Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 448

overwatch 2 and grinding for exotic cypher in destiny 2

20 odd hours into Soul Hackers 2 and enjoying it despite the, well reported, bland dungeons.

I would say that there's better MegaTen games out there, obviously.

God of War 2018

The time draws near

Further diving in PS Plus Premium and loving it. Just started Arkham City. Didn’t expect those games (already completed Asylum) to be more than nostalgic but they’re actually still a lot of fun!

I decided to attempt to knock out some of the half finished games in my backlog while waiting for Ragnarok so Im chugging my way through asscreed valhalla on the 5. I Also will be chipping alway at gears definitely not the ultimate edition and dead space on XseriesX.

On PS5 Final Fantasy Stranger after beating 13 Sentinels. Game Pass going to play Scorn and I got the FEAR collection on laptop to get in the mood for Halloween

@Marquez It’s such a great game, enjoy! Especially the combat is amazing. Never thought I’d be yelling out loud combinations while slashing up enemies 😅

Alan Wake Remastered - I really thought I would love this game but I’m finding it a bit of a chore so far. I just want to play the game but there are so many cutscenes and scripted moments and the dialogue hasn’t aged well at all. Feels like a bad Netflix series. I’ve only completed the first two episodes so hopefully it gets better.

Gulty Gear crossplay beta
It works great (on the PS5 side anyway) so I'm hoping full release will follow very soon.
I'm entering a tournament later today.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (Windows Store) - Starting on Episode 3 this weekend.

Panzer Geekz (Windows Phone) - Back to fooling around with this.

Temple Run 2 (Windows Phone) - Still a blast in bursts here and there.

Gave up on Queen Valkyrie in GoW cause maybe the problem is I'm trying to beat her on NG+ where she seems overpowered. So it's back on MHWorld, thought I was done with it after beating it. Started a 2nd run with a female and noticed armor for females is totally different and you know I like outfits in my games, next thing I know 10hrs clocked. Plus there's the fact that there's so much depth to this game I feel I still haven't seen it all, the weapons, the combat, crafting, the cool looking monsters of course... I'm moving fast this time round cause now I'm experienced. Some day, I'll definitely get Iceborne. On the side, it's some Mafia 2 Joe's Adventures and whatever.

Finishing Watch Dogs 2 which I’ve really enjoyed. Then will give Overwatch 2 a go!

Currently running through RE5 (PS4) for the second time, attempting to find all emblems and fully upgrade weapons.
Happy weekend people.

Atelier Ryza on my ps5. Pretty relaxing game. The alchemy system is also pretty easy to get into. Combat is active time battle basically which always gives you enough time to react and plan without things taking to long. It's my first ever Atelier game and will certainly be playing more after this.

On my Xbox it's Ni No Kuni. Very beautiful art style just a bit on the grindy side. Might put it on the side if Plague tale requiem releases on Tuesday.

On PS5 I've recently completed Soul Hackers 2 which to me is the worst shin megami game I've played. I will now fully focus on Atelier Sophie 2 and The Diofield Chronicle

On switch I've completed Pikmin 3 deluxe this morning, such a great game and my first in the series but boy was that last area frustrating. Now I can go grind for some swimsuits in Xenoblade chronicles 3

On series S I will most likely play some more Dying Light 2 and I'm tempted to play Life is strange true colors

Doing my head in with the shock and awe challenge in arkam asylum. Boy is that one frustrating.

Spending this weekend with Asterigos: Curse Of The Stars. Having a surprisingly good time with it! Wasn’t on my radar, just stumbled upon it.

God of war. Going for the plat

I played some PlayStation games. 😊
1. Ben 10 Omniverse PS3
2. Happy Feet Two PS3
3. Portal Knights PS4

Not too sure really. Ive not bee gaming so much on the ps5 as of late as ive managed to get my (non gaming) wife in to the switch. Weve been playing splatoon 3 in a "pass the pad" fashion. The 3 minute rounds really help. I do quite fancy PGA2k23 as ive not owned a golf game since Rory back on the ps4 but the reviews are hit and miss. Also quite fancy Fifa but once again im not a massive football buff so cant really get invested as someone that knows all the teams/players. Also fancy picking up F122 as its now on sale but i just dont think i will play it as much as my head is telling me i will. I just fancy something new.

