The Heat is On

Goooood morning friends and lovers, and welcome to a particularly sorchio Whatcha Been Playing? Summer has finally hit Blighty, bringing with it a face-melting heatwave and those Sticky, Sticky Nights that Kiss never sang about. I'm here for it, frankly, as it saves on heating bills and helps my body shed the excesses of meat. Of course, it makes sitting in the office writing about games a little uncomfortable, but as long as I have an excuse to eat ice-cream, I'l?l take it.

And speaking of Summer, we have reached the end of Summer Game Fest, just in time to start gearing up for Gamescom. Because now E3 is no longer around, these things roll out for weeks, and weeks, and weeks. SGF 2023 was pretty good, all things considered, and I thought we got to see a lot of pretty exciting titles, all of which are either launching in September or in mid-2024 with absolutely no in-between. Hope you saw ?some interes??ting-looking games that piqued your curiosity.

If so, tell us about it below! I w?anna hear what you're gonna ?buy so I can be a trendsetter.

The Beat is On

This here section where I tell you what I personally have been playing is about to hit something of a standstill. As I essentially intend to play Street Fighter 6 and Diablo 4 for the next three year?s. Of ??course, by nature of the job and my interest in gaming, there will be other titles featured. And given the absolutely Jack Stacked fall season, there are a lot of cool-looking releases to get through.

Until those days, however, my spare time is dedicated to those two titans �Especially given that tournament season is just heating up. Oh, but you should check out my early thoughts on Neowiz' Lies of P right here. A massively intriguing title that already seem??s to be finding a divisive role within circles.

The Feet (Juri's) is on (Me)

BUT ANYWAY. It is time to get your weekend underway. Hope that you have a lovely one planned at that you'll be getting your summers off to a wicked start. Of course, before you hit the beach, the mall, the Galleria, or the ice cream social, I'd love it if you could take a few moments to jump into the comments and tell us all Whatcha Been Playing? As I said last week, there are a metric ton of great games on the market right now, and our backlogs have never been fuller. So I and your fellow Dtoid community members are allllllll looking forward to hearing ?from you. Have at it! Oh, and don't forget your SGF recommendations!

Have a wonderful weekend??, fro??m all of us at Destructoid.

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A Wax Moustache

Good June, Good Summer, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that the season is bringing more warmth and brightness to your neck of the woods than mine, and I hope that you've been enjoying all of the news, reveals, and updates offered b??y the Not-E3 digital entity that is Summer Game Fest.

Frankly, I ain't too down with it. Covering streams is stressful at the best of times, ??but while E3 required you to go HAM for three days and then coast, SGF marks the start of t??hree straight months of sporadic, randomized showcases. Don't these people know I have a Master Rank to attain?

Still, I hope you've been enjoying the streams and ensuing coverage and, if you're about, then the crew will be on deck on Sunday for the Xbox Games Showcase. Let's see wha??t the Black-and-Green brand has in its ??pockets for the remainder of 2023 and beyond.

And a Beaver Coat

Almost the entirety of my spare time, (what little I could find between the coverage), has been spent kicking names and taking ass in Capcom's excellent Street Fighter 6. These foolish evenings of glory and embarrassment have generally rolled into the early hours of the morning, which was fine when Alpha 2 dropped, but maybe not so much in 2023. I can't help it though. It's hard to tear away when I'm on such a red-hot losing winning streak.

Additionally, I also spent some time wandering the grim, clanking, and oddly charming streets of Neowiz Games' Lies of P, a demo for which is available now on PC and console platforms. This strangely-conceived Soulslike is a retelling of the Pinocchio mythos, reimagined in the dark Belle-Epoque-inspired city of Krat. If you want to hear my own thoughts on how the title is shaping here, then you can check out my preview ne??xt week.

A Pony Cart and a Billy Goat

Anyway, it's time to get yourself to Pleasure Island for a mug of beer, a cigar, a set of donkey ears, and one?? of the most upsetting sequences in Walt Disney history... And by that, of course, I mean the weekend... erm. That doesn't work, but we're moving on. Please take some time to dive into the comments and let us all know how you're doing, whatcha been up to, and, of course, Whatcha Been Playing?

There are some stellar releases on the market right now, but whether you're enjoying these, or simply some golden oldies, we?? still want to hear all about it. Three paragraphs or three sentences; it's all good. Ha?ve yourself a fine day, and I look forward to reading all of your comments.

Have a wonderful weekend, from? all ??of us at Destructoid.

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Juri Duty

Gooooood morning to you all, friends and lovers, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? You'll have to forgive your pal Moyse for the flying visit this week, as it has been an incredibly busy week, complete with some weekend working - *sadface* - in order to be prepped for this huge launch week. Both Capcom's Street Fighter 6 and Blizzard's Diablo IV are currently swooping into battle, and I have a fair old bit to do ahead of these releases. Still, this weekend should be a bit lighter for me.

I hope that this week's entry of WBP? finds you all in a go?od place, and that you all have equally calmer weekends lined up. If you're free for the next co??uple of days, I hope that they are joyful, and that you get some quality R'n'R emboldened by quality entertainment. And if you are, unfortunately, Workin' for The Man today, (not Becky Lynch), then know that we're sending you good vibes for a smooth shift, and I hope that you get home to something that's all for you very soon.

Be kind to yourselves, friends. And make the most of your ?spare time on this double-dayer.

Juri Booty

This week has been dominated by Street Fighter 6, I game that I have been very excited about in the run-up to and am extremely pleased with on its release. It has its own share of slips and falls �World Tour is strangely formed and oddly written, and the specter of monetization hands over the title �but the characters, visuals, technical prow??ess and, of course, the fight itself are all S-Tier elements. I plan to spend this weekend eating donuts and finally playing the new scrapper not for the site, but for me.

Prepared to feel some crushing defeat, but I have to have a better mental focus on this title. Street Fighter V frustrated and depressed me, and as such became a game I played for over 600 hours despite it often making me very unhappy. I gotta ensure this doesn't happen again. It's not fun or healthy. But I'm digging SF6 and its mechanics so far, and I'm hoping that it will bring me more of the sporadic fun ?times and great weekends that its predecessor was able to.

Let's go, Juri, we got a lotta skulls to collect.

Juri... Foot-y..?

Huh, it wasn't a flying visit at all... I guess I just can't help myself, y'all are just so magnetic. I hope that you'll take the time to jump into the comments and share all of the hits 'n' pieces that you've been, (or will be), enjoying this week. Whether you write 100 words or just a single sentence, it matters to me and to your fellow community members?. So whether you running around the Sky Islands, battling out of Hell, or simply battling your way through your backlog, tell us all?? about it. We had something of a drop-off in comments last week, but I just appreciate y'all being here.

Thanks for showing out, it means a lot.

Have a wonderful ?weekend, from all of us in Destructoid.

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Summer Loving

Hey friends, lovers, and well-wishers, (you are all of them), and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? It's been a gnarly hectic week for The Industry's Chris Moyse, as I have had a lot on my plate over the course of the past two weeks. This is set to continue as we head into June (halfway through the year?!) and take on the myriad titles that are heading our way including Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI, not to ??mention that Summer Game Fest and Gamescom are also just aro?und the corner.

What's that? A new Mortal Kombat launching this fall? And AEW in three weeks? Sure, why not?

But too many interesting, exciti??ng, or simply curious titles on the horizon is a nice problem to have, even if it means a metric ton of work for everyone on?? the good ship. It's better than thumb twiddlin', and so I'm looking forward to some sun and some fun. Plus, the shorts are on, so everyone gets to see my (frankly hot af) gams. Hope this summer is a great one for all of us, we definitely could use the break.

