Back we are again with another Gaming Respawn Plays, the feature where a few of us (or in this case, two of us) get together and share what games we are currently playing and why. Our two contributors this month have very graciously taken time out of their busy (gaming) schedules to tell us about the games that they are obsessed, I mean, very focused on playing. One is very “Keen” on spending as much time as possible in the boots of a soldier and shooting his opponents without a shred of mercy. The other is “Will”-ing to play the fantasy adventure of his dreams through a game with an old adventure grid. Do check out what they’ve shared of their latest gaming sessions here in Gaming Respawn Plays (August 2025).
Peter Keen
Battlefield 6 Beta and Battlefield 2042
(Silence…apart from tapping buttons on a PS5 controller)
(Takes headphones off)
Sorry, what did you say? Only I’ve been so busy thrashing the BF6 Beta, I didn’t hear you?
Oh yes, what have I been playing this month? Umm, well, if it doesn’t have the word “Battlefield” in it, I haven’t touched it. It’s literally been a Battlefield month.
Firstly, the BF6 Beta is incredible! I’ve not had this much fun playing an FPS since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on the PS3. Even someone as old as me can still be effective on the battlefield in this game, which is why I adore the series. I mean, I’m 53 years old, and I’m still topping scoreboards but by using real-world tactics. It proves even an old fart like me can still pawn noobs and blow stuff up at an alarming rate! Don’t believe me? Check out my highlight video below!
As for Battlefield 6 itself, the excitement for the game’s full release is palpable! I can see why some BF purists don’t like some of the BF6 Beta maps as they do feel smaller, but for me, that is EXACTLY why I like the game even more. It’s more focused. The game does feel like a Battlefield/Call of Duty hybrid. That, however, is exactly why it feels different and, therefore, fresh, and it’s also why, even though the Beta was only available for just 6 playable days, I managed to rack up a whopping 40 hours on it! I simply couldn’t get enough of it!
The sense of immersion is fantastic. The graphics, the sounds, the noise, the gameplay, the destruction, and the stories that only multiplayer games can bring. For example, riding on the back of a tank into the battle zone with bullets flying, explosions booming, then jumping off and wiping out a squad of enemies to recapture the point! You can and do feel like a total BADASS while playing. It’s SOO addictive!
Or maybe it’s when you and your squad are nearly wiped out, but under the cover of dust from a building crumbling around you, the last member of your team revives you, then you revive someone else, then an enemy tank rumbles into view, but you whip out your trusty RPG and BOOM, the tables have suddenly turned.
I truly cannot recall having this much fun playing a video game with random people online. It is a testament to just how well the game is designed. It does have a couple of issues we all hope are ironed out for the full release, but even if it stays as it is, it’s incredible.
Before and after the Beta was available, I had been warming up for it by ploughing a lot of hours into the last Battlefield game, Battlefield 2042.
BF 2042, quite rightly, was criticized at launch and is nowhere near one of my favourite Battlefield games. But over time and after a lot of updates, they have turned it around to at least be playable and fun. Knowing the hype for BF6 in October is alive, EA and DICE have pulled a master stroke by releasing new content, including a new map and weapons, for BF 2042 the day after the BF6 Beta shut down. So, now that there is new stuff to explore in BF 2042, I have gone back to that and will be thrashing this new content while keeping my eye out for the release date of BF6 in early October.
So anyway, that’s enough talk, there are tanks that need to be blown up, I have got to go.
(Puts headphones back on)
Will Worrall
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar and Phantasy Star
This month has been an interesting one for me. I recently got my hands on a Flash Cart for my Sega Master System. If you don’t know, this basically enables me to run any game on my original Model 1 Master System without having to own the cartridge, which is great for homebrew or just really rare games that are hard to find on the platform.
In celebration, I decided to start playing through every RPG that the platform ever had available to it. Starting out, I’m playing Phantasy Star and Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (yes, at the same time; if I go one-by-one, I’ll be here forever), but this month specifically has mostly been about Ultima IV.
I’ve been playing through the series very, very slowly, and after conquering Akalabeth, then Ultima 1-3, I tried 4 a few times but kept dropping off (probably due to old-school CRPG burnout), but returning to the Master System version with a wireless controller has been a total blast. I’ve gone in mainly blind, including making my own little journal with a black cover that in which I can write down clues and make maps.
It’s easily one of the most interesting RPGs of its era, especially due to the total lack of any main villain for you to defeat. Instead, Ultima IV is a recontextualization of trope-filled fantasy RPG gameplay, tasking the player with achieving enlightenment by questioning the ethics of their actions rather than just running around with a weapon and murdering people.
Don’t get me wrong, all that good shit is in the game. There’s stuff like combat, quests, an intricate spell system and plenty of grinding (if that’s what you’re into), but it all comes with one of the deepest and most involving narratives of any game that came out back in the 80s.
If you’ve not tried it yet, I highly recommend the Ultima games, specifically 4, 5, and 6. They’re all really excellent takes on standard RPGs that have strange ways of not only doing interesting things but also have a way of subverting themselves in each follow-up. Truly, some masterful storytelling.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have several fleeing orcs to chase down.
