What Are You Playing This Weekend

For instance: a normal day for me (of late anyway) is getting up early, grabbing a couple of handfuls of unsalted peanuts, and stepping outside to spread them onto a shiny plate. Then, I grab a caller out of my robe pocket and use it to hail the local pair of Crows to breakfast. When we moved back to our hometown two years ago, one thing I noticed about the neighborhood in which I purchased our home was that it had at least three sets of Crow pairings. I became all giddy at the thought of corvids visiting my yard. You see, we lived on a large farm for 12 years before we had to move house, and while there was a multitude of birds of every species known to our region (even owls, hawks, and once a Bald Eagle), for some reason we never had any crows. Maybe one or two would pass through, but they never stayed long or came close to the house. During our stint on the farm, I made friends with a pair of Blue Jays. Bribing them with cat food worked wonders and eventually, one of the jays became comfortable enough to take a piece of kibble right from my hand. Of course, the bird feeder helped bring the jays in, but they absolutely love dry cat food. So do raccoons, but I digress. Missing my Blue Jays, I decided when we moved here that I would try to befriend the Crows. After failing to grab their attention after about a year, despite all the peanuts put out (squirrels love them too apparently), over the holidays, I purchased a Crow Caller and a plastic decoy for the birdbath. I have been using it every morning for the last week, and sure enough, the pair that rule my street have started to pay more attention to me. Tomorrow, I am going to try to bribe them with scrambled eggs and cat food, and next time I cut the fat off our steaks, I will save it for them. Maybe then they will consider me a friend, start hanging around my yard, and eventually, do my bidding by spying on my enemies and robbing my neighbors of their hard-earned coin. Mwahahahaha! Anyway, that’s normal for me. I have no life. For the rest of us here at VG247, after gulping down plenty of spirits and eating too much food during the holiday festivities, it’s back to playing video games. Not that we didn’t play any over the holidays, because we did, it’s just we’re back to doing it “normally” instead of binging or playing sporadically. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Sunless Skies I’m a little burnt out on games at the moment, but nonetheless I’ll be spending some time playing some fun stuff this weekend. Most likely, some Sunless Skies which I’ve jumped back into recently. I’m also tempted to boot up League of Legends again, which is an awful idea, but hey, what the hell. Maybe I have the mental fortitude for it. I’ll also be reading through a book I got over Christmas, Jon Ronson’s “Them”. I know right, an actual physical book. Hopefully, I get through this funk soon, before some of the big games of this year come out! Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor – Bloodborne If you read my feature from earlier this week, it’ll be no surprise to you that I cleaving and tearing my way through Yharnam with a pistol in one hand and some sort of ludicrous broadsword-cum-epee in another. I am tinged with bloodlust, raving with madness, pulling apart wild beasts like they’re naught more than rotting meat and sinew. FromSoft has possessed me, granted me the knowledge of the old ones, and made me lethal. There’s no way I’m going to step back from the brink before everything and anything that’s been given life in this foul land has fallen to my greatsword. And you know what I’m going to do after that? I’m going to play Dark Souls. I’ve never really played it – not properly – and the idea of stepping back into Lordran to soak up the doomed ambiance properly now that I’ve been afflicted with the FromSoft curse feels me with a giddy sense of masochistic joy. There’s a worldwide event kicking off this week that aims to bring lost souls back to the original Dark Souls, so I feel my timing is spot on. If you’re eager to remind yourself why this is one of the most influential games ever played, I look forward to seeing you on the ramparts, too. James Billcliff, Guides Editor - Prey I have played the opening of Prey (which is a very good set piece and almost worth playing the game for in and of itself) a grand total of four times. Once in a pre-release demo on PS4, again on PS4 when it was on PS Plus, then when I first bought in a Steam sale a couple of years ago, and now - hopefully for the final time - on the Steam Deck. I love Arkane games and Bethesda-published RPGs, but for some reason I’ve never managed to stick with Prey past installing the first Neuromod. But now I’ve loaded it into the ultimate backlog-buster, the Steam Deck, maybe this is finally the time I’ll get the most out of it. With orange-jumpsuited Alien vibes out the wahzoo, and at least a visual similarity to the wrench-core combat of Bioshock, I still can’t believe I’ve left it this long. And that’s us. What about you? What are you playing this weekend? Were you gifted a super cool game over the holidays, or did you take advantage of the myriad sales? Tell us all about it!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Christopher Linstrom”

Some of us, me in particular, aren’t playing anything this weekend because the PC is still sick. Or something. The lovely motherboard light is glowing orange and blinking slowly, and it won’t turn on. So either my RAM is screwed up, the power button magically broke, or the power supply has weakened. I always thought the power supply either went out or just worked, but what do I know about the inner workings of computers? Nothing. I do know how to turn one on, though. Other members of the VG247 team plan to get their game on this weekend while also spending time away from the screen. Here’s what’s going on: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Warframe This weekend, I’m afraid to report that once again, Warframe has sunk it’s fangs into me. I can’t help it, it’s the perfect game to just boot up and lose a few hours to. I’m hoping to finally cross off a few long term goals off my list this time around, including finally getting the illusive Wolf Sledge… wouldn’t that be nice. That’s kind of the problem with being the live service guy, I think. I seem to be constantly bouncing around the same 5-6 games. I’ll get burnt out on one, then just remember another I’ve not touched in a while and jump right back into that. With Destiny 2 getting a new update later this month, I’m sure that will be the next big one, which means I should probably make sure I’m geared up enough for it. I promise I’ll also try and get some chores done, believe me. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor – Elden Ring No, you’re a year behind everyone else. After blitzing my way through Bloodborne (all hail the threaded cane!) and dipping my toe into Dark Souls to celebrate the Return to Lordran annual event, I’ve finally decided to bite the big golden bullet and boot up Elden Ring. You were all right; it’s sublime. I don’t think I’m quite as smitten with the open world as the world-at-large is, but I really do enjoy the way the world reacts to you, the bizarre lore that underpins everything, and the way you can make your own challenge by plucking at places you really shouldn’t until you’re at least a couple levels stronger. But my weekend isn’t going to be all tarnished and grateful. Saturday night, I’m heading out to Shepherd’s Bush to (finally) see Dance Gavin Dance live – a band I’ve followed for close to a decade doing a show in my hometown. The delight! The carnage! The nonsense! So, I look forward to bouncing around in the crowd, screaming along to lyrics like “endorphin orphan morphing, lemon cheese equally” or “clip clop, clip clip clop horse comes in and beats your parents up”… whilst thinking about the horse that DID come in and beat me up in Elden Ring. Post-hardcore and video games – together at last. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Arcade bound! I’m seeing a friend this weekend who I don’t get to see very often, which I’m excited about. They’re a big fan of games too, so we’re actually going to the arcades! That means we’ll inevitably spend most of our time with OutRun 2 SP, or Crazy Taxi. Beyond that, I’ll probably force her to play some Borderlands 2 with me, and will be continuing my never-ending Civilisation 6 campaign when she goes home. I’m currently playing as Scotland and amidst a war with a random city-state, which I’m losing, so wish me luck. That’s pretty much us. What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Henry Smith”

Games are something fun, and we play on firing up a few over the weekend. A couple of us are playing our favorite staples, one is still playing our 2022 GOTY, and the other is trying an upcoming release. Here’s what we’re up to this weekend: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - REDACTED, various This weekend, I’ll hopefully be playing some NDA’d thing I sadly cannot write about quite yet, but I’ll also be playing some League of Legends (I know), Warframe (I know!), and maybe Warzone 2 (I know…). Ultimately, some work bits must be done. One of these games might end up cut, probably Warzone. James Billcliffe, Gudies Editor - FIFA 23 The other day my wife told me off for shouting at the TV and said, “do you actually enjoy playing FIFA 23?” The answer is I really don’t know. I’m usually big into Career Mode, but since it’s bugged to the point of unplayability (player match scores and therefore player growth is broken) I’ve turned to the penny arcade abyss of Ultimate Team for my football fix this year, and I have an embarrassingly good squad. I’ve not spent any money, mind - but since I packed a tradable Kylian Mbappe early on from Squad Battles rewards, I’ve not looked back. This weekend sees the arrival of the Team of the Year for 2022, and I’ve been saving free packs for a while. Here’s hoping I don’t get anything good so I can draw a line under it all. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Elden Ring, Vampire Survivors I keep telling myself I need to play something new; something I’ve never experienced before. Yet here I am, booting up Elden Ring again. Almost a year later, I think I’m finally ready to start a new save and so a few things differently. Time will only tell if I’ve the patience to make it to the end again, though. Alongside that, I finally tried Vampire Survivors, and thanks to Jim’s video essay on it, I learnt that I can actually play it on mobile. That means any waking moment not spent actively doing something such as working, sleeping, or playing Elden Ring is probably going to be spent running around in circles for the foreseeable. Stephany Nunneley-Jackson, News Editor - The Pale Beyond demo This weekend, I am going to try out the demo for The Pale Beyond. As I wrote earlier in the news piece, the game has a bit of a The Terror vibe to me, which I really enjoyed watching. I like survival and management games, and The Pale Beyond seems as though it will tick both boxes for me. I’ll let you know what I thought of the demo after I have played it, but I have a feeling I’m going to like it. Other than that, I plan on continuing trying to train my dog to stop jumping on visitors and pulling on the lead. Wish me luck. He’s quite the handful. That’s what we’re up to. What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-01” author: “Gabriel Schnell”

Either way works. This week, a couple of us are exploring the USG Ishimura, another will experience an iconic, critically acclaimed RPG, and one of us isn’t playing anything this weekend because her 8yo nephew is coming to visit. Here’s what we’re up to. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Dead Space, Forspoken This weekend, I’m torn between two games. One is the Dead Space remake, a game I’m desperate to try out as a massive fan of the original. The other is Forspoken, a game that’s almost certainly worse but perhaps more interesting to test out. Or maybe I’ll do both! Who knows. I’m also doing my taxes this weekend, which is sure to make me very sad. As such, I’m going back to old comforts. I’m feeling a run-through of Resident Evil 3 and some ice cream. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Persona 3 Portable Persona games rule. From the iconic lounge jazz soundtracks to the mix of slice-of-life and dungeon-crawling gameplay, all of them are a total blast. I’ve played Persona 5 and 4 Golden before, but for whatever reason never picked up Persona 3 Portable despite having a PSP, Vita and now a Steam Deck. Once again, Game Pass comes to the rescue and justifies its continued drain on my bank account with another 100-hour RPG to inevitably add to my backlog. Especially when I’ve got the excellent-looking and similarly styled Hi-Fi Rush to check out too. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Dead Space, Dead Space 2 This weekend will be spent with Dead Space, and possibly Dead Space 2. The remake of the 2008 classic just released, and as you can see in our review, it’s a blast. I’ve finished it already, but now I’m very keen to see what the ‘alternate ending’ is all about, so I’ll be running through NG+ on the USG Ishimura in my own time. My second game of choice this weekend is Dead Space 2. The remake has me dying to know more about Dead Space, Isaac Clarke, and Unitology, and I’ve been told Dead Space 2 is alright, actually, so we’ll see. That’s what we plan to play over the next couple of days. What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-13” author: “Jacob Roberts”

You know, why dissect it? The week is over, two days of nothing but whatever you want to do is upon you, so just enjoy it. Right? Right. This weekend, we’re actually leaving the house, playing old and current favorites, messing around with our Steam Deck, and getting our groove on. Here’s the rundown on our weekend plans: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Warframe and Warzone 2 This weekend I’ll be doing some feature work, messaging folks, and doing a bit of relaxed writing. In terms of games, I’m still deep into Warframe, still grinding mastery levels and pumping up my Helminth. I recently bought the final syndicate-exclusive weapon that I needed this week, which basically means one of the bigger grinds of the game is now behind me. I hope to soon get the Wolf Sledge, but I doubt I’m that lucky. I’ll also be putting some more time into Warzone 2 ahead of season 2’s launch in February. I’ll be honest, aside from my one session a week with the game I’ve dropped off fairly hard, but here’s hoping that the next major update can win us all back. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Final Fantasy Theatrhythm Final Bar Line demo Yes, a demo. That’s probably what I’m going to be putting most of my time into over the next 48 hours. Why? Because I put a couple of hundred hours into both Final Fantasy Theatrhythm and Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call on the 3DS, and could still go back now and sink even more time into each game. The prospect of a new title – one with over 380 Final Fantasy tracks in the main game alone – all dressed up and looking lush in HD on the Nintendo Switch… the prospect is liable to make me emotional. I love music, I love rhythm games, and I love Final Fantasy. These three elements, combined in a gorgeous-looking (and sounding) package, and with some really nice input tracking and mechanics flanking it, is more than I’d ever hoped for from the series. I’d have settled with a port of Curtain Call, or something. Instead, I get a game with pretty much all the Final Fantasy music you could want, as well as tracks from Nier, TWEWY, SaGa, Live A Live and many more besides… it’s any RPG fanatics’ dream! So I’ll be playing the Final Fantasy Theatrhythm Final Bar Line demo to death. I’ve already maxed out the characters and songs available in the generous test version of the game, and the progress from there (available on PS4/5 and Switch) can port over to the final game. So, sorry to my partners and sorry to my dog who will be there waiting for me to play with him or take him for a walk, but I’m going to be trying to get a perfect score on Man With A Machine Gun, all over again. James Billcliffe, Features Editor - Elden Ring and others The Steam Deck is a marvellous machine, capable of playing a huge amount of full-fat games from your Steam library at decent fidelity. In one sense it’s the ultimate backlog burner, but where’s the fun in that? Surely all anyone ever uses the Steam Deck for is to buy new games and never play them, and do challenge runs of games you’ve played loads of times, right? As well as HiFi Rush and Persona 3 on Game Pass, I’m currently neglecting Bayonetta (which I’ve never played) and Devil May Cry 5 (which I started but never finished on PS4) in favour of starting new saves on Elden Ring (I did Holy on my first playthrough so I want to try another build) and The Witcher 3 (I want to play the lesser spoken about but equally as awesome first DLC Hearts of Stone again). Stephany Nunneley-Jackson, News Editor - visiting a neglected friend I actually have plans to leave the house this weekend, so I won’t be playing much over the weekend. The Oddities and Curiosities Expo is coming to a town near me tomorrow, so I have taken the day off to attend this strange, macabre, traveling vendor show of sorts. Basically, it showcases dealers, artists, and small businesses from all over the country whose wares are extremely odd or maybe even off-putting. Attendees can expect loads of taxidermied animals, preserved specimens, artwork, horror and Halloween-inspired pieces, antiques, handcrafted oddities, quack medical devices, creepy clothing, strange jewelry, animal skulls/bones, funeral collectibles, and who knows what else. The description says that all items at the shows are legal to own, and are sustainably sourced - whatever the latter means because I am still trying to figure out how a fox head or stuffed parakeet is ‘sustainably sourced.’ While this sort of thing is not my usual cup of tea, my goal this year is to get out of the house more and experience new things and step out of my comfort zone a bit. I am tired of being a homebody and missing out on things. As you get older, you tend to hole yourself up in the home so much that one day, you look out your window to see life giving you the finger as it passes by - and then you cringe and start to ask yourself questions. These questions inevitably lead to you kicking yourself in the ass for not attending the Depeche Mode concert in Nashville; grabbing tickets for the traveling Egyptian exhibit; thinking it would be too much trouble to attend the Thriller parade downtown; not being bothered enough to have lunch with your friends at that cool, new restaurant that has since shut down; or for not going with your cousin to that hippie music festival in the Appalachian hills. Things like that. Because of this, I am going to that strange expo to see what sorts of weird things are on display. I may get dismayed at seeing all those poor, stuffed creatures, or become grossed out seeing body parts floating in jars, but it will definitely be an experience. But, setting my existential crisis aside for a minute, Sunday I plan on firing up Lord of the Rings Online. I know I always say that I am going to play it, but to be honest, I never really do. I will plan on it and then skip it. To be honest, I haven’t actually played the game in almost two years. I log in, pay the rent on our Kinhouse and my houses, check the mail, and log out. That’s it. I don’t know what happened. But I honestly plan on playing it over the weekend, because I kind of miss it. Plus, I have missed out on plenty of new content, not to mention tons of festival goodies. I also need to clean my house chests and bank out to make room for items coming with the Spring Festival and the Anniversary Event this spring. I tend to hoard items in games, and outside of games too (to an extent) if I am being honest. You never know when you are going to need something. It’s funny how sometimes your virtual life and real life can reflect one another, isn’t it? Those are our plans for the weekend. What about you? What are you playing this weekend? Or are you going to be busy doing something else? Share your plans with us. We are truly interested in your lives.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Evelyn Lopez”

This weekend, some of us aren’t doing much, working, trying to do too much, or looking for something new to try. Here’s what we’re up to this weekend: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Nada This weekend is sadly going to be a guides weekend. With Warzone Season 2 coming next week, and Destiny 2’s next expansion on the horizon as well as an embargoed game I cannot talk about, I am going to be rather busy. I’ll also be kicking off my gym membership, so wish me the best with that, I guess. Gains! Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Rust and a good RPG This weekend will, hopefully, be a quiet one. I started playing Rust casually again with some close friends, so I’ll definitely make some time to jump on with them and cause some chaos. Aside from that, I fancy an RPG or simulation game to sink my life into at the moment while I patiently await the Resident Evil 4 Remake, but haven’t been too sure on where to begin. Dom’s recent article on the best magic/school sim has me curious to try out Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but I also like the look of Persona 4 or 5; we’ll see. Watch this space. Stephany Nunneley-Jackson, News Editor - Steam Next Fest demos As with the last Steam Next Fest, and the one prior, I am once again trying out some game demos. One of the demos I have grabbed is Dark and Darker, a fantasy FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure game where you and your friends make use of courage, wits, and cunning to uncover mythical treasures and try to stay ahead of other treasure-hunters. I’m not usually good at PvP games, but this game looks so interesting, I want to give it a try. Sons of Valhalla is a definite play this weekend. It’s a combat and base-building game set in the Viking Age. In it, you will build fortresses and lay siege to enemy strongholds, and engage in personal combat. The game features lovely pixel-art, and I can’t wait to build a warband, board a longboat, and raid and conquer my way across England. Since I like city-builder games, I am going to give Fabledom and Pixelshire a try. The former is set in a world of Fairytales become reality, where you will see your village grow along with your relationships with the neighboring kingdoms. The latter is a RPG sandbox which mixes life sim elements with town building, exploration, and combat. You can plan the town to your liking, master trades, get to know your neighbors, and explore the continent. I also downloaded Builders of Greece, another city management title, depicting Hellenic metropolises before the time of Roman conquests One of the more interesting games on my list is Townseek, an exploration-trading game where you take to the skies and explore the world to discover the lost legacy of Sir Reginald Sharkingston. What’s looks fun about it is you travel the skies in a ship connected to a shark, rabbit, or carrot. Planet of Lana has been on my radar for months, so I am looking forward to trying the demo out. I also installed the demo for Bramble: The Mountain King, a grim adventure set in a twisted land inspired by dark, Nordic fables. Then, there’s The Last Case of Benedict Fox, a Lovecraftian Metroidvania where you travel around with a demon buddy who allows you to explore the minds of the recently deceased. It sounds really neat. And finally, there’s Darkest Dungeon 2, the sequel to rather great turn-based roguelike Darkest Dungeon. Announced in 2019, the game went into Early Access through the Epic Games Store back in 2021, and will be released through the Epic Games Store and Steam in May with consoles to follow. That’s ten demos, so I will likely not have time to play them all. Still, I’ll give as many as I can a try. That’s us. What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-26” author: “Elwood Roberts”

Surely, you will be too because what else is there to do during the weekend? Mow? Clean the house? Sleep? Go on a bender? Take your significant other to the movies? Celebrate gran’s 83rd birthday? Why would you when there are only so many hours of the weekend in which to play games? Okay, we get it. The majority of you are adults, so you have certain responsibilities you feel you can’t ignore. But we say pish-posh to that! Throw yourself in the recliner, and turn on that PlayStation, Switch, or Xbox. Or, pull your desk chair back and load up a game on your lovely rig. While you are busy doing that, here’s what we’re getting into over the weekend. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster I’ve got the internet back (I have been living without it for two weeks, pray for Dom) and though I thought I’d be slamming the downloads on for all the games I’ve missed during my time in the offline hinterlands, I’ve actually gone back to an old favourite. favorite. Given that PlayStations and Xboxs these days are pretty much redundant blocks of heavy metals and plastics when they’re not hooked up to the internet, I’ve been largely avoiding them in the past few weeks. Instead, I’ve been running through old Switch games I never polished off at launch. Because I am a hopeless goth nerd with a taste for all things deicide and religious imagery, I gravitated back to my old Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster save. This is one of my favourite games of all time, and playing it through again on the OLED Switch is making me appreciate the timeless art style and incredible art direction even more. Is that a manikin being skinned alive and sacrificed for its life energy? Yep. Does that interpretation of an ancient and revered god have massive boobs and no nipples? Thought so. Does the protagonist have the flattest ass of any videogame character to ever have walked the earth? 100%. The game holds up, some 20 years on from its original release – it’s hard, it’s moody, it’s very 2000s, and it’s compelling as hell. The story remains incredibly dark and weird, and the tropes it’s set up for the next games in the series look even better in situ here. Just don’t talk about the save system, and how – thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s insistence on closing games to check ‘if they can be played’ when you’re offline – I lost four hours of progress the other night… James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Shadowrun Returns If like me, you can’t get enough of cyberpunk bullshit, then the rebooted Shadowrun series is an absolute must-play. They’re a trilogy of isometric tactical RPGs where your imagination works overtime to turn the pixel-y little people into a Chandler-esque neo-noir - just with Elves and Orcs and robot legs and stuff. While they share the classic foibles of turn-based RNG (where anything under a 99% chance to hit might as well be a coin flip), the writing is great fun, the action works, and the characters are well designed. Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong are all now on Gamepass and are all excellent (although Dragonfall is the best imo). They’re standalone stories that you can play in any order and come highly recommended if you want to play something chill and engrossing with a unique atmosphere and world. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Stardew Valley Last weekend, I watched my friend play some Stardew Valley. Soon enough, I decided it was my turn, and now I’m running both a solo and co-op farm simultaneously, and I’m well into the fall season in both. As you can imagine, I’ve quite literally been living and breathing watering my crops and passing out in the mines, and I’m going to continue doing so for much of this weekend. I have never gotten past summer in the game or even been this entranced by it before. What a lovely game!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-26” author: “Keith Miller”

As hot as it is, one would think Kentucky skipped July entirely and went straight into August. That’s usually the time of year here when everything seems to be dying of thirst - not July. August is miserably hot, humid as Hell, and you can hear the grass crunch when you walk across it. They don’t call the month of August the “Dog Days” around here for nothing. Because it is so hot already, those without the luxury of a swimming pool (and those of us who refuse to dip one toe into a public pool) try to find indoor activities to do with the air conditioning turned down to sub-zero temperatures. In my house on the weekends, when it is hot like this, we play games - which I am sure many of you do as well. But it’s not just overly warm where I live - it’s hot in other places too. Here’s what Team VG247 is doing to beat the heat this weekend: Connor Makar, Contributor - DNF Duel, Legends of Runeterra This weekend, I’ll be continuing to play Nexon’s fighting-action game DNF Duel. I’m still having a good time with it! It’s an incredibly silly game, for sure, but I think it’s the silliness that makes it so appealing to play. I’ve also dipped my toe into Legends of Runeterra again for some reason. There were a few days last week where my internet wasn’t doing so hot, which pushed me towards games playable online without falling apart in the face of packet loss or connection drops. It’s pretty solid - and I’m in the process of building a nice Malphite deck up. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course A brawl is surely brewing! That’s right, it’s the return of Cuphead, Mugman, and newcomer Ms. Chalice in The Delicious Last Course. I put Cuphead down after beating (most of) it way back in 2017 – you know, the time before the world became a living nightmare hellscape infected with the plague and slowly reaching a point-of-no-return temperature. Back then, I thought “I haven’t got the time to whittle away hours of my life, perfecting a fight against a cow that turns into a tin of hot dogs, only to be told my performance was A- quality”. For whatever reason – whether it’s because of the way Covid has changed my mindset, or my more nihilistic outlook on life in general – my opinion on Cuphead has changed wildly. I now savour the opportunity to get my ass handed to me by a crew of fighter pilot dogs, about 40 times in a row, before I learn their attack patterns well enough to parry their tennis balls and take them out without being hit, even once. I’m slowly making my way through the Cuphead DLC as my partner watches on, asking why a cow suddenly turns into sausages and starts hurling offcuts of her gristly meat at me. I’m living my life to the fullest, I promise. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Graveyard Keeper It’s been a while since I fired up Graveyard Keeper on Steam, and to be honest with you, I had completely forgotten about it. Not that it’s a bad game. On the contrary, it’s good. I have just had a bout of gaming ADD over the last couple of years. Bought at release, I enjoyed the game the many, many hours I played it, but there are only so many autopsies you can perform, graves you can rob, and ghosts to fight before it becomes kind of a chore - unlike Stardew Valley which as you all know is my third love behind The Elder Scrolls and Lord of the Rings Online. But, hearing Graveyard Keeper is now available via PS Plus Extra gave me an itch I feel I need to scratch, so I am going to fire Steam up and get back into the game sometime this weekend. What do you plan on doing this weekend? Whatcha playin’? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Nicholas Smith”

Surely you plan on playing some games like we are, but there may be other things on your plate. If so, hurry and finish up so you can relax and kill some time with your console or PC. Here’s what we’re getting into this weekend: Connor Makar, Contributor - Redacted, Warzone This weekend, it’s more embargoed stuff for me, although I’ll also be dropping some time into Warzone Season 4. It’s probably the best seasonal update we’ve seen in Warzone Pacific since Rebirth Island got its major overhaul a few months back. Fortune’s Keep is brilliant, and the new vaults around Caldera are a nice touch too. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Sonic Origins I’ve got some cozy memories of being a kid, sitting in my tiny little box bedroom with my sister, playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my Mega Drive. We’d take it in turns to control Sonic, trading the pad back and forth as we inevitably got spiked, bonked, or burned by Robotnic and his machinations. No, wait – that’s not quite right. Because I am younger, I’d often be relegated to the perennial ‘player 2’ status and have to try and keep up with the Blue Blur as the feckless Tails, chasing after my sister as she dashed off to box Eggman’s ears with me panting desperately behind her. Anyway. Fast-forward some 20 years, and we’re here, and I’ve got some beers in the fridge and Sonic Origins downloading to my Xbox. I’ve got the house to myself, my hi-fi wired up (shame about the lack of OG Sonic 3 music), and I plan to play through all of the original Sonic trilogies as the eponymous hedgehog himself. That’s right, world. No more Tails for me. No more Player 2. This is my night. Well, mine and Sonic’s… It’s just a shame Knuckles is the better character, ey? Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - LOTRO I’m back on The Lord of the Rings Online horse this weekend. Life keeps getting in the way of my game time, but this weekend, I plan on pushing some of life aside to celebrate the Great Wedding of Aragorn and Arwen. For you see, the Midsummer Festival is on, and everyone’s favorite lovers are getting hitched. Now that Sauron is nothing but dust, and Aragorn (or Elessar if you will) is king, it means he can finally marry Arwen despite Elrond’s hesitation. Alongside wedding festivities, there’s plenty more to do in Middle-earth. I plan on doing as many quests as possible so I can use my hard-earned tokens to acquire the Wedding Ring Fireworks skill. There’s also a new kite, and I don’t think I have the two chipmunks as pets, yet. I will have to look in my pet collection to check first. There aren’t any new horses this year, or outfits, but Standing Stone Games has been super busy of late, what with the influx of new free-to-play players, the Rangers and Ruins update, and they are just winding down from the 15th Anniversary celebration which was huge - and something I missed out on. But, August will see the return of the Farmers’ Faire, and there will be new rewards, so that’s something else to look forward to. I’m a sucker for a new dress and horse. So, that’s us. What do you plan on doing this weekend? Whatcha playin’? Are you planning to spend some money on Steam with the sale going on? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Nancy Nelson”

Anyway, the weekend is finally here, so it’s time put showcases, announcements, streams, and anything else work-related aside. The opportunity to grab some snacks, something cold to drink, and to dust off the controllers has arrived. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend: Connor Makar, Contributor - REDACTED This weekend, I’ll be pumping as much time as possible into an embargoed title that I’m not allowed to tell you about. Not very helpful for a “What are we playing” article I know, but maybe that on its own is a hint towards a certain special something you can read about on the site in the coming weeks. I will however be catching up with some TV. The Boys Season 3 especially has slipped away from me so I’ll be binging that when I can. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Like a large portion of my social media feeds, apparently, I’ve been watching Obi-Wan on Disney+ over the past few weeks. Yes, it’s got its problems. Yes, the plot holes are bigger than a Sarlacc’s ballbag. Yes, it raises some questions about the integrity of the Star Wars canon. But so what? It’s good fun; Ewan Gordon McGregor OBE is a phenomenal actor, and the sadness and gravitas he brings (back) to Obi-Wan is to be lauded. The Vader scenes are some of the best in the whole Star Wars universe. The villain, in the form of the Third Sister, is a creeping threat dripping with menace. For all the flaws, the show has strengths. With that in mind, I’ve gone back to play something people have been telling me to play for years now: the Respawn-developed Star Wras Jedi: Fallen Order. I’m playing it on the hardest setting so it actually pricks my brain a little, and I’m going back to every planet once I’ve got new abilities in order to unlock all the good stuff (although, at the moment, all the good stuff just appears to be… ponchos?) Aside from the appalling fashion sense our young protagonist decides to cut about the galaxy in, I’m really enjoying the game. A pal on Twitter noted that it’s less a Souls-like game, and more like the closest thing we’re going to get to Legacy of Kain in the 2020s. That sold me. And you know what? It’s a good call; equal parts combat, traversal and puzzle-solving – alongside some lush zonal game design – really make this feel like a Golden Era Eidos game. With Star Wars! What could be better? Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant, Resident Evil Village I have access to Valorant’s new map for the weekend, so we can safely say that I’m going to spend most of the weekend practicing line-ups. However, I also started my first proper playthrough of Resident Evil Village this week, and even though I’ve had it all spoilen for me ten times over, I am loving every minute of it. Between Valorant matches, I’ll no doubt spend a couple more hours at Castle Dimitrescu. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Steam demos With Steam Next Fest going on, I will be trying out all sorts of demos this weekend. Life is getting super busy for me in the evenings, so I don’t really have the time to devote to a full game session. One of the demos I plan on trying it is a fun-looking title called Dwarven Skykeep where you employ dwarves to build towers full of magic crystals and armories and fight off hordes. There’s also Sige of Dungeon, a strategic rogue-lite game where you challenge monsters within a limited time by combining relics and skills to build up your team. I am also thinking of giving Frozen Flame a try, because it looks like something I would play. I really like survival RPGs, and this one is set in an ancient land once governed by the Dragons - and I love dragons! Another demo is the 2D Metroidvania Faerie Afterlight. I like how it looks, and sounds like it could be fun. Other demos I might try are Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, Farwoods, Dragon Forge, Signalis, The Dark Heart of Balor, Arcane Waters, Spiritle, Warlordocracy, The Outbound Ghost, Ghosts of Hollow Creek, Roots of Pacha, Wildlife Planet: The Incremental, Witchy - Life Story, A Last Song, and There is No Light. Hopefully, I’ll get time to play at least two or three. Maybe even four. Who knows. So, what about ya’ll? What are you playing this weekend? Anything new, old, or something that’s been on your “to play” list for ages? Are you planning on trying out any of the Steam Next Fest demos? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-14” author: “Demetrius Clifton”

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to take some time and be like us by playing some games. Because, like, you know, we’re cool and stuff. This weekend, we’re going a little cyberpunk, getting scared by T-800s, and traveling to a galaxy far, far away. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Cyberpunk 2077 I’m a big fan of cyberpunk (little c) as a genre, so it stands to reason that I like Cyberpunk 2077 (big c) as well. So when new gig quests drop with new weapons and the better-late-than-never addition of a clothing transmog to finally flex some decent futuristic fits without compromising armor rating, I’m gonna rinse it for all it’s worth. When the cross progression, cross-save feature was added I don’t know, but jumping back into my complete OG PC save on Series S has been a lot of fun, and I’m gonna get back up to that 100% completion again over the weekend. Jim Trinca, Video Editor - Terminator: Resistance I can’t wait to get stuck back into Terminator: Resistance, which I slept on at launch because all the reviews said it was bobbins. But, because of a beautiful PS5 re-release with fancy haptics, and it constantly being in the sales, I picked it up on a whim and fell instantly in love. This is everything I want from a Terminator game, and everything I want from a T2 follow-up as well. Solid shooting backed up by an impressive set of extra activities. An ensemble cast, semi-open areas to explore, an involved gameplay loop of scavenging and crafting that never gets annoying: it’s Fallout-lite, but set in the devastating future war of the Terminator saga, which we only caught precious few glimpses of back in the original James Cameron films, but is now reproduced gloriously as a post-apocalyptic road trip. What it does so brilliantly, particularly in the early hours, is it makes the T-800 scary again. The thumping, scraping action score is tense as ever, and the terminators are absolutely terrifying. You have no option but to hide from them initially, and everything about them takes you right back to that first film: perfectly realised, flawlessly animated. Fear itself rendered in chrome and teeth. I was shown the film at far too young an age, and Resistance made me feel nine again, putting me right back there, watching a grainy VHS copy through gaps in my fingers. It’s good shit, and it deserves reappraisal. Stephany Nunneley, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Thank you, D23 Expo for the reminder that I have yet to finish LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Well, let’s be honest here. I am not even close to being finished with it yet. I keep getting distracted (oh look a puppy!). It was announced yesterday that more characters would be coming to the game, so it reminded me that ‘oh yeah, I have that game!’ so I am going to fire it up this weekend. I also might decide to play some Elder Scrolls Online. It’s been a while since I have played it, and after going over the wedding music with the quartet yesterday (the Morrowind theme [and thus the main ES theme] will be played for the ceremony), it got me into the mood to play it. So, I may dive back in on Sunday. Maybe Monday. Who knows with me? I’m an enigma. What are you up to this weekend? Playing any games?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-19” author: “Steven Tubbs”

The Labor Day weekend is usually like any other long weekend in the US. Full of barbeques, relaxing, having a few drinks, and enjoying what’s left of the summer. As you see, this is the last summer holiday weekend for us, and it also signals the end of the swimming season at public pools. This is fine for some of us who have a phobia of community swimming pools (pools are NOT a unrinal people!) For the rest of the folks not in the US, it’s probably just an ordinary weekend, but time off nonetheless, so why not enjoy it by playing some games? That’s what the folks at VG247 plan to do. Here’s what we’re getting into over the next few days. Connor Makar, Stff Writer - World of Warcraft Classic This weekend, I’ll be playing the Wrath of the Lich King Classic pre-patch in World of Warcraft. The truth is, the game is just brilliant, and at the moment, I am re-leveling a new character on fresh servers. I have also found a new guild, so I’m firmly back in. There’s nothing quite like it out there, and I can’t wait to see what wild stuff the community gets up to. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Immortals: Fenyx Rising Yes, it’s a kid’s game, but it’s a kid’s game in the nostalgic mould of the Sly trilogy and Ratchet and Clank - built with enough vibrancy, care and effort to be well worth playing whoever you are. It’s also a massive Breath of the Wild rip-off, but with a dash of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey - the best Assassin’s Creed imo - that gives this open-world RPG a unique historical element as it colourfully retells classic Greek myths. The back-and-forth banter between Zeus and an Elias Toufexis (Adam Jensen from Deus Ex) voiced Prometheus is one of the best framing devices I’ve seen for a long while, and it’s also not too taxing without being samey. I previewed Immortals twice, but never got to play the full game. Now it’s time to change that. Jim Trinca, Video Producer - Immortality This weekend I’m trepidatiously looking forward to playing Sam Barlow’s latest watch-em-up Immortality, of which I know only a handful of things. Firstly, it’s an FMV game, which I haven’t been arsed about since Tex Murphy was a thing, but Barlow’s endless war on my apathy toward the format has finally worn me down. Secondly, it looks like the premise is basically my job except also murder. Thirdly, Kelsey, our resident horror connoisseur, found it highly unsettling. And I’m scared of my own shadow. So, I’m looking forward to being thoroughly creeped out, but also kind of feeling like I’m at work? Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Final Fantasy 14 Online Quiet weekend for me in terms of games while I mainly pack and prepare to move house, but I will be making time to get through some Final Fantasy 14 quests. I just finished the base game for the second time (I didn’t pay attention the first time around), so now it’s time to finally see what see what the Heavensward expansion is all about. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Making a game out of hosehold chores It’s Labor Day weekend here in the US, so I plan on, well, laboring. That’s because I have let things slip over the last couple of weeks. So, this weekend, I am playing a game I made up titled “How Clean is Your House?” - based on those overly perky British ladies who used to have a cleaning show on BBC America (Channel 4 in the UK). It’s a rather time-consuming game, but it has various goals and missions to accomplish, and you can earn Achievements in the form of stickers for completing said missions during an allotted amount of time. These Achievements include: Kitchen counters: Get all coffee and cranberry juice stains off the counters along with bread crumbs within 15 minutes - You get a heart sticker (20 points) Load up the dishwasher: Load as many dishes as you can into the machine within 30 minutes - You get a Smiley Face Sticker. If every utensil in the house is dirty and you get enough in the dishwasher, you get an extra smiley face. (50-100 points) Sweep the kitchen: Get all the dirt off the floor and quarter rounds in 15 minutes - You get a Big Heart sticker. If you find and knock any cobwebs down in the process, you get an Extra Large Heart. (25-50 points) This includes the laundry room attached to the kitchen. Vacuuming: Get all the animal hair and dirt off the rugs and couch within 30 minutes - You get a Silver Star. If there are stains from cat puke washed in this time frame, you get an extra star. (50-100 points) Dusting: Dust all the furniture within 30 minutes - You get a Gold Star (100 points). Watch out for floating cat and dog hair! If one lands on the TV stand or flat screen you lose 100 points and will have to start the mission over. Bathroom: Sweep and mop the floor, scrub fixtures and the porcelain throne with Pine-sol, and clean the tub, and the mirror all within 45 minutes - Doing so will bet you a Platinum Star. If you can get a co-op partner to help, you win Triple Platinum. (200-600 points) Shower tiles do not count because this is something that should be cleaned after every shower. Mopping: Mop the entryway, kitchen, and floor in front of the backdoor within 30 minutes - You Win a Horsey sticker worth 1,000 points. If you only have to rinse the Bona pad twice, you get a massive, puffy horse sticker with funny rolling eyes worth 5,000 points. If you complete all tasks within the allotted time and do not have to start a mission over, you win the game. Bonus: If during the missions you can complete the following tasks you will be handed 20 points each: toss a load of laundry in; vacuum the blinds; throw out two-week-old moldy food from fridge; take trash and recycling to the bins outside; scoop all three litter boxes and set the nasty, clutter filled office on fire, you will win the Achievement: YOUR HOUSE IS DISGUSTING AND YOU SHOULD HAVE CLEANED IT WEEKS AGO BUT GOOD JOB. It is the highest and hardest achievement to earn, and only 1% of those who play the game can boast of having achieved it. DLC: The new DLC pack to the game includes organizing the closets. I have yet to download the extra content. So, that’s us for the weekend. What about you? For those in the US enjoying the long Labor Day weekend, what else do you plan on doing besides playing games? Let us know so we can live vicariously through you.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-24” author: “Chester Dumas”

