7th February

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little about the games we've been playing. This week, Bertie discovers handheld gaming and gets all excited; Marie struggles to impress Mama; Kelsey experiences Nioh for the first time, and loves it; Will plays another mech game and also, somewhat predictably, loves it; and Victoria reveals a passion for skateboarding that I never knew she had. What have you been playing?

If you're looking for something else to read, or a reminder of what you once wrote, there's a whole What We've Been Playing archive to delve into.

Hades 2, Switch 2

I'm such a dinosaur: I've never taken a proper handheld gaming device on a plane before. But last week, when I jetted off to Blizzard, which was exciting, I took a Switch 2. My Switch 2, by the way - I didn't pinch it off someone. And it was a revelation! Who knew that you could burn so much time by playing games? Don't answer that.

Hades 2 was my poison of choice, with a sprinkling of Songs of Conquest, which didn't work brilliantly on the small-screen though it's still a good game. Even Hades 2 felt a bit cramped after playing it on my TV for so long. But overall it was perfect for the occasion in hand.

There was a wonderful moment on the return flight when I was sitting next to a German Twitch-streamer and they pulled out their Switch 2 to play Slay the Spire (great choice). There we were, two Switch 2-ers, merrily tapping away. How plane journeys have changed.

-Bertie

Cooking Mama 2, 3DS XL

My battle with Cooking Mama continues. I experienced a short-lived wave of confidence after my pizza got a perfect score, but it didn't take long for Mama to crush that, with flames in her eyes, over my poorly de-boned fish.

At this point I have no logical reason why I keep dragging myself back to that kitchen. I know the standards are higher than my stylus skills can keep up with. So I inexplicably chose to raise the stakes by cooking steak and paid the price; Mama demands perfection, not whatever it was I ended up serving. Every time I enter the kitchen I know her eyes are boring into my soul, waiting for me to make a mistake that she can 'fix'.

Why do I keep coming back for more? Is it the shiny gifts I open when I get enough stars? I don't think so. I think it's because I achieved perfection once and now I feel as though I can do it again...

-Marie

Nioh 3, PlayStation 5

I've never played a Nioh game before despite knowing the series was likely to be right up my alley, and covering Nioh 3 for guides has seen me finally give the series the time that it deserves.

And what a time it's been so far! You can read all about just how great the game is in Dom's review, but let's just say that Nioh 3 is, without a doubt, home to some of the most satisfying and fruitful combat I've ever engaged with. I've been having a real blast, and I no doubt have another 20+ hours to go so that's my life for the foreseeable. Wahey!

-Kelsey

BattleTech, PC

Me, writing about playing a game where giant pilotable humanoid war machines fight each other again? How dare you. Anyway, Battletech is the turn-based strategy complement to the real-time, FPS-like MechWarrior games, and I thought it would be a perfect way to enjoy some mech-fighting action on a work trip this week.

Playing the stock 2018 game works surprisingly well on the Xbox Ally X Windows handheld that I took with me, thanks to Steam's library of community control schemes, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even the heavy BattleTech Extended mod, which bundles together an incredible amount of extra content, runs okay. I think 40-60fps is more than playable territory for this sort of game, and some lengthy load times couldn't dampen my enthusiasm for guiding my fledgling mercenary company across deserted city streets or foggy mountaintops in search of sneaky enemy squads (which I'd then salvage to build my forces further).

Still, there's nothing quite like a mouse and keyboard, and I'm not ashamed to admit that one of the most exciting parts about being home - beyond the thrill of sleeping in my own bed - is being able to transfer my save games across to the big PC to play there. Sourdough's Irregulars will become the foremost mercenaries in the Inner Sphere!

-Will

Skate Story, PS5

Not many people know this - probably because I live in an area where we mostly have snow/ice/rain for a large chunk of the year, so I don't get out as often as I would like - but I really enjoy skateboarding. My board is called Aeryn Sun-set, after Aeryn Sun from Farscape (my board has a sunset scene on its deck).

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I haven't been able to get on my board all year, because of that aforementioned snow and rain. We had nearly 2ft of snow last month - it went over my boots! So, the other night when I was looking wistfully at the world outside, which seemed so close and yet so far, I decided to boot up Skate Story and have a meander around its demonic world.

I didn't play for long, maybe 40 minutes or so, but ah, the vibes of this game are chef's kiss. I love the music, I love the crystalised visuals, I love the wacky philosopher heads. I don't know if I'm totally sold on the overall mechanics - there was one time I was trying to perform a trick combo under a tightish time limit and accidentally quit the game due to my frantic button mashing - but damn, Skate Story nails the atmosphere. So for now, as I write watching more snow fall outside, this will be how I get my skateboarding fix until the sun decides to show its face again. Only - checks calendar - three more months to go!

-Victoria