Stellar Blade

Play it on: PS5
Current goal: Explore the last remaining city of Xion

Stellar Blade is everything I want out of a game right now. Its sci-fi worldbuilding is evocative, its story is intriguing but not belabored, and the action hits a perfect sweet spot of arcade combat and RPG-lite progression. I’d be far from the first person to suggest there’s a heavy dose of nostalgia in how it appears to successfully straddle the divide between the streamlined focus of an early PS3 game and the systems-heavy bloat of a late PS4 one.

Each level has just enough trinkets to pick up, enemies to fight, and forks in the road to explore to keep me engaged without ever getting overwhelming. At first glance, combat has the methodical and ruthless weight of a Soulsborne, but a bevy of upgrades make sure you can ultimately bruteforce your way through any encounter without too much fuss. I’m still early on, but the allure of Stellar Blade’s elegant post-apocalyptic future and the incredible soundtrack already have their hooks in me. — Ethan Gach

And that wraps our picks for this weekend. See ya next week, folks.