Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 452

Balancing between GoW Ragnarok, Bayonetta 3, and wrecking people in the face with zero attachment SMGs in MWII

Happy gaming everyone.

Was going to save it for Chrimbo, but caved yesterday after the prospect of a free night with the TV to myself. In all fairness, I was expecting to be a bit underwhelmed. I didn't think Ragnarok could possibly live up to the review scores it's been getting. I've only played the first two hours, but it was the most enthralling two hours of gaming I've experienced in too long to remember.

God of War Ragnarok 10 hours played and incredible so far. If I can put God of War down I was also playing Return to Monkey Island

Was playing Vampire Survivor on the Series X but I bought the Pokemon Switch OLED so I’m replaying some games to see how it looks and compares. Stuff like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and “Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl.

Also beat Forza Horizon 3 a few days ago and I’m anticipating the release of Pokemon Scarlet/Violet.

Decided to keep God of War Ragnarok as a Christmas gift to myself.

EDIT: started playing Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory to see how that looks on the OLED and I got hooked so I guess I’ll play that until pokemon releases.

Playing Ragnarok, of course! Honestly, just 7 hours in, this already feels like it could dethrone Uncharted 4 as my fave game of all-time! What I absolutely love about the game are the centrale relationships between the main and supporting cast of characters - who'd have thought a game about a bunch of gods could be so human?

🤔 it can only be Ragnarok
I’ve given up my platinum attempt on cuphead as I’ve hit a brick wall on some bosses on Expert mode so I think it will be a game I pop back to every now and then

God of War Ragnarök, its just amazing all around. Such high quality production from Santa Monica yet again!

I'm playing as the scarred faced bearded bloke and the boy. Nooo, not Kratos and Atreus, I'm talking about Basch and Vaan in FFXII.
I'm also playing Return to Monkey Island which is still just as brilliant as ever.

After a week off I need to get back to finishing Death Stranding I left poor Sam on a beach surrounded by gunfire and helicopters, so I hope he's okay 😱 and I hope my time off hasn't adversely affected my understanding of what the heck I'm doing, as I was loving this game 😁

Hope everyone enjoys GoWR this weekend though, I'm sure to be lured into it soon enough. But buying it when I have such a vast and enticing backlog seems a bit silly. But who knows, the lure is definitely strong. (How is it running bug wise, all clear?)

After DS I'm pondering do I start another big PS exclusive like Horizon Forbidden West? or play something like Skyrim? instead as I'm rather in the mood for some epic fantasy adventures. Or perhaps A Plague Tale: Innocence? Maybe the Iki island expansion on Ghost of Tsushima will get a run out. Or a bit of Ratchet and Clank? I'm so indecisive 😭

Do you even need to ask, boy?! 15 hours into Ragnarok and it's absolutely phenomenal!

I’ve become completely addicted to Graveyard Keeper on Extra. It’s like Stardew Valley but better. In fact the wife also bought it on her laptop and we are both playing an unhealthy amount.

I also bought Punch Line in the sale. Might give it a go.

It’s God of War: Ragnarok for me, game looks amazing. Also, Elder Scrolls Online as usual.

Getting extremely close to the ending of Star Ocean 6, it's seriously been the surprise hit of the year for me, combat is super fun, story is serviceable and most importantly the characters are all likeable, which effectively decides how much I enjoy a JRPG.

I randomly started Middle Earth Shadow of War this week for whatever reason as I felt like playing a game I can watch youtube and twitch on in the background. It's actually a pretty large step up over Shadow of mordor in both mechanics and scope of the game and the art design through the various environments really breaks up the feel of each of the zones. Shadow of Mordor had two large areas but this one has at least 5 from my 20 hours of play so far. I'm enjoying the game enough that I will go for the full 100% achievements with the DLC included.

Lastly, playing Little Nightmares as I dip my toes into the horror genre. It's a short game but from what I've played so far it feels a lot like Limbo and Inside, which is a good thing!

Happy gaming and have a good week😋

Started Elden Ring Journey 2 aka NG+ and it's incredibly easy or maybe I'm just so levelled up, beat that first boss you can't beat first time - Grafted Scion, beat Tree Sentinel, Margit, Godrick all on first tries in a space of an hour. Now dunno if I should do a fresh start with a new character or stick with this haha.

Then I'll still be tarrying in New Hanover in RDR2. Hunting monsters for crafting I'm MH World. And some laps in GT Sport. Maybe I might start HFW 2nd run too. We're at a point you can't just play one game at a time anymore.

