Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Noah And Mio
Image: Nintendo / Monolith Soft

As we reach the end of yet another week in the year 2022, we also sit at the cusp of the eighth month of the year! In the news this week, Nintendo finally unveiled Wave 2 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass. Bandai Namco has asked Digimon Survive fans on social media to not spoil the game. And, according to Monolith Soft, designing the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was pretty difficult!

Speaking of, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out now, and in our review, we tell you why we think it's pretty darn special. And we also took a look back at all of the unique gimmicks throughout the Pokémon series' history. And, from the wider Hookshot Media family, we've recently welcomed Time Extension to the gang! This new site is focused on retro games, hidden gems, and classics, so you should go and check it out!

Now it's time to chill out and discuss our weekend gaming plans. A few members of the Nintendo Life team have done just that below, so feel free to give our entries a read and then join in with your own via our comment section. Enjoy!

Alana Hagues, staff writer

If you're a regular reader of this column, then you know what I've been building up to for the past few weeks — Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I will be glued to my Switch for the foreseeable future with this one, so get used to seeing its name in my entries for a while! I utterly adore this series, so this entry is probably my most anticipated game of the year, and those stellar reviews have raised my expectations exponentially.

If things get a bit much, I'll take a break and sneak in some more Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. I'm trying to 100% every level in both games at the moment, which is much tougher than it sounds. Especially those bonus levels!

Kate Gray, staff writer

I'm still playing Rune Factory 4 and Hollow Knight, both of which go on forEVER — but I've been enjoying playing Monster Train when I'm looking for something a little more chill. Yes, a game about wrestling back control of hell from some very angry angels is "more chill" than a game about farming. What has the world come to, etc.

Ollie Reynolds, staff writer

I apologise to all Xenoblade Chronicles fans, but I won’t be playing the third entry this weekend, nor do I have any inclination to purchase the game in the near future; I simply don’t have the time for such a huge undertaking. I will, however, be continuing my playthrough of Ocarina of Time 3D. I’m inside Jabu-Jabu’s belly at the moment, so you know when I said I’d be taking my time, I really meant it!

Elsewhere, I’m on a bit of a Castlevania binge after recently rewatching the Netflix series. I’m playing through Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on the Series X, and I’m dipping in and out of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow via the Advance Collection. I don’t intend to stop with those two, either; the great thing about Castlevania games is that they’re not overwhelmingly lengthy, which at this point in my life is extremely welcome!

Jim Norman, staff writer

This weekend I will not be playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Easy now – extinguish your burning torches and put down your pitchforks! I am going on holiday and simply won’t have the time to give the game the care and attention that it deserves. But my time will come, fear not!

Instead, I will be continuing to work my way through Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! – which I have completely loved so far – as I draw into the final chapter of the game. I also hope to squeeze in a bit of Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 as Feige’s San Diego Comic-Con announcements have got me back on the grind to get the game to 100%.

Gonçalo Lopes, reviewer

It is that time of the year when I disappear off the Internet for a few months, usually for these so-called “vacations”. While this year things will be slightly different, I will certainly remain offline for a while. What better companion in this long and lonely journey than Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a game that our very own PJ swears has that GOTY stamp all over it.

Looking back at the whole saga released thus far, it stands out that each entry coincides with different periods of my life, periods I look back on fondly. Examples: the original 2011 Wii European release came out just as I moved out of my parent’s basement and into my current man-cave (aka The Fortress of Shiurytude™) or the amazing live streaming revisit of the 2020 Switch remaster. As I sit at yet another crossroads in my life, I am glad to have the ultimate escapism in the form of another luxurious adventure of epic proportions. I hope to see you all again at the end of the road. Stay retro!

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave us a comment below with your weekend gaming plans!