Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 526

It's all about Stellar Blade for me this weekend.

I continue Alone in the Dark, although it didn't turn out as good as I expected. However, after spending 101 hours on Rebirth, I needed to play something more linear before Stellar Blade because I'm completely burned out. I also bought Harold Halibut, maybe I give it a go if Alone in the Dark is too boring.

Prince of Persia - the lost crown.
Really enjoying it tbh.
Once I’m all played out on that I’ll buy stellar blade but not until I’m done witn POP.

After ff7 rebirth I’m going to go small for a while so Shakedown Hawaii, alone in the dark 2001, switchback vr, Y’s origins

Stellar Boobs, I mean Blade.

This weekend is all about finishing AC Mirage, playing through a smaller scope Assassin's Creed has been neat! If I get it finished I'll be moving onto another backlog game - Jedi Survivor, which I'm really looking forward to!

[UPDATE - I have rolled credits on Mirage, thoroughly enjoyed it, not going to both with the Plat though, so now I'm installing/updating Jedi Survivor!]

Stellar Blade.

In a bit of a lull after finishing Marvels Midnight Suns so dunno really. Will try to complete a few smaller things like MF Pedro and Observation before they get pulled from PS+ next month. Also a bit of The Pedestrian as I started it and then forgot about it.

Have a good weekend and happy gaming everyone.

If I can get my little girl off Cbeebies I’ll be playing as much Fallout 4 as possible. Also got my Days Gone NG+ to finish.
Have a great gaming weekend everyone!

Stellar Blade is the main focus. But I’m so close to beating Unicorn Overlord so I’ll jump on that too. Might squeeze in WWE 2K24, maybe.

My Xbox and Switch will be collecting dust until Im done with Stellar Blade.
My first impressions so far: combat, music, graphics, design and skilltree are phenomenal. I especially love the bossbattles.
Story and VO is fine. Nothing special.
Some of the platforming sequences are annoying but its no dealbreaker.
Im playing completely blind and having a blast. Also love that the game got ng+ where everything carries over. Will be playing Stellar Blade A LOT.

Stellar Blade mostly this weekend and I picked up Ace Attorney Apollo Justice which was 67% off on Switch

Stellar blade, offline in 1.0.0
Im tempted to fire up the switch later on as its been months since i have done. Maybe something a little lighter hearted like Pikmin4 or MK with the wife.
Have a good one folks 🤜🤛

Still playing Rebirth finished chapter 11 last night I'm just trying to stick to the story now and get it finished. I'll probably play a bit of Banishers too and I've just bought Resident Evil 4 in the sale never actually played it so I'm looking forward to starting that tonight.

Will be playing Control: Ultimate Edition on PS5 and Trails from Zero on Switch. Really loving both of these games so far. Currently I'm going through the AWE DLC in Control and I think I'm overall nearing the end of the game, so I might be able to finish it this weekend. As for Trails from Zero, the game finally clicked with me yesterday. At first I wasn't liking how slow the game is, but now it's actually a pretty cozy experience. It heavily reminds me of the first Trails of Cold Steel in terms of the slow build-up. It's nice to play a relaxing JRPG for a change.

Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes on PS5.
Absolutely loving it too

More backlog for me. Started my first ever playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2 midweek so it'll be more of that. Think I'm nearing the end of the second chapter, really should be further in but I've been wandering about a lot just doing random stuff and enjoying the world.

Have a good weekend all!

I'm giving dragons dogma 2 a miss this weekend as I'm a bit burnt out on it (still an awesome game) so I'm playing dave the diver which is like video game crack and helldivers 2 because its just so bloody good. Have a great weekend everybody 👍

I'll be roaming the Commonwealth and avoiding Preston in Fallout 4. I'm also gonna get stuck into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor over on Game Pass.

It's Cold Steel 3 and Stellar Blade for me! As much as I love turn based games, a year of Trails has left me quite ready for some action gaming!

I forgot that House Flipper 2 came out, so I’m in the middle of redesigning and knocking down walls like a complete maniac.

Definitely Stellar Blade for me. It’s such a great game. Excellent combat, gorgeous visuals and great music. So glad it’s turned out so well.

