PWB October 2025

Play
AC Shadows. Not only is this great fun, I reckon it's the most graphically impressive game I've ever played. It feels like this generation's Red Dead 2 (without the attention to detail, perhaps). Same leap in quality from what came before, same 'just have to stop and look' moments. RTGI is a gamechanger.

Mario Galaxy 2. Nintendo's confusing Switch 1/2 game labelling is immediately undone with this game. I'm playing on Switch 2, in 4K, but it's not the 'Switch 2 version', which apparently doesn't exist. You just buy the Switch 1 version and it runs the Switch 2 version. I don't even know any more. It took a good 5 minutes of googling to figure out what to buy. Aside from that, this is still one of the best games ever made.

Hades 2. I've killed the final underworld boss once, and I'm stuck on a certain flying, arena-destroying bastard on Olympus. I'm enjoying this, but I'm not convinced it's the all-timer everyone else seems to think it is. There's only one weapon I actually enjoy using (the dual blades); the rest feel a bit naff. And it has the same problem as the first Hades, namely that for a game entirely focused on combat, the combat isn't very satisfying. There's no weight to anything, and it's laughably hard to read at times.

I also don't really get along with the repetitive nature of rogue-likes. I've already seen the first 4 areas about 30 times, I have zero desire to repeat them at this point. It's saved by the stunning art, good voice acting and interesting story, though.

Bin
Clair Obscur. I dropped off at the end of Act 1, haven't loaded it back up since. The combat started off great, but after 6 or 7 hours it had overstayed its welcome. Also, 'some stuff' happens at the end of Act 1 that apparently leaves people speechless, in awe, shouting GOTY and lots of other superlatives. It barely even registered that something important had happened for me, so I clearly wasn't that invested in the story. Banging soundtrack though.

Play

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - I've been playing this for months now, it just seems to keep going and going and there are huge chunks of it that I don't think I technically need to go and do but I want to because it's just all so good. This really is an all-time classic, it's the best Zelda game I've ever played and it's probably… oooh, top 5 games ever for me? Maybe top 3. It's that good. I haven't been as absorbed in something for ages.

Monster Train 2 - been back to this as it had a huge update which rebalanced a load of stuff, in particular

Spoiler - click to showall the clans from the original game

which was sorely necessary and it's an even better game now they've done that. This is another all-timer for me, the best roguelike I've played and a significant improvement on the first game which was in itself pretty great.

Want

I've downloaded Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 but haven't played them yet as they only unlocked this morning. I'm really looking forward to revisiting them although I'm slightly concerned about the control schemes. The originals (especially 2) were so tied to the Wiimote and Nunchuk combo that I'm not convinced the Pro Controller or even split joycons will really manage to give the same level of control. We'll see.

With luck, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment should drop just as I finish Tears of the Kingdom. Perfect timing.

Anno 117 is out next month, although I haven't yet seen any impressions of the console version at all, which is concerning. They did a pretty decent job adapting 1800 though, so fingers crossed.

Bin

Donkey Kong Bananza - I simply don't like it much. The camera is a constant problem, always too close to your character, usually wanting to point downwards at the top of his head, and it's really hard to get a feel for the environments as a result. The game itself is gaudy and charmless, and there are way too many dialogue boxes with endlessly yapping NPCs which ruin the pacing. I've got down to sub layer 1000, I don't know how far through that is but it's a reasonable way I think, and I'm pretty much done with it. Shame. It's no Mario Odyssey, that's for sure.

Xbox Game Pass - what ARE they thinking?

I've downloaded Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 but haven't played them yet as they only unlocked this morning. I'm really looking forward to revisiting them although I'm slightly concerned about the control schemes. The originals (especially 2) were so tied to the Wiimote and Nunchuk combo that I'm not convinced the Pro Controller or even split joycons will really manage to give the same level of control. We'll see.

I'm playing 2 with the split joycons, and it's basically the same. Slightly slower pointer.

I've got down to sub layer 1000, I don't know how far through that is but it's a reasonable way I think, and I'm pretty much done with it.

1100 is fun, at least. Worth making it there.

I've got down to sub layer 1000, I don't know how far through that is but it's a reasonable way I think, and I'm pretty much done with it.

1100 is fun, at least. Worth making it there.

I found 1000 to 1204 kind of a slog, but 1400 is maybe the best layer in the game. It's also worth remembering that, unlike Mario Odyssey's Moons, progress isn't gated behind Bananas so you don't have to stick around rinsing any levels you're not enjoying.

OK so Mario Galaxy plays absolutely superbly using split joycons, it’s as close to the Wii as we’re going to get. Looks lovely, sounds great, I’m very happy.

Play
Zelda Breath of the Wild. I always enjoyed this but I found out a bit overwhelming. It uses every button on the controller, everything in the game wears out - fast! Fights are often suddenly deadly. Returning to it now though, I'm absolutely hooked. I think it's because I know what to expect and how to approach it. I've payed better attention to the controls. I'm not working about equipment too much because I know there's always more lying around. I'm avoiding a lot of fights but I'm better prepared (with meal buffs) for the ones I can't avoid. Anyway I'll let you know how I get on, it's early days yet.

I bought The Messenger when someone mentioned it a week ago. It's good! I'm only one level in but I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Want
Clair Obscure, Metaphor, maybe Hyrule Warriors… But really I need to play the games I've got.

Bin
Celeste. At least, I'm done with it for now. I'll be back. Easily a contender for the best videogame I've ever played.

I actually tried the first Hades again last night (I wont buy Hades 2 if I cant even leave the underworld in the first game) and I have similar feelings, when you get a build that doesn't do damage combat encounters really drag. Also I have to start over on Steam so I'm missing a lot, it's whatever but I can't help shake the feeling I only beat Meg because of the carry over power ups. I remember getting an absolutely beastly Gun build and died to Theseus and the Minotaur who for some reason just didn't take any damage from it whatsoever. Obviously an incredible game, the content is off the charts, but as a roguelike whatever it pisses me off, also yes I am very bad at it and need to learn actual builds.

In other news, Sonic Mania continues to just be an absolute joy, it really plays on your expectations with how it reinvents old classics. You'll do one level on Chemical Plant which you might remember as the one strewn with blue and yellow criss crossing pathways and crucially, the purple water you probably drowned in a lot (also banging theme). Well in the second act that purple water is purple jelly and you bounce all over the place on it, and then the fight against Robotnik at the end is literally a Puyo Pop match, incredible stuff. (Or Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine of course, I am that old after all )