Hello, dear readers! It’s a Friday once more, and that means we’ve got a round of games to recommend spending some time with if you find yourself with a nice 48 hours (or 72 if you’re off for Labor Day here in the States) off of work, school, or both!
This week saw the release of Metal Gear Solid Delta, which naturally appears on our list for the weekend, but that’s not all! If stealthily hiding out in the jungle ain’t your thing, no worries. We’ve got a couple of other games that might just be what you’re looking for.
And if you have some recommendations yourself, let us know in our recently re-activated comment section!
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Play it on: Switch, Switch 2
Current goal: Inhale a car
I’ll definitely still be getting in some time with Shadow Labyrinth in the days ahead, a game I wrote about last week and which has only developed a tighter hold on me as I’ve delved deeper into its mysteries. But when I want something a little less shadowy this weekend, I’ll finally be playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land now that it’s landed on Switch 2. To be honest, even though it’s been out on the original Switch for over three years, I still know fairly little about the kinds of environments you explore and just what you might discover. All I know is that as soon as I saw the overgrown cityscape that was prominently featured in early reveals, the one that looks like something out of The Last of Us or Nier: Automata, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of Kirby of all characters roving around such a place. I also know the pink puffball can inhale certain objects that totally change his shape and movement, but beyond that, the game is basically a mystery to me. Here’s hoping it’s got some fascinating surprises in store. – Carolyn Petit
Shuten Order
Play it on: Steam, Switch
Current goal: Find the culprit
I’m nearly done with Shuten Order, the next murder mystery from the mind of Danganronpa lead Kazutaka Kodaka. The multi-genre adventure game has five routes, each of which plays out with different mechanics and tone, whether that be a hide-and-seek horror game or a more straightforward detective story. I’ve finished four of the five routes, and as the mystery continues to unravel, I am desperately trying to get through the last story so I can find out what it all means. I always love the ride Kodaka’s work takes you on, but arriving at the destination is almost always the best part. Don’t let me down this time, Too Kyo Games. — Kenneth Shepard
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Unsupported”)
Current goal: Start my Extreme-mode run
I have been wanting to recommend MGS Delta for a Weekend Guide entry for so long, and finally, as it is now available for all on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, I can. Naturally, I’ll refer you to my review of the game if you want a deep dive, as well as my analysis on how Delta’s gameplay compares to that of the original and MGSV. The TL;DR, of course, is that this game rocks. Yes, it’s in a weird place given the messy falling-out between series creator Kojima and Konami, but Delta has brought us into an exciting new era of MGS with a wonderfully faithful and satisfying remake of one of its best entries.
Read More: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: The Kotaku Review
Back in the day, I used to play the hell out of MGS games, often playing until the sun came up, drinking coffee after coffee, and eventually sometimes falling asleep while playing. The challenge of repeat runs on higher difficulties, attempts to do a full run without getting spotted or killing anyone…ugh, I miss those days.
Thankfully, Delta provides a satisfying trip back. As I’ve played the game all the way through on Hard mode, Extreme mode awaits. I think I’m going to play this run with the Legacy camera mode as I haven’t had enough time with that perspective just yet. Also, as I’ve learned from my many recent hours with Hitman, failing can be fun! Learning to respond to the mistakes and slip-ups you make and getting a chaotic situation under control is something I’m not used to in stealth games given my tendency to fall back to a checkpoint when I get spotted to drill perfect, spotless runs. But Delta plays so damn well that I want to get a little messy on this playthrough. Extreme mode will be a little bit of hot sauce icing on that cake. – Claire Jackson
We’re eager to head into our weekends, so that wraps this edition of the Weekend Guide. Let us know what games you’re spinning up for the long weekend!
