The Wrapp - Top Gun: Rubberhose, Barcoded Baldies, and Fighting Kings

Phew. Somehow, we've reached the end of another week, which means it's time for The Wrapp. Longtime readers know the deal, but if this is your first rodeo, it's where we let you know what games we'll be playing over the weekend. 

Our numbers are somewhat smaller this week. A few members of our team are busy with wedding preparations, while others are busy bees in their other professions. Not me, though. I'm still here to talk Acecraft. Dann's back again, too, this time indulging in a pre-existing obsession but now on mobile! I'll let him tell you all about it. 

Dann Sullivan

Editor in Chief

Hitman: World of Assassination launched on mobile earlier this week, and I've been playing it since that exact moment. I've been a massive fan of the series since, well, since I played the original, and have been playing through WOA on both PC and Xbox after it hit those platforms. Releasing on mobile in a world where Steam Decks exist feels like a strange choice. However, this is also a world where phone technology continues to rapidly outpace console and pc tech, and a world where everybody and their mum has a Bluetooth controller to hand.

So far, I'm quite impressed with it. I'm running it on an iPhone 15 Pro, on which it (mostly) runs fine. The biggest issues are the same that plague most AAA-to-mobile games: Notifications on the phone take up a lot of the screen if you forget to turn them off, and touch-screen controls are adequate, but there are so many buttons that it can be fiddly until you retrain your reflexes. Hitman’s world is beautiful, and no less beautiful on the smaller screen.

The biggest issue with Hitman: World of Assassination’s performance mirrors my time with it on Xbox Series S. Occasional drops from the Always-Online server. However, aside from that, it runs exactly as well as it does there, holding up well in crowded rooms and slipping a little on the moment when the world suddenly turns rotten and half a dozen guards suddenly start shooting at you.

Anyway, as you can probably tell from my writing up the majority of a review in this blurt of excitement, I'll be playing a lot of Hitman over the weekend. 

Catherine Dellosa

Reviews Editor

It’s a lot of welcome idle time for me this weekend with The King of Fighters AFK. I’m working on a little something for the RPG, and it’s perfect timing too - my arms are in dire need of rest, and auto-battles are the perfect salve.

Outside of work and games, I’m actually going to be busy prepping errands as I’ll be away starting next weekend, so I might not be popping by for a while - although I suspect I’ll still be playing the same ol’ rotation of whatever’s in soft launch in my region (fine - it’s only going to be Shogun Showdown on repeat. I’m not fooling anyone, least of all myself).

Toni Oisin H.C.

Freelance Writer

My main plan for this weekend is to catch up on some audio work, so I probably won't have much time to game. I'll definitely try and grab some time while taking listening breaks to hop on the Switch if possible, though. I'm about halfway through Ace Attorney: Investigations, and I'm thoroughly enjoying being caught up in all of the Blue Badger-related silliness right now.

Iwan Morris

Staff Writer

Guess who finally cleared their first proper deck on Balatro! I found out that a big issue with my playing had been the ordering of my Jokers. Yes, turns out that isn’t all for show; it actually matters where you rank them. But now I’ve got an even greater grasp of the fundamentals and... Wait. This isn’t just for me harping on about Balatro? Well, that’s my weekend!

Stephen Gregson-Wood

Deputy & Special Projects Editor

Sometimes you approach things in the 'wrong' order in life. Rubberhose animation should remind people of Mickey Mouse or even Felix the Cat if they're feeling particularly niche that day. Not me. It'll always remind me of Studio MHDR's delightful Cuphead. It's one of the few games I'd probably call myself a more serious fan of. I've got merchandise, I've watched every episode of the TV show, and I play it every now and then simply because it's great. I didn't just see the end credits roll, put it down and move on, as is my custom. It lived with me for a while.

And that's why, when I first looked at the recently released Acecraft, I couldn't help but think, “Oh, it's Cuphead but only the plane levels.” While that's potentially a gross oversimplification, there's likely some merit to it as well. I doubt Skystone Games were only thinking about 1920s cartoons when they were coming up with the idea. I mean, it has a counter system centred around pink projectiles, after all.

Still, I've always believed there's nothing inherently wrong with wearing your influences proudly on your sleeve. As long as it’s only inspiration, not a direct copy, you’re making, that is. And for that reason, I want to see if Acecraft distinguishes itself from Studio MHDR's masterpiece enough that it can escape my flippant comparison. Although even if it doesn’t, I’m sure I’ll enjoy all that beautiful rubberhose animated goodness.

Shaun Walton

Staff Writer

It is shaping up to be a good weekend for me. Caliban Prime has dropped on Warframe, so I can run around summoning Sentients and putting on my own laser show. Then, for when I feel like a little something slower, Pixel Starships 2 is in early access. And I absolutely adored the first. So either way, I am going to spaaaaaaaace.