What we're playing

by: Randy - posted: 3/19/2021 5:53:00 PM

Eric Hauter

After months of service, jogging around swamps dodging alligators, facing down killer boars, and running face first into shootouts where we are woefully outnumbered, I've finally decided to send my horse Taco Meat out to pasture. Yes, I'm talking Red Dead Online again, which is now – without any doubt – the best five bucks I've ever spent. So, ol' Taco is hanging out in the stable these days (he's too loyal and great to ever really sell him off), and I've made the investment in his replacement, Sour Cream. Sour Cream is a milk white mustang, and I've placed a jet black bounty hunter saddle on her to really make that gorgeous coat pop. Thank you, Taco, for your devotion to our trading business, and welcome, Creamy, to the fold.

I've also picked up a copy of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age on Stadia. Though I'm a week into my recovery post-knee replacement, my mind is still not quite right, so games where I can run in circles killing the same monster over and over are wildly appealing to me. The game was already a visual stunner, but it looks insanely good on Stadia, with colors so bright that my TV lights up the whole room with brilliant hues. I'm really getting a kick out of this one, as it tickles that old-school RPG node that lurks deep inside me.

Elliot Hilderbrand

I've finished a couple of playthroughs of Curious Expedition 2. My feelings in the game have gone back and forth while playing, my review is incoming.

I haven't played much else this week. Looking forward to catching the new version of Justice League as well as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Randy Kalista

Not to completely kick this Loop Hero habit, but the wife misses her husband and the kiddo misses her dad, so I'm going to reel it in. Restore balance to the living room. Maybe go for a walk in the evening. Running around Loop Hero's barbarian belt/danger donut/circle jerk has made for a couple 9 out of 10 weeks. But sometimes games need to take a backseat to—

—Oh hello, Bethesda x Game Pass. I've already sampled or outright bought every one of your games I thought I wanted. But Game Pass leaves room for me to dip my toes into the pools I was less interested in. My 10-year-old has been playing Skyrim as long as she's been able to hold a controller, but now she's asking, "Dad, what's Oblivion's story?" And I'm like, Pretty much the same core story as Skyrim, kiddo, just with undercooked Muppet-looking Michael Jackson faces everywhere.

Jon Krebs

My downtime has been severely limited this week with work and selling my condo, so I'm looking toward some games that are much more relaxing and less intensive. First up will be Dragonborne. I mentioned last week that I was diving into this game, and I did get a few hours in. What I learned is what I was hoping for: a nice, simply controlled revisitation back to some older-styled RPGs with a few twists.

My search for a relaxing game also led me on to my next potential entry for the weekend, Firewatch. The game looks great, and seeing that it can be described as a "walking simulator" lets me know that it would be perfectly simple so I can turn my brain off for a bit, watch some March Madness, and take in some great virtual views.

John Yan

This weekend it's going to be more time on retro gaming as I continue to make modifications to my Atari Ultimate Dual Fight Stick with Trackball. My kids enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons so we'll most likely be tackling those games on it. I'm sure there'll be some other old arcade classics we'll try out as we continue testing the additions I've made.

As for my PC, well, I guess I'll try and get into some more VR gaming again. I've yet to really try out Microsoft Flight Simulator in VR, and I could use a little relaxing flying around various cities. I'll look to strap myself into my cockpit and do a few laps around in a small plane for funsies.

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