What to play: Action games dominate the weekend in video games

'Armored Core VI,' 'Immortals of Aveum' and 'Firewall Ultra' all have a different take on action while 'Pokemon Go' will keep fans busy

If you’re a fan of action games, this is the week for you. Three titles will be jockeying for your attention with a flurry of explosions and tense moments. On top of that, an old favorite will be marking a big celebration around parks and tourist spots in the Bay Area.

The flurry of activity shows that though there’s a Hollywood strike, gamers don’t have to worry about a shortage of content. What’s even more impressive is that they’ll have more blockbusters soon. A little game called “Starfield” is on the horizon and “The Crew Motorfest” is right around the corner. But right now, here are the games that should be on your radar:

“Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon” — FromSoftware has created another masterpiece, and if you have the resources for just one game, this is it. But there’s a caveat to all this. “Armored Core VI” is difficult, and if you’re one who’s easily discouraged by titles such as “Dark Souls,” this won’t be the game for you.

If you can handle intense difficulty, and if you’re open to exploring a game with unbelievable depth, then take on the challenge. The learning curve is high, but when you adapt and you can pilot your mech like a pro, “Armored Core VI” is so satisfying to play.

Play time: This game will easily take a little over a week depending on how well you pick up the gameplay. Personally, I had to learn a new way to hold the controller to effectively use my weapons and dodge. That in and of itself took at least a day to master.

“Immortals of Aveum” — Few publishers take chances on new properties, so when a game like this one from Ascendant Studios comes out, players should embrace it. Even with its flaws, they should love a title without a number at the end of it.

“Immortals” takes the concept of the military shooter and melds it with a fantasy world. It creates those tense moments from games like “Call of Duty,” but with magic involved, the developers have more creative space to work with. The game has tense battles, minor puzzle-solving and elements of exploration.

Although the fantasy world and the characters aren’t exactly Pulitzer Prize-quality, the journey following Jak from poverty to a world-changing battlemage will keep you entertained.

Play time: If the difficulty of “Armored Core VI” isn’t for you, then this is the perfect game to pick up. Best of all, you can complete it over the weekend if you go full bore.

“Firewall Ultra” — The first entry to this series was one of the better PlayStation VR titles. It was essentially a virtual reality version of “Counter-Strike.” With the improvements of the PSVR2, First Contact Entertainment upped the ante taking advantage of the graphical power of the PlayStation 5 and the better specs of the new headset.

One of the more interesting elements is that “Firewall Ultra” has a four-player co-op mode, where a squad goes up against a slew of enemies. If you have a headset or are thinking about picking one up, it’s worth checking out, especially since the Apple Vision Pro makes the PSVR 2 seem more affordable.

Play time: This is a live service game, so it’s one developers are hoping catches on with a community. Matches don’t take long but the issue is having enough players to jump on the game. With a PvE mode, perhaps it makes the game more playable even if there’s not more people around.

“Pokemon Go” — If you see crowds of people with their phones out and wires connected to battery packs in their pockets, don’t be alarmed. It’s just the biggest event of the year for the popular mobile game. The global Pokemon Go Fest 2023 is happening this weekend, and it features the global debut of Mega Diancie and Mega Rayquaza.

While people power through special research quests and Mega raids to acquire these Pokemon, they’ll also be hunting for rare shiny variants of Goomy, Orangruru and Snorlax (one wearing a cowboy hat). These events are usually a blast, and it’s a great excuse to go outside and walk around a neighborhood or a new park you’ve never been to before.

Play time: These are all-day events and run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for both days. Bring a battery pack with you and snacks because if you’re a hard-core “Pokemon Go” player, you don’t want to miss a second of having a chance at grabbing a new shiny.