Three day weekends are always nice, as it gives you an extra day to refresh before starting a new week. Next weekend in the US will be a three day weekend, thanks to Labor Day falling on the first Monday of September. So, what do those of us with a Bank Holiday plan on doing over the weekend? We’re going to play some games. Here’s what we’re getting into. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Genshin Impact This weekend I’ll be picking away at a game (under embargo — sorry) as well as getting real deep into Genshin Impact 3.0 Sumeru. It is kinda lush — as vibrant as that video game slot machine can get. They really have gone full out when creating new unique zones that are genuinely lovely to traverse through. I’ve still yet to spend a penny on it — take that video game gacha industry! Aside from that, it’ll be nice naps, a bit of reading, and a trip down the pub for me. A nice, relaxing weekend ahead of the busy weeks of the near future. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Midnight Fight Express I don’t know about you, but if a game looks like it should be directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and star Ryan Gosling, I’m pretty down for it. As someone that recently realised they’d unironically watched the Stallone and Schwarzenegger vehicle, Escape Plan, three times, I’m always up for a bit of nerdy, dumb and stylish action, and Midnight Fight Express looks like just the ticket. Between this and Sifu, it’s been a good year for bare-knuckle brawlers. Plus, I really need something to get the blood pumping before I have to dive into the upcoming twee life-sim, Disney Dreamlight Valley that’s on the horizon. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Retro Shooter Goodness This weekend, I’m in the mood to play retro shooters and eat junk. That means I’ll no doubt sit through hours of Dusk, Ultrakill, Postal, and Doom until I can’t stand to shoot things any longer. It seems a little sadistic, but there’s something about flying through levels and near-100%ing them — because let’s be real, I never manage to quite 100% them — that’s really satisfying. That’s honestly all I’ve got planned. It’s time to simply shut off for a few days! So, that’s us. What about you? What do those of you ready to enjoy a long weekend plan on doing? And what about the rest of you? Let us know. We love hearing from you.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Adam Mansfield”

You see, next week there are three interesting games-related showcases on the calendar. Sunday, during the Pokemon World Championships, there will be all sorts of Pokemon news dropped, even a tidbit on Scarlet and Violet. On Tuesday, there’s the Destiny 2 Showcase with all sorts of information on the next expansion in the Light and Darkness saga: Lightfall. And of course, there’s the big one: gamescom Opening Night Live on Wednesday, August 24. To prepare for the upcoming rush of news, trailers, and the like, we’re going to tune out everything and escape by playing some fighting games, overly long RPGs, and getting our Pokemon on. Here’s what we’re up to: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Fighting Games This weekend, I’m at VSFighting in Birmingham. I am on the train as we speak. I’ll be playing some DNF Duel, Street Fighter 6, and MultiVersus if there are any casual setups around. Going to events like this is one of the big reasons I got into games in the first place, so I’m eager to get there ASAP. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - 100 hour RPGs At the back of every gamer’s mind lies a beast so terrible, so all-encompassingly evil, that it gnaws on the psyche of even the coolest customer: the backlog. Sitting in my backlog - representing an expenditure far too depressing to calculate - are tons and tons of huge, awesome RPGs that I really, really want to play, or finally finish playing, but there’s just not enough time. Nothing is jumping out at me to play this weekend, that isn’t embargoed at least, so I’ll probably try and dig into one of the many games I’m halfway through, but yet to finish: Death Stranding, Persona 5, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Danganronpa V3, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Lots o’ Pokemon It’s Pokemon World Championships right now, so it’d be wrong to not spend my weekend of watching Twitch streams simultaneously playing Pokemon. I’ve been playing a lot of TCG Online lately, but I think it’s about time I dip my toes back into Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, or maybe Arceus. We’ll see, but either way, it’s hopefully going to be a cosy weekend lounging around with my fave ‘mons.’ Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Cult of the Lamb or Farthest Frontier I have been so busy with wedding stuff I have not had the time nor inclination to play much of anything. So this weekend, I have decided that between filling out invitations and drinking large quantities of Moscato, I’ll load something up. At the moment, I am trying to decide between acquiring Cult of the Lab or Farthest Frontier. The idea of forming a cult and building a group of woodland Followers who will spread my Word is very appealing. Then again, playing a game that’s being called the next Banished also seems like a plan. I LOVE Banished. That said, Farthest Frontier may indeed win out over Cult of the Lamb. Plus, it has a super nice soundtrack. I’ll let you know which one I decided to pick up next week. So, that’s us. What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-08” author: “Ryan Clark”

Now that folks have arrived at their domicile, it’s time to kick off the shoes, change into some sweats or yoga pants (even just skivvies - we don’t judge!), grab some beer or wine, fire up the console or PC and gave a nice sit down to take their weekly frustrations out by playing a game or two. That’s what we’re doing anyway, and here’s what we’re playing: Connor Makar, Guides Writer - Tower of Fantasy This weekend, I’m going to go hard on Tower of Fantasy since I will review the title later in the month. In fact, it looks like anime BS will make up a big part of my days off since Genshin Impact is also streaming the version 3.0 showcase, which is cool if you’re into that kind of thing. I’m also going to clock in some DNF Duel practice time too. It’s worrying how much of this anime stuff has wormed its way into life since I started this job. My sister came into my room this week to say hi and chat a bit, and at this point, I don’t even alt-tab away - it’s a part of my life now whether we like it or not. I dread to think about what’s next, to be honest. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Here we go again: time for me to oil up my sword, hammer another monster’s pelt onto the front of my shield, and head back into the fray. Friday saw the release of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s first title update – a massive patch for the game that adds Lucent Nargacuga, Seething Bazelgeuse, Gold Rathian, and Silver Rathalos – alongside a slew of balance updates and weapon alterations, too. And that’s good because I ate up just about everything in the DLC’s base offering before it even launched (cheers, review code). I am looking forward to drawing the curtains, ignoring the sun beating down and turning London into nothing but a dusty crucible, and working my way through the newly-added quests whilst crafting every last bit of that newly-added armour. The Eldago Outpost still needs my help, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let nice IRL weather keep me from doing what I can. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Portal: Companion Collection The Portal games rule extremely hard, and it’s crazy to think it’s been 11 years since the series was tragically struck down by the Valve trilogy curse. I first played the original as part of The Orange Box on PS3 (surely one of the best deals in the physical-first era of gaming), like a lot of people, and was blown away by how the 2nd game built on the foundations it laid to create one of the most characterful puzzle games ever. People often talk about how the best puzzle games make you feel smart. Like you’re bending the rules and getting one over the developers, even when that’s precisely how you are meant to solve a scenario. Portal and Portal 2 are the absolute masters of this, particularly as things start to unravel in the Aperture Science Testing Facility. The new Portal: Companion Collection is a perfect excuse for a long-overdue replay - especially when I’ve got expiring Gold Points burning a hole in my Switch wallet. That’s it for us. What about you? What are you playing this weekend? Is there anything particular in your backlog you’re interested in playing? Something new? Something you have played more than once and wish to revisit? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-27” author: “Linda Aldrich”

And then it happens. Huzzah! Time to go home. But what are you going to do once you arrive? Take care of the yard? No, it’s finally raining. Should you clean the house? Do laundry? Organize your chest of drawers? Probably, but don’t do any of it. Those things can wait. Take some time for yourself because you are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today. And tomorrow. So do what we’re doing. Kill that time by playing some games. Here’s what we’re up to this weekend: Connor Makar, Contributor - Various Fighting Games This weekend I’ll be watching Evo 2022. I’ve got a tub of Ben & Jerry’s in the fridge, and have some cash set aside for additional trips to the shops for more ice cream. I’ve got the living room to myself this weekend, and the big TV. So, I will be playing nothing but fighting games. To prepare, I’ve ruined my sleep schedule. Since Wednesday, I’ve been finishing work, going straight to bed, and staying awake from 9PM - 5AM. I’m ready for Fighting Game Christmas. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - AI: The Somnium Files Spike Chunsoft is pretty much the master of visual novels, but I hadn’t heard of AI: The Somnium Files until we got offered the sequel, Nirvana Initiative, recently. Written and directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, and Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward fame, AI is a similar type of very Japanese mystery with a mixture of goofy, off-colour humour and dark, foreboding undercurrents. I’m always into a good story, and AI captured my interest when I gave it a go to see if I wanted to play the new sequel. Frustratingly, it’s one of those games where you have to play through a load of non-canon endings to unlock the ’true’ story (which I didn’t know going in, and it broke my flow when it just stopped while I was invested). But now I’ve gotten over my grump I will hopefully meander my way to the end over this weekend. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Resident Evil 6 I’ve no real plans for this weekend, but I have been on a massive Resident Evil binge lately. Last weekend, I finished off Resident Evil Village. This week, I rounded up Resident Evil 4, and now I think I’m about to step into the dangerously-boring territory that is Resident Evil 6. With the announcement that Wesker and Ada are coming to Dead by Daylight, it feels fitting to try and finally finish the sixth installment off.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-29” author: “Phyllis Ross”

I suppose it means that the weekend is upon us, then, and it means that, hopefully, you will have plenty of time to play some games. To be honest with you, I haven’t slept since Thursday night. Friday evening came around, and it turned into one of those nights where my brain just wouldn’t shut off. So, to pass the time until McDonald’s opened up for breakfast, I played some games and rocked out. With my earbuds in, of course, so as not to disturb the man of the house. He is grumpier than John Wayne when he wakes up. Plus, I didn’t want him killing my gaming and grunge buzz. Now, after a couple of tortuous hours of Elden Ring, many hours of slaying orcs and goblins as an eleven huntress while listening to Dirt, Core, and anything with Chris Cornell in it, and after gorging on biscuits and gravy with some bacon, I’m sufficiently tired. Therefore, I plan to do the adult thing and crawl into my bed, probably with one of my dogs, as soon as I post this piece. What about the other VG247 folks? Well, they are likely doing a much better job at adulting than I am, yet at the same time, they are still planning to get their game on this weekend. Here’s what they are up to: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Warframe and MultiVersus This weekend I’m going all in on MultiVersus with my free time. I’m having a lot of fun figuring out the ins and outs of each character, as the game has been excellent since the open beta launch. Fingers crossed the developers can maintain the momentum going forward. I’ve also got a tournament next month in Birmingham, and I need to practice DNF when I can. That game is still wacky as hell, and still able to bring giggles and full-on laughs out of me. Then, there’s Warframe too, of course. Still riding high on that MMO. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Digimon Survive I am going in blind for this one. Aside from a single announcement trailer – you know, before those 8,000 delays – I know very little about it other than it’s a Digimon game with permadeath. That’s all I needed to know to even care about it. Gimme that grimdark Digimon world. Am I worried the game has less than 200 monsters? Yes. Am I worried that there was no review code available pre-launch day? Also yes. Am I worried that Digimon Survive will turn out to be a rush job held in perpetual development limbo for a damn good reason? You betcha. Still, a visual novel with a strategy game crammed into it is certainly my jam, so I’m going in without judgment and offering the game the benefit of the doubt. To a degree. Otherwise, my weekend would just be dog walks and baking to death in a London that still hasn’t seen a storm break that horrible mugginess from the recent heatwave we all lived through. And I need more in my life, y’know? James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Inside Even if you’ve never played Limbo, you probably still own it about three times. Playdead’s indie side-scrolling, platforming hit has been heavily discounted so often, included in so many Humble Bundles, and given away completely free so much that it’s sure to be in one of your game libraries somewhere. It’s a good thing it’s also great, and was something really different and interesting when it dropped back in 2010. The hype around their 2016 follow-up, Inside, was understandably huge, but it was before I started games writing professionally and thus outside of my budget. However, Inside has just been added to Game Pass, so now that I’ve finished Shadowrun Returns - and in between starting both Torment: Tides of Numenera and AI: The Somnium Files - I’ll finally be seeing what all the fuss was about over the weekend. A lush and foreboding atmosphere is obviously a given, but I’m excited to see how it plays. Well, that’s us. What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Gonzalo Rogers”

On my end, for the next two days, I will devote my time to cleaning out the spare room, which is filled almost to the ceiling with boxes and containers I have yet to unpack from the move two years ago this September. Procrastination at its finest. At some point this weekend, a certain 10-month-old velociraptor named Morty (seen below) will start “lessons” on gentlemanlike behavior. Such lessons include: staying out of one’s personal space, not “climbing” on the car or people, and ceasing being a major jackass to the new puppy next door. Needless to say, this gal won’t have much time to play games this weekend. But, other members of the VG247 staff have set aside some time to devote to their favorite hobby. Here’s what they are getting into this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Warframe and MultiVersus This week, I plan to take a gaming-free break. I think it’s important to go out and touch the grass, go for a walk, and socialize with people who possibly aren’t as entrenched in the industry as myself. As such, I’ll be going for some pints, strolling over to my local town for an open market where I’ll buy some homemade fudge and other treats. If I do end up playing any games, it’ll be Warframe and MultiVersus probably. I’ve re-caught the Warframe bug since Tenno Con, and because I’m currently writing up a MultiVersus review for the open beta launch, I still need to clock in some hours on it. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - MultiVersus I didn’t know that what I needed from a game was to play as Garnet from Steven Universe (you know, the fusion of two other living beings, voiced by Estelle of ‘American Boy’ fame) while my mate tethers a laser to me as a giant magical dog. I didn’t expect to have so much fun battering Adventure Time mainstay Jake the Dog as I electrocute his ally, Harley Quinn. I never expected to say sentences like “my life would be so much better without Taz the Tasmanian Devil” in the year of our lord 2022. But life is a funny thing, and here I am: deep in a brewing obsession with gaming’s newest Smash Bros.-like brawler, MultiVersus. I’ve already written about why I think toast is the best thing since, erm, sliced bread, and I plan to spend my downtime this weekend figuring out more about how Player First Games works – and how I can make my Garnet better. And how I can shut down every last Taz (and its spammy spin move) before I do something I regret. The game is free to play, so why not give it a go yourself? There are certainly worse free games out there, and I sense this one will be around for a while. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Forza Horizon 5 Forza Horizon 5 has become my cozy game thanks to the drip feed of weekly challenges that drops rare and exclusive cars into your lap for completing a few fun races each cycle. When you just want to relax and suck up some serotonin for an hour or so, there are few better ways to spend your time than tearing around the Mexican countryside behind the wheel of a decked-out supercar, collecting yet more classics. Thanks to the upcoming Hot Wheels DLC and the inclusion of track-creator EventLab races, there’s some good variety on offer with different fantastical challenge maps to take on alongside the more traditional championships. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Stardew Valley, Stray I spent last weekend playing Stardew Valley, made my way into Year 2, and will no doubt spend much of this weekend making my way to Year 3. However, the cat game - Stray - was released earlier this week, and while I finished it, I’m still yet to personally collect every Trophy. So, I’ll spend some time in the post-apocalyptic world of robots as a cat this weekend. I don’t think it gets better than that. Beyond that, I’ll probably bore my friends to sleep talking about Stray and trying to convince them to watch the new Resident Evil show with me. So, that’s about it for us. What are you doing over the weekend? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “Eduardo Lawler”

While spring technically started in March, April was such a cold, wet month, that it didn’t really feel like spring. May does, though. At least in my neck of the woods. It will be in the 80s next week - the nice 80s mind you, not the sweltering July 80s when the humidity makes my hair look like a cross between Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and footballer Kevin Keegan on a good day. Oh well. Curly hair problem #675, right? But you didn’t click this article to read about the weather or which 80s icon my hair looks like when it’s being a wretched pain. You came here to find out what we’re getting into over the weekend. Well, here ya go! Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Okay, so I may have signed up for a big fighting game tournament later this year for a game I have no idea how to play. As such, this weekend (as well as every weekend for the foreseeable future probably) I’ll be playing Melty Blood: Type Lumina. Yes, the name is weird, but I hear it’s actually pretty good. It better be, since I’ll be grinding away at it from here on out. In addition, you can expect the typical stuff from me. I’ll be clocking in some Warzone alongside a bit of Warframe just for the hell of it. I have been meaning to jump back into GTA 5 for a bit too if I have the time, so it’ll be a busy two days for sure. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Loot River I’ve put, probably, nearly 1000 hours into Binding of Isaac over the course of my life and on no less than seven different platforms (PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC). I have also got 100s in Enter the Gungeon on Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation, too. More recently, I rolled credits in Hades on PlayStation and Xbox. I’ve got a weakness, and it’s roguelikes. How did you guess? How excited was I, then, to learn that there’s a new kid on the proverbial block. Loot River – a mash-up of block puzzling and roguelike combat – hit Xbox Game Pass this week, and after putting a couple of hours into it (and nailing myself a particularly broken parry-to-heal build), I think I’m hooked. I’m convinced enough to pump another couple of hours into it, at any rate – whether or not it’ll have the staying power of some of my other favourites remains to be seen, but a nice mix of water-based platforming, hardcore combat, and a nice, grim aesthetic is ticking all of my boxes so far. Will this newcomer send me up the creek without a paddle, or will I be totally able to get in the flow? Only time will tell. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Duolingo I’ve not raged more at a game this year. Learning languages is fun and all, and Duolingo is a good app for it, but scummy mobile design is inescapable on iOS. Rather than get a tutor straight away I’ve pledged to try and get a 60-day streak on Duolingo first, but when your mistake-saving hearts only recharge every 4 hours, every quibble is a disaster. It doesn’t help when the native pronunciation in the listening tasks means the actors literally don’t say all the words! Yo soy muy Salado. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant This weekend I’m kicking back with some ranked Valorant games. I somehow did really well last weekend, so I’m gonna keep the momentum going and keep winning! Aside from that, I’ll probably spend time with my new games journal from Lost in Cult. So, what are you up to this week? Are you playing anything new? Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters just came out this week. Is this something you picked up or are planning to? Evil Dead: The Game is out next week, so that might be something I pick up. I just can’t pass up the opportunity to play something with friends where I can actually say I am using “the” boomstick. Oh, and hail to the queen, baby.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-21” author: “Willian Stevens”

This weekend, the VG247 crew will be having a bit of a battle royle, playing sports, enjoying an anniversary, and going through an endless RPG. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodhunt This weekend, I’ll be going all in on Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodhunt ahead of my review. I’m enjoying the game so far, but am really eager to get to grips with the current content to find out just how much is there for curious players to mess around with. At the same time, Warzone Season 3 is also out, so I’ll obviously have my hands full searching through the new map and figuring out the new weapons they’ve added. Not to mention the new Gulag, which is proving to be a bit of a puzzle for me at the moment. In short, it’s a battle royale weekend! Wish me luck. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Loop Hero Having been away from work for a few weeks, I haven’t actually played that much stuff – I took my Nintendo Switch on holiday with me to Berlin (taking up precious space in the one backpack I was allowed to take) and didn’t even boot it up. Oops. But I suppose nobody wants to watch some loser crack his Switch out and start playing Final Fantasy X in the middle of a Bonobo concert, do they? …do they? So I need to make up for lost time. I’ve had a copy of Loop Hero on both my PC and Switch for about six months now. I know everyone goes off on how good it is. I know it’s supposed to be one of the best indies of last year. I know there’s a reason I’ve purchased it on two different platforms without even playing it. But maybe – maybe! – this weekend is the time I finally get around to booting it up and actually seeing what all the fuss is about. I need something to do before the new season of Halo Infinite kicks off, after all. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Nintendo Switch Sports, Valorant A new act just started in Valorant, so I’ll be spending an unhealthy amount of time playing ranked this weekend. And for when I get too tilted, Nintendo Switch Sports is out finally! So, I’ve planned to play that with some friends and see how it compared to Nintendo Wii Sports. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - The Lord of the Rings Online 15 years. That’s how old The Lord of the Rings Online is, and how long I have been playing the MMORPG. Time sure does fly. To celebrate almost being old enough to drive, Standing Stone Games has kicked off the game’s yearly anniversary event. It’s been going on for about a week now, but I haven’t had the time of late to log in and enjoy the festivities. I plan to remedy that over the weekend. There are lots of new presents and rewards being handed out this year too. There’s new cosmetic items, a steed, war-steed cosmetics, a new Golden Crystal Beetle cosmetic pet, new fireworks consumables, a new housing fire pit and fireplace, and the debut of a new pet: the Corgi! Everyone who logs into the game during the Anniversary Event will get a Corgi, but additional corgis can be bartered for Festivity Tokens, Anniversary Tokens, or Mithril Coins, so I plan on having a whole pack of them eventually. Alongside the celebration, the debut of the new Yondershire region happened on April 24 and I have been wanting to give it a tour. The area is home to a different breed of hobbit, and it’s known as a sanctuary for recluses and troublemakers. Since the time of Bullroarer Took, it has squabbled with the rest of the Shire, and as of late, some ruffians and their upstart leader Lotho Sackville-Baggins have taken control over the region. Surely there will some scuffling between myself and these strange hobbits at some point. For those who haven’t played the game in a while, are free-to-play players, or who are just generally interested in giving the game a try after all these years, Yondershire is free for VIP players or it can be purchased in the LOTRO Store. As for the rest of the game, not long ago, Standing Stone Games made some big changes to the way the game is monetized. Now, almost all content available - including expansions and some formerly paid-for races - are now free to all players from the Helm’s Deep expansion and earlier. And VIP members will now have access to the Minas Morgul, Mordor, and War of the Three Peaks for nada. Long story short, there’s no better time to get back into the game or start playing it. And I intend to try and play it more often, as I have lapsed of late. I’m sure my Kinship and my in-game band misses its glorious leader. I hope so at least. So, what are your plans this weekend? If you live in the UK, what will you be doing over the long weekend? Tell us! We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-22” author: “Ryan Barton”

At least, we don’t plan on doing much else. Sure, we play games all week long for work, but sometimes this means we aren’t playing what we really want to be playing at the time, and then it gets late, and we’re tired, so we have to put off playing something else. Thankfully, the weekends are the cure, and this is what we plan on getting up to over the next couple of days: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - A Battle Royale weekend This weekend, it’s all about battle royales for me. I was planning on booting up a whole bunch just to make sure I’m totally caught up and knowledgeable about the state they are in. I’m particularly hype for some of the less popular ones that have maybe fallen under the radar in recent months. Totally Accurate Battlegrounds is one I’m especially keen on diving back into. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD I’m on holiday this week, so what better time to start yet another 100-hour RPG that I will never finish? Loaded up on my Switch Lite (alongside no less than 3 main series Pokemon games for some reason) is Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD. I have a bit of a weird relationship with Final Fantasy, seeing as I love the worlds and the aesthetic, but have never really finished more than a couple. The one I did manage to get through (and really, really enjoyed) was Final Fantasy 15, which seems to be a real marmite entry to the series, so we’ll have to see how I get on with a more revered part of the pantheon. I’ve always felt these massive RPGs play great on handhelds where you can dip in and out, so who knows, I might even see the midpoint before it goes back in the drawer. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Celeste I got to dive into video game soundtracks this week, and it’s made me want to revisit a few games this week. Namely, Celeste. I think I ended up listening to the soundtrack during most of my work this week, and I never spent as much time playing the game as I’d of liked back when I bought it for my Switch months ago. So, it feels wrong to not spend some more time with it. Aside from that, I plan to eat a lot of chicken gyozas. So, that’s us. What are your plans this weekend? Plan on humiliating your pets like I did with Tess many moons ago? I hope not. As you see by her expression, she didn’t care for it too much. That, or she preferred Xbox instead of PlayStation.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-03” author: “John Turcotte”

Many of you, including some of us, will be off on Friday and Monday to celebrate the Easter Holiday, and besides eating loads of Cadbury chocolates, Starburst Jelly Beans, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, we’ll be firing up a game or two. Here’s what we’re getting into this Easter weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - GTA 5, LEGO Star Wars, Chrono Trigger It’s going to be a bit of a recent backlog adventure for me over this long Easter weekend. I’ve been chipping away at a new save file of the GTA 5 campaign, only my second since launch. This is inspired by the new-generation update, of course; I’m on Xbox Series X. Playing GTA Online with a bunch of hyped-up trolls with billions in GTA cash sounds rather stressful, so I’m just enjoying muddling through the campaign. I’m actually surprised at how impressive and futuristic this game still feels - it’s aged very well indeed, character models aside. It’s making me really hyped for GTA 6, which feels like a fool’s errand given that it’s probably still quite a ways off. I’ll also be chipping away at LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga when I want something lower-stress, and I’m also embarking on yet another replay of Chrono Trigger, as I do every few years here. This one, of course, is inspired by the Chrono Cross remaster’s release - even though the two games are barely related. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Sonic 2, Warzone This weekend I’ll be going to see the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with some friends which is sure to be interesting. I’m not the biggest fan of kids movies to be honest, but nonetheless I’ll be going in with an open mind. Word is that it’s quite good, so I’m eager to see it regardless of my previous feelings towards it. In terms of games, I’m honestly not too sure! Call of Duty: Warzone Season 3 is coming out soon, so I might jump in and wrap up some challenges I’ve still haven’t finishe. There’s more Genshin Impact content too. What I’ll likely do is write everything I should do down, before dropping several hours in League of Legends instead. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Nioh 2 I still need to get started on Elden Ring; I know, I know – I feel like the only person working in games that hasn’t tried it yet. Even my mates – the ones not really that into gaming – are starting to talk about it all the time. As of today, I am off for 12 whole days, though. So I may finally get time to venture into the Lands Between during my time off (I’m tempted to jump back into Final Fantasy 14 though, uh oh). Before I commit to my entire life being eaten away by Tarnished turtles – or whatever the hell actually happens in Elden Ring – I am going to prime my fingers and my brain with a bit of Nioh 2. I finished the game back when it first launched, but during the Great First Lockdown the UK underwent in 2020, I went back to blitz through both Nioh games on my then-new PS5. I managed to get the Platinum in Nioh (for some reason) but got distracted before I could make it through the second game. Here’s hoping the next week and a bit will be a good time for me to – finally – finish everything there is to see in Team Ninja’s majestic second attempt at a Souls-like. James Billcliffe, Gudies Editor - Chinatown Detective Agency Hard-boiled detective work in a neon-lit, near-future cyberpunk world? There’s not much that could be any more my kinda bullshit, so I’m going to give Chinatown Detective Agency a shot, despite the mixed reception. There are actually a ton of these kind of games, Gamedec and Foreclosed are just a couple I also have installed, unopened, on my HDD, and they usually deliver at least a bit of solid futuristic ambience and fun role play even if it’s not worth playing ’til completion. The screens remind me of a few other games I like, 2064: Read Only Memories, Suda51’s OG point-and-click The Silver Case, and to an extent the more recent Shadowrun games. Hopefully I’ll get a good chunk of playtime over the holiday weekend. Kelsey Raynor, Gudies Writer - Bloodborne, Kirby and the Forgotten Land My friend is absolutely adamant that I play Bloodborne, except I don’t own a PlayStation. So, this weekend I’m off to catch up with family in Sheffield and pay a visit to my friend, where I’ll no doubt be roped into learning the ins and outs of Bloodborne for an evening.

Whenever I do get some down time, I’ll be practicing self-care by playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and by engaging in retail therapy. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Destiny 2 Although Destiny 2 is often thought of as the most visible example of a long-running live service game, I tend to think of it differently. I was onboard the Destiny train when the original game came out at the start of the last generation of consoles, but my relationship with it has been off again/on again since the release of the numbered sequel. Destiny 2 had simply gotten too complicated and too demanding for me to play it casually, leading to my current relationship with the game; which I don’t doubt isn’t shared by others in the community. These days, I get excited about new Destiny 2 content precisely for the amount of time it takes me to finish it. Once the predictable grind kicks in, and the game offers you fewer and fewer avenues to grow in power, I walk away and don’t come back for a year – which is when new content arrives. This approach has served me quite well so far. I did miss the launch of the Witch Queen, however, thanks to Elden Ring. Now that I’m out of the Elden Ring hole, I’ve picked up Destiny 2 again. Though I don’t find this campaign particularly special, I am enjoying the same things I’ve always come to Bungie’s shooters for: satisfying mechanics, rewarding progression, and spectacular sights. I’m already done with the main quest, and this weekend, I’m going to turn my attention to other co-op activities added since I stopped playing. If it offers matchmaking and it’s not PvP, I’m probably going to like it. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga In between drinking some delicious strawberry wine, eating a large dinner consisting of ham, deviled eggs, potato salad, rolls, baked beans, and my famous strawberry cake, plus trying and continuing to fail at finding someone to style my hair and apply my makeup on my wedding day, I will be playing Pokemon Go. The main boss of Team Go Rocket, Giovanni, is back, and he’s brought Shadow Latias along for the ride, and I am doing my best to try and beat the bird creature. She’s proving to be a bit hard, no matter which Pokemon I use, but I want her for my Pokedex. Plus, I am still trying to find and catch Buneary wearing a flower crown and Whismur for the Spring into Spring Collection Challenge. Whismur is usually everywhere this time of year, but not at this moment it’s not. Togetic with a flower crown is also floating around, and I really want that one. It’s just too damn precious. While Pokemon Go is pretty much the only game I seem to have time for of late, I plan on picking up LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga because it looks rather fun. Usually, I prefer fantasy games with wizards and orcs over science fiction, but this is a Star Wars game, and like many, I am a fan of the series. Well, some of the movies, not all of them. I won’t get into which ones I am not fond of, but I am sure the LEGO versions based on the films I don’t particularly care for will be rather fun. What are your plans this weekend? Are you hunting colored eggs, or having a big family meal? Surely you will have time to play some games as well, so what do you plan on playing?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-15” author: “Bobbie Odell”

This weeked, we are taking control of thirteen different characters, doing a bit of 5v5, checking in on our farm, and enjoying a bit of horror. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Haunted PS1 Demo Disk This weekend I’ll be sitting back and playing some of old PlayStation games Over the past few days I’ve been seeing a lot of indie titles in that style which I’m sure has encouraged this adventure. There’s an annual collection of indie horror games called the Haunted PS1 Demo Disk, and since I love that I reckon I’ll boot some of those back up. Either way, a nice retro weekend for me. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Lucky me, I already have code for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on Nintendo Switch for something I’m writing to go up next week. Spoiler alert: it’s still one of the best narrative games Atlus has ever done. In fact, I’d go further than that… I reckon it might be one of the very best games of the past generation. It was essential on PS4 and it’s just as essential on Switch – in fact, it’s probably even better now thanks to some performance tweaks and revisions to the balance of the whole thing. I’ll be spending this weekend brunching with old friends, making some new ones and taking my ridiculous dog on some pretty long walks… so it’s nice to know that, in my limited down time, I’ll be exposing myself to time-travel narratives, traumatic childhood memories, and forbidden love across the space-time continuum. Keep it light, Dom. At least I’ll know what to do if – all of a sudden – a giant mech happens to appear in the middle of London. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant I took a long break from playing Valorant and recently got back into it, so I’m probably going to spend most of my weekend trying to finish off the battle pass while I have time. That being said, I still haven’t finished off Undertale. So, I will likely spend an evening sat ticking that off the backlog. Besides that, I’ll probably be finding something else to tick off my backlog so I don’t become tempted to start a new save on Elden Ring. We’ll see. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Stardew Valley I haven’t checked on my farm, the husband, or the dog in Stardew Valley in ages, so I think I am going to fire the game up and get reaquainted with everything. I am sure Elliott has written plenty of poems in the meantime, and Yeti has probably been chasing the rabbits. I am sure the farm is overgrown and in need of some weeding, and the locals are probably wondering where I ran off to. Other than that, I am doing wedding stuff. It never ends I tell you. I wish we could just elope to some warm destination and get married on the beach instead of figuring out place settings, who is standing up with us, which band or DJ to hire, and trying to find someone to tame the crazed, angry beast that is my hair. So, that’s what we’re up to this weekend. What are your plans?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-03” author: “Marie Anderson”

All jokes aside about that, it is the weekend, and that means we are playig a bunch of different games. One of us seems to have more things in store to play than the rest of us, but that just means more fun for him. So, here’s what we’re playin’ over the next couple of days: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Warzone This weekend, I’m planning on spending a lot of time on the new Rebirth Island in Warzone. This map was already pretty great, and it’s looking like the tweaks and additions have made it even better somehow. Also, it’s a great time to level up some guns - so I’ll slap on some random LMG and grind some XP out. Wish me luck. Dorrani Williams, Video Editor - Elden Ring This weekend I’ll be playing Elden Ring - mostly. I’ve been taking it slow and steady so I’m still not Elden Lord yet, but I’m towards the end of the game now where everything is super strong and dealing stupid damage even with 50+ points in Vigor. I might need to go and farm a little bit. I’m just surprised I haven’t burnt out. Open world fatigue is yet to creep in even at 60+ hrs playtime and I’m still playing Elden Ring with the same level of interest and excitement as if it were day I bought it. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - a whole mess of Games Pass stuff Another weekend, another hodge podge of great games from the subscription pool. This time I’ll be finishing off the excellent RPG/beat ’em up Young Souls, along with the obligatory weekly challenges in Forza Horizon 5. From there I’ve installed a couple of bigger name titles, namely Guardians of the Galaxy and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but I’ve also got smaller games like Tunic, Unpacking, and Superliminal burning a whole in my hard drive as well. Whatever takes me in the heat of the moment will be what gets played, but I quietly know I’ll probably just continue my old FIFA 22 save for the sake of not making a decision.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-11” author: “Gary Watland”

Along with rising temperatures, there are other reasons to stay inside this weekend besides playing games. One of these is the Microsoft + Bethesda showcase tomorrow. Surely it’ll be worth the time sitting glued to a screen, we hope at least. The other is the PC Gaming Show which kicks off almost immediately after the MicroBeth show. During the PC Gaming Show, Klei Entertainment will reveal a brand-new project. Because we have yet to play a game from the studio we haven’t liked, we’re pretty excited to hear what they have in store for us. Other than watching and covering the shows this weekend, the folks here at VG247 also plan to pop in a game or two over the next two days. Here’s what we’re playing: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends This weekend, I’ll be taking many naps. But, between those naps I’ll be clocking in some time into Call of Duty: Warzone which I’ve tragically left unplayed for the better part of a week now, and I plan on getting into Apex Legends for similar reasons. Thanks to not-E3 week, there’s a few games I want to go back and play as I’ve gotten all nostalgic due to certain reveals. That includes Dead Space of course, but I may also go back and play some Resident Evil 4 if I have the time. I may also have to log into Diablo Immortal, but I really don’t want to. That game is miserable. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Diablo Immortal Diablo Immortal is one of those free-to-play games you wish you could play without the bullshit. The classic Blizzard formula at its core is as strong as ever: there’s some really compelling dungeon-crawling and loot grinding action to be had here - along with one of the best story campaigns available on mobile. But just like with every free-to-play game, you get to the pay-to-win part eventually, and in Diablo Immortal that’s the items which buff endgame equipment. You’re very heavily incentivised to pay to get them, lest you grind out a load of stuff you don’t want to do, and that’s a real drag. But the real kicker is in the upgrading, which is a genuinely massive money pit. It’s a shame since the campaign is so good, and it’s an interesting decision to so aggressively monetise the late game rather than implement an energy system all the way through like a lot of mobile games. There are some great environments, effects, and set pieces on offer for free though, but while I’ll definitely be rolling the credits on the moreish main story soon, I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with it when I know just how much it would take to get anywhere near max. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant, Silent Hill 2 I’ve got a busy weekend coming up, so I doubt I’ll get as much time to climb ranks in Valorant as I’d like, but that’s the plan this weekend. I also started replaying Silent Hill 2 last week during my time off, but didn’t get around to finishing it, so if I fancy being spooked this weekend rather than tilted over Valorant, I might jump into that instead. Playing The Quarry this past week does have me in the mood for more horror, after all. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Resident Evil Village Stadia in-browser demo I know it’s cool to hate Stadia, and I’ll admit that the service has been lackluster from a content point of view, but for me it’s still the best when it comes to the gaming experience. A great example of this is the in-browser demo for Resident Evil Village. I clicked on this link, and the game loaded right there, and I was playing in a few moments (and it would have been even fewer moments had I not had to confirm some settings). Stadia the tech is great. I hadn’t optimized my connection or environment (I have about 110 tabs open in Chrome), yet the game played great. This sadly is more than can be said for Xbox Cloud Gaming, which for me is noticeably laggy and has inferior image quality. Annoying as it’s a service I actually use now and again. That’s the plan for us this weekend. What about you? What are you playing? Do you plan on watching the showcases this weekend? If so, is there anything in particular you hope or expect Microsoft and Bethesda to announce? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-14” author: “Timothy Rodriguez”

