There’s no better time than the weekend, wouldn’t you agree? A time to finally kick back and relax, check out some new games, and hopefully get a chance to play some games together. That’s what Waypoint Weekend is all about. It’s a time for me to see what all my coworkers and pals are playing, and try to find even more games that I can add to my continuously growing backlog of titles.
It’s Time For Another Waypoint Weekend
Brent Koepp – Contributor
This weekend, I’m fully diving into Persona 5: The Phantom X. I know, it’s another Gacha game that is determined to drain my wallet. And as much as I’m feeling Gacha fatigue from juggling HSR, Genshin Impact, and Wuthering Waves, I’m actually excited for this one. I’m only a few hours into P5X, and I’m pleasantly surprised at how much it’s basically a new Persona 5 game. Like, no exaggeration — it uses P5’s exact engine and music. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, as mobile Gacha RPGs have come a long way in 2025.
But I’m serious when I say the game has the same quality as Persona 5. Even the story and characters feel like something P-Studio would have created. So it’s hard not to get immediately hooked into Phantom X when it feels like a AAA sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. That said, I’ve already felt glimpses of the Gacha genre slowly creeping into the campaign. For example, you can’t level up your Persona or character past a certain point unless you have the required materials. Which makes sense, given that Atlus expects players to keep playing P5X with future updates.
My Waypoint Weekend Is Going To Be Costly, but It’s Worth It
So that is the only negative thing that I’ve experienced so far. I’m honestly shocked at how well Black Wings Game Studio has integrated Persona 5’s gameplay into a Gacha live service. So yeah, I can’t wait to keep playing it. Although I do have to admit, a part of me badly wants to play Death Stranding 2. I already put 3 hours into that, and it’s every bit as glorious as I could have hoped. Unfortunately, I’m covering Phantom X for work. So Kojima will have to wait on the back burner. Maybe next weekend!
Anthony Franklin II – contributor
My weekend will be mostly full of fishing. I’ll be playing Cast ‘n Chill and falling asleep with a bucket hat over my eyes while I do so, just to simulate real life. I’m probably gonna fire up Final Fantasy IX on my Switch 2 as well. It’s been a while since I’ve played any older RPGs, and I kind of feel like digging back into that. But the fishing is the main thing here.
SHaun Cichacki – COntributor
As a wise man once said, “I can climb the highest mountain, cross the wildest sea
I can feel PEAK’s fire burnin’ in me, burnin’ in me“. So, I must respond to the call of the mountain, as it sings an alluring song to my friends and I. I’ll be diving back into PEAK once again, hoping to conquer the tricky slopes that are waiting for me. Are we going to do it? Probably not. We’re likely going to die in the Tropics, leaving Bing Bong to try and fend for himself.
Outside of the Rocky Mountains of PEAK, I’m diving back into Secret of the Mimic. Rumor has it that there is a secret ending that needs all of the collectibles to unlock, so I’m donning my Fazbear Entertainment garb and getting back to work. If anyone is going to find the true secret of the mimic, it’s going to be ya boi.
Matt Vatankhah – Contributor
You know, being a longtime fan of whatever Hideo Kojima touches, I should probably play the games he helps create, huh? That being said, I’ve still yet to play Death Stranding. So, I think I’ll change that this weekend. Especially with the sequel now taking over the space, it’s long overdue that I finally jump in and see what all the fuss is about.
And the best part? I’ve managed to avoid any and all spoilers regarding Death Stranding. I still don’t really even know what it’s about. I mean, I know Sam Bridges is a delivery guy of some sort. And there’s a lot of walking. There’s a baby inside some weird capsule. And there’s some black goop that makes weird Kojima-esque things happen. That’s about the extent of my knowledge of Death Stranding, and I’m quite happy about that. With the Director’s Cut now on sale, I guess this is the perfect time.
It’s Always A good Time When Waypoint Weekend Is Here
I’m so glad that Matt is finally jumping into Death Stranding. It’s one of those games that I’ve started up far too many times, and then I find myself falling into the muck of far too many other games to play. Maybe now that the sequel is out, I should consider joining him on his quest to complete this trek. But first, I’m downloading Persona 5: The Phantom X and Cast ‘n Chill so I can see what those are all about. Maybe I won’t be getting into PEAK this weekend, we’ll just have to wait and see!
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