Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd November)
By How is it nearly December already??
- by Jim Norman
The weekend has finally arrived after yet another week showcasing a fresh Nintendo first-party launch!
Indeed, it was all systems go on Kirby Air Riders this week, as we released our complete review, heard updates about the in-game events scheduled for its inaugural year, laughed at the playful machine concepts that have already emerged, and outlined the game’s initial major patch.
We also got our first real glimpse of The Legend of Zelda Movie, reviewed The Game Awards GOTY nominees, encountered a surprise Tomb Raider drop, and witnessed yet another Mega Evolution arriving in the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC.
In summary, it has been quite a hectic week! I’d guess you all are eager to dive into some games this weekend, but what’s everyone else up to?
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
The conclusion of 2025 is rapidly approaching, so I’ve found myself revisiting some of this year’s releases to see which titles might secure a spot in my top five. It was possibly a misstep to launch The Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy, as those familiar with it will know what an absolute beast it is. Perhaps I’ll invest a few hours into it before transitioning to something else; we’ll see…
I’ve also recently returned to The Evil Within on the PS5. I can’t believe it’s already over ten years old! I truly enjoy it, even if it doesn’t quite reach the lofty standards of Resident Evil 4.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
The tap, tap, tap of 2026 at my door has motivated me to finally complete Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’m approximately 15-20 hours in, and wow, do I feel the strain. It’s substantial — like, really substantial — but I haven’t been this engrossed in a game in a long while.
I’m balancing my Lumière gloomy periods with the odd session of Absolum, which has also turned out to be right up my alley. Karl has been my choice for extended play so far, but I am growing increasingly fond of my adorable frog wizard, Brome, and his charming little animations. Here’s hoping I can finish at least one run before a particular space bounty hunter appears next month.
Gavin Lane, Editor
With GOTY approaching, I’m in catch-up mode. This weekend, I’ll continue with Shinobi, and hopefully return to Star Wars Outlaws and UFO 50. Outside of 2025, I’ve also revisited GRID recently. How I wish Nintendo would reinstate analogue triggers in their controllers!
Not ‘playing’, but game-related, I’m keen to catch up with the movie-length NES 40th anniversary Portland Retro Gaming Expo panel that was released earlier this month. Additionally, the news of Rebecca Heineman’s passing had me reflecting on over 40 years of her contributions, so the 3DO version of Doom and Burgertime videos are calling out to me. F cancer, indeed.
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
A couple of Steam launches caught my attention this weekend, and I truly hope to see them both on consoles eventually. Cleared Hot and Sektori are the spiritual successors you never realized you required to Desert Strike and Geometry Wars, respectively. Princess troubles continue with both Zelda and Melinoë still battling Ganon and Chronos (and Typhon, I suppose) in Hades II (now in physical cartridge form, hurrah!) and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. I sincerely hope I get to explore more of Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, as it has been one of the biggest surprises of the year in my opinion. Amid all this, I sense many individuals are overlooking an outstanding Switch release that was almost my game of the week if it weren’t for a certain pink sphere: Neon Inferno. I have been eagerly anticipating this one for a while, and it is meeting every expectation.
Game of the week is, unsurprisingly, Kirby Air Riders. I know the original GameCube title (which I have on my shelf) didn’t really attract much attention back in 2003, but I hope many more individuals get to enjoy it this time. It is another beautifully crafted SORA creation that will certainly keep me occupied until December comes around.
Kate Gray, Contributor
I discovered a very cool game on Steam called Astro Prospector. It costs about £5. Perhaps less. And it’s fantastic — this delightful, bite-sized incremental game that revolves around blasting asteroids and evading projectiles. Imagine Cobalt Core combined with Vampire Survivors with a coffee theme.
Aside from that, I’m still making progress in Hades II! I paused for a bit to allow the ending to be patched and to assist in judging an indie game competition (where I discovered Astro Prospector), but now that both those tasks are complete, I’m back at it. I’m not hurrying toward the conclusion just yet, as I’m enjoying experimenting with quirky builds and unlocking new weapons, and following that, I might transition to The Outer Worlds 2, as I’ve been hearing positive buzz about it (and the new Monster Factory episodes have got me wanting to revisit Fallout-style games).
Well, that’s what we’ve planned for this weekend, but what about you? Share your selections in the poll below.