While this particular US holiday was set aside to honor military personnel who have died while serving in the armed forces, it is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer by many. This weekend usually hails the opening of public swimming pools, provides an excuse to have a barbeque, there’s always a yard sale going on, and many physical and online retailers are having sales. Some though prefer to stay inside and relax over the three-day weekend, and they may even fire up a game or two. That’s what we’re doing this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Destiny 2, Deathverse, others This weekend is a busy one. Not only is Destiny 2’s Season of the Haunted ongoing, but there’s a massive new Genshin Impact on the horizon too. Thanks to Destiny 2, I’ve not actually spent much time at all in the season 3.5 update for Warzone that went live this week either. Then you’ve got Diablo Immortal popping next week and… it’s a lot. On top of all that, I’d like some me time. Remember Deathverse? The Let it Die spin-off battle royale game that was announced at Sony’s State of Play a while back? Well, apparently it has an open beta over the weekend that I’d heard nothing about until a friend told me. I would like to jump into that too if I have time. Wish me luck! Doranni Williams, Video Producer - Destiny 2, Valorant This weekend I’ll be suffering in Vaorant. I’m still on the ranked grind (currently Diamond 2) and it’s starting to get challenging, but I’m enjoying playing at higher ranks. I’ll also be chipping away at Destiny 2 content with the new season that’s dropped. This new season brings a variety of new content, but the biggest draw is the reworking of the Solar subclass for all classes. So most of my time will be spent trying to find out what exotic armour pieces synergize well with the updated subclass. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Annapurna Interactive games galore This weekend will be a long one, considering I’m on annual leave next week! I plan to spend the time playing some games from my backlog that I haven’t yet got around to, and with Stray on the horizon, I decided to buy a few titles published by Annapurna Interactive. I’m going to try and play What Remains of Edith Finch and A Memoir Blue, and if I fancy it or find time, possibly Kentucky Route Zero. When I’m not lounging around playing those on the Nintendo Switch, I’m probably going to be building in The Sims 4. I recently picked it up again as well as the expansion packs, and I’m obsessed. Although, I kind of miss The Sims 2 at times. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go (as always) I am starting to sound like a broken record. All I seem to play of late is Pokemon Go. Not that I don’t wish to play other games, it’s just life has become super busy of late. I took it upon myself to help my mother and stepfather out by caring for their horses in the morning before I start here at the site, and I have to get up at an ungodly hour, so I am usually in bed by nine-ish. Otherwise, I am the walking dead the next day. That basically means that by the time I finish work here and do my normal routine, it’s almost time for bed; therefore I don’t have any time to fire something up and lose myself in it. I live such an exciting life. But, it’s a holiday weekend and the plan is to do something for me this weekend by going hiking at a lovely place with waterfalls. When not slogging up a hill and trying not to fall over dead with a heart attack, I will be trying to finish up part three of the Masterwork Research Apex in Pokemon Go. I just acquired part three this week, and so far, I have hatched four out of 10 eggs and defeated nine of 30 Team Rocket Go members. I still need to defeat the Team Rocket Go boss Giovanni, but he hasn’t shown up yet. He’s probably afraid of my Garchomp. Momma’s Big Boy is a badass, after all. Anyway, that’s us for the weekend. What do you plan on doing over the holiday? Do you celebrate it? If so, what sort of shenanigans are you getting into, or are you going to stay inside and play video games the entire time? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Brian Vang”

Well, it’s May, and that means you may have to spend some time outside doing things to make your place look dapper. You may have flowers to plant, mulch to spread, a yard to mow, dog leavings to pick up, a gate to fix, a car to wash… any number of things. But don’t work too hard. You just finished a workweek and you deserve to forget it existed, stay out of the sun for a bit, and do nothing but play a game or two. Here’s what we plan on getting into over the weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Warframe, Genshin Impact, maybe more This week I’ll be jumping back into Warframe yet again - which has become my live service title of choice in recent weeks. It’s nearly Tennocon and I guess I’ve caught myself feeling the passion that caused me to sink like 900 hours into it as of this moment. That being said, I also want to drop some time into Genshin Impact in light of the upcoming major update coming at the end of this month. I’ve got some stuff to farm and characters to level, so I’ll be clocking in my hours there for sure. Aside from that, the occasional fighting game here and there is sure to be in my schedule. Multiversus remains a super fun title I’ve got sitting on my PS5 begging to be played, so I think I’ll give in once or twice and give it a play. A packed week! Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Monster Hunter Rise The other day, my significant other came home from a night out to find me hunched over my gaming laptop in the living room. The lights were dim. The hifi was blaring some dumb metal record, probably. My Switch was propped up on a table next to me, and I had the TV on, too. All three screens had Monster Hunter Rise on them; the PC – where I’m blazing through the whole game again – was mid-hunt, my Switch was open as a reference for the build I’d already finished the game with, and the TV was showing Youtube videos about how to max out DPS with Sword and Shield equipped. “Are you OK?” asked my partner, visibly concerned. My eyes were probably bloodshot, my hands shaking as I put another wretched Rathalos out of its misery, desperate to wrench a rare plate or ruby from its infernal body parts. “Yes!” I hoarsely croaked back, trying to keep the excitement of getting a 1% drop in check. “Yeah, I’m fine!” I’m practicing for Monster Hunter Sunbreak, you see, which comes out at the end of June. And I need to make sure both my PC and Switch saves for Rise are set up for the end-game challenges when they’re available to me. I can’t go in and take on the big new beasts, Master Rank, and whatever else Capcom has got waiting for me without the very best gear and all the fanciest decorations, can I? Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Minecraft, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards It’s been a long week, so this weekend I’m going to kick back with some Minecraft. I typically find myself binging it for weeks and then neglecting it for months, then the cycle repeats itself. My realm right now currently has a huge Kirby statue at spawn, so, that’s neat. My house is still a mud hut, though. I’ll also likely mess around on Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards with it being added to Nintendo Switch Online, if I don’t get too into Minecraft. That’s an eclectic bunch of games from us this week. So, what about you? Got plans other than playing games? And when you do find the time to prop your feet up and grab a controller (or sit at your desk using KBM), what do you plan on playing?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-04” author: “Janet Beck”

The end of the workweek means it’s time to kick back and play some games, and that’s exactly what we intend on doing. We may even make some pasta, garlic up some bread, and pour a nice glass of Moscato if the mood strikes us. Then again, that sounds like work. Best just to get some takeout instead. This week we’re conquering civilizations, getting into some cyberpunk, and diving into a word puzzle game. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Citizen Sleeper and Gamedec One weekend, two cyberpunk adventure games. On Game Pass this week you can get a really fun tabletop-style RPG, Citizen Sleeper, where you play as an escaped indentured android trying to build a new life on a far-flung space station. It has that classic moody synthesizer arpeggio vibe that you look for in cyberpunk adventures, even if the heavy dose of random chance raises the bpm a bit. You can just never shake that X-COM thing where a 10% chance of something bad happening seems to happen 95% of the time. On the less random, but similarly adventure-y, hand, I’m also giving Gamedec, where you’re a metaverse PI who solves mysteries inside of game worlds, a try as well. Not unlike Citizen Sleeper, it’s one of those games that locks you into decisions to keep you progressing forward, but there are so many choices and abilities I’m interested to see whether you can actually make much of a difference on the story or if you’re ending up at the same point either way. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empire 3: Definitive Edition, maybe Banished I know I sound like a broken record with my gaming choices, but it’s hard not to go back to old favorites when you’re too busy to get into something new. So, this weekend I plan on playing some Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition. I haven’t played it in a while, so I want to brush up on my skills a bit before the new DLC comes out on May 26. It adds the civilizations of Italy and Malta to the game, which sound like fun to play. Then again, I have also been in the mood to play Banished. It’s been ages, and it’s one of my favorite games. If you are into city-building strategy games, you should give the game a try. The developer, Shining Rock Software is currently working on a new project somewhat similar to Banished in gameplay, but with a deeper simulation and more focus on individuals. It follows a band of nomadic people as they travel, build, and grow from a small group to a whole village. Sounds right in my wheelhouse. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Knotwords I’m slowly coming round to the truth that I don’t have much time in my life to play games in my free time. I still love them, read about them all the time, and play what I can, but often when I only have a few minutes here and there little games like Wordle are the best I can do. So, it was great to find Knotwords. Yes, it’s a word puzzle game. It’s free to download and play on mobile devices (with premium unlocks if you fancy having more available to you), and it’s £9.29 on Steam. The daily challenge, which is free on mobile, is enough for me right now, but I’ve been tempted to pay the full fee to unlock everything. Why? The puzzle element here is just the right amount of taxing and achievable. It’s one of those games that makes you feel smart and that just maybe you did something others couldn’t do. Essentially you have to solve letter jumbles, but each set of letters only makes up a portion of a word and is also potentially part of multiple words in a kind of crossword formation. It’s super neat and not nearly as complicated as I probably made it sound. Give it a go if you fancy something other than Wordle to do on the regular. That’s us for the weekend. What do you plan on getting into?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-10” author: “Andrew Roth”

And thank Glob it’s finally here. While a few of us are too busy to play games this weekend - a couple are on vacation, one of us is swamped with commitments - the majority of us here at VG247 plan on kicking back and basking in the glory that are videogames. Here’s what some of us are up to this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Warzone This weekend, I’m planning on spending a lot of time on the new Rebirth Island in Warzone. This map was already pretty great, and it’s looking like the tweaks and additions have made it even better somehow. Also, it’s a great time to level up some guns, so I’ll slap on some random LMG and grind some XP out. Wish me luck! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Paradise Killer Game Pass straight dishing out the bangers once again. I’m a big fan of Danganronpa - I even single-handedly managed to get it onto the VG247 games of the decade list - so I’ve been wanting to try Paradise Killer for ages. It’s a quirky detective-sim inspired by off-the-wall Japanese games but made by a British studio, and is filled with all the instantly iconic characters, city pop bops, and esoteric exploration you’d expect from the genre. I wish it would hold my dumb-dumb hand a little bit more sometimes - the graphical style can make navigation and picking out points of interest… difficult - but it’s an intriguing mystery that will definitely have me hooked ’til the end. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Undertale, Kirby and the Forgotten Land It’s been a long month of Elden Ring, to say the least, but I finally became Elden Lord and have been freed. I have every intention of returning to Elden Ring for New Game+, but I’ll bask in my freedom for a little while longer first. I started playing Undertale earlier this week, and I’m super mad at myself for not playing it much sooner. It’s somehow got a very special place in my heart already and has made my evenings feel a tad more wholesome. I’ll be finishing that off, and blasting my way through as much Kirby and the Forgotten Land as I can. So, all in all, it’s going to be a pretty laid-back weekend compared to the past three, where I’ve done very little besides pull my hair out over Elden Ring boss fights. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Hitman 3 Hitman 3 popped up as a Microsoft Reward Points challenge, so I hopped on for the first time despite wanting to give the game a try ever since release. It’s fair to say things didn’t go well. Even on the opening level, which starts wonderfully with Agent 47 on the outside of a skyscraper, hundreds of feet off the ground, I found my assassin skills to be a little rough. Blunt. Having entered the building and walked around anonymously for about five minutes, I grew impatient. “Garot” appeared on the screen as I wandered a bit too close to an NPC. An idea appeared in my mind. What if I just played the surprise card, garroted the target right there at the bar, and then legged it? What, as it turns out, is an army of bodyguards descending on me in seconds, my body resembling a colander. I turned it off and am yet to return.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-21” author: “Pamela Block”

There will be plenty of bright sunshiny days ahead of us, so forget about going outside. Just open a window instead and grab a drink along with a bag of chips and set yourself down to play a game or two. That’s what we’re doing anyway. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Lost Ark This weekend I’m going to try and take things a little easy - cutting out all manner of work and most games if I can. The only exception is Lost Ark. According to my Guild Leader, I’ve contributed the least recently, so I’m going to try and remedy that this week. Aside from that, I’m going to try and finish off the last of my Christmas booze I’ve still got lying around. Wish me luck! Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Destiny 2 It’s taken me a while to make time for Destiny 2 because of…other games (cough Elden ring cough). But I’m back into it and I’m loving the direction Bungie is taking Destiny 2. The Witch Queen campaign was a lot of fun on Legendary and I really like what they’ve done with the campaign mission structure: more time spent in missions and less time going back and forth to orbit. I’ve hit the powerful cap now though, so I can relax and focus on crafting weapons and testing out new builds. I’m glad multiple builds are viable in Destiny 2 now, but it’s a shame there isn’t an in-game system to save loadouts. It’s jarring having to use third-party apps like Destiny Inventory Manager to save my builds. This week’s event in Destiny is Iron Banner, and I wont lie: I had to shake a little rust off at first. But, I have found my stride again. There’s also a couple of great weapons you can only get from Iron Banner so that’ll take up most of my weekend! If any Destiny players are reading this and are looking for some PvP tips, check out the guide video I made. You can watch it above. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Tunic I have already finished Tunic on PC for my review. The game – an easy 5/5, by the way – is charming, smart, cheeky, and one of the best Zelda-inspired adventure games I’ve ever played. You’ll fall in love with its silent main character, get your intrigue pinched by the oddly sinister world that looks so cozy on the surface, and (if you’re anything like me) spend hours trying to decipher the incredibly smart in-game language that the development team has made up for the world. I loved the game so much that I am now going back to play it – and finish it again – on Xbox Series X (thank you, Xbox Game Pass). It’s going to be interesting to see how much shorter the experience will be now that I know where the shortcuts are, have an idea about a rough order to tackle the game in, and know some of the hidden mechanics you pick up via its gorgeous, in-game instruction book. It’s very, very rare I want to play a game like this again so quickly, so credit to Tunic for making me fall in love with its foxy charm so completely. I can’t recommend this game enough. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Elden Ring, maybe Lotro I ended up purchasing a copy of Elden Ring on PC because I became tired of the intended hogging the game on Xbox. One of the things we did when playing “together” was to take turns when having a hard time defeating a boss. Now, I will be on my own against that infuriating Troll. I avoided him for as long as possible while playing on Xbox, and yes, I try to stay underneath the jerk and roll all over the place. I almost had him a couple of times if not for the damn target lock unlocking at the worst possible time. UGH. Then again, I may just skip playing Elden Ring this weekend for something more relaxing and less vexing. Lord of the Rings Online is having its annual Spring Festival now until April 5, and I need a new mount to add to my collection along with a new dress. I am a sucker for horses and pretty dresses in both my real and virtual lives. It’s an expensive curse. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Dead Space I bought myself a Razer Kishi game controller (turns your phone into a gaming device, ideal for game streaming) after succumbing to online pressure (some tweets). I’m happy to say it’s working very well, making the whole experience of cloud-based game streaming a lot better than I’d experienced before, even on a mediocre internet connection. Anyway, cut the chase: I’ve been dabbling with Game Pass game streaming, and sort of fell into playing Dead Space. That’s a game that holds up very well, its low resolution not being so much of a problem on my old Pixel 3’s small screen (although the size of on-screen info is at times an issue). Given I’m used to the Switch screen, this piddly 5.5’ screen isn’t quite enough to convince me I’m using an Xbox handheld, but it’s OK for short-ish gaming sessions. So, what are you up to this weekend? Are you playing a game, or are you going outside to do something productive or just to enjoy the weather? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-29” author: “Barbara Smith”

Mother Nature has been teasing the hell out of us the past couple of weeks. Yesterday was the worst tease ever. In my neck of the woods, it was 67 degrees. Tonight? We are expecting up to four inches of snow. I will need to cover the daffodils that popped up early. Because the weather never seems to know what it wants to do, the majority of us here at VG247 plan on staying indoors and playing video games. Last week, it was all about Elden Ring. This week, we’re not as obsessed with it because only one of us is diving into it. Here’s what we plan on getting into over the weekend. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Have you ever thumbed a grub into the chamber of a grenade launcher then heard the satisfying thoom of a parasite leaving the chamber at 300mph? Have you ever, somehow, launched a stream or hornets (or wasps, or something) at someone trying their damndest to hunt you down in the middle of a gunfight? I’m going to assume that, no, you have not. But do you want to? Oh yeah. You’ve probably seen a lot about Destiny 2 over the past few weeks – I’ve already enthusiastically babbled on about how it’s one of the best FPS campaigns in years – but the guncraft is something I’ve not read too much about since Bungie birthed its latest expansion. It’s back to OG Destiny levels, in my head; less focus on your abilities and more on the steel (or bugflesh) in your hands. A new theme built around alchemical symbols, insectoid parts, and alien biology came through strong this season, and so I’m going to spend my downtime this weekend unlocking more dumb guns to do dumb things with, thank you very much. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Elden Ring I’m going to spend much of my time this weekend trying to make more progress in Elden Ring. Although, I doubt I’ll make much progress in that time, let’s be real. It took me a while to get beyond the initial frustration of dying repeatedly and losing my Runes, but after a small break and some hype from my friends, I jumped in and defeated a few bosses. Some with help, some solo, and all of them incredibly rewarding (in terms of dopamine and Runes, anyways). I put aside how terrible I am at parrying and dodging, and instead opted for exploring and playing with magic. Now, it’s safe to say I’m utterly obsessed with the world of The Lands Between, and I am determined to become Elden Lord. That probably won’t happen this weekend though. Maybe in the next month or so, if I’m lucky. It’ll be worth it. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Switch I’ve been playing a bit of Kirby’s first 3D outing - Kirby and the Forgotten Land - and it’s just a lovely time. I can’t say a lot at this stage, but it’s another game that falls into the category of: “I didn’t know I wanted that game, but I’m really glad it exists.” The Switch is certainly a bit long in the tooth these days, supremely underpowered on paper (although now sporting a smashing OLED screen if you bought the new model) compared to its competitors, but that doesn’t stop Nintendo from producing some beauties. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is such a game, its colorful worlds, and inventive design easily make up for a lack of horsepower. It’s a joy. Look out for a full review as the March 25 release date draws near. That’s it for us. What are you planning on getting into? Playing a bit of Elden Ring or something else? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Craig Ashley”

This week, there isn’t much variety in what the VG247 crew is doing over the weekend, because we are all playing the same game: Elden Ring. We are even down a few folks this week because of vacation days and the like, but we bet they are playing Elden Ring too. Here’s what we have to say about the game after playing it for a bit. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Elden Ring This weekend I’m continuing my journey to become Elden Lord. I’m 45 hours into Elden Ring with so much more to do. I think when I first started playing, I underestimated how big the map really was. It is a joy discovering what is hidden around every corner and what makes the feeling even better, is that nothing guides you towards your discoveries. You make all the choices and are free to figure it out on your own terms. All this exploration isn’t for nothing though, Elden Ring respects the time you put into exploration by rewarding you with items and loot you might not realize you need until you are a lot further in the game. For example, at around 10 hours in, I found a talisman that has lightning damage negation. I thought to myself “this is garbage loot,” because up until I found that talisman, I had not seen any enemies that deal lightning damage. Fast forward 30 hours in, and I’m thankful that I found that talisman because it’s the only thing stopping me from getting one-shot by a certain lightning sword-wielding boss. It’s moments of realization like this that spur me on to continue exploring every inch of the map to find other helpful items that may or may not save me later on. Clever gameplay design like this is what makes Elden Ring a great game that I’m happy to put tons of hours into. Wish me luck becoming Elden Lord! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Elden Ring Given my abstinence last week, I was very sure I wasn’t going to be taken in by Elden Ring, but its eldritch talons have gripped me all the same. I have a bit of a complicated relationship with FromSoft games. I was overwhelmed by the original Dark Souls back in the day, learned to love the pain of Sekiro more recently, and totally bounced off the molasses-slow clunk of Demon’s Souls even more recently than that. But whisper it quietly; I don’t think Elden Ring is even that hard. There’s only been one boss so far that I’ve thought was complete bollocks - a duo boss with two stylistically unrelated designs, thrown together in a cramped chamber where you’re tripping over semi-destructible furniture in the jankiest way possible - and I think the game’s better for it. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a lot of the tricks before, or maybe they’re finding the sweet spot. But the overall package, where the open world and greater amount of present characters gives the labyrinthine lore room to breathe, is definitely one of the best I’ve played in a long while. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Elden Ring, maybe something else I know I said last week I would not be playing Elden Ring until additional patches are released for PC. However, I can resist no longer, so instead, I will be giving it the old college try on Xbox One (no, I don’t have a Xbox Series X, yet. If you can find one in the US, let me know where!). The man of the house purchased the game the day it dropped, and I have watched him play it a bit here and there. He’s going out of town this weekend, and since I will be left to my own devices, I am going to give it a whirl. Should I change my mind at some point, or get too down in the dumps over my lack of skills, I wil probably play a few indie demos I downloaded last week during Steam Next Fest: February 2022 Edition. I have a choice between this cool-looking village simulation game called The Wandering Village, the open-world Trail of Ayash that focuses on indigenous people and their myths, the remastered Egyptian city builder Pharaoh: A New Era, strategy simulation title TFM: The First Men, there’s also retro pixel-style roguelite Lost in Fantaland which blends deck building and turn-based strategies, and Farewell North which has you restoring color to world as border collie traveling with his owner. Your goal is to bring color back to the world while revealing a story about saying farewell. Sounds like that one might make me cry. We’ll see. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Elden Ring I finally started Elden Ring this week. And I should really put a special emphasis on the word “start” - I’ve played for about 30 minutes. In that time I did the hidden tutorial, then managed to get completely owned by a guy on a horse who happens to be about five steps into the open world. Free time might say otherwise, but I really want to stick with Elden Ring. I am already loving the design of its world and really want to see what it has to offer over the next 70+ hours. Sadly, given that I play games in my free time for about an hour a week, I am likely to see the end at some point in July 2023. Check back then for my final thoughts!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-10” author: “Harris Guzzi”

We assume many of you will be playing it this weekend, and while we’ll be playing other things too, we’re also going to be wandering around the Lands Between on our trusty steed. Other than Elden Ring, some of us will be exploring a futuristic city, venturing into the Throne World zone, and trying to decide between Silver and Gold. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Destiny 2, Lost Ark This week, I’ll be deep into Destiny 2 trying to find everything hidden away with the new Throne World zone. On top of that, there’s a whole bunch of new activities to take part in and a higher light level cap to aim for. As such, that’s pretty much all I have going on. That being said, Lost Ark dailies and weeklies need doing. I’ll be jumping back into that game in the weekend to continue my journey to tier 3 content. Will I make it soon? Or will I get distracted hunting for Mokoko seeds? Only time will tell! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Cyberpunk 2077 What’s this? Unpopular thing is good actually? While everyone else is digging into what is probably the GOTY 2022, I’ll be stewing in a game I’ve already played 4 times - just this time it’s on an Xbox Series S. In my defence, Cyberpunk 2077 has pretty much always actually worked for me, and given the launch (and 18 months after launch) woes, I’m surprised at how well things are going on console. So it looks like I’m gonna play through all the same quests again - hopefully Night City is still Night City, and Keanu is still breath-taking. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go I am not playing Elden Ring this weekend because I’m waiting on additional patches to be released for PC before diving into it. Plus, I will be too busy playing Pokemon Go. This weekend is the GO Tour: Johto and Saturday is going to be a busy day. It all kicks off at 9am and runs until 9pm local, and to be honest, I don’t know if hang that long or not. I have the stamina of an 80 year old woman anymore. With the event, you will need to choose between either the Gold Version or the Silver Version of the Johto Pokemon, and I will be choosing Gold - mainly because I need more Chikorita and Mantine candy. There will some catch quests for each version, and to acquire each Pokemon you will need to trade with other players. Luckily, my mother and step-dad are obsessed with the game, so they will be tagging along with me on Saturday and we can do some trading. Plus, there will be Apex versions of Shadow Ho-Oh and Lugia and I really want to add them to my collection alongside the cats Raikou, Entei and Suicune which will be appearing in five-star raids. Wish me luck catching them all! Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Elden Ring’s main menu and agreement screens I’ll play Elden Ring, I thought to myself. A game I paid actual money for rather than getting it free like all the other freeloading games journalists (I joke, of course - the most recent game I purchased prior to Elden Ring was Resident Evil 7! Press get given games as it’s needed for the job). I didn’t play Elden Ring. What I did was finally figure out how to navigate the agreement screens and menu (you must use the d-pad, not the left analogue stick like every other game in modern history allows you to use), then get told I’d failed a network test. Well, that’s it. I’m done. Another FromSoftware game goes down the toilet, this time before I’ve even played it. So, that’s about it. What about you? Did you pick up Elden Ring? If not, do you plan on picking it up over the weekend? We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-30” author: “Pedro Battle”

This weekend, we are doing a lot of Kung Fu fighting and being as fast as lightning, playing the latest MMO, doing a bit of skateboarding, and fighting fantastical machines in a world beset by a red blight. Yes, we’re going to be keeping ourselves very busy. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Lost Ark, King of Fighters 15 This weekend, I’ll be trying my best to get in as much Lost Ark time as possible. No doubt the queues will be huge, but I reckon if I wake up early enough I’ll be able to pull it off. I’m going to try and flesh out that adventure journal as much as I can before work starts back up on Monday. Also, now that King of Fighters 15 is out in full, I want to get some real online practice underway. I’m still pretty bad, but I’m hoping by the end of the weekend I’ll be able to change that. Here’s hoping! Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - OlliOlli World, Horizon Forbidden West Last week, for this feature, I told you all I would be playing OlliOlli World. Fast-forward seven days, and here I am… still playing OlliOlli World. Perhaps the decision to play it by making sure I complete every objective as I go was a mistake (especially as I approach the end-game, eesh), but I’m still having fun. Just ignore that throbbing blood blister on my thumb that’s ready to pop at a moment’s notice. I also completed Horizon Forbidden West ahead of getting my review ready earlier in the week, but I’m not done with it yet – there are still some trophies to mop up, and I’m dead set on making sure I finish off all the Arena quests, too. They’re damn tough, but those timed encounters really shine a light on how tight the combat can be when the game is firing on all cylinders. Here’s hoping those high-level battles are a little bit easier on my ruined digits post-OlliOlli, though. James Blillcliffe, Guides Editor - Sifu I am sorry for lying to you. Last week I said I’d be diving into kungfu brawler Sifu for a bit ( or rather Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique) of nostalgia. I knew full well that I’d have to play Horizon Forbidden West all weekend for work and true enough I did. This weekend, however, I will be rectifying the injustice by finally giving Sifu a shot, while also trying not to think about the time when I watched The Raid 2 - another excellent fighting film - sex toy factories and all, with my parents on Christmas Day when I was 19. (Horizon is also very good by the way) Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Horizon Forbidden West, PS5 Horizon Forbidden West is a very pretty game. I’ve only played for about an hour, but it’s already got me more interested than the original managed by this point. Not that it’s an especially rapid opening, with things meandering along a little as the scene is set. Still, I am keen to play more and I’m enjoying the combat more than I did in the first game, which is good news. But what I really want to mention here is what an amazing job Guerrilla did on the PS4 version. Our friends at Digital Foundry break it all down in the video above. You can really see where the PS5 version goes beyond what was possible on the 8-year-old hardware, but what PS4 players get is still a nice upgrade over the original. That’s what we’re up to this weekend. What about you? Did you pick up Horizon Forbidden West? Aren’t you amazed that I didn’t type Horizon Zero Dawn once in this piece? I am pretty proud of that accomplishment, honestly. Anyway, tell us what you plan on playing this weekend. Inquiring minds want to know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-02” author: “Debra Moore”

This weekend, we’re testing our rhythm skills, jumping into the latest MMO, enjoying a bit of Kung fu, and doing a bunch of fighting. Here’s what we are currently playing. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - King of Fighters 15 This weekend all I’ll be playing is King of Fighters 15. If you’ve read the review that went live yesterday, you’ll know I “capital L” Love this game - and I’m excited to drop countless hours into it. If you’re also picking it up, maybe I’ll see you online. I’m also going to find some time to play more Lost Ark of course - this game has absolutely blown up this week and you don’t have to be a genius to anticipate long queue times will only get bigger with free-to-play players getting onboard. It’ll be worth it though - that game is brill. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - OlliOlli World I skate! Or, at least I did until I dropped in off a half-pipe after one-too-many beers and dislocated both – yes, both – of my bastard knees. Nowadays, I still skate a little, but it’s mostly only very basic street stuff that poses minimal risk to my battered sinew and cartilage. How does the song go? “Mid twenties skateboarder, I hope I don’t get hurt.” Yeah, that’s it. OlliOlli World came out this week, and though it promises to save my battered knees, it threatens to absolutely body my fingers. It’s a perfect skate game – and I mean that with every fibre of my being. It’s incredibly hard, ludicrously satisfying, unremittingly goofy, and bloody good fun. Just like skating should be. Yeah, there’s no pop-punk riffs or famous Santa Monica landmarks here, but so what? It’s a lo-fi game to relax and grind to, and that’s exactly what I need this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Lost Ark This weekend I’m playing Lost Ark, the new free-to-play MMOARPG that’s actually four years old. It was released long ago in Korea and found a lot of success over there, so much so, that they decided to give it full release in the rest of the world and it’s the real deal. All the elements of an ARPG scaled up to fit into an MMO. I’m still working my way towards the end game but I’m enjoying learning a new MMO. Most of the quests are your typical fetch this, kill five boar or deliver a message to someone across the map which can get a little stale, but the over the top and flashy combat makes it all worth it. I’ll report back once I’ve conquered the end game and all its offerings. James Blillcliffe, Guides Editor - Sifu There comes a time in every young nerd’s life when an inescapable fact draws sharply into focus: kung fu movies rule. My gateway was the Saturday morning cartoon, Jackie Chan Adventures (which is in retrospect an absolutely wild concept only surpassed by the Hanna-Barbera Kiss movie from the ‘70s), where Jackie fights dragons and various other magical shenanigans. Then I realised you could rent VHSs from the video shop that actually had him, the real guy, in them, and from there I never really needed to pick anything else. This all happened to coincide with the Oscar buzz around Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Jet Li’s Hero, and the release of Stephen Chow’s action-comedies Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle - all sleepover favourites. Sifu looks like it was made with an appreciation for all the same stuff I loved, and what more of a nostalgic hit could you want from a weekend’s gaming? The “every time you die you age a year” mechanic has seemed really interesting to me since I first heard about it in Gunfire Games’ Chronos: Before the Ashes, so let’s see if it’s actually fun in practice or incredibly frustrating! Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Lost Ark No surprises there, I am sure, but yes, I will indeed be jumping into Lost Ark this weekend. I will try, at any rate, because judging by how popular the early access launch has been, the free-to-play launch will likely be significantly rockier. The buzz surrounding the game has largely been positive, so don’t underestimate that word of mouth bringing in a lot of players who just happened to be browsing Steam at that point. I’ve been playing the PTS version pre-release, so I already have an idea of the gameplay flow. I also already know I like how Lost Ark feels to play, but I didn’t want to make a lot of progress there since it wouldn’t carry over to the full build. Such restrictions don’t exist now, so wish me luck! Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Taiko No Tatsujin: The Drum Master Having initially dabbled with this rather frenetic rhythm game to get some easy daily achievements for Reward Point reasons (you can open some settings menus to earn a couple!) I’ve found it to be a great deal of fun. The selection of music on offer here isn’t Guitar Hero levels of good, but it’s also a far more eclectic bunch of tracks to drum along to. What’s more, I can play in front of my son, even choosing an easy song, and he thinks I’m some kind of non-human being whose mind is fused with the controller. It seems kids aren’t great at timing button presses in rhythm games. Anyway, this is on Game Pass and pretty much a guaranteed good time if you are at all into the concept of tapping buttons as if they were drums. That’s what we’re up to this weekend. What about you? Playing anything new? Or do you have a backlog you’re tying to get through? Let us know! We love hearing from you.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-14” author: “Kenneth Stephenson”

While not as cold here as it is in, oh say Boston, it’s still very chilly. Thankfully, when the remnants of the nor’easter storm hit here, it didn’t deliver inches of ice as was predicted. Ice can be very troublesome. Still, we were prepared for the worst. The intended and I stocked up on gas for the generator and kerosene for the portable heater in case the power went out, we gassed up the vehicles, went to the grocery, the liquor store (we were out of wine!) and I made a huge pot of white chili. Do you know what else I did? I pre-ordered Dying Light 2 through Steam so I would be ready to dive in come Friday evening. The Xbox One copy of the game is supposedly out for delivery right now, so the man of the house will have his copy soon. So, that’s what I am up to this weekend. Eating spicy, white chili and playing Dying Light 2. Here’s what other members of the VG247 crew are getting into over the weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Path of Exile This weekend I’ll be playing loads of Path of Exile. There’s a new season of content out for it and I’ve been getting an itch to play this kind of game for a while now. I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but it’ll be a fun adventure to figure it all out. I’ll also be doing my usual, hopping into Warzone, Apex Legends, GTA Online, and the full live service gambit. Busy weekend as always! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Persona 5 In a weekend where I pledged to take a break from playing too many 100-hour RPGs all at once, I resurrected the worst offender from the graveyard: Persona 5. With an 80 save file that I’ve been nursing since the OG release of the game, I’m still none the wiser to when it will finally end, or if the runtime will outlive me like a pet tortoise. I’m not sure whether this is a nuclear take or quietly what everyone thinks, but it’s incredible how the Persona series manages to be so iconic and genuinely one of my favourites when the battles and personas in general suck so, so much. With that said, bombing about Tokyo with your friends as constant bangers come on the soundtrack is still as brilliant as ever, and one day - one day - I will finally see the credits roll (even if it decides to give me a terrible ending for my trouble). Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Dying Light 2 I have been playing Dying Light 2 for a week now. A bunch of us here at VG247 are contributing to coverage. You might have already seen our review, the ever-expanding guide and some essential tips. In case it’s not clear from all of our coverage so far; Dying Light 2 is super fun to play. It may have oversold its narrative ambitions, but its gameplay, combat, risky and rewarding night time mechanic, movement and parkour all make up for it. I’ve had a solid time with it so far, but due to limitations of our review build, we could not play it in co-op pre-release. With the game now out for everyone, I want to try out co-op for the first time to see just how much more fun it could be. A couple of my Back 4 Blood friends are getting it, and I’m guessing some of those skills can transfer. I also want to grind out a bit to unlock some of the more advanced skills, because as much fun as the dropkick has been, it can get old. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Mirror’s Edge Catalyst I’ve been on an Xbox reward points mission this week, with some new challenges popping up. One was to do a certain amount of wall running in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, so I popped it on (via cloud streaming on Game Pass) and gave it a whirl. I was a big fan of the original Mirror’s Edge, but never got around to playing this sequel, and I probably should have. Once I’d unlocked the reward I carried on playing and was having a great time. Even via streaming it looked great, so I downloaded it in the hope that I find time to give it a proper go on the Xbox Series X in the near future. What game do you plan on playing this weekend? Hopefully, you live someplace warm, but if not, just stay inside like the rest of us. Grab a blanket, a hot beverage, a sticky snack, and fire that game up.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-13” author: “Matthew Burton”

