Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 551

Arizona sunshine remake. What a game! Most fun I’ve had in a good while.

I am playing through Ghost Recon Breakpoint which is fun, but my stealth approach inevitably goes south and it escalates with grenade launchers.

My gaming goal this weekend is to beat Grape Ape Vegeta

I just picked up Alan Wake 2 on the EGS for under £28 including all the DLC so I plan on melting my PC and pissing my pants over the weekend

With the Dead Space 3 and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands plats wrapped this week, my 2024 ps3 farewell tour is now down to just 6 games remaining… starting with Brutal Legend this weekend.

Trying to get to the end of disc 1 of this legendary classic.

I’ve had a bit of a bad week, so I've bought Lego Harry Potter PS5 edition, which is one of my favourite Lego games for some light relief.

Dead Space: Impossible mode run.
Doki Doki Literature Club. Finished the game yesterday. Didn't like it until it ended. Now eager to get back to exploring the alternate outcomes...
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed. Not usually one for online games but this is enjoyable simple to jump in for an hour here and there. Even better playing with friends!

Have a good weekend and happy gaming people.

Still Metaphor Refantazio. I just love the immersion in this game, it explains how a mechanic is possible instead of just slapping it on unrealistically like in other games. For eg. it explains a teleportation machine resonating with the protag in the gauntlet runner, makes it possible to teleport anywhere you've ever been. Townspeople react to how you're back all of a sudden when they thought you travelled far away.

It explains the protag's sword has an elevation magic that makes it possible to ride instead of running around town like an idiot when everyone's walking. Again townspeople react to how a kid's riding a sword about. Recruitment centres explain how bounty target information is available across all towns. The immersion is just sublime. Gorgeous art, superb soundtrack, diverse accents(it's not a Japanese setting, no need avoiding the English voiceover 🙄), outstanding gameplay. Game is just sooo good!

Mostly Horizon FW, some WRC 23 and Generations. That’s when I forget I have CP2077 installed because when I remember it’s all I play still haha.

What’s the opposite of a gaming rut? Because that’s what I am currently experiencing. With help from the video games Visions of Mana and the Plucky Squire. I may also start Metaphor: ReFantazio.

What the heck is Scott playing that he has to redact the name?! 😄 There's only one Redacted so the other one must be very controversial!! Is it Hogwarts?

I'm back on Red Dead Redemption 2 trying to complete it 100% starting from the very beginning again. As good Marston's tale is in the first game, I think RDR2 is so much better as a complete package.

@Eduard_Brenton a gaming glut, which I suffer from too because I'm a gaming slut. Still playing Space Marines, Spidey 2 and Balatro.

Getting close to the end (I think) of my first play through of Sekiro. I’ve enjoyed it immensely so will go for all endings and the platinum

Forbidden Siren

Another weekend of jumping between TotK end game and Alan Wake 2 ng+ while I'm waiting for Lake House arriving next week.

Good to see so many of you participating this week!

Particularly interested in your thoughts on A Quiet Place, Echo. I think it looks really good in the trailer and has been sat on my wishlist for a while.

Can't go wrong with RGG, Sammy. I actually preferred The Man Who Erased His Name over Infinite Wealth (which I also love!), I just prefer the tighter games over the sprawling ones, so you know I'm ready for Majima and his piratey madness.

You're playing the new game, Redacted, set in the same world as Callisto Protocol? Or, wait, it's a secret game? Or maybe it's both!

As for me, I'm being patient and waiting for some price drops on games I'm interested in. I've played some classic favourites this year, and I'm going to add to that with LA Noire. I'm also thinking about replaying the modern trilogy of Tomb Raider which I think is genuinely underrated, so I think I'll make a start on Tomb Raider 2013.

@Czar_Khastik Great sense of humour, great taste in games! 👍👍

@Czar_Khastik Have fun man! Great game!

I bought Travis Strikes Again: NMH from PSN sale and i had a blast with the game. The fun combat, cool retro artstyle, references for movies/anime/manga, breaking the 4th wall, and the humor. I just don't get it why this game got low scores reviews (IGN & Gamespot gave it a 6/10 and Eurogamer gave "Avoid"). Currently i'm just finished with the 3rd Death Ball world.