Born to Hand Jive

Most of my gaming this week has revolved around three titles, namely Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and, of course, Street Fighter 6, of which I've had to do much grinding ahead of the game's review and eventual launch as soon as *checks watch*, JFC, it's next week. Anyway, please look forward to the latter. I have a lot of thoughts, and they're currently simmering a?nd percolating in this old, tired, grey noo??dle.

I also put down some new flicks. I watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which I found hollow, flat, and repetitive, but ultimately harmless, with some nice creativity (that's "some"). Very empty calories though. I then watched Evil Dead Rise, which, honestly, disappointed me. I did like the characters though, and Alyssa Sutherland's lead Deadite is fantastic. Finally, I watched Scream VI, which I thought was grea??t, with a fun cast, solid dr??ama, brutal, un-meme-y violence, and smart use of the grander stage of NYC.

If not my favorite of the entire Scream franchise, which it genuinely may be, then it's a close second to the original. I'd say don't ??@ me, b??ut you can't @ my truth. It doesn't work that way.

You're the One that I Want

And with that, it's time to p-p-pass the mic over to you, beloved citizens of Destructoid. So whatever you have been playing, watching, or simply "doing", please take a brief moment to dive into the comments and tell us all about it. You have a lot of influence over our community, more than you'd imagine. And going t??hrough these comments every week I see people reference games that others will then pick up on and enter in next week's article. That's what makes us a community. The best community. So be sure to take a few minutes to ?have your say on all things gaming. Be a trendsetter, yo.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at ??Destructoid.

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Back on the Street

Goooood Weekend, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that this has been a wicked one for you all, and that this weekend is wickeder, wicky-wicky-wickeder. You join me as a hit Day Two of a long weekend, which is something of an amazing rarity for The Industry's Chris Moyse, and I'm very happy to ?be only half thinking about work, preparing for a series of major game launches as well as the coming tidal wave of live streams and ?dopey summer shows.

Still, I'm hoping to face it with a fresh sense of vigor �powered by the fact that my horrible gout bout has mostly cleared up, and enthused with the coming launch of Street Fighter 6 and Diablo IV, two titles that are going to beat the ever-loving shit out of my calendar for the next couple of years. Still, games that you actually are happy to dedicate years to is a fine problem to have. I hope SF6, in particular, brings me even more long-term enjoyment, adventures, and new friends, as SFV did.

Won't be hard on the former at any rate.

Back on the Beat

Speaking of Street Fighter 6, I'm going to be spending most of this weekend running aroun' the new open beta, getting into scrapes and wondering why I'm not automatically winning because "I'm excited about the game". To be fair, I'm actually more than competent at Streets, and great on the right day. But given the fact I've been playing since NINTEEN NINETY-ONE, I probably should be much better.

When not throwing fists this week, I have spent some time tearing up the kingdom in Zelda: Tear up the Kingdom. That's a pretty rad game, right? I just like the cooking, really. And the gluing together, and Link in his pants. I'm in no doubt?? that many of you have also been enjoying Nintendo's latest, and I'm sure that you're about to tell me all about it in the comments. Looking forward to hearing about your builds and adventures.

But hey, teacher, leave those Koroks alone.

Back on the Feet (Juri's)

So before you, yourself get stuck into a totally tubular weekend of gaming, or movies, or comics, or even just trying to recharge your energy cells, please take a moment to jump into the comments and share with me and your community member friends Whatcha Been Playing. While I'm sure a helluva lot of you are going together poorly constructed rafts, ladders, and catapults, we are a diverse crew here at Destructoid, and there are no rules to your own entertainment. So whatever you're up to this weekend, tell us a bit about it. long form or short. I just wanna hear from you, friends. Thanks for st?opping in.

Have a won?derful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

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Power

Gooood morning and good weekend to you all, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? You find me at the end of a very? painful week, unfortunately, as what ??was minor gout in one foot became Very Major gout in the other. To say I'm hurtin' is something of an understatement, and the fever/chills it brings with it are equally as sucky. Fortunately, 'tis the weekend, and hopefully, I can use the next couple of days to rest up and keep popping this frankly frightening medicine (toxicity-wise) that has been prescribed for me.

But that's just me, and I hope that you have had a very cheerful week, and that the coming weekend brings you plenty of excitement, happiness, and pleasure �Whether through the medium of video games or otherwise. Hope that you all have enjoyed our Zelda celebrations here on the site, and thanks to everybody who contributed, and to ??our own Eric van Allen for curating the whole shindig.

Wisdom

This week has been a particularly busy work week for yer pal Moyse. In between taking care of a few nagging bugs chewing away at the good ship, I've also had to write up a review for top-tier brawler Fight'n Rage, contribute a couple of pieces to Zelda Week, and dive into Tears of the Kingdom itself, a title which I fully admit I do not have the time, nor hard inclination for, but am required to expe??rience purely due to its obvious importance in The Year of Gaming 2023.

I won't deny that my interest in Zelda sort of petered out around the completion of Link's Awakening and A Link to the Past. But that's how it goes when you're getting on in years, the time comes when you have to pick the franchises you have the days to dedicate toward, and mine mostly revolve around the throwing of fists. That said, I appreciate the importance and serious quality of The Legend of Zelda, and I hope that al??l you fans out there find the new game to be everything that you had h?oped for and more.

Courage

Anyway, I don't want to keep all y'all away from the beautiful Princess Zelda and her ever-more-feminine hero pal. But before you get back to all that sword-swinging, weapon-snapping, 19 FPS glory, (calm down), it wo?uld make me happy if you complete a side-quest that entails visiting the comments and letting your fellow community members know Whatcha Been Playing? Though I'm sure very many of you are picking?? your way through Hyrule, that is not a requisite to taking part in the party. So, whatever you're hitting this week, tell us all about it. I'm looking forward to reading all your comments.

Have a wonderful weeke??nd, from all of us at Destructoid.

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Cblogs of 4/29 to 5/4/2023

-Queen of Philosophy tries to predict the path to Mortal Kombat 12.

-Spazzzh20 writes a fully uncensored review of Sonic Frontiers.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat 2 and Dance music.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat and Blues music.

-Taterchimp celebrated their birthday ??by doing a charity gaming stream for kids.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF community foru?m for random discussi?ons.

Thanks for the blogs this week, folks, and thanks as always to Lord Spencer for t??he recap. If you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party, then head on over to the Cblogs section right now. Spill your thought??s on all matters gaming, and you will find yourself recapped on this here front page next week.

The post Who w?ould you like to see cast in the?? Mortal Kombat movie sequel? appeared first on Destructoid.

Gout 'n' Clout

Oh my god, I'm so glad that you're here, friends. Welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? You find me at the end of an exhausting week, underpowered from lack of sleep, somewhat burned out on the daily grind, and suffering from a (fairly minor) gout attack. As such, I'm really happy that it's the weekend, and that I can rest up, enjoy a quality donut, and spend the morning with all of you, my ??dear friends of Destructoid.

So here's the thing: There is a helluva month ahead for us here. We have to deal with the reviews, updates, and guide work for some of the year's biggest releases, with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI all hitting in the next seven, an?d as we approach Summer Games Fest, Gamescom, and other publisher summer streams. It's going to be relentless, and we're all very tired.

So I'll definitely be taking the nex?t couple of days as an opportunity to remain very, very still.

Out 'n' About

As you may or may not know I had the exciting opportunity to visit Capcom H.Q., where I got to check out a basically finished build of Street Fighter 6. While you can find my full report on this play session right here, it suffices to say that the game is looking just peachy. There is something b??eing done here, something of an apology, something of a reclamation, something of a comeback, and provided that the landing sticks �Capcom is putting together ??something very special.

They als??o had a statue of Lady Dimitrescu. Not to scale, u?psettingly.

