Themessenger

Once again, it's that lovely time of the week where we get to sit back and enjoy a lovely gaming session or ten as the weekend wraps us up in its relaxing embrace. This time around, team Nintendo Life is playing online shooters, retro-inspired platformers, and Metroidvania style modern classics - a nice range of styles, then! But what about you? Make sure to chuck us a vote in our poll down below and leave a comment or two with which games you're playing - after reading our lovely words, of course.

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer

This weekend it's going to be a busy one as I return to the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead to see just how well it holds up on Switch, continue to throw down in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy and explore new worlds in Planet Alpha. Look out for them on the site next week, in review form, naturally.

I'll also likely be continuing my love affair with Paladins. Even now, after all these months, few things on Nintendo Switch offer as much online fun as Hi-Rez Studios' hero shooter. If only it could just patch in native support for voice chat and it would be even better...

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Liam Doolan, news reporter

I’ve played about four hours of The Messenger so far and I’m glad to report that every second has been an absolute blast. The game has a great sense of flow, the level design is superb and the enemy, boss and environmental challenges are varied. The new abilities keep the gameplay feeling fresh and the humour ensures the title doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even little touches like the musical adjustments underwater add to the overall experience. I’ll be playing this game all weekend until I’ve delivered the all-important message.

Glen Fox, guides editor

All is quiet on the Switch front for me right now, and I don't really see that changing very much until Pokémon Let's Go. Having said that, I'm nowhere near done with Paladins so I'm going to play a few bouts this weekend. I really want to unlock Khan because he seems to fulfil my playstyle more than the other heroes. I also dig his Darksiders/World of Warcraft-inspired art style. That's where the fun lies in Paladins for me – messing around with different characters and builds while I figure out my favourite character. I actually like having to unlock characters slowly, as it gives me a chance to get to know each of them individually. That way I have a better idea of how to counter them while playing too! My only real complaint with Paladins is the slow release of new content, but hopefully that will change now that it's settled.

Jon Cousins, Japan correspondent

This weekend I'm still going to be chipping away at Hollow Knight. It keeps getting bigger and better, and I just enjoy wandering around the glorious environments and listening to the amazing soundtrack. Other than that, I have finally given in and got FIFA 18. It's been 20 years since I owned a FIFA game (I went over to PES after France 98) but at a sale price of 12 quid, the caveats are tolerable and as ’19 is on the horizon, it might be enough for me to get fully back involved.

Ryan Craddock, staff writer

Any spare time this weekend will likely be given to Hollow Knight. I finally gave in to the pressure of buying it after it went on sale recently - with the added bonus of some Gold Points I had saved up, I actually managed to nab it for £5 - and early signs indicate that it was a very good decision. I'm only about two hours in, but after a couple of days away, I'm already missing its enchanting worlds and feel the need to explore even more.

Elsewhere, Fortnite's fifth season is nearing completion and I'm slowly edging my way towards reaching the maximum Battle Pass tier. It looks like I'm on track to hit it, but I'll make sure to play through any challenges to help the cause.

Dave Letcavage, contributing writer

Last week I was undecided between purchasing Hollow Knight or Dead Cells. Well, I went with the former, and I’ve been hooked. I’m 20-something hours into the subterranean kingdom of Hallownest and hunting down every ability, boss, and secret area possible. With all the DLC included, I have a feeling it’s going to be a while longer before I see the credits roll. But who knows. With the way I’ve been committed, the end may come sooner than expected! If it does, that just means more time for the wife and I to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Alan Lopez, contributing writer

This weekend I’m at PAX West. I will be playing all that is handed to me. Will it be Diablo 3? Bastion? No More Heroes? Time will tell.

However, what I’ve already been witness to while sleeping on a friend’s couch were the sounds of the new indie arrival, The Messenger. Or maybe I should say, the nonstop, disco party fever dream that is The Messenger's soundtrack. Every single stage claps. At least from what I’ve witnessed, not even the obscure sub-menus could escape the 8-bit thrashings of its compositions. Who scored this thing? I hope they’ve since gotten enough water and have come back to Earth safely.

Which games are you playing this weekend? (256 votes)

  1. The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season  0.8%
  2. Paladins5%
  3. The Messenger13%
  4. Hollow Knight18%
  5. FIFA 18  0.8%
  6. Fortnite4%
  7. Dead Cells14%
  8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe7%
  9. Something else (comment below)37%

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As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days...