WRUP: It’s a packed weekend of forts, owls, and (of course) video games here at Blizzard Watch

Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old pal, Friday. This weekend is many things, with the Super Bowl likely being the big social-media talking point. In all honesty, though, I think many of us prefer superb owls instead. We also prefer videos games and TV!

So why not sit back and join us as we discuss all the weekend happenings for Team Blizzard Watch? A special surprise appearance kicks us off.

Matt “Matticus” Low

• Lost Ark
• The Super Bowl

A rare Matticus sighting! Currently blasting through Lost Ark. It is amazingly fun. I hope Diablo 4 gets some inspiration from this game. My elevator pitch is that it’s a game that has more depth than Diablo 3 but isn’t as overwhelming as Path of Exile. Aside from that, still struggling with Bach.

Go Rams.

Elizabeth Harper

• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Subnautica
• Mass Effect 3
• Mass Effect Andromeda

I’ve started a new playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn just before the release of the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West next week. I think I’ll probably make it through before the sequel comes out, but we’ll see. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the game, because I am very bad at its combat, which leans into stealth but also presents places where stealth is difficult (or impossible) and you are but a squishy human fighting giant robot dinosaurs. I spend a lot of time running around in circles trying to dodge and crafting arrows mid-combat — and mostly I get along now by virtue of New Game+ making me overpowered. (Though that’s probably not going to be enough against the Deathbringers.) I have my ways though, though they mostly involve absolutely covering things in sticky bombs and then running away.

But the story, setting, characters, and voice acting are top notch, just out of this world good, so the game is a worthwhile investment even when I do struggle with the actual gameplay. The first time I played there was a lot of dying, though, and I’m curious to see how the sequel goes. I’ve intentionally not paid much attention to it, pre-release, because I already knew I was going to buy it and play it — why spoil the surprise?

I’m also playing Subnautica on and off, at the behest of Anna and a small cadre of folks in our Discord who seem to enjoy me freaking out over the game. I can only swim around looking for resources for so long before getting frustrated, though, so I play it in small doses. It’s a beautiful world full of mystery, and I’m sure the Sunbeam is going to rescue me, so I only have to hold out a little bit longer and everything will be fine. Just a few more days and someone is sure to find me. Yep. It’s all going to be just fine.

I also have a Mass Effect 3 playthrough as an Infiltrator and a Mass Effect Andromeda playthrough going, kind of back burnered while I’m on my Horizon hype. Andromeda and Horizon were originally released within about a month of one another, and the quality difference is really staggering. I like Andromeda and think it did a lot of things right — but it needed more dev time for refinement, and didn’t look good against HZD which is a sparkling jewel of a game.

Really, if you’ve been sitting on HZD it’s still just so good. I suspect the sequel will be a great time to get into it.

Joe Perez

• Pokémon Arceus
• Cuphead

Working on completing my Pokédex now that I’ve “beat the game” for Pokémon Arceus. In truth the end game just really starts now. I still need to play the last Cuphead DLC ( the Delicious Last Course) and there’s a couple other games I’ve been debating checking out like Warm Snow and Windjammers 2, which is a remake of an old Data East arcade game about 1-V-1 competitive frisbee soccer type game. (I wasted a lot of quarters on this game in the 80’s) and it is decidedly neo 80’s vibes.

Other than that I just started a new job so I’ll be spending some time there, which also includes streaming some content online this weekend for the MTG: Kamigawa Neon Dynasty release, as well as pack cracking next week. Looking forward to it, and should be a ton of fun.

 

Anna Washenko

• Olympics

I was too stressed about the pandemic to watch the delayed Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but decided to be brave and tune in for the Beijing winter games this year. I’m so glad I did. I flippin’ love the Olympics. The joy, the intensity, the surprises, all of it warms my little heart to no end. This weekend I expect to be glued to the ice dancing and to both the men’s and women’s big air snowboarding qualifiers. Citius, altius, fortius!

