6th June
Hello and welcome back to our usual roundup, where we share a little about the games we’ve been getting into. This week, Bertie and Connor tweak the rules a bit, but it’s fine—Bertie runs What We’ve Been Playing, and Connor chips in regularly, so both of them get a free pass. Meanwhile, believes once again that another game has somehow been created especially for them—I’m starting to spot a pattern—and Hitman fan Kelsey wraps up Bond and even finds themselves getting a little emotional.
What games have you been playing this week?
And here’s another question: do you remember what you were doing with last week? No need to stress—our What We’ve Been Playing archive has you covered.
Dungeons & Dragons, tabletop
I’m back. Or, to be more precise, I’m about to be back. We’ve welcomed a couple of new players to join our group, the Ravenloft book has arrived, and now all that’s left is to pick a Domain of Dread, identify the Darklord causing trouble inside it, and get playing. Well—correction. That’s not all that’s left. Next comes the slow, careful work of building a character.
I call it “slow” because I’m the type of player who has to think through everything before I can commit to a decision. So while the new people we’re playing with can jump straight into selecting a class and race with absolute confidence—surely that means they’ve got the gift of certainty, right?—I’m stuck wrestling with every part of the process.
Here’s a window into how my brain works: I want a character that can back up the rest of the party—a wild-shape-minded Druid and a Monk—so a Paladin seems like the obvious fit. It would slide neatly into the role, and it also lets me wear heavy armor, which the others can’t. For about half an hour it feels perfect—until I notice that it would leave us with melee characters, at least for the most part. Shouldn’t we include some real ranged options in the group?
Maybe a Cleric? I almost went all in on that—right up until the realization hit that then we’d be leaning into wisdom-focused characters across the board, which would shrink our variety for intelligence- and charisma-based skills. A Bard, then? A healing Warlock? A Sorcerer? A Wizard? My thoughts just whirl through the possibilities.
And it isn’t only the mechanics that grind on me. For every class I consider, I also need a story-based reason for why that choice fits, and the same goes for whichever race I’m looking at. I can’t just grab something from a shelf and move on. I have to place it in my mind, make it feel right, and decide that it genuinely belongs. That’s why choosing a D&D character for me turns into building multiple almost-characters and digging through sourcebooks until I’m finally ready to commit—which is exactly why I called it “slow.” Or until my partner gives me a nudge and pushes me to decide, which, to be fair, is usually what happens.
It’s not that different when I’m creating characters in video games, either. Welcome to my thought process. Is anyone else the same?
-Bertie
Mina the Hollower, Switch 2
Mmm, can you hear that? That’s me, fully enjoying this wonderfully crafted, top-tier hard game that somehow feels tailor-made for my preferences. I can’t get enough of it. The jumping, the burrowing, the dodging, the platforming—honestly, it’s impressive how flexible the game feels, even though it’s confined to what an 8-bit engine can do. I’ve even been playing it on my Switch 2 while I’m stuck in those suspiciously long 007 First Light loading screens. It’s sitting on my desk, waiting for me between edits. Yacht Club games has a real talent for poking those nostalgia instincts and delivering something fresh that still feels familiar—so yes, you could say they know how to make you feel at home with something as quirky as a mouse (apologies).
-Dom
007 First Light, PS5
I finally wrapped up IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, and honestly, I actually felt a bit affected by the ending. I’ve always loved the Hitman series, so much that over the last few years it’s become one of my comfort games—something I can jump into whenever I feel like it. I also really enjoy Bond (especially Daniel Craig’s era), so watching the two come together in 007 First Light in such a standout way was genuinely memorable.
I got to experience the IOI gameplay I know and love, while also soaking up the flash and the sheer intensity of a Bond adventure, all backed by a fantastic soundtrack. Finishing the game is a real high, but it takes a little while for that feeling to fade. I think I’ll revisit a few Hitman missions this weekend—or maybe spend some time with 007’s TacSims. Assuming I can fit that in between all the gardening I need to get through. Yep, it’s that time of year!
-Kelsey
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Xbox Series X/S
This week, I’ve been encouraging my kids to join me in more teamwork-based crime-fighting with Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The thing is, I know the Batman universe pretty well, but they don’t—and right now they’re playing as a character that, let’s just say, doesn’t exactly do great within the wider storyline. So, should I warn them? After all, forewarned is forearmed, and all that. Or should I just let the plot play out naturally?
What would Batman do?
-Victoria
Walking around outside, Real world
Sometimes, video games can leave you feeling a bit drained. If you play too often, it can start to feel hard to enjoy any of them, no matter what you try next. Have you ever downloaded a game on Steam just to start it up and then delete it five minutes later? Yeah—that’s exactly where I’ve been.
These moods don’t last forever. Still, it’s important to change things up now and then. Earlier this week, I walked into town via my local park. I sat on a bench, picked up a new book, and ate an ice cream while the weather was actually pleasant. You know—real-life activities.
People say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but maybe the reverse can be true too. Spending too long with something can knock the shine off it. As regular readers of this series will know, I’ve spent a lot of time with RuneScape over the past few months. After that, I stepped away from running around rooftops, and I think that was the sensible move. Maybe next week I’ll come back with an actual video game—who knows.
-Connor