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag on PS Plus Extra & Mahjong Solitaire through Netflix Games

Finishing up God of War 2 on Vita and jumping into God of War 3. This is my first time playing 2 and 3, despite being a huge fan of GoW 2005 and 2018. Besides some of Kratos dialog and a few “spicy” moments these games hold up soooo well. Can’t believe I didn’t play these when they came out. Now I need PS4/5 versions!

Pga tour 2k23 for me folks..got my copy delivered yesterday and i love it..pretty much more of the same just bigger,better and more refined..enjoy your weekend folks 👍

Beat Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition and Chicory: a Colourful Tale yesterday. Also beat Castlevenia: Portrait of Ruin 2 days ago and Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin 5 days ago.

Started Playing Agents of Mayhem this morning and I’m still playing Fortnite trying to get level 200.

Last of us part 1 all day I hope. I’m not very happy that the PlayStation stars store picks says expired for me even though I bought the last of us part 1

Trying some of the local cuisine in Death Stranding

I love the madness of the story, and the heavy French cinema vibes. I feel like I've got a general grasp of what's going on with the beach etc, and I've noticed some big hints about other things in early cutscenes, but equally I am waiting to be mind flarked. Some of it is very on the nose, Higgs Boson 😅 I'm sure Kojima just said one day "what if we mix French Cinema, Particle Physics and Metal Gear"

Gameplay wise I'm weirdly loving building roads. It feels like there are still a lot of first time players in my shared world, like me, and the fact we paved the whole first section with auto-pavers was such a cool dynamic. There was nothing, I didn't even follow the build a road quest, I just decided to pave the first section to see what happens, and made it my goal to add materials and complete the whole route and so many people joined in with my effort! It kind of feels like From Software style of multiplayer, but more of a permanent effect. I was however disappointed there was only a "Go Up" sign, I'm now trying to find a mirror to place said sign by to make someone in another world laugh... so childish, but it reminded me of my time in Elden Ring so I don't care 😁😁😁

Also, I feel like I'm a lot of hours in and it's still adding new tutorials and mechanics 😅 and only one boss fight as of yet. Kojimaaaaaa!!!!

Dmc 5 special editionon ps5. Just hit virgil on Dante must die and i am on mission 6 on legendary dark Knight mode. Really like the game, combat is glorious.

The wife is addicted to Danganronpa or whatever it called on gamepass. The anime game with the bears? She's completed one and onto another already. She can't get enough

Hi there fellow gamers.
Still enjoying my new Xbox Series X and, since I´ve finished Halo 4 and with that, the Halo Master Chief Collection, I´m going to start Gears of war 4 for the very first time.
On my PS5, still on Horizon Forbidden West, man that game is big, doing some exploration and some missions here and there, and will also be playing the Guilty Gear Strive Crossplay beta.
Finally on my Switch, still playing Triangle Strategy, chapter 4 now and some Dark Souls Remaster on ocasion.
Cheers, stay safe good people and happy gaming weekend to us all

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Wave 2 DLC and either Atelier Ryza or The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero after I'm done with the Wave 2 DLC. Finished Astral Chain last week and really enjoyed that.

@PenguinLtd Hi there friend.
That is exactely how it´s suposed to be. Every time I purchase a new souls-like game, I´m like "okay, time to learn the ropes and get good again". That is the nature of the game. It wants us, the players, to overcome these imposing obstacles by learning from our mistakes and become successful in the end.
And I love those games for it. That sense of accomplishment.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

Im still obsessed with older Forza games at present. Its bizzare I know, but as im working through the series now, I actually think fh5 is my least favourite. I played till level 200, but fell off hard after 3 months of play. Im right back on the original Forza 1 now and its amazing how well it holds up even today.
I am annoyed though as I had mistakenly thought series x was back compatible, so biught pgr 3 and 4 on ebay. Neither title is supported. Never let anyone tell you series x is back compatable, cause thats not the truth of it!
PS5 is kinda waithing for gow now. I dont want to committ to anything else until we get that...

