Kotaku’s Weekend Guide: 4 Awesome Games We’re Ready To Kick Back With

Play it on: Windows (via GOG.com)
Current goal: Outride a crisis

I need a vacation. What’s that? You say there’s an island I can visit where a secret research laboratory has been infested by deadly dinosaurs? You say there’s a very good chance I’ll get maimed or eaten? Sounds good to me, sign me up!

Yes, in one of this week’s more pleasant pieces of news, GOG.com announced that both Dino Crisis and its sequel are now available to buy and play on PC. Never having played either of these games in their PS1 heyday, I immediately hopped over there and snagged the two-game bundle. (You can also buy either game separately, of course.) I’ve heard mixed things about the first Dino Crisis and whether it feels worthy of the studio that, at the time, had already created the early survival horror masterpieces of Resident Evil and RE2. Meanwhile, I’ve gleaned that the second Dino Crisis departs somewhat from the survival horror formula, with interesting results. Now I get to dive in myself and make up my own mind.

Horror can be cathartic, perhaps most of all in genuinely scary times. The “crisis” of facing dinos who want to tear me to shreds sounds terrifying, but I also know that it’s manageable. And maybe in some small way, facing and overcoming that crisis will make the crises happening hee in the real world feel just a bit more manageable, too. — Carolyn Petit

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Vibe

No Man’s Sky just received yet another expansive update, this one following the “Worlds Part I” patch which improved clouds, added more realistic water physics, new creatures, wind simulation, and much more. While NMS has been steadily evolving since its initial lukewarm reception in 2016, Worlds Part II might be the game’s largest update yet. Just check out the extensive patch notes, which feel like they scroll on forever.

Read More: No Man’s Sky Kicks Off 2025 With Another Massive Update Including Billions Of New Solar Systems And Trillions Of New Planets

And while I’d hardly describe myself as a regular NMS player, I am always eager to jump into this colossal universe when new features are added. To be honest, it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly calls to me in NMS. Sure, a good inventory management experience tickles my brain, but I also love the game’s chill-yet-curious science fiction narratives. And though I usually screw it up, I like basebuilding and settlement management. But perhaps most of all, the joy of existing in a digital place is worthwhile all on its own, especially when the game is as massive as NMS is. NMS provides a space like few other games out there, with freedom to travel in a way I fell in love with back when the game launched. Seeing a planet in the sky and just being able to go there never gets old—and now the game looks so much more lively thanks to the improved visuals and environmental features found in the recent update.

NMS has also been a somewhat comforting experience during this rather confusing and complicated moment in my life. I’m expected to receive some life-changing surgery in the very near future, and having a virtual space in which to chill allows my brain to just wander, contemplate my life, or simply empty itself out to take in the fantastical spaces of NMS and enjoy that basic fundamental joy of life: existing.

Also, while NMS has always been a pretty solid experience on Steam Deck, recent updates seem to have made it better. The framerate is way more stable than I remember it, and the game joyously pops to life on the OLED model’s screen. And since I’m looking at some more time spent held up in recovery soon, that’s a pretty sweet discovery to have made. — Claire Jackson

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Grieve

BioWare has laid off and transferred several key members of its staff as its remaining employees go head down on Mass Effect 5. Legacy talent that has been at the studio for decades has been forced out, and whatever the new Mass Effect game is, things there will likely never be the same. BioWare’s work has been key to basically every era of my life, personally and professionally. I found myself in Mass Effect, found my critical voice through dissecting it and Dragon Age, and have forged so many bonds through the community surrounding these games. Now, I’m not sure what BioWare’s future holds. I have about four other games installed on my PC, PS5, or Switch I could be playing, but all I really want right now is to curl up with one of BioWare’s games. As someone who was uncharacteristically hot on Dragon Age: The Veilguard after years of feeling jaded toward the fantasy franchise, I appreciate it even more after seeing what’s happened to the studio. I hope there’s a brighter future waiting for BioWare, but right now, I’m just gonna grieve what it once was. — Kenneth Shepard

Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Put the Caterpillar Made of Sadness out of its misery

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a side-scrolling Metroidvania Western in which you divide your time between roaming visually striking landscapes on a motorcycle and pulling off precise combat maneuvers to survive against the odds. It’s all vibe-filled exploration and one-hit deaths, an acquired taste but one that’s exceptional for those who can appreciate it. Originally released in 2023, Laika: Aged Through Blood finally came to the Nintendo Switch this week where it’s become my new preferred place to play (I don’t have a Steam Deck). It remains one of the most unique Metroidvanias out there, and its emotional storytelling and cool characters make fumbling through some of the thornier parts of the game worth it. But the best part is being able to turn a Trials-like 2D motorcycle into a Soulslike weapon of perfectly-timed destruction. Laika: Aged Through Blood is uncompromisingly hard, perhaps unnecessarily so, but bite-sized sessions have made the challenge less frustrating to deal with. I’ll probably never actually beat it, but I’m enjoying myself in the meantime all the same. — Ethan Gach

And that wraps our picks for the weekend. Stay safe and happy gaming!