But even for those of us that like our jobs and have a great boss, well, it’s still nice to have a weekly break from the daily grind in order to rest, recharge, and get shit done we didn’t have the time for during the work week. It’s a shame we’re all not independently wealthy. If we were, other than trying to help our fellow humans out, traveling, or saving dogs, we’d all likely do much of nothing except play video games all day. It’s a shame everyone has to work. Again, no matter how much you may love your job, it would be nice to have a money tree growing out in the backyard, or to win the lottery, wouldn’t it? Oh well. We’re just very thankful to have a fun job, and the funds to support our main hobby: playing games. Speaking of games, this weekend we’ll be ferrying sweet characters to the afterlife, trying not to be depressed over football, fighting rage-inducing hard bosses, transforming into various beings, and trying to catch ’em all. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - King of Fighters 14, Dark Souls 3 This week, I’m still on my typical schedule of playing a little bit of King of Fighters 14. I do find it relaxing to stick some music on and drill some combos every now and again, so we’ll mark that down as a self care session. Also, I’ve been bit by the Elden Ring hype bug I’m sad to report. I’ll be jumping back into Dark Souls 3 and messing around with a build I’ve not yet tried. Who knows! Maybe it’ll influence what I ended up playing in the precious first-ever playthrough of Elden Ring? Finally, with all the recent news surrounding the next Apex Legends season, I’ve reacclimated with that game a little. But, it’s an ongoing process, so I’ll be continuing to play that over the weekend every now and then. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Nobody Saves the World Ever wondered what it’d be like to wander around a fantasy world as a horse? Just… doing horse stuff? What about rolling around the grassy plains of a doomed kingdom as an egg? In Nobody Saves the World, you can do just that. Thanks to some peculiar magic and a particularly inept wizard, you can transform into any number of peculiar beings, fuse their powers, and use the resulting smorgasbord of abilities to take down cursed beings from a dark dimension. Lovely! I’ve been off the booze for a month, doing every brewery’s most-hated fad diet of Dry January, and I’m eager to sink a few tins and play something dumb with my mates this weekend. Nobody Saves the World fits the ticket perfectly, and what’s more – it’s on Game Pass! Meaning that none of us have to spend a penny extra than what we would’ve going into this weekend. So I’m sorry if my writing is a bit messy on Monday; I might be up late, downing beer and pretending to be an egg. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Pokemon Legends: Arceus This weekend, like a lot of people, I’ll be playing Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Every time a new Pokemon game comes out people lose their minds with excitement, and I’ve always felt left out because I never kept up the Pokemon series like everyone else. But, I too want to be the very best like no one ever was! I loved the cartoon growing up, but I grew out of it. The most recent Pokemon game I played was Sword and Shield and was bored by the time I got to the third gym. I hope the new approach to the game’s overall design changes how I feel about the franchise going forward. Let’s hope this wasn’t £50 ill regret spending. I’ll update you all next week. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Spiritfarer My eyes hurt. I’ve been playing too many RPGs for too many hours, so to soothe angry blood vessels I’m going to give the real, time-consuming stuff a rest and put down my controller for the weekend. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any games in the house, since I’ll get to watch my better half play the sweet and sorrowful Spiritfarer, a game where you make friends with story-book creatures as you ferry them into the afterlife. Thunder Lotus Games’ hand-drawn wonders have been on my radar for a long while now, but I’ve never been into super-hard, boss-rush style exercises in self-flagellation like their first game, Jotun. Spiritfarer couldn’t be further from that. You run your ship almost like a hotel, collecting upgrades and rearranging rooms as you feed and cater to the whims of your guests on their final voyage. It’s yet another awesome indie to check out, and a great change of pace from the guts and guns grind it’s so easy to slip into. I have so many things to do this weekend, I may not find the time to play something that’s a bit of a time sink, like last weekend with Skyrim. For one thing, I am having a Zoom meeting with my bridesmaids this weekend to discuss dresses, shoes, flowers, and things bridesmaids do. I will likely be drinking loads of wine during the call too, as it will be a sort of “visit” with my gals, if you could call it that, really. Other than that, I have household things to do that I have been putting off for ages now, and I am starting to feel rather disgusted with myself over it. I do feel like playing a bit of Two Point Hospital this weekend though, and I am sure I will get round to it. The release date announcement for Two Point Campus got me thinking about revisiting the game, so I think I will fire it up on Sunday evening or something. I could definitely use the chuckle. It’s not like I will be able to do much else anyway outside of doing things a grown adult should have taken care of ages ago. You see, my intended has started playing Dying Light again to get himself reacquainted with things before Dying Light 2 comes out on February 4. This means he will be hogging the bigger television, so I won’t be able to watch what I want in the living room, and there’s so much crap stacked on top of the chest of drawers in the bedroom, that the TV is practically blocked. Maybe that should be one of the things I straighten up this weekend. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - The Premier League Transfer Window It’s that most wonderful time of the year: The January transfer window in football (soccer) land. It’s an especially great time to be a Tottenham fan, as you spend weeks getting excited about rumoured signings, only for Liverpool or Barcelona snapping up said players at the last moment, leaving you with the less exciting news that the club has bought someone from a non-league club. So yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing in my free time and will likely be doing all weekend: reading forums full of gossip, only to have those dreams come crashing down on Monday night. If you support a better club, like Liverpool or Manchester City, you’ll never know just what it’s like to perpetually live on the wrong side of hope. What are your weekend plans? Do you plan on playing any games, buying lotto tickets, or is there something else you’re planning to get into? Let us know! We’re genuinely curious.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-12” author: “Yasmin Pagel”

We plan on spending our time off of the next couple of days doing normal things but also by jumping into the virtual world. Some of us plan on going on thrill rides with our virtual bike, flying around on our Sparrow, revisiting a classic Final Fantasy title, and playing a game for the umpteenth time that has been released multiple times. You probably already know which one we are talking about. Here is what we are playing this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Destiny 2, King of Fighters 14 This weekend I’ll be jumping back in Destiny 2 ahead of The Witch Queen expansion launch next month. I’ve got a laundry list of sorts to work through, and knowing me I’ll probably forget to do it if I leave it any longer. On top of that, I’ll be popping back into King of Fighters 14 here and there. With King of Fighters 15 on the horizon, I’m still trying to get my bearings before it drops. Will it make me any better? Probably not, but it’s worth a try! Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Final Fantasy 13 I was struck down like a dog over the Christmas break thanks to a particularly virulent attack of the ol’ Covid-19 virus, so I didn’t get to see my family over the festive period, at all. This weekend, they’re popping down from the Midlands to have a quick sample of London life (and a month-late Christmas dinner). So that doesn’t leave a lot of time for gaming. That said, I have had some very last-minute changes to my plans this weekend. During my Friday shift today, I downloaded Final Fantasy 13 onto my Series X – publishing a wonderful piece about why we should all give Square Enix’s troubled RPG another shot really inspired me. It made me think about Lightning’s relationships with the rest of the cast and put me in mind of the parent/child relationships that lie at the beating heart of this oddball game. Perhaps it’s fitting that I’m going to be snatching an hour or two in the world of Cocoon in between reconnecting with my own folks, eh? Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Skyrim: Anniversary Edition I hadn’t really planned on playing much this weekend, because I have to go buy some topsoil for my yard. See, the lovely Beagle and German Shepherd have decided it’s fun to dig holes in front of the back porch and these holes accumulate water, which creates mud, which means my house gets full of it. So, I am off to buy dirt to fill said holes and then toss large rubber mats I used in my horse’s stall in the area to cover the dirt until I can buy some grass seed in the spring. The joys of homeownership, right? Other than that, I think I will give one game a go on Saturday night or Sunday. It will likely be Skyrim: Anniversary Edition because I have been putting off playing it for a while now. I have been playing the Special Edition mainly because all of the mods I have installed work. I am not so sure about these same mods working when it comes to the Anniversary Edition, as some haven’t been updated to work with it. I have played Skyrim so many times on both PC and Xbox systems that it’s kind of pathetic, but I absolutely adore the game. I also have yet to finish the thing, despite hundreds and hundreds of hours spent in it, and this is on every playthrough because I choose to do different things each time I start a new character. During this last playthrough with the SE, I decided not to join the Dark Brotherhood. This time out with the AE, I may, and just go in and slaughter everyone. I’m not sure just yet what I plan to do. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Descenders I’m back on Descenders. I’d fallen out of my near-daily bursts on this downhill biking thrill-ride, but the game appeared as one of the monthly reward point challenges on Xbox and now I’m hooked again. I don’t have much more to say about it, other than it’s still on Game Pass and well worth a look if you’re into precision, twitch-like controls, tricks, and speed. It looks a little rough, but it’s a game that is all about the sensation of speed and the reward for pulling off dangerous stunts. Those are our gaming plans for the weekend. What do you plan on playing? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-03” author: “Wilbert Hoover”

But, time is what you make of it. And we plan on using some of that time playing games over the weekend. Over the next couple of days, we plan on diving into a backlog of RPGs, trying to get someone into gaming, enjoying playing an alcoholic amnesiac detective, and playing something that’s both high risk and rewarding at the same time. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Disco Elysium, Spelunky 2 It’s been a long week of getting used to my new role here at VG247 and trying to stay sober as I (foolishly) attempt Dry January to give my liver a bit of a break after the Christmas excess. What better way to relax and get off-my-nut by proxy than playing Disco Elysium? I can be a raving communist cop, preaching the end of days and investigating what appears to be a small hole in the center of reality, all whilst taking liberal swigs of whatever alcoholic pish I’ve managed to magpie from the poverty-stricken streets of Martinaise. Yum! When I’m not pretending to be an absolute disaster of a human being, I’ll be playing Spelunky 2 with my non-gaming partner, as it’s one of this week’s incredible additions to Xbox Game Pass. I introduced her to it last night, and after about 45 minutes of trying – and failing miserably – to get past the first level, she called it quits and we went and played something a little less stressful: Peggle 2. Well, we thought it would be less stressful, but she still ended up calling me a word I cannot bring myself to type here… let’s see if the weekend is a little nicer, shall we? Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Escape from Tarkov This weekend I’ll be playing Escape from Tarkov. I’m not in the mood for EFT all the time but right now I’m looking for some high-risk high reward gaming. One of the most satisfying feelings is going into a raid with a budget loadout and killing a player that has come in with all their best gear. It gets your adrenaline going. There really is nothing like Escape from Tarkov, but it isn’t for everyone - the skill ceiling is super high, it has terrible new player onboarding, you spend more time managing your gear than you do actually playing the game and the realistic weapon handling has a steep learning curve. But, if you can overlook those things and take the time to learn and understand the game, it can be a lot of fun. Also, like always, I’ll be playing Apex Legends. I’m currently ranked Diamond, and because the season is going to end soon, I’m hoping to make one last push for Master rank. Wish me luck! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - a stupid amount of huge RPGs all at once Right now I have a ridiculous amount of pots boiling on the range across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC. On the PS5, the main game I’m wading through is Horizon: Zero Dawn in preparation for Forbidden West next month, but I’ve also got the updated versions of Death Stranding, Final Fantasy 7 and Jedi: Fallen Order, along with the rest of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart vying for my attention. Then on Xbox, like I said last week, I have the DLC additions to the Mass Effect Trilogy I’ve never played marked as an absolute must. And there’s also the ever-playable Forza Horizon and FIFA 22 ready to fill any gaps. But then there’s the end of Metroid Dread - a game in equal parts awesome and incredibly frustrating - threatening to be too inscrutable to return to with each passing day.

And even with all of that, here I am installing the highly-rated indie Eastward on my PC. Pray, I see the light soon. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - God of War (PC) I’ve been having a hell of a great time with the PC version of God of War 2018. As you may have seen from our tech review, this is a largely solid port that delivers most of what you’d expect, even if it misses a few crucial elements and ultimately isn’t that much better looking than PS4/PS5. Nevertheless, the major framerate uplift, DLSS support, and sharper overall visuals got me hooked on the game all over again. I am nearly done with the main story, but I want to do a little bit of cleaning up this weekend. Much of the landmass in the Lake of Nine has emerged, and I want to clear off all remaining quests and pick up any collectibles I missed there. I also have a few Realm Tears and a couple of other bits and pops to take care of before the final push. When I originally played the game on PS4, I had all but two Valkyrie fights left, so I also want to get them all done this time around. Outside of letting me spend more time with the game’s combat, this playthrough also gave me an even deeper appreciation of the narrative, and how it’s laid out, particularly as a Norse mythology fan. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - God of War (PC), Pokemon Snap, probably something else I don’t own a PS4, so I was never able to play God of War (2018). Thankfully, Sony decided to put it on PC, so brought it on Steam, and I’m going to try to play it over the weekend. I say try because my partner is also a huge God of War fan, both of us having played all of the other titles in the franchise, so he will want to play it as well. I may let him give it a go first. Depends on if I am feeling charitable or not (wink). I also haven’t finished Poition Craft, which I played a bit over the holidays. So, I may jump back into that at some point over the weekend. As I shared with you all before, my mother has become completely obsessed with Pokemon Go and Pokemon in general. She is quickly becoming a bit of an expert on which type works best against another, and what have you. Because she likes Pokemon so much, and she hasn’t really played any video games since she tried Pitfall and Frogger on my father’s Atari, I am going to lend her my Switch and pick up a copy of Pokemon Snap for her. I think it would be a great introduction to modern video games, plus, it’s a Pokemon game. I will likely be showing her how to play it and how to use the controller for a couple of hours, but that will probably be rather fun for both of us. I will make a gamer out of her yet! Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - The new(ish) Mortal Kombat movie I can’t write about Wordle every week, I thought to myself moments before remembering that I watched last year’s Mortal Kombat movie earlier in the week. To my great surprise, it really wasn’t that bad, but it also wasn’t that great. To me it all felt a bit like a slightly more naff gore-filled modern Marvel movie. Gang of superhumans teams up to take on a gang of superhuman baddies. The big surprise was the lack of an actual tournament, even though it was mentioned every five minutes. Kano stole the show, being by far the most interesting character, although this might have been because everyone else was supremely dull outside of their abilities. There were enough knowing winks and nods to fans (or just casual players of the games) without it going overboard, but the whole thing ended in such a weak way that I was genuinely shocked it was over. When films set up sequels, that’s fine, but this ended like you might expect the first hour of a 10-episode Netflix show to finish. In conclusion, the film was fine. 5 sawn in half bodies/5 sawn in half bodies.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-30” author: “Mary Cramer”

This weekend, we are enjoying one of the best space operas out there, playing word games, prepping for a major release, and trying to catch them all. Here is what we are up to this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - King of Fighters 13, Dark Souls 3 This weekend I’ll be jumping into King of Fighters 13 in an attempt to figure out some characters ahead of the release of King of Fighters 15 in February. I know, I know, it’s not a perfect way to prep and I’ll be hurting myself long-term, but I need a way of getting back into the swing of things. It also helps that KOF 13 is brilliant. Also, I’m planning on going back through Dark Souls 3 this weekend to get ahead of the launch of Elden Ring. Here’s hoping I’ve still got my mojo! Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Monster Hunter Rise, Mass Effect Legendary Edition Earlier this week, I wrote about the impossible-to-resist allure of Monster Hunter Rise on PC; the idea of roughing up an Arzuros with my mates in glorious 4K and with uncapped FPS is just too tempting to pass up. Charging into battle with my Rathalos armour, my big Magnamalo sword, and my dog dressed as Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog (for some reason) is everything I want from big, dumb video games. The fact I can soon enjoy that without causing myself neck and eye damage from squinting at my Switch in the dark is even better. For now, though, I will continue to hurt my spine and retinas as I re-learn the muscle memory I need for Rise’s PC release next week. To give my body a break from hunching over the handheld, I’ll be jumping into Mass Effect: Legendary Edition on the Series X: I was a huge fan of Mass Effect back in the day (and the first piece of work I ever published was about the series, some 13 years ago!) but I’ve not had the chance – or the cash – to commit to the Legendary Edition yet. Enter Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a ton of snacks, and my incessant desire to get real close to that romantic, Fishboy heartthrob, Thane, all over again. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Mass Effect 2) The Game Pass collection of GOATs continues to grow, and despite Mass Effect 2 being one of my favourites, I’ve never exhaustively played all of the DLC. Imagine my excitement then when I realised this morning that the Legendary Edition not only includes the nostalgic pre-order bonuses that I played through the games with originally, but all of the post-launch DLC that I couldn’t afford at the time too. I’m not going to kid myself that I’ll actually stick it out through all three games, but the draw of those never-before-seen (at least to me) extras is huge. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go Niantic has launched the second part of its Season of Heritage questline, Mountains of Power, and I am going to be working on that questline this weekend. The first part shouldn’t be too bad, as all you have to do is catch five Pokemon (which I have already done), hatch an egg, and earn two candy walking with your buddy. The last part will be a bit of a grind considering I have Umbreon as my buddy and you have to walk 5km to earn one candy. Looks like I will need to switch her out for another, at least for a while. I need to make Feebas my buddy anyway because I am wanting to evolve the weird-looking fish into the gorgeous Milotic. But Feebas is also 5km, so maybe I should pick Emolga or another 1km Pokemon to walk. Speaking of quests, I am behind on the A Ripple in Time quest, but I am almost finished with it, and then there’s A Thousand Year Slumber where I have to catch three Whismur (who hasn’t been around in a while) and evolve a Feebas. That is part 2 of a 7 part quest line which is driving me batty. Don’t even get me started on Let’s Go Metan. I will probably NEVER get that damn quest finished. I also still haven’t finished the Season of Heritage XP challenge. I am on 11/15 and it’s getting a bit old, honestly. My mother has already finished both parts of that quest and has pretty much earned her Goomy hat by accumulating 240,000 XP. I am beginning to wonder if she does anything else other than play Pokemon Go. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Wordle Look, I haven’t had much time to play games for a while, so Wordle is where it’s at for the time being. I get up, get my son’s breakfast ready, and then I do the Wordle of the day while he’s eating and before I walk him to school. It fits my life perfectly. Anyway, Wordle is a simple word-guessing game in which you must figure out what the mystery five-letter word is, using the game’s pointers (you’re told if a letter you’ve guessed is in the word, in the right position, or not in the word) to do so within six guesses. The game has become a bit of a social darling thanks to its neat sharing functionality, and there is a great personal shame when you don’t guess the word correctly and announce to the world how terrible you are. I like it. No doubt the time will come when I forget to Wordle, but that time seems a way off yet. So, what are your plans this weekend? Are you gamed out from your holiday break, or is there no such thing as being tired of playing games for you? Did you pick up anything on sale over the holidays that you are still immersed in, or is there something new you are looking forward to? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-13” author: “Rachel Sampson”

The days darken much earlier this time of year. So much so, it looks ten in the evening when it is only six. But don’t become depressed over it. Soon the holidays will come, bringing some cheer, and hopefully nice presents. Presents you can pop into or download onto your console or PC. To help keep the ever creeping early winter blues at bay, this weekend, we’re catching Pokemon, waiting on our Steam Deck to arrive, and channeling our inner superhero. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor – Marvel’s Midnight Suns I’ve been lucky enough to have this game for over a week now, and let me tell you; pumping well over 20 hours into it hasn’t dulled the sheen even slightly. The combination of Slay the Spire mechanics, XCOM sensibilities, some phenomenal writing, and all the best bits of the goth side of the Marvel universe makes this an extra-special treat that is maturing on the palette like a fine Transian wine. What makes it even better is that it’s making me realise why I fell in love with Marvel stuff in the first place. Away from the fantasy propaganda of the films and the comics that slowly began to fall in line with them, Marvel offered something different – something that respected and drew from alt counterculture and the punk ethos. Midnight Suns has that same spirit, and it’s a refreshing taste on the tongue after the dreary recent years of the MCU. If this is the future of Marvel games, I am sold. Keep your cookie-cutter Sony Spider-Men – I’ve got Magik to play with. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Waiting by the letterbox for my Steam Deck The Steam Deck hype is real. On Black Friday I bit the bullet and ordered the base Steam Deck with the hope of clearing my PC backlog and playing Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Metal Gear Acid for the 1000th time each via emulation. However, a week a postal strikes (fight the power, comrades) has seen my Deck stuck in customs with no communication from the shipping company for nearly a week. I have been checking the tracking link almost every five minutes and for some unknown reason that hasn’t made it come any faster. I’ve tried nothing and I’m all out of ideas. Pray for me. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Pokemon Scarlet I’ve a busy weekend ahead, so I won’t have too much time for games, but it’s not difficult to work out what I’ll be playing this weekend. I finished Pokemon Scarlet last week, and now I’ve got a Pokedex I’m yet to complete, and a Charizard to go and catch. So, I’ll be putting some time aside to catch some Pokemon. When I’m not doing that, I’ll probably sit back and watch some streams of The Callisto Protocol so see what all those negative Steam reviews are about (and because I am feeling too lazy to play it myself alongside Pokemon) Those are our plans for the weekend. What games are you planning to play over the next couple of days?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-17” author: “Shawn Blount”

Fall is here, and the air is crisp, the leaves are changing color, and Halloween is just around the corner. While the weather may be more pleasant, you may just want to open the windows and enjoy the breeze while you play a few games. That’s what we will be doing anyway, and here’s what we’re getting into this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Street Fighter 6, WoW: Classic This weekend I’m playing two things: the Street Fighter 6 closed beta (I’m so hyped, you don’t even know), and more Wow Classic. Raids are out and I’m getting some mates together to take ’em on, while Street Fighter 6 is probably gonna be stuck on my PS5 all weekend. Will I actually go outside over the next two days? Probably not. Well, maybe for snacks. Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Overwatch 2, Hardspace: Shipbreaker I may have spent half my professional life complaining about Overwatch 2 this week, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good game or two (when I can finally get in). The game is as good as it ever was, it just has some stripped back UI and features tainting the whole thing slightly. There’s still nothing better than that gorgeous little byte of sound you get when you land a headshot, though, or seeing your allied Orisa total some idiot Roadhog when you’re powering her up with Mercy’s buffing beam. Then, when the adrenaline gets too much and I need some time to drift around lazily in space, cutting apart massive slabs of aluminum, I’ll head back into Hardspace: Shipbreaker. The absolutely stunning (and Game Pass inhabiting) puzzler-cum-anti-capitalist-parable is a hypnotically compelling experience – and the most surprising ‘just one more go’ game I’ve played all year. The only thing that makes me put down my grav thether and cutting tool is the distress I feel when my poor, rented body suffers one violent decompression too many and catapults into the inky dark blackness of space. So, then, back to Overwatch. Who knew that zipping around the map as a gorgeous German medic would be what I needed to decompress from all that… decompression. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant I’ve a rather hectic weekend ahead of me that involves far too much going outside for my liking, but I do have some plans for my downtime. While trying to play Overwatch 2 and proceeding to be disconnected far too regularly to be able to actually enjoy myself, I ended up jumping into Valorant again just yesterday (after a three month break) to curb my frustration. Needless to say, I’ve missed playing Valorant, and I’ve missed playing as Viper even more. So, I’ll probably try to fit in a few Valorant matches this weekend. That said, Overwatch 2 servers seem to be a tad better now, so here’s to hoping I get to jump into a few more games of that this weekend, too. So, what are you doing this weekend? Are you doing something other than playing games, or staying inside to fire up the ole console or PC? Either way, let us know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-25” author: “Don Blandy”

It can get a bit tedious. But put that all behind you now. It’s 4pm, which means the weekend has started. Unless you work odd hours. If so, we apologize for getting your hopes up. But, for the majority, it is indeed time to throw off the crosspiece fastened over your neck, and as Frankie would say, relax. This weekend, we will be relaxing by playing a few games in between other fun things. Here’s what we’re getting into: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - REDACTED This weekend, I’m playing something under embargo. Great news for me, but, admittedly a bit dry for this particular article. When I have the time, I will be logging back into WoW to wrap up some raids, and I will also be trying out a variety of smaller titles on my phone. A recent title I played for an interview has piqued my interest a little bit more on the platform, so I will give that another go this weekend (what this space on Monday). It’s not a game, but I will be playing The Bear on Disney Plus from start to finish for the fifth time this weekend, undoubtedly. It’s just amazing, there’s no real way to say it differently. James Billcliff, Guides Editor - FIFA 23 For my sins (and they are numerous), the FIFA 23 is still young, so this weekend I’ll more than likely be digging further into my new Career Modes, along with grinding out any new, shiny challenges I can to get some sparkly special FUT cards. As I said in my review, FIFA 23 is a white-knuckle goal-fest, so I’ll definitely be entertained - if I can survive the heart palpitations from playing online, that is… Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant It’s been a long week playing lots of gory horror, aka Scorn, and having my patience tested by it. That said, I’m going to push my patience to the absolute limits and play some Valorant this weekend. I’m yet to try out the new Agent, so I’ll be spending some time messing around on the preview build, seeing what Harbor is all about. When I inevitably get tired of having a negative K/D, I’ll more than likely spend the rest of my time between playing Pokemon TCG and watching Chainsaw Man. What about you? What are you getting into this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-31” author: “Kathleen Stringfellow”

After being away for a couple of weeks, we return to share with you what games we’ve been playing and what we plan on getting into over the weekend. For the next couple of days, we’re leaving modern war behind to participate in a different sort of war, live vicariously through our avatars and try our best to keep the occupants of our village alive and thriving. Here’s what we’re up to. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Modern Warfare 2, Dawn of War This weekend, I’ll be wrapping up (for now) my weapon grind in Modern Warfare 2. It’s been a real struggle to get it all done, but with all the attachments finally unlocked, I can rest until Warzone 2.0 comes out, and I’ll have to level up four more. Such is live service and the endless march toward unlockables. The game is alright. I’m getting a bit tired of it now, but what can you expect when you’re treating it kind of like a second job rather than a fun multiplayer experience? Warzone 2.0 can’t come soon enough. I may also boot up Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War again. I don’t know why! Now and again I get a hankering for some Warhammer stuff, I get tempted over. Maybe it’s Darktide coming out soon, maybe it’s my thirst for Space Marine 2. I’m clueless, but I know I’m excited about it. I’ll play Tau this time around, as always. Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - The Sims 4 After briefly revisiting The Urbz following its 18th birthday earlier this week, I have a bit of an itch to scratch. While frankly I can’t be arsed to boot up The Urbz again and play through it in all of its wacky glory, I think I’m going to spend a little time with The Sims 4. I spent countless hours a while back modding it, and then never actually did anything with my mods. That said, I’m gonna mess around with the Tiny Living expansion pack to build some pint-sized homes, and then let my sims and my mods go wild. What could go wrong? Stephay Nunneley-Jackson, News Editor - Land of the Vikings, Pokemon Go This weekend, my main goal is to finally put away wedding gifts, send out thank you cards, and try to figure out why the hell my PC won’t turn on, yet the motherboard light remains a constant orange. If my RAM has happened to kick the bucket, I will soon follow. Hopefully, my power supply is just going bad, but I am going to start by cleaning the thing, and pulling out and replugging the RAM. Wish me luck. As far as games go, this weekend I plan on playing the city-builder survival sim Land of the Vikings - if I can get my PC going. Recently launched through Steam Early Access, the developers, Laps Games, describe the game as Frostpunk with Vikings. But, as I said earlier this week, the game really has a Banished vibe to it, which I totally dig. I’ve never played an Early Access title before, but I thought I would give this one a go after watching the latest trailer for it. To be honest, I am actually quite excited to get my hands on it. I will let you know what I think of it within the next week or so - if I can get my PC running. The game calls for Windows 10 and the laptop is a Windows 8.1 machine. I also plan on firing up Pokemon Go at some point for Community Day. The Pokemon of the day is Teddiursa, and the event runs from 2-5pm local time - which is right in the middle of my work day (thanks for nothing, Niantic). I will have to drop an incense and see if any pop up near my house. I am unable to go out to catch any until around 4pm, and by then, I probably won’t be able to complete the main quest. We’ll see, I suppose. So that’s us this weekend. What about you? What are you getting into and do you plan on playing any games? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-30” author: “Stella Ganong”

Whether you are doing something outside this weekend, working on a home project, taking care of the lawn, shopping, or what have you, try to make some time to play some games. That’s what we’re doing. Here’s what we’re into at the moment. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Deathloop, Legend Bowl This weekend, I’m mostly going to be playing stuff I’ve written about quite recently! So I’ll keep it short, as you can click the links to see my expanded, detailed thoughts. First of all, I’m going to spend a chunk of my Friday evening on Legend Bowl, the new small-scale, indie American Football game that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with. As I’ve already written on the site, I think this is a handily better game than Madden NFL - in fact, I don’t even think it’s particularly close, despite the huge difference in style and development resources. And, of course, I’ll be continuing to play Deathloop, which I gave 5 stars in the VG247 review. After reviewing it on PS5, I picked it up on PC on launch day - and I’ve been enjoying that version. I’m right at the end on PC now - at which point I’ll be hopping into people’s games as Juliana to ruin their weekend. If I kill you, sorry-not-sorry, innit. Oh, and I’ll be stripping wallpaper. Pray for me. See you next week. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Destiny 2, Eastward The weekend is here again and I’m excited to jump back into Destiny 2’s Trials of Osiris game mode. The changes they’ve made are night and day, and it’s a way more enjoyable experience overall. If you’re a Destiny 2 player I highly recommend you jump in and see what it’s like. I’ve also compiled a tips and tricks video to get you started. I’m also playing this awesome indie game called Eastward which I absolutely will make a video on because it’s got so much charm and personality. It’s definitely going into my top 10 games of the year for 2021. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Pokemon X and Y, Sword and Shield The backlog is indomitable, and if I think for more than a single second about the combined monetary value of all the games I own but have never played, I start to hyperventilate and clutch at my own chest involuntarily. I don’t quite fancy a main console this weekend, especially since it’s that weird time of year when the football season has started, and playing the old FIFA feels even more gauche than usual, so I’m taking on one of the two main-series, fully-fledged Pokemon games that I’ve played absolutely none of. I’ve not decided whether I’m going to go for Pokemon Y or Pokemon Shield first, since they’ll probably be very similar - let’s face it. But I’ve always been a big Pokemon fan and just have that itch to build up a new team. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Vanguard beta (PC) Look, I am as tired of Call of Duty as anyone else. I am typically not a Call of Duty person to begin with, but as a shooter fan, I feel compelled to play most of the big shooters every year. Despite having no love for Black Ops Cold War, I ended up playing it for about a year, spending time almost exclusively in Zombies with a friend. The point I am trying to make is that Call of Duty games usually have so much going on that you’re bound to find some redeeming qualities that hook you. Maybe Vanguard will have something for me. The game’s open beta goes live this weekend on everything, but I’ll be playing it on PC. More than anything, I am curious why so many players are negative on it from the alpha and last weekend’s beta. Besides, with Battlefield 2042 having been delayed, early November looks to be wide open for COD to dominate. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empires 4 (stress test) I was planning on continuing to play Nioh: Complete Edition a little bit more this weekend, but since I allow my intended to use my Epic Games library on the laptop, he will (and is) playing it instead. I need to have a serious talk with him about commandeering my things at some point before the wedding. Maybe I should incorporate “I promise not to hog the laptop or take over your games” into our vows. Instead, I will be giving the Age of Empires 4 technical test whirl this weekend - which I planned on anyway - and I am just hoping the servers hold up. I am sure there will be some hiccups, as Relic wants to make sure that matchmaking, lobbies, and additional systems hold up with an influx of players. The reason the test is being held over a single weekend is so as many people as possible can participate, and there’s plenty of Age of Empires fans out there, so it’s quite possible there will be loads of latency and maybe even a server crash or two. But again, it’s a technical test so things like that are to be expected. The friends I play Age of Empires 2 & 3 with are also planning on jumping into the tester this weekend, but we may not be able to play together. We’ll have to see. Speaking of AoE 2 and AoE 3, it will probably be an Age of Empires weekend for me in general. We haven’t jumped into a game together in a while, because things, life, whatnot keep getting in the way. Adulting is ‘the suck,’ but is necessary sometimes. I would like to get back into these titles as there are a few more easily attainable achievements I need to earn in AoE 3, and some of the harder ones in AoE 2 to work toward. I never thought I would be an achievements hound, but my friends and I are trying to beat each other to the punch on some of them - all in good fun, mind. I probably won’t achieve “Wololo” before my friends because I don’t create a multitude of monks, so it will be hard for me to convert 1,000 units. Both have also already beat me to “Losing Your Religion” where you have to convert an enemy Monk. They have also beaten me to “Relic Hunter” where you have to collect 100 Relics because I am not a Relics hog. I try to share so everyone can get one, but not everyone is keen on equal distribution. Sounds like I need to create and use more monks than just one lone dude trying to comfort the villagers with pleasing thoughts of the afterlife while also snagging Relics. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Superliminal I’ve had my eye on this for quite a while, almost buying for PS4 before having the now common thought of: “I bet this will come to Xbox Game Pass at some point.” And would you believe it? That’s exactly what happened! I’m rather glad I waited, to be honest, as the forced perspective and optical illusion puzzles on offer in Superliminal aren’t really hitting the mark for me at the moment. I absolutely appreciate how smart this game is, but I think that’s part of the problem. As someone who has a baby that still wakes up multiple times in the night, I’m not what you would call “rested.” I am what you would call “tired.” This game won’t even give the time of day to a tired person. If your brain checks out for a moment you’ll end up lost in a sea of oddly sized objects that just make no sense. So I think I’m going to put this one on hold, at least until my brain is able to focus on a puzzle for more than a few seconds at a time. Tell us what you’re playing this weekend! Or, if you aren’t firing up the console or the PC, what other plans do you have?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Franklin Braswell”

Chores are dumb, and life is too short. They will still be waiting on you when the weekend ends, so just skip the work and have a bit of fun playing some video games, like we plan on doing. This weekend, we’re preparing ourselves for the Witch Queen, diving into a remastered release of one of our favorites, and trying something we’re a bit LTTP on. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend: Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster, Tales of Arise I’m going to play new releases this weekend, which feels rare at the minute. First, there’s the new-out Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster. FF4 holds a special place in my heart, and that means I’m still relatively thrilled with it coming out in a new, slicker form - even if it’s been rereleased and even remade multiple times before. I’ve been playing this for a few days, and will probably write about it at some point - but it’s a solid version of the game, on par with the ones of FF1-3 we already got. That means it’s a definitive version in some way, and annoyingly lacking in others… but it is a 2D version of the game readily available in 2021. I might actually still prefer the 3D Remake, though. I’ll also be diving deep into another Japanese RPG, Tales of Arise. Now, don’t get too excited, but I actually think Tales of Arise might be a quiet, subtle little game of the year contender. I’ll have more thoughts on this in the coming weeks, I’m sure, but it feels like the most readily accessible entry in the Tales series to date - but without costing the series’ soul. I’m loving it. Doranni Williams, Video Producer - Destiny 2 This weekend I’ll be playing Destiny 2, mainly the Trials of Osiris game mode that’s seen a major rework, and if you didn’t know, Trials is the pinnacle game mode for competitive PvP in Destiny 2 that’s only available on weekends. I’ve only recently come back to the game after a hiatus of seven seasons, but since the reveal event for The Witch Queen expansion releasing in February, I thought it would be a good idea to jump back in. I need to get used to all the new systems and changes that have happened since I’ve been away so when the new expansion drops, I’m not overwhelmed. Long story short, I’ve been enjoying it a lot and it feels like the best state the game has been in for a while and I hope it continues. Also, I’ll have a video out next week highlighting a few reasons I’ve enjoyed my return to Destiny 2. So, if you’re thinking about coming back as well, look out for that video. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Nioh: Complete Edition Because we are mainly an Xbox household, I never had the opportunity to play Nioh on console, and even though it was also released on PC, I was going through one of my phases in 2017 where I was obsessed with LOTRO. I didn’t really want to play anything else, so I didn’t. Well, I am going to remedy that this weekend by finally playing Nioh: Complete Edition. Recently released on the Epic Games Store alongside the sequel, the game is currently free for the week so I figured I would grab it and give the action- RPG a try. The setting really appeals to me, and also to my fiance, who will probably end up commandeering the game from me at some point before I can finish it since he doesn’t have an Epic Games Store account - yet. He’s like that sometimes. Don’t even get me started on trying to take turns with Oblivion back in the day on Xbox 360, or most recently, Resident Evil Village.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-14” author: “Lora Rieves”

Between the cookouts, attending a Quinceañera, looking into wedding venues, and giving two stinky dogs a bath, we plan on getting into some virtual fun over the next three days. Some of us will be building a civilization, playing surgeon, trying to annihilate an ominous enemy, and refusing to bow down to The Syndicate. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Mini Motorways, Humankind I’m thinking it’s time for something of a strategy game kick, at least for a week, especially when I have some huge RPGs on the horizon in the near future. As such, I’m going to spend a bit of time on Mini Motorways and Humankind this weekend. Humankind is scratching that same itch that saw me put hundreds of hours into every entry in the Civilization series. The first time I saw the game pre-release, Sega reps described it to me as a “Civ Killer” - and while I don’t quite think it lived up to that goal, it’s a bloody good 4X strategy game that shows great promise as a franchise. Then there’s Mini Motorways. I reviewed this earlier this week, giving it five stars. It’s about as close to faultless as a video game can come, I think. It’s just lovely and relaxing. And I’ll need relaxation this weekend as it’s my NFL Fantasy Football draft. I’ve been prepping for this, so hopefully, I don’t completely cock it up. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Saints Row 3: Remastered After Dorrani’s video giving us a bit of insight into the rebooted Saints Row, I decided to take a tumble with the remastered version of Saints Row 3. I remember enjoying the more shameless GTA clone of Saints Row 2, and messing about with super powers in Saints Row 4, but had never played 3. Well it turns out I did actually play 3 and it just got mushed in my memory - some parts I remembered as Saints Row 2 and some as 4 - which isn’t surprising because you can pretty much say it’s an amalgamation of the two. I think Saints Row 4’s open-world lost its sense of scale because of the traversal and felt barren because of it. Let’s see if 3 has a better balance and if the funnies have aged so badly that I cringe out of my skin. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Control: Ultimate Edition (maybe) I have a super busy weekend planned, so I may not have time to play anything. Tonight I have to go over to my mother’s for a cookout, as it’s my step-father’s birthday. And I refuse to miss out on one of his signature steaks, a baked potato, and some corn on the cob. Plus, my mother is making my favorite cake, and I can’t wait to have a piece. Then, tomorrow, which is Saturday, I have three venues to look at for a wedding/reception. You see, after 19 years of being together, the man of the house finally decided we should get married and popped the question. It’s about damn time, too. So, anyway, we have set a date for October next year, and you have to book these places at least a year in advance, so I am checking a few out tomorrow. Wish my wallet luck, please. Also on Saturday, our friend Julio’s daughter is turning 15, so we have her Quinceañera to attend (this is when a girl turns 15 and becomes a senorita). I have been told there will be plenty of food and the margaritas will be flowing like water, so I’m sure we’ll have a great time. Sunday I have to give the dogs a bath and work on my terrible yard, so I will probably be too exhausted, and probably hungover, to play anything Sunday night. But, despite all I plan on doing over the holiday weekend, I am hoping to have some time to play Control: Ultimate Edition on Labor Day, which is Monday. It is currently on sale for 60% off through Steam, and considering most of my friends recommended it, I figured I’d drop $15.99 on it. But, as I said, I may not have time. Or I may be too tired. We’ll see. At any rate, I bought it so I will play it eventually if I don’t get around to it over the holiday weekend. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Surgeon Simulator 2, PC I always meant to give the original game a whirl but never got round to it, so with the release of the sequel I jumped into the surgeon hot seat and gave my best Donald Anspaugh impression. Lovely dated reference there for those of you old enough to know of TV before the internet. It didn’t go well. At all. Let’s just say that limbs were flying, blood was spilling (?), and patients were dying. In fact, they all died. It was worse than that time Romano’s arm met a helicopter blade. Another ER reference for the fans. It’s worth noting that Surgeon Simulator 2 is on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, so if you’re a member you can give it a go without having to pay extra to accidentally pull a man’s leg off. Those are our plans for the weekend. What will you be up to? Plan on getting into something other than games for the work holiday? Or will you be firing up your console/PC and diving into some virtual fun? Let us know! We love hearing from you.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-25” author: “Justin Scully”

Of course, as usual, there are more things to do than just play games. Some of us are on vacation, some of us are busy doing house things, there’s an anniversary to celebrate, and some of us are just busy, busy, busy in general. Thankfully, Monday is a bank holiday in the UK, so a few of us have a long weekend to find time to play games. And even for us without a bank holiday, we will find some time to get into some virtual fun. Here’s what we’re up to this weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Psychonauts 2, Street Fighter 5, Fantasy Football It’s been a pretty busy couple of weeks, what with launching the new-look VG247 and gamescom - and so honestly, I’ll be using this long weekend (Monday is a holiday here in the UK) to casually meander my way through some games while relaxing. So… there’s a few things I’m gonna do. For one, I’m simply unable to ignore just how beloved Psychonauts 2 appears to be, including in our excellent review from Ty. So I’m going to play that. Second, there was a bunch of new content added to Street Fighter 5 over the last month - so I’m going to hop back in and try to get myself back up to date. I will, undoubtedly, get crushed in ranked. Finally, my NFL Fantasy Football draft is coming up next weekend. So I’ll spend a lot of this weekend, and the coming week, frantically trying to mock draft and plan for that. Cross your fingers for me, as I’ve got a truly rubbish draft position. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Riders Republic beta (PC) I will be honest, I am not entirely sold on the corporate punk-infused Riders Republic. I was never a big fan of Steep, even if I did enjoy some of my time with it. Riders Republic looks to be a more scattershot attempt to capture some of that magic, albeit with many more sports to play, tucked in what looks to be a more interesting open world. This all sounds well and good, but I am not sure how long it’s going to hold my attention for. Nevertheless, I want to see how it plays, and whether it can balance arcade fun with some form of progression. Ubisoft just opened up the Riders Republic beta. It’s open until Saturday, which seems a bit early, but there’s probably enough time for me to see what it is. Dorrani was pretty positive about it overall, so I am encouraged. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Automachef - maybe Two Point Hospital Automachef is free on the Epic Games Store this week, so I have decided to give it a try. The game seems right in my wheelhouse considering it’s a resource management puzzler, which is a type of game I really enjoy. In this game, you will design kitchens, program machinery which seems pretty interesting. Bascially, what you will be doing is building an automated restaurant, then program them to run on their own. While doing this, you will also perform some resource management and scenario puzzles. You may run out of food, or the kitchen may catch fire. You never know what will happen, according to the description. There are campaign levels, a contacts mode for business, and even a sandbox test mode. It sounds a bit like Two Point Hospital, but I will find out for sure once I fire it up and spend some time with it. Speaking of Two Point Hospital, I may give it another go too and grab the Culture Shock and A Stitch In Time packs while I am it. So there you have it. Riding around on bike and doing other extreme sports, designing kitchens and hospitals, and channeling our inner Raz. What do you plan on playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-13” author: “Jeffery Church”

While there are loads of things to do for the new few days, like enjoy a vacation, have a nice anniversary dinner, head to the shops, and do the usual weekend house cleaning, we plan on doing something other than what is expected of us. And this means games, games, and more games. This weekend, we will be running errands for hobbits and doing a bit of fishing, shoot it out with others online, and relive a bit of nostalgia with some older releases. Here’s what we plan on getting into over the next couple of days.

Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Valorant

I’m not sure what I’ll be playing this weekend, it’ll be a mix of different games for sure because I’m testing out a new 1440p 240hz monitor so I want to see what all the games look like at the higher resolution. First impressions are that even though the monitor cost an arm and a leg, it was worth every penny because holy shit games are looking sharp AF. But with that being said, of course I’ll be playing Valorant like I always do.

James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Fallout: New Vegas

It’s finally happened. I’ve become one of those sad old people that sits around playing retro games rather than the backlog of awesome new things they’ve paid good money for. If you don’t think Xbox 360-era games are retro, consider that the console came out in 2005. That’s as big a time gap from now as there was between the original 360 and Sega Genesis’ US release in 1989. I picked up a month of Game Pass for Hades (which I spoke about last week), but all I’ve downloaded is Oblivion (where’s our anniversary edition of the best elder scrolls game, huh, Bethesda?), Mass Effect 2, and Fallout: New Vegas, which surprisingly, holds up fantastically well because it always looked awful to begin with. Safe old friends, keep me warm in these troubling times. And please fetch my bag of Werther’s Original from the porch if you’re walking past.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Lord of the Rings Online, Stardew Valley

Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of my life playing Lord of the Rings Online. I know I sound like a boring sort, considering it always seems as though I am playing it, but I promise I play other things besides a life-sucking MMO. Thing is, the Farmers Fair festival is going on right now in the game, and it’s my favorite one of the year. It’s been live for a week, and I have yet to jump in on it, so I better before the devs pull it from the game. I want that new horse and the deer pets, after all. I haven’t played it in a few weeks either, because I spent every night from May through mid-July playing it and other games with my pals, and the man of the house was starting to feel lonely. I guess he needs a bit of my time too. Bless him anyhow, the big baby. When the news that Stardew Valley would be arriving on Xbox Game Pass this fall broke, it reminded me that I haven’t played it in ages, and that Sebastian and my dog are probably missing me. I have yet to propose to the fella, as I am a couple of hearts away, but I plan on asking - eventually. Hell, I’m scared to get married in real life enough as it stands now, so why would I in a game? My decisions in games sometimes mirror those I make in reality. Like, in BioShock I always save the little girls. Only an evil bastard wouldn’t do it. Well, that’s unless I am playing D&D, because then, I can be rather evil - if I’m not playing my Druid, who is chaotic good. There’s never a grey area with my characters, which makes me rather predictable and thus pretty boring.

Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Quake

I remember buying the boxed version of Quake back as a 13-year-old, not really sure if the game would even run on my PC. So to see a new version shadow drop during QuakeCon was really great. These days of course there’s no real concern over whether or not the game will run, but there are some neat new graphical touches to give the 25-year-old game a slightly modern feel. I blasted through about 20 minutes of the campaign and had a great time, and thanks to Game Pass, members can download it for PC and Xbox at no extra cost - it’s also on PS4, PS5, and Switch if you play on one of those platforms. Despite its dated look, Quake is still a joy to play and anyone who missed it or simply wasn’t gaming back in 96 should give it a whirl if only to get a taste of what FPS gaming was like back then.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Angela Hayes”

It’s that time of year when kids are deep into summer holidays and adults are wishing they were deep into summer holidays - with nothing better to do than kick back with The Witcher 3 or some other sprawling RPG from dusk until dawn. What are the best games you ever played through a summer vacation? Pokemon Ruby was always a big one for me when I was a kid. Then later I stayed up pretty much all night, every night playing the Mass Effect series, Fallout New Vegas mods, and of course - the greatest game of all time - Oblivion. This week though, the VG247 team are indulging in RPGs, rogue-lites, and road rage, with everything from brand-new releases to classics older than some of the staff. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Final Fantasy 4, Mini Motorways Because I’m a massive, disgraceful nerd, I’m actually going to play Final Fantasy 4 twice in the coming months… once now, in its original form (sorta) via the Game Boy Advance version of the game, and then once again when the FF4 Pixel Remaster lands on Steam. Why, I hear you ask? Well, like I said - disgraceful nerd, but also it’ll help me to compare the two with plenty of up-close and personal hindsight. I’ll also be trying out Mini Motorways, a new minimalist strategy simulation game out now on PC. This is from the same team that made railway simulator Mini Metro, which I absolutely adored, so I absolutely cannot wait to give it a try. Finally, I’ll be playing some top secret stuff for review. What stuff, you ask? Well, watch this space… James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Hades Hades’ console release has reminded me, one, that it’s absolutely brilliant, and two, that I haven’t finished it yet. I think I’ve completed a handful of runs to the end, but I’m yet to see the full story, which - if you’ve played even a minute of Hades - you’ll know is so full of intriguing and alluring mystery that it’s a wonder I ever put the game down. I’m very tempted to double-dip and pick it up on Xbox Series S, which has become my favourite living room media machine as of late, but the skinflint in me knows I’ll just whack up the old save on PC. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Naraka: Bladepoint, Valorant This weekend I’ll be playing more Naraka: Bladepoint. It’s a little clunky in places but it’s nice to play battle royale games that aren’t Apex Legends or Warzone every now and then. The one on one fights are satisfying because there is a level of skill involved and you can’t just spam attacks but it gets wild very fast when five or six players are fighting in close proximity. It’s got a clunkiness you’d expect from this sort of game but I’m still enjoying my time with it. And of course, I’ll be playing Valorant like I always do.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-30” author: “Adrian Carr”

Lucky for us, the weekend is now in full swing, and it’s time to play some games outside of work. This week, we will try to fight off the Ridden, indulge in an arena-style shooter, fight a bunch of annoying orcs, do some tactical shooting, and fire up our lute to play some metal in-game. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Splitgate, Back 4 Blood This weekend I’m playing a mixture of games. The first is Back 4 Blood. The beta has started and I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s the first co-op survival zombie-style game I’ve enjoyed in a long time, maybe even since Left 4 Dead 2. Sherif and I discussed what we thought about the game in the video below if you’d like to watch it. Also, since I didn’t get into the Halo Infinite technical test I’ve been playing the next best thing. It’s a free-to-play FPS game called Splitgate and it’s a combination of Halo’s core gunplay and combat fundamentals mixed in with Portals…portals. I’ve always loved arena-style shooters and the portals give you a crazy amount of movement options and outplay potential. Give it a try. It’s free. And of course, I’ll be grinding Valorant like I always do. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Back 4 Blood (PC) We’ve had access to the Back 4 Blood beta build for a few days now. I knew the game was fun from my time with the alpha, so I went in this week to explore the potential of the deck-building system and ended up loving what it does to the game. The card system’s UI, in particular, has been overhauled, and I imagine many people’s first experience with it in the beta will be much better than mine back in the alpha. I haven’t stopped playing since, but now that the first beta weekend is live, plenty of people on my friends list have access, which means lots of opportunities to play with people who aren’t terrible, and with whom I can safely voice chat with. I also want to mess around with creating more specialised decks that really serve a particular playstyle, rather than just group up all the good perks into one deck.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Lord of the Rings Online It’s been about a month since I logged into Lord of the Rings Online. I needed a break after playing it almost every day for the last few months since talking my buddies into reinstating their accounts. My friend Dow was wondering what the hell happened to me, and sent me a text a couple of times to see if I was still alive and kicking. Between Pokemon Go, Steam demos, trying to limit my after-work screen time, and other things, I just haven’t socialized online with my friends of late. I plan on remedying that tonight and throughout the weekend. My character is finally level 120 (although I have two maxed-out characters and eight others I use as bag space) and it’s time to try and get to that sweet level 130 so I can survive the War of the Three Peaks content - which I have yet to purchase.  Plus, I have neglected my band of late. See, in Lotro, you can have a band. Basically, I am multi-boxing five characters, each one playing a different instrument. What you do is, you take a midi and using a program designed for it, turn it into a .abc file. Then you slot it into your music file in the Lotro directory on your PC, and voila! You can play music. Each file has its own instrument line. So for example, No Leaf Clover by Metallica uses the Lute of Ages, Sprightly Fiddle, the Lonely Mountain Fiddle, a basic drum, and the basic clarinet. Then there’s The Memory Remains which makes use of the Lute of Ages, basic clarinet, basic drum, basic horn, and the basic bassoon. Yeah, I play tons of Metallica in the game, along with some really cool, and some obscure, 80s tunes. Oh, and I throw in some Gaga for good measure. I would post the video I made of my characters playing No Leaf Clover in here so you could see how it works, and hear what it sounds like for yourselves. But, I am both terribly shy and afraid of ridicule (lol).

Those are the game we are playing this weekend. What are your plans? Anything interesting going on in your lives? And what games do you plan on playing? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-26” author: “Anna Rabideau”

Unless you own a swimming pool, of course, and if that is the case, we are totally jealous and will be looking for an invite to partake in some wet fun soon. For those of us without a large concrete hole of cold water in which to cool off, staying indoors in the air conditioning is the best way to get out of the hot sun. And the best way to pass the time is to play some video games. This week, we’re learning to fly through the circling skies, trying out some demos, trying out new builds, and forcing cute little critters to fight with us. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Microsoft Flight Simulator, Final Fantasy, Pokemon Unite I’ve got a slightly busy weekend in that annoying ‘real life’ sense, but I do plan to slip a bit of gaming into the mix. First of all, I want to play a little more of Microsoft Flight Simulator - testing out both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of the game. I’ve got my hands on Thrustmaster’s new T. Flight Full Kit X, which is basically a flight stick and throttle designed and compatible with the Xbox consoles - which should be useful for Flight Sim but I also presume will work great in stuff like Star Wars Squadrons. I’m going to test those out, casually cutting about through the skies in a low-pressure way. When I do want some pressure, I know where I’ll be going - Pokemon Unite. The jury is rather still out on if this is really a gross pay-to-win affair or not, but what I will say for absolute certain is that it’s pretty damn fun, as I said in an article last week. I will continue to play… and maybe this week I’ll take out my credit card. Maybe. Finally, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are now out. I’ve just done the modification to improve/fix the terrible font, and now I’m all-in on a full play-through of the first game in the Final Fantasy series. It’s not that long a game - I might even finish it this weekend - but it’s sure to be a relaxing nostalgia trip. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – The Ascent (PC) The Ascent is finally out. I’ve been playing it for several days in preparation for our review, and though I finished it, I didn’t deviate too much from the critical path. This weekend, I want to play some more of it. In part because, now that the game is available for everyone on Game Pass and Steam, I am going to have so many people to play it with. I want to see how the challenge gets with one or two other players. The Ascent was pitched as a co-op game, after all, so I am keen to explore that side of it. I also want to spend a little more time in the world testing out weapons and abilities I didn’t gravitate towards initially. The Ascent is a good action game, but its upgrade system encourages sticking with the same weapons you’ve been using all throughout. Now that I have a better idea about the pace and flow of the game, I want to try out different strategies and mess around with builds. Can you just stick to hacking and a bit of stealth and not invest massively into firepower? I am looking forward to finding out. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Steam demos I have been rather bored with the usual fare of late. I haven’t fired up Lotro going on three weeks now, the gang and I haven’t gotten together to play Age of Empires 2, For the King, or Left for Dead 2 in the same amount of time. A break from Pokemon Go is also in order, but we will see how long that lasts because my mother still calls me three times a day to discuss it. Honestly, I just need a break from the games I usually play. That’s why this weekend I am going to give a few demos on Steam a try. One of the games with a demo available is Road to Hollow Hills. It’s a narrative horror adventure with exploration, combat, and puzzles where the outcome depends entirely on the player. Another title that looks interesting to me is Adapt, which is a survival evolution game with ever-shifting environments. In it, the species you play will need to find food and habitable environments. Your competitors will evolve alongside you, each trying to find food and territory as well to ensure their own survival. There’s also Knight of Exile which looks like something I would really dig. It’s a 2D action platformer with hack-n-slash combat, and in it, you are out for “revenge and redemption” to liberate a kingdom. I really like the art style, and hack-n-slash, so this will probably be one of the games I definitely try out. Speaking of hack-n-slash, Listen to the Wind looks like a lovely side-scrolling game. It features parry-attacks as the core gameplay as you fight Wokou in the Jiaqian Ming dynasty. It doesn’t support English, at least at this time, but I think I will give it a whirl anyway. Finally, there’s Storyteller and Patron. In the former, you are the one writing the stories. You start off with a title, characters, and settings and create your own twist on stories both familiar and new. As someone who likes to write silly things in her spare time, this game sounds like it will be rather interesting and hopefully fun. The latter is a survival city builder with social dynamics system. In the game, you gather and produce resources, turn your village into a prosperous city and navigate social tensions before they reach boiling point. If it is anything like Banished, I will love it, so this is definitely on my playlist. I might also give a couple of well-known games a try, as there are demos available for Little Nightmares 2 and Kingdom Rush Vengeance - Tower Defense available. Then again, who knows which one(s) I’ll try out this weekend. It’s not as though I don’t have very many choices. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Microsoft Flight Simulator As someone with an Xbox Series X and a Game Pass subscription, I felt it was my duty to give Microsoft Flight Simulator a whirl. After having to download an extra 27GB following the pre-load I finally managed to do just that. I’m no stranger to playing flight sims to show off new hardware. I bought the hugely impressive Flight Unlimited for PC back in 1995 simply because it looked so visually impressive. Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X is a stunning achievement. I’ve only dabbled so far, flying from Shoreham airport to Gatwick to ensure I flew over my hometown and done some sightseeing in Egypt, but there’s already no denying that this is a next-gen showcase. How much I’ll play once the novelty wears off, I don’t know. For now, though, I’m looking forward to doing some virtual tourism and perhaps even getting over my fear of flying - that warning about stalling isn’t helping, though.

What are you up to this weekend? Playing anything new? Are you stuck on something particular in a game? Or are you still playing something you started a while ago? Let us know in the comments.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Dianne Yoder”

Some of us are a bit busy doing other things this weekend, so playing games will not be a huge part of the equation, still, there will be a bit of time to pop in a game or two. This weekend, we’re going to be walking around a near-future Prague, catching creatures in balls and forcing them to fight, reaping a few souls, and giving a game creation game a second try. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor: Sniper Elite VR, Pokemon Unite My weekend will mostly be taken up with real-life stuff - we currently have some house renovations going on and are living in a brutally glorified building site - but I plan to find some time for a bit of gaming here and there. First, I’ve been experimenting a bit with Sniper Elite VR on my Oculus Quest 2, and it’s pairing with a few other cool VR experiences to help reignite my interest in virtual reality somewhat. Also, it’s hardly news, but going back to the Quest 2 - it really is a very nice piece of equipment. Probably the best VR headset out there on balance of value and functionality, right? Shame about the ties to an evil corporation and all that. Speaking of evil deeds, I’ll also be forcing cute animals to fight each other in Pokemon Unite. And to follow through on the evil thread here, I can’t quite believe how devious the monetization is in this game… but the thing is, the game itself is absolutely lovely, and so I’m finding it hard to dislike it too much. I never really thought a Pokemon MOBA would work - and yet here we are, and it’s deliciously addictive and surprisingly well balanced in mechanical terms, respectful to both the genre and the broader concepts of Pokemon. As is often the case, I’m also working on a couple of secret things, playing games that I can’t yet talk about. But stay tuned to the site for more on those. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Death’s Door, Pokemon Unite This weekend I’ll be playing Death’s Door. I’ve only played one or two hours of it so far and I can already tell it’s going to be a great game. It’s a game that reminds me of why I love gaming. None of the fancy photo-realistic graphics or convoluted gameplay mechanics, it’s just a crow with a sword trying to reap some souls and that’s all I need right now. I think Devolver Digital shot themselves in the foot by not releasing Death’s Door on Nintendo Switch as well, but my Switch is being put to use this weekend with the newly released MOBA game Pokemon Unite. I’ve never been a huge Pokemon fan but I’ve been playing MOBA’s for years so thought I’d give it a go. And it’s a lot of fun, to be honest. I don’t see myself playing it forever, but it’s still a pretty solid game and my Cinderace is a force to be reckoned with so watch out. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided You’re never supposed to go back to games you enjoyed in the past, but this weekend I’m reinstalling Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The troubled, but ultimately underrated immersive sim flopped so hard it killed the series - which you have to think is doubly a shame with cyberpunk back in vogue in such a big way. Slinking around the rain-slick streets of a near-future Prague was a ton of fun back in 2016, and I’m interested to see how the mid-era PS4 graphics translate to the PC version. What’s more, apparently there’s a load of DLC that I never knew existed, and which I also apparently picked up for pennies when I grabbed the game in a (not so) recent sale. If you need me, I’ll be sat in a dark room wearing a trench coat and mirror shades to really complete the experience.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor -  Pokemon Go (again)  Like last weekend, I plan on mainly playing Pokemon Go.  Pokemon Go Fest is over, but thanks to players completing global challenges, the first round of Ultra Unlock bonuses is live. From now until August 3, Dialga will be appearing in five-star raids, and Pokemon from various eras will be appearing more often.  Then you have a new batch of Pokemon appearing in both three and one-star raids,  which I am thankful for because you can only fight so many Espurr and Wobbuffet before you get a bit tired of it. The next Ultra Unlock bonus will feature Palkia appearing in five-star raids, and Alakazam, Kangaskhan, and Heracross appearing in three-star raids. I really want an Alakazam for the sole purpose of adding it to my Pokedex, because I don’t have enough candy at the moment to evolve it from Kadabra. During this time, Red-Striped and Blue-Striped Basculin will also be appearing and I don’t have either of those. A third Ultra Unlock bonus is also coming, but Niantic is being quiet about that one for the time being. Oh, and then there’s the August Community Day coming up starring Eevee, and I am pretty excited about it. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Dreams, PS5 I bought Dreams in Early Access what seems like years and years ago, but haven’t booted it up in a long time. The lure of the new collaborative MegaPenguin project lured me back in, and I really like what’s there so far. Hopefully, new additions from the community will arrive at a regular pace so the whole thing doesn’t lose momentum, and fingers crossed that there will be an element of trying to outdo each other that results in some brilliant slices of game. I also had a look at the Mercedes x Dreams project, which is an odd little thing. It feels a bit early-Xbox-Arcade-game-from-the-360-era, but I played it through the completion and don’t regret giving it a whirl.

So, that is what we’re up to this weekend. What are your plans? Trying anything new, still trying to finish your current game, or are you planning to revisit an old favorite?  

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-02” author: “Alex Jones”

This weekend, we are going to try to catch ’em all, drive around racetracks, and try out a new co-op loot shooter. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – F1 2021 This weekend I’ll be playing even more F1 2021. If you’d like to know what my driving skills look like, click the video above and feel free to laugh at me. Also, I feel like I haven’t sat down and played my Switch in a while so I’ll probably pick up Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. Nothing too exciting for me this weekend but I look forward to seeing what readers are playing. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor – Pokemon Go Pokemon Go just recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, but this weekend, another festivity is taking place. Pokemon Go Fest is here, and I can’t believe it’s only been five years since it took over the world. While it’s still a moreish collect-a-thon at heart, Pokemon Go has added tons of new gameplay mechanics over the years. From AR Buddy Adventures and battling Team Go Rocket to the ability to make background progress with Adventure Sync, there’s a lot more flexibility and different ways to play and have an actual good time than I remembered. While it’s obviously a lot more fun to attend the in-person events, Pokemon Go Fest is a chance to collect some rare and Legendary Pokemon while feeling like part of a larger community around the world. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Arcadegeddon (PC) If you’re a regular reader of this website, you’ll know that the only thing I love more than a demo is the surprise release of a game I never knew existed. Even if I may not be 100% on board with the premise, curiosity alone is usually enough for me to check out a shadow drop. The most recent one of those is Illfonic’s Arcadegeddon, which was unveiled last week on Sony’s State of Play, and released by the end of the show. Arcadegeddon is a co-op loot shooter you’ve probably seen a million times, but I am nonetheless intrigued by it. It has a neat style, which Illfonic said is inspired by Gorillaz, and it shows. The gameplay trailer showed off some decent mechanics, and though I am not a fan of Illfonic’s earlier work, Arcadegeddon is cheap enough and interesting enough that I want to play it. I’ve seen a lot of criticism about the amount of content the game has right now in the week since its release - this is, after all, early access - but I am not looking for something to sink 50 hours into, so I am not really discouraged by that. If it has a solid core that can be built on, why not?

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go Like James, I will mostly be playing Pokemon Go this weekend considering Pokemon Go Fest is going on. I only started playing the mobile game this past February, and have found myself logging in each day to do some Field Research, send presents, and catch a few Pokemon I have caught what feels like a gazillion times just to earn some of their candy. I just recently went from trying to fill out my Pokedex as much as possible to actually participating in three and one-star raids. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a very large Pokemon Go community in my town, as I can never seem to find more than one person to do a five-star or mega raid with. Hopefully, that will change this weekend during Pokemon Go Fest. My mother and step-father will be joining me this weekend in the festivities as I have them both hooked on the game now. My mother is especially hooked on it. Sometimes, she calls me or texts me up to three, four times per day just to talk Pokemon, raids, and just general Poke stuff. I have created a monster. Anyway, wish me luck on catching a few shiny critters and some Legendaries this weekend. So far, the only Legendary I have is Shadow Ho-Oh which I caught after finally beating the Team Rocket Go boss Giovanni. Took a couple of days, but thanks to Garchomp, Charizard, and Slowbrow, I finally defeated his line-up and caught my very own Ho-Oh.

That’s what we’re getting into this weekend. What are your plans? We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-24” author: “Robert Henninger”

This weekend we find ourselves visiting an old favorite, trying out a top-down shooter, going up against some monsters, and trying to save Middle-earth from a bunch of pesky Uruk Hai and orcs. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Chrono Trigger I don’t know quite what caused this - perhaps it was the reveal of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster rereleases, the first three of which launch later this month, but I’ve got an itch. It’s an itch I get every few years and it simply must be scratched - so I’m going to play Chrono Trigger. Chrono Trigger is one of the absolutes of the Japanese RPG genre, and anyone who knows their stuff also knows a few basic things to be true about its place in the world. That is: in the pantheon of Squaresoft classics, Final Fantasy 6 is the most mechanically important while Final Fantasy 7 is the most culturally important. Final Fantasy 9 is the most lovable, and your favourite. And Chrono Trigger is, undoubtedly, the best. Which is why I’ll replay it again, even though I’ve played and finished it many times before. Beyond this, most of my weekend will admittedly be taken up working away on a big game review. Look out for that on the site soon. I also just took delivery of a new arcade cabinet… and though I swore I wouldn’t get it out yet, I might tinker with it just a little this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Monster Hunter Stories 2 This weekend I’ll be playing Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. It’s a brilliant game set in the Monster Hunter universe but with a completely different combat system and a heavy emphasis on narrative. I was lucky enough to get it early for review purposes and I’ve completed the story mode but there is so much more to do in the end game. Now that it’s out and the servers are populated with players, I can finally try my hand at PvP. Wish me luck! James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Halo 5: Guardians, Skate 3 The downside of nailing your colours to one console’s mast is that you miss out on tons of awesome games. The upside though is that you can binge through them all once you finally cave. Since getting a decent PC and the Xbox Series S, I’ve been on something of a Game Pass-fuelled tear through the green-lit world of Microsoft, pillaging all in my wake. Next on the block is Halo 5: Guardians, which I picked up for all of £0.80 in Prime Day thanks to some leftover credit. My limited exposure to both Halo and Gears games means the slightly samey elements that I’ve read about in reviews feel fresh and exciting to me, so although pretty much every word any character says goes over my head, I’m having a whale of a time all the same. When I’m feeling something a bit more chill, I’ve taken to using the Series S to revisit some Xbox 360 games too - namely Skate 3. Games from that era tend to feel a bit basic these days, but there’s still something so satisfying about the stick flicks and physics that make it perfect to kick back and listen to podcasts with. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Space Punks Space Punks, the new top-down shooter RPG from Flying Wild Hog, doesn’t technically go live until next week. But one of the perks of this job is that we often get early access to games. I’ve been playing Space Punks for a couple of weeks now, and it has changed in a few ways since I first got my hands on it. Though I talked about how grindy certain parts of it can be in my preview, things are in a much better state now compared to just a few days ago. I want to put more time into the different characters, as I mostly played with Duke. Given that ability unlocks are a bit faster now, I expect this to let me really explore the different quirks of every class. I am looking forward to next weekend, too, because it’s then that everyone will have the opportunity to jump in. This means, more co-op buddies, something that’s surprisingly harder to find when only a handful of people have access to an online game.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Monster Huter Stories 2 demo, The Lord of the Rings Online This weekend I plan on giving the Monster Hunter Stories 2 demo a try on Switch. This will be my first foray into the series, so I am looking forward to seeing what the Monster Hunter fuss is all about. The game appeals to me because you can make monsters your friend, instead of just defeating every one of them in sight. With both of my gaming pals back from vacation, we have decided this weekend’s co-op jaunt will be The Lord of the Rings Online, Yeah, I know. I am always playing it, but we recently acquired our First-Age weapons by killing some Roving Threats and we’re anxious to level the weapons up and Imbue them - which sounds like a complicated process I just can’t seem to get my head around no matter how many guides I read. Also, I finally picked up the War of the Three Peaks mini-expansion. My friends haven’t grabbed it yet, so I might dive into the content on Sunday afternoon for a bit of me-time. This is if I find the time on Sunday between cleaning my disgusting house, giving the SUV a wash, and brushing the dogs. The latest addition to the house, Morty is blowing out his puppy coat, and the hair is getting everywhere. Wish me luck with this endeavor, because trying to brush an 85 pound 10-month-old German Shepherd puppy is like trying to put onesie pajamas on a three-year-old who just drank a 12-pack of Mountain Dew.

So, that is what we are doing this weekend. What are your plans? Are you trying out a new game, still slogging along in your current favorite, or revisiting something nostalgic? Let us know, as we love hearing about it.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “James Guerrero”

It’s a holiday weekend here in the states, so in between celebrating with beer, hamburgers, and fireworks, those of us not celebrating will be playing games. This weekend we will be playing some interesting demos, simming it up, channeling our inner demon slayer, solving puzzles with Legos, getting back into the swing of Valorant, and finally trying to outsmart a tall vampire lady. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Lego Builder’s Journey, MMO Tycoon 2 I didn’t quite finish out Lego Builder’s Journey last week, so I’ll be heading back this weekend to polish off the last of its cute puzzles. I’m loving the ray tracing implementation, and it’s just scratching my Lego itch in a new and exciting way. Basically, I love it. That’s all I have to say there. Meanwhile - MMO Tycoon 2 is one of my pick-ups from the Steam Summer Sale. It’s an early access game and I haven’t really had a chance to play it yet, but a friend of mine has been pumping in the hours and has been impossibly hooked to it - and so as a result it’s fair to say that I’m rather looking forward to getting into it myself. I’m a sucker for PC management, sim, and tycoon games - and so this looks like it’ll scratch all the right itches. Finally, I’ve got a few sessions of Sea of Thieves planned with friends. The A Pirate’s Life update has really drawn all of us back in, and it’s nothing to do with the Pirates of the Caribbean content, really - it’s just because the way it formats its story and adventures is better suited to the casual way we play the game. It’ll take us a few weeks, but I reckon we’ll finish that whole storyline. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Valorant Not a lot going on this weekend for me but I’m firmly back on Valorant now. My aim is getting back to how it used to be and I’m climbing back up the ranks after a slow start. Also, I do read the comment section on these posts and I see a lot of you responding with what you’re playing on the weekend but I often see a lot of single-player games, which is fine but I’d like to know what everyone’s favourite multiplayer games are. Lauren Aitken, Guides Writer - The Sims 4, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Stellaris Saying goodbye is never easy, and this week I said goodbye to Commander Shepard and co as I finally finished Mass Effect 3 Legendary Edition. I also finished GTA 5 for the first time and somehow managed to keep all three antiheroes alive, despite being chronically bad at it. Choosing who to keep around in games isn’t always an easy choice - unless your Kaiden or Ashley as you’re both as terrible as each other. When it comes to goodbyes, the final conversations with my super space boyfriend, Garrus, was just as painful as the first time and it’ll be a while before I’m ready to play it again. Speaking of goodbyes, this also happens to be my final submission for VG247. Fear not, fans of sarcasm, as you’ll see me somewhere new very soon. But for now, I’d like to thank all of you for following my guides and terrible jokes for the past few years and wish my colleagues here the very best. So, what will I be playing next? Well, the new The Sims 4 cottage DLC looks too good to ignore and I’ve got the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla DLC to smash through before I start my new role. I’ve also started my billionth Stellaris run-through where I promise not to go down the synthetics route again. Maybe.

Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Demos (PC) The Steam Next Fest is technically over; it’s all about the Summer Sale now. But as with Steam’s previous demo bonanzas, many of the same demos that debut during Next Fest remain available afterward. Plenty of developers understandably don’t want early, unfinished builds of their games out there for too long, so a lot of the demos disappear after the event is over. But others are happy to keep them up, usually because their games are closer to release and they want to drum up excitement for their projects. I continue to be amazed that demos are back as a legitimate marketing tool, and I am all for it. This weekend, I have my eye on a few of those remaining demos, and I am going to try out as many of them as I can. I am also playing a game we can’t talk about yet, but one that’ll definitely see and hear about over the next few days. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Resident Evil Village, decorating the home office The friends I play games with are busy this weekend with barbeques or are away on vacation, so it will be a single-player weekend for me. I really need to finish up Resident Evil Village, but other than that, I have no idea what I want to play. I never got around to playing Dark Alliance last weekend because the folks I play with decided they wanted to do other things over the weekend. This weekend, my main pal is going on vacation, so there won’t be any co-op sessions with her. For once, I really don’t know what I will be playing this weekend other than REV. I’d like to dive back into Skyrim since I was able to get the game running properly with all the mods I have installed. However, I have played that game so many times, I’m a bit burnt out - something I thought I would never say about an Elder Scrolls Game. What I will likely do this weekend is work on finishing up my office. My mother helped me install and finish some lovely bookshelves, which will soon be filled up with all of my nerd stuff like, well, Skyrim statues and books, my Zelda collectibles, Pokemon plushies, first and second edition Poe books, and horsey stuff. A very strange mix of things really. I also bought some strip lighting to go around the ceiling, and I have plenty of pictures, tapestries, dragon reliefs, and flags to hang. These consist of The Witcher, Skyrim, and Lord of the Rings prints, and Lord of the Rings standards. I also have the odd music poster I wish to frame, three of which are Led Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, and GNR. I know, that’s an odd mix of favorite bands. So, while I may not be playing much, at least my office will have somewhat of a gaming theme. I guess that counts as something gaming-related for the weekend. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Doom Eternal I love a next-gen update. Doom Eternal is the latest game to be spruced up, at no extra charge, for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (and PC). I’d been waiting to give this a go since the update was announced back in August last year. I jumped in on Xbox Series X (thanks, Game Pass) and I’m definitely glad I waited. For one thing, the game now has three visual options. There’s a ray-tracing mode, a high-performance 120 FPS mode, and a resolution mode. It’s fair to say that all of these look pretty smashing, with 60 FPS being the minimum. I opted for ray-tracing once I’d messed around with resolution, and it looks superb. I’m still very early on in the game, but the environments have been given an extra sense of reality, even though there are unlikely to be many games so far removed from actual reality. You just feel like you are part of the world now. I’m a sucker for fancy graphics, and Doom Eternal has now shot right up to the top of the list of showcase titles for Xbox Series X and PS5.

