Fun fact: last week’s edition of what you should play this weekend was our most trafficked entry into this series of weekly posts that we’ve published so far. Thanks for reading! We’re not analyzing why that particularly post was so popular too much. We just like sharing our weekly recommendations that also offer some insight into what we have been up to as a staff beyond the reviews we place our bylines on.
In any case, it’s time for the weekend and our usual recommendation of games and things you should check out! But before that, here’s a recap of the biggest stories of the week:
- Phil Spencer Is Retiring, Xbox President Sarah Bond Is Leaving, And Microsoft’s CoreAI Head Is New CEO Of Microsoft Gaming
- I Can’t In Good Conscience Recommend The Virtual Boy Switch Package – But I Love That It Exists
- PlayStation Shuts Down Bluepoint Games, Makers Of Demon’s Souls And Shadow Of The Colossus Remakes
- Pokémon FireRed And LeafGreen Are Coming To Switch, Switch 2 Digitally Next Week
- Slay The Spire 2 Reveals 4 Player Co-Op, March Early Access Release Date
- Nier: Automata Crosses 10 Million Copies Sold Alongside Mysterious ‘To Be Continued’ Tease
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Evil Requiem (a.k.a. Resident Evil 9) releases next week. It’s arguably the first huge release of the year (though there have already been plenty of good and big games so far in 2026), and as a result, we have Resident Evil on the brain. Usually, when it comes to prepping for a sequel, the best bet is to play the entry that takes place right before the new one, but both Resident Evil 7 and 8 are somewhat anomalous entries in the larger franchise. They are undeniably canon, but Ethan Winters’ adventure is kind of individual in the grand scheme of all things Resident Evil. We don’t have any story insight, but it seems that a better prep for Resident Evil Requiem is to revisit the excellent 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2. It’s a chance to spend time with Leon as well as Racoon City, which are both elements that will be part of Requiem. So that’s the one we’re playing.
We also highly recommend checking out our full, Super Replay playthrough of Resident Evil Outbreak. The 2004 (2003 in Japan) online PlayStation 2 Resident Evil game is where the character Alyssa Ashcroft is introduced and is playable, who is the mother of Grace Ashcroft, one of the protagonists of Resident Evil Requiem. You can watch the first episode right here.
Arkheron
Arkheron is a game I recently previewed with two and a half hours of hands-on time, and though its battle royale description didn’t inspire much excitement in me, I finished my gameplay ready for more. This PvP isometric action game pits 15 trios against each other and looks like Diablo, with dark fantasy dungeons to loot and creatures to destroy, but despite what its POV would have you believe, it actually plays a lot like a shooter. Because the camera rotates around your character as the focal point, aiming your on-screen reticle requires the accuracy and precision of a game like Valorant. What I especially enjoyed in my preview was discovering new weapons and loot as my trio attempted to climb to the top of the tower through vicious PvP arena fights. Most of the gear, save for healing items and the like, is that of 10 Eternals, god-like beings that rotate in and out of the loot pool. Collect two of an Eternals’ item, and you gain a set bonus – collect all four, and you transform into them for some wild combative effects. There is a lot more that impressed me in Arkheron, and you can read my full thoughts here in my preview, but I say all this to recommend that you check it out on PC! As part of Steam Next Fest, developer Bonfire Studios has turned its servers on for 24/7 access to Arkheron from today through March 2 – I’ll see you in the Tower.
Steam Next Fest Demos
Steam Next Fest is happening right now, which is where developers releasing games on Steam all agree to launch demos of their games to encourage Wishlist additions and give players an excuse to check out games early. We have not played all the Steam Next Fest demos. There are a lot. But here are a few that we’ve played and enjoyed.
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The quick pitch here is Cyberpunk aesthetics, Limbo/Inside cinematic platformer puzzles and mood, and Batman Arkham combat. It seems to be a potent mix that is already really impressing us. You can watch us play and discuss the demo above.
Denshattack
Denshattack is a game that demos very, very well. In it, you control a train that can leap and stunt between tracks in a sort-of-post-apoclyptic Japan as you try to be the best train race trick performer in the world. It plays like a modern Dreamcast game and it’s very cool. You can watch us play it above.
Planet of Lana II
Unlike the other two games listed here, Planet of Lana II is a bit more of a known quantity, as any sequel is. I mentioned Limbo/Inside above and Planet of Lana II takes heavy inspiration from those games, and does it well. The sequel is shaping up to be a worthwhile follow-up to the first game and you can check out the demo with us above.
