14th November
Another week has climaxed and I’m so sorry you had to read that on a Saturday morning. But here we are again, with our regular feature, where we talk about what we’ve been playing in order that you do too. This week, Marie has been staring at monster butts; Connor has capitulated to World of Warcraft; Kelsey is discovering the joys of a beloved Zelda game for the first time; and Bertie enjoys someone being punched in the face, because I guess he’s that sort of person?
But enough about us, what about you? What have you been playing this week? Do tell all! And don’t forget we have an entire archive of previous What We’ve Been Playings for your leisurely perusal, just in case you forgot what you were playing a year or a month or a week ago. And now onward!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Switch 2
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My favourite thing so far about Ocarina of Time is the judgement plastered on little Link’s face when he encounters, well, almost everyone. Whether he means to or not, he serves sass all over town, and in Kakariko Village, and I am very much here for it.
Also, I wasn’t prepared to come face-to-face with a monster’s butt cheeks. At all. Imagine the scene: I’m enjoying the tunes of the Lost Woods, processing the changes that have happened to Hyrule in the last seven years, all while making my way to the Forest Temple. Then the Moblin’s turn their backs to reveal… Well, everything.
–Marie
World of Warcraft: Forever, PC
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This week I’ve spent an ungodly amount of time playing World of Warcraft: Forever (you may have read my preview on the website) and have been essentially glued to it during every minute of free time I’ve had away from work. I’ve got both my main professions above the level 225 mark and I’m firmly in the thick of it now. Levels take longer, items are actually getting good, and I’ve had to make a second alt character for extra bank space.
As a result, I’ve not been to the gym in a while. I actually got one of those emails asking why I’ve fallen off, offering some tips to get back into the routine. Sorry Nuffield Health, my sleep schedule is ruined and I’ve substituted proper workouts for squats and basic at-home cardio. Surely, this can’t go wrong…
-Connor
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Switch 2
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I don’t have the same level of nostalgia for Ocarina of Time that my peers do, but that has not stopped me from enjoying every minute of running around Hyrule smashing pots and trying not to cry over the touching cutscenes and, well, Saria.
The game feels like Dark Souls for children (endearing) and that is completely my jam. It’s magical, satisfying, and often sad. There’s creepy enemies as well as cute ones, trap floors and doors, mysterious NPCs… and my heart just feels so warm whenever I’m playing it. My fingers are now crossed that there’s a Majora’s Mask remake in the pipeline over at Nintendo. (As well as a Super Mario 64 remake, which I admit, is pushing it. But for what it’s worth, I’d probably sell my soul to see it get the Ocarina treatment.)
-Kelsey
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Switch 2
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It takes me a while to settle with games; it takes me a while to settle full stop. I suppose in Fire Emblem’s case I’m out of touch, seeing as the last instalment I played was on 3DS. But I struggled with the garish enthusiasm early on and the whole thing seemed overly simple. Nevertheless, I’ve settled a bit now, and now that the game’s layering on more strategy and Intelligent System’s expertise is coming to the fore, I’m beginning to enjoy myself much more.
I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so boobsy, though. Was Fire Emblem always this way? Perhaps it’s my fault for picking the scantily clad queen Theodora, though that sort of presentation isn’t reserved only for her. She’s no wallflower, though. My favourite moment so far was when she got off her elephant during a parade – yes, her elephant – and walked over to punch a teenage boy in the face for halting proceedings. Apparently she was doing him a favour.
-Bertie