What We Played – Crimson Desert, Rushing Beat X & Screamer

It’s the end of the school term in our house, which means that there are at least two extremely grumpy and tired children knocking about. The eldest of them has been joining me in checking out Crimson Desert, and we’re having a great time exchanging silly stories about how the game works, while still exploring the edges of its massive world. Besides that, I’ve been playing the Switch 2 ports of Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage, both of which have shown that it’s well worth looking into the gaming past.

Gamoc was first up this week, and he’s been playing Sovereign Syndicate and Icarus for review. He decided to take a punt on last week’s biggest game too, saying, “I caved and got Crimson Desert, which I will regret later, though not because of the game, as it’s phenomenal.”

As a liker of all things a bit like Rogue, Jason has mostly been playing Sephiria, which he says is, “An exceptional roguelike with some really clever systems and a great mix of builds. You can also play as a dog who can dash infinitely, so that’s great.” That’s not all though, but he’s been less impressed by Pearl Abyss’ opus, telling us, “I have been trying to get into Crimson Desert, but man, it just ain’t grabbing me. I will continue to suffer through it anyway for a bit to see if that changes.”

Aran has been playing Rushing Beat X Return of Brawl Brothers for review which he said was an “average” side-scrolling beat ’em up. He’s also been playing more of The Pale Beyond, telling us, “My first run ended with everyone dying on the ice. My second run is faring better as I managed to stockpile resources early and everyone is still alive.”

With the embargo lifting next Tuesday, Ade has been playing the PS5 version of South of Midnight for review, and that’s all he can say for now. My money, though, is on it being basically the same as the Xbox Series X version, so you can read my review of that from last year to tide you over.

Nic B has just finished Resident Evil Requiem. He said, “It took a while as I’ve been playing before work when the wife and baby are out of the room! When they are in the room I’ve switched to Pokopia, which we’re slowly trying to 100%.” He continued, “I also tried the new Final Fantasy Dissidia mobile game. It’s pretty bad — not gonna bother reviewing it, will just leave it at that!”

Jim has been on our Screamer review, but after a false start, he’s finally getting to grips with the anime-infused arcade racer. He says, “The story and characters really aren’t gripping me but there are definitely some interesting twists on the racing genre when you look under the hood. I’ve also been dipping into Marathon, chipping away at contracts and trying to get a feel for a loadout that suits my mid-range playstyle. However, I seem to have settled into a rhythm of extracting with decent gear, only to get gunned down in the next run within minutes. Finally, I booted up Ghost of Yotei: Legends, the game’s new online co-op mode. I’m far from making a final verdict of any kind, but it’s a fun evolution of what Sucker Punch did with Tsushima Legends, complete with a rewarding, loot-driven progression system.”

Meanwhile, Steve had a great time returning to Super Mario Bros. Wonder for its Switch 2 upgrade and DLC. He then played Porject Songbird – “an excellent indie horror game made with real passion” – Resident Evil 7 on Switch 2 – “a port that holds up really well” – and a smattering of Crimson Desert, No-Skin, GridBeat and Breath of Fire 3. It’s amazing that he finds time to eat and sleep.

And finally Tef has been playing Pokémon…. FireRed on Switch while occasionally searching for a genuine GBA cartridge that doesn’t cost the Earth. And he’s made a start on a mobile sequel to a game that’s rather divisive.

What about you? What have you played?