Just having a 'Stellar' weekend! Eh? Pretty good right? Okay I'm sorry back to Stellar Blade. Have a good weekend everyone!

@matekomlosi I finished Edward's story and started Emily's and it was so samey so gave up on it. It had it's moments but was ultimately a let down

Awaiting Stellar Blade as a birthday present so it's Dave the Diver for me (not that I'm complaining. It's so good).

May give Tales of kenzera a try if can peel myself away from fishing and serving sushi lol

Just completed Tomb Raider 2 Remastered (took a break after TR1 to play Gears of War, think I needed some virtual bro time with Delta Squad to offset Lara's badass femininity). Amazing to play TR2 again and realise just how influential it was on things like the Uncharted series. Playing the Golden Mask expansion pack now, which is a lot better than Unfinished Business, thankfully.

Happy gaming everyone.

Have a week off work so think I need a new game to play, maybe Final Fantasy 16. Other than that I'll be dipping in and out of Mario Wonder, Capcom Arcade Stadium and Freedom Planet.

Underground Bunkers, Improvised Weapons, Post Apocalyptic Setting. That's right it's...

Horizon: Forbidden West

Quirky RPG, Kooky Companions, Plenty of Corporate Greed, Stylistic Cartoonish Mascots. That's right it's...

The Outer Worlds

But I am also watching Fallout 👍

Metaphor:Refantazio made me return to Persona 5. Last weekend I returned to Fallout 4 with all that Fallout talk but after seeing Preston Garvey, I'm like Awww No, not again!

Dragon’s Dogma 2. Played 43 hours already mostly avoiding the main story. I have 9 days off work starting tomorrow so I might start Bioshock, too. Never played the series before

Stellar blade for me. Really enjoying it so far. The flow and timing of combat takes a bit of getting used to be it’s very satisfying when you get it right.

I fell off dragons dogma 2 after about 30 hours. It’s good but I found myself getting a bit bored. I’m still playing Helldivers 2 but just the odd game now and again after putting 120 hours in since launch…

I picked up Skyrim and the new Prince of Persia game in the latest sale. I’ve somehow never played Skyrim before; I’m only 3-4 hours in and enjoying it so far but it’s so overwhelming - I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing or how any of these systems work.

Mostly Stellar Blade this weekend.

Batman Arkham Origins on Steam Deck OLED.

Nothing on XSX or Switch.

Have a great weekend, and happy gaming, everyone!

Stellar Blade. Just beat the first “non-prologue” boss. Combat feels so smooth IMO. Game looks gorgeous. Absolutely loving my experience with it. Also, super glad there’s a second play through needed for the platinum. It definitely seems like a game I’d want to replay again

Slicing my way through Stellar Blade. 3 bosses in and I am having so much fun with this one. Genuinely impressed with how polished the game feels. Love the combat, art direction, music… even the ropey English dub has its charm in its own special way.

More of this please!

I will be playing the awsome classic crisis core final fantasy 7 the reunion.the instant hits turn based rpg in the incredible yakuza like a dragon.the wonderful action rpg nier automata.and one of the best video games ever made and one of the best remakes ever in the excellent shadow of the collosus.i will be watching my boston Celtics💚🖤 🏀 play.and i will be watching legendary sitcoms 📺 tv shows in Sanford and son.good times.the Jeffersons and saved by the bell.word up son

This weekend I intended to dedicate time to Stellar Blade, but after getting the platinum trophy for Rise of the Ronin last weekend, I was trying to find a game that wouldn’t be too long. This lead me to look through my backlog and settle for I Am Setsuna. I needed that cozy, comfortable (J)RPG. I’m currently 90% through and it’s pretty good, despite its handful of flaws.

The first thing that stood out is its minimalistic approach. This was refreshing. The game tells a linear, character driven story that is simple, but compelling. Every party member you acquire has their own unique personality and it’s fun seeing their bond development over time. I don’t think every RPG needs to be this sprawling adventure with a myriad of side quests and mini games. Don’t get me wrong — those things have their place, but it’s nice to have a game that knows what it wants to say and does it in their own fashion.