I'm also playing SF 6 after took a month break from the game. My Ed feels quite rusty but i manage to stay in 1400+ MR. Gonna do some grind so i can get to 1500 MR.

Have a fun weekend guys 🍻

Continuing my playthrough of Immortals of Aveum and I’m having an absolute blast. Such a shame it didn’t find an audience as it’s a really good first game

I got YS X Nordics a week early; so that'll have my main attention this weekend! I might also play a bit of Trails of Cold Steel 2 and Assassins Creed Origins...

Just a few more days until the early release for Sonic x Shadow Generations (Deluxe version). Super hyped for that one!

Now playing Metaphor..Now at the boss after defeating Zorba..Awesome game so far..

Unsure about what to play,

Not really my cup of tea, but I am wondering whether I should finally pick up arizona sunshine 1 or 2, or some of the psvr2 games on sale (ancient dungeon, sushi ben, switch back or crossfire) ?.
Anyway instead of playing a game I finally watched rogue one, which I really liked.

Though, I also played the Kunitsu-Gami demo a bit. Beautiful game ! And if somebody complains about the lack of creativity in games, then maybe look beyond call-of-duty or big open world games. Concerning Kunitsu-Gami, likely I do not really understand how to play it, but I found it a bit boring. Its just so beautiful, that I would like to enjoy it.

Hello there fellow gamers;
This weekend I´m all about Metaphor ReFantazio on my Series X and Street Fighter 6 on my PS5. Been having a lot of fun online matches with some pretty good players in SF6.
Also, it has been awhile since I´ve been so enamored with a turn based rpg like Metaphor and I do think this will be my game for the next months.
Although, I do want to finish at least one playtrough of both Sillent Hill 2 and Alan Wake 2 as well.
So many good games to play. Gamers are eating good.
Cheers everyone and happy gaming weekend to us all

I'm playing Dead Space on Plus,I'm now on chapter 10 so getting near the end.Played the original back on the 360 but only remember bits of it.Great game!
I have also been playing House Flipped 2 which I bought in the sale.
But Metaphor is my main game..absolutely brilliant game!nearly 20 hours in so far.

Enjoy your weekend!

Breakpoint and wildlands mainly but must stick to Sinking City as it’s good and a bargain for £3.99 but I keep going back to Ubisoft’s open world shooters.
Enjoy gaming everyone.

For me Metaphor ReFantazio and Astro Bot, both very different games but also both extremely enjoyable and beautiful games!

@Fuzzymonkeyfunk I'm glad I'm not the only one who liked it. I got it not long after it came out and loved it. Great game. Shame it is almost certainly never going to get a follow up

Diablo 4 this weekend although if my co-op partner is busy I may jump on dead island 2 for a bit of zombie mayhem. Have a great weekend everybody 👍.

Nikoderiko: The magical world. Only played about 90 mins but it's decent. Mixing DK country returns 2D levels and crash bandicoot style 3d sections (in same stages). It's not as good as Yooka-laylee and the impossible lair but I'm impressed so far.

Also enjoying Return of monkey island on plus. Again not too far in but loving the humour and don't mind the art style

Will be playing the incomparable Shadow of the Colossus remake this weekend. I have played this game in it's various forms so many times, and it always takes my breath away every time. It's just so good. Poetry in videogame form.

Im still playing the incredible one of the best video games ever in the horror masterpiece resident evil 7 gold edition.i will also continue playing one of the most underrated masterpiece in the amazing dying light the following.i will also continue playing the awsome another underated game in days gone.i just beat the phenomenal prey.one day i will play the dlc.and i continue playing 2014 game of the year winner one of the best video games ever made in the the excellent dragon age inquisition game of the year.im at the last level.to the final boss.but im playing the dlcs.and side missions first.i will watch my Pittsburgh Steelers 💛🖤 play.and i will watch legendary sitcoms tv 📺 comedy in the Jeffersons.family matters.good times.sanford and son.and saved by the bell.word up son

@Eduard_Brenton A gaming... glut? 🤔

progressing season 6 of Diablo IV, hoping to finish the journey in two weeks max.

@rusty82 My word - I randomly looked up the title you mentioned and it actually does look alot of fun! I might actually pick this one up now haha. I never would've found this one if it hadn't been for you - thanks for that!