Aside from this venture, I have also been reminding myself of the joys of Fight'n Rage. You can expect a full review of the PS5 edition early next week. This weekend is mostly donuts an??d recharge, however.

Tout Your Route

But that's more than enough about yer pal, I want to hear all about you. Before you head off into what I hope will be a delightful weekend, please take the time to dive into the comments and tell us all Whatcha Been Playing. As noted before, it??'s been something of a quiet release window, but that just gives us more opportunity to finally play catchup on our respective backlogs.

So, if you're monster-mashing through Redfall or Dead Island 2, revisiting Breath of the Wild ahead of Link's new adventure, or just chilling w?ith some old 16-bit classics. Tell us all about it. We've been hitting over 200 comments w??eek-in and week-out lately. That's fantastic, so thanks a lot, and have a rad one.

Have a wonderful weekend, from?? all of ??us at Destructoid.

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The storm is coming...

Good, nay, great morning to y'all, and welcome to April's last Whatcha Been Playing? Well, that month literally vanished in the blink of an eye, and with May comes the countdown to some of the year's biggest releases, including Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV, and some little fella with a sword. I hope that the first third of the year has been kind to you. If it has been a rough ride, I feel you, it has been that way for a lot of us. But we can put that behind us, and roll into Act 2 full of pith and vinegar. ??I believe in you.

Stoked to see you here on this fine Saturday morn, and I'm already looking forward to reading through all of your comments this weekend. I hope that this Saturday/Sunday is a wicked one for you. Do something new, I dunno. Bake a pie. Do some chainsaw ice sculpture. Paint your neighbor's house as a "surprise". Pet a dog. Chainsaw your neighbor. Give a dog some pie. Whatever you do, make this weekend work for you, ??and have a fun one.

Plat out of Hell

I've been taking something of a break from own-time gaming, prepping the brain and body for the wild tidal wave of titles that will hit over the next 10 or so weeks. I put some time into the Street Fighter 6 demo, squaring up against the notorious Level 8 difficulty setting while getting further to grips with the Drive System. Speaking of scrapping, I also spent a little time with Skullgirls, now that my favorite grenade launcher-toting flapper, Bl??ack Dahlia, is finally in the?? mix.

But perhaps most notably of all, I finally hit Platinum in the amazing Hades. You don't have to 100% every last option in the game to reach Plat, but you still have to do a hell of a lot, including completing a run with at least a 16-level Pact of Punishment. Anyway. I have done almost everything that there is to do in that fantastic title. What a ride. Bring on Hades 2!

Saturday Shenanigans

But now, what I wanna see is all of y'all Platinum this weekend. Fill it with good people, good conversation, good games, and good times. And if you're extraordinarily busy, or otherwise indisposed, then make sure that you make the hours that you do find work exclusively ??for you. Before you undertake this quest, however, take a minute or two to jump into the comments and let us know Whatcha Been Playing? There's a lot on the horizon, that's for sure, but there's more than enough already on deck. So whatever is been in your drive, share your thoughts with us. It's your time now, friends.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Des??truct??oid.

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Send

Howdy ho, my friendly batch o' buckeroos, and welcome to this week's Whatcha Been Playing? You find me at the end of a pretty heavy week, which has seen me operating on very, very little sleep, thanks to some medicine-induced insomnia. I'm most certainly looking forward to resting up t??oday, and I hope that, wherever you are and however you're doing, that you too find the opportunity to take some time for yourself and recover from the trials and tribulations of the week.

H?ave yourself some coffee and cake. Or whatever floats your throat boat. I know I'm going to be treating m?yself today, and I think that you should to. Ahhhh, that's some quality enabling.

More

This week has been a week defined b??y zombies and insomnia. I've spent my hours either failing to get any sleep at all, or smashing in the heavy heads of the undead. This, as you might imagine, has made for something of a delirious mindset for your p??al Moyse �A fever dream of tired, red eyes, dizzying evenings, and fever dreams of severed limbs and exploding brains.

It's almost getting to the point where the two are starting to merge, but I will deny all of the above in court, should it ever come to that. Regardless, Dead Island 2 is much better than anyone thought it was going to be, even if it is hardly Gam??e of the Year material. Oh, I also went on a secret journey to a secret place, but that's information better saved for a later date.

Paramedics

So now there ain't nothing left to it but to do it. And I want to see you jumping into this weekend with your whole ass, ensuring that it is a great one for you, and for those around you. Be good to the people you care about, and be good to yourself, and I'm sure that �whatever your plans �you'll make the weekend work for thee. And if you want to make the weekend work for me, then all you gots to do is dive into the comments and tell?? your fellow community members Wha?tcha Been Playing.

We're certainly in a quieter spot right now, but that's fine, because a squillion video games exist, and we all want to hear what you, that's anyone readi??ng this, are enjoying. Fill us in!

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Des?tructo??id.

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On the Mend

Good morning, good day, good weekend, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that this has been a fine week for you and that your locale is starting to ?see at least something in the way of finer weather as we push into spring. You find me still attempting to shift the backend of some nasty sickness �One that regular readers will know has been bothering me for several weeks. I think I'm getting better, but some dogged symptoms still have the better of me. Here's hoping that I can mop it up this weekend.

Aside from that, little else to report, I hope that you all enjoyed this week's Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer. That is not a game for me, but I'm very happy to see all y'all happy. We actually look to be heading into something of a very special summer, with Zelda, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo IV, and ??all manner of rad indie releases all on deck and waiting to keep us out of the sunshine. ?It's shaping up to be a fun season, and I don't think anybody wouldn't want that, ya dig?

Round the Bend

This week sees me continue to mash my way through the rotted carcasses of sun-bleached bays as I pick my way through the long-time-coming sequel Dead Island 2. I'm afraid I cannot share my thoughts on the game right now, but be sure to tune in for my full review early in the coming week.?? Aside from that, I have spent some time buried in a backlog of movies, old and new, in my continued?? efforts to get my "Films Watched" counter showing some of those old-school numbers �back before work, sleep, and sickness crushed my spirits. I'm pushing 70 films for 2023 thus far, which isn't too shabby.

The End's End

Before all of you get on with what I'm hoping will be a love??????????????????????????ly Saturday, be sure to take a couple of minutes to mosey on down into the comments below and tell us all Wha?tcha Been Playing? We managed to squeeze over 200 comments out of the jbsgame.community last week, many of which were long and earnest, and all of which were fully appreciated. People read your words. Not just me, but the whole community, so spill your thoughts on your recent gaming experiences, because the people here want to hear all about it. Whatever is floating/sinking your boat right now, come tell us all about it. I'm super happy that you're a part of this.

Ha??ve a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

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License to Ill

Good Weekend to one and all, and welcome to a fairly subdued edition of Whatcha Been ?Playing? As those of you who have been paying attention will be aware, I'm not so peachy at the moment. Unfortunately, this cruddiness is rolling into week two, and as such I'm not really feeling myself in any form of fashion. Regardless, it is Saturday, and I hope that today will bring me some rest, bring you some good times, and will bring every last one of us a little sunshine, both literally and metphorically.

Thanks a helluva lot for showing out this morning, and here's to you and your weekend, make it ??a great one!

Sick, Sad World

I have spent much of this week at rest, for obvious reasons, while crawling out from under the sheets in order to write various pieces of quarter-quality work for this here website. It has to be done, even if I'm not putting out close to my best. In regards to gaming, I've not been feeling very much at all, though I have taken my first steps into the crimson-splattered city of HelL-A for Deep Silver's long-awaited Dead Island 2.

Yes, folks, seems I drew the short straw, and thus will be covering this bout of corporate cool for our dear website. Will it have been worth the wait? Well, I'm afraid I'm still a couple of weeks from being allowed to spill the beans and brains. Still, stick around. You'll have m??y thoughts be?fore too long.

