Weekend Warrior – Yes Man's Sky

It's finally here! Our excitement refers to both the weekend and No Man's Sky, one of the most anticipated games in a long time. Whether you plan to dive into another universe or not, let us know what you are playing over the next few days in the comments below.

Kyle Hilliard (@kylemhilliard) – I have found that the best way to enjoy No Man’s Sky (for me) is to watch my wife play. I get the benefit of seeing interesting stuff and I don’t have to deal with the tedium of mining and rearranging my inventory, so I will probably be doing that this weekend. We’re also still Pokéwalking a lot, so I am sure that will happen. Otherwise it will be a laundry/dishes/yard work kind of weekend with a smattering of video games here and there. Also, eating.

Blake Hester (@metallicaisrad) – At the end of three great months, my time at Game Informer has officially come to an end. In celebration, I will not be playing any games and will instead be finishing up some articles I'm pretty stoked off. I'd like to thank the Buck Boys for sharing this time with me (knuck if u buck 2k16 [it's a movement {you better recognize}]). I'd also like to thanks Dr. Bobby Reeves for letting me hangout for three months. I will now be quietly replacing Kyle, which no one will notice because we are the same person. I look forward to writing about Pokémans and Nintendo. Bye all!

Suriel Vasquez (@surielvasquez) – I’ll be spending a lot of time transcribing an interview and watching the finals for The International, but I’ll likely be putting more time into the Metroid II fan remake and possibly starting No Man’s Sky on PC.

Javy Gwaltney (@hurdyiv) – I’m going to be eating ALL the tomato bisque while flying around in No Man’s Sky and none of you can stop me.

Leo "Darth" Vader (@leovader) – I was planning on buying No Man's Sky on PC the second I get home but I'm just now reading that the port is pretty atrocious. But I'm historically a huge idiot so that probably won't stop me! Gamers 4 life! This is my last weekend warrior! We did it y'all! Interns rule! Knuck if you buck 2016!

Ben Hanson (@yozetty) – This weekend I’m really looking forward to diving into No Man’s Sky on PC. I’ll beat it by Saturday morning. Other than that, there are a bunch of little games I’d love to keep plugging away on like Headlander or I Am Sestuna. Have a good weekend!

AJ Moser (@andmoser)  – This weekend I’m going to play World of Warcraft for the first time in years. Everything I’ve seen about Legion seems really cool and luckily I’ve got friends to show me the ropes. I’m also going to continue grinding through Persona 4 Golden because wow guys – this game is long. When I’m not playing some games, I’ll be re-reading Heir to the Empire to prepare for Thrawn’s return on Star Wars: Rebels. What I’ll miss most about Game Informer is sharing my intimate weekend plans with you all.

Elise Favis (@elisefavis) – I'll mostly be busy with packing up and getting ready to leave for Gamescom, buuuut, I'm hoping to squeeze in some more No Man's Sky before I'm off. It's weird, that game has some tedious mechanics, but I find it absolutely enthralling and addicting at the same time.

Dan Tack (@dantack) –This auspicious weekend is one for gaming. This weekend, I’ll be setting the table and enjoying some Overwatch with a carefully prepared menu of my own design. I’ll be breaking out both the deep fryer and the grill this weekend to put some accents on some classic recipes ready to take gold medals as I move from match to match in Blizzard’s FPS.

I’m planning to start things off with some simple casual recipes. Have you ever made your own potato chips? You should give it a try. Those gross things you pull out of bags have nothing on homemade chips, they’re not even the same species. I’ll be making some truffled potato chips and serving them with a cheese sauce blend, probably using some kind of gouda for a mild taste and some Gruyère to call out the natural flavors. Real potato chips are amazing, and I would highly recommend using them as a side to simple, classic meals.

Okay, so, maybe this is cliché but lately I’ve been on an avocado kick. I can’t get enough of these things, so I’ve been adding them to everything and seeing how things shake out. So I’ll actually be adding them to a steak dish here. Insane? Yes. We’re doing a steak skewer thing here with all kinds of add-ons, I’m thinking actually a southern slaw and steak skewers as a side dish to flesh out the kicker dishes (sides) on the weekend roster.

Beer battered onion rings. If you know me, you know I despise onions – I think they’re overpowering and nasty. But if you do it right, in onion ring form, and add a plucky side sauce like a chipotle-parmesan mix., then you're in good shape.

Alright moving on, enough with the appetizers. I’m doing a chicken tempura blaster where I’m just going to get wild with it. I’m thinking maybe some spicy mayo, Yuzu-Kosho aioli, hot cucumbers to draw out the natural flavors. I’m aware that chicken tempura is comfort food but it has its place in every rotation if you ask me.

Next I’ll be doing an inspired take on the classic deep dish pizza. I know, I know, deep dish pizza is probably the least creative dish in the history of food, but we’re going to have some fun with it. I’m going to do spicy mac and cheese INSIDE the pizza, so layered in, and top things off with hot salami and dried chili peppers.

It wouldn’t be a weekend without a burger. This weekend’s burger will be consumed in air-conditioned bliss with a cool ginger ale, full of cubed ice. Keeping with my avocado kick, I’m going for something spicy and sassy, with asadero cheese, hot pickle chips, jalapenos, avocado, jalapeno aioli, candied bacon, fried egg, and brisket – all on a garlic butter brushed bun. Whew!

And yes, I think this weekend we’ll do a traditional lobster boil. Not terribly exciting, but there’s something about doing one right with all the accoutrements. We’re talking a crock of drawn butter, coastal slaw, milk bread, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes, spicy mac and cheese, buttered broccoli, and the works. I never end up being able to eat the whole thing, and that’s kind of the point. It’s been a while since I did seafood, and lobster is always one of my favorites even if it is really just a big sea cockroach.

I wish I had more, but I’ve been too busy with games to whip up any truly inspired dishes. I expect that to change a lot as we move into the winter. My penchant for spicy foods comes back strong once it stops being hot and muggy out. Oh and yeah I might play some Overwatch and World of Warcraft.