As I mentioned, there are flaws, or rather pros and cons to several of its mechanics. First of all is the combat. While it is your traditional turn based RPG, it has a sense of depth and customization to it that is fun to toy around with, from varying talisman and abilities you can equip, to team composition that can change the tide in fascinating ways.

Unfortunately, combat is unbalanced. The enemies can move around the battlefield yet you cannot. There isn’t a lot of enemy variety either, so you’ll generally encounter enemies that can self destruct and damage you once they do. And since you’re unable to move out of the way you can’t necessarily defend yourself.

Furthermore, the game does a poor job explaining how its combat systems work. It’s great there’s a lot of variety, but not having a solid foundation in its tutorial system and how things interact with each other can make things overwhelming.

Additionally, one thing that is bothersome is its archaic design in leveling up. You can only have three party members at a time (out of seven). The characters in the background don’t get experience points if they aren’t in combat, so there will always be characters under-leveled. What makes matters worse is that some characters become inactive due to story reasons, and thus there’s an imbalance to management.

As an aside: I’m grinding right now. There is something so trite but relaxing about the grind. All of my characters are at level 45. I’m going to get all party members to level 50 at minimum before doing end-game side quests and tackling the true final boss.

When it comes to the overall map, the environments and dungeon design is one dimensional throughout the entire journey, and very uninspired. Everything is snowy terrain with iced layer dungeons that don’t offer any real thought or puzzle challenges (there is a very charming secret location that actually talks about all of this, in a meta sort of way, and it’s amazing!).

There is also no map markers or quest logs, or if there is, I haven’t encountered it yet during my playthrough. You have to make a mental note where certain locations are at but this isn’t necessarily too hard since the game doesn’t boast numerous side quests, locations and NPCs, and the game provides a fun way to travel later in the game.

Ultimately, while I may be quite critical of the game, it does feature endearing characters and a strong narrative that overwrites its faults. Combat is great and flexible, albeit confusing. There may be a lack of inspiration in its overall game world, but I’m okay with the minimal approach. I’ll definitely be getting the platinum trophy for this one.

Playing

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (PS5)
Diablo IV (XSX)
Half-Life (Steam Deck)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

Paused

Divinity: Original Sin (XSX)
Yakuza: Like A Dragon (PS5)

Backlog

Castlevania
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Divinity: Original Sin II
Half-Life 2
Portal
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Red Dead Redemption 2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It hit me like a brick that 'Shadow of the Erd Tree' will now be released in <2months... so time to get back into Elden Ring, in preparation for being DLC-ready.

I originally played on PS5 at launch, getting the platinum trophy, but am now starting up a new playthrough on SteamDeck. Runs pretty well on handheld, 30FPS fairly stable with a couple minor dips - very playable though.

Just got through Stormveil castle, and considering my next move..

What’s the point of these posts without a poll? Nintendo life does these posts way better because of it.

I started the weekend with the quite good Tales of Kenzera: Zau, scratching my itch for a metroidvania. I will follow with Final Fantasy XVI, must continue that last DLC. Some Tales of Arise will roll here too. See ya!

Finished up FFXVI (I actually want to get the DLC now, which I wasn’t expecting when I first started), but now I really want to finish LotF which is, for my money, the best soulslike (excluding FromSofts games), that I’ve played. Have a great weekend folks!

Busy weekend of games!

Stellar Blade as much as possible.

FF7 Rebirth chapter 10

Rise of Ronin (I just started)

Tales of Kenzera

And lastly maybe some Helldiving or Dogma 2.

Honestly most of it is going to be Stellar Blade minus Tales of KZ on portal during my son’s nap time.

Unfortunately I had to drop Dragon's Dogma, just wasn't clicking. Now I've moved onto Like a Dragon Gaiden.

Deliver us Mars. I’m somewhat enjoying it, but I’m glad I didn’t buy a copy. It’s a nice inbetween game, but also very buggy plus I have an allergy for clunky controls.

Almost done now. I’ll either play …Edit Finch or Saints Row after this.

Having a stellar time playing Stellar Blade. After FF7 Rebirth wore me out I've spent the last few weeks tackling smaller games on the Switch like Another Code, Super Mario RPG, Paranormasight and Ghost Trick. Will be playing this until Endless Ocean Luminous drops. Still need to play Unicorn Overlord though, why must game developers drop so much so close?

