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
This week has been very much a continuation of last week. Lewis and I have been playing more Labyrinthine, reaching Level 100 and obtaining more achievements. We’ve also been playing more hardcore (0 lives) and rare (guaranteed cosmetic) cases. It definitely holds onto its fear-factor, but I’ll go into more detail in my review, which will be out next week, giving you plenty of time to consider this game for Halloween!
We also started Borderlands 4 with Lewis opting to play Rafa, the Exo-Solider, and me choosing Vex, the Siren (Seems to be my favourite choice throughout the series). We’ve haven’t got very far yet, but honestly? I’m just not feeling the game at the moment compared to all the others. I’m hoping with some more playtime and story to follow, my feelings towards it will improve.
For my chosen relaxing game of the week, I started Hidden Cats in Tokyo. I much prefer the smaller levels compared to the ones with 100 people to find. I don’t intend on rushing through the game and will complete a level every couple of days or so.
Most interesting news of this week: Of course, this has to be the unpleasant news that Xbox are increasing their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by 50%, from £14.99 to £22.99! Inflation, I get it. However, the response has been anything but positive, with the cancellation page crashing for many customers. I’ll stick to core, thank you.
Looking forward to playing: More Labyrinthine and Borderlands 4. I would also like to find a single-player game to play.
Robby
I’m on my second playthrough of Cronos: The New Dawn, because it’s just so much fun. NG+ is just such a blast, finally feeling powerful where before I was cowering through the entire game, running back to the safe room after the slightest bit of progress.
I also just replayed Evoland in a single sitting. Very impressive game showing the evolution of RPGs in a short 3-4 hour runtime. I love it and it’s one of the games I’m definitely going to have my kids play to appreciate where we come from and how games have grown over the decades.
I also beat Coffee Talk (finally) and had a great time hunting down some extra achievements.
On Nintendo Switch 2, I’ve just downloaded Super Mario Galaxy 2, a game I’ve never had the chance to play before. so far it has been wonderful.
On PC, I just played the demo of Anima: Gate of Memories I&II Remastered and it’s looking very promising, coming to Xbox too in November!
Most interesting news of this week: Xbox Game Pass increasing its prices to $30. It’s all anyone is talking about and it’s quite literally them shooting themselves in the foot now that they had some momentum going…
Looking forward to playing: SOPA and Final Fantasy Tactics.
Colombo
Hellclock just got a significant update on the 29th, so much so that the developers recommend starting a new playthrough, but thankfully it’s not necessary. I played it a bit since then, but I’m not quite sure how one of the new systems added work yet. I do feel like there was a visual change though, with more visual effects on screen, and even the camera angle seem a tiny bit different, but it might be my imagination on that one 😅
Back to the Dawn is still in my daily rotation thanks to Xbox Game Pass quests, and it’s still been fun and interesting, though I’m not progressing much.
I did finish a close quarters challenge on Deadzone: Rogue, where you’re forced to play with shotguns only through 20 rooms in Zone 1. The bosses and regular enemies were replaced with specific enemies to better suit the challenge, and it was pretty fun.
I also played a tiny bit of Undermine again, and also Ashina: The Red Witch. Both are pretty good games, but I’m starting to think I shouldn’t start so many games without finishing any of them 😅
Most interesting news of this week: The gamepass changes, with a new in the middle tier, price hikes and new games added. I’m unsure if I’ll keep renewing my subscription after it expires on January.
Looking forward to playing: At least more Hellclock, a bit of Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Deadzone Rogue and Back to the Dawn.
Missi
I finished Twinkleby, a lovely game, but I wish that the requirements for the rare guests were clearer. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this game a lot.
After that, I played through Town to City. What a fantastic city builder game! I’m blown away by the pixel artwork and lovely music. Extra proud because this is made by a developer from the Netherlands (where I live as well).
Most interesting news of this week: As everybody else already said, the updates, or should I say downgrades, to Xbox Game Pass.
Looking forward to playing:Yooka-Replaylee & SOPA – Tale of the Stolen Potato.
Benny
This week I’ve been playing Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, a fantasy adventure where you join Towa and a band of mystical Guardians to protect a sacred tree that holds the world’s balance, uncovering hidden powers and ancient secrets along the way. Review coming soon.
I’ve continued to play a little of Deadzone: Rogue as I work toward some achievements I’m close to completing. You can read my review [HERE]
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is another game I can’t get enough of. It features highly addictive gameplay with progression rewards that slowly unlock as you play, such as new upgrades and better gear. I’ve unlocked a play mode called Escort Duty, where you have to accompany a massive mobile drill across the map. The drill only moves when you are close to it, and it also needs fuel, so there’s plenty of action, killing giant bugs while mining for fuel and other minerals. It’s so much fun! While it’s available on Game Pass Ultimate, it’s also very cheap to purchase. If you like auto-shooters, I highly recommend checking it out.
I also played Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds online with a couple of friends, and wow, it’s way more fun than I expected! The colourful, high-speed visuals perfectly capture the Sonic vibe. Single-player is tough but fair, which keeps me coming back for more. Definitely a game worth racing into.
Most interesting news of this week: Xbox Game Pass price hike triggers mass cancellations, crippling the subscription page.
Looking forward to playing: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Borderlands 4.
Derek
It’s spooky month and of course I will be playing some good old fashioned horror games and watching some classic horror movies throughout the month.
This week, I have been playing Hotel Barcelona which has been such a blast so far, I’m so happy I got to review it. I still haven’t found all the Easter eggs yet! Check out my review [HERE]
I currently have a few horror games downloaded on my Xbox including Dead Space Remake, Tormented Souls, Amnesia Collection and a couple more. I’m revisiting a few because I first played them for my YouTube channel so I missed some of the initial ambience which might have changed my opinion just a little. Sometimes you have to take your time and soak up the atmosphere… or should that be atmosfear?
Most interesting news of this week: Microsoft increasing their prices for Xbox Game Pass by 50% for the highest tier! This of course had created a bit of an issue with loads of people cancelling their subscriptions, including me. Also, Imgur, the largest image sharing site, has blocked the UK meaning a lot of sites which used it to host their images are showing a not available in your region logo rather than an image.
Looking forward to playing: Lots of lovely horror titles and continuing with Katanaut and Hotel Barcelona.
ChochKlah
I’ve not too much this week. I’ve just started playing Voyagers of Nera with 3 friends. It has a great story, great art style, and fantastic gameplay. For a brand new game in early access, it’s already got a polished feel to it. I think this game has a lot of potential and I am truly rooting for the developers and I hope they keep working on this title.
Most interesting news of this week: As everybody else already said – the Xbox pricing!
Looking forward to playing: Digimon Story: Time Stranger.
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!
