The Video Video games You Ought to Play This Weekend – October 17, 2025

I’m not the largest preventing sport fan, however the sudden one which occurred to interrupt by way of for me was Useless or Alive 4 on Xbox 360. It was an early title for the brand new console, it inexplicably featured a Halo Spartan as an non-compulsory fighter on the top of my Halo fandom, and – arguably most significantly – I used to be residing in a school dorm when it launched and it was the best multiplayer sport to select up and play with others. Each myself, my roommate, my neighbor, and some folks on the identical flooring, all actually received into it. I received expert at pulling off Ryu Hayabusa’s most intricate strikes, and have at all times cherished its satisfying counter system that would get you out of your opponents’ combos and particular strikes so long as you knew the appropriate enter. 

To today, it’s nonetheless my favourite conventional preventing sport, and it was additionally the final sequence entry Tomonobu Itagaki directed. I used to be saddened to listen to of his passing and had missed his bombastic quotes over the previous couple of years. I want his household and associates nicely and am redownloading Useless or Alive 4 on my Xbox proper now in remembrance of his work.

With this week’s passing of Tomonobu Itagaki, the previous head of Group Ninja and mastermind of the trendy 3D Ninja Gaiden sequence, there’s no higher time to take a look at Ninja Gaiden II Black. The unique iteration of the 2008 sequel was the final Ninja Gaiden title Itagaki directed, and this 2025 remaster is the definitive model of the sport. 

It boasts improved graphics and efficiency, plus it restores the gore and improve system from the unique launch (which was closely altered within the 2009 Sigma model). Itagaki as soon as referred to as Ninja Gaiden II “the world’s finest motion sport,” and whereas I don’t imagine that declare holds water in the present day, it’s nonetheless a really enjoyable time and a pleasant warm-up forward of Ninja Gaiden 4’s launch subsequent week.

The primary Pokémon Legends reignited my monster-catching fireplace, so it should not be a shock that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is clicking with me. I actually just like the battle metropolis vibes of Z-A; although some might not be eager on a single-city journey, I’ve discovered it to be an fascinating new vantage level on the same old Pokémon tour.

In truth, my favourite half to date may not even be the brand new, real-time battle system or the precise monster catching and coaching itself, however the typically good vibes of Lumiose. The style is unbelievable, the soundtrack is full of earworms, and your resort room in Lodge Z is essentially the most delightfully lived-in residing area from an RPG this aspect of Persona. Any excuse to  escape to a brand new Pokémon frontier is a welcome one, however I respect how Pokémon has managed to seek out an avenue for innovation and a bit of refresh on occasion with its Legends video games.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a bit of disappointing, to be trustworthy, however it’s not so dangerous that it is not value trying out. The story is extra linear than I anticipated and the open world is sparse, making the 2 important promoting factors of an open world RPG powerful to swallow. That stated, fight and stealth are nice, and whereas the story is not as malleable because it first seems, the neo noir thriller and a forged of robust performances made it value seeing by way of. When you’re an enormous fan of Vampire: The Masquerade or need a sport that is seasonally acceptable, Bloodlines 2 is value a attempt.

Double Effective’s newest is a creative tour de pressure, mixing surreal visuals with the mechanics of an environmental puzzle journey sport. The sport is finest skilled firsthand, slightly than having it described. However it’s sufficient to say that you just management a strolling lighthouse, befriend a large chicken, and that you should journey by way of a psychedelic alien world of unknown creatures. Even when the gameplay would not wow you, the attractive artwork and a number of the surprises alongside the best way make it a memorable play. Our full assessment has extra. 

When you’re prepared for the subsequent sport that can inexplicably hook you for dozens of hours of easy arcade play, Ball x Pit is the plain selection. Mixing city simulation, Arkanoid-esque brick-breaking, and roguelite runs and development, the easy-to-pick up gameplay is extraordinarily exhausting to place down. Every run challenges gamers to pick and improve completely different balls that can bounce across the playfield, poisoning, burning, exploding, or in any other case eliminating the dangerous guys as they slowly inch down the vertically scrolling display. Ultimately, the onscreen will get extremely chaotic. Learn our full assessment.