TGIF: Gaming Trend’s Weekend Lineup

Prime Day, 7/11, and Net Neutrality was on a lot of people’s minds this week (well, the new Final Fantasy XII remaster was also on Ron’s mind this week too). That said, it’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday, so let’s take a gander at what our lovely editors are going to play this weekend!

Elisha Deogracias – Single and Ready to Mingle (@katamaris4ever)

I’m feeling feisty, like I want to dance. Sorta like… a mambo. De Mambo, to be exact. Okay, terrible segue into that, but hey, local multiplayer on the Switch? Sign me (and three of my friends) up! Since I’m also going to be on my Switch for a long period of time this weekend, I may as well pick up I and Me, since after my four-player party sessions, I like to keep it simple and relax a bit by myself. (Plus, indie games about cats and existentialism are my jam.)

My copy of Super Bomberman R came in too (I’ve purposefully waited until the content patch and a lower aftermarket price point to grab it), and it’s cheesy, goofy fun. I didn’t realize how sadistic the AI was on local multiplayer though, but hey, at least online is super chaotic!

Noah McGuire – Bug Warrior (@link_of_skylof7)

I just picked up Hollow Knight on Steam, so I’ll definitely be digging into that. I had been planning to wait for the Switch release, but after hearing one too many praises for it (and mulling over that nice $15 price tag quite a bit), I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. I’ve played about an hour or so, and now I’m in the same situation I found myself in with Shovel Knight – I’ll probably be buying it across multiple platforms.

The aesthetic is charming and foreboding, the gameplay is tight, challenging and satisfying, and the story is quite intriguing so far. If you made Dark Souls a 2D platformer and replaced the whole cast with bugs, Hollow Knight is exactly what you’d get, and it’s awesome. Between that, Dungeons and Dragons on Friday night, a long game of Twilight Imperium on Saturday, and a session or two of Breath of the Wild’s Master Mode here and there, I’ll be quite the busy man this weekend!

Sean Anthony – Still Terrible at ARMS (@Sparkymuffin3)

Since the Max Brass patch came out for ARMS, my girlfriend and I have been, and will be playing around with it more. The new Hedlock mode is fun, and Max Brass is a fun character. I still wish we got a proper story mode… Other than that, the first-ever Splatoon 2 Splatfest starts this Saturday! I’m beyond excited to give Splatoon 2 another try before I squid-squad up with my friends next Friday.

Kyle Movius – Occasionally Has Something That Vaguely Resembles a Social Life (@OrangeKyle91)

Friday night, if all goes according to plan, I will be GMing Star Wars Saga Edition, a tabletop roleplaying game that uses D&D’s d20 system. The player characters are a band of wacky mercenaries who include a Grey Jedi (left the Jedi Order, but hasn’t joined the dark side), a narcissistic Wookiee supermodel, a confused Ithorian, an explosive-obsessed Jawa, and a charming Zeltron. The time period is about a month after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, so the Empire’s just started.
Saturday, I’m going to a birthday party where there’s sure to be some Super Smash Bros. played.

And Sunday, I will hopefully be playing in a different Star Wars Saga Edition campaign. My character is essentially a combination of Marvel’s Iron Man and Nintendo’s Samus Aran. The other player characters are a failed Jedi who mainly gets by on wit and charm, a tech-savvy teenager, a Squib sniper, a Givin martial artist, a Wookiee warrior, and a Mandalorian demolitionist. Last time, we fought for the Rebels in the Battle of Hoth from Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, so I’m guessing we’ll pick up during the Shadows of the Empire time period.

Josh Devlin – Editor and Guardian of the Beta

It’s a busy weekend for me, so my gaming schedule might be sparse and sporadic, but I would love to make time for a little Destiny 2 Beta action. I spent a ton of time patrolling a large circle around the Cosmodrome, and even though I loved it, it was repetitive and became a chore. I’m excited to get a taste of what’s new in Destiny 2.

Also, I’m still finishing up Kingdom Rush: Frontiers. This is one of the best tower defense series I’ve ever played, and I’m having a fantastic time. The mixture of tower types and upgrades available to counter the equally complex mixture of enemies makes for some engaging combat scenarios.

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