@Constable_What
Dude. Playing on GMGOW is SO frustrating.
I'm 20 hours in and I'm always a maximum of three (yes, 3) hits away from death. But I guess I knew what I signed up for.

16 hours into Ragnarok and holy moly is it one hell of an experience.

One of the reasons I love Playstation is for these games you just can't get anywhere else, I enjoy Xbox and Nintendo's offerings and they have wowed me in the past but Sony studios just deliver on all fronts for me.

Have a great weekend everyone!

God of war Ragnarok & bloody loving it! For me I’ve always said that last of us 2 was the best game Sony have made(imo) but Ragnarok is just next level, the combat, the characters, story, sound, graphics. All wrapped up in an unbelievably brilliant & beautiful masterpiece.

God of War Ragnarok. It's so nice to have a big PlayStation game to enjoy again, I haven't had much motive to use my PS5 for a while. Thankfully that won't be a problem soon with Crisis Core FF7, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, Forspoken, Like A Dragon Ishin and all the others game due out in 2023 yet.

Playing some more of forbidden west and while the story hasn't grabbed me as much as the first, I'm still loving the gameplay loop. Played the Stanley parable ultra deluxe last night, might be funniest game I've ever played, going to dig into the new content today. I'm also trying very hard not to be jealous of the folks with God of War and wait for Christmas. Have a good one folks

Ragnarok on the ps5, forza horizon 1 and power washer on the Xbox silly X

Ragnarök all the way I think, I've a strange urge to play GoW3 again, maybe I'll give that a shot as well.

@Bentleyma Hows Sonic Frontiers? I was probably going to wait for a sale

So I'm NOT playing GOW as my Mrs. has bought me it for Christmas ( and MW2 and I wanna play them all NOW dammit !!) so I've finally gotten around to starting MGS4 Guns Of The Patriots which has been in my backlog since release ( I know right ?)
I'm aiming for the plat so will take 8 playthroughs but I'm determined !
Also replaying Deathloop which I adore and Halo Infinite which is up there with the best
Have a great weekend guys and gals ❤

Wrapping up Ragnarök right now, close to the end. No, I'm not mad, I got it pretty early and had days off. Also, I was pretty much following the golden story path. I have quite a few gripes with the game, it's still a great experience overall. Especially the production value and the presentation are absolutely insane.

Finishing Gotham Knights before I start on Ragnarok...had it installed since day 1 but I have resisted starting

On PS5 i will be playing Valkyrie Elysium and The Outer Wilds

On switch its Mario and Rabbids sparks of hope and some splat fest.

And on Series S I will be giving dying light 2 a rest so I can start Assassins creed valhalla

Can we talk about how great it is to play a game day one that actually works? Ragnarok is my GOTY no doubt.

Bit of fishing down the lake in the morning but today once i get my jobs done i will be on GOW:R with a little bit of assetto corsa thrown in. Kids want to play mario party tonight so will fire up the switch, load the save state and continue on out 50 round game on MP2. Its been alot of fun so far when im not losing to an 11 year old 😂
Happy gaming everyone.

Snagged the platinum in Gotham Knights so it’s off to stave off Ragnarok in both God of War and Valkyrie Elysium for me. Yup two Nordic adventures side by side.

I’ll squeeze in some Shatter Remastered too along with Bayo 2 and Triangle Strategy where I can.

I had started Mafia Remastered on the higher PS Tier but won’t finish it before it leaves so I’ll wait for a sale to do so.

@StylesT had to do the same. Trust me you’ll be glad you did.

Not gonna be original... it's Ragnarok

Ragnarok for me..i was minding my own business chipping away at gotham knights and then kratos and the boy came crashing through my front door much to the dismay of the wife and my poor dog bear..i guess the bat family was no match for the sheer brutality of kratos as he ejected them from my ps5 and cranked the surround sound up to 11...have a fantastic weekend people 👍

God of War Ragnarok for me this weekend. That is all, BOY!

I will travel this weekend, so ther won't be much playing. when I return, to surprise of ZERO people, God of War Ragnarok. 3 days playing already, and for sure it is an absolutely amazing game. There is really much more than the trailers reveal. Besides it, I want to play Assassin's Creed Unity and Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana. I only hope I find the time.

I've just finished Spider-Man last night, loved it! Now I'll be giving the previous God of War one last chance. I'm sure I'm missing something.