Touch me I'm sick

Anyway buckos, let's get to this weekend, complet?e with all of the joy and inspiration that I hope it brings you and yours. Before you get stuck into Saturday, however, it would cheer me up muchly if you'd take the time to jump into the comments below and let me know Whatcha Been Playing? It's something of a dry period for new releases, but that doesn't mean that we don't all have plenty to be getting on with. So please tell both myself and your fellow community members all about it. Y'all inspire me with your love and ?commitment to the bit, so help make my stinky morning a happier one, while also doing the same for the rest of the travelers on the good ship Dtoid. Can't wait to hear from y'all!

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at De?structoid.

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Ain't no foolin'

Good evening, friends, and welcome back to Whatcha Been Playing? Ha ha! It's actually the morning! April Fools I got you good. Well, hardly, but then... I couldn't fool someone on the foolingest day of my life if I had an electrified fooling machine. I'm no good ??with tricky. I only deal in cold, hard realities. Life has made me that way... And Sertraline. But anyway, 'tis April 1, so be wary of the headlines that you might see floating around the Information Superhighway, as it might just be somebody yankin' your chain. Chance wo?uld be a fine thing.

Anyway, it's awesome to see you all here again, and I'm looking forward to hearing all about how you're doing and what you've all been up to. We gather on the pretense of gaming of the video persuasion, but we're more than that. We're a community, we're supporters, we're colleagues, we're friends. And, as friends, we have interest in each other's interest. It's why Whatcha Been Playing remains the most commented Destructoid article week in, week out, an?d? why we, beyond a doubt, are the finest community in gaming. And there ain't no foolin' about that one.

A Fool and his Money

I've been pretty busy this last week with work-related shenanigans, and right now I'm not even in the office. I'm in The Big Smoke, (that's "London"), checking out some of the fine titles on display at the cosy WASD expo. I'm hoping to play a selection of big (and not so big) releases that will be winging your way in 2023, while also taking time out for another shot of Street Fighter 6 �truly a "Hook it To My Veins" meme if ever there was one. Other than that, I've been playing the localized release of GrimGrimoire OnceMore, but I'll be leaving it to my pal CJ Andriessen to tell you all about that one.

Anyway, that's enough about me, I'm off to a London loca??l to buy a ÂŁ9 sandwich and a ?ÂŁ12 beer.

Lovefools

It's time to hear all about you, beautiful people. So before you dive into your weekend �defending yourself from tricks and related chicanery from any and all directions �jump into the comments below and tell us all what games, movies, books, or general good times have been gobbling up your spare hours this week. Whether you're mashing through your eighth NG+ run of Resident Evil 4, frantically attempting to start up the now-closed Diablo IV beta, or simply spending some quality time with... I dunno... Sakuna: Of Rice & Ruin �Share your thoughts and experiences with me and your fellow Destructoid readers. Have a wicked morni?ng, my darlings.

Have ??a wonderful weekend, from all of ?us at Destructoid.

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Do the Locomotion

Good morning, good friends, and welcome back to Whatcha Been Playing? You join me at the end of a difficult and emotionally taxing week and, in a bid to get away from i??t all for even a short while, I am currently on a choo-choo-train, heading out of town for a brief change of scenery and socials. I hope that your week has been good to you and yours, and that this weekend brings you a lot of joy and happine??ss.

An?d if you're similarly struggling, it's ok. Sometimes you aren't winning the race, but the track is long, and we're all cheering you on from the sidelines. So just ease off the pace, and go easy on yourself. You'll get there. However your week has been, you're very welcome here, among the greatest community in gaming. Now let's have at it.

Diablo-A-Go-Go

Aside from bouncing around some old standards, I started the week out with the Diablo IV beta. Having put over 1000 hours into Diablo III, I'll admit there was part of me that was hoping I'd lost the love �after all, I'm pretty ram-packed with work these days and, with Street Fighter 6 launching in June, my free time is about to get busier. Unfortunately??, I had a great time with the beta, and thus I'm wondering if my "all class completion, all difficulties, all ac?hievements" ways are set to return. I'm going to blame Lillith, whose terrifyingly seductive nature is attempting to win me over to great effect. Frankly, I'm glad I'm out of town today, or I know where the whole of Saturday would be going.

Brimfire & Betas

And so, as we get Saturday morning underway I most certainly want to hear Whatcha Been Playing? Having written this article over 200 Saturdays in a row, y?ou'd think that it would be something of chore, but perish the thought. It means the world to me that you have shown out and will keep showing out �sharing your thoughts on your gaming experiences with myself and the community. We hit a mighty 300+ comments last week for the first time in a while. This made me very happy. And in a week like this one, I will take all of the happiness you have to offer. So jump into the comments and have at it, then be sure to make the rest of today work for you. You deserve it.

Have a wonderful weekend, f?rom a??ll of us at Destructoid.

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A Study in Time

Hey Yo, friends and well-wishers, and thanks for showing out for Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that this week has been a fine one, and that the weekend will be equally filled with mirth and merriment. I've found that my weekends have been speeding by far too quickly. One moment I'm buying my Saturday donut, and the next I'm grumbling out of bed on Monday morning. I think the key to prolonging the weekend is to do as much as possible as soon as possible. Less social media checking, less 20-minute showers, and less time trying to unlock Juri in Street Fighter: Duel.

So, this Saturday, I am NOT GOING TO STOP. I?'m going to be showered, dressed, and made-up in minutes, out buying my donut, and then back home in double quick time �where I will watch movies, chat with friends, check social media, and try to unlock Juri iiinn.... oh...

Still, I have all of you, and that's where The Truth lies. I hope that you all have joyful, restful, or exciting weekends as you desire. And if you're still? clocking into our capitalist world, then I hope you have a smooth, easy shift and that you get home to something or someone that you love very soon. ??We'll be sure to keep a place at the table for you x

In-Des-Tructible

We've had some staff members on holiday, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to get deep into gaming, though I will probably spend this coming weekend delving into the grim underbelly of the Diablo IV beta. Additionally, for some reason I just can't quite put my finger on, I reinstalled Ultra Street Fighter IV and bounced around between different modes. Maybe I just wanted?? a dose of that summery '00s joy again.

I'll tell you what though, it's still great. It's fast, colorful, and packed full of personality �which really brings home the reality of how character-free Street Fighter V was with its glum presentation and drab, barebones fonts. That said, Capcom better leave those one-frame links dead and buried. I went back to the combo trials, and while I've far improved at fighting games since SFIV's launch, some of those finger-breaking, wrist-grinding combos are still utterly obnoxious. Anyway, it was a fine walk down fighting game memory lane, and I can't wait for the launch of Street Fighter 6 come June.

In-Des-Tructoidable

But it is not June, it is Saturday, March 18, 2023, and it's time to hear all about Whatcha Been Playing. So mosey down to the comments and share with me and your fellow community members all of the tubular times that you've been having in the wicked world of gaming ala video. Whether you're smashing through newer RPGs such as Trails of Azura or Octopath Traveler II, still pullin' triggers in the Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo, or just chillin' out with some old, familiar favor??ites, we want to hear all about it. Spin us a sentence or an essay*, all words are welcome, and �as always �I'm looking forward to checking out all of your comments this week!

Have a wonderf?ul weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

_{[*Exceptionally long comments can occasionally flag. If so, a mod will approve when able. Be sure to copy your text offline before publishing, just in case.]}

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Skill Shotter

Hey! It's you! And?? I'm so glad that you've made it to Whatcha Been Playing this week! I welcome the weekend heartily?? these days, given the non-stop grind of the working week. And once I reach this article, and see all of your lovely comments and interactions, I know that it's all been worthwhile. Thanks for coming!

