system, like Luigis Mansion 3, Astral Chain, Metroid Dread, Bayonetta 2 (and 3 later in the year), Xenoblade Chronicles games and THE GAME that made mw want a Switch in the first place, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As well as many others.
Cheers friend and all the best

@liljazzy2 Welcome to the Playstation Family friend. There are so many amazing games and many awesome moments to experience. And Spiderman is definitely one of those for sure.
I also kinda want to get Shredders revenge, since I´m a fan of the NinjaTurtles myself. But tere are so many more fantastic franchises like The Last of Us, Horizon, Ni-Oh, God of War, Final Fantasy and so on.
You ave one big journey ahead my friend.
Cheers and all the best

@ErrantRob Hi there friend.
If you´re like me and enjoy strategy rpgs, with challenging but really good gameplay mechanics with a great and mature story, then Triangle Strategy is the game for you as well. It´s been awhile since I got hooked on a game like this, but it is so worth it.
Cheers friend and have a good one

@Crumbytweak Hey there friend.
I absolutely agree with you. Days Gone is an underrated hidden PS gem in my book, that becomes even better on a PS5, running solid and smooth 60fps. I do plan on doing a secon run on my PS5 and go for the Platinum as well. I would love a sequel, especially after "that ending".
And the team could do wonders with the power of the PS5 in terms of the environments and the whole Freaker Hordes as well. Maybe one day we´ll get it.
Cheers friend and have a good one

@RaZieLDaNtE Thanks. Almost all of those games are on my list to play (Bayonetta 1 also since I never played the original).

I actually started with Xenoblade Chronicles, which is probably the biggest reasons why I wanted a Switch. I'm having a pretty good time with it so far after 5 or 6 hours with it. A couple of minor annoyances, but it's nothing I can't manage.

It's kind of ridiculous that a message pops up every time you wake the Switch up if you've remapped the controller buttons, with no way to turn it off. I almost immediately remapped the Pro controller so the buttons are the same as on Xbox. It's weird they never included an option to turn that off, but oh well I guess. Obviously it's a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things.

@RaZieLDaNtE I’m totally get lost in it on my ps5, I’m glad others see it for wha it is. I find the best games are experiences, and I got so immersed in this game that I would just enjoy riding around. I like games that have this vibe, i had this with state of decay 1 which is another reason I enjoyed it so much. But to me it’s up there with the best looking games on ps5 .