Nioh 2 with all the dlcs.im almost at the end.and hollow knight voidheart edition.watching nfl football 🏈 my Pittsburgh Steelers 💛🖤watching classic legendary 📺sitcoms tv shows in living color.good times.saved by the bell.and martin.word up son

@Ravix If you liked Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West is a sure bet. One of the most engrossing games I ever played, it really shows what the next gen can do. Amazing story, gameplay, visuals, the challenge is high. An unforgettable journey.

With the untimely passing of the incredible Kevin Conroy, I had to pay my respects, drop whatever else I was doing, and spend a few hours back in Gotham. 😿

Batman: Arkham Knight for me.

Finally given Returnal a bash. Wow, feels SO good to play, and the mechanics of the game just feel perfectly crafted. Really enjoying it so far. I might dip in to God of War 2018 to make a little progress on the Platinum hunt.

Mostly GoW:R I reckon, maybe Sonic Frontiers too. Also, since I’m on my own this weekend I’ll probably watch some anime. Sheesh, it’s been over 15 years since I last watched anime. Put some on the other day for a change and now I’m hooked on some stupid rom-coms… what gives.

Sonic frontiers, MW2, OW2, Apex, Valorant, MK11, Halo MCC, and i would play smash but i’m always reminded that nintendo actually charged for their ***** online .

i got assignments due , but i can’t wait for thanksgiving break anymore , this saturday and most of sunday because of football , is mine . Damn weekends ain’t long enough .

I haven’t played a game on its launch week/weekend since Persona 5 Royal came out for the PS4. After beating God of War for the first time Thursday night, I took the plunge & bought God of War Ragnarok. It’s so damn amazing! Playing both back to back lets me see how polished it is compared to its predecessor. The combat is so smooth, puzzles are better, more rewarding and fun to do, and it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at Kratos beheading someone other than Mimir & chopping them in half on my PS5.

I don’t regret buying it at full price. Sony nailed it again with another blockbuster! I thought HFW would be my GOTY but GOWR has a legit shot to dethrone Horizon for me. Can’t wait to get further sucked into the story!

Will be playing Modern Warfare 2 (PS5), and trying GOW Ragnarok on PS4 Jailbreak

Only one game this weekend, God of War Ragnarok, enjoying it more than the previous one, finding the game alot better to transverse.

@freddquadros yeah, I got it with my PS5 bundle, so I'd better play it while it represents max value lol. I did like the first one, although I played about half of it, then left it for quite a while to play other things, and came back to it later when I didn't really have anything else I wanted to play. It was very good, and I definitely love the unique setting, but some of the combat and some of the side content left me a bit bored at times with it, when I came back I just pushed on with the main quest and I'm glad I finished it for that.

I'm definitely up for starting it soon, just to see how far it has come, I played HZD's second half on PS5 since the update, anyway, so the jump might not be as big. But if it drags me back in to the story/world then I'll be happy enough.

Not sure if I could handle playing such a big title alongside something like Skyrim which is also massive. As I'm usually a one game at a time gamer so I can get immersed in the worlds, but I might give it a go 😄 too many games to play 😭😭

I’m in December in my replay of Persona 4 Golden on Steam Deck so I’m nearing the end.
I never replay games but I’m just as enthralled as the first time.

GoWR on PS4/5.
The wife shed a year when ...... died of old age.

The game showed me that the PS5 is not much more powerful than PS4 when playing both versions on PS5.

But great game so far.

The 2018 God of War this weekend, on the easiest setting as dragons and suchlike are not really my thing, but I had a bad case of FOMO, especially as it's free in the PS Collection. I am having reasonable fun with it, not enough to turn the difficulty setting up though

Finishing my Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma path of mentor run and then starting master ninja. Solid game but really easy compared to Ninja Gaiden 2

Planning to finish up Plague Tale Requiem this weekend along with some Christmas shopping tomorrow to try and get some ideas. Apart from that I will be mainly chilling and enjoying my much needed time off.

Gow. Worth every accolade you've read, trully fantastic.

A little pc vampire saviours when I should be working. Addictive fun in the way pacman can be addictive, but a little more to get your teeth into.

Whatever your playing, and where ever your playing, have a great weekend!

Pokémon Yellow Version (GB) - Finally emerged from the Rock Tunnel. Ready to explore Pokémon Tower.

World At Arms (Windows Phone) - Still plodding along with this.

Angry Birds Star Wars (Windows Phone) - Three starred nearly a quarter of the levels so far.

