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 mostly, 90%, about one game and that game is Lies of P. After getting triggered and giving up with the game on my review playthrough because I couldn’t get past The Eldest of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, I have finally managed to break my curse (even beating them on my first attempt!) and have made my way all the way through to the Arche Abbey, where I believe my next boss fight will be against Laxasia. You can watch my unedited playthrough [HERE]
I also played more Synergia – A Cyberpunk Thriller Visual Novel and finished my first playthrough. Unlike most who ‘play’ visual novels, I actually read through them at least once. This one was far from what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed its theme and story. I would have liked more choices but otherwise, a good visual novel and very different to any I have read before.
Most interesting news of this week: Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox in August, but sadly, not to Xbox Games Pass. Also, Anthem servers are shutting down in 2026 which will discontinue all achievements.
Looking forward to playing: Finishing Lies of P (hopefully) and then probably onto either continuing with SCHiM or starting Age of Mythology: Retold.
Robby
I played a lot of MTG × Final Fantasy (paper and MTG: Arena) the past few weeks and have been kicking ass. With a win-rate of ~85% it seems like this is my kind of set. Also intend to collect all paper cards at least once. 2 of my favourite things combined!
On the Switch 2 I’ve been playing some Mario Kart World, but somehow it doesn’t really stick with me. The level designs seem less inspired and colourful, and the open world exploration just doesn’t scratch an itch for me.
I also completed the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and while interesting, I find it hard to call it a paid for game. It’s a hardware demo that Nintendo asks money for… was hoping to find more “game” in it. You can read my review [HERE]
Most interesting news of this week: Xbox firing 9100 people, cancelling Perfect Dark and some other anticipated games. All after saying “games need more time, they should get it” in January of this year. Everything about these decisions screams “Please the stakeholders”. Yuck.
Looking forward to playing: Antro. I played the demo of this musical title a while ago and now it released on Xbox, I really want to dive in. You can watch my playthrough of that demo [HERE]
Aaron
I’ve spent my entire week off playing through Death Stranding 2, and as I write this, the credits are rolling on what has to be my game of the year. It’s an emotional roller coaster of a game which has left me in tears, laughing, panicking, before coming back to tears again.
The premise is largely the same but this time around it is much more cinematic, and you can tell this one was personal to Hideo Kojima given the underlying tone of connections, the pandemic we faced in 2020, and his reflection on time and what we do with it. The music has been a substantial part of how emotion is felt and portrayed in Death Stranding 2, with many of the songs hitting their hardest when you are at your most vulnerable. Woodkid, in particular is featured throughout many of the prominent parts of what made Death Stranding 2 so memorable for me. It seems cliche to say, but I’m not afraid to admit, that I think Death Stranding 2 will be the one game that I will carry with me for the rest of my time I have left. It feels almost symbolic in a way that the journey you take in game, is not too dissimilar to the one you take in real life.
Gameplay wise, it’s very much the same, making deliveries and connecting the world around you. Helping others, and finding what was lost is at the heart of Death Stranding, as is it’s core message.
After a solid week of doing nothing else but playing this game to Death, it feels like I’ve closed the book on a very influential piece of media. My hope is that the others that play this are similarly affected by its deep message, tight gameplay mechanics, and captivated by the performances of the actors.
What a week.
Most interesting news of this week: Sony finally publishing some games on Xbox with Helldivers 2 being their first.
Looking forward to playing: I honestly don’t know where to go from here. I guess A Quiet Place, The Road Ahead.
Colombo
I’m still playing Ruffy and the Riverside. I got stuck for two days on the steep games, where you have to do tricks in the air on a bale to get a certain amount of points. Thankfully, I managed to get enough points on the third day I tried it.
I played a little bit more of Steamworld Dig 2, and I decided to buy it before it left gamepass, even though I have finished it twice already.
Again, I played a run of Monster Train 2 for Game Pass quests reasons, and also Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is a truly beautiful game.
I convinced my girlfriend to start playing the first Kingdom Hearts through the collection on Xbox and we played it for around an hour and a half. Finally, I played a bit of Baldur’s Gate III with friends again, we almost always deviate from our objective, but we always have a good time.
Most interesting news of this week: Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox, could this be the first of many Playstation-only games?
Looking forward to playing: More Ruffy and the Riverside, maybe some Steamworld Dig 2 and something else if I can fit it in my schedule.
Missi
I’ve been playing a few games this week, mostly shorter ones. I played Ship, Inc., which is interesting, as part of my job is making packages with products customers have ordered. This felt like second nature to do in a game. Sadly, it has a few very grindy achievements, otherwise a fantastic game.
Also played Rentlord from the same publisher. This is a bit like Balatro and Luck be a Landlord, but in a short, compact game, not one that will take over your life! I enjoyed my 2 hours with it in which I unlocked all the achievements.
Played through Radiant: Guardians of Light, which was challenging to me but a great game that looks jus beautiful. It is an action RPG, but it also feels like a beat ’em up.
And I have started The Alters. What an impactful game. I’m still at the start, but the story is so well done and lets you think and doubt about questions in life, and what it really would mean if you were able to make clones and how they would be different from you. I’m impressed by how they are able to tell such a deep story within a survival game!
Most interesting news of this week: The cuts within Microsoft. Which sucks. But to also highlight something positive: Minami Lane and 2 “of Mana” games coming to Game Pass.
Looking forward to playing: More The Alters.
Benny
I’ve been playing The Alters all week, and no other game has really had a look in. Being a survival game, I’ve died a few times, but with each new run I’m learning a lot and completing daily tasks much faster. It’s very addictive, with a great story. My review is live now too and it can be read [HERE]
The only other game I’ve played a little of this week is The Precinct. As my The Alters review is finished now, I’ll be spending much more time with it so I can get that review out too.
Most interesting news of this week: Xbox has officially announced that Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox Series X|S on August 26.
Looking forward to playing: The Precinct, Final Fantasy XVI and Ruffy and the Riverside.
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!