@NieR_Dark Good to hear (from a fellow NieR fan). Does it bring any of the emotional impact Automata had? I didn’t find it in the demo (really enjoyed it though), but that’s logical with its short length.

@Yorozayu i thought it was called stellar booty

After 133 hours I finally got the platinum in Rise of the Ronin on Thursday night. By no means perfect but I absolutely loved my time with it. I don't think I've been so engrossed in a game since Cyberpunk 2077!

I'm now playing Stellar Blade and just arrived in Xion. Just like Nier Automata I love the design of the main character, the dystopian setting, and the soundtrack in this game. Unfortunately, just like Nier none of the enemy types or designs in this game appeal to me at all. Platforming and traversal leaves a lot to be desired, too. But now that I've reached the city I'm really looking forward to the story opening up and there being more things to do.

@Darude84 It’s very NieR in style / music… but in all honesty gameplay wise it’s very different. I would say more Sekiro meets Devil May Cry. It’s pretty tough in places, but nothing too crazy… yet…

Story wise they do a pretty decent job, but, I can’t see this packing the same punch as either of the NieR’s, and although I’ve heard there’s multiple endings, I can’t see us getting anything like that third Automata play-through (but then what other game even comes close to that? 😄)

I hope none of that puts you off though, because it’s a genuinely great game 😀

TopSpin 2K25 (PS5). Been playing this a ton, haven't had this much fun with video game tennis since Virtua Tennis World Tour on the Vita. It's also the most I've enjoyed a TS game since 2, although they're all good. It took too long but at least the series has come back in style to fill what was an obvious void in the sports genre.

@somnambulance I put about 60 hours into Dave the Diver, loads of them this past week, but am now dropping it. Chapter 7 story loses the coziness and brings in tedious 'puzzles' and cheap bosses. Finished off the trophies for the bar, farm and fish and that's enough for me.

Super addictive though, and I'm quite pleased to be moving on from it lol

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for me

Stellar blade. I think I made it to the next area beyond what the demo offered. The game is amazing so far. It's been very fun running around and exploring off the beaten path making sure I've checked everything. I really hope it keeps it up cause so far it's been amazing and I'm playing the 1.0 version. It plays really well I have no trouble parrying enemies outside of not being that good with parry mechanics in the first place. I imagine the updated version is even better

Obviously stellar blade and will play some fallout 4 in between

I'm in a bit of a gaming rut. I've tried spinning up Trails into Reverie, Star Ocean 4, Shining Resonance: Refrain, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Soul Hackers 2. None of them are grabbing me. I lost interest in Dragon Quest XI after about 12 hours. Maybe it's the music. I swear the game only has like 4 tracks. The idea of picking up a game controller right now is not appealing at all.

I'm thinking a gaming break is due this weekend. My small engines are all due for oil changes, so I'll probably do that. My mower was running rough last weekend, so I'll chase that too. If the weather calms down, maybe I'll go trout fishing and take care of the brush pile that needs to be burned.

Loving Dave the diver on PS+. It has a really satisfying gameplay loop, and just keeps getting better the more you play. Only thing that is annoying is when you get fish that go after you relentlessly and before you know it your oxygen (health) has nearly gone and you can’t get back to the surface in time, losing everything you’ve picked up except for 1 item. Other than that, great game. In Dragons Dogma 2 I have just got to the capital of Battahl, Bakbattahl. My mystic spearhand character is fully maxed out now, except for the ultimate skill. If time I may check out the new upgrade on Fallout 4.

Rise of the Ronin - just got to Edo, I'm really enjoying this, love being able to counter-spark (parry) and murder my enemies, so fun!
Star Ocean 2nd Story R - pretty far in this, home-screen says I'm at 75% of the story, its good fun as well.
Alan Wake 2 - restarted a new game as I never finished my 1st playthrough back in November. Just got thru Coffee World. Man, what a soundtrack!

