It’s that time again: We’ve arrived at the weekend after another long series of cursed weekdays, and that, hopefully, means it’s time to get some gaming in.
This week we’ve got some modern choices, and a nice throwback to a simpler time. Let’s waste no time and get to what we’re playing, games that we think you’d enjoy, too.
Play it on: PS5, PS4
Current goal: Play through the Valhalla DLC
Buy it from: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop
I was late to the party with God of War (2018), because all the then-new dads in my circle were constantly rhapsodizing about the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, and frankly the vibes were extremely dude-centric. So when I finally played it, I was dazzled by its restrained yet moving character development amid all the blockbuster spectacle. And with the mythological Ragnarök being essentially a time-bending, world-spanning apocalypse, I had high expectations for the 2022 sequel.
God of War Ragnarök is a whole lot of fun, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard as its predecessor. This is partly for spoilery reasons I won’t get into, and also because Ragnarök ditches the 2018 game’s impactful awkward silences between father and tween. Instead, a rotating cast of supporting characters prattle on endlessly and incessantly about their backstories and emotions. I know more about Freya and Angrboda’s family drama than that of some of my closest friends. So when I heard the Valhalla DLC was a solo jaunt for Kratos, I was delighted. I can’t wait to decimate some draugr and trolls again—without having to mute my TV this time. — Jen Glennon
Revealed during this year’s Game Awards, the Valhalla expansion is but a free download for your copy of Ragnarök on PS4 and PS5.
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Chill out
Buy it from: Steam
I’m tired of killing people in video games. I’m tired of shooting guns and swinging blades. I’m tired of the blood and the gore and the violence. I want something low-key, a game that’s more about the vibes than about achieving some high score or murdering everyone in sight. Don’t Nod, the studio behind narrative adventure games Life is Strange and Tell Me Why, served up such a game on October 31 with Jusant, and I’m only now getting to it. Shame on me, huh?
A narrative puzzle-platformer about climbing the heights of a lonely tower, Jusant nestles comfortably next to other atmospheric, single-word adventure games like Journey and Sable. The artwork is minimal yet captivating. The soundtrack, while sparse, is an emotive orchestral score that underscores the game’s aesthetic. And while there’s not a word of dialogue in the game, Jusant seems like it has so much to say. The best part? It’s only about four hours long. So, yeah, my weekend will be filled with struggling to climb beams and rocks in the hopes of not falling to my death too often. Because, again, I’m tired of killing people. I just want to chill out. — Levi Winslow
Are you a Game Pass subscriber? If so, you can play Jusant on Xbox or PC with your subscription.
Play it on: Windows, macOS, Android
Current goal: Make Legend rank
I’ve been away from Blizzard’s digital card-battler since last August’s Murder at Castle Nathria expansion. Second Dinner’s Marvel Snap and Magic: The Gathering’s deliciously flavorful Lord of the Rings set have been scratching my strategy itch up until now, but Hearth’s new Showdown in the Badlands set has managed to draw me in once again.
Hearthstone’s experienced many changes in my absence, chief among them is a whole fricking new class, the Death Knight, to contend with as well as the 145 new cards introduced with Badlands. Thankfully, amidst these roiling seas of change, I’ve found a port of calm with one of those aforementioned new cards, Reno, Lone Ranger.
Offering incredible board clear, extra armor, and an impactful hero power that rotates every turn, Reno’s tradeoff is he requires you build any decklist they’re in without duplicates. Also known as “Highlander” (there can only be one) decks, these have always been my favorite archetype to pilot due to their flexibility and built-in variance. Truly, no two games feel the same when rolling with Reno.
Which brings us to my stated goal, making Legend, the highest echelon of Hearthstone ranked play. Normally, I wouldn’t be this cocky if not for the fact I’ve already climbed the mountaintop with this type of list before and so am feeling extra-comfy charting out the lines of play that lead to victory. Even against Death Knights. See you on ladder, my pals.— Eric Schulkin
Play it on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Wrap up the Reckoning battle pass
Buy it from: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop
Oh hi, I’m writing about Halo again. Surprised? Didn’t think so. Why am I writing about it again? Well there’s this ongoing 20-plus-year-old obsession I have with the franchise (yes, I’m in therapy, stop emailing me about that) but also: Firefight, Halo’s “horde mode,” is back!
