It’s time to look back on the week we’ve just had! What did the weekdays look like for our writers? What was the biggest news from the week? and what are we looking forward to playing during the upcoming weekend? Our Eyes on the Week article will answer all three of these questions!
We’re curious about your opinion and played games, so be sure to share your stuff on our social media channels!
Victoria
After almost three weeks without a TV in my room, my new one was delivered today and I’ve managed to set everything up so I can get back to my version of normality. Although, my week hasn’t exactly been that exciting otherwise.
I’ve only played Dead by Daylight this week as I didn’t want to miss out on the Choas Shuffle modifier which was originally supposed to stop on Wednesday. However, due to popular demand, the mode has been extended until the 3rd June which is fantastic news! The mode randomises your perks and everyone else’s, making me come across unfamiliar ones. No meta builds allowed (Unless you’re extremely lucky!) I needed a little break from Overwatch 2 but do intend to return over the next week.
Most interesting news of this week: Atari acquiring Intellivision. Plus, seeing the positive reviews for Hellblade II is brilliant to see. I won’t be playing it due to the psychosis symptoms but I’m happy it’s doing well.
Looking forward to playing: Dead by Daylight and Overwatch 2 are definite. I’m also debating XDefiant and Galactica Hospital.
Robby
I’m mostly busy with work, but luckily for me that’s also all game-related 🙂 with Steam Next Fest coming up, I’m helping games like Necro Story, SCHiM, Goblin Camp, Cauldron and more. And played most of their demos as part of the process.
I also started and beat FoxyRush in a single sitting. But didn’t like it enough to create a video on it. It’s a very simple autorunner where you only need to jump in time. Easy 1000G though.
I also downloaded Hellblade II and have every intention of playing it soon, but I just haven’t found the time yet. But I really loved the first so I’m sure I’ll be swept away by its gorgeous visuals and top-of-class audio.
Oh, and I played my friend’s game The Tower On The Borderland, which came out on Monday. A PSX-Style retro horror in a tower full of monsters. Check it out if you’re into that! Lots of soulslike elements in it too and Metroidvania-style path unlocking.
Most interesting news of this week: IGN buying all The Gamer network websites. This is not great for our industry that one entity holds so much power over news coverage.
Looking forward to playing: Hellblade II!
Thomas
This week I largely spent playing what I usually play, plus an impulse buy to support a local developer.
Hitting it off with Final Fantasy XIV where I continued on my quest to collect the first 312 Triple Triad cards. I’m at 215 cards, meaning that all the easy to get ones are more or less done. Simply going down the list I’ve decided to get the card from the “Pharos Sirius (hard)” dungeon first. An endeavor I’ve so far been unsuccessful in, as it has a low chance to drop from the final boss. Nothing I can really do here except for throw myself at this wall until it breaks. I’m also doing a “Palace of the Dead” deep dungeon run with some friends, aiming to go all the way down to floor 200. We’re at floor 140, so there is still lots that can go wrong. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
In Honkai Star Rail I’ve been farming upgrade materials for Herta and Himeko, while also knocking out some sidequests. Nothing exciting happening here. We will be getting a new banner next week, but I’m holding out until the one after that.
I’ve done a bit more in Elden Ring by freeing Castle Morne, but that’s about that on the souls front. But that’s not the only dark and gloomy game I played, as The Tower on the Borderland released. This Belgian-made indie game hearkens back to the PS1 era, complete with retro graphics, somewhat clunky controls, and whole lot of passion. At the time of writing I’ve really only just dipped my toes into it, but I will be returning to it for sure.
Most interesting news of this week: Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead Game studios is stepping down as CEO to fully focus on his new and probably prefered role as Chief Creative Officer. Taking over his old role is Shams Jorjani. Best of luck Shams, show us what you can do!
Looking forward to playing: More Tower on the Borderland and Elden Ring.
Aaron
What a week for me! This week, despite working lots, I’ve managed to play several games, some of which are probably too old for you to have remembered.
First up, I dug out my PSP & have been playing Metal Gear AC!D, a card-based tactical espionage game from Hideo Kojima. This was one of my favourite games that he ever made. It has everything the other games from the series have, except all your moves & attacks are carried out using the custom card system. Amazing throwback.
The second PSP game I’ve been playing is Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō. Basically Yakuza Black Dragon. This was exclusive to Japan & they actually made two of these games, but thanks to an English patch that you can open up & load in via the memory card, I’m able to now experience this game from start to finish. Absolutely mind-blowing how they fit the entire location with all its exploitable areas on this tiny UMD.
