Hello friends, Saturday has rolled around again so here we are with our usual question – what are you playing this weekend? Review season has really started to heat up over here, and as such, there are games we’ve been playing that we can’t talk about yet. We’ve done our best for you, though, and what we really want to hear about is you. What’s going to be fired up on your console or PC over the next couple of days. Vote in the poll below!
Jesse (DonCabesa):
“This week has mostly been focused on embargoed reviews. I was able to get in the opening hours of Nioh 3 and came away mightily impressed. I could never get into the first two, the third entry from Team Ninja felt great right from the start.
Set in the late 1500’s C.E. the story adds a supernatural twist to the Tokugawa Shogunate period. It is a souls-like through and through, though one more focused on Elden Ring than the Dark Souls series. Combat is fast so far, though the systems are quickly becoming complicated.
It will be tough to keep playing it as we hit the heavy review period. I’m hoping to make it my go-to game for relaxed streams throughout 2026. It looks and runs well on my son’s base PS5, though the Dual Sense still makes my hands cramp after extended use.”
Jon (Sikamikanico):
“It’s been an insanely busy week here. With preparations for episode 300, and as we’ve now hit February, games are rolling in for us to check out.
In terms of what I’ve been playing – there’s a lot! I’ve been tearing up the streets, side-bashing my opponents and running over zombies in Carmageddon Rogue Shift, which Gyozo recently reviewed. I also interviewed the Game Director over at 34 Big Things, if you haven’t checked that out yet.
I’m also working on a preview for DON’T NOD’s upcoming standard astronaut adventure ‘Aphelion’, though I’m not allowed to tell you anything about it just yet. Lastly, you can expect a big review from me in the coming days for Tarsier’s REANIMAL and I’m of course looking forward to jumping into High on Life 2 when it arrives next week – while we wait for that, why not watch my interview with the narrative director for the game?
Busy times, and lots of exciting things on the horizon.“
Kat (MortonToe):
“I’ve spent most of my play time this week helping Jon out with a review, which we can’t talk about currently. I’ve also got a few hours in honing my skills in Forza Horizon 5. I’ve waxed lyrical about that too much recently though, so Jon has recommended I try something a little different. I’m going to give Planet of Lana a go this weekend. I’m looking forward to jumping in and seeing what all the fuss is about ahead of the release of Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf next month.” You can check out the hands-on preview of Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf here.
Aarsal (SoulBlazerz):
“The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic for me, in real life I mean, but I made sure to still play what and when I could. Specifically, I’ve been playing a fair bit of Highguard whenever I’m able to grab a friend or two. We’re now a little over 10 days since the release of the game and to say I’ve been disappointed by the public reception would be putting it lightly. But I’m sure everyone already knows all about that, so instead let me talk a bit about the game itself.
Just like how it was when I played the game for the preview, Highguard gives me something unique to play in a genre where that’s getting more and more rare. Since release, Wildlight Entertainment have already sent out multiple patches, including the beginning of ‘Episode 2’ just a couple of days ago, and have been extremely responsive to player concerns. Though after playing a few 5v5 matches I do still firmly believe that 3v3 is the better playing mode and I’m glad they stuck to their guns here when it comes to ranked.
My bigguest issue with the game remains the reason I haven’t been playing more of it. Namely, Highguard can be pure misery at times if you solo que into a game. Contrary to popular belief, the only slow period of a match is in the very first couple of minutes, after that, every single phase is quick and frantic as you try to do like three things at once before you’re forced into a skirmish with the enemy team. So if you’re playing with a team you can’t communicate well with, or with one that’s not even trying, it can be… Difficult, to say the least.
With a new Warden and map already released and still a heck of a lot more on the horizon, Highguard certainly has the potential to carve out its own dedicated audience, but it’ll be an uphill climb to recover from initial experiences. Can Wildlight pull it off? Time will tell, but I’ll be here playing the game either way.”
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