Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th September)
By The Underworld calls
Hello everyone! It’s that weekend again, but before we jump into what we’re engaging with, let’s quickly review the previous week.
To start, it’s only fitting that we revisit some of the critiques we shared this week, as they encompass a few significant titles:
Hades II – 9/10
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles – 9/10
EA SPORTS FC 26 – 8/10
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac – 7/10
Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile – 8/10
Moving onto the updates, and the key highlight this week is the announcement that Nintendo of America’s President, Doug Bowser, will retire at the year’s end. Devon Pritchard will assume the position, while Satoru Shibata will join NoA as its CEO.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 was unveiled for the Switch 2 and will feature a completely new narrative, while Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds announced a fantastic Mega Man collaboration for its forthcoming DLC.
Lastly, Borderlands 4, initially slated for an early October launch, has been postponed to an undetermined date. Not entirely unexpected, and to be honest, with so much releasing in the upcoming weeks, we’re content to wait for this one.
Gavin Lane, Editor
This week I finally completed Hollow Knight, meaning I rolled credits after nearly 30 hours with a completion rate of 74%. I’ve since returned, gathered additional masks and grubs, and defeated a few optional bosses bringing my total to 81%. I should really take a break now – Hades 2 isn’t going to play itself, and I’ve exhausted the things to spend Geo on. BUT! Conquering the last trial in the Colosseum of Fools will yield me another Pale Ore (I think?), allowing me to enhance my nail one last time, which would be great. Can I ignore the temptation to get that percentage counter to 100 112?
In addition, I began Star Wars Outlaws, which comes off as very Ubisoft, but not unpleasant – I’m eager to continue playing. However, payday arrived and I swiftly crossed one of my wishlist items off; Nier Automata is now on my Switch 2. Although it technically lacks official S2 compatibility, I’m planning to give it a try there and revert to my OLED if any issues arise. Have a great one, folks.
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
I’m eager to revisit SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance this weekend to see if that resolution update has truly made a notable impact. It’s genuinely an extraordinary game, yet it does appear rough on Switch 2.
Hades 2 is also in the plans, and I hope to check out The Touryst: Deluxe if time permits. Additionally, I’ve now acquired Silent Hill f on the PS5, so that’s a high priority for me.
Enjoy!
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
I believe I’m approaching the initial completion of Silksong, which is good news. Not that I wish for it to conclude, I should clarify, but my backlog from September is already glaring at me, and I’d rather not envision how daunting it will be after all the games release in October.
During my Silksong sessions, I’ve been progressing in Clair Obscur (which is also excellent), and I recently obtained Metaphor: ReFantazio and Undertale which, I regret to admit, I have never genuinely played. Oh, and I have Hades 2 prepped and ready for when I find a spare moment amidst all that.
So, it should be a relatively quiet time!
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
Final stretch on Shinobi: Art of Vengeance with each level presenting a test of endurance, skill, patience, and a dash of fortune… just another day for a ninja then. Being a total fan of mechs and SRPGs, I acquired Relayer Advanced Definitive Edition and thus far, it’s a blast. The wait was long, but Hades 2 has finally exited early access as a timed exclusive for Switch hardware. I may be a bit rusty, but Melinoë definitely stands as a worthy rival to Zagreus. I wasn’t disciplined enough to have waited until November to grab the physical copy.
UFO 50 report: 19 of 50 games completed. Golfaria is something else!
Game of the week is (still) Star Wars Outlaws. With Kijimi finished, it’s time to venture to Akiva searching for a droidsmith. I’m saving Tatooine for last, eagerly anticipating that.
Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor
I’m committed to Hades 2 for the foreseeable time, primarily because I want to experience everything this title offers me post-credits, but I also wish to restart and play through the game in its entirety. What a title. Supergiant treats us incredibly well.
Otherwise, I’m still battling the temptation to initiate a new save in Silksong. Thankfully, we’re away this weekend, so I don’t foresee myself giving in to my cravings just yet. Have a delightful weekend! The spooky season is approaching!
Well, that’s what we have lined up for this most Mario of weekends, but what about you? Share your weekend selections in the following poll.