Unlike previous Yakuza titles, combat in Kurohyō is more focused around one-on-one brawling, similar to AKI Corporation’s earlier title, Def Jam: Fight For NY. During fights, the camera will focus on one opponent at a time, though other enemies can still attack. Once defeated, certain enemies can be recruited for use in the game’s online multiplayer, which sadly doesn’t work anymore.
I also upgraded my Digital PS5 this week & got the new slim disc-based PS5 with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth & Stranger of Paradise. However, I was more keen to try out Stranger of Paradise since Team Ninja are a pretty good dev team. Very gory, but a nice departure from your typical Final Fantasy game.
I also installed Hellblade 2 on my PC through Gamepass, & I’m happy to report the game is phenomenal. Graphically it is the most impressive game I’ve ever seen, & the realistic combat & Stella audio design make it a must-play if you have time.
Finally, I tried out Dave the Diver as it is available on PlayStation+ & this may be my new addiction. Swim in the ocean, catch fish, serve fish at your sushi bar, and upgrade your sushi bar & diving equipment to explore the deeper areas of the ocean. A simple concept, but very enjoyable.
Most interesting news of this week: Black Ops 6 has seemingly gone live with a couple of brief live-action videos at truthlies.com. I’m a sucker for COD.
Looking forward to playing: More Stranger of Paradise.
Colombo
I’ve played the same games as I did last week: Overwatch 2, Dead by Daylight, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Biomutant. I thought about coming back to Starfield now that we got a meaningful update and I haven’t finished it yet but I ended up not doing so just yet.
Most interesting news of this week: Black Ops 6 being revealed as the next COD.
Looking forward to playing: More Overwatch 2, Dead by Daylight, Biomutant and Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Missi
I have been playing many many more hours of Little-Known Galaxy. I’m now 53 hours in, but completing it feels still far away. however, I’m almost done with the main story. I love this game, it is hard to earn money but otherwise, it is great.
I also played Venture to the Vile. What a great but challenging game. I didn’t manage to get far into the game as the difficulty ramps up but I can tell the story is great so far and most of all.. the movement in this Metroidvania feels so good. Highly recommend it if you enjoy a challenge.
another game that I played this week was Coffee Caravan. What a cute little time management game. I love the art style and I love time management games. This one combines the time management type of gameplay like the GameHouse games combined with a roguelike map as Slay The Spire has.
And last but not least… Pine Heart! Oh, I love love love this game.. in the very first minutes I already fell in love and that feeling stayed for the rest of the game. what a wonderful gem is this game. Your first quest is to pet the dog. you can’t go wrong with that, can you? From the first area to the last area, I was impressed with how much detail went into this game and how it did a wonderful job highlighting all those beautiful details.
Most interesting news of this week: The news around IGN, but I also just learned that TinyBuild closed another studio (The one behind Cartel Tycoon). That hurts extra hard because of the closure of Versus Evil during the Holidays in December. Leaving their staff hanging during the Holidays felt extra cruel and sneaky to do it so that it gets less press. The state of the industry is something that makes me so sad. We see so many beautiful games getting released.. but the attitude of “the line must go up” is breaking the industry.
Looking forward to playing: More Little-Known Galaxy, but I’m also excited to check out “Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip” next week.
Benny
This week I’ve been playing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 which has taken up most of my time, you can read my review [HERE]; an incredible experience that really shows what developers can do with the Unreal 5 engine. I’ve also been playing more Hidden Cats in London and Hidden Cats in New York which are both great games and I’m enjoying more than I thought.
I’ve had a little go on Hauntii a new indie game that had just been added to GamePass, it has a fantastic art style, you play as a ghost and can haunt items to gain some loot and solve puzzles, it also has twin-stick shooter mechanics, with loads to discover as you play.
Most interesting news of this week: Indie publisher Devolver Digital announces summer showcase which will take place on June 8th 1:00 am UK time, it’s always nice to see what games they have been working on and hopefully a few surprises too.
Looking forward to playing: I’m looking forward to playing XDefiant which had a full release this week and Tales of Kenzera.
Hello, I’m Victoria. I’m from the UK and have been playing video games for as long as I can remember; back on DreamCast. I’ve pretty much fallen for Xbox since I was around eight years old and remember BioShock being my first game on the Xbox360. Although I find it thoroughly enjoyable to not only experience gameplay, I also find comfort in getting lost and engrossed in the online worlds that sometimes differ greatly from what we know. Another side of my Xbox passion would be achievement hunting and gamerscore. I thrive when I hear the little sound of one popping up on the screen and I’m always finding ways to work on my backlog when possible. Horror is my favourite genre so if you have any recommendations, don’t be afraid to send them my way!
