What You've Been Playing This Week

[randombs]

Hi-Fi Rush (XSS)

It’s phenomenal. It looks, sounds and plays wonderfully. Wherever you are, the environment around you bops along - lights, cleaning robots, enemies you fight - and even the platforms popping out of walls do so to the beat, so timing jumps is a cinch.

The humour is on point, the voice acting is top-notch, and the fact the game seemingly dropped out of nowhere is the icing on the cake.

I can’t fault it at all.

[nonny]

Hi-Fi Rush (XSS)

It’s phenomenal. It looks, sounds and plays wonderfully. Wherever you are, the environment around you bops along - lights, cleaning robots, enemies you fight - and even the platforms popping out of walls do so to the beat, so timing jumps is a cinch.

The humour is on point, the voice acting is top-notch, and the fact the game seemingly dropped out of nowhere is the icing on the cake.

I can’t fault it at all.

I'm about 4-5 hours in at this point (just been getting into parrying if you know where that is) and I concur. I'm not very good rhythmically speaking but this game just oozes style and it knows exactly what it's trying to be. Lots of 90s culture references going on, great humour and overall it's just a good time.

I dare to say I would probably give this a 9-10 right now... it's up there.

[Neon Ignition]

I'm just past that point, really enjoying it too. For me it's a solid 7/10 title, its budget restraints are obvious and it's quite wooden in some ways. I feel it's very easy for Game Pass removal of the £60-£70 price tag and other factors to generate good will for games that otherwise would face more scrutiny, in a world with many action titles I feel the shortcomings of Hi-Fi Rush are very clear but mitigated because it came with no cost or expectations.

[Neon Ignition]

Just finished a replay of Halo 3 ODST, going back to it after all these years confirmed my original thoughts on it, a naff little addition to the franchise that the other games show up no end

[Finsbury Girl]

Now that I'm done with Demons Souls I've fired up Sekiro and Nioh 2

[importaku]

Finished persona 5 royal on switch last night the 3rd time i have gone right through it twice on PS4 and now in portable form on switch. Another 105 hours playtime but one i happily enjoyed from start to finish. It's weird but by the end i still get that feeling of sadness when you have to return to your home and have to say goodbye to everyone you have been interacting daily with for a year. Managed to max out most of the confidants but i'll be going through again on switch to get the ones i didn't have time to max the first time around did get all social skills maxed though.

Now time to continue on persona 4 i'm hoping the story gets better in that one as i'm only upto saving the 4th character, so far though persona 5 still remains at the top of the list for the best RPG i have ever played although i will say the music in 4 is absolutely amazing.

[wakka]

Wow that is some stamina. Once was enough for me with Persona 5. Great game though.

[Finsbury Girl]

I realised I'm souls'd out so in my search for something different I succumbed and finally downloaded Ghost Recon:Breakpoint.

I got it super cheap on sale and I'm playing the Immersive option (i.e. the correct way). I'm so glad they implemented this, I was aghast when I played the open beta years ago. They had completely butchered Ghost Recon (even moreso than with Wildlands, which I actually really liked but it wasn't really a Ghost Recon game). Anyway my first hour or so, it seems to be back more like Wildlands now with no garbage levels and loot levels. I can headshot and eliminate without hit point garbage.

My only big decision is to play solo or with AI squad. Might try both and see how I go. I do like the playstyle of finding a base, scoping it out and sync sniping but I also like the idea of the lone wolf Nomad. The good thing is they've given the player choice so bravo to admit mistakes and correct them.

[Atticus]

I'm about 10 hours into the Dead Space remake. It's very good but my timing feels very bad. After nearly 100 hours of Elden Ring it feels a bit basic and repetitive. Yes, I'm comparing apples and oranges. Yes, I know what Dead Space is. I'm just spoilt. Elden is simply on another level to most games. But the Alien fan in me still knows Dead Space is a dream game. The remake looks and runs amazing. Only slight thing is the guns/shooting doesan't feel quite as beefy/satisfying ... maybe its the handling or the sound that's a bit different.

[QualityChimp]

I was thinking about what I'll play after Elden Ring and I'll probably aim for something a bit simpler.
I was thinking an FPS like Wolfenstein or a CoD.

[Golgo]

CoD:MW2 on PS4. Finished it last night. Really fun campaign with a heck of a lot of surprising variety, even stealth/crafting sections that really work. CCTV stealth section was excellent. Sure it had its typical frustrating moments of 'frrrt' you're dead-o, as every CoD campaign does, but overall I really enjoyed it. Spectacular macho nonsense throughout, but very enjoyable and very well put together (even on a creaking PS4).

[Atticus]

I was thinking about what I'll play after Elden Ring

Whatever it is you'll probably find yourself longing for the Lands Between

[wakka]

CoD:MW2 on PS4. Finished it last night. Really fun campaign with a heck of a lot of surprising variety, even stealth/crafting sections that really work. CCTV stealth section was excellent. Sure it had its typical frustrating moments of 'frrrt' you're dead-o, as every CoD campaign does, but overall I really enjoyed it. Spectacular macho nonsense throughout, but very enjoyable and very well put together (even on a creaking PS4).

I need to get back to this. I got frustrated with the excessive scripting of the levels (the 'Frrrt, you're dead-o' bits as you aptly describe them) you but really should go back and beat it. I loved MW2019's campaign but this one didn't click in quite the same way from the beginning.

How are you finding multiplayer? Oh, I just remembered, Season 2 releases today!

[Golgo]

I need to get back to this. I got frustrated with the excessive scripting of the levels (the 'Frrrt, you're dead-o' bits as you aptly describe them) you but really should go back and beat it. I loved MW2019's campaign but this one didn't click in quite the same way from the beginning.

How are you finding multiplayer? Oh, I just remembered, Season 2 releases today!

I wasn't sold on the beginning either but the campaign actually improves in the latter half (from when you get to Mexico onwards), although the final tiny bit of the final level is frustrating to a ludicrous degree. A Benny Hill Yackety Sax runaround.

I really like MP, managing to play it to an 'average' standard rather than sucking totally as usual. The maps are good, weapons fine, enjoying the objective modes, killstreaks not too crazy. I can't get on with the Warzone mode as I'm not fond of Battle Royale in general, haven't tried DMZ. The large scale vehicle-based warfare modes that they tried to take over from Battlefield (Invasion and Ground War) are pretty impressive, but I don't think your common-or-garden CoD player is temperamentally equipped for Battlefield-type coordination. It's beyond mayhem.

I'm looking forward to the new maps and especially the Japanese themed medium scale Resurgence map (Ashika Island), which are due today.

[Neon Ignition]

Knocking around on:

-Halo: Reach
-Hot Wheels: Unleashed
-Goat Simulator 3