This Saturday sees me getting all booked up for VS Fighting 2023, which is still months (and months) away, but the sooner I get it all sorted, the sooner I can just sit back and wait for the launch of Street Fighter 6 �A game that will very likely see me back out on the competitive scene, having not been utterly hum?iliated?? enough last time around. It's a kink of mine. As is Juri.

I hope that you have a fine and happy weekend lined up, one that brings you the rest, joy, social interaction, and/or lie-ins as required. And if you are, unfortunately, spending the day ?working for The Man, then we understand and we salute you. Just know that we'll be keeping a seat warm for you as soon as you're finished up.

Big Flipper

This week, amid a variety of work-based shenanigans, I've spent some time getting reacquainted with the silver ball �at least in the digital sense �by checking out the new Gen 9 edition of Pinball FX 3, which sees the top-notch pinball sim reinvigorated for modern platforms such as PS5 and Xbox Series X. You can expect a write up on the new version in the coming days. It also inspired me to venture into the terrifying world of listicles, with a fun write-up on some of the most memorable pinball machines of all time. You can check that out right here, and I certainly hope that you do. Oh, and stay tuned next week for a long-time-coming review of brilliant brawler Fight'n Rage, which has also just hit Gen 9.

Multiballers

But before I get back to flipping, (balls, scripts, the bird?), let's get?? this week's edition Whatcha Been Playing? underway. The rules are simple, yet frightening. Jump into the comments below and fill us all in on the hot deets about the games that have sucked up your precious spare time this past week. We seem to have regularly returned to 200+ comments a week, which makes me very happy, so whether you offer up a couple of sentences or a full essay, you al?l contribute to making this house feel like a home. Looking forward to all of your comments this week! Have at it!

??Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

_{[*Exceptionally long comments can occasionally cause flags. If so, a mod will approve your comment when available. Be sure to copy your text offline before publishing, just in case.]}

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Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

Happy Saturday, my children, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? You join us at the start of March, which brings the staggering truth that we're already entering the third month of 2023. It's been a pretty hectic start for ?this turn on the ol' merry-go-round. But hopefully, this month brings us and our backlogs a bit of a breather, with only a couple of major hitters swinging for the fences. It should be a little chiller.

After all, one of these titles is only a remake of one of the most beloved games of all time.

I hope that the year has been a great one for you so far, and that you've gotten out of the starting blocks in fine fashion. And if not, that's absolutely fine. Neither have I, really. The year is long, and there is still plenty of time for fun 'n' frolics, and I guess a bit of ac?hievement. I got faith in ya. We all got faith in ya. For now, just pour yourself a nice drink, sit back, and make the morning work for you.

We'?re super stoked that you're here with us tod?ay :)

Rage with an Age

February has been a very long, and very busy month, that's fer true, And I haven't had a whole lot of time to do a lot of gaming just for my own personal enjoyment. Fortunately, the games I have been playing, such as Wanted: Dead and Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, have all been very enjoyable titles. This week, I've been revisiting an old friend in the form of the brilliant brawler Fight'n Rage, which made its debut earlier this week on PS?5 and Xbox Series X. Look out for an incoming write-up on this passionate and ?finely crafted example of independent, low-budget game design at its very best.

Mad as March Hares

So folkerinos, let's get this new month off to an awesome start with a happy and healthy dose of Whatcha Been Playing? Please take a few moments to dive into the comments below and share with your fellow community members all of the rad experiences you've been having in the digital multiverse, the Quant?um Realm, or whatever you kids are calling it these days. You can spin us a long yarn*, or just a few sentences, all that matters is that you're here and you're taking part. I'm looking forward to enjoying all of your comments with a long coffee and a fine w?eekend donut. Have at it!

And have a wonderful weekend, from a??ll of us at Destructoid.

_{*Exceptionally long comments can occasionally cause your comment to flag. If so, a mod will approve your comment when they're available. Be sure to copy your text offline before publishing, just in case.}

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Now ends the winter of dis' content

Howdy ho, friends and lovers, and welcome to this week's edition of Whatcha Been Playing? This week sees us waving farewell to February, and optimistically hoping for the sunshine and w??arm air of the coming spring season. I know I'm more than ready to throw off my second duvet, and I'm sick of keeping warm by throwing spare money bundles on the fire, (I am a Games Journalist after all).

While not quite as jam-pac?ked as 2022, the start of this year has seen the release of quite few big releases, and we're now entering something of a dry period (though we still have a few gems coming in March). It's strange how the industry is yet to quite restore its calendar to its pre-COVID status, and the start of the year is now the new "Holiday releases" period. Ehh, not that there's any point in complaining, we all have far, far too many games to get through anyway, such is the insatiable appetite of our hobby.

Double Peace Out

It's been another busy-busy week here on the good ship Destructoid, but I still had enough time to run through the highly enjoyable Gothic platformer Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. A title that surprised me on multiple levels, I had a very good time with what is, at its heart, a relatively simplistic release that aims for attainable goals and achieves them handily. Be sure to check out my full review right here.

Aside from that, I spent a little time, bafflingly, getting back on my Siege bullshit. It's been a long time. Long enough, in fact, that I was shocked to be taken down by both Like a Dragon's Goro Majima and NieR: Automata's 2B... Y'know, those iconi??c Tom Clancy characters. Ehh, I'm being facetious, of course. It's a fantastic ??shooter and still offers up intense, twitchy, nail-biting action.

What's next for yer p?al, Moyse?.. I have a horrid feeling it might involve zombies and a??n island of some sort. Pfffffft... The hits I take for this team in the name of coverage.

Spring forward, friends

And now that you've heard all from me, let's hear all about you. I'm incredibly grateful to you all for taking time out of you?r weekends to spend a few minutes with us, so please jump into the comments below and tell us all Whatcha Been Playing? As previously noted, it's been another pretty busy start to the year, and, hopefully, you've found a title or two to keep you and yours occupied in those cold winter evenings. So tell me, us, and your fellow community members all about them. It doesn't matter if drop three paragraphs or three sentences �you're all welcome to take part, and I look forward to hearing from each and every one of youse. Have at it, friends!

Oh, and as alway??s, have a wonderful weekend, from all of u??s at Destructoid.

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Gals with Guns

Gooooooood morning, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that this week has been a nice one for all of you, and that you have a totally tubular weekend lined up. If you're fortunate enough to be off work, well that's just peachy, and be sure to get all of the R 'n' R that you deserve. If you are working today/tomorrow, then know that we're keeping a seat warm for you, and we hope that you get away from the grindstone and join us later?? on today. We're sending you the v?ery best for your day, too.

Regardless of your plans, it's great to see you stop by, and ??here's to you and your Saturday, bucko.

Goths 'n' Ghosts

As my first week back from my (pretty disastrous, frankly) week off, I had a big inbox to clear out, which has resulted in little off-duty gaming. I did take a second run at Wanted: Dead, which proved far less devastating in difficulty once the player has fully kitted-out bewildering protagonist Hannah Stone. Oh, and I've also been checking out Inti Creates' pixelated actioner Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. You can expect a full review of this Goth meets Gals meets Guns release next week, righ?t here on Destructoid.

Other than that, I've just been trying, desperately, to rest,? relax, and get plenty of sleep. I've not succeeded all that much with any of those particular goals, but 'tis the weekend so here's hoping for some chillness, mixed between some terrible movies and some poorly made culinary decisions. Here's to a fun and restful one for all of us, right?

Gats 'n' Ghoulies

You've all heard quite enough from me, and now it's time for you to take the floor. Jump into the comments below and let us all know Whatcha Been Playing? Everyone has really been enjoying your long-form chatter and friendly conversations. That's the heart of this weekly soiree, a place to just mellow out and share your experience with titles old and new. Everyone is welcome, whether you have 50 or 200 w??ords to spill. This is an important part of the Dtoid week, so be sur??e to take part in it!

