What We Played – Wild Bastards, Astro Bot & Towerborne

With the fresh chill in the air, even when it’s been sunny this week, I’ve jetted off to a digital recreation of Hong Kong Island for a change of climate. It’s not really helped much, because there’s an awful lot of rain in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, and obviously my actual body is still in the UK.

Still, Solar Crown is where I’ve been pouring most of my gaming energy this week, with an imminent review now that the game’s had its full launch.

Now, what have the rest of the team been playing? And as a Brucey Bonus, were they enticed at all by the PS5 Pro presentation? I’ll get the ball rolling by saying that I’d be hard pressed to justify it, especially when I have a pretty competent gaming PC.

Ade hopped in to let us know he reviewed both Wild Bastards and Quidditch Champions for reviews, with a dash of Skull and Bones alongside – “Wild Bastards is excellent fun, and well worth anyone’s time.” As for the PS5 Pro, “it looks like too much money for too little difference to me.”

On the review ticket for Aran was NBA 2K25 and Beyond Galaxyland, which you’ll have to keep an eye out for next week. The PS5 Pro “is a hard pass for me, especially at that price. I don’t think it is a necessary upgrade either as it feels this gen is only really getting going.”

And it’s a no from Jim as well, who “could barely tell the difference between what was being shown during Sony’s technical presentation, so much so I almost thought it was a parody.”

He’s been playing Fallout: New Vegas and the Old World Blues DLC, which ” is some of the funniest I’ve encountered in a video game and gave me another “I get that reference, point at screen” moment when watching the finale of the Fallout TV show.” He’s closing in on the end of his adventure in the game though, so has balanced it with the brutal grimdark frenzy of Space Marine 2’s Eternal War PvP, and the pure delight of Astro Bot.

Astro Bot flying through jungle planet

Gamoc’s also been enjoying Astro Bot, when not playing Dustborn for our upcoming review, and he’s thoroughly uninterested in the PS5 Pro.

With the usual amount of spice to his gaming life, Steve’s played the “chilled out” Creatures of Ava, the “incredible” Astro Bot and the “superb” Hollowbody. He’s also been slowly working his way through the nostalgic Age of Mythology: Retold and is hoping to finish Golden Axe: Beast Rider this weekend.

“Oh and PS5 Pro; more like PS5 Hell no amirite?”

Having had a head start on the rest of us, Nic B has been chasing after the platinum trophy in Astro Bot, and was able to share his hands on impressions of Monster Hunter Wilds –”It has me both sharpening my Long Sword and polishing my Hunting Horn ahead of next year’s release. And no, those aren’t euphemisms, people…”

You can guess his thoughts on the PS5 Pro, by this point, and the same for Nick P, who’s been playing Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster for review as well as a bit of Aliens Fireteam.

Towerborne combat screenshot

And rounding things out for this week is Dom, who sadly had to put up with game crashes in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown on Xbox, got to go hands on with the delightful Planet Coaster 2, and delved into the simply gorgeous Towerborne in Early Access. He’s also a nope for PS5 Pro, and he loves trading in old tech for new!

All of which brings us to you: what have you been playing? And have you stepped off the PS5 Pro hype train?

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4 Comments

  1. I was going to wait for Astro Bot on sale – for example i paid €60 for Elden Ring special edition with art cards etc and i got 400 joyful hours out of it so far, not including the DLC, so i was balking at the €70 Sony were asking for Astro Bot on the store. But after watching Digital Foundry’s take on it and indeed the positive reviews the game has received from TSA and everywhere else i decided to jump in. Just grabbed a copy from Smyths for €65 so that’s my wknd sorted!

    Other than that i’ve been playing 60 Parsecs, the follow up to 60 Seconds and i’m finding it as enjoyable if not more so than the first game. Plus i’m still tipping away at bits n pieces in Dreams.

  2. Same as last week really. And a bit of that Lego Star Wars game from PS+. Why did I start with Episode 1???

    Oh, and now I kind of hate Sir Ian Livingstone. His book (well, him and the other bloke, Jonathan Green) is far too heavy, and so many were sent out. I’m the only one at work that seems to know what exactly a “Warlock of Firetop Mountain Signed Art Print” looks like. Everyone else is too young and confused by such things.

    • “Too young and confused by things” is happening more and more at my work too ????

  3. Still on my journey through the Forbidden West, an excellent game with very good quest stories, a lot of fun..!
    I guess I got about two thirds of the main storyline, and doubt I’ll finish by Tuesday, when this leaves Plus, as I’ll be away from my console for most of the weekend.

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