With Halloween coming up soon, I have finally decided to play Until Dawn for some campy b-horror fun. Also, this will stop me from downloading the game over and over to then not bother playing it and instead delete it. To fit another game that I have bought that is added to my never-ending list of games I will never get around too.

@Ravix Hi there friend.
Had a very similar experince when I played the game back then.
I spend so many hours building bridges and roads, by going back and forth with materials, spending resources and avoiding BTs.
And when I booted the game after a week of not playing, the two roads that I was making were all completed by other players. Put a big smile on my face, seeing how everyone were helping each other. Kojima and it´s crew are something else.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

Just started Darkwood, a really creepy top-down survival horror game. Loving it so far, and its free this week on the Epic Game Store if you feel like trying it for yourself.

Also finished Metal Unit, a roguelike sidescrolling mecha game featuring anime babes and whole lot of items and weapons.

Im still playing nioh 2 with all the dlcs.amazing game and one of the best games ever made.the graphics looks good on my ps4 pro.the gameplay is one of the best ever in a video game.the story is good also.i got all 4 of my odachi sword. I got a Lightning odachi sword.water odachi sword.fire odachi sword and paralized odachi sword.resident evil remake 2.excellent game.and one of the best games of all times.the graphics looks amazing on my ps4. Pro.im still playing as leon.the gameplay is really n.i.c.e.the story is good also.and the excellent mafia definitive edition.what a amazing game that is.the graphics looks really good.the story is wonderful.a lot of plot twist in this game.and the gameplay is cool also.watching my Pittsburgh 💛 Steelers 🖤 play 🏈.and watching legendary sitcoms 📺 tv shows in in living color.good times.saved by the bell.and martin.word up son

@RaZieLDaNtE for such a desolate world, they made it feel very alive.

It just made sense to do it, the mules had a bunch of materials, and were blocking my path, so I knocked them all out, and got to building a road over their territory, two birds, one stone.

I made a start on the second road area, near South Knot? So hopefully be able to get the road up there today, as going to the weather station was fun once, but coming back to base after visiting the farm with a potentially leaky gas canister, was less fun. I found a route that had zero BTs the first time though. It warned me of them on the weather station delivery, and I could see the strands in the sky, and all the online ladders suggesting the most travelled route on the map, but I was like "ah, but not if I go this way where no one else has built anything"

Very satisfying when you do it your way, and also hopefully help others

Still Megadimension Neptunia VII. Also “played” the Stars challenges to get the collectibles (apart from the one that required me to buy a game, I’m not going to spend money on such things, obviously).

Still plugging away on AC: Valhalla which is fine, I just have continual issues with traversal controls doing the wrong thing and a few instances of falling through the world. Got the St George gear and a load of stuff from Nifelheim, but I should probably get back to the main story at some point

I don't want to start anything new with A Plague Tale Requiem days away so I might go back and try for some trophy runs of RE2 or RE3.

Still mainly "Forbidden West", which becomes better gameplay-wise. There are even a few solid puzzles. Very appreciated.

Also, still "Radiant Silvergun" on Switch, which I love more and more each time I try to get a few centimeters farer in the game. Treasure really were a league of their own.

And I bought "Bayonetta" in a recent PSN sale, in anticipation of the third game. Never finished the original, only the second one, before I sold my Wii U. What can I say? It's "Bayonetta", so it freakin' rules. Still the most buttery smooth character action game series out there. Very excited for the third installment.