I don’t think I’ve used up much digital ink on Firefight in my previous Halo conversations on this site before, so let me add to the confusion with a confession: I’ve never really cared for Firefight. In general I’m sorta “meh” on wave-based, “horde” modes in shooters. So it’s odd that I’m getting sucked into it this time around.
Is it because this iteration of Firefight is unique? I’m not sure; the “King of the Hill” mode is kinda neat, but I’d like to see more variety and the mode has a few issues it needs to sort out. Maybe it’s the maps that are making this mode stand out more? Mabes; I do think this take on Firefight clicks particularly well on the remakes of Last Resort (called Kusini Bay now) and Exiled; also, Oasis has got to be one of the best large maps Halo has ever had. But like with the game mode itself, I could use more variety. (That’s a problem with Infinite all around. There are a lot of maps now, but I feel like the same ones come up far too often in matchmaking across the playlists).
I think what it comes down to is that Firefight is rather chill. See, I’ve been playing a lot of Husky Raid. If you don’t know what that is, I’ll explain: It’s like if you took Halo multiplayer, distilled it into a 100mg edible gummy, and then ate a whole bag (or two) of that without stopping for air, then washed it down with an energy drink before punching a wall or two while screaming. It’s beautiful, exhilarating, and pairs well with screaming metal music (just how many times am I going to listen to this year’s Periphery record?), but it can be very, very exhausting after I play it for an hour or two. Or five…
So along comes Firefight, giving me a break from shooting at other sweaty players without being as boring as picking on the Spartan bots in Bot Bootcamp. The AI could stand to be a bit smarter, and if I do want a challenge, it’s essential that I play the Heroic variant (or look for a Legendary one in the custom games browser). But it’s not a bad way to keep the Halo mood going without worrying about maintaining a competitive edge. As a result, you’ll definitely find me shooting at more Banished this weekend. — Claire Jackson
No need to buy yourself a copy. You can get to ‘nade throwin’ and space jumps for the low cost of time spent watching the game download. There is a campaign, however, that you can buy or play with a Game Pass subscription.
While many might argue that Halo has had its best campaign experiences already, Infinite’s has more than a few things going for it, including a wide-open world and a series of “SIlent Cartographer”-inspired delves into ancient and mysterious structures.
Play it on: PC Engine (or play the NES version if you want the real thing)
Current goal: Kick Jaquio’s ass
Reviewing the Analogue Duo, a modern-day replacement for NEC’s classic 1980s PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 consoles, was a great chance to revisit a host of lovely games from a time when video games were simpler, smaller affairs, more bite-sized entertainments than gargantuan undertakings.
And also some mediocre ones. One I unexpectedly glommed onto was Ninja Ryuukenden, which is the PC Engine’s 1992 Japan-only port of the 1988 NES action classic Ninja Gaiden. Gaiden is an all-timer, a symphony of tightly timed, unforgiving action that became one of the NES’ most memorable games. I’ve played it so much over the years its patterns settled into my hands. I adore it.
Then there’s this 1992 PC Engine remake, ported by Hudson. It is not a classic. It does, in fact, break the super-tuned action timings of the NES game to deliver something altogether less compulsively playable and striking. The redone graphics are often less stylish, and the new soundtrack is a huge downgrade from the moody, compelling original’s. (On the bright side, it has a cheat code to play in English.)
But I dunno, the basic outline of Ninja Gaiden is still there, and I keep finding myself mindlessly playing the first two or three stages before quitting to go back to whatever I’m doing. The different (objectively less fun!) rhythms are starting to settle into muscle memory, so I imagine I’m making myself actively worse at the original every minute I spend playing this questionable remake.
Yet I’m feeling a pull. I keep noticing differences...usually for the worse, but it’s fascinating. This last session I took the legendary jump-and-slash subweapon to the first boss, and rather than instantly shredding him like it would on NES, I got hurt and bounced right off. What the heck! Who said you could fix that? Who said you should fix that?
I’m starting to see that I need to just sit down and play this semi-cursed thing through to the end, something I haven’t done in the 20 or so years I’ve owned a copy. Ninja Gaiden’s bugged, super-difficult endgame is infamous among NES players. It’s probably easier here, but who can say what fresh hell awaits? It’s finally time to see. — Alexandra Hall
And that wraps our picks for the week! What games are you playing this weekend?