Dave the Diver has put FF7R on the back burner...haven't left Corel in a week now lol. The cadence of DtD is just so. Damn. Good. Also bought the new tmnt game that was ported from an arcade only game. Wrath of the Mutants. It's no shredders revenge but is faithful turtles beat em up for me and my son lol

Dragon's Dogma 2, so much fun! 85 hours in and I'm putting off the point of no return 'A New Godsway' mission in order to explore and max out as many vocations as I can! It is hard to leave the Mystic Spearhand voc tho... So much fun!!!

Dave the Diver! I am enjoying the gameplay loop of diving by day and running a restaurant at night. There’s plenty of quirky characters that keep things interesting and I’m very curious as to what the Godzilla DLC will consist of.

Some Stellar Blade and Another Crab's Adventure with some Splatoon 3 mixed in.

I just got Stellar Blade but haven’t done much w it besides installing it and porting over the save file from the demo. This weekend I want to finish and enjoy Remnant 2’s most recent DLC The Forgotten Kingdom. I don’t like playing 2 games at the same time if I can help it as I don’t like getting the control schemes mixed up. And I also want to take my time w Stellar Blade and just enjoy it.

I just finished Immortals of Aveum. A fun, solid 7/10.

I am struggling with what what to play the rest of the weekend. Do I continue to work through my massive backlog like a good boy (Yakuza 5? Jedi Survivor?). Or do I give in to temptation and buy Rise of the Ronin or Stellar Blade even though I have plenty to play? 😬

I’m knee deep in the final palace in Persona 5 Royal and the end is in sight. If I don’t finish it this weekend I’ll definitely finish it very soon. I’m VERY ready to move on. Alien Isolation is next up on my to-do list. I took my 12 year old son to see the 40th anniversary re-release of Alien last night and I’m in the mood to be in that setting again! Happy weekend!

stellar blade and fallout 4 have a great weekend everyone

1. FF VII Rebirth (PS5)
2. Tales of Kenzera: Zau (PS5 via PS+)
3. Stellar Blade (PS5)

PC taking a break. Good times... enjoy the weekend!

@NieR_Dark Thanks! I got the same impression from the demo but thought the full game might dig deeper. I’ll definitely play it.

@somnambulance yes fully agree. It's great how much unlocks in the course of playing the game, but I think it goes a little too far with pestering the player all the time for random stuff.

I'm playing PowerWash Simulator, which was a PS Plus monthly game from a while back. Oddly addicting.

Angry Birds Star Wars II (Windows Phone) - Three starring all levels is going much smoother now.

GT7 in VR. Gotta make the most of it. There are not a lot of great games for it., glad a mini bonus paid for it.

Ancient dungeon and Blue Reflection have me occupied at the moment. Very good games.

Caved and got Stellar Blade yesterday - along with Alone in the Dark for $30. Was extremely apprehensive to pick it up due to the "attention" its been getting but I heard it was a pretty damn good soulslike so that was my way in.

Sank ~2 hours into each so far; Alone in the Dark is fine - has some decent tone and I like the look of a lot of things - but Stellar Blade has REALLY surprised me. Gameplay feels good, looks gorgeous, and the music's been hitting. Excited to keep playing it!

Also got the PS5 version of Fallout 4 to run through. Never really gave it a try so I'm looking forward to experiencing it as well!

@Pranwell I love the fishing and restaurant bits but find the sea people bits a bit off.

The exceptional Spider-Man 2. I honestly am surprised at how good this game is. The online reception for it felt relatively tepid, so my expectations were in check. Perhaps that’s helped me not to be overhyped for it but I think it’s clearly better than either of the first two games. And although it feels familiar with those earlier entries, it expands, improves, and creates some really nice surprises in both the narrative and the gameplay.

Well...since the NFL Draft is this weekend I am finishing up the season in an online league so we can hit the draft and do it all oer again to see where all these players land in our league. Also, while everyone else is playing Rebirth...I'm still trying to get through the story in FF XVI. Not sure how far I am but just downed the 3rd major boss to get the Lightning sword. Happy weekend! Also played a bit of Suicide Squad..gotta love Harley Quinn! Wanna check out Stellar Blade eventually!