@jdv95 start with batclaw (l2 and triangle?) punch, dodge, punch, dodge, punch... Absolute key is the slight pause between actions. Don't just spam. Just try get combo above 30 and remember always finish one with ground pound (r2 triangle from memory?) as it times your score by 10 (100? Been a while). Can help if I can 🤷‍♂️

Castlevania rondo of blood, Alan Wake remastered and RE2R. It's that time of the year again! 🎃👻😈

I will explore more of Paris in the beautiful Assassin's Creed Unity, for sure. I'm in doubt right now about the others, maybe Nioh, Ys VIII, Deathloop, Ghost of Tsushima... Whichever I feel the urge in the moment. Happy weekend brothers and sisters!!

Psychonaughts 2 Motherlobe physical edition finally turned up yesterday so really looking forward to getting stuck in as I loved the 1st game 👍🏼

I’m currently replaying one of my favorite games of last gen: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox Series X). I originally beat it on the PS4 when it first released so it almost feels like a new game since it’s been years since I’ve played it. I wish it would get enhanced similarly third games, but nonetheless, it’s still a fantastic game even after all of these years.

It improved drastically from the first game, and I truly think it’s criminally underrated. The game has everything I love in a video game: Meaningful exploration that is rewarding; notes/documents that are compelling to read and also feature fantastic narration voiceover; collectibles that have a history lesson to them; fun gameplay with a variety of weapons and combat skills that are all upgradable, along with a ton of changeable outfits that feature benefits for your character; an interesting narrative with an intriguing main character and protagonist; and puzzle solving that’s not that challenging. This is what I’m looking for in an action adventure game. And I also think it’s better than Uncharted in some respects (a favorite franchise of mine, too). You can call me crazy, but I firmly believe RoTR is a masterpiece.

I’m also playing The DioField Chronicle (Xbox Series X). I don’t know if I’ll actually beat this game, but it’s fun to complete a few missions here and there. The characters and story are bland, but the combat is quite good. The battles don’t last that long either, so that’s a plus; it makes the game digestible in bite sized chunks.

Hopefully, these two games will keep me busy enough until God of War: Ragnarok releases.

Playing Scorn this weekend. Lots of mixed review float around the internet, but I had the chance to get it for 18 Euros, so why not...

And after going through the first level it got me intrigued. The atmosphere is really good and well thought, nothing outstanding and in your face, instead subtle and moody. No music at all, only the sounds you make and the ones from the environment. A general quiet that can be disturbed easily by the smallest sound.
For example a creature's breathing is heard for a while in the background, going a bit louder in one of the hallways, but you can't see exactly where is coming from... yet. And by the sound of it, it's a big one... making you both curious and unsettled at the same time.
The first big puzzle was good, and the way no one is there to hold your hand in even the slightest way (you don't even have a map) is very refreshing after the likes of Assassin's Creed.

Oh and this game has menu languages... a ton of them... one for my native tongue too, which is ultra rare in a video game (the last international title, and only one I know of that can be included in this category, was Resident Evil Village... and that one only had a few names of characters and items).

Ok, 'nuf said, going back in. Good weekend to you all!

Still working on Trails from Zero. I'll also be playing some Tiger Woods 2k23. Fore!

I'm late to the party, but I am finally playing The Last of Us, the remastered version from the PS5 collection. It's very Naughty Dog, Uncharted with zombies, but is keeping me interested so far.

Going to continue my first playthrough of Breath of the Wild on my Switch. I can't say I'm loving it like the masses that called it the best game ever, but it's still early, so we'll see how it goes now that I'm done with the beginning and have the paraglider.

@Ravix "for such a desolate world, they made it feel very alive."
Very true. The simple fact that you could see what other players build, were there vehicles, posts, umbrellas with radio, it´s what I call them, and whatnot and how many people give you the "thumbs up" while utilizing them was pretty cool.
It is kinda similar to most Fromsoftware games and that is the kind of multiplayer components that I enjoy in my singleplayer games.
Cheers and all the best

Tonight I am starting Circus Electrique. It has gotten mixed reviews (including here at Push Square) but Darkest Dungeon meets Steam punk Victorian meets circus management is an appealing combination to me.

One word - Yuffie

Will try to finish the FF7 DLC. Absolutely loved the core game.