@gaston "Concerning Kunitsu-Gami, likely I do not really understand how to play it, but I found it a bit boring"

Your mission in Kunitsu Gami is to purified villages from evil spirits with the Divine Maiden help. Each stage has some villagers who got trap and if you freed them you can assign them to specific role like Archer, Woodcutter, Shaman, Spearman, etc that will help you in the mission with their own specialty.

And after the mission, you can return to your basecamp to upgrade your party as well build the basecamp.

Metaphor in the evenings, Chrono Trigger in bed. Both absolute bangers.

@Mintie Don't get those two mixed up now 😂

@Maubari now just hope you enjoy it lol.

@TimeDelayedGamer that seems to be the general consensus. Based on two people’s responses.

Still working my way through Silent Hill 2 and im already looking forward to a replay on the Pro. Just finished up the weekly GT7 races, and only 20 cars left to get (all 20M or hidden behind invites that never pop, literally been waiting a year for some).

I need to get some Arizona Sunshine in too, plus Astrobot and Vampire Survivors as palette cleansers.

Have a great weekend folks!

@Eduard_Brenton Great minds think alike, I guess... (or fools seldom differ, take your pick).

Almost done with Outlaws, man do this game need a mini map! Enjoyed it though and should plat it upon completion!
Also picked up Wipeout on the Vita so some tunes and futuristic racing for me!

Happy gaming folks

@PuppetMaster that I kind of understood. I did not really understand whether there is some grander strategy behind it, which I kind of ignore, or whether it is just a hack'n'slash with some jokers. I just placed my pawns and hacked. But that felt a bit repetitive after a while.

Another weekend, another play time. I'm planning to devote some hours to the Witcher 3: Blood & Wine, loving to revisit one of the best expansions ever made, now on PS5. I'm doing thw Tales of Arise expansion as well. Maybe Uncharted 3 or Star Wars Outlaws to unwind. This week was hard, so a good rest is needed.

Just finished Silent Hill 2 remake last night. How the heck did I get "In Water?" Oh well.

Busy weekend - gaming a lot isn't on the menu sadly. Moving my mother today and getting her situated in her new place. Finally got the new LED strips to fix the living room TV, so I hope to get that done. Lost 7 business days on a project at work, so I may bust some tail on Sunday to try to catch up prior to Monday morning.

If I get a few minutes here or there, I'm thinking it'll be a game of Vampire Survivors.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos

The latest game in the Zeno Clash series by Chilean game devs ACE Team. I knew going in it was supposed to be their first stab at a soulslike, but surprisingly it plays more like a mix of God of War (2018), Sekiro and of course Zeno Clash, itself. The mostly melee based combat can be very unforgiving and healing items very scant, so hit-and-run tactics are a necessity. Oh yeah - there's also a dice game used to initiate combat and give some modifiers...

It's decidedly weird and not for everyone, but if you liked any of ACEs other games I'd dare say this is one of their best!

this weekend I am playing Alan wake 2 night springs dlc as my physical copy arrived today and then going to play until dawn as I am almost there with the platinum trophy and then tomorrow playing spider man 2 have a great weekend everyone

Persona 3 Reload on Game Pass Im near the end of July now. Im waiting for the Ps5 Pro before I continue Silent Hill 2 and Final Fantasy Rebirth

I’ll be slogging through dino crisis, once that Dino turd is completed I’ll start siren or something else that’s seasonally appropriate, alone in the dark 2024 maybe.

I’m not sure if this is a temporary phase or a permanent shift for me but I find that I no longer have an appetite for long games. I’ve reached the 20 hour mark in the last few games I’ve started and just lose the drive to keep playing. So I’ve been playing short games lately.

Anyone recommend some good shorter games on PS5? Like under 15 hours? I’ve got several on my Switch but would like some on the PS5. I have PS Plus Premium if that helps.

New Game Plus run on Stellar Blade and finishing up the last few levels of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland (a very disappointing game imo!).

@gaston Yes there's a good strategy behind them.

Example for Archer, their best position is at high ground or a watch tower so they can easily snipe monsters from a good range. They're good at dealing with small and flying monsters.

Or Shaman is for healing arts and you can place them behind Soh, melee fighter, or around the Divine Maiden in case she got injured.

