After yet another week of just the most ridiculous temperatures and humidity levels (particularly here in New York City), we arrive at, well, probably another two days of ridiculous temperatures. But who knows? Right now there’s a nice breeze drifting in; it says 80 on my phone, a full 15 degrees cooler than some other days we’ve had. Point is, maybe it won’t be too hot to play video games? Will we be playing them even if it is? Probably, yeah.
And you probably will be too—unless, of course, you can’t think of what to play. We can’t do anything about the heat, but we can offer some advice on which games are worth your time this weekend—or, really, any time. These are all cool picks.
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”)
Current goal: Stop failing my Freelancer campaigns
Last weekend, I accomplished a Weekend Guide goal. As it turns out, Hitman is a perfect fit for me. Challenging myself to suit-only runs (a self-imposed restraint where you refuse to use disguises), and with a gameplay approach that prioritizes swift stealth instead of hanging around for the right disguise or opportunity to show up, I’ve found myself glued to this game in a way that clearly tells me Hitman is now a staple of my gaming hobby.
This weekend, though, I have a more refined goal. I have a few more missions to go at the end of the campaign trilogy that established this era of Hitman, but I also want to dig deeper into Freelancer mode.
If you’re unfamiliar with this mode, it’s a roguelike mode that scatters Hitman’s stealthy gameplay across three campaigns’ worth of maps. Succeed in your assassination and escape, and you progress the Freelancer campaign while keeping all of your equipment. Fail, and you lose everything.
I’m not sure that I’ve played many roguelikes before this, but once the synapses in my brain made the connection to extraction shooters, I was sort of stunned that I’ve been sleeping on this genre. And given my love of stealth games, it really is a shock that I’ve not been a Freelancer since the mode arrived in 2023. It’s a satisfying mode that really tests your knowledge of the maps, enemy behavior, and the push and pull of Hitman’s stealth mechanics.
So, let’s see if Agent 47’s dark and sneaky world will pull me in for yet another 30 hours this weekend. — Claire Jackson
Play it on: Windows PCs (Steam Deck: Playable)
Current goal: Get cool stuff
Mycopunk is a Deep Rock Galactic-inspired, session-based co-op looter with the hyper-stylized cell-shaded look of Borderlands. You move fast and kill enemies faster. It has that old-school FPS feel, but with modern co-op tweaks. Each mission is simple—run around, shoot stuff, collect loot, extract out—but the look, feel, and satirical sci-fi setting give it all a unique flavor and make it easy to keep coming back. The first few hours are fresh and fun but I can see the grind getting to be a slog. It’s just Early Access though, so more variety, polish, and tuning is coming in the future. I’m enjoying Mycopunk at the moment though. It’s the perfect appetizer to hold me over to Borderlands 4. — Ethan Gach
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Unknown”)
Current goal: Skate or die (and complete more goals)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is going to consume many hours of my life. Although I’ve finished the main goals, I’ve still got all the Pro Goals to complete. And then I have all the challenges to finish. And I have a bunch of user-made parks I want to check out. I might even make my own park, too. This new remake is exactly what I wanted: More Tony Hawk Pro Skater goodness. I’m so hyped to sink as much time as I can into what is likely to be on my personal game of the year list at the end of 2025. — Zack Zwiezen
We’re about a week from the launch of Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson, a rhythm-based deckbuilding RPG that I’ve played at the last two PAX Easts. This wild mash-up of genres has delighted me every time I played it, and after a brief delay, it’s finally arriving on July 17. After playing a few dozen hours of Clair Obscur, it’s nice to have a turn-based battle system with a consistent parry mechanic. Tapping away at the block button to the beat of the music feels satisfying, and far less frustrating than the parry system in one of the biggest games of the year. I’m eager to dive into it further later this month. If you want a taste of what’s to come, there’s a free demo available on Steam right now. — Kenneth Shepard
And that wraps our picks. Happy gaming!
