TGIF: Gaming Trend’s Weekend Lineup

Thank god it’s Friday! Remember when those words meant Tim “the Toolman” Taylor and Steve Urkel were going to delight your family with their hilarious antics? Well, not anymore! Now, TGIF means it’s time to play some video games, and what better way to kick it off than talking about the games we’re going to play before we play them. It’s like eating an ice cream sundae with your mind and then getting to eat it for real again later. And who doesn’t like video game sundaes? I know the GT staffers do.

Josh Devlin – Editor and Number One Hunter Wolfe Impersonator

My friends call me the Lil Jon of video games. I’m a hype man. WUUUHAAAT?! And coming out of E3 my hype levels are boiling over, so I’m going to strike while the iron is hot. Looking at the onslaught of games shown at E3, I asked myself, “Josh…Lil Jon, what game are you excited for that you can possibly get a taste of now, maybe play it’s predecessor or a game of a similar vein?”

For days I paced in the cold darkness of uncertainty. Then the clouds split, and the heavens opened up, as a ray of ethereal light beamed down across my glistening brow, There was a voice. It said, “Lil Jon, play Wolfenstein: The New Order. It will blow your tiny fucking mind.” So I said, “thank you, heavenly light. I will.”

Elisha Deogracias – Editor and Avid Kickstarter Fan (@katamaris4ever)

Well, I’m going to be out of town this weekend, so of course I’m bringing my Switch with me. I’m super glad that this thing works so well on the go, and it’s cool that most multiplayer games can be played on tabletop mode almost instantly with the detachable Joy-Con setup.

As for games I’ll be playing this time around, I’ve been in love with Mighty Gunvolt Burst (as seen in my review for the game), and it’s one of those titles I can pick up and play for an hour or two and go back to it whenever. Oh right, and Mighty No. 9 never happened; for all I’m concerned, Mighty Gunvolt Burst is Mighty No. 9. It’s that good. I might be going back and playing Graceful Explosion Machine too, it feels like Geometry Wars for the Switch, and I love it to pieces.

John Farrell – Editor, Tabletop and Sucker for the Classics

Over the weekend I and some friends will be finishing up D&D’s Tomb of Horrors, released with the new Tales of the Yawning Portal adventure book. Despite the many generations of horror stories (so to speak) the legacy of this adventure has dulled some of the harshest aspects. Nonetheless, it is a deeply engaging challenge that is proving to be one of my most rewarding dungeon crawls in a long time.

Staying in that vein, I will be cracking into Swords and Sorcery, a cooperative board game by the designers of Galaxy Defenders that requires communication and careful strategy to survive. I have only played the base scenario so far but this is already becoming a serious joy among me and my group. Lastly I will be spending some time with Vampire: the Requiem, set in my home town of Philadelphia, and getting better versed in Arms for the Switch.

Sean Anthony – Editor and Pretty Okay At Puzzle Games (@Sparkymuffin3)

I’m hoping to get in some more practice in ARMS for the inevitable Sunday-night showdown with a couple of friends at their monthly “fight night” gathering. I was expecting to play as Ribbon Girl the most, but Twintelle’s ability to float feels fantastic, when I’m not catching hands with my face, that is. Other than that, I’m hoping to get some time in for my second playthrough of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. I’m almost to my favorite chapter: Glitzville. There’s something glorious about rising up in the ranks in an arena, playing to the crowd, and gaining a tough baby Yoshi sidekick.

Mmm…that was delicious. What are you playing this weekend?

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