If you live in the US, you will likely be spending your time celebrating the July 4th weekend with cookouts and fireworks (don’t blow your fingers off), but surely you will also have time to play some games. If so, we’d love to know your gaming plans.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-02” author: “Mary Graves”

It’s time to wash the workweek off, throw on some comfies, grab some snacks, prop those tired feet up, and play some games. That’s what we’re planning to do at any rate. This weekend the usual chores and some socialization will surely take up some of our time, but there will be plenty of time left over to play some games. For the weekend, we’re joining the OSF, shooting bad guys, tending our islands, taking a hike, building a city, and maybe we’ll even try to survive being eaten by cannibals. Sounds like a very broad and diverse weekend, doesn’t it? Anyway, here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Lego Builder’s Journey It’s a bit of a short one from me this weekend - I’ve got a busy weekend doing that awful thing known as ‘real life stuff’ - but I do plan to find a little time to play Lego Builder’s Journey, the latest Lego game - and quite different from the kid-focused games the franchise usually gets. It was previously on Apple Arcade, but I’m an Android person, so that was out. Avid readers of VG247 will know that I’m quite a big Lego nerd, and so the idea of a lovely little Lego puzzle game is really exciting to me. On top of that, it’s a curiosity on PC, as it’s a photo-realistic showcase for ray tracing, focusing on lighting and reflections that illuminate the little plastic bricks as in real life. I expect I’ll write about what I think of it next week, so watch this space… Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Scarlet Nexus, Valorant This weekend I’m going to rush a second playthrough of Scarlet Nexus. Having already completed the game as Yuito, I want to see the story from a different perspective as the other protagonist Kasane. The cutscenes are long but thankfully I’ll be able to skip most of them this time and get straight to what I love most, which is combat. Also, I’ve gone back to Valorant recently. Riot is celebrating the game’s one-year anniversary and I’m so glad the game didn’t die out in its first year. I’m not the sharpshooter I once was when the game first released, and so much has changed, but hopefully, I can make a steady climb back up to diamond. Wish me luck! Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — A Short Hike, ACNH (as ever) A little bit of personal news: Monday will be my last day at VG247, so this is my final weekend feature! However, I won’t be going very far: after a few days’ holiday, I’ll be starting my new job at our sister site Rock, Paper, Shotgun. RPS is a PC gaming site — and while I believe I am still allowed under the terms of my new contract to enjoy games on other platforms, it kind of feels apt that I intend to spend a bit of time this weekend nostalgically lazing around on what’s surely been my favourite console-exclusive game over the past year. I of course mean Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which I’ve written about extensively during my tenure here. In between taking part in the first Bug-Off of Summer 2021 and attending my 57th K.K. Slider concert (so close to that next Nook Miles stamp!), I plan to play A Short Hike. I recently remembered about this lovely indie game — which is perhaps even more wholesome and chill than ACNH — and to say that I’ve been craving some time in the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful environments of Hawk Peak Provincial Park ever since is no exaggeration. I first played A Short Hike in nearly a single sitting back in December, on the day I found out I’d soon be working here at VG247. I only had the last section to go, but between the Christmas season and starting my new job, I sadly just never got back to it after that one marathon session. So I reinstalled it yesterday, and it feels kind of meaningful to bring my time here full circle by finally getting Claire to the top of that mountain. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Dark Alliance, The Forest, Foundation There are three games I want to play this weekend, and I am trying to decide which to allocate my time to. First up, there’s Dark Alliance which just released this week. It is available with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, which I have, so I thought I would give it a go with some other friends with a sub too. I am super interested in trying this game and as a D&D nerd, I am really interested in the setting considering it’s Icewind Dale.  Plus, Drizzt, the hunky Drow from RA Salvatore’s books, is in the game. Guess who I will be playing as? The party of four will also consist of his buddies Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Bruenor Battlehammer, and they are no slouches. But they still aren’t Drizzt. We’ll see if I can get all four of us to play it, as some of my friends aren’t as into the fantasy genre as I am. With the Steam Summer Sale going on, I finally bit the bullet and bought The Forest. It has been on my wishlist for ages, and I have no idea why I have waited this long to buy it because it has been on sale before. Who knows. I was probably too busy with my go-to games Lotro or Age of Empires 2. Anyway, I definitely plan on firing it up at some point over the weekend as I really enjoy survival games, and this one has a horror aspect to it. Another game I would like to try and find the time to play is Foundation, which I also bought during the sale. While I don’t normally purchase games still in early access, this one has very positive reviews, so I figured I’d trust the masses and get in on it early. What interests me about the medieval city-building game is the focus on “organic development,” monument construction, and resource management. In it, you are tasked with building a medieval settlement, managing manage resources, and a growing population. It also features narrative events, quests, and missions. Sounds like fun to me. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Prodeus Prodeus first appeared a few years ago as another of a growing trend in retro-inspired shooters. I’d completely forgotten about it, but now It’s now on Game Pass (in Game Preview form) for PC and I blasted through the opening level. I had a great time. This is exactly what you are expecting from an FPS with old-school Doom overtones but with the power of modern PCs behind it. It’s fast, it’s bloody, and it’s a whole lot of fun. By the end of the first level the music was pumping, the enemies were coming thick and fast, and the blood was flowing. So far, so very good.

That’s kind of an eclectic mix, isn’t it? Speaking of playing games, what are you firing up this weekend? We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-22” author: “Leonard Knight”

E3 is done and dusted, thankfully, so there is now time to actually play video games instead of just writing about them. This weekend, we’re heading off to worlds full of fantasy, chivalry, bike tricks, the wedding to end all weddings, and zombies. What a mix. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor – Mass Effect Legendary Edition, SimCasino, and secret stuff E3 has been pretty intense and has taken it out of me quite fully, so I’m feeling like I need to have a pretty chilled-out week. I also have a few real-life things to take care of - jobs around the house, family stuff to deal with - but as ever, I will squeeze in some gaming. First up, I’m going to continue my long and meandering journey through Mass Effect Legendary Edition. I’m about halfway through Mass Effect 2, but the speed of my play-through has been massively dented and my enthusiasm massively dampened by all the glitched achievements in the game - which despite what BioWare has said in patch notes, remains totally broken for me. Still, I’m slowly working my way through it. I’m also going to return to SimCasino, which I wrote about as something of a lockdown obsession of mine. This PC early access management sim keeps on growing with smart updates and additions, and I’m here for it. I return to it once every couple of months, and it’s become a comfort food video game for me - perfect for unwinding after the E3 stress. Finally, I’m working on playing a couple of games I can’t talk about yet that you can look forward to reviews of in the coming week or two. And sleeping. Lots of sleeping. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor – Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade In the next-gen hinterland where you’re never sure what’s coming out where, I sploshed a whacking £70 on Final Fantasy 7 Remake when it dropped last year. Being three years old when the game came out, but knowing all the spoilers through osmosis, I was pretty excited to see what all the fuss was about - until the promise of a bigger, shinier, PS5 version appeared halfway through my playthrough. Instantly sapped of any sense of spectacle, I resigned myself to another year of waiting, until this weekend, when I’ve finally got time to jump back in. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — still Danganronpa, plus maybe some action games I’m still on my mission to finish unravelling the mysteries of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc — further spurred on by the announcement at E3 that a new collection of the original trilogy, plus one of the spin-offs, will be released on Switch sometime this year. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to play any more of it this week: the Class Trials seem to get about half-an-hour longer every time, so having reached the final section of Chapter 5, I’m expecting to have to sit down for a good three hours to solve it. Do you have any idea how rarely I get three consecutive hours free on a weekday, Danganronpa?! I can’t even watch films anymore! I’m lucky if I can sleep for that long uninterrupted!! …So yeah, this one’s definitely a must-play for the weekend. If for some unforeseeable reason I get post-trial burnout on this visual novel about dead teenagers, I have a couple of games in mind to move on to. First up is Control: undoubtedly my favourite video game narrative of the past couple of years, but the game itself is one I keep bouncing off of for reasons I really can’t explain. Every couple of months I’ll pick it up, play six hours in a single sitting, then put it down for two months and repeat. But why? I love this game while I’m playing it, I love it while I’m thinking about playing it, but somehow I just struggle to get going every time. Hopefully not this time. Then there’s Marvel’s Avengers. The E3 announcement of Guardians of the Galaxy — while not by the same developers, or even really connected beyond the wider property and shared publisher — reminded me that I bought this game on sale after Christmas and that it’s still in its cellophane. Mixed reviews aside, I do still want to play it. But with the much-better-looking Guardians releasing in just a few months, it’s starting to feel like now or never if I want to move this title off my pile of shame anytime in the next five years. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Chivalry 2 Even before it was officially announced, the idea of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has always intrigued me. Though I am no Final Fantasy fan, I imagined it would be a more accessible version of Team Ninja’s Nioh, and I wanted to see what that’s like. And yes, the game’s showing at E3 didn’t impress, and impressions so far have been dire. But Team Ninja’s modern games were never really technical showcases. This is a developer that does punishing action games very well, and you can always expect deep, satisfying mechanics most other studios would shudder to even envision. I am going to go in with an open mind and just see what it is; judge it on its own merits. If I end up enjoying it, I’ll probably end up playing it on PC where it could look better than it does now on PS5. We’ll see. I am also planning to play Chivalry 2, which came out right in the middle of the E3 madness. Between covering the various events and watching the rest on my own time, I just never had time to actually play games this past week and change. But E3 madness has subsided, and it’s time to catch up on what I missed. Chivalry 2 is the big one, of course, as I really enjoyed the recent beta. Anyone who plays multiplayer action games regularly will tell you that those first couple of weeks of launch are often the game’s best. Before YouTubers create elaborate guides, and Reddit users discover the glitches and broken moves – this is the period where we’re all new, and we get to discover everything for the first time, exploring the game as we go. I am hopeful that this period will last a little longer in Chivalry 2 compared to - say, a game like Mordhau, which was quickly overtaken by ultra-hardcore, toxic shitbags. Chivalry 2’s more casual presentation and its more accessible mechanics will hopefully drive those sorts of people away, all the better for us. I imagine having cross-play between the different platforms will also mean I’ll be matched with players whose skills are similar to mine, thanks to the wider pool of players. I am particularly interested to try out the classes and loadouts we couldn’t access in the beta and spend a little time practicing my dragging. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor –  The Lord of the Rings Online, Left 4 Dead Now that E3 is behind us and I am not longer video-gamed out, I plan on playing a couple of things this weekend - once I get a good night’s sleep and probably a nap or two in - I am so very tired. Saturday nights, three friends and I always pick a game to play together, and this weekend it’s Left 4 Dead. The four of us are rather excited over Back 4 Blood, so we thought we’d give Turtle Rock’s original zombie shooter another go for old time’s sake and to prep for the new game’s release in October. I have to admit I am not great at first-person shooters, but my pals are very patient with me and don’t get too upset when things get frantic and I accidentally shoot one of them. They also promise to go a bit slower instead of running here and there super fast, leaving me behind. If a real zombie apocalypse were to happen, well, we’d all be screwed with me in the group. Just leave me behind. It would be best for the other survivors, and I would understand. No hard feelings. The Lord of the Rings Online kicked off its midsummer festival yesterday, and I am ready to jump in and complete some festival-related quests so I can earn currency to buy a new horse (there are six), outfits, and new pet chipmunk which is super cute. Last year, Standing Stone games introduced the new annual event which celebrates the wedding of Aragorn and Arwen. The wedding was a long time coming because Elrond wouldn’t allow Arwen and Aragorn to get married until the latter became the King of both Arnor and Gondor. Now that he is king, it’s time to celebrate - with tons of quests that have you running around all over Minas Tirith doing favors for wedding planners and everyone else. There is also an epic questline associated with the celebration, and smaller celebrations throughout Middle-earth in Thorin’s Hall, Celondim, Duillond, Bree, and at The Party Tree outside Bilbo’s house in Hobbiton. While these repeatable quests can get a bit tedious, if you want everything there is to offer, it’s best just to stick your chin out and get everything done. Plus, there is a 10-hour cooldown or so on each quest, so you will at least get a bit of a break. Unless, of course, you jump on another character who needs to complete them. I couldn’t find a video to show you of the festivities, so I just popped in one that features the soundtrack for the festival. The music in Lotro is top-notch, and this particular piece composed by Bill Champagne is rather lovely. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Descenders I haven’t had a busy week when it comes to actually playing games, instead watching a lot of E3 content I missed during the workday, but I have been dabbling a little with Descenders. It’s fair to say that I’m not good at downhill biking in a virtual world (and I expect in the real world, too), but Descenders delivers moreish mini plates full of speed and danger that are perfect for 10 minutes of gaming here and there. The game has also received a nice Xbox Series X update recently, which makes it look nicer or run smoother depending on your preference and TV’s capabilities. Descenders feels like one of those success stories that goes quietly unnoticed. If you like the idea of high-speed, high-stakes, trick-filled bike riding, give this a whirl. It’s on Game Pass if you’ve got that.

Of course, we have other things to do this week. Things we let slip while covering E3 2021, but still, video games will be a large part of the equation. What do you plan on getting up to over the next couple of days, and what are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-30” author: “Diana Obhof”

With the weekend looming, it’s time to think about what we will be playing over the next couple of days. Some of us may not have much time to indulge in our favorite pastime, as there are other things that need doing - plus there’s E3 2021 to cover. It’s set to be a busy weekend between running errands, trying to stay cool in the shade, treating the yard, and covering E3 madness. All that aside, here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer -Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Guilty Gear Strive I imagine just about everyone is playing Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart this weekend, I know I definitely am. I need to know what sorta voodoo Insomniac is doing for the game to look this good and run this well. Also, I’ll be brushing up on my fighting game skills in Guilty Gear Strive. Steady progress is being made, but it’s going to be a long journey until I can hold my own online. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Star Wars Squadrons I love a bit of Star Wars, me. So this weekend, I feel like having a bash at this month’s PS Plus game, Star Wars Squadrons. For better or worse, one thing the EA Star Wars games got right is the soot-smeared, grungy aesthetic of the series’ vehicles, and I’m pretty interested to see how that translates to an in-cockpit shooter. Outside of that, I just realised I bought Dragons Dogma on Switch digitally - so I can redownload it to my Switch Lite and add it to the ever-expanding list of 100 hour RPGs clogging up my hard drive space. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Until Dawn I’m usually pretty easygoing when it comes to completing games: even short titles often last me months, while big open-world RPGs have been known to take me literal years to finish. But every now and then I’ll get a bee in my bonnet about finishing a game before a certain event. On this occasion, after contentedly going through Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc about one chapter a month, I’ve more or less arbitrarily decided I want to finish it by late July. That’s when the five-game Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection gets released, and I depart for my happy place in the company of Miles Edgeworth and Herlock Sholmes for the foreseeable future. For a visual novel, Danganronpa is a long game. It took me 25 (admittedly leisurely) hours to reach the halfway point, which is fine — but since those 25 hours were spread over four-plus months I’m clearly going to need to pick up the pace. I’ve taken to giving it an hour or so most evenings — mainly so my laptop fan doesn’t scald the skin off my knees while playing during the heat of the day. To keep me occupied until nightfall, then, I’ve recently started another project: a kill-’em-all run of Until Dawn. Until Dawn is one of my all-time favourite games: it was the main reason I finally got a PS4, and along with Telltale’s The Walking Dead, it served as my introduction to a game genre that is now one of my very favourites. But despite that, I’m nowhere near the Platinum yet — mainly because I’m such a goody-two-shoes paragon who gets way too attached to fictional people and always tries to save as many as possible. So I haven’t seen many of the character deaths outlandish enough to merit a dedicated trophy — and I’ve never even got close to the no-survivors ending. Well, not this time, my poor doomed friends! (Despite my best efforts, I’ve never quite managed to save everyone in a single run either, so afterward I intend to salve my conscience with an everyone-survives playthrough that, I hope, could finally get me that Platinum.) Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Will be too busy with E3 related stuff Yeah, I know that sounds pretty boring but it’s true. E3 is one of the busiest times of year for me, and the site as a whole, so there will be much to do over the course of the weekend. And to be honest, I will probably be video gamed-out by the time E3 ends. Saturday, there’s the Guerrilla Collective Showcase, Ubisoft Forward, and the Devolver Digital Showcase which is sure to be wild as hell. And that’s just Saturday: Sunday is going to be even busier. There’s the 90-minute Xbox + Bethesda Games Showcase, the Square Enix E3 Conference, a Back 4 Blood Showcase, the PC Gaming Show, and the Future Games Show to cover. Talk about a frantic day. I might develop carpal tunnel syndrome by the end of it. All joking aside, I am really looking forward to what Microsoft and Bethesda have in store for us. In my opinion, Microsoft tends to knock it out of the park more times than not, and Bethesda is one of my favorite game developers. I am not holding out hope that something Elder Scrolls 6 related will be shown, as Todd Howard has said in the past it’s quite a ways off. Plus, Bethesda isn’t one to show much of a game while it is in development, which is good because you aren’t drip-fed a bunch of information or teasers for years at a time. But, I dunno, you never know. If they do end up giving us another ES6 teaser, I may send Todd Howard flowers. What I do expect to see from the company is a look at Starfield. I’m not psychic, and I could be wrong. But now’s the time to show it. Starfield was revealed at E3 2018 and is set to come out before The Elder Scrolls 6, so a proper look at it has been a long time coming. Other than Bethesda, there are other Microsoft studios with projects in the works, and it will be interesting to hear more about those, as well as any information on Xbox Games Pass and how the company plans to integrate cloud gaming directly into the Xbox app on PC and into the console experience. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart I’ve been playing a lot of Ratchet’s debut on PS5. I’m more or less through my new game + playthrough now, and still absolutely loving the game. In my Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart review I gave it five stars, and it’s absolutely deserving of that accolade. It’s just a wonderful game to play and it looks gorgeous. In the UK £70 is a lot to pay for a video game, but this is, for me anyway, the first real look at what current-gen games can offer in terms of visuals. The size of the worlds, the detail, the lighting, the reflections, it’s all brilliant. Neat performance modes also let you play at 60 FPS if that’s your bag, and this enhances what is already the best playing game in the series. The addition of hover boots, which let you jet about at breakneck speed, add a lot to the game, with some levels having a touch of Sonic the Hedgehog about them, but if 3D Sonic games were actually good. The only real downer with Rift Apart is that I’ll be 100 percent finished with it soon. Can I dare to hope for some DLC worlds full of collectibles? I can dream.

That is what we are up to this weekend. What are your gaming plans? Obviously, some of you will be watching E3 2021 streams, but surely you will also find the time to try something new or revisit a favorite. As usual, we’d love to know what your plans are.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-11” author: “Charles Burdick”

The weekend is here folks, and you know how you want to spend it: playing video games. We know that’s what we want to do, anyway. As usual, adulting will come into play this weekend, because some things just can’t be accomplished during the week. Like buying a new dishwasher. That’s never fun. Or maybe it is! We’ll have to wait and see. There’s also the matter of a favorite Uncle’s birthday, a baby shower, and a niece’s graduation to attend, television shows to catch up on, plus the usual yard work, and also cleaning the home up so someone doesn’t call those ladies from How Clean Is Your House? over to our place. While it may seem like a busy weekend, in between the chores and fun engagements, there will still be plenty of time to get our game on. Here’s what we’ve been playing and are planning to play this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Knockout City The burnt out from last week has ended and I’m back to the addiction that is gaming. I said last week I was going to give Hunt: Showdown a go, I did and it’s alright. I think I was looking for something closer to Escape from Tarkov and Hunt just falls a bit short but it’s no big deal. I still enjoyed it. This weekend I’m playing Knockout City. I recently made a video about it just saying how much of a surprise it was to me. It’s fun just chilling with some pals in a casual-competitive dodgeball game and I think it’ll be enough to get me through to Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart release date. Definitely check out Knockout city if you haven’t already. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmliox1trPQ James Billcliffe, Guides Editor – FIFA 21 My backlog has wedged itself into that paralysing position where I can’t quite bothered to start anything, but there’s too much incredible stuff in there to justify purchasing something else - regardless of how temptingly discounted it is. When indecision beckons, it’s easiest to slip back into those ol’ faithful games that you can switch your brain off with, and for me, that’s FIFA 21. I’m not talking about the terrible Ultimate Team mode that’s only good for an aneurysm and emptying your wallet, but the equally terrible Career Mode, that through years of neglect from EA Sports has become the most unbalanced and unrealistic sim that for some reason I’m happy to play pretty much every single day. I think there’s just something comforting about the familiarity of the format and the everyday fantasy of playing with your favourite teams - even if every third game finishes 8-4. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — chippin’ away at my endless backlog of games It’s suddenly become hot as balls here in the UK this week, and as much as I want to play around with my shiny new copy of The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator, or hunt out a few more secret endings in the Monster Prom games, or even finally finish Danganronpa — I can’t quite stand the thought of spending much time with my overheating laptop perched on my knee. If I want to game this weekend without broiling myself alive, clearly I need to turn to my consoles. Luckily, I have a vast collection of half-finished console games that will presumably be thrilled to see me return from my long winter love affair with my toasty-warm PC. Maybe it’s time to finally get back into Haven — the couch co-op game my partner and I were enjoying enough that we invested in a proper second controller for the Switch… and so naturally haven’t played once in the six weeks since that arrived. Or I could dust off my PS3 and once again have a mooch around New York City in LEGO Marvel’s Avengers — a game I bought upon its release in 2016 but only started making real progress in during the long lockdowns of 2020. Those are just two of the dozens of games currently giving me the side-eye from atop my pile of shame. To be honest, though, as long as I somehow manage to stay hydrated this weekend — and maybe even manage to find a shady spot in the garden to enjoy the good weather while it lasts — I’ll call that a win. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Necromunda: Hired Gun (PC) I recently finished our review of Necromunda: Hired Gun on PC. Unfortunately, we received the review code fairly close to the embargo date, so I ended up mainlining the campaign to try and finish it and deliver the review on time. This meant that I only checked out a few of the game’s side-missions, but this weekend, I want to try and see more of them. Hired Gun’s expansive levels are one of its greatest qualities, and I wouldn’t mind going back there to explore them some more and blow off a few more heads. This should give me a good influx of cash, which I am going to spend on maxing out all my augmentations, as well as those of my mastiff. I may even start another playthrough on a higher difficulty to see if combat could get more interesting. I doubt any of that will change my mind about Necromunda: Hired Gun, but I am not quite done with it just yet. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Frostpunk, Little Nightmares I have always wanted to give Frostpunk a try, since everyone I know who has played it enjoyed their time with it. But my backlog is rather embarrassing, so I didn’t want to add another game onto the pile. Well, thanks to the Epic Games Store giving Frostpunk away this week, I figured I would go ahead and bite the bullet. Instead of just adding it to the pile, I am planning on giving it a go this weekend. Another game like so many others on my “to play” list is Little Nightmares. It too was free for a time last weekend on Steam, so I grabbed it. I really like the sound of this one, and everyone raves about it, so I will likely play it first. Maybe. It honestly depends on the mood I am in when I finally have a chance to sit down in front of the PC this weekend. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief – Very Very Valet, Nintendo Switch I’ve been messing about with my son on Very Very Valet, a fun multiplayer game in which you play car valets. This isn’t really a job that many UK people will be familiar with outside of films, but essentially you must park the cars of people attending a restaurant or club, then retrieve them when they leave. Obviously, being a video game aimed at creating the most fun possible, things are not played as a simulation. After picking a larger-than-life muppet-like character, you and a friend (up to four people can play) must take on the game’s exaggerated physics and bizarre environments to get the cars where they need to be by any means necessary. If that means sending a car flying with a car launcher or driving straight off the top of a restaurant roof in order to deliver a car on time, so be it. It’s all part of the fun, and what makes Very Very Valet a great game to play with the whole family.

That’s what we are playing this weekend in between doing everything else. What are your gaming plans? As always, we’d love to know what you are playing.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-06” author: “Shelia Eversole”

The US celebrates Memorial Day on Monday, which means it’s a three-day weekend for most. Over in the UK, on Monday, folks will be enjoying a Bank Holiday, so it’s a nice time to relax for both regions. And what better way to spend the time than by playing video games? Of course, this is in between holiday cookouts, maybe a bit of horseback riding, spending time with the folks, and doing things around the house. But in between, we plan to spend some time in space, listen to folks talk in Simlish, try something we haven’t before, and maybe even visit an old favorite. Here’s what we’ve been playing and plan to dive into this weekend. Alex Donaldson,  Assistant Editor - Mass Effect Legendary Edition - and a bit of off-grid downtime Dorrani Williams, Video Producer –Hunt: Showdown, or maybe nothing at all I won’t lie, I’m super burnt out on games at the moment and I’m just not excited to play anything in particular right now. I get into this mood like twice a year and I think it’s healthy to take a break from thinking about games 24/7. If the mood lifts I do want to give Hunt: Showdown a look since I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, and PvPvE games are right up my street. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Genshin Impact Have you SEEN how good Genshin Impact looks on PS5? Now Paimon’s wondrous beauty matches her angelic and not-at-all incredibly, gratingly annoying voice. I played a decent chunk of the game last summer when it first dropped, and it looks like it’s time to pick the free-to-play RPG back up and get my character ready for the new stuff on the horizon. It’s one of the few free RPGs that doesn’t feel super stingy with its items, and during the story, I’m yet to run into the same time-wasting mechanics that seem ubiquitous elsewhere.

Lauren Aitken, Guides Writer - Mass Effect Legendary Edition - Mass Effect 1 Having finally finished Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it was time for me to begin a completionist playthrough of my favourite trilogy of all time. I’m just about to head to Ilos and will probably complete Mass Effect this weekend before catapulting myself straight into Mass Effect 2. The Mass Effect trilogy holds a special place in my heart as I played it over and over at one of the lowest points in my life, so to be replaying it in stunning 4K quality during one of the happiest times feels really special. Plus, I’m playing it on an OLED TV on my PS5 so it looks fuckin’ mint. I am very much looking forward to romancing Garrus for the 20th time instead of pursuing other options once again. Aside from that, I’ll probably get some stonks in ACNH and play a little more GTA 5, which I started for the first time a few weeks ago. I say play, what I really mean is wreck myself in completely avoidable car crashes because I can’t drive for shit. C’est la vie. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — The Sims 4 There’s a joke among Sims fans that you play the game in cycles: specifically, you spend a few weeks dedicating every spare hour to it, then barely think about it for at least two months. As you can probably tell by me bringing it up in the first place, I’m doing the former at the moment. With convenient timing to feed into my current obsession, The Sims 4 base game got a significant gameplay update on Thursday, supporting the release of the Dream Home Decorator game pack next week. The headline new feature is the ability to select up to 20 likes and dislikes per Sim, across categories including hobbies and music genres. I love building Sims’ personalities, and I could easily see myself spending several hours just going through my saved games choosing everyone’s favourite colours. Serious business, I’m sure you’ll agree. Fortunately, it’s another three-day weekend here in the UK; and while last time I did manage to make something of my comically over-ambitious bank holiday plans, I’m thinking of doing the exact opposite this time. Cozying up on my sofa and sinking as much of those 72 hours as possible into The Sims 4 sounds like a very relaxing way to spend the long weekend. (Assuming the weather’s too miserable to go outside, that is… which feels like a safe bet after the month we’ve had here.) Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Don’t Starve, maybe something else This weekend may be a bit too busy for me to spend hours and hours playing anything. The D&D group I have played with on and off over the last few years has decided it’s time to get the band back together, so I may pop over to my buddy’s house and play a session this weekend. I am also supposed to go horseback riding with my aunt on Saturday, but it looks like it might rain, which it always seems to do on Memorial Day weekend in my area of the state. To be honest, I haven’t been on a horse in ages, and I am worried I will be too sore to do anything but lounge on the couch and get sloshed afterward. So, it may or may not happen. We’ll have to wait and see. As far as games go, I was looking over my Steam library the other day, browsing through the plethora of games I own that I have not played. We have all done it: bought a game through a Steam sale and just never got around to giving it a go. But I plan on trying to at least get my money’s worth and play something I haven’t yet. Speaking of sales, the Steam Open World Sale is going on this weekend, and there are plenty of things tempting me. The Forest is on sale, so is Divinity Original Sin 2, both of which have been on my wishlist for ages. Considering the prices on each are rather nice, I may have to bite the bullet and add them to my library. While looking over my library, I noticed I haven’t played Don’t Starve in ages. Like, since 2016! It has to be one of my favorites games, honestly. I mean, I have put 109.5 hours into it. I have tons of cool Steam Workshop offerings installed too, and there are many more I could add to spice things up a bit, so I plan on firing it up. Plus, the latest expansion, Hamlet is available, and I have yet to try it out three years after its release. If you have never played Don’t Stave, or like randomly generated open-world games with elements of survival and roguelike gameplay, you should really give it a try - or any Klei Entertainment game for that matter. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Dead Space I’m a sucker for earning Microsoft reward points. On the Xbox, these can be earned by the Rewards App and via Game Pass Quests. One quest this week needed me to play Dead Space, so I obediently downloaded it and gave it a whirl. I was a big fan back on its release, and it’s nice to see that the game has aged very well indeed. It helps that the game is so dark and moody, hiding a lot of the visual shortcomings of the Xbox 360 era. While the series ended up going a little wayward with the third mainline game, this is still a franchise I’d love to see return one day, complete with modern visuals that would surely come alive with new-fangled lighting techniques.

So that’s what we’re up to this weekend. What are your plans for the long weekend? Surely you will have time to pop in a game or two and enjoy yourself. As always, we’d love to know what you plan on playing.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-22” author: “Janie Layton”

Some of us are doing adult things over the weekend, like putting together new recliner chairs, laying laminate, cleaning the house, and even giving the dogs a bath. But in between, we are definitely going to find time to play some games. That’s right: adulting the entire weekend be damned because there are orcs to slay, turnips to buy, bad guys to shoot, and a couple’s marriage to save. With that said, here’s what we’ve been playing and are planning to play this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Apex Legends, It Takes Two There are so many games in my backlog I need to play, It Takes Two, Disco Elysium, The Life is Strange games and I should probably dust off my Oculus Rift and give Half-life: Alyx another go. But it’s unlikely that I’ll get around to those games anytime soon when Apex Legends has me in a headlock. Love it or hate it is still the game I grind every day with my friends. But Sunday morning, I’m going to try my hardest to pry myself away from Apex and relax on some It Takes Two. Hopefully, it will teach me a thing or two on how to fix my toxic relationship with Apex legends. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Fantasian Adulting beckons, so I was tempted to say I’d be playing Tetris this weekend while I lay a laminate floor. But really, I’ll be relaxing in the evenings with Fantasian, the new JRPG from the creator of the original Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi. I somehow managed to redeem my phone’s free Apple Arcade sub on precisely the same day that maybe the best game to ever drop on the service came out, and it’s lived up to the billing so far. The music is chill, the environment art - where characters are layered over pictures of hand-built models - is beautiful, and the Final Fantasy rip-offs are frequent. The bartender is even called Cid! Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Final Fantasy 7, Fantasian Yeah, there are loads of new games out. So what? I’m currently part-way through a replay of Final Fantasy 7 - the original, not the remake - and I intend to spend much of this weekend polishing that off. Even though I own these games on countless platforms, for some reason I’ve found myself attracted back to the Final Fantasy games that have entered Xbox Game Pass. I finished Final Fantasy 8 last week, and then my thoughts immediately turned to 7 and 9. I reckon I’ll eventually do both, but I’ve chosen 7 first because the PS5 release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is near, so by replaying now it’ll be nice and fresh in my mind when I sit down to play that. I’m going for the full 1000 achievement points, because why not - so I’ve been doing a lot of grinding to unlock Great Gospel before that thing happens. More than anything, playing FF7 and FF8 back-to-back really drives home how stunningly impressive a step-up FF8 was, despite all its flaws. Aside from that, like James I intend to give Fantasian a look - I just purchased an Apple TV 4K for this express purpose - so it’d better be worth the investment! I’m also working on reviews for a few games that… I can’t talk about it yet. But if you look at the upcoming release schedule for this month, you can probably guess. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Not to sound like a stuck record, but this weekend I’ll be playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. No please, wait, hear me out. Admittedly, I’ve played at least half an hour of ACNH every single day since I finally got my copy an astounding 345 days ago. By now I feel like I’ve seen almost everything I’m going to see. But because I was ever so slightly late to the desert island paradise party, I have yet to experience the Spring Fishing Tourney or witness the end of Cherry Blossom Season — both of which, quite conveniently, take place this Saturday. So that’s what I’ll be playing this weekend. After that, I’ll start trying to cut back a bit. Probably. Maybe sometime in May.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - The Lord of the Rings Online My always go-to game when it comes to getting my Tolkien fix is what I am diving into this weekend. I finally convinced two of my friends, who quit the game years ago, to come back and play with me now that they have disowned WoW. So far, we dabbled in the Spring Festival which ended in the wee hours on Wednesday and gave the Red Maid and a bunch of flower-eating goats the what for on multiple occasions. Now that the shrew stomping and maze running is over, it’s time to get back to business. This weekend, we will be trying to level some lower-level characters and do a couple of Garth Agarwen runs over in Agamaur. Here, we will do our very best to fight the massive tree gone mad, Grimbark; fight Temair the Devoted, a priestess of the Creoth tribe of Hill-men; and show the Gaunt-lord Ivar the Blood-hand and his army of the Dead who’s boss. Wish us luck, these three instances can be a bit tricky. I could just bring my level 130 hunter into the group instead of my level 35 minstrel and one-shot everything to get my friends in and out alive. But what’s the fun in that? Tom Orry, Editor-in-chief - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime I had some extra time off following the long Easter weekend, so I had a look in my library for a co-op game I could tackle with my son. We’d just finished the superb It Takes Two, so finding something as good was always going to be a tough ask, but I think we got close with Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. In this 2D space shooter of sorts, playable by up to four people locally, you each take control of a single character who can run about inside a spaceship. This spaceship (of which more can be unlocked) has stations that operate the guns, the shield, the thruster, and the map. You must work with your fellow player(s) to jump around and operate each of these as you navigate round the levels, shoot enemies, and eventually take on huge bosses. It’s fair to say that Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is one of the most argument-inducing games I’ve ever played. I had to take breaks to calm down after suffering relentless screams from my seven-year-old to “get on the shield” even though I was the only person operating a gun and he was busy applying upgrade gems. Let’s not get into it again. I’m over it. We both had a great time, but this isn’t a game to play through in one sitting unless you want to teach your children some words you won’t want them to repeat on the school playground.

These are definitely some interesting and varied choices, which leads us to ask: what are you playing this weekend? We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-11” author: “Tameka Anyan”

Even though you might unwind during the week in the evenings with a gaming session, the weekend is a great time to play games, because you aren’t busy with work, making sure the kids have brushed their teeth, or dealing with the stress of normal, everyday life. Playing games can be cathartic too, and being able to bash a few baddies or live vicariously through a certain character can be good for one’s mental state. Plus, it can help your brain either think or relax depending on what you are playing. This weekend, we plan to tackle our backlog, play the latest release on PC, revisit a previously released game, and maybe even try something entirely new to us. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend: Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - The Last of Us 2 PS5 (maybe) This is one of those weekends where nothing is on the agenda gaming-wise. The backlog is building up and my Steam library is staring at me with disappointment. Saying that I might start my replay on The Last of Us 2 since it got the PS5 update but chances are, as soon as I relax and get ready to press start and begin a new playthrough, I’ll get a message from my friends to either play Valorant or Apex Legends and I’ll probably say yes. Friends really are the biggest threat against gaming backlog progression. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — Life is Strange 2 I’ve been on a bit of a Life is Strange kick lately. That might be down to the steady drip-feed of hype for Life is Strange: True Colors over the past few weeks; or that I’m currently reading the latest volume of the comic book continuation of the first game. Or maybe just that I’m always, on some level, on a Life is Strange kick. Whatever the reason, this weekend I’ll be trying to get the final few trophies on Life is Strange 2, the only game in the franchise I’ve yet to Platinum. I’m already on the last episode of my second playthrough, with only three trophies to go. Heavy subject matter aside, it sounds like a suitably low-stress way to spend a couple of hours this weekend. I honestly love Life is Strange 2 — mainly because Sean Diaz is one of my favourite video game protagonists, even if he can’t quite unseat his franchise-mate Chloe Price as the G.O.A.T. from my point of view. But I’m not overly looking forward to reaching the end again, since I don’t really like any of the possible outcomes to this story. To be fair, the only Life is Strange game I felt stuck the landing was Before the Storm, and that’s probably because as a prequel it was basically a foregone conclusion. For me, the Life is Strange series has always been more about journeys than destinations — so I’ll be sad to see it end again, in more ways than one. (Even if it will be sweet to ping my first Platinum trophy in a while.) Still, less than four months to wait until True Colors arrives and, I dare say, brings with it a whole new set of characters and scenarios for me to emotionally over-invest in. I genuinely can’t wait. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Days Gone (PC), Battlefield 5 (PS5) I didn’t enjoy my time with Days Gone on PS4 when I played it at launch. The only thing I was really into was the loop of rummaging through cupboards and car trunks for components, crafting, and occasionally avoiding/taking out a few zombies in between. Having no love for its protagonist, world and many of the design decisions Bend made with gameplay, however, made it impossible for this loop to keep me engaged beyond 20 or so hours. But I remember thinking how much better it must feel on mouse and keyboard with framerates higher than 30fps. I got my wish this week with the release of Days Gone on PC, and I spent some time playing it. Unfortunately, so much of what I hoped would feel better on PC just doesn’t. The framerate is significantly higher, sure, but Days Gone’s hefty, animation-lead character movement is a nightmare on a keyboard. Aiming, another area I felt the precision of a mouse would really make smoother, feels about as scrappy as it did on a DualShock 4, and I regularly have to rely on the bullet time mechanic to have any real chance of landing killing shots. But I want to salvage whatever I can from this irredeemable game, so I am going to turn to the old art of cheats. I want to boost all my stats, unlock all weapons and see if I could take on the game’s famous big hordes, which is really the only thing I just couldn’t do on PS4. I suspect once I push those limits, that’ll be the end of my time with it. You might recall that a couple of weeks ago, I decided to given Battlefield 5 on PS5 a shot. Though I usually can’t aim worth a damn on controllers, I wanted to see how well I could do nevertheless. The influx of new players from PlayStation Plus, matchmaking landing me in skill-appropriate games, and DICE’s work with aim assist over the course of BF5’s life all combined actually made it fun to play. I was surprised to find that I am shockingly okay at it. I landed in the top five on my team in every game I played, and though I am still nowhere near good enough to play shooters on a controller, I am not struggling – I feel competent – which is more than I honestly imagined. I want to play some more this weekend, perhaps try and work on my long-range accuracy. Dorrani and I recorded our thoughts on what we’d like to see in the next Battlefield earlier this week, and I am in the mood for some of that Battlefield chaos. If Battlefield 6 – or whatever it ends up being called – knocks it out of the park, I could see myself playing it on two different platforms, so this training should pay off. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Skyrim, something on Switch I have tons of things to do around the house this weekend, like finally hanging up the storm door. I also have so many boxes from the move I still have to go through, and then there’s the yard. It really needs mowing. But in between doing things I don’t really want to be doing, I plan on having a bit of fun I plan to play Skyrim: Special Edition this weekend, because last week while I was on vacation, I never got around to it. I was busy doing vacation things, like sleeping in, reading, getting caught up on the Netflix show Lucifer (yes, I like the show), going to my niece’s birthday party, and finally being able to see two of my best friends after all these months of social distancing. Needless to say, I was too busy to devote time to Skyrim, but I did get in a few more sessions with Resident Evil Village. Then again, I might play something on Switch. I was late to the Switch party and just picked one up in February. Looking over our Best Switch Games list for suggestions, I am thinking about picking up either The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Link’s Awakening. I usually love Zelda games, The Wind Waker being one of my favorites, so I am eager to try both out. Then again, New Pokemon Snap looks like a fun, relaxing game I might consider picking up instead. Even though I heard it’s a bit of a grind, I am used to that since I play MMOs, so hearing that doesn’t really faze me. If you have any Switch suggestions, please feel free to share them with me. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Resident Evil Village I’ve not got a great deal to say this week as I’ve mostly been playing a game I can’t talk about until Monday, but I did finally get going with Resident Evil Village, which is as great as I’d hoped. I’ve read a lot about the final sections disappointing somewhat, but I’m hoping they don’t sour what is shaping up to be another brilliant entry in the series. Adjacent to this I’ve been playing the game I’ve called: “Quickly scroll past the Resident Evil 8 spoiler gif.” I know this happens with pretty much every big release these days, but I’ve already had at least two neat, rather gory moments ruined and I’ll never know how cool they would have been when encountered during play. It’s part of the modern world, I guess, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. Side note: I’m so tempted to pick up Returnal. I’ve even got the credit sat in my PSN account. I just know I won’t have the time to play it, but the FOMO is real with that one.