@Kairu Thank you! Also found the formatting post on the PS Forum in the meantime, got them all

@KilloWertz Hi there friend
Keep on playing it. I also knew about the hype surrouding this game in particular, but being a fan of Zelda games myself, I just had to get. Honestly, the game just felt like a "Breath" of fresh air, since you can go anywere on the map and chose the order of the Divine Beast, the game´s dungeons, to tackle, without any hand-holding of any kind.
I would say go for the Zora tribe one first, since the Divine ability you get is pretty useful.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

@Kairu Hi there friend
"Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne for me. Quite possibly two of the absolute best games I’ve ever played. Ever."
I just had to say I absolutely agree with that sentence.
Personaly, I feel that Bloodborne is Myasaki´s masterpiece and Ghost of Tsushima is the kind of game I always wanted to play.
I have hundreds of hours on both of these games and I still want to to a new game plus on Ghost.
Amazing games trough and trough.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

Prodeus,great old school fps and The Ascent,very enjoyable also 👍😊

Rollerball & Stray are the last games I need to finish on PS before GOW R comes knocking on the door (NOV 9 is getting close 🙂)

@RaZieLDaNtE Been a while my friend glad to see you're doing well! Lately I've been thinking about joining the Xbox ecosystem, how you liking your Series X?

Finally got round to getting the glorious oled switch. From a design point, it’s stunning, nintendo has that magic with just how lovely they make consoles/handhelds. Currently playing marvel ultimate alliance 3,which is great so far.

I'm going to be diving into wave 2 of the Xenoblade 3 DLC later.

Will also slog through some more of Soul Hackers 2. It's not terrible but I'm ready for it to be over now. Might finish off the last part of the game on easy just to get it done.

Traveling so PS5 taking a rest before GOW hits.

1. Trails from Zero (Steamdeck)
2. F1 (Steamdeck)
3. Asterigos: Curse of the Stars (Steamdeck)

But all available on PS... For those lucky enough to be home this weekend.

I've got out my 3DS, and have been mainly playing Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright and Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Chances are I'll probably play a little bit of Hitman 3 and Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak as well.

Any chance we get a review of PGA 2K23 and NHL23?

@mcdreamer I’m feeling the same about it. Starting to feel like a grind at this point.

I finished OneShot a few nights ago. Utterly fantastic experience.
Now that my adventure with Niko is finished, I started playing The Pathless.

I actually have some time this weekend. I'll probably get to play some Shredder's Revenge.

Pikmin 3. Finally. And absolutely loving it.

Teleporting fools into pools of hellfire in the brilliant Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Also messing up the Seed cult's s**t in Far Cry 5 in glorious 60fps on Series S.

@Kingleo31 I sort of warmed to it more than I expected after 10 hours or so, but after 20 I'm kind of back where I started. It's an SMT game, just easily the worst I've played. The dungeon layouts and designs are just so drab, especially as there's very little variation in the music too. I think they were kind of going for the grid based feel of the original. It just doesn't translate well to a full 3D game.

@Link41x this has to be the most random collection of games on this list 😂

@mcdreamer yeah I agree. The music has very little variety, the dungeons are fairly redundant and the freedom to explore anywhere outside a dungeon is very limited. I’ll still beat it though cause I’m so far in it’s just feels tedious right now.

Some Resident Evil 4 is on the menu, and maybe some Avengers and GT7 on the side.

Still playing and enjoying Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Clocked almost 90 hours (of my second playthrough) so far and loving it. There's so much stuff to do. I'm also playing a little of Fallout 3 on Game Pass but I did a pretty boring sidequest and ended up dropping it there.

@crimsontadpoles

Layton vs Phoenix Wright has such amazing music!

overwatch 2 since the game is free and i don’t need the PS scam “service” to play it

didn’t even know immediately that it expired either

@TraCuz- Hi there friend. It has been a while.
Hope all is good on your end.
Yeah, I´ve been enjoying my Series X so far. It´s a pretty good system, it has a bit more storage space than the PS5 and with Game Pass you get a LOT of different tittles to pick from.
I was able to purchase the system and some physical games on a sale and it just was the right time to, since I had to call in sick from work for a week, so it kept me entertained 😉
Just another system to consider and less money on the wallet.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one

Switch: Finally burning out a bit on MHR:Sunbreak, and just keeping myself fresh with 1 or 2 hunts per day...
My build is pretty much where I want it to be, running Greatsword with Dereliction & Resentment (alongside full CritEye / AB / CB / WEC). Using this build with RageSlash/ACS, cultivating a nice 'hit and run' style.

