Originally published at: http://statelyplay.com/2018/02/09/stately-scrying-what-were-playing-this-weekend/
Noted 80’s philosopher and man about town, Mike Reno, once said that everyone’s working for the weekend. Wiser words were never spoken, and we’ve decided that it’s about time all of us here at Stately Play share with you, the Stately Players [you son of a bitch -ed.], what it is we’re working for. Thus, we’ll be trying to post a little insight into what games each of us are currently playing, the games that will be getting a workout when we’re done shoveling ourselves out over the next two days.
We’ll keep this up every Friday [unless Dave forgets, which is likely -ed.], and hopefully have it posted a little earlier in the day. Enjoy and have a great weekend. See you on Monday.
Subnautica
https://youtu.be/BtP8r8nRfkoSubnautica will undoubtedly dominate my PC gaming time. You’ve likely heard about it, but just in case you’re like Dave who’s only aware of 4X games on Steam, Subnautica is a game of survival, adventure, exploration, crafting, and big scary-ass fish. I bought it more for the sandbox exploration/crafting angle but find the story surprisingly compelling. Subnautica looks amazing and is very often terrifying, especially given its first-person view [blech! -ed.] and the fact that something fast and deadly could be coming right at you from behind at nearly any second.
I’m hoping to also check out Rise of Industry, a promising commercial sim available as of today on Steam early access. You play as a 20th century industrialist looking to, you know, build up your business to take over the world of commerce.
Undoubtedly, I’ll also spend at least some time leveling up a character or two in the super-hero based MMO Champions Online. Champions Online is one of my go-to MMOs since the plug got pulled on City of Heroes some years ago.
Finally, Saturday is date night, which often means my wife and I will dive into a couple two-player tableteop games. Right now our favorites are trick-taking gem The Fox in the Forest, dice-drafting beauty Sagrada, and co-operative riot Hanabi.
-Nick Vigdahl
- Subnautica for PC/Mac via Steam, $25
- Rise of Industry for PC/Linux via Steam, $21
- Fox in the Forest for tabletop via Amazon, $15
- Sagrada for tabletop via Amazon, $68
- Hanabi for tabletop via Amazon, $10
Monster Hunter: World
https://youtu.be/lmwxyM3sPwcIt took five attempts over the course of twelve years, but I’ve finally managed to get into Monster Hunter. Unfortunately, Monster Hunter: World requires a larger time commitment per session than most games so I haven’t been able to devote as much time as I’d like. I’m hoping to squeeze in a couple more hunts this weekend when I’m not busy. Otherwise, I’ll probably keep playing Cinco Paus on my phone whenever I have a few spare minutes.
-Tanner Hendrickson
Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion
https://youtu.be/iIf07W75CrcI’m playing Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion and Masquerada: of Songs and Shadows (both by Witching Hour Studios). Also, in a rare forray into games that require a reaction time under five seconds, Dandara.
-Tof Eklund
- Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion for iOS Universal, $10
- Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion for Android, $11
- Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion for PC via Steam, $15
Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare
https://youtu.be/9DIav_llcxUBeyond trying to weave a Fast Show reference into this fresh column, and coming unstuck on the temporal elements (This week, I mostly…for those playing along at home), it’ll be about two games in particular.
Right now, I’m all about Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare. This Early Access affair has well and truly earned its place on my most anticipated list for 2018 by following through on the lofty chimeric promise of splicing Mount & Blade into Jagged Alliance. Where I was expecting functional, if fibreless, shooting, I found a really great squad FPS.
It’s still missing parts, such as a much anticipated direct command element in the first-person mode, but I cannot deny running alongside a twenty-plus squad and getting into massive scraps at range doesn’t tickle an old Flashpoint fancy.
As well as shooting my way across off-brand Alruco, I’m also getting back into Angels Fall First. Not that I technically ever left Angels Fall First, but it was nice to see the game get such a huge boost to its player numbers in a recent Steam front page spread. For the uninitiated, this hobby project by a bunch of visionary devs is THE GAME the Star Wars Battlefront games should be.
Massive starship battles over colossal installations; each little gun pit, corridor, star fighter, hangar bay, ion turret a place for players or bots. The fight continues on the ground in equally broad illustration. It’s Planetsidian in a way, but unfettered by subscribtions or loot boxes or any of the grotesqueries of the modern gaming experience. Angels Fall First isn’t perfect, but its ambition is laudable and when all cogs are turning, it’s a Stewart Cowley symphony.
-Alex Connolly
Factorio
https://youtu.be/DR01YdFtWFIAs I was putting this feature together, it dawned on me that I might be the most boring gamer the internet has to offer. All these other writers are playing games I not only haven’t heard of, but my old-man reflexes are most likely too slow to play them well, regardless. So, if you want safe and relaxing game choices, head on down to the last entry on these weekly features. Otherwise, you can probably skip right over. Stately Play will not be responsible for anyone falling asleep while reading my entries.
Anyway, Nick turned me onto a little simulation/planning title called Factorio that I actually had in my Steam library for a long time, but never got around to sinking any time into. I’m glad he told me about it. It’s absolutely fantastic and a dream come true for gamers who love to build things. Basically, the goal is to build things, originally using your own two hands but, eventually, moving to fully automated factories that will crank out items at a frightening pace. There are so many recipes and technologies to unlock that the sheer scope of the game is awe inspiring. I’ve been playing a ton of this and there’s so much that I haven’t seen, so much I’m not even aware of. Each new log in opens up something new and I can’t wait to jump back in and tweak my creation. Oh, and there are aliens trying to rip your stuff apart. I forgot to mention that.
The other game that will occupy my time is the new Civilization VI expansion, Rise and Fall. I’ve been dabbling in it so far and I like what I see. Then again, Firaxis could do just about anything and I’d like it. Any other week and this would have been my main go-to game, but Factorio is what’s currently taking up all my gaming brain space.
-Dave Neumann