Weekend games: Forza Horizon 6, Blue Prince, Metal Slug 3

Staff plan to spend the bank holiday weekend playing Forza Horizon 6, which has launched on Xbox Game Pass and received its first Festival Playlist. Other picks for the long weekend include Blue Prince, Dead as Disco, the PS2-era football title Red Card via emulation, and Metal Slug 3.

Forza Horizon 6 places players in an open-world version of Japan. The Game Pass release makes the full game available to subscribers, and the Festival Playlist adds new multiplayer events and reward cars. Writers said the game’s open-world setting and relaxed driving loop fit casual weekend sessions, and they plan to divide time between the single-player campaign and online activities through Xbox network services.

Ben Kerry, a staff writer, wrote that he has completed much of the campaign and expects to spend most of his holiday playing it. ‘A game like this is just perfect for those sunny afternoons where I don’t want to get too stressed and sweaty,’ he wrote, and he noted the Game Pass release will expand multiplayer access.

Fraser Gilbert, an editor, reported more than 20 hours in the game and described it as ‘the perfect comfort game right now.’ He added he plans to take things at his own pace and avoid festival playlist FOMO.

Other staff plans include trying Blue Prince and playing Dead as Disco on a handheld ROG Xbox Ally X. The PS2-era Red Card will be run via emulation, and one writer has been playing Metal Slug 3 on an Evercade Alpha cartridge player; that arcade shooter is available in two versions on Xbox.

Writers invited readers to share their weekend gaming plans in the comments section.