What are you playing this weekend?
Despite it being nice outside and your lawn probably needing mowed, you'll be playing games inside. We just know it.
May is finally here, which means the flowers are in bloom, the grass is no longer brown, the trees have buds, Robins have returned from their wintering grounds to get in arguments on your lawn, and bunny rabbits are hopping around the place more often than not.
While spring technically started in March, April was such a cold, wet month, that it didn't really feel like spring. May does, though. At least in my neck of the woods. It will be in the 80s next week - the nice 80s mind you, not the sweltering July 80s when the humidity makes my hair look like a cross between Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and footballer Kevin Keegan on a good day. Oh well. Curly hair problem #675, right?
But you didn't click this article to read about the weather or which 80s icon my hair looks like when it's being a wretched pain. You came here to find out what we're getting into over the weekend. Well, here ya go!
Connor Makar, Staff Writer - Melty Blood: Type Lumina
Okay, so I may have signed up for a big fighting game tournament later this year for a game I have no idea how to play. As such, this weekend (as well as every weekend for the foreseeable future probably) I'll be playing Melty Blood: Type Lumina. Yes, the name is weird, but I hear it's actually pretty good. It better be, since I'll be grinding away at it from here on out.
In addition, you can expect the typical stuff from me. I'll be clocking in some Warzone alongside a bit of Warframe just for the hell of it. I have been meaning to jump back into GTA 5 for a bit too if I have the time, so it'll be a busy two days for sure.
Dom Peppiatt, Features Editor - Loot River
I’ve put, probably, nearly 1000 hours into Binding of Isaac over the course of my life and on no less than seven different platforms (PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC). I have also got 100s in Enter the Gungeon on Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation, too. More recently, I rolled credits in Hades on PlayStation and Xbox. I’ve got a weakness, and it’s roguelikes. How did you guess?
How excited was I, then, to learn that there’s a new kid on the proverbial block. Loot River – a mash-up of block puzzling and roguelike combat – hit Xbox Game Pass this week, and after putting a couple of hours into it (and nailing myself a particularly broken parry-to-heal build), I think I’m hooked. I’m convinced enough to pump another couple of hours into it, at any rate – whether or not it’ll have the staying power of some of my other favourites remains to be seen, but a nice mix of water-based platforming, hardcore combat, and a nice, grim aesthetic is ticking all of my boxes so far. Will this newcomer send me up the creek without a paddle, or will I be totally able to get in the flow? Only time will tell.
James Billcliffe, Guides Editor - Duolingo
I've not raged more at a game this year.
Learning languages is fun and all, and Duolingo is a good app for it, but scummy mobile design is inescapable on iOS.
Rather than get a tutor straight away I've pledged to try and get a 60-day streak on Duolingo first, but when your mistake-saving hearts only recharge every 4 hours, every quibble is a disaster.
It doesn't help when the native pronunciation in the listening tasks means the actors literally don't say all the words! Yo soy muy Salado.
Kelsey Raynor, Guides Writer - Valorant
This weekend I'm kicking back with some ranked Valorant games.
I somehow did really well last weekend, so I'm gonna keep the momentum going and keep winning! Aside from that, I'll probably spend time with my new games journal from Lost in Cult.
So, what are you up to this week? Are you playing anything new? Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters just came out this week. Is this something you picked up or are planning to? Evil Dead: The Game is out next week, so that might be something I pick up. I just can't pass up the opportunity to play something with friends where I can actually say I am using "the" boomstick. Oh, and hail to the queen, baby.