GoW of course ☺️

PS5
Horizon Zero Dawn
This one has got its hooks in me despite me being fairly neutral on Zero Dawn, also i was burnt out on openworlds but this landscape is so beautiful and intresting that i love exploring, the sidequest are well thought out and meaty too, the combat is really crunchy and streamlined. Most importantly, the main plot is really gripping, so keeps me intriguiged for the next cut scene.

Switch
Diablo 3
Finally crossed the threshold on the main campaign and am on the Reaper of Souls expansion...i usually dont bother with DLC but this one seems pretty legit, we'll see how long i stay with it...its been fun but am ready to move on. For anyone who played, is it worth hanging on till the end?

@StylesT
Glad someone is waiting along with me.
I shall start next week.
As my new Dolby Atmos sound bar has just arrived and been set up.
Having now tested it with movies and HFW I don’t know how I ever played games without it and the rear speaker sensation I now have now.
It’s like a game is slightly lost without it and not fully complete or experienced.

My plan was God of War a week ago...but after Sonic Frontiers got decent to great reviews I decided to give that whirl first instead. I am so glad I did because I'm absolutely in love with this game! Yes it's a bit rough around the edges here and there but I genuinely can't get enough of it!

I'm sure God of War is good but I haven't played a good 3D Sonic since the PS3 era so that took priority for the moment. I'll get to God of War sooner or later!

Dialling in my race strategy for GT7 race night with the Push Square faithfull and some HFW. I also decided to give PS+ premium a run for its money by streaming Batman Arkham Origins. I went in with 0 expectations and so far it is a really decent experience. Makes me realise how much I miss a proper Batman game on PS5.

1. God of War

Game is trully amazing. Not playing anything else until done.

This weekend I’m playing God of War Ragnarok (PS5). So far, this game is absolutely superb, and is much more grandiose than its counterpart. The writing is top notch, and the performances from all characters — whether voice acting or animations — is so astounding. Speaking of voice acting - Ryan Hurst needs to be praised for his excellent portrayal of Thor. The way he speaks and his presence on screen makes you really hang on every action he does.

The combat is also exceptional. The Leviathan axe never gets old, and I find it to be one of the best weapons in any game ever; I truly believe that. Also, there have been several “Holy *****!” moments throughout the game too. All of the talk about Ragnarok being a glorified DLC, or God of War 1.5 can be thrown out the window. The scope of this game is absolutely breathtaking.

Other than that, I will probably play Halo Infinite (Xbox Series X). With the latest update, my buddy and I want to play the campaign cooperatively. This is one of our favorite franchises, and we used to play Combat Evolved religiously when we were younger. We have already beaten the campaign separately when the game released, but this sounds like a perfect excuse to jump back in and mop up some missing achievements.

Like for many others here, it's a God Of War weekend for me too!
Happy Ragnarok everyone!

I have to beat the final boss in No More Heroes 3 then I can finally start Ragnarok.

Spending time with kratos the g.o.a.t word up son

@Would_you_kindly it looks good on your PS4 Pro. The story is cool also.

Nier automata. I don't know how they do it, usually these small quests and grinding feel like chores in other games but it's so relaxing to do in a nier game. I'm loving it and almost done with route B. But still its weaker overall to the 1st game in terms of story, characters, enemy variety and music

@dschons I've got a ps5 now lol I did try the PS4 version on my pro just to test it & it looks amazing & runs fine as I expected it to

@Would_you_kindly it was meant as a joke because this is what the commenter always says as well, haha.word up son.

Since I just platinumed the game, I’m now playing MP in COD: MW2 and enjoying it quite a bit. Not the absolute best MP they’ve done (MW ‘19 holds that honor for recent releases) but still a really good experience. I don’t particularly care for the weapon unlock system and a map or two but overall it’s SIGNIFICANTLY better than the last few offerings.

@dschons ohhh yeah😂

Mass Effect 3. I have God of War Ragnarok, but I'm having a good enough time with ME3 that I want to finish that first. Kratos, you can wait, boy!

@kyleforrester87 thanks for the advice, ill stay with it then, i tend to be sceptical of dlc, but so far this feels like a geniune continuation. How long did it take for you to finish? Ive heard some say 4 hrs, others say 9 hrs...

@Judal27 Route B will be less exciting since it repeats a lot from the perspective of a less capable character, but dont worry, route C basically flips everything on its head and is a proper final act. Such a fantastic game, glad your enjoying...