Hav??e a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

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I just called...

Good morning, friends, and welcome to this week's edition of Whatcha Been Playing? It will be something of a shorter affair this time around, as I'm ??still technically off work �an endeavor that I have only been somewhat successful in maintaining. But, even when I'm not supposed to be here, I'm still gonna rock up for WBP? Not only is each and everyone one of you more than worth the time and effort, but, hey, I got a streak to maintain. So thanks for showing out t??????????????????????????his Saturday, and here's to a fine week for you all.

to say...

Playing games for review. I guess that still counts as work, right? But time, tide, and embargoes wait for no man, and thus I've been bouncing between two games in lieu of upcoming reviews. The first is 110 Industries' silly slasher Wanted: Dead, which you can read all about next week, while the second is Inti Creates rat-a-tat-tat anime actioner Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, which is still a little ways away. I have much to say about both of these titles. Stil?l, I'm afraid you'll have to hang on for the obligatory designated timestamp to pass before I can spill the beans on these particularly unique releases.

I love you...

Anywhoooo, I only have a mere two days left on m??y holiday �a holiday that has whizzed by at ungrateful speed �and thus I better get to trying to enjoy them. I will, of course, be sure to dive into all of your comments, so join the point and tell the community Whatcha Been Playing? There's sure been a lot of news and excitement so far this year, and hopefully, you've found something to get your gaming brain in gear for 2023. Tell us all about it, and share your thoughts. The World wants to hear it. And if it doesn't, we'll just force 'em to listen anyway. We Shall Not Be Denied.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of?? us at Destructoid.

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Don't burn the place down

And just like that, it's February. Welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? friends, and you join me on the cusp of starting an actual "week off", a system wherein you "don't go to work" for a little bit, and it's apparently "fine". I can't ?ima??gine this working out at all, but I'm always willing to try trendy new ideas.

Of course, even when I'm off work, you can still find me right here this fine Saturday, joining you all for another round of well-wishes, work exorcism, and the welcoming of what I hope will be a brighter month for you, me, all of us. So, before I start sitting on my sofa, staring blankly at the walls, twiddling my thumbs, and ??hopefully not opening Slack, let's get this week's edition of Whatcha Been Playing underway. Thanks, as always, for turning up and keeping this scene alive. We the real ones, ya dig?

Don't forget to feed the cat

This week has mostly been... Well, honestly, it's not been too much fun at all. I'd rather not go into it (I'm ok though, don't worry!). In between a lot of site work and the onboarding of various freelance folk, (be sure to say hi!), I have also got to rockin' 110 Industries borko-batshit hack 'n' slasher Wanted: Dead. I have to stay on the hush-hush for now, but you can expect ?a revi??ew whence I return.

Other than that, I finally rolled (second) credits on the excellent Hades, having reached the game's epilogue. There are still a few trophies to unlock and a little more Titan Blood to spill, but I'm en route to that golden 100%, and I have, for the most part, enjoyed every last second I've spent with this marvelous game and its swelteringly hot cast of bad boys 'n' gals. I'm in a conundrum where I don't know whether to jump on Hades 2 as soon as it hits? Early Access, or give ?it a year or two and hit it when it's "finished".

Hmmm...?? I gues?s it will all come down to willpower... and how much I fancy the characters, of course.

And keep the place tidy, yeah?

And so, it's time for you to enjoy your weekend and for me to start this "week off" that I've been hearing so much about. Oh, and don't sweat it, I will, of course, pop back in for next week's Whatcha Been Playing? If you are kind enough to roll in on your Saturday morning, then I can do the same. Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Jump into today's comment se??ction and share with the community all of the light entertainment that y??ou've been enjoying over the past seven days. I'm looking forward to sitting back with a cup of Joe and your personal who's who of all things gaming in 2023.

Have a ?wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid

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Magic Cat's in the Cradle

Good morning, good weekend, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? It has been a month of a week, and literally a month of the year, and, ??frankly, I'm quite ready to hit the big reset button and give 2023 another go. I sort of stumbled out of the starting blocks, as did much of the wider world, and here's to hoping the remainder of the year goes a little more smoothly. I hope that the year has started well for all of you, regardless.

And, as we enter the final weekend of January, I'm very happy to see you show out for our weekly get-together. It might not be a live stream, we might not all be in a chat window smashing dat lyke button, but we're here in our own time, at our own pace, and surrounded by our fellow v?idya game fans. Such is the beauty of being on board the good ship Destructoid, ya dig? It's great to see all y'all!

Unforspoken

It was a rough old week for yer pal Moyse. Not only was I simply busy as all hell, but I spent last weekend cramming Forspoken for a Monday morning embargo. And while I'm very happy with my review, the wider online narrative �from players and media �did sour me a little. It wasn't?? that I thought the public consensus disagreed with my write-up, more that this pre-determined narrative of "I will hate this game when it launches, no matter what", had been decided before release day.

I now know the power of an 18-second Twitter clip versus an entire week spent playing and constructively reviewing a game to the very best of a person's abilities. Forspoken is flawed. No doubt about it. B??ut social media went overboard. It is what it is.

Anyway, between hopping around Athia to clean up some trophies and the like, I have also stepped into the wild world of 110 Industries Wanted: Dead �A title I've had my eye on for quite some time now and am grateful to finally get some time with. Obviously, I can't talk ab??out it right now, but you can expect a review for this batshit hack 'n' slasher come February.

Keep on Freerunnin'

Anyway, if anybody needs to bail, I need to bail. I'mma fixing to do that right now. But before I go, it would be remiss of me not to kindly ask all y'all to jump into the comments and let us all know Whatcha Been Playing? It's fantastic to see how "conversational" the comment section has becom?e for this weekly soiree, and I always make sure to run the gauntlet of your thoughts come Sunday.

You aren't speaking into the void, everyone is checking out what you have to say. Beca??use we're family like that, and we're interested in you. So, whether you're playing a brand-new title or a classic from yesteryear, let us know. It can be a sentence, it can be a paragraph �All that matters is that you're a part of the get-together x

Have a wonderful ?weekend??, from all of us at Destructoid.

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Frozen Assets

Good morning, friends, and welcome to a particularly chilly edition of Whatcha Been Playing. I don't know how things are looking in your neck of the woods. But here in Blightly it's damn cold. I know it's January and everything, but even by winter standards the chill factor is through the rough... or is that through the floor? Either way, I'm walking around my house wrapped in a blanket, only turning th??e heating on as A Special Tr?eat in the evening. Fuck the Tories.

St?ill, I'm happy to see you here, you can heat up my cold, cold heart simply by being a part of our weekly gathering. I hope that the week has been good to you, and that this weekend will give you the chance to grab a hold of some time for yourself. So whether you have the entire weekend free, or just the evenings, make sure to get some quality R 'n' R time, filled with the people, games, films, and/or food you love. I'm sure that you've earned ??it. Here's to a fine weekend, folks. I hope it's a great one.

ToP SeCrEt!!1

This week, in between wrapping myself in throws and blankets, I have mostly been spending my time with one game in particular, which will be getting a full review at the start of the weekend. Bafflingly, we are sometimes instructed by publishers not to tell people what games we are playing �even though you are all expecting a review anyway. I don't know what to tell you, they can be weirdly tetchy about that sort of thing. So we're just going to have to pretend it's Street Fighter 6. It isn't, of course.

Other than that, I've been mashing through a batch of movies in a concerted effort to trim down my cinematic backlog. I've so far gotten off to a good start, having put down more films than there have been days in the year so far. I'm not sure I can keep this pace up, but I'll try. I may get to the first episode of The Last of Us this weekend, but I'm not sure. I'm more just interested in the direction and performance, rather than the story it??self, but I'm stoked that so much of the fanbase is pleased with the show's kick-off.

