What are you playing this weekend? (2023.08.18)

This past week I found myself with some unexpected extra gaming time and boy did I take advantage of it. I finally beat Uncharted: Lost Legacy, I beat The Pathless, and I beat Bleak Sword DX (on PC).

Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5 upgrade)

Pros:

• Outstanding environmental details
• Great character chemistry and backstory
• More Uncharted

Cons:

• Gameplay is a bit dated with what we have come to expect from Naughty Dog
• Some glitched cutscenes that were easily remedied by pausing and selecting "restart cinematic"

Recommendation: Buy

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The Pathless

Pros:

• Fluidity of movement, sense of speed, and hypnotic rhythm
• Beautiful environments, story, and overall messaging
• No minimap or directions
• Stellar boss fights and chases
• Storm mechanic is very cool

Cons:

• World can feel empty
• Backstory told mainly via exploration and text (could be considered a good thing)
• No danger in the open world other than the storm
• I don't think you can actually die in the game, only lose "gems" like sonic. (this is a deliberate choice by the devs to keep you in the story)
• Puzzles are not very difficult
• I found my self rushing from boss fight to boss fight as these were the standouts

Recommendation: Buy if you liked Abzu and Journey; Wait for sale if you're on the fence; Pass if you didnt like Abzu or Journey. I really enjoyed it overall.

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Bleak Sword DX (played on Steam Deck - No PS version available)

Pros:

• Mid to late game fights are intense.
• Difficult on the back half but not as difficult as Dark Souls or Hollow Knight
• Worlds are like Mario (e.g. World 1-1 through 1-12)
• Deaths never send you back to the start of a world, just the level.
• Music and sound design are good (especially if you like the sounds of demon blood gurgling)
• Deaths never feel cheap

Cons:

• Not on PlayStation
• First 3rd of the game is too easy, leading to choppy gameplay as you go from one level to the next. Levels here can last less than 30 seconds to 1 minute each, taking you out of the immersion
• Mid to late game is harder, and it takes too long to respawn. A system more akin to Hotline Miami where you get right back into it would have been better.
• Visual effects (chromatic aberration, blur, and depth of field) are hard on the eyes, but can be turned off.
• A story you wont care about

Recommendation: Buy if you like hard gameplay and tactical combat in a bite sized format. Difficultly can be turned up if the beginning is too easy and there are endless modes. Pass otherwise.

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Anyway, what have you all been playing or what are you planning to play? Let us know below!

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P.S. I'll be out of town for 2 weeks starting next Friday. I'll still have access to internet so I may still post, but just a heads up that content from me may be reduced. For my upcoming trip I'll be playing mostly Dave the Diver on my Steam Deck since I wont have my PS5 with me.