I'm actually really really enjoying 'Return to Monkey Island' on Switch also, and just hit Act IV. My only critique is that it is perhaps a little on the easy side, albeit there have been a few moments I've got stuck. Keen to explore this genre more once I beat it.

PS5: Returnal CO-OP! Love this game so much, and have enjoyed helping out new players via the co-op DLC function. Nearly caved and got TLOU remake, but held back and decided to wait until its inevitable sale.

@Boucho11 What can I say? I'm just a random dude

I'm playing co-op in Elden Ring, trying to repay the community that came to my aid more than a few times. Just don't let me solo her!

Just finished Pac-Man World RE-PAC, and with A Plagues Tale Requiem just 2 days away, I don't want to jump into any new games, so I'm probably going to just play some more Dreamlight Valley.

@kyleforrester87 - Dark Souls 2 gets WAY too much hate, while Dark Souls 1 is still my personal favourite of the Dark Souls Trilogy, Dark Souls 2 is still a great game, I love the world overall, great well-structured level variety, the atmosphere, the majority of the Bosses are fun & challenging but not overly difficult, there's a LOT more enemy variety, and it's just overall a great game, I truly don't understand why it's so universally panned.
My only real criticism, is that it's easy to get lost while playing, to the point you're not sure where you're supposed to go to progress forward, this is mostly due to there being more branching paths.

PGA tour 2k23 and slay the spire

@racinggamefanatic thinking about getting my first hockey game as im tired of the maddens and nba 2k’s of the world.

More of the excellent Ghost of Tsushima DC on PS5. This game is so, so good. I slept on it way too long. Have a great weekend!

I’ve been playing DMC5, as a great October game and Sonic Racing Transformed.

I don’t usually play racing games much but it had me intrigued to pick up Forza Horizon 5 on sale, as a test of what Steam Deck can run (it passed, it’s beautiful) and something once beaten I can come back to from time to time.

Keeping myself busy with Cyberpunk, with all the new patches, updates and jazz - it runs like a dream now. Looks so pretty too. Kind of eagerly awaiting Wednesday when Uncharted legacy of thieves collection finally drops on the PC. Been holding out on the PS5 version to see what my laptop can do with it.

@Titntin
Backwards compatibility is on the individual developer not MS. That’s why they’ve published a list of all their backwards compatible software. I was holding out on the FEAR games for a while before they became playable.

@Titntin
And come to think of it as Bizarre Creations no longer exist that’s probably why the games aren’t BC, which is unfortunate as they were amazing.

@Lumic Thanks for the info! Yeah I was really hoping to revive pgr as my wife never played them and we are pretty big on driving games atm.
Its shame the backwards compat isnt 100%, but at least now Im aware I can check before buying any future titles.

Started playing Scorn. Quite good but WTF is with the fighting mechanics. Why did they even put fighting in it. A creepy puzzle game would have been good enough.

@Titntin
I take it you don’t have an old 360 lying around do you?

@Agramonte You’re in for a treat when you get to Asterigos. I completed it this weekend and it’s probably my favorite indie game this year so far. It’s pretty long too, took me roughly 28 hours to complete most of the game.

It borrows freely from Dark Souls but still retains some originality. And it’s definitely not as hard or unforgiving as your regular Souls game.

@Marquez finished Toem this week. It was so relaxing cute and checklist oriented I loved it.

@Lumic Unfortunately not my friend, or I'd be all over it. Series X is the last Xbox left in the house

@Relygon

Yeah!, I love Asterigos right now. Honestly the only one I have ended up playing out of the games I installed for the trip.