So, those are our plans for the weekend. Surely you have something you plan on playing over the next couple of days, and we would love to hear what games you plan on giving a go.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-30” author: “Richard Ruch”

It’s a good problem to have, but one that the increasing competitiveness of gaming subscription services is only making worse. Not only do you have the mountain of games from impulse-bought Humble Bundles, Steam Summer Sale 2016, and tipsy eBay sprees burning a hole in your library, but thanks to PlayStation Plus and Game Pass on PC and console, you’ve got the pressure of access to hundreds of classics eagerly vying for your limited attention as well. The team at VG247 is once again enjoying some new releases and hits from the archive. But what are you playing this weekend? And what’re some of the most shameful games in your backlog? Let us know in the comments! Alex Donaldson, Associate Editor - Mass Effect Legendary Edition & Famicom Detective Club While I’ve admittedly had access to both of these games for a little bit ahead of their release - which is this weekend - I’ll be continuing to play this pair. Mass Effect is of course a massive trilogy, probably over 100 hours if you really take your time - and I intend to take my time, with a plan to get all of the achievements across all three games and complete the games on the rock-hard Insanity difficulty once again. As for the character choices…? Well, I’m sort of playing it by ear - I’m picking what feels right. I’ve had both male and fem Shep saves, but this time I’m back as FemShep. It’s going to be a tough choice between Garrus and Liara for romance… As for Famicom Detective Club - man, what a game! You’ll hear more about this from me on the site this coming week, but it’s basically a wonderful little game that was one of the first major visual novels in video games. It was released for the NES (aka the Famicom, thus the name) and only in Japan. There were other versions over the years - but none made it West until now. This is a seminal work of the genre, and a lot of games from Ace Attorney to Persona owe a lot to certain elements in Famicom Detective Club. The Switch remake is lush and lovely, though it definitely does in some ways have a lot of the energy of a game from the eighties, for better and for worse. Hopefully I can finish the second of the two games in the package this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Guilty Gear Strive & Returnal This weekend I’m playing the Guilty Gear Strive’s 2nd Beta. And when I say playing, I mean getting my ass beat because I’m downright (fireball) terrible at fighting games. But saying that, I still enjoy them. Picking a main and just figuring stuff out has always sparked joy for me. I’m also still chipping away at Returnal and it’s proving its worth. The controls are tight, the visuals are a spectacle and the narrative is keeping me engaged through my many, many deaths. All that being said I can’t shake the fact I paid a whole 70 Great British pounds. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Cloudpunk I love pretty much anything with a Cyberpunk aesthetic, not just games, and there’s tons of great stuff out there. Cyberpunk 2077 obviously ticks a lot of the corporate dystopian future boxes - ironically even more so since you need a PC it actually works on - but there are dozens of suitably rain-slick and moody indie games which I’d argue are even more worthy of your attention. A few are more action-focused, like Ruiner, while others are great narrative adventures, like The Red Strings Club. Somewhere inbetween is Cloudpunk: a cyberpunk delivery sim where you schlep around a floating metropolis in your flying car, delivering packages, meeting the locals, and uncovering the city’s seedy underbelly amid a constant downpour. I’m a few intriguingly atmospheric hours in so far, and I’m hoping to uncover the rest of the story this weekend.

Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer - Reading BOOKS, like a NERD What I’m mainly looking forward to this weekend is finishing the book I’m reading. It’s nice to take a screen break sometimes and enjoy a good novel, and even if I really couldn’t bear to completely tear myself away from video games for two whole days, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern makes for a surprisingly good compromise. This book sits firmly within my beloved “magical library” fantasy sub-genre, but the protagonist is an emerging media student, who tends to process his experiences using video game comparisons. Morgenstern acknowledges the gaming influence within the structure of her novel too, in particular drawing on classic fantasy RPG tropes. It’s also just a really good book to curl up with on a rainy weekend, and I recommend it to my fellow gaming bibliophiles. Aside from this, though, I will probably be doing at least a little bit of my usual low-stress gaming stuff. I recently started a new Sims 4 save I’m already heavily invested in; and I still check in with Animal Crossing: New Horizons every day. I have, however, recently managed to streamline my visits to the island to just doing my favourite activities, and now only spend about 20 minutes on there at a time. (Next Wednesday is my tenth and final villager birthday, and after that I’ve decided to cut back even further and actually take a day off now and then. Wish me luck.) Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Returnal & Huntdown 25 hours and 33 cycles later, I have finally rolled credits on Returnal. After about 30 runs up to the third biome, I was very close to giving up. But a breakthrough run took me from the beginning of the game to midway through the fifth biome. Beyond that, it was just a matter of tact to get through the rest and finish the game. Well, technically that’s only the end of the second act. There’s a third act, one that requires playing through the whole game again to collect a particular resource that will unlock the “real” ending. Now that I am on the other side of it, I am much less intimated by the challenge. I reckon now - without the rush to unravel the narrative - I am going to do better in combat. It’s probably going to take me a lot less to get through it again. So that’s what I am going to try and do this weekend: play the whole game again and see the final ending. Maybe I’ll try out those dailies, too. I don’t really have nostalgia for the 16-bit era, or really anything on consoles of the day that wasn’t also on PC. But every once in a while, one game with a retro 16-bit aesthetic does it so well it’s hard to ignore. Huntdown isn’t new; it’s been out on everything for a year, and only just launched on Steam. I have had it for months, but never actually tried it. Huntdown is a side-scrolling shooter that leans a little more tactical than the frenetic Contra action most of these games try to replicate. That slow pace suits me, as those games can sometimes ask too much of the player with such limited movement. Even if you’re not sold by its looks, Huntdown just sounds good. From the synth-infused music to punchy, crunchy sound effects - and those one-liners and ambient chatter, everything just feels right. Like many of the games it’s inspired by, Huntdown takes place in a crime-ridden, rain-drenched metropolitan city of the future, places even the police don’t dare go. One look at its trailer will tell you everything you need to know about it, and it’s one of those games I know I would have fallen in love with had I played it as a kid. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor –  Skyrim: Special Edition and Resident Evil Village I decided to reinstall Skyrim: Special Edition. Heaven knows I have played the game for over 900 hours already, but this time I decided to start fresh and finally install some mods. I am a bit weird when playing an RPG, as I have my own personal story going on in my head as I play. Blame it on all those years playing D&D with friends. With some of the mods I am using, it is much easier to become immersed and add my own personal “story” into the mix - not to mention make the game rather lovely. The mods I have installed are Relationship Dialogue Overhaul, Sounds of Skyrim, Skyland- A Landscape Texture Overhaul, Enhanced Lights and FX, Realistic Water, Cutting Room Floor, Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers (it makes these little gems so much easier to find!), and The Paarthurnax Dilemma. I love dragons, so to hell with the Blades when it comes to deciding Paarthurnax’s fate. I am a mericiful Dragonborn. I also have a mod installed called Total Character Makeover and one called Improved Eyes which make the NPCs in the game look less haggard. That’s it - so far. I may install more. I really want Friendly Brynjolf or Brynjolf has Time for You, but for some reason, my game wouldn’t load when I had either of the mods installed. I am sure it has something to do with my load order, but I am not a pro at installing mods just yet (Achievements Mods Enabler did the same thing to me). The reason I want either one is so I can marry the Thieves Guild member. I just love it when he calls me “lass.” Grrrr. Anyway. I may try to install one or the other again soon, but I also want to try Obedient Ulfric. Yeah, he’s an ass, but I think it could be fun to marry the Jarl. And you know, get in martial arguments in Dragon Speak. If you have been playing Skyrim with any interesting mods, give me some suggestions in the comments. I mean, the game is looking gorgeous with the Skyland mod, but I still think it could look better. Other than playing around with mods in Skyrim, the man of the house and I picked up Resident Evil Village for Xbox One. We have been taking turns playing it and watching as the other plays it so we don’t miss out on anything. I have to say, I am enjoying it more than I did Resident Evil 7. Not that I didn’t enjoy it - I just like REV better so far. Then again, I really like the vampire and werewolf thing. Plus, I like creepy old European villages and castles. Chalk the latter up to my love of gothic literary novels such as Frankenstein, The Castle of Otranto, Dracula, The Mysteries of Udolpho, Rebecca, and many others. The only bad thing I can say about playing REV, is that neither of us wants to hand the controller over. Tom Orry, Senior Editor - Recore Definitive Edition, Xbox Series X I pretty much dismissed Recore back on its original Xbox One release. It didn’t scream “must-play exclusive” and it had some performance issues that were a little off putting. Fast forward to 2021, and on Xbox Series X the game is in much better shape, running at 60 FPS and with some impressive, but patchy, visuals. I’ve mostly been taking turns to play with my son, but Recore feels like a game out of time, almost as if PS2 developers were given Xbox One power to play around with. An overworld is home to a number of dungeons, each tasking you with colour-coded combat against armies of enemy robots. This is not a modern game in the sense that Sony’s first-party titles are, but it’s got neat systems and strong player movement that make moment to moment gameplay fun. Recore Definitive Edition is on Game Pass, so I recommended giving it a look if you too ignored it back in the day.

So, that’s what we’re all up to this weekend. Besides doing the usual, or the unusual whatever the case may be, what are your gaming plans this weekend? Lets us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-10” author: “Gwen Benavides”

Along with important things, like enjoying the weather, taking a much-needed vacation, planting bushes, working on the farm, showing their mother the finer details of Pokemon Go, or reading the latest and greatest novel, we will be enjoying some game time as usual. This week, we once again, have some eclectic entries since we all enjoy something different on occasion. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor – Nier Automata & Arcade Light Gun Games For the first week in absolute ages, I’m not in the middle of a major review. I’ve got a couple of smaller games I’m working on… but nothing that’s going to swallow my whole weekend whole. So, I’m going to game for me a little. First up on that list is Nier Automata. I’ve played it before, multiple times, but I recently beat Nier Replicant as part of the review process and I just found myself eager to experience Automata again… so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to play it on Xbox this time - a new set of achievements to get, a completely fresh start, and supposedly the Become as Gods Edition on Xbox and Windows Store is meant to be the best version of the game. It should also run very smoothly on Series X. Aside from that, I’ve also got some caretaking work I need to do on arcade machines. I have a couple of arcade cabinets in the house, and I need to reconfigure one and update software to get everything running properly with the Sinden Light Gun. That will mean a lot of boring fumbling around in menus, but it’ll also mean playing a lot of Time Crisis, House of the Dead, Point Blank, and Virtua Cop to test it, obviously. And maybe a spot of Confidential Mission. Why not? James Billcliffe, Guides Editor – New Pokemon Snap After a fortnight full of ghouls and gunfights in Resident Evil Village, I’m in the mood for a game with a different kind of shooting: New Pokemon Snap. The original Pokemon Snap was a bit before my time with home consoles, but as a dedicated Pokemon obsessive, it was always something that I desperately wanted. So now that the game is available on a platform I actually own, I intend to take full advantage. I’m a sucker for generation 2 and 3 nostalgia, and when I saw one of the missions involved a friendly Meganium and his BFF Hoothoot, I was sold - not that I needed much selling.

Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — HuniePop 2 This week, I did something I almost never do: actually finished a game. I’m feeling way too self-congratulatory about this, considering that the game in question was Vampire The Masquerade: Shadows of New York — a five-hour visual novel that I’ve completed at the average rate of twelve minutes per week since November. (I wish I was joking.) On the back of this roaring success, I’ve caught the completionism bug. And with this weekend’s weather forecast suggesting that once again I won’t be straying far from the house, I thought I’d put some time aside to finish another game I’m very close to ending. I’ve been playing dating sim/puzzle game hybrid HuniePop 2: Double Date pretty regularly since it came out back in February. By now I’m at about 90% completion and have earned 23 out of the 24 pairs of fairy wings I need to unlock the final boss level. (And considering the extremely NSFW nature of the game, that’s all I’m going to say about its mechanics in this article.) Getting to the end of the story over the weekend feels very possible at this point. I’ve really enjoyed the goofy distraction of the HuniePop series during this extraordinarily stressful past year; so it feels appropriate to be finishing the latest one just as I start to think about my first tentative steps back into quote-unquote normality. And my well-honed “match three tiles so that cartoon girls will like me” skills should easily translate back into real-life socialising… right? Sherif Saed, Staff Writer – Returnal, Battlefield 5 You may not be surprised to learn that I am still on that Returnal train. I have been playing Housemarque’s latest almost every day since it came out. So far, I managed to make it a fair bit into the game’s third biome. My understanding is that the first three biomes constitute Returnal’s first narrative act, so I am really looking forward to getting past those suicidal TIE Fighter-looking fuckers with their impossible-to-dodge missiles. I am still intrigued by the game’s story, and I seem to be very close to knowing what’s at the origin of the signal. But I’d be lying if I said I am not quickly losing steam. I really just can’t get into rogue-likes. Despite my love for everything else in Returnal, having to start over every time you make a mistake is just grinding me down. I am already sort of forcing myself to play it just to see the rest of it, which is usually a good sign that I am about to drop the game and move on. The random crashes, and having to re-download the full game because of a broken patch aren’t helping dissipate this friction, either. Come back next week for the next chapter of this exciting tale. Battlefield is very much on the mind right now. We’re so close to the reveal of this year’s highly-anticipated game that we’re starting to get some leaks. Now, I can’t play competitive shooters on a controller to save my life, and I already have the damn thing installed on my PC. I could just double-click that EXE right now and play with my preferred control method, but… I am more curious to play Battlefield 5 on a controller. The game is free on PlayStation Plus right now, which means there’s likely an influx of new, curious players such as myself, whom the matchmaking will hopefully take pity on and group together so they’re not slaughtered by level 500 veterans. I also want to explore how DICE handles aim assist these days. I played a little bit of Battlefield 4 on PS4 so I know those games can feel good on a pad, but I seem to remember DICE revamping how aim assist works on consoles and pissing off a lot of Battlefield 5 players. Over two years later, I guess I am now interested to see what the fuss was about. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor – For the King This weekend friends and I will be taking a much-needed break from the Anniversary festivities in The Lord of the Rings Online by playing For the King. IronOak Games’ title is rather fun and blends turn-based combat and roguelike elements. Each playthrough is different, and it features procedural maps, quests, and events. It can be played in single-player or online co-op - but it’s more fun in co-op. Just beware: if your party wipes, you have to start all over. We learned that the hard way not long ago. Released back in February was the Lost Civilization Adventure Pack which the three of us plan to pick up this weekend. It will be fun because it includes the new Jungle Falls realm, two new playable characters (I will give the Astronomer a try!), new gladiator arenas, news dual-wield weapons, and wands and more than than 90 new items and over 50 new enemies. Sounds like we will be in for a challenge.

So, those are the games we are playing this weekend. What’s going on with your gaming plans this weekend? We’d love to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Robert Richardson”

What a long week it’s been. It has probably flown by for others, but for some of us, the weekend is overdue. This means it is finally time to relax, have a couple of margaritas, enjoy the nice weather, watch the Kentucky Derby or a film or two, and play some lovely video games. Here is what we are playing this weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor – New Pokemon Snap For the most part, I plan to spend this weekend playing New Pokemon Snap. I reviewed it this week, and have ‘completed’ the core content of the game - but I’ve still got Pokedex entries to fill out, different rank photos to find, and just a bunch of… fun to have. Additionally, Nintendo has kindly sent over one of those Instax Mini Link, that little photo printer that’s compatible with the game… so I’m going to try to take a bunch of photos that are actually worthy of being printed for real. Also, I’ll be undertaking another top-secret game review project. I’ve already finished the game in question once, but I’m going to try to squeeze in an extra play-through before writing my review for some time next week. Watch this space. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Retrunal This weekend I’m playing Returnal. I’ve been excited to play this since I learned it was a roguelike. I’ve got a newfound love for roguelikes ever since playing Hades and I’m eager to see what Housemarque can do with a big budget. I’m not gonna lie, £70 is a steep price to pay for a video game and it’s gonna sting if Returnal does not live up to my expectations but I’m willing to take the risk on this one so you don’t have to. I’ll report in next week to tell you if Returnal is hot or not. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Do you ever wait ages for a game to come out, buy it day one, play it for 20 minutes, then leave it languishing in your backlog for a full four years - or is that just me? I was recently reminded of the existence of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, a game I paid full price for and never played in 2017, along with how amazing the whole Danganronpa series is. Between playing Outriders and Returnal for the last few weeks, I’m 100% ready to revisit a visual novel where the twitch reflexes aren’t turned up to 11 - even if it is still trying to fill me with lead and chew my face off. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer - Hades, Resident Evil 2 Remake We’ve got a three-day weekend here in the UK and, as is tradition, I’ll be convincing myself that I can cram in two weeks’ worth of hobby-related activities thanks to those additional 24 hours of downtime. I’ve just started reading a 500-page novel I’ve been holding onto since Christmas, and I’ll probably look at starting one of those 100-hour RPGs I picked up around the same time. You know, because you can totally finish those in three days. Seriously though, if I decide to be sensible I’ll probably spend my precious extra day off tying up some loose ends, gaming-wise. Thanks to a busy schedule over the past few weekends, coupled with some unexpectedly good weather (seems like that’s over), I haven’t yet made any more progress on Haven, the romantic sci-fi RPG I talked about for this feature a couple of weeks ago. I’m also still really keen to find out what’s going to happen next in those Danganronpa and Vampire The Masquerade visual novel titles I gushed over last week. But if I do decide to indulge my ridiculous belief in the time-bending properties of the Bank Holiday Weekend, I have actually got a couple of reasonably-sized games in mind. I recently fell in love with Hades, but haven’t had a proper chance to pick it up again lately; or there’s that run of the Resident Evil 2 remake I’ve been meaning to get round to for a while. If I come back next week more tired than ever, I guess we’ll know why: I’m not going to be able to fit all this in and sleep too. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Returnal, Second Extinction Returnal I have plenty of reasons to get excited about Returnal. It’s a Housemarque game, which automatically means I need to play it. It’s also a new type of game for one of my favourite studios. Returnal is the team’s first third-person shooter, in a rogue-lite wrapper, all while attempting to spin a (hopefully) compelling sci-fi yarn and translate the Housemarque brand of arcade action to a different genre. There’s plenty there to explore. James’ Returnal review really only made the wait for Friday more excruciating, even if I know some of those very same rogue-lite elements could make it harder for me to get into it. But no other studio does gameplay quite like Housemarque, so I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some preconceptions about rogue-lite games stop from playing it. Even removed from that context, Returnal is the PS5’s first major release of 2021. After the disappointing time I had with Demon’s Souls, I was hoping Destruction AllStars would at least get me to turn on the damn thing every so often, but it just didn’t stick. I only buy consoles for the exclusives, so I need a meaty game to get lost into the way I have with so many PS4 games over the years. I can’t wait to get off work and get started. Second Extinction I am always down for some good shooty-shooty bang bang with friends. I’ve had an eye on Second Extinction for a while, but its arrival in Xbox Game Pass this week was all the convincing I needed to give it a try. It’s a small download, too, at just around 10GB. I’ve only played the tutorial and a little bit beyond, but I want to get deeper into it this weekend. Something about the mechanical feel of Avalanche’s games takes a little getting used to, for me at least. I’ve felt the same way about Rage 2, Generation Zero, and Just Cause before. Being on Game Pass also makes it easier for me to rope people into downloading it and playing it with me. Second Extinction is the co-op shooter about taking on dinosaurs, in case you’re new here. If you have Game Pass, give it a shot, it’s out on PC and Xbox. Stephany Nunneley - News Editor  -  Stardew Valley, The Lord of the Rings Online Yes, I am playing The Lord of the Rings Online again this weekend. The Anniversary Festival is in full swing, and I have yet to acquire enough Anniversary Tokens to grab the Warhorse Steed cosmetics. They are 40 tokens a pop for each of the three items (what a grind) but I absolutely must have the caparison, bridle, and shinguards. I have a problem. Help. I just plan on doing the seven quests needed to complete the daily, which means I will be shooting off fireworks more than once to earn some tokens. There isn’t much else for me to do, as I have completed all the yearly quests. Once I have finished up, I will be pouring more hours into Stardew Valley. The big Stardew Valley 1.5 Update was released in winter 2020, and I still have yet to complete all the quests on the new area, Ginger Island. I almost have enough Golden Walnuts to unlock the Beach Resort and I will have unlocked everything there is to offer. I am having quite a bit of fun growing Pineapple and Banana trees on the island farm, and it’s great having another house to sleep in should you find you can’t make it back to the valley in time before you pass out at 2am. I tend to spend most of the winter on the island, because I don’t grow winter crops on my main farm, and the animals have hay in the barns to keep their bellies full. Surely, my husband Elliott misses me terribly, but he has a novel to write so I am positive he is keeping busy. I do miss seeing Yeti, my dog (named after my dearly departed soul dog), running around the place, but I try to get back on the mainland at least once a week. Who wouldn’t prefer staying on a tropical island over the winter anyway? I mean, I would prefer it at least, but then again I am not a huge fan of the cold. According to Steam, I have logged 1,001.7 hours in the game. I know that sounds like way too much time on a single game, but I have two different characters I play with different builds and different motivations. I am sure I have spent the majority of that time playing my original character, which is the one enjoying Island Life right now.  

Just like you, our tastes vary here at VG247 from horror games to shooters, and from RPG-sims to visual novels, our eclectic mix of tastes surely mirrors your own. No one plays just one specific genre, I don’t think anyway. People like to dip their toes into all sorts of offerings.  With that said, what are you playing this weekend? We love hearing about it.  

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-09” author: “Stacy Vining”

As usual, there are other things to do this weekend, like get the landscaping rock out of my flowerbeds (wish me luck, because there’s tons of it!) and some of us are busy with the family or taking care of things we can’t get accomplished during the week. That doesn’t mean we won’t have time for a bit of fun, though, so here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Nier Replicant, Forza Horizon 4 Most of my weekend will, to be honest, once again be spent playing a top-secret game that I’m reviewing and you’ll be able to hear about soon. Look out for that in a few days! However, I also plan to jump back into Nier Replicant’s remaster, which I reviewed this week, to tidy up some stray trophies. I’m also on a bit of a racing game kick - so I plan to put a bit of time back into Forza Horizon 4. And my Final Fantasy 7 100% play-through from a few weeks ago - which I’m doing to prepare myself for the Intergrade PS5 version of the remake - continues, albeit at a very slow pace. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Horizon Zero Dawn Just in case anyone cares, my session on League of Legends went absolutely horrible last weekend but I’m getting better. Anyways, it’s bow gang this weekend because I plan to revisit Horizon Zero Dawn since it’s free as part of Playstation’s PlayAtHome program. Aloy is a badass with a bow and arrow so I look forward to slapping the shite out of some mechanical dinosaurs. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor – Resident Evil Village Gameplay Demo As May 7th creeps closer, we’re all in the Resident Evil waiting room, and I cannot wait to sneak around BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE. That’s why this weekend I’ll be seizing the opportunity to play the bizarrely limited-time demo. Much more action-oriented than the previous Maiden demo, this is the first chance we’ve had to step back into the shoes of Ethan Winters since the heart-stopping horror of Resident Evil 7, and I’m really interested to see how the RE: Engine handles more mobile enemies, wide-open spaces, and get a sense of the visuals in something closer to the finished product. Roll on Sunday night! To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer — visual novels I don’t know why, but there’s been something in my mood this week that’s making me really want to play visual novels. It’s tempting to blame this on the news that The Great Ace Attorney games will finally be seeing a worldwide release this summer, but to be honest, I started my hankering a couple of days before that. (Though I am obviously beyond psyched by the announcement—who doesn’t want to solve outlandish crimes with a dumb beautiful Sherlock Holmes knock-off?) I completely own up to my terrible habit of starting more games than I could ever possibly finish, and I’ve already got a few of this type on the go at the moment. For the past little while I’ve been slowly but enthusiastically making my way through Vampire The Masquerade: Shadows of New York, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, and HuniePop 2: Double Date. And if that’s not enough cumbersomely sub-titled, dialogue-heavy goodness to scratch this itch, there’s the ever-present temptation to take another run or two through Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp. So, do I zero in and try to finish one of them? Pick away at all of them for a few hours each, and end the weekend glutted on content but with no more closure than when I started? Or lean into my worst habits instead, and pick up some other Ace Attorney games to fuel my anticipation? My emotional turmoil at this decision is matched only by my intense investment in the characters and plots of all these visual novels. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Naraka: Bladepoint beta, Chivalry 2 closed beta The stars have aligned for me to play not one, but two multiplayer melee action games this weekend. First, I am looking forward to trying out Naraka: Bladepoint on Steam. If you’ve been following our indie feature last year, you may already be familiar with its name. Naraka: Bladepoint is a battle royale action game with particularly fluid movement and melee-centric action. The game has been in development for years, but outside of limited, invite-only events, it hasn’t been publically playable at that scale. This changes this weekend, with the beta kicking off on Steam. Anyone can sign up through Steam to get an invite, and you’ll be able to play all weekend until 7pm UK on Monday. I am particularly looking forward to seeing how much of the game’s movement mechanics, whether it’s the grappling hook or parkour abilities, will come into play during combat. I am also curious to see how many cowards will simply keep their distance and use ranged weapons exclusively. The Chivalry 2 closed beta is also part of the plan. I have somehow never caught any of the previous Chivalry 2 tests, but I got my key and I’m very much looking forward to finally playing it for the first time this weekend. I have always been a fan of Torn Banner’s games, even that time the studio’s best work went largely unnoticed. Needless to say, Chivalry 2 looks like a brutal return to the genre Torn Banner helped recreate, and I am here for it. But the first-person melee genre has evolved and changed so much since the first Chivalry. I am anxious to see how much the game leans into the methodical, tactical approach to melee combat and how much of it will be generating chaos. The Battlefield fan in me is very excited about Chivalry 2’s big scale, 64-player battles. Just imagine 64 players swinging swords, poking with polearms, and picking off targets at range with bows all in a single game. I also want to see if it can be played in third-person. I have seen people do it, but I want to know if it’s going to be a viable way to play it as a sort of For Honor analogue.

Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - The Lord of the Rings Online Just when I think I’m done with it for a while, it sucks me back in. Why? Because the 14th-anniversary event is going on this weekend. I cannot believe I have played this game for 14 years. That’s longer than some people’s relationships. Granted, my particular relationship with the game has been rocky sometimes (the convoluted Legendary Weapon system, lazy Hobbits, and a few quirks) but I always end up venturing back to Middle-earth to get my Tolkein fix. As you all know, I am a huge Lord of the Rings nerd (The Elder Scrolls comes in at a close second), and this game is a great way to experience sights, sounds, and stories based on the books. This weekend while the anniversary event is going on, I plan on participating in the scavenger hunt going on, picking up a new horse, grabbing some cosmetics to dress up in, and earning a pet cat to take with me on my adventures. Like I need another cat, but this one is virtual, so there is no need to feed it or deal with a litter box. Plus, I have started a new character (number eight!) and she is a Guardian who is all about getting up in an orc’s face and bashing its nose with a shield. I am having so much fun playing her. Usually, I prefer ranged characters (even my D&D characters are ranged) and my main in the game is a Hunter. I love playing Morrethiel, but it is a nice change of pace playing a tank. Now that I roped two friends into giving the game another chance, I also have folks to play with on a more regular basis. Because of this, I have gotten really into crafting weapons for my Captain friend and making some nice jewelry for my Burgler pal. The crafting in the game is rather fun and isn’t much of a chore unless you choose the cooking profession. If you like MMOs, Tolkien, and want to see a lovely world with super cool water effects, you should give the game a try. It is free-to-play, so there are some restrictions to content and features, but it’s worth giving a shot.

So, those are our gaming plans for the weekend. We would love to know what you’re currently playing, or plan to play over the weekend.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-05” author: “Diane Odonnell”

There are a couple of new releases we’re getting into over the weekend, as well as some games that are staples - to us at least. These new games include Call of Duty: Vanguard, Age of Empires 4, Riders Republic, and Guardians of the Galaxy. And of course there are favorites like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, LOTOR, GTA Online, and Apex Legends which tend to distract us from what is new sometimes. Here’s who’s playing what this weekend: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Vanguard, GTA Online This weekend is going to be all about Call of Duty: Vanguard for me. I’m excited to figure out what’s changed since we last played it - and power my way up the levels ASAP. Then there’s a big GTA Online heist event going on at the moment that I wanna try and dip into. Will I actually leave the house this weekend? Can’t promise that’ll happen. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Vanguard You’re all probably bored of reading me say the same things every weekend but once again I’ll be playing Apex Legends. The new season has dropped and I’ve been going hard. The new map is 10/10 and the new legend Ash fits my aggressive playstyle a lot. I’m enjoying it! If you missed what the new season includes, take a look at the preview I did. I’ll also be giving Call of Duty: Vanguard a go. I’ve always had a soft spot for COD since it’s the game I learned everything I know about FPS games in. The lead-up to Vanguard has been rough but I still hope the game is at least half-decent. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Guardians of the Galaxy Based on Alex’s review, Guardians of the Galaxy seems like a much better use of my time than Avengers ever was. I enjoy a good spectacle action game - and a good story-based yarn even more so - so despite my reservations about the combat, I think I’ll give it a bash over the weekend. The biggest hurdle it might have to overcome though is coming off the back of The Forgotten City, which I binged in a couple of evenings last week. Easily one of my games of this year, The Forgotten City struck a real nostalgic chord for me. I used to love playing quest mods for Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim (which TFC started life as), and although it’s quite limited in scope mechanically and graphically, The Forgotten City still delivers one of the most engrossing mysteries I’ve enjoyed in recent memory. Even as I say all of this though, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll just end up playing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for the umpteenth time - it’s going to happen, and I don’t know why I lie to myself. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empires 4 Just like last weekend, I am playing Age of Empires 4.I wasn’t able to play the game as much as I wanted last weekend, because you know, things, life, and whatnot, but I was able to delve into the Hundred Years War campaign. It was pretty fun, and the French are an interesting civilization to try. I especially like some of the bonuses they get, and the civilization’s siege technology is second to none, from what I can tell this early in the game. Also, I observed others playing against each other. The next thing I knew, it was around 1am and I had watched no telling how many matches. It was pretty fun though, and much better than anything that was showing on TV that evening. My buddy and I plan to jump into some multiplayer this weekend, and also try to convince a couple of other friends to purchase the game. I’ll let you know how that goes. I may end up playing LOTRO too. Who knows, I may even try to get back into Nioh. You never know with me. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Riders Republic The new open-world hotness is undoubtedly Forza Horizon 5, a glorious game I’m eager to play more of, but don’t ignore Ubisoft’s Riders Republicif you fancy a more extreme take on free-roaming fun. Riders and Horizon both offer a ridiculous amount of things to do in their worlds, but whereas Horizon is entirely car-based, Riders Republic offers bikes, winguits, snowboards, and more. There’s always something to do, something to find, a view to take in, and I’m enjoying it a lot. Going back to Riders Republic after playing Horizon 5 took a bit of an adjustment (Riders isn’t nearly as slick or visually impressive), but it’s moreish and dangles enough of a carrot in front of me to keep me coming back. And that’s us. What are you up to this weekend? Plan on jumping into the new Call of Duty or is there something else that’s tickling your ear a bit?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Carrie Alvis”

This weekend, a few members of the VG247 crew are either on vacation or too busy to play games, but there are at least three of us who plan to get our game on this weekend. For two of us, the weekend couldn’t come soon enough because we have been looking forward to a couple of game releases for what has seemed like ages. For another, it’s time to hone up on fighting skills as there are folks to compete with. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Guilty Gear: Strive, Inscryption This weekend I’ll be trying to spend as much time as I can with Guilty Gear: Strive, as I have a tournament coming up in November and am super rusty. That game is real top-of-the-shelf stuff, great netcode and a fun cast of characters make it a real joy to play. There was also a big patch for the game recently, so I’m eager to figure out what’s changed. There’s also a cool little game called Inscryption I’ve seen pop up on my Twitter, so I really want to give that a go. Busy times! Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Riders Republic Riders Republic is finally out which means I’ll be playing that this weekend. It’s actually quite a challenging game, which surprised me, and it has a lot of replayability. Trying to complete all the side challenges for stars is addictive, and nailing a race with no crashes or resets feels very satisfying. It’s still early days, so I can’t say much just yet. That said, I am enjoying what I’ve played so far and I think Riders Republic will last longer than STEEP did. Check out my preview for it while you’re here. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empires 4 Does my choice surprise you? Of course it doesn’t. You are well aware of how much I love conquering other cultures in Age of Empires 2. If not, you never read these weekend pieces and that hurts my feelings a bit. I am super excited for Age of Empires 4, and from what I have heard, most of the game’s mechanics come straight from AoE2. This really pleases me, and it will my friends as well. My monk using pals will be pleased to know religious units, formerly known as monks, will be able to convert enemy units over to their side by triggering a conversion area of effect when holding a relic. This AOE effect will help quite a bit from what I undersatnd. Maybe I need to start using religious figures more often. Usually, I lose track of my monks while battling enemy units and destroying buildings, so I don’t use them. And, they never seem to grab a relic on time before it’s bogarted by one of my pals who is a relic hog (I adore them despite this personality flaw wink). There will only be eight civilizations to start off with, but more will come in time. Until then, I will just have to play as either the Abbasid Dynasty, Chinese, Delhi Sultanate, English, French, Holy Roman Empire, Mongols, or the Rus. Dunno which one I will start off with first. Probably the Mongols or the Abbasid Dynasty. I have heard there are some technical issues that need to be ironed out, like inconsistent frame times and frame-rates, but nothing game-breaking so far, which is good. Hopefully, details such as this can be worked out soon with updates. Anyway, if you are a Game Pass subscriber, and like the RTS genre, you should really give the game a try this weekend. I have a sub, but the game was given to me as a Steam gift for my birthday last month, so that’s where I will be playing it. What are your weekend plans? Are you picking up AoE4 or Riders Republic? What about Mario Party Superstars or Guardians of the Galaxy? Let us know what you’ll be getting into over the next couple of days.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “Harley Urban”

Some folks like fast-paced games, some like to take things easy. Others like to work their brain, and others like to play games that make them jump out of their seats in fright. This weekend, we’re doing three of those: one that is fast-paced, a relaxing game, and one that makes us think a bit before taking action. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Apex Legends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate This weekend I’ll be playing a mixture of Apex Legends and Super Smash bros. Ultimate. Apex Legends has a new season on the way and I’m pretty excited. Apex has some of the best trailers to build lore and hype up the community and really wish they would give Netflix a call and start an animated series because they have so much potential to work with. I’ve got a whole heap of rust I need to shake off before the new season starts and I start the ranked grind again since me and my pals haven’t played at all this current season but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve also been getting back into Super Smash Bro. Ultimate (The best fighting game out! Argue amongst yourselves) since they’ve released their final character to join the roster, Sora from Kingdom Hearts. I’ve made a little first impressions and gameplay video if you’d like to hear what I think of the new addition. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empire 2: Definitive Edition I’m hopping aboard the Age of Empires 2 train again. While I like the game enough to play it at any time, I want to get my groove back before Age of Empires 4 releases next week on October 28. Surely there will be some differences and a learning curve as there was with AoE3, but I am looking forward to it. What I am anxious to try are the training challenges and missions developer diaries have discussed, and I am also looking forward to trying out the civs you get to play. The only thing I am a bit bummed about is the small amount of civilizations available at launch. But, one thing Relic is good at is releasing new content for its games and I can’t wait to find out what’s in the post-release pipeline. I am also looking forward to smacking other civilizations around with my friends in multiplayer. I just hope our favorite map, Black Forest, has been added to the game’s rotation. One can dream. Another reason I want to play AoE2 this weekend is that it’s celebrating Halloween with an October event. This year’s event has pumpkins, a decoration for the Town Center, three new Halloween-themed profile icons, and you can unlock a knight with a Halloween-style pumpkin head. Sounds fun to me! Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - A Little Golf Journey, Switch and PC I’m still plugging away at A Little Golf Journey, the relaxing golf game on Switch and PC that is just as much a casual puzzle solver as it is a traditional game of golf. As I said in my impressions, this is stripped back golf, with the core intact but the stress removed. It’s fair to say that I really like this a lot, which is why I’m writing about it again. The Switch is home to loads of great indie games, but this one deserves some love. Even if you’re usually put off by the dad-ness of golf, don’t ignore this. It’s peaceful, fun, and relaxing. And there you have it. We’re an eclectic bunch, and that’s fine. So, what about you? What are you playing this weekend?

