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TGITW! What are you playing this weekend?

So long, work.

CRY HAVOC If you’re disappointed with Starfield's exploration and RPG simplicity, you should try EVE Online

20 years strong, and still pumped full on new content, EVE Online: Havoc might be the game that can scratch that Starfield-shaped itch.

SUMS OF THE FOREST A gorgeous, must-play indie puzzler is free on Epic Game Store game this week

Out of Line and The Forest Quartet are both available for free on Epic Game Store this week, and they’re pretty good!

DUST TO DUST EVE: Vanguard isn’t “just another generic shooter in an EVE skin,” promises CCP Games

A brand new PvPvE shooter, EVE: Vanguard, looks to succeed where Dust 514 did not as a candid CCP Games reflects on its 20-year journey.

NEW BALLS, PLEASE There’s never going to be a FIFA 24, but EA Sports FC 24 does the same job – review-in-progress

Fundamentally, EA Sports FC 24 is not a new franchise. And that's not a bad (or good) thing.

PRESIDENTIAL PARDON The president of Iceland just opened EVE Fanfest 2023 – and that’s a big deal

Guðni Th. Jóhannesson delivered the introductory speech at the annual Reykjavík event, in an important moment for games.

ALSO FEATURING What are the best cameos in gaming?

Jeff Goldblum? Professor X? General Zod? They’ve all shown up in video games where we least expected them.

GOLDEN AGE Millennia is Paradox Interactive’s new Civ rival – and it promises a dynamic twist to the 4X genre

The 4X strategy genre has a new upstart – with Paradox’s Interactive’s Millenia taking aim at Civilization’s crown.

(ZACK) FAIR GAME Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is bigger, bolder, and better than the excellent FF7 Remake – hands-on

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel, but is content to iterate. A good job, then, that it’s iterating on the best FF since the PS2 era.

DOG EAT DOGTOWN Phantom Liberty and Patch 2.0 make Cyberpunk 2077 the game it should’ve been: a must-play classic

Finally, CDPR has realised its lofty vision with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty irons out the bugs and makes this a classic.

NO BOTHANS DIED Xbox leaks: what do they mean for you? Our five biggest takeaways

It’s unfortunate for Microsoft that the documents were made public, but there’s a lot to be excited about

GUESS THE SHOOTER Steam’s latest hit is a generic F2P co-op third-person shooter – but not the one that launched last week

The Steam audience has made one free-to-play co-op third-person shooter popular, a week after rejecting the other free-to-play co-op third-person shooter.

NOT SO HARDCORE Armored Core 6 needs an easy mode, but not just for the reasons you think

Sometimes you just want to look at something pretty in peace.

PLAYTIME What are you playing this weekend?

Open up a beer, say "Get over here and play a video game."

MILES AHEAD Marvel's Spider-Man 2 proves how PS5 hardware can make PlayStation’s best even better

Dropping the last-gen hardware may have seemed harsh on the PS4, but the results of Insomniac’s gamble are clear for all to see in Spider-Man 2.

IMPERFECTIONS Starfield is the most flawed game I’ve truly loved in a long time

There's something truly morish about Bethesda's spacefaring RPG.

EVER FORWARD Lies of P does one thing every Souls-like should do

For all its faults, Lies of P alters one major Souls-like mechanic that instantly makes for a better experience - especially if you tend to die a lot.

Lordy What's the best Easter game? What even IS an Easter game?

We've not had Christmas yet, but we're extremely odd here at VG247.

PILOT SCHEME One of the PS4's all-time greats is coming to PS Plus – and you need to play it as soon as you can

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an essential game, and you'd be smart to check it out now it's on PS Plus.

RATHCHILD Monster Hunter Now is the best mobile game I’ve played all year – and it’s not even close

Taking the learnings of Pokemon Go, whilst summoning parts of the halcyon days of Ingress, Niantic has struck iOS and Android gold.

NUMBERS INCREASE Starfield surpasses Skyrim's concurrent player record on Steam

Seems to be doing well.

YOU KNOW THE RULES Hyenas reminds me of Rick Astley, because I don’t think I’m gonna give this one up

I just wanna tell you how I’m feeling, gotta make you understand.

PLAN ABOUT TOWN At the eleventh hour, Cities Skylines 2 emerges as a GOTY contender in a truly packed year

2023, eh? Will it go down as an all-timer? With games like Cities Skylines 2 up front, it just might.

(11)90s THROWBACK Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a course correction, not a reset

It dials back the bloat, but those seeking to move on from Valhalla may have to wait.