Like almost everyone, God of War: Ragnarök, the level of polish is great and damn, PS Exclusives are in another level in presentation.

I started Wild Arms the other day, just for a quick nostalgia kick, and I can't seem to stop playing it.

Ragnarok has come!

I'm enjoying the game thus far, and was pleasantly surprised and proven somewhat wrong in assuming visually it would be identical to the first. There are subtle improvements in various elements that combine to make it a modest improvement over all from the 2018 game, and a stunning game in its own right that certainly punches above what it should be capable of considering its a PS4 game.
Aside from that, top notch production values and snappier combat have made for a good time thus far.

@Kairu Rumor Honeybottom and Kahl’s Robot are really annoying me. I’ve beat nearly every other boss on expert

Love weekends. It’s some 2018 God of War (never played it before), some driving (F1 and/or ACC) and FM 2023 on game pass- the premier league best watch out Altrincham FC are coming 😂

Hi there fellow gamers;
Having finished Gears 5 and still suprised by the choice you have to make close to the end (can´t wait to see what The Coalition does with the next Gears game), I´ll be playing Prodeus and Ghost Song on my Series X and God of War Ragnarok on my PS5.
Prodeus is such a fun retro FPS and Ghost Song is just metroidvania game and I love it.
As for GoW Ragnarok...... That game is incredible in every way.
Cheers, stay safe everyone and happy gaming weekend to us all

I was supposed to be playing GOW but thanks to ShopTo and it's idiotic idea to use Evri, I still don't have it 4 days on from release. ShopTo won't even call the courier to find out what's going on, instead telling me "If it still hasn't been delivered by the end of Monday...". What planet are these clowns on? They have no idea on customer service and no idea on how to placate customers that have been screwed over due to their cheap assed penny pinching. They were aware of issues and still only had one guy, Jack, on the phones. To say that Jack was less than helpful was an understatement, however that wasn't his fault as his management had left him hamstrung by telling him to refuse to contact the courier's, not to refund customers and deny customers the "Get it on the day of release guarantee", as only DPD and Royal Mail are mentioned in ShopTo's caveats. Jack admitted Evri were used as a last minute substitution because of their cheapness. Customers were not informed and were not given the chance to cancel their order. I'm sure many, like myself, are absolutely furious that ShopTo still have our money and we have no product. In case they haven't figured it out yet, there is a monetary crisis ongoing in this country just now and there will be many that can't afford to splash out on a second copy of a game to keep their kids happy while ShopTo contemplate how their going to remove their fingers from their backsides.
I'm stuck playing Far Cry 6 this weekend.

@Zuljaras Singularity is awesome, one of the most underrated titles of that gen...enjoy!

@Ravix im currently stuck into Forbidden West and am loving it (and I found the first one overrated mind). If want you to get stuck into a stunning fantasy world, its a great choice.

@ThorsHammer thanks for the heads up, definitely looking forward to that route. I've actually been enjoying B too and almost done with it. Just nabbing all the trophies I can until it's time to move on to C

Demon's Souls Remake.
After a first mage run, a few months ago, now a pure strenght melee one.
The path to bosses is being harder than themselfs.

@RaZieLDaNtE Yeah... Gears 5 left tons of Potential for the next game, cant wait! I think the finally have the narrative down.

God of War Ragnarok, Gotham Knights, Plague Requiem and HFW. I'm in NG+ with Horizon, almost half of Plague and learning the ropes on GoWR and GK... I've preordered Callisto, this will be a very busy end of year!!!

@RaZieLDaNtE that choice was so dumb it will be completely pointless when the next game comes out lol

Finished Bayonetta 3 last night. The ending was, let's say, was something else. Will dive into Sonic Frontiers now on PS5. Hoping to get most of it wrapped up before Pokemon next weekend.

I've been most playing God of War but also been continuing the The Quarry and Gotham Knights . all are exciting .pre ordered Calisto Protocol as well.

Still playing Gotham Knights. I find that game very relaxing. Its so fun to zip around the city. I’m also finding the story and characters to be pretty engaging. Im also playing the latest expancion for Forza Horizon 5. Have a great weekend!

I was lucky to get the Fanatec GT DD Pro last week and I'm back playing GT7. But now I'm playing it on my PS4 pro since I recently sold my PS5. I've decided I want a PS5 again because GT7 looks better on PS5, so it's back to square one looking for one 😖. On the bright side, I will only buy the 1200 series with the 6nm chip. So that'll be cool.