Spill the Beans

That's enough outta me for this week, I have to get back to what will probably end up being something of a working weekend. Boo. But you �yes, you �can make it a little bit better for yer pal Moyse by hitting up the comments and letting me and your fellow community members know Whatcha Been Playing? The last few weeks have not only seen longer entries and extended conversation, but a lot of very welcome new names.? That's awesome! And whether you only have the time for two sentences or two paragraphs, I'm very grateful that you spent some time with us all the same.

Have a wonderful w?eekend, from all of us at D?estructoid

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The finger thing means the taxes

Good morning, friends, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that your year has gotten off to a fine start and that this is a really happy and prosperous weekend for you. My weekend, unfortunately, will be spent with my arch-enemy, Maths. It is January, and that means that the tax office is breathing down my neck even though I paid it last year. How much money do they want? The answer is all of it. Still, this is why the trains ??run on time, there are fleets of fire engines on our streets, and our beloved, devoted NHS service is fully funded �with all its workers fairly compensated... Hmm...

Anyway, after that grumpy start from yer boy, let?'s get to matters of all thing??s gaming!

I'm here, I'm queer, I don't want any more bears

So far this young year, most of my spare time has been taken up with movies, rather than games. I have just as large a backlog in flicks as I do in digital adventures. I have spent a chunk of time with the newly released Breakers Collection, a very joyful '90s fighter given a new lease of life via QUByte Interactive. I have also spent some time online with our very own Occams, mashing our way through a selection of classic Capcom brawlers such as Battle Circuit and Final Fight. Oh, and we also played some Tekken 7, where I was introduced to his unsurprisingly baffling range of? custom characters.

The tail-end of January and the start of February brings with it a selection of new releases, which I will no doubt be checking out for this here website. Some of these I'm looking forward to. Others, not so much??. But I'm ??still grateful that we get them at all. After all, you gotta take the rough with the smooth �It just makes finding those true gems all that much sweeter. Ya hear me?

I'm a write-off

Anyway, I have to get back to crunching those numbers, lest Irwin R. Schyster comes knockin' on my door. But, if you want to cheer me up, then can do so quite easily. Simply jump into the comments below and let me (and your fellow community members) know Whatcha Been Playing? With a new year comes a new opportunity to crack that backlog, so whatever it is you're playing, share your thoughts with us. I'm really enjoying how long-form some of y'all go with this. And while it only take?s three minutes, it provides entertainment and interest to our many, many readers. We're ready to believe you.

H??ave a wonderful weekend, from a?ll of us at Destructoid.

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Happy New Year!

Oh my god it's 2023 and it's time for Whatcha Been Playing! I'd like to wish all of you a very, very happy new year, and I hope that this fresh turn on the merry-go-round of life opens up a world of excitement, happiness, and possibility for you all. Even if it actually ends up being a little more low-key than usual, then I still want you to receive ??all of the simple pleasures and small joys that you deserve.

It must be said that we've all really been up against it in the early years of the new decade, with a lot of challenges that, frankly, nobody saw coming. But I think you've handled it marvelously. You've figured it out and made it work �as you always have �And I'm hopi??ng that 2023 responds kindly by offering you good health, good opportunity, and good company.

And, seeing as you are here with us this fine ??morning, you already have the? latter nailed.

2020Free

I'm a tad under the weather in brain and body this week. As such, I haven't been up to a whole lot of gaming. I have been jamming my way through the 1990s joy of Breakers Collection, and you can expect a full review of that particular title to kick off the coming week. I also dived back into Skullgirls for the first time in a year, eagerly awaiting the coming of the deadly Black Dahlia!

Oh, and I also sat and stared at a basketful of games on PSN... Do I really need those games? Haven't I got enough games? Equally, ?have I even got enough time for them? I mean, there's work to do, AGDQ to watch, movies to catch up on, and an already extensive backlog of ??missed gems...

Ack. New Year, Same Old Problems!

Let's Get Started!

?And with that, I'm already letting all y'all run free into this first weekend of 2023. I hope that you all make it a good one and that the weekend kicks your years off in a pleasing manner. Oh, but before you jog on, please jump into the comments bel??ow and let us all know Whatcha Been Playing? I'd really like to see the first edition of this year hit a home run in the comment count, so please take the time to share your current gaming obsessions with us, and maybe converse with your fellow community members. And I hope, sincerely, that this year will bring you joy, comfort, good health, and success.

Have a wonderful wee??kend, from all of ?us at Destructoid.

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The Final Countdown

Good morning, good day, good weekend, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? In fact, the final Whatcha Been Playing of 2022, as today will see another year shuffles off out of door, shrugging its shoulders and probably blaming you. I'm very grateful to all of you for showing up this weekend, and ho?pefully you've recovered from the festive carnage of last week in time to wreak further hav??oc this evening.

I myself had a fine and quiet Christmas, which was exactly what I was looking for. I ate too much and re-visited No Time to Die and Gremlins. So, in a sense, I spent my Christmas with Ana de Armas and Phoebe Cates and nobody can tell me otherwise. It was perhaps the most chill day I have had in a very, very long time, and I hope that however you spent the holidays, it brought you the rest and joy you deserved. Here's hoping that this weekend will be equally rad for you and yours.

Winter Brainaches

Unfortunately, yer boy got kinda sick following the big day, waking up with a bizarre insta-cold on the 26th and a headache that pressed forward into a miserable, full-blown migraine come Thursday �The first I've had in well over a year, but health will do what health will do. As such, I haven't gotten around to a whole lot of gaming this week. I did squeeze in some Streets of Rage 4 with Destructoid's own CJ Andriessen, which was a lot of fun, and less stressful than the struggles we've had with the obnoxiously unpredictable teams of Overwatch 2 �Now there's a title that has really done an about-face.

It's a sham??e I couldn't end the year with a big ol' gaming marathon, but it's fine. There's always tomorrow. After all, gaming is for life, not just for Christmas.

Happy New Year, friends

And so, before I send you all off galivanting into the final day of 2022, I'd like you to take this final o??pportunity, (this year), to tell me and your fellow community members Whatcha Been Playing? I don't think you need me to reiterate this, but it has been my pleasure to bring you another 52 straight weeks of Saturday morning get-togethers, and while I don't always have the spirit or time to get the job done, you'll always find me here come the weekend. At least, as lon?g as I'm on Destructoid's deck, of course.

Th??ank you for turning out here, week after week, thank you for sticking it out during the rougher periods, and thanks for showing the staff, the management, and even the drive-by commentators exactly why we remain the best video game community on the information superhighw?ay. We aren't perfect, not by a long shot, but we do our best for you. And will continue to do so, into 2023 and beyond.

Have a wonderful weekend and a very happy new year, from all of us ??at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing ??the final week of 20??22, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Beginning to look a lot like Chris Moyse

Good morning, good weekend, happy holidays, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? I hope that you're all fee??ling suitably festive this Saturday morning, regardless of your disposition to The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I must admi??t to not feeling particularly "Christmassy" in 2022, and I haven't in some years. But, importantly, I never lose the love for life slowing down just a little, and delivering us all a little bit of holiday cheer, with the emphasis on "Holiday".

So, I hope that this week has been kind to you and yours, and that this weekend will allow you to take your foot off the accelerator a little �regardless of whether you're celebrating Santa Day or otherwise. I'm really grateful that you took a little time out to join us this morning, and I'm sending you lot?s of love and good wishes for a happy weekend and, hopefully, a nice long holiday from the rise and grind.

At least the workplace rise and grind. The gaming rise and grind doesn't take a holiday. Ever.

