What we’ve been playing – Xbox decks, walls, arcs, vampires, and grassy hills

18th October

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we’ve been playing. This week, Tom wraps his hands around the Xbox Steam Deck with a silly name; Kelsey hits a wall in Silksong; Connor finds balance; Bertie bites lots of necks but gets bored; and Ed wishes for a bit more Sonic in Sonic Racing.

What have you been playing?

ROG Xbox Ally X

Despite the fact that it has one of the worst names for a handheld in a world where almost every handheld has a terrible name, I have spent a large chunk of time with the ROG Xbox Ally X this week. In short, if you hate all things Xbox and Windows, avoid this. If you don’t, this is a very nice handheld that runs modern, demanding games acceptably – something the old Steam Deck simply can’t do any more. Yes, it might have some Windows apps installed that I don’t need (I’ve seen chat online about MS Teams being on there), but frankly I wouldn’t have realised had someone not pointed it out on social media.

-Tom O

Hollow Knight: Silksong, Nintendo Switch 2

Watch on YouTube

I’ve managed to sink just over 60 hours into Silksong now, and I’m just about ready for Act 3. I’ve only a couple of bosses and tools to mop up before I move on, but this has become a bit of an issue for me: I think I’ve finally hit a wall in Silksong.

I’m now wondering if Team Cherry did perhaps get a little too ambitious with the difficulty here. Even with almost every tool at my disposal, every Mask, and all kinds of abilities, I just can’t seem to progress, or I at least lack the motivation to do so. I’ve been thoroughly loving exploring Pharloom, but the only thing driving me forward currently is sheer frustration and it doesn’t feel as good as it once did.

I joked last week about whether I’d reach Act 3 or achieve Silksong burnout first… The latter wins for now. But I’ll be back. I’ve got bugs to save!

-Kelsey

Arc Raiders and 2XKO, PC

It’s the server stress-test weekend for Arc Raiders, which means I’ll be sinking a significant portion of my time into the game one last time before its full release at the end of October. It’s a wonderful extraction shooter with a distinct aesthetic, and it’s darn endearing.

Aside from that, 2XKO is on the cards. Having returned from Evo France I’ve got the hunger for fighting games again, which is sure to last until some new live service game comes and rips the aspirations from me. I’m currently playing Teemo and Darius, throwing out mushrooms and having a good time.

This should make for a good mix of games, actually – the high-intensity of 2XKO with the slower, more methodical exploration of Arc Raiders. My week should end in balance.

-Connor

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, PC

I spent last weekend and the first portion of this week playing Bloodlines 2 – a game I’ve been waiting a while for, as I’m sure many of you have. Sadly it’s not very good. I admire The Chinese Room for taking it on and making something out of the box of parts it inherited from Hardsuit Labs, and it has managed to make something of some worth, with some redeeming features. But it’s an empty-feeling game, like biting into a cake – or a, um, neck? – with no filling. The shine of a smartly presented exterior soon fades on an adventure that feels dated and dull.

-Bertie

Song Racing: CrossWorlds, PS5

This is my first Sonic Racing game (I’ve always just stuck to the platformers), but I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised with CrossWorlds in the wake of disappointment with Mario Kart World. The track portals are smartly implemented, handling is great (though the boat sections are rubbish), and it’s giving me the sort of how-dare-you-overtake-me-on-the-final-corner thrills typically found in Nintendo’s rival games.

My only gripe, really, are the tracks themselves, which border on generic. Why are we racing in a shopping mall or a museum? I want Sonic. The game is at its peak when speeding down Radical Highway or when the saxophone kicks in during Cyber Space. But beyond a handful of tracks and references, I’m missing the chequerboard environments, the grassy hills, the Robotnik inventions of the classics. Were these in previous Sonic Racing games? Or am I too much of an old purist?

-Ed

Baby Steps, PC

Mostly, my week has been taken up thinking about Double Fine’s Keeper which (in case you didn’t notice the five gold stars plastered across the homepage) is magical; just absolutely bloody wonderful. But in those moments when I needed a break from furiously hammering the screenshot button, it’s back to Baby Steps I did go. I don’t have any anecdotes to share – I’m currently navigating the sand dunes and slowly mastering the art of the confidently purposeful stride (oh, and I’ve somehow managed to hang onto my hat this time) – but it remains absolutely captivating. If you’ve been unsure about giving it a go, it isn’t really anything like the rage game you might be expecting – although there’s some of that if you deliberately try and make life difficult for yourself – but it is enormously satisfying, even unexpectedly affecting. But if you’re not looking to be moved while you’re moving, it’s also got a load of big dongs.

-Matt