While we here at Operation Rainfall love covering the latest in gaming news and sharing our reviews of titles new and classic, we also just enjoy playing games in our downtime. So with that, sit back, relax, and check out what the oprainfall gaming crew have been up to this week!
I can finally add to this weekly gaming article again. I had been discussing my Xenoblade Chronicles 3 progress before because I figured Steve was going to finish and review the game first, so there was no harm in me putting all my thoughts on it here. I mean, I was really taking my time and in no rush to finish it anytime soon. However, it eventually ended up falling on me to review it as originally planned. So, this past week I finally beat the game and that review is now written. I only have to pick out a handful of screenshots to add to it and get someone to look it over and edit. I also got started on a more casual game, which I was recently asked to review. I plan to play a lot more of that this upcoming week.
Various reviews aren’t the only gaming content I got into. I’ve just in the last two days had the chance to hop into Splatoon 3 as well. Being that shooters aren’t my forte, this is not a game I’m planning to do a full review on whatsoever and thus, let’s get into my thoughts on it. So, I still stand by my decision in my impressions article to keep my pre-order of the game. By that I mean, I’m glad I own a copy, I’m already enjoying myself. I definitely can tell I eventually won’t be playing this all day every day like an RPG though. At some point I’ll cut back to just playing it a little bit each day, or every few days. But for right now, I’m having fun. I’ve done a lot of Turf War matches, a few Salmon Runs, tried out the Tableturf Battles for a little bit, did a couple Anarchy matches – Splat Zones and Clam Blitz – and I decorated my locker. First of all, in my impressions article I mentioned that the ink didn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as I expected. Fortunately, that’s not the case in the full game. I don’t know if for a more lively event Nintendo cut back on the ink style, or if that’s just how it looks in game at night during splatfests. But all its shiny gloppyness is there in the regular game when no events are going on.
Second, I really like the Tableturf mode, which I sort of expected I would. I was hoping I could play that with friends though. I noticed there are random people’s characters standing around who you can play against, but I haven’t found a friend option yet. I’ve just been playing against the NPC opponents. I also haven’t found out yet how you set yourself up to be one of those random people online who others can play against. I’m not sure if I have to level up more for that, or if I have to go through all the NPC character matches first. Hopefully there’s more to that later on. I would love it if Nintendo does add an online with friends option down the road, if it’s not already in the game and I just haven’t unlocked it. The only thing really left for me to try out now is the story mode. I’ve pretty much just been playing Splatoon 3 online, trying to raise my catalogue level and make enough money to buy all the cool locker customizations and additional stylish equipment. As far as complaints are concerned, the only thing I have to complain about at this point is the fact that there’s no music player. Splatoon 2 had a little music player/rhythm game machine and I’ve read the original Splatoon did also. Sadly, it’s missing from Splatoon 3. – Jenae
After a bit of a break, I’m back to working my way through Horizon Zero Dawn, though I’ve still only barely touched the story from where I left off. It’s not that I dislike the story, either – I find this world, the lore, and the overarching plot pretty compelling, honestly. But much like I did in Elden Ring, I just enjoy exploring so much more than going where I’m supposed to go. And the world of Zero Dawn is undeniably gorgeous, with lush vegetation, thick forests, rocky outcrops and more. I just wish I could climb up the bluffs I see. There’s so many cool-looking spots that once I reach them, there’s nothing for me to do, and it’s probably the biggest letdown for me so far. I try not to be too harsh, considering this game is five years old and I’m sure the sequel will address some of the issues I have with it, but being late to the party does mean I look at it from a more modern perspective. Turning off most of the HUD and map features make it much less overwhelming to deal with, but it means I also notice that the environment – while absolutely stunning – was definitely designed with those markers in mind. Other than the tall grass for hiding, it’s often difficult to spot vegetation I can interact with unless I turn on my focus and the markers show up. I also can’t climb a lot of the bluffs, despite them being so prominent along the horizon. Thankfully combat is honestly a lot of fun, with a combination of traps and melee attacks that let me experiment and play around with each enemy encounter. Some of the most fun I’ve had was taking on a group of giant snapmaws while trying to get to an access point for a wandering tallneck. I just wish Aloy didn’t talk to herself so much.
I also spent quite a bit of time with Splatoon 3 this weekend. I really enjoyed the Splatfest demo, and the full game is just as fun. I am especially glad Nintendo finally added a feature that lets me play with my friends and family even if we aren’t a full group of four, because it makes going into Turf War so much more enjoyable. I mean we still died a lot, but at least we died together. I also found the new catalogue system a fantastic incentive to keep playing so I can get all the cool-looking gear. I haven’t done anything with my locker yet, and I still need to try out Tableturf, but the multi-player has been so addictive I haven’t really found the drive to play with most of the game’s other modes.
I’ve also been keeping up with Final Fantasy XIV‘s weekly grind and Nier Re[in]carnation‘s newest crossover event with Persona 5 Royal. Having not played that game, I opted to avoid the actual story bits for this crossover, but I do like the character designs for Joker, Queen, and Fox. Much like with the FFXIV collab, Nier incorporates a lot of the visual flourishes of P5R during fights, including the flashy red and black fonts and the music. It’s fun. I enjoy these collaboration events a lot, even when I haven’t played the source material. (I’ll get to it though, I promise! I want to play the earlier Persona games first, though.) – Leah
What games have you been playing this week? Let us know in the comments!
You can read previous Week in Gaming entries here!