//twitter.com/Chr??isxMoyse/status/1594027507665313817?s=20&t=EZBbeeUtXHFmZ3Z6h5JX1Q

We wish you a Juri Christmas

In terms of gaming, I spent more time than was sensible gobbling up every second of the second Street Fighter 6 closed beta. Look, I gotta tell ya, that game just feels better and better the more I play it. You never really know exactly whether a fight?er is working out until a couple of months after launch �That's when we've investigated what works, what doesn't, how the meta has rolled out, how toxic the game is, etc. But, just from these ea??rly play sessions, I can't really get enough of Capcom's next scrapper.

The visuals, the sound, the new character models, the exciting new roster additions. And that's without even mentioning the elements we haven't explored yet: World Tour, mini-games, competitive scene, story mode, and all the newcomers and their roles in the Street Fighter universe. June is gonna be a bit of a wait, that's for ?sure, but every month that passes is ??a month more polish. I hope that, come launch day, Capcom really delivers on this early promise shown by the title. Stay the course, team. Ah'm beggin' ya.

Baby, it's cold outside... So stay in and comment

It's time to shuffle off to our respective weekends. Before you do so, I have a couple of important things to note. Firstly, be sure to jump into the comments below and share with us all Whatcha Been Playing. I've really been digging how in-depth some of y'all have been getting in recent weeks, and I appreciate the time you choose to spend here with me. Secondly, last week's comment count shot back up to typical numbers following the return of "Comments Beneath Article". Thanks for helping to show why this matters.

Let's keep the comment train chugging in 2023. Destructoid appreciates it, the community appreciates it, and, more than anyone, I appreciate it.

H??ave a wonderful holiday weekend, f??rom all of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing th??is holiday week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

G.O.T.Y.

[Update: We were able to get jbsgame.comments reinstated beneath articles now, so clicking "Join the Conversation" will no longer open comments in a sidebar or pop-up. We pushed hard for this and hope it encourages more chatter!]

Good day, friends and lovers, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? As Bing once told us, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I hope that ne??xt week will bring you some holiday and respite from the daily grind. The holidays have whizzed up on me this season, mostly due to how insanely busy I've been on the Good Ship Destructoid as it continues to adapt to its shiny new regime. There's a long way to go, but at least we've gotten started (behind the curtain at least).

This week has been a really busy one for yer boy, with multiple reviews, tons of news, some meetings, and the rollout of Destructoid GOTY nominations for 2022. I wonder what's got your pick? It's been pretty much non-stop ??for me, and I'm very grateful for both the weekend, and for spending Saturday morning with all of you, my fellow Whatchas. Have a cool couple of days.

D.I.F.H.

So the last week or so has seen me crashing through several games for review, including 3goo's long-lost scrapper The Rumble Fish 2, Electronic Arts' dazzling and energetic Need for Speed Unbound, and WayForward's confusingly released brawler River City Girls 2. All three are a mishmash of ups and downs, with perhaps NFS being the one truly great release. These games represent the last of my review offerings for 2022, (what a year), but I'm eager and excited to get? next year's schedule underway.

Speaking of, having finally cleared the slate, I can and will use the weekend to get back on board with the returning Street Fighter 6 beta. I'm so excited to get back in the ring and feel the game out a little more, while adapting the muscle memory to its alternate pace and overhauled controls for dear old Juri Han. I'll never physically recover from the June release date, but at least I have something to look forward to, and that's something we all need.

G.O.A.T.S.

Anyway, it's time for me and my gurl to get back to it, (and by "it", I mean "losing"), but even though my main squeeze and I will be spending the whole weekend taking ass and kicking names, I'll still be sure to jump back into this here thread and find out Whatcha Been Playing? There were a whole bunch of feature-length replies last week, longer than usual, and I really appreciate that you dedicate so many words to our humble little weekend gathering. I won't lie, the com??ment count has been down the past month, which glums me out a bit. But it isn't your fault, (or mine), and I still appreciate every one of you.

Have a wond??erful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Livin' a quarter mile at a time...

Good Saturday, my darlings, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing. You find The Industry's Chris Moyse at the end of a pretty exhausting week, packed out with behind-the-scenes dealings at Destructoid, mired in three games for review, and suffering from a severe lack of sleep. Reasons unknown. In addition, we just had The Geoff Awards 2022, and we're prepping Destructoid's own GOTY antics.

It's been a pretty hectic and tiresome seven days for me, and, in its? own way, I'm sure it has for you. But all that matters is that, right now, it's Saturday morning, and we've gotten together for this weekly sewing circle of the great and good of gaming. I hope we can enjoy some great chatter, some shared experiences, ??and plenty of smiles this week, and I hope that your weekend is a very happy one.

Too soon, Junior...

As noted above, I'm currently bashing through three completely different video games right now, all with the aim of rolling out some thoughts within the coming fortnight. First on the agenda is EA's rad racer Need for Speed Unbound, a fine return to form for fans of the Fast, the Furious, and the poorly written dialogue. Next up is Dimps' cult fighter The Rumble Fish 2, which has made its grand return following two decades of hiding deep in the realm of emulation. Last, but by no means least, are the pint-sized pugilists of River City Girls 2, once again taking names and breaking brains in WayForward's delayed brawler-adven?ture.

You'll be hearing much more from me about all th??ree of these titles s?oon, so keep 'em peeled.

I don't have friends, I got family...

And so, before I get myself back behind the wheel and back among the Fellow Kids, why don't hit the ol' gas pedal down into the comments section and fill us all in on Whatcha Been Playing? We're now in December, and GOTY season is a-flowin'. So if there are any games that you wanna cram but 2022 shuffles out of the door, now is the time to do so. But whether you've been hitting some of the year's finest, some of last year's finest, or 1988's finest, (Splatterhouse?), let your fellow community members hear the good word on your current gaming obses?sions. Thanks a ton for sh??owing out.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid??.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Good day and good weekend, friends of Destructoid! I hope all of my friends in the U.S. of A. enjoyed their Thanksgiving/Turkey Day weekends, and that the extended holiday offered you a little respite from the weekly grind. Today, as the cold, cold tendrils of my office tell me, we have hit December, and the final month? of the year, Yep, just like that, 2022 is preparing to make its way outta the door, donning aviator shades and with a shit-eating "Deal With It" grin on? its face. Thanks for that.

Still, we shall focus on the smaller picture, ?namely this week, this weekend, and the fine times that the coming days will bring to you, to me, and to all of u?s. Because, dear readers, it's Whatcha Been Playing?

I'm Still Standing

This week has seen me actually playing games for work �something I haven't had much of an opportunity to do in recent weeks. I've been checking out the new hero, Ramattra, who will be joining the Overwatch 2 roster later this month. I've also put the pedal to the metal in EA's hyper-slick racer Need for Speed Unbound, which decided to just drop in outta nowhere last Tuesday. Finally, I've stepped into the ring with DIMPS' long-lost anime fighter The Rumble Fish 2.?? You can expect words on all of the above as December rolls out, essentially winding up my preview/review schedule for 2022.

It's been a pretty funky-fresh?? year for vidya gamez... I? still haven't picked my GOTY. Have you?

Don't Go Breaking My Heart

So that's me and my world as it revolves around gaming. But I want to hear from you. What games are going to be keeping you all snuggled up and toasty as the cold December evenings roll in? What titles are you cramming?? for 2022's GOTY contendership? Or to put it more simply, Whatcha Been Playing? Jump into the comments below and share the good, the bad, and the ugly with your fellow community members. Last week's article was a little quieter than usual �Thanksgiving and all that �So let's try and make this week's conversation a bit of a belter. Thanks a ton for keeping the scene alive, pals.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at De?structoid.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.