 

Ted Atchley

• The Book of Boba Fett
• The Super Bowl

My son has his first ever Lego League Robotics competition this weekend. I’m excited for him and his whole Challenge team. Between travel and the competition, plus the football game on Sunday, I don’t see much gaming in my weekend, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I’m super excited about Legacy of the Sith coming out on Tuesday!

Andrew – I’ve been really enjoying The Book of Boba Fett and I can’t wait to see the finale tonight (Wednesday)!

Mitch “Mitch” Mitchell

• A Way Out
• Mass Effect 3
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus

This weekend is primarily dedicated to making a pillow/blanket fort out of the entire living room and then celebrating an extended Valentine’s playing A Way Out and watching You with the GF. The former is another co-op game from the devs behind It Takes Two, so I’m especially excited to see what’s in store there. When we’re not doing one of those things, we’re probably simultaneously playing Mass Effect 3 and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Meanwhile, the 13th happens to be when my sister’s birthday would have been and is, of course, also the Super Bowl. They’re somewhat incongruous happenings, but my family and I will be doing a dinner or something to remember my sister a couple weeks down the line, and the Super Bowl will mostly be on so I can understand my Twitter feed.

 

Phil Xavier

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
• Triangle Strategy

Pokémon Legends Arceus is really good, and I’m having a blast. I’m still enjoying Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore on the side as well. But right after this week’s amazing Nintendo Direct, we got a new demo for my most anticipated game of 2022, Triangle Strategy, so that has become my main course for the time being.

Despite its… “unique” name (from the same producer who gave us Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler! …there seems to be a certain theme going on), both demos for this game have been so incredibly good, and I can’t wait for the official release (March 4). It’s like Final Fantasy Tactics and Octopath Traveler had a beautiful baby.

 

Andrew Powers

• D&D The Weirs
• SWTOR
• The Book of Boba Fett

This Saturday is Session one of the new Blizzard Watch D&D Campaign, The Weirs. That is all I have planned for the weekend. Next week is the release of the new SWTOR expansion, but that doesn’t do me any good this weekend. I’ve been leveling another character in the meantime, just to hold me over. Also watching the show on Disney+, The Book of Boba Fett, to keep me in the Star Wars mood. Not a bad show, very “We heard you like Return of the Jedi, so here is every reference we can find and slip into this show, enjoy the nostalgia.” However, I do enjoy the nostalgia!

Anna Bell

• Project Zomboid

This weekend we’re mostly going to work on Valentines Day stuff for the kids. I scrounged up two old shoeboxes, and we’re going to potato stamp some hearts and stuff on them, plus stickers, and of course tons of glitter glue to make their little mailboxes. Valentines Day really peaks in elementary school.

In terms of gaming, I’m still shredding through a bunch of survival games in order to boost my knowledge of the overall genre. Luckily, this week’s free Epic store game Windbound plays right into that! I’m also trying to figure out what the heck I’m even doing in Project Zomboid. It’s weird, because I usually love survival horror, and I love survival games, but I’m finding zombies in survival games to be kinda meh. I think the next one on my list is going to be Astroneer as a non-zombie palette cleanser.

 

Liz Patt

• Lost Ark
• Horizon Zero Dawn

Lost Ark, Lost Ark, Lost Ark. Can you tell I’ve been enjoying this game? Here’s how I’ve been describing it: a baby inspired by Diablo’s environment, WoW’s UI, and FFXIV’s character detail. It’s so dang pretty, and has a REALLY gentle learning curve. Like, baby bunny slope level of gentle. There’s the usual internet debate about the game being P2W that I’ve solidly ignored because I’m having fun darnit.

I also started playing Horizon Zero Dawn after convo with Liz and frankly I’m appalled I didn’t pick this game up sooner. The design is amazing, the world is frankly gorgeous, and I’m awful at the combat so far but don’t care, story to follow. I did learn the hard way that if you have a sticky controller, you have a strong likelihood of death… womp. Going to make progress on that front.

Finally, still breeding for blue roses in Animal Crossing New Horizon. I’m doing this in (relative) real-time, in that I’m not time skipping forward on my Switch. So… you might be seeing this update for a few more weeks.