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Stephanie Bishop”

It’s the simple things in life that make it all worth it, right? And that’s what we plan to do this weekend: take it easy, throw back a few, and play some games. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Animal Crossing: New Horizons There’s nothing harder than saying goodbye - so that’s why I chose the cowardly way out: time travel. With today’s deluge of Animal Crossing news, it seems like I’ll have to get back into the game ready for November, but that raises a big problem. Animal Crossing has no respect for your life outside of the game and if you stop playing for even a day, your beloved villagers will get the hump - and not just because they’ve bought a duff floor from Sahara. The only way to stop your island from becoming shabby and your favourite townspeople from moving on after days of not playing is to reset your console clock to when you last played and pretend nothing ever happened. Luckily I made a note of when I gave up the daily grind, but going back to it now feels strange and pretend, like I’ve accidently become the architect of The Matrix, manipulating the villagers I once called friends into a forced puppet show just because I can’t face up to the responsibility of abandoning them. I might just end up starting again, or I could bang my head on a desk until I’ve convinced myself the game’s not that deep. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Back 4 Blood (PC) To no one’s surprise, I am going to be playing more Back 4 Blood this weekend. Frankly, it’s the only thing I have been playing lately, and not just because I was reviewing the game! There’s an authentic quality to Back 4 Blood that co-op games have been missing. I am compelled to launch it every day not to chase a title or level up the battle pass; but because it’s fun and exciting every time. I am well past the early game now and I am beginning to ponder my card choices more and more. I want to spend some time this weekend really coming up with specialised decks for my most used Cleaners. I have already seen a few in my group go hard on a particular style with their chosen characters, and I am excited to do the same because the potential is simply immense. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Disco Elysium (Switch) I was one of those people who was putting off playing Disco Elysium until it was on the Switch. I just couldn’t see how I’d find the time to play it on a PC or a home console, so handheld seemed to make the most sense. Well, now it’s arrived, I’ve played it, and… it’s good. There are some niggles, most notably how the loading screens grate a little and how the controls feel a little less nippy than I’d like, but in the early going I’m liking it a lot. As someone who listened to a lot of audio books on old commutes, to me Disco Elysium, with its brilliant voice acting, feels like a brilliant extension of that. This is a game, of course, so you’re not just listening to audio, but the big point I want to make is that the writing and acting is good enough that I probably would just listen to it if that was what Disco Elysium was. It helps that the new Switch OLED is making me keen to play absolutely anything on the device, but this is one I plan to stick with for quite some time. So, what’s up with ya’ll this weekend? Playing anything new? Still working on achievements? Going back to something you’ve played before? Or do you plan to give your console or PC a break and just chill a bit? Let us know! We’re nosey like that.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-23” author: “Richard Brown”

Despite the lovely fall weather we are having, instead of being outside and enjoying a day without sweating in our favorite shirt, we’re going to be inside playing games. Some of us are trying out improved console offerings, trying not to be left for dead, reveling in the latest iteration of their favorite series, or playing something entirely new - at least to their console of choice. That said, a couple of us are too busy this weekend to play anything, which is a bit of a bummer, but there’s always next weekend. There are four in a month, after all. Sometimes there are five, but October isn’t a lucky month. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Metroid Dread All of a sudden. I seem to have loads of games to play because this weekend I’m spoiled for choice. There’s the latest Samus adventure Metroid Dread, Turtle Rock’s Back 4 Blood, a new villain to vanquish in Far Cry 6, and then there’s that new MMORPG New World - surely you have heard of it. Honestly though, I think the focus this weekend will be on Metroid Dread as it’s the game I was looking forward to the most in October. Hopefully, choice paralysis doesn’t take over and I get to test out all the games. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Alan Wake Remastered The time is nigh. After starting and playing through the pedestrian intro three times, this weekend will finally be the time I play Alan Wake. I always had PlayStation consoles growing up, so Alan Wake was one of those games I looked at jealously over the fence. Then when I tried to play it years after the fact on PC, there were just so many newer things out there. With the release of the remastered version I can finally live my best Twin Peaks X Files life and get in the spoopy Halloween mood. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Back 4 Blood (PC) Back 4 Blood is finally here. Well, it is for those who forked out for the very expensive edition, and a few lucky members of the press and influencers. I am of the latter group, and I’ve been playing since I got access. I already knew I am going to like Back 4 Blood. It scratches all the right boxes for me: solid shooting, good level design, exciting combat encounters, plenty of opportunities for team play, and some really intense moments that leave you barely alive. The beta turned me around on one of the game’s most controversial aspects: its card system. I started out ignoring it to get to the zombie shooting, and ended up exchanging deck ideas with buddies over Discord by the end of the beta. I can already see that the full game has plenty more content than we had access to during the beta, and I am incredibly excited to see it all. I also want to meet the new characters, and I am especially looking forward to late-game decks and really crafting unique play styles using them. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Switch OLED As others have said already, the Switch OLED is an extremely nice bit of kit. It’s amazing what that new screen has done to the overall desirability of the hybrid console. Pushing the display to just a few millimetres from the edge of the unit gives the device a high-end phone look, and the white model helps sell the idea that this is a bit of a luxury item. My only issue now is figuring out if it’s possible to play my son’s collection of digital games that are tied to his Nintendo account. Of course, I’ll easily manage to borrow his physical game collection (I fancy a bit of Luigi’s Mansion 3), although I definitely made a mistake in buying Metroid Dread for his upcoming birthday rather than just getting it for myself. So, that’s what we are up to over the weekend. What are your plans? Do you plan in getting out an enjoying the weather, decorating your place for Halloween, lay around the entire time, or going on some fun little excursion? Or, do you plan on playing a game this weekend? We’re nosey, and want to know.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-11” author: “Nathan Ritter”

There is always so much to do during the week, what with work, making dinner, and if you have them, taking the kids here, there, and everywhere under the sun. But finally, the weekend comes and, hopefully, you can breathe a sigh of relief and relax a bit. This weekend seems to be quiet for us, as the guys have not told me of any plans other than to play games. And that’s great. Everyone needs a rest now and then, and to play something fun, whether it’s the latest sports game, some indie demos, or a fun arcade racer. And that is what we plan on doing over the next two days. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - FIFA 22 For my sins, it’s that time of year again - the annual tax on football fans returns in all its terrible microtransaction-laden glory. With eFootball looking DOA, FIFA 22 is once again the only serviceable football sim around, and I’ll easily dump another 1000 hours into mastering this one as well. I only ever play the offline Career Mode, and across the last couple of iterations, it’s seen the most positive improvement it has in probably a decade. We’ll no doubt have ripped it pieces and exploited all of the most overpowered stuff by the end of the month, but it’s always an engrossing journey to get there. At least they’re not hawking the disgraceful Socios fan tokens yet. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Lost Ember, Steam demos The Steam Next Fest is going on, so I will probably be playing a few demos here and there over the course of the weekend. I haven’t popped on the service yet to see what’s there to tempt me, but I will later this evening at some point. A friend of mine recently gifted Lost Ember to me for my birthday, and while I have Steam fired up, I will give it a download, and if I find enough time between all of the demos, I’ll play it a bit. It’s not a very long game, but it looks gorgeous. Plus, you get to hop inside various animals to explore the world from different perspectives, and that sounds really cool to me. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Hot Wheels Unleashed I said most of this in my review for the arcade racer, Hot Wheels Unleashed is really rather good. I’ve been going back to it a bit on and off this week and it just plays brilliantly. The power sliding is proper good, and it just about makes up for what I think are some fairly dull-looking environments and tracks. If you’ve been wanting a good arcade racer, then you can do a lot worse than give Hotwheels Unleashed a go. It’s on pretty much every platform (although doesn’t look as good on Switch) and will be extra appealing to anyone who’s collected the toy cars or bought them for their kids. That is what we’re up to. What about you? Do you plan on giving some of the Steam Next Fest demos a go over the weekend? Or is there something else out there that’s piqued your interest? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-21” author: “Angle Oliver”

A couple of us this weekend will be channeling our inner Ash Ketchum, a couple plan to enjoy a nice indie game, and one will be trying to save humanity. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be much else going on with us. Granted, there will be some busy spells, but we won’t be too busy to skip getting our game on. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Halo Infinite Honestly, a lot of this week is about sport for me. The NFL is back on TV (0-2 in Fantasy, so I’m having a certified disaster), and the Ryder Cup is on. On top of that, my house is a damn building site. But I am going to make time for at least one thing… a bit of Halo Infinite. The latest beta flight is on this weekend, so I’m going to get stuck in - this time to the PC version. Halo multiplayer holds a special place in my heart - Halo 3 came out at a really crucial sort of time in my life, right as I was becoming an adult in university - and it’s just a sort of biblical experience for me still. The last couple of games haven’t really done it for me, but I’m really, really hoping Infinite is the one. As I type this the game is booted, and I can feel the music calling to me… I’ll check in with some impressions next week. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Eastward This weekend, I’m going to be out of the house so not much gaming will be happening. I will however have my Nintendo Switch with me to wrap up the final chapter in Eastward. It’s been such a pleasant experience and I highly recommend it to people who like low-stress cozy games. I made a video highlighting five reasons why you absolutely need to play Eastward so give that a watch as well. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Pokemon Sword and Shield Why did no one tell me that these games are awesome? Pokemon Sword and Shield have that nostalgic hit of familiar faces and the classic battle system, but with just enough new features to bring a smile to your face around every corner. Just like in Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu, I love being able to see the Pokémon in the grass, and that makes exploring the Wild Areas a real adventure. Six badges in and I’m having a great time - hopefully I’ll be able to finish the Elite Four this weekend. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go I have so many things to do this weekend, I won’t have too much time to sit down and play a proper console or PC game. Instead, I will be heading to a couple of nearby towns to do some wedding shopping (I hate shopping), so I will definitely have Pokemon Go running on my phone. I am sure my friends in the game are tired of getting the same old presents from me, so I like visiting PokeStops in other towns to collect gifts once in a while. Plus, it shows off some of the neat places around here to players who live in another state or country. It gives them an idea of how lovely and interesting my part of the US is, despite its main claim to fame being the home of KFC. I also need to get some miles in with my new buddy, Magikarp. You may be asking yourself why I would have such a strange and almost worthless Pokemon as my buddy in the game. Well, it’s because I still have yet to finish that damned A Mythical Discovery questline - and I really want a Mew! You see, one of the tasks is to evolve Magikarp into Gyarados. Thing is, I have already done that once - and this was before the questline was made available to me. While evolving a Pokemon sounds like no big deal, you need 400 Magikarp candy to evolve the flopping fish. So, it really is kind of a big deal especially since the Pokemon rarely pops up around here for me. So for now, I have parked Eevee and now Magikarp and I are buddies for a while. I have been saving up quite a bit of the fish’s candy over the past few months, and have around 345 pieces at the moment. And with making the fish out of water my buddy, I can earn one Magikarp candy for every 1km I walk. So, that is pretty easy, unlike Eevee who only earns you one candy for every 5k. But she is my favorite, next to Ninetails, and I don’t have a Ninetails just yet so I keep her around. Plus, there are Fashion Weeks going on right now until September 28, and there are Furfrou everywhere alongside costume Pokemon, a timed research quest, and exclusive field research tasks I need to complete. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - KeyWe, PS5 (also on PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) I’d been meaning to give Keywe a go for a little while now. As a co-op game, it looked perfect to play with my son, and I was right. You can play solo, taking control of both Jeff and Debra, the two-star kiwi birds who find themselves working in a telegram/mailroom. It’s fair to say that my brain couldn’t cope with controlling both, with co-op by far the most fun option. Essentially you and another player must perform tasks, like typing out letters to send telegrams, sticking partial words together to write out letters, and putting stickers on parcels, using each bird, and there are a bunch of smaller mini-games to play too. The mailroom soon became a chaotic mess, but as with all good co-op games, the shouting and lack of coordination is part of the charm. I’m glad to have found another game to stick on for some simple multiplayer fun. I think we might be returning to this now and again to earn more tickets so we can buy outfits for Jeff and Debra. That’s what we’re getting into this weekend, as far as games go. What are your plans? Is there any particular game you are wanting to give a go, or are you currently working on finishing one up? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-10” author: “Charlotte Sutton”

This weekend, we are revisiting Los Santos, entering the matrix, donning a witch’s hat, and once again trying to channel our inner Master Chief. Here’s what we are playing this weekend. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - GTA Online, Inscryption This weekend I don’t have a huge amount of time for games I’m afraid. It happens, adult life, etc etc. But, I have set aside some time for some rest and relaxation. First I am absolutely going to spend some time on GTA Online this weekend. We’re due a new major content update later this month and as you’d expect you need a bit of cash to take part. That means for me it’s heist time, and bulking up my bank account somewhat. Next comes Inscryption. If you haven’t tried it out it’s a fantastic little indie based around a mysterious card game. It’s one of those games that you can’t really talk about too much, or else risk spoiling a good portion of the special sauce the creator has poured all over this lovely thing. Grab it if you can and go in blind if you want a good time. Finally, as is typical of me, I will be jumping into a fighting game this weekend. One of Arc System Work’s older titles, Blazblue Central Fiction, has gotten a netcode update and a massive price reduction. These provide a good enough excuse to learn some combos and get murdered by weebs who haven’t stopped playing it since 2015. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Halo Infinite PC It’s time to spend more time (heh) with Halo Infinite. I am loving the feel of its multiplayer so far, even if I wish 343 had gone with the more friendly, time-based battle pass model, and not the challenge-based system it’s currently using. I’d also like there to be more maps, but that’s something that’ll likely be improved with time. Of course, since I am itching for more Halo content, I can’t wait to get started with the Halo Infinite campaign. I am one of the ten people who liked Halo 5’s campaign, and I even appreciated Cortana’s rampancy arc from Halo 4. This looks to be a continuation of that, even if many of my questions about what transpired in the interim inevitably won’t be addressed. If the story isn’t all there, I am hoping the gameplay will keep me hooked. Considering how satisfying it is to play Infinite multiplayer, I have high expectations for the single-player. Alex’s Halo Infinite campaign review said it’s an almost perfect marriage of modern open-world design and classic Halo sandbox freedom and its contained missions. By all accounts, it’s going to be one hell of a good time, and I can’t wait to jump in and grapple onto Jackal shields. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Wytchwood, This weekend I am going to give Wytchwood a try. It was just released yesterday, December 9, and it looks rather charming. Developed by Toronto-based Alientrap, the folks who brought you the rather excellent Apotheon, Wytchwood is a crafting adventure game set in a land of gothic fables and fairytales. As the old witch of the woods, you will explore a strange countryside, collect magic ingredients, brew spells, and “pass judgment” upon an unpredictable cast of characters and creatures. The game features a lovely rendered storybook art style and has you gathering, collecting, growing and crafting various ingredients such as toxic toadstools, eye of newt, and bottled fear. You can also research and create different spells and sorceries which can turn folks into frogs or trick them. All the while, the world promises to be full of stories, colorful personas, and narratives appropriate to a fairy tale. It also features puzzles you will need to beat in order to best the strange monsters living in the forest. It sounds rather fun, and that is what I plan on playing this weekend. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience Oh lordy, this is a bit nice, isn’t it? I talked more about this rather lovely slice of next-gen visuals in a whole article about The Matrix tech demo, but it’s so good I want to highlight it again. The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is something everyone with a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S should download and play immediately. There’s not a whole lot of game here if you class games as interactive experiences that challenge you in some way, but there are plenty of things to do. I’ve replayed the on-rails car chase shooting sequence a few times now, just to soak in all the Unreal Engine 5’ness of it all, and I’m going to go back to walk around the city some more once I’ve finished work for the week. I can’t wait for some proper Unreal Engine 5 games to be released. Hellblade 2 is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC, and that is looking pretty tasty, too. What are you playing this weekend? Are you diving into some Halo, preparing for GTA Online’s next update, or trying something different from your norm? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-07” author: “Tabatha Cochrane”

Personally, I didn’t have time to play games. I was too busy cooking and running from one family gathering to the next like a turkey with its head missing. There were three dinners this year. Yes, three different dinners. One of my extended family members decided they were hosting this year, which meant instead of the usual two (I only host one every other year), I had to attend a third. And of course, we brought home leftovers from each, so, needless to say, I am tired of turkey at this point. Thank goodness Christmas means ham, but I am sure by the time it is over, I will also be sick of ham. Anyway, you don’t care about what I had and didn’t have for dinner, so let’s get to the reason you are reading this: games. Here’s what we are playing this weekend: Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Vanguard For me, I’ll be spending my entire weekend grinding out guns in Call of Duty Vanguard ahead of the release of Caldera in Warzone. Probably the most fun homework I’ve ever been set, but homework nonetheless. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order In the cyclic swirl of gaming discourse, we’re never far away from the ol’ favourites. And one such argument - ironically given the content of the game - seems doomed to trudge towards a grisly death and be constantly reanimated and rehashed above all others: “should Dark Souls have an easy mode”? My friends, it already exists, and it rules. It’s called Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and I’ll be playing more of the PS5 upgrade version this weekend. You could argue that souls-like is now a genre itself, but in Fallen Order, the mechanics are so incongruous to the setting, the details so copy/pasta’d, that it’s just funny. Why does my character feel the need to kneel and meditate by a not-bonfire every few minutes? Why do the stormtroopers respawn in the same place out of thin air? Who cares as long as their blasters go “pew-pew”, my lightsaber goes “vhrooom”, and everyone wears those awesome pants with the padded knees. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Skyrim Anniversary Edition I finally have time to sit down and play Skyrim for the umpteenth time. This time out, I will be playing Skyrim Anniversary Edition so I can see what the Creation Club fuss is about because I really want new items and quests to freshen things up a bit. Heck, there are around 500 pieces of Creation Club (mods) content included with this version ranging from things like weapons and spells to quests and bosses. There’s also fishing, survival mode, and new Saints and Seducers quests, so there will be plenty of new content to keep me occupied I am sure. The game I am playing now is a rather highly modded version of the Special Edition, and once I upgrade it to the Anniversary Edition, well, I can say so long to those mods because the majority (if any) will no longer work. I will probably play it safe though and just redownload the SE off Steam to the laptop and then upgrade to the AE - that way my modded game is safe on my PC. Hopefully, since the developer of the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) was granted early access to the Anniversary Edition in order to update the extender, it won’t be long before mod makers update their creations because some excellent mods are floating around out there. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Battlefield 2042, Xbox Series X I’d played the pre-release beta of Battlefield 2042 for 30 minutes, but none of my EA Play/Game Pass Ultimate 10-hour trial so I jumped back in to give it a whirl. It’s fair to say I’m not that impressed, although my enjoyment varied massively between maps (and potentially game modes, but I’m not sure what I was playing in all honesty). I kicked things off on a huge map full of towering skyscrapers. I did not enjoy this map. It was too big and open. Players were too spread out, and no one stuck around long enough for me to hitch a ride on a vehicle. More successful was a map set at a dock. This may have been because of the game type being played, but it flowed better. There was a steady movement through the map and the encounters were more focused in smaller zones. I had a decent time with this, although my aiming is still dire. That’s it really. The truth of the matter is that I’m just not good enough for multiplayer shooters these days. And maybe I never was. Along with Thanksgiving, Black Friday occurred, and there were plenty of deals floating around over the weekend along with Cyber Monday. Did you pick up anything new? Anything older? Or did you pre-order something like, oh say, Elden Ring? Let us know!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-25” author: “Michele Shelstad”

That’s right! It’s Turkey Day in Animal Crossing New Horizons, and absolutely nothing else! So after your state-mandated 40 minutes of Animal Crossing, you’re going to be at a loss for things to do. As per usual, we’re here as your gaming guiding light - a brilliant, shining example of how to correctly spend your R&R. Even though there might be other things in your calendar right now, what’re you playing this holiday weekend? Let us know in the comments! Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Anything with “War” in the title This weekend I’ll be jumping into Warzone and having fun around the Verdansk map before it’s phased out next month. Sure it’s hella old, but I’m sure we’ll miss it once it’s gone. I’m also jumping into Warframe believe it or not! They have a new story quest coming out soon and I want to get back into it before that comes out. Finally, as you’d expect from me at this point, I’ll be booting up another fighting game. This weekend, I might go back to Tekken 7 for a bit. It’s on sale at the moment so if you haven’t tried it out, I 100% recommend it. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Halo Infinite [Dorrani asked me to just put one word in his section - don’t put me in the chokey, Tom.] HALO. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Christmas disappointment If you, like me, have decided that this Christmas is when you’re going to introduce your kids to one of your favorite games, I have some sad news: chances are you kids are going to just play what they’ve already been playing, and frankly won’t give two hoots about this life-changing video game you’re desperate for them to play. I’d planned on giving my son The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, alongside a brilliant guide book. But, he’s currently obsessed with Knockout City (the rather excellent multiplayer dodgeball game that you should check out) and Minecraft, which gets the second part of its Caves and Cliffs update next week. He’s simply not going to drop those at the moment for Breath of the Wild, no matter how good I tell him it is. So, fellow gaming parents, just set your expectations to zero, maybe below zero. When there’s a battle pass or similar in play, your cherished slice of gaming perfection is going to be as loved on Christmas day as some over-boiled sprouts. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Demon’s Souls In a Black Friday-infused blood/deals frenzy - not dissimilar to Father Gascoigne in Bloodborne come to think of it - I made a 20 mile round trip to save £5 on a physical copy of Demon’s Souls. It was a terrible mistake. I’ve had to do walkthroughs of plenty of Souls, Sekiro, and Nioh style games now, and they always leave me more hollow and angry than that dragon in Dark Souls 1 with no skin. You’d think by now I’d have built up some resilience to the hype and know that is not how I want to spend my leisure time. Also: is this blasphemy? But it feels so far like there’s a reason so many of Demon’s Souls’ key mechanics were cut from later games. The half-health ghost stuff is dumb, the Nexus is a labyrinthine mess, and the combat feels like you’re playing with an unarticulated action figure. At least it looks very nice. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Halo Infinite (PC) I’ve been trying to dedicate a lot of my time to Battlefield 2042. For one, I reviewing the game, but also because it was my most anticipated game this year. I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted with Halo Infinite multiplayer as a result, and I want to put a few hours into it this weekend. My impression was that Infinite ran great on my PC, and it plays like a dream. There’s nothing quite like the combat dance of Halo, and as a fan of Halo 5’s multiplayer, I am loving how much Infinite builds upon that foundation and the new tools it throws into the mix, like the grappling hook. Halo always plays great on a controller, but I am interested to see if the same can be said about mouse and keyboard. So far, at least, it seems solid, but I want to spend more time with it to be sure. Maybe I’ll even manage to make some progress towards that sick samurai armour.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-31” author: “James Powell”

This weekend we plan on spending some time with Master Chief, catching Shinx, channeling our inner Commander Shephard, and trying our best to become a rally champion. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Halo Infinite, Pokemon Shining Pearl It’s rare that I can admit this, so here goes: I still have access to the preview build of Halo Infinite, and there’s a lot more in it than I can currently talk about. So I fully intend to spend most of my weekend with the Master Chief, one way or another, ’ll be playing the open-to-everyone multiplayer, of course, but also adventuring across the Zeta Halo as I continue to explore what the main game has to offer. And I guess you’ll hear more on that from me in the coming weeks. I’ll also be playing Pokemon Shining Pearl, which I wrote about earlier this week in a sort of a review-in-progress - but in order to progress it further, I need to keep chipping away at the game’s new content, much of which is in the post-game. I’ll report back on this one next week. Connor Makar, Staff Writer - League of Legends, Guilty Gear Strive This weekend, I tragically don’t have the time to play many games. Lots of new League of Legends content has come out recently, so I’ve been dragged back into that game I’m afraid. I will also be playing a smidge of Guilty Gear Strive, if for no other reason than to retain my status as a bang-average player. If I find the time, I’ll be playing some Genshin Impact ahead of the version 2.3 release. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer - Halo Infinite This weekend I’ll be playing Halo Infinite’s multiplayer. I’ve been playing it non-stop since its surprise release earlier this week and have been having a blast with it. It gives me the same competitive feeling I used to get playing Halo 3’s multiplayer, and I’m just glad the gameplay is solid. The only problem at the moment is a battle pass that progresses slowly, but 343 Industries is already making changes to it, which is good news. But, I’m confident in what I’ve played so far, and it makes me even more excited to play the campaign come December 8th James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Mass Effect 2, Forza Horizon 5 New games? What are…new… games? I’ve always been a bit grumpy about Game Pass. “I’ve played all of these games before”, I’d say. But oh, the siren’s call of all my teenage favorite is just too strong. Fallout: New Vegas, Oblivion, Mass Effect 2, please whisk me back to 2010 - but can the world actually end when the Mayan calendar finishes in 2012 this time? I guess I’ll play some more of Forza Horizon 5 too, but only because it’s all the best bits of Burnout Paradise, NFS Underground 2, and Gran Turismo 3 rolled into one game. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Pokemon Go Sunday, November 21 is Community Day in Pokemon Go, so that is the extent of what I will be playing over the weekend. I have family matters to attend to on Saturday which will last into the wee hours I imagine, so some game time will not be happening. It will be a fun Community Day though. My mother will tag along with me to the local park, which is a massive one, and we will both drive and walk around all afternoon catching Shinx. Hopefully, we will catch enough in order to evolve one into Luxio and then into Luxray. Surely we will because if it’s anything like previous Community Days, we’ll be tired of catching the little kitty Pokemon by the end of it. All of my eggs are in incubators as well, so I am hoping something fun hatches out of them over the weekend - especially a Togepi, Mime Jr. or a Scraggy. I am really tired of Bunnelby and Rufflet at this point. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Dirt 5 I’ve been messing around a bit with cloud gaming on Xbox now the service has rolled out on consoles, and Dirt 5 was one of the games I fired up. It works OK (this was after spending far too long trying to fix some network issues), but it’s still not ideal. Lag is reasonable, but it’s the picture quality that ruins it, really. It’s far too blocky. Anyway, with an itch for more Dirt 5 I booted up the installed version and gave it a proper whirl. It’s still a great game and it’s nice to have a bit more focus after spending a lot of time in Forza Horizon 5. It’s on Game Pass right now if you’re yet to check it out. I highly recommend it. If you have got better results out of Xbox cloud gaming, please share your experience in the comments. There are plenty of games for you to play this weekend. So which one are you planning on loading up? This week alone, nine games were released for console or/and PC. Are you going to play one of these new games? Or something old, or not so old but not new either? Appease our curiosity in the comments below!

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-25” author: “Sarah Bailey”

Of course, we are always playing games, because, you know, that’s what we do for a living. Well, we also report the news and give you important information as well, but it all comes back to one thing: games. And games are what we are passionate about. This weekend alongside firing up our consoles or PCs, we’re participating in Celtic Throwdown, doing some wedding shopping, going through boxes, prepping the yard for winter, and the usual. But, we are also going to play games. Some new, some old - but all fun. Alex Donaldson, Assistant Editor - Forza Horizon 5, Final Fantasy 5 It’s all about the fives for me this week as I dig down into two new releases - one big, and one not-so-big. First off - Forza Horizon 5. Just, wow. What a game. The Horizon series has always been good, and it’s been getting better with each subsequent entry - so it perhaps shouldn’t be surprising that the fifth isn’t just a great game - it’s a stone-cold classic, and one of the best games of the year. It’s the sort of exclusive Xbox sorely needs more of. I’ve played a bunch of it as part of the process of reviewing the game - but I’m going back in for more, in part because these are rich, dense games with loads to do without becoming a bore. I bloody love it. Also in the world of fives, I’m going to be spending a little more time with the Final Fantasy 5 Pixel Remaster, which quietly hit Steam this week. I’ve got my magnifying glass to deal with the font… or, at least until I mod it as I have with the other four so far. FF5 is a brilliant entry in the series and one of the most mechanically rich RPGs of the era - and I’m sure it still holds up. But this weekend, I shall put that to the test… Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Guilty Gear: Strive, more This weekend, I’ll be in Ireland for Celtic Throwdown where I’ll be playing a bunch of fighting games. Guilty Gear: Strive, Street Fighter 4, Tekken 7, and more. Will I even win a game? Not likely! But it’ll be cool to meet up with other fighting game folks again. James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - GTA: San Andreas Ah shit, here we go for the first time ever. 10-year-old me was categorically NOT allowed GTA of any kind, GTA: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition is my first chance to have a bash with some of the best games of all time. Generally, the early 3D era is in that strange retro hinterland where it’s not quite old enough to be considered a real relic, but it’s just ancient enough to look and play awfully. So I’m really interested to see how Rockstar’s best-in-class mechanics have aged when so many feel clunkier than a dial-up modem. I’ve got a pretty big tolerance for nostalgic jank - I even liked the original Witcher - but will that stretch to the minimum estimated completion time of 31 hours? This weekend is when I’ll find out! Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Battlefield 2042 (PC) Today marks the early access launch of Battlefield 2042. As a big fan of Battlefield, and with the recent beta having left me a bit worried about the game, I can’t wait to get my hands on the final build later today. With three distinct modes, there’s definitely a lot going on in Battlefield 2042 that it’s going to be hard to stick with one thing. I am also curious to see how well/unwell it’s going to run on my PC. The beta was rough, but I am hoping launch optimisations, and the gift of DLSS, will make things much better. Tom Orry, Editor-in-Chief - Call of Duty: Vanguard I’m not sure what it is about the CoD games in particular, but as soon as I’m tasked with using stealth I find them the hardest games in the world. For my money, no Call of Duty game should have stealth in it - the closest to it being the use of night vision goggles and walking instead of running. Please don’t make me crouch or… I can barely bring myself to say it… go prone. I guarantee that these are the worst moments in every Call of Duty game and will continue to be unless they rework the whole thing to be Hitman or something. So, if anyone reading this makes Call of Duty games, drop the stealth, yeah? Other than the stealth, I’m enjoying Call of Duty: Vanguard, mainly for the spectacle. We’re still in cross-gen territory, but it’s a mighty impressive looking campaign at points, that’s for sure.

title: “What Are You Playing This Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2023-02-14” author: “Betsy Schnakenberg”

As usual, a few of us are doing things other than gaming, but we still plan to find an opportunity to indulge in our favorite pastime. There are birthdays to attend, weeds to pull out of the flowerbeds, stinky dogs to bathe, kitchens to mop. The usual. But in between chores, we plan to jump into a romantic sci-fi RPG, a block-breaking game, conquer civilizations in a classic strategy title, and play a bit of solider. Here’s what we’ve been playing and plan to dive into this weekend. Dorrani Williams, Video Producer – Resident Evil 2 Remake, League of Legends This week I do plan on starting the Resident Evil games, specifically Resident Evil 2 Remake, to prepare for Resident Evil Village. But, in a weird twist of events, I’ve somehow been roped back into playing League of Legends and you know what? I don’t hate it. For context, LoL was my favorite game for years until I finally burnt out two years or so ago (I say burnt out but I just couldn’t stand the top laners feeeeeeding anymore), so I took a break and played other games but I’m back and so much has changed it almost feels like a new game but let’s just see how long it takes for me to uninstall it again. Rebecca Jones, Guides Writer – Haven  All being well, for me this weekend is going to involve at least some measure of going outdoors and interacting with real humans at a safe social distance. So that’s going to be a nice change of pace. Around that, though, I’m still hoping to work in a little bit of gaming time. For the past few weeks, my partner and I have been playing Haven in couch co-op. This romantic sci-fi RPG has so far been enjoyable, but not quite as good as our last big story-driven couch co-op adventure — which was the excellent A Way Out (and yes, part of me wants to rush to finish Haven already so we can move onto It Takes Two). This is mainly down to the controls: instead of each player simply moving one of the two playable characters, it’s an often frustrating push-and-pull of partly shared control. We’re playing on Switch and actually had to take a break from the game for the past week to order a secondary “JoyCon Comfort Grip™” (the controller adaptor that comes with the console) because neither of us could cope properly holding an untethered pair of JoyCons during the game’s flying and not-quite-turn-based combat sequences. Now though, our adorable new Animal Crossing themed adaptor has arrived; so hopefully, around this weekend’s busy schedule of dental appointments, gardening, and family birthdays, we can get back to solving the mysteries of the allegedly abandoned (you reckon?) planet which our star-crossed protagonists have chosen to call home. Sherif Saed, Staff Writer - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Outriders Things are a little quiet now on the game releases front, which is a good time to wrap up any unfinished business with existing games. I am fairly high up into Black Ops Cold War’s Season 2 battle pass, so I want to see if I can get it towards 100 while double everything is active. Usually, FOMO gets to me in the final days of the season, and I end up biting the bullet and buying the $20 bundle that gets you 20 tier skip, just to get it over with. I am not thrilled about any of the skins or weapon blueprints, really, but I did play a lot of the Zombies Outbreak mode and it helped me get a fair ways into the pass, so I may as well finish it. Zombies Outbreak, up to level 5 at least, is a good podcast game. You can just turn down most of it, and put on a podcast or some music and before you know it, you’re all caught up on your weekly podcasts. Another game that can also be good with podcasts is Outriders. I want to bring one more character into the endgame. I am going to log in this weekend and hope my shit isn’t gone, because I really want to mess around with a class other than the Pyromancer in the endgame. Outriders is popular now, too, so I can easily find people to play with, which I can’t say about the multiplayer games I usually play. Stephany Nunneley, News Editor - Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition On Wednesday, my phone rings. I answer it and hear: “Wanna conquer something this weekend?” Of course, I do. I am always down to give the Aztecs the what-for - or any other civilization for that matter. I need a break from The Lord of the Rings Online anyway. Between crafting and trying to make it through Agamaur, a place full of great corruption and grave danger, I am a bit burned out. Age of Empires 2, in my opinion, is the best entry in the franchise, and it’s what I will mainly be playing this weekend. Two friends and I play the game on Steam and there are still a few cultures I need to play in order to earn some achievements. I also need to work on the “Hun, What Are You doing?,” “Castle Crusher,” and “Relic Hunter.” The latter will probably take me a bit longer because the friends I play with tend to grab them before I can get ahold of one. Then, there’s always the enemy civilization coming over into my area and bogarting one or two. Next time, I will build a wall up around a relic until I can create a monk. We’ll hopefully get our other friend to play with us this weekend too, so we can have a team of four. But, he’s been really into Valheim of late and not giving us much of his time. Plus, he really needs to play with us, because he is a bit rusty at AOE 2 and needs to get back into the swing of things before Age of Empires 4 comes out and we force him to buy it. Tom Orry, Editor-in-chief - Spire Blast Apple Arcade Other than watching my son play the rather excellent Immortals Fenyx Rising and occasionally handle a timed challenge for him (I’ve still got it!), I’ve been dabbling with a few Apple Arcade games. The one that’s stuck is Spire Blast, which may well have won through due to its simplicity and the ease to which I can just jump back in whenever I feel like it without having to acclimate myself to everything about it again. Spire Blast is essentially a 3D colour-matching block-breaker in which you fling balls at a tower of bricks, with connected blocks of the same colour as the ball being removed. This can lead to physics-based tower collapses, and there are various power-ups to use to assist, plus a dragon that appears to munch on bricks as if they’re misshapen Skittles. It’s simple in the extreme, but the kind of game that’s ideal for a quick 10-minute burst here and there.

We have varied tastes here at VG247. Surely our readers do as well, so we would love to hear about what you’ve been playing, or plan to play over the weekend. Hopefully, you will find plenty of time to game in between things, life, and whatnot.