OFF THE RAILS I played Honkai Star Rail on PS5, and now I fear for my life

Oh no, I played Honkai Star Rail for one hour and I can already tell it’ll take all of my free time.

THIS HEAT Payday 3 is ready and waiting to steal all the new Starfield Xbox Game Pass users

Almir Listo, global brand director and head of community at Starbreeze Entertainment, knows exactly how to build Payday 3 up from the foundations of Payday 2.

POINT BLANK Xbox is seemingly ending one easy way to get free money

Logging in every day, week, and month, checking off tasks and greasing your Xbox account with points? It seems it’ll soon be a thing of the past.

TIME TO RELAX What are you playing this weekend?

Helloooooooooooo, weekend!!!!!

HE CAME EARLY What's the best Christmas game? What even IS a Christmas game?

It's not even halloween yet, but we're extremely efficient here at VG247.

JOY IS BACK Meet the newest members of the Payday 3 gang: Pearl and Joy

A roadmap featuring post-launch content was also shared.

EXHIBITION COMPLETE We've got a TikTok channel now, and TikTok is going to EGX

Nick and Cam, Charlotte Murphy, Callum Knight – and now VG247, too. May God have mercy on us all.

PART OF THE PLAN Baldur's Gate 3 cross-play is on the way, but there's no ETA yet

At some point, you'll be able to play with others regardless of platform.

TERMINAL VELOCITY Starfield is incredible, but following slow NPCs is making me want to put my controller through the wall

Even the best of games can be needled by a frustrating stop-start dance with slow-moving NPCs.

PINK POWER Can’t wait to play Sonic Superstars? One of the best Sonic games just got better - and it’s free

Amy joins the fray in one of the best Sonic games in recent years - and it's not even made by SEGA.

GOOD GRIEF One of 2018’s most impactful games is finally back on Xbox Game Pass

A fantasy world that’s slowly being erased beneath a veneer of painterly beauty? If you’ve not played Gris before, now is the time.

GREEN THUMB Canadian Wildfires, Ghost of Tsushima, and Miyazaki: Soulframe is more than the sum of its parts

Hard hitting blows and questions both for the Warframe-succeeding MMORPG whose influences range far and wide.

BEST WURST GAME What's the best German game, from Germany?

And why didn't we do this when Gamescom was actually on? Find out in The Best Games Ever show episode 67!

FAILURE TO LAUNCH Armored Core 6 is the sort of messy and exhausting game FromSoftware stopped making years ago

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon feels like a fan remake, or Kickstarter-funded project that deliberately hearkens back to a certain era.

ATLAS BUGGED Forget 30FPS, Starfield's map is the game's biggest problem

There are many, many great things about Starfield, but the map navigation is baffling, backwards, and boring.

TO THE STARS Starfield: Should PS5 owners be jealous it's Xbox exclusive?

This game might just be what Xbox fans have been waiting for.

The best co-op games to play in September 2023

Whether you simply want some quick co-op fun or a lengthy campaign to embark on, we've got you and your friends covered with these co-op games.

ANTE UP Now it’s more expensive than ever, is PlayStation Plus still worth it?

It's a hard pill to swallow, that much is for certain.

IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR Persona 3 Reload proves that it’s always worth going back to school – preview

Atlus has made all the right notes from Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, and the result is an RPG that’s scoring full marks.

STAR POWER Despite PlayStation Plus and Game Pass, retro-inspired throwback Sea of Stars is already a huge sales success

100,000 units on day one? That's some pipe dream target stuff right there, even though Sea of Stars was Day One for Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus.

XBOX SERIOUS Baldur’s Gate 3 had to be scaled back for the Series S, but the console still has a right to exist

Budget hardware means budget compromises, why is this controversial?

ANIMAL MAGIC The chaotic cuteness of Party Animals is sure to be an Xbox Game Pass winner

Move over Gang Beasts, there's a new pudgy little party game in town – and it's going to be a Game Pass smash.

ITS ONLY NATURAL Soulframe preview: Can Digital Extremes' be more than just 'fantasy Warframe'?

Slower perhaps, but more purposful. Soulframe looks to be more than just Fantasy Warframe.

OK, BOOMER Sonic Superstars gets the all-important physics right – and the odd thing wrong

Not quite as impressive as Sonic Mania, but a damn sight better than Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega's latest blue blur offering ticks all the right boxes.

DO IT ATOMIC STYLE What are you playing this weekend?

Rollin' like a supersonic, another weekend that gets down on it.

TYRANID SOFTWARE Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 preview: What if Doom or Gears of War had Boltguns and chainswords?

Do you have a Gears of War-shaped scratch that you need to itch? Well, I have just the game for you.