Or Ascetic that can build a barrier to slow down monsters who touch it. This role is quite important because there are monsters who has good speed and they will moves quickly to kill your Divine Maiden. If the Divine Maiden death then it's game over.

And Woodcutter also not just good as melee fighter but they can also fixed broken bridge or destroy some road blocks that trap the villagers.

Also, you can build contraptions like traps or barrier to damage the monsters and temporarily blocked their moves or magic symbol that gives buff for your party.

The daytime and night also affect the monsters strength. At daytime they usually easier to beat and but at night they're stronger.

At very early stage, Soh hack & slash can do the job easily. But later, the monster will comes with plenty of multiple waves, stronger, and from many directions.

The Plucky Squire - Im finished and I got the platinum. Overall I enjoyed the game, especially the 3d parts and some fun puzzles but the pacing and over explaining of everything was not great. If we get a sequel I would love for them to improve those things!

Dead Island 2 - Figured I’d give this a fair shot. Its not Dying Light but its pretty fun so far. Will keep playing, at least until some big games start dropping by the end of the month.

Gris - Decided to try it, seems like it could be a nice experience but only just started it. I usually like these kinds of games so high hopes 🙂

Like I said elsewhere, I am sick. I'm just going to take a sick day from work, eat some pho, and hang with Parvati in The Outer Worlds. Maybe I'll secret hunt in Killing Time. Really happy to have a remak...ster(?) of that game. I never got to play it, because I wasn't a rich kid, lol. I am so happy Nightdive exists and kills it every damned time.

@mac_da_man plucky squire was great but 100% agree about pacing. Way too much stopping pointlessly to talk, too much hand holding.

Hoping they can make a second that has a leap like AC to AC2 where AC felt like a proof of concept for the sequel

I finished my first playthrough in Silent Hill 2 Remake several days ago. I managed to get the “In Water” ending my first go-around. It was quite fantastic, and easily one of my favorite games of the year, if not my favorite. After I completed it, I subsequently reloaded my save and got the two additional mainline endings, which added a lot of context to a powerful story. I’m looking forward to getting the three remaining endings only obtainable by NG+, and hopefully get the platinum trophy while I’m at it.

I also just started Metaphor: Refantazio two days ago. I’m only seven hours in, reaching the completing the Nord Mines and even tested my mettle against the dragon—an optional boss fight—and won. I’m now met Hulkenberg and am trekking under the cathedral. With that said, being as I’m early on, I’m unable to give a proper review. However; I’m extremely impressed by nearly every aspect of this game.

The one thing that immediately stood out to me was its pacing—it doesn’t waste time throwing you into its world, characters, story and combat. I appreciate this approach more than Persona 5, a game I adore, but can never replay due to its long tutorial.

I also love how much artistic expression there is. In clever ways, too. The game has a ton of loading screens but you’re practically oblivious to it because each transitioning screen has cutscene elements that flow naturally with what you’re doing—combat encounters, walking into a new area, and even the pause menu. This might be the most stylish game I’ve ever played.

I’m looking forward to seeing the game evolve over time. This game is shaping up to be a special JRPG, and I believe Atlus is becoming the king of RPGs in the west. Bring on Persona 6, or whatever else they are cooking up; I’ll be here for the journey.

@mac_da_man interesting that the parkour mod for Dead Island was one of the most popular for a long time. I really want to love Dying Light, but those characters are rough. Everyone looks like they sell shades in a mall in Kuwait or something. Like I can smell their cologne through the screen. Look how hard this guy vapes...

It's a dumb thing that annoys me. If I was in that world, I'd constantly be interrupting people to ask "what are you wearing?"

@LikelySatan now that you mention it 😂

I finally got to sit down and play Metaphor Refantazio, I’m only an hour in but this game seems like it’ll live up to the hype. I’m also playing Echoes of Wisdom, nearly done with that.

Working on too much.

Trying to platinum Rise of the Ronin.
Black Myth Wukong Chapter 4
Metaphor Refantazio through the first dungeon.

Hmmm what else lol. Oh Timesplitters. Never played it so figured I’d dip in!

If time on my stinky switch I’m working through Link’s Awakening.

Kill Knight, stuck on the fourth stage and have been trying to clear it for the past week

@riceNpea
In context, it seems just something he’s reviewing or playing for work and isn’t allowed to talk about yet.