What we've been playing - "Meanwhile, Lara Croft and Breaking Bad's Walter White have just had their first child"

A few of the things that have us hooked this week.

2nd May

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little about the games we've been playing. This week, Victoria falls in love - at least aesthetically - with Replaced; Bertie pretends he's been in Paris (he has been in Paris!); Connor is obsessed about catching a really rare fish; Kelsey's got some strange relationship problems to help people through; Chris is still learning things about Pokémon; and Mat keeps it brief.

What have you been playing this week?

Here's another question: do you remember what you were playing last week? You don't have to! The What We've Been Playing archive has you covered.

Replaced, Xbox Series X

I can't get over the care and attention Sad Cat has put into making the post-apocalyptic world of Phoenix City come alive in its debut game, Replaced. Hands down, this is one of the most visually impressive games I have played in a long time. It's stunning. I love the way 2D pixel art has been mixed with 3D rendering in this cyberpunk world. I also love how the game sounds, with its slightly melancholic synth music framing the gameplay.

As gorgeous as it is, though, I am finding Replaced's story a bit slow. I don't want to rush through it but at the same time, I feel as though I should be progressing more than I am. From reading other comments online, I know this isn't an especially lengthy game - some have said it can be finished in 10 hours - but even so, I've found my attention wavering. I would love it if the main character Reach could move a bit faster. He seems sluggish even during combat sections.

Despite this, Replaced is an incredible achievement for the studio's first game. Especially where audio and visual design is concerned, it's something really special.

-Victoria

A bunch of stuff I mostly can't talk about but...

I've been in Paris for a couple of days seeing some games from Focus Home and Dotemu, although most of these are under embargo so I can't talk about them yet. But on Tuesday evening, when I arrived, Devolver hosted a petit soirée at a small and Parisian bar and there were a few games to see. The most grabbing one of these, literally, was Heave Ho 2, a game Connor wrote a bit about recently. It's a party game, really: a co-op game for up to four people where you control characters who have two arms, silly faces, and that's it. You control the arms with a thumbstick and their grabs with the triggers, and by doing so, throw yourselves and other players around.

It's a smiley kind of game, bright and cheery, and a little bit silly too (you can hold down a button to fart, which propels you or others around you a short distance through the air). But there's also a deviousness to the challenges it throws at you. Can you all collectively assemble a gigantic chicken burger, for example? For 10 minutes or so, the answer will be no. The big addition in the sequel is online multiplayer, so you don't have to coerce friends to come over to play.

I also tried Dark Scrolls, which was fun, and which is probably the best name for a game I've come across in a long time. Perhaps the name came first? It reminds me of Ghosts n' Goblins in how it plays, in that it's a fast and fairly challenging side-scrolling action platformer. But there are different characters here, there's a roguelike structure, and it's nicely put together.

Both games are "coming soon".

-Bertie

Old School RuneScape, with a twist

My desktop PC is done for. Totally, perhaps irreparably so. So in the meantime I'm left with my PS5 and my work laptop. So rather than explore a massive library of new games on Sony's big white beauty, I have instead reinstalled Old School RuneScape so I can catch sharks.

Why am I catching sharks? We'll start with the good reasons and move our way down. Sharks, when cooked, make for great healing items, and as such, they're a popular and reliable resource to bring to mid-to-endgame player-vs-monster content. And as I'm currently trying to level my Slayer skill and get all my attack styles up to 80, good food is what I need. I don't want to eat trout or swordfish any more.

But there is another, stupider reason. When catching certain fish, there is a chance you can get a big fish. A big fish that can be taken to a taxidermist, stuffed, and placed in your house. All big fish are also present in the game's collection log, which is a list of all the rare collectables in the game and the reason for my RuneScape obsession.

The drop-rate for a big shark is one in 5000, so I'm standing in the Fishing Guild, with a full set of the fancy Spirit Angler's fishing outfit and a harpoon in my inventory, and I'm catching sharks. That and work is my life at the moment, at least until The Adventures of Elliot releases in June or I get this Big Shark. Wish me luck?

-Connor

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Nintendo Switch 2 (and a little bit of Elden Ring on PC)

I am still playing Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and while my interest is slowly waning (because there's only so many times you can watch the same interaction play out between different Miis), I am quite enjoying sitting back with it for an hour or so each day.

Going through my Miis and tending to their relationship problems (and their empty stomachs) feels a lot like I've a bunch of needy pets to cater to each evening. Right now, my own Mii yearns for Professor Layton (which is quite amusing given I am currently yearning for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam to release) but he has his sights set on... Hatsune Miku. I can't let that happen. Meanwhile, Lara Croft and Breaking Bad's Walter White have just had their first child (whom I swiftly booted off the island).

When I haven't been playing Tomodachi Life, I've been dabbling in yet another New Game Plus run of Elden Ring because that is the one game I will simply never tire of. This time, I'm trying to run a build I've never tried before, but when testing Elden Ring builds for guides was once part of my daily workload... it's hard to find something I haven't yet used. Suggestions are always welcome!

-Kelsey R

Pokémon Leaf Green, Switch 2

A lot to say about Pokémon FRLG, naturally - I missed these puzzles! I missed these dungeons! I can't believe I'm saying it but I miss HMs because they make you actually think about your team! Why are there, like, no Fire-types in Leaf Green?! But the latest to report is I've got up to the point of the Snorlaxes and Silph Co., only this time I learned a secret rhythm to getting jackpots in the Game Corner casino and have bought myself an early Dratini. A Dratini which - to my surprise, given Dratini is normally an absolute chore to level up - is temporarily overpowered thanks to knowing Dragon Rage right at the point of the game where it almost one-shots every foe you encounter. 30 years on and I'm still getting juice from two of the greatest games to ever do it.

-Chris T

Deadlock, PC

Trophy Collector is now a 1600 soul item. This is the best game ever made

-Mat J.