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
Looking for our next co-op game to play, Lewis and I decided to try out a horror game called Pacify. It includes four different levels, which can be played solo or in co-op, and consist of working out how to capture different paranormal entities while surviving their deadly hunting. It’s been fun, but we’ve been struggling to complete the final level; it’s chaos, and everything keeps getting on top of us!
I have also returned to a game that I’ve had an itch to finish for a while, and that is SCHiM. Originally, I got around halfway through the game. Although I didn’t make much progress this week, I have got used to the mechanics again and intend to make further progress over the weekend.
Another game Lewis and I played this week was We Were Here. We have made it to the last stage of the game, which coincidentally ends on a stage. It’s been fun working out the puzzles and finding the solutions, being much easier than I originally anticipated. I’m sure this will be finished before the weekend is over.
Most interesting news of this week: All the nominees for The Game Awards have been announced, and you can now vote for your winners! Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 got an incredible 12 nominations, and I expect them to win quite a few of them. I’m a little gutted that Split Fiction didn’t receive more recognition, though.
Looking forward to playing: SCHiM, and whatever else interests me.
Robby
I finally beat Final Fantasy Tactics on Xbox. It took me close to 40 hours, and I’ve got almost all of the achievements, except for some grindy ones I’ll skip on for now. But it was quite the ride, and happy I got to experience it after all those years of hearing praise from others. Expect a full review on LifeisXbox from me soon!
And it’s not often I dive from one turn-based tactics game into the next, but that’s exactly what happened: I’ve started on Demonschool and from the very first battle in the game, I knew this would be even more fun than FFT. Very clever combat system where positioning and combos are everything. I’ll sink a few dozen hours into this over the coming weeks!
Also, as part of my nightly routine, I’m playing Spot Challenge with my wife. It’s a dumb “find the differences” game that throws a bunch of achievements at you (3000 per game), but we genuinely like playing this before starting to watch our shows together.
Most interesting news of this week: Roadside Research (Belgian game) just announced their Day One launch in Xbox Game Pass Early 2026.
Looking forward to playing: More Demonschool!
Colombo
This week, I finally finished Anima: Gate of Memories I&II Remaster, and my review is almost here, so be on the lookout for it. Speaking of reviews, I started playing Once Upon a Katamari, which I’ll also be reviewing soon. It’s been wonderful so far, can’t wait to see more of it.
I decided to start playing Alan Wake 2’s DLCs. Three were very short episodes: I’m now playing the Lake House expansion, which is clearly longer and deeper than those. I’m curious about what is going to be revealed in it.
I also continued playing BALL x PIT, but I’ve made more progress this time; it’s been pretty great and fun to play.
Most interesting news of this week: Silent Hill 2 shadow dropping on Xbox with a 50% discount.
Looking forward to playing: More Once Upon a Katamari, Alan Wake 2’s expansion, BALL x PIT and whatever else I can fit into my rotation.
Missi
I finished The Lonesome Guild. What a beautiful RPG. The combat feels a bit basic at the start, but it gets better, together with the story!
I also played a bunch of Moonlighter 2. I’m a massive fan of the original, and this one doesn’t disappoint. 3 Distinctive biomes and more will be added during early access. Also, a roguelike mini-game in the shopkeeper phase and a puzzle mini-game for your backpack. It is a lot more interesting than the original, and the artwork is stunning! I love it ^^
And my game for short sessions in between my work or household tasks has been Dice Dice Baby the past few weeks. I love just playing a short game and then getting on with my work!
Most interesting news of this week: The dev of Megabonk being so honest to let The Game Awards know he isn’t a first-time indie developer. This makes me want to try out Megabonk even more. And the developer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is recommending the game Dispatch while accepting an award for their fantastic game. I love how indie developers are looking out for each other!
Looking forward to playing: Just started with Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout DX.
Benny
I played CLAWPUNK last week, a fast-paced cyberpunk action game built around stylish, claw-based combat. I couldn’t talk about it earlier due to the embargo, but now I can share my thoughts! Players dash and slash through neon-lit stages, chaining swift moves to maintain momentum. Its bold visuals and pulsing soundtrack create an intense, kinetic atmosphere that keeps every fight feeling sharp and electric. Check out my review [HERE]
Just finished my latest review! Neon Inferno is a side-scrolling, walking shooter bursting with fast-paced action and dazzling neon visuals. Pure nostalgia, check out my full review [HERE]
This week I’ve been playing Anno 117: Pax Romana. I haven’t played a city-builder in quite a while, but the genre has always interested me, especially seeing so many people excited about it. In the game, you play as a provincial governor, growing your settlements through smart planning, trade, and political choices. Each region offers its own challenges, and the mix of classic Anno economic depth with Roman flair makes building your empire feel rewarding and immersive. My review is coming soon!
I’ve also been playing my Switch 2 more in handheld mode, and I’ve made great progress in Mario Odyssey. I’ve completed a few more worlds and just arrived in the Luncheon Kingdom. I can’t remember the last time a game made me smile this much.
Most interesting news of this week: Black Friday is here! Over 1,000 games up to 75% off on the Xbox Store, this could be the biggest sale yet! Grab your favourites before Dec 3rd.
Looking forward to playing: Anno 117: Pax Romana and Kirby Air Riders.
Derek
It’s been a chilly week in Scotland, but luckily I’ve had a few games to play to keep me warm on those frosty evenings. This week, I have been playing a lot of Sanatorium and Dark Quest 4, and I also decided to go through Little Nightmares: Enhanced Edition and Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered for fun.
I finally ran out of my Xbox Game Pass yesterday and was very suddenly offered 14 days of the mid-tier for £1, which I might take advantage of, but I doubt I will go back to the Premium tier again. I have no interest in Fortnite, and any Ubisoft games I want to play I already own, so it really isn’t worth the extra. I am curious, however, as to what Sony will do now that they have incorporated cloud gaming into the Portal. Will they increase the price of PlayStation Plus? We will just have to see.
Oh, and finally, I cannot believe how shortsighted Ubisoft is in regard to gamers. We still play games; it’s just we can’t always afford the extortionate prices that AAA titles go for these days, so we are more likely to play indie games or go back through our old catalogues and replay some classics. It doesn’t mean we have all gone down the free-to-play route. Anyway, I won’t rant too much about that for now.
Most interesting news of this week: Silent Hill 2 was very sneakily released onto Xbox at a very reasonable 50% off on release, so if you are a fan of the franchise, I would grab it quickly.
Looking forward to playing: Silent Hill 2 on the Xbox, Glitch, and more Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered.
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!