Dead Rising 4 and City Skylines

Nothing new this side: Rebirth & Foamstars

Sand Land! I've been anticipating this game since the reveal trailer and it's been a blast so far.

FF12 Zodiac, Destiny 2 Season of Wish.

@Gamer83 Tennis on the Vita was underrated. Had a ton of fun with it in the past as well.

Getting into Remnant 2 with some friends. Really enjoying it so far! Also, started up Phantom Liberty this week and realized I need to do some of the main game side quests that I skipped after mainlining most of the main story. Really getting into it but need to take breaks from it after a few hours. I can only handle so much of the depressing tone. Resistance: Retribution on my Portal has been a great in between games kinda game. Still super fun after all these years.

I tried Fallout 4, wasn't a fan (the controls and movement are really janky and it ruined it for me) so went back to Helldivers. Enjoying the robots more than the bugs at the moment. Solo Farming Super Credits to unlock the final warbond.

Well another jam packed week for another WAYP. Did snag some pretty great games this week like Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes, Saga Emerald Beyond, the Fallout 4 PS5 update, and Stellar Blade. It’s that last one that I thoroughly enjoyed last night it’s absolutely beautiful and loads of fun. Also beat Mario Vs Donkey Kong this week coincidentally the same day I got the Super Mario series Amiibos of Mario and Donkey Kong. Also snagged the Shovel Knight 3 Pack which means I have all the Shovel Knight Amiibos that aren’t gold Shovel Knight. I really don’t count the gold amiibos for anything because they’re just a pain. Think I’m in the last 3rd of AI: the Somnium Files after this weekend and I’ll admit I’m pretty happy about that. As for the rest of the weekend after work I’m thinking some Trails Into Reverie and either WWE 2K24, Persona 3 Reload or Hundred Heroes. Genuinely unsure which hahahaha. As for the rest of the week well it’ll be a rotation of the games already listed plus some things like Penny’s Big Breakaway on switch and Pepper Grinder and Princess Peach Showtime or the FFXVI DLC and Dragons Dogma 2 and Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth on PS5. Very excited to dabble in SaGa the most. As for anime I only have two shoutouts today. One of my favorites of Winter I finished and the one I’m most excited for in Spring. Those would be Undead Unluck and The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio. Oh and of course it goes without saying the GOAT Urusei Yatsura. Still pretty focused on knocking out those shows based on games still and hey I made good progress in finishing both Twisted Metal and Fallout. Fallout especially was absolutely beautiful and amazing. The Ghoul was my absolutely favorite part. Well worth a watch. And for Twisted Metal well Sweet Tooth absolutely made that show and I absolutely loved him. Now tho I get to focus on the thing I’ve been most excited for and that’s KNUCKLES. Can’t wait to share my thoughts on the proud Echidna warrior. Also super excited about EVO Japan this weekend. As for podcasts this week I gotta choose my usuals plus my faves that I finally decided to support via Patreon. Those of course being Castle Superbeast, Big Think Dimension, Into The Aether, RPGsites Tetracast, Minnmax, Jeff Gerstmann, Nextlander, Easy Allies, Kit and Krysta, Windbreaker and Firelink, and as a whole the Last Stand Media family. And of course we wouldn’t be complete without a lovely shoutout to my good friend over at twitch.tv/akibread and their excellent amazing streams. As always take care of each other. Stay safe. Have a excellent rest of your weekend. And Happy Gaming.

I jump between games though my current two that have been keeping me busy the most are:

Star Wars: Rebel Assault 2 Remastered (More of a nostalgia trip for us oldies as I remember getting this one back in the day for my PC) and

Grounded on PS5.. Love slapping those ginormous Ants across their smug faces with the "branch of unreasonable comfort"...

Still playing Elden Ring

@Doctor_BK
I'm hoping if TopSpin 2K25 can do well enough maybe Sega sees an opportunity to bring back Virtua Tennis. The arcade nature of it was always a nice, and fun, contrast to the more realistic sims from 2K and EA.

Late to the party. I finished Ghost of Tsushima DLC and Bugsnax. Now I am playing Ender Lilies, good game.
Have a nice week.

@Daleaf can you tag them with the same request on this week’s post? I don’t know their handles on here