The weekend has arrived one day early and will thankfully stick around for one day longer than usual, making for a welcome four-day respite from the normal rigours and challenges of everyday life.

It’s the rigours and challenges of a handful of videogames that we have to worry about now!

What can you busy yourself with this weekend if you find a bit of extra time? Why, you could enter El33tonline’s competitions and read over a bounty of game reviews and news!

What are we going to be busy with over the next few days? Let’s find out:

Tom

“This long weekend I’ll be cackling with delight as I put Virtua Tennis 4 through its paces before the rest of the world. The online embargo for this title lifts on Tuesday 26 April, so look out for my review not long after the cock crows on that hallowed morning. I recently reviewed Top Spin 4 so I’ll be able to give an informed verdict whether Virtua Tennis 4 is the Nadal or the Federer (based on current form) of the two.

I may also find the time to march to the beat of war in Patapon 3 on PSP.

Sunday is “Easter-egg hunt” day so I’ll be poking and peering around bushes looking for the sparkly blighters (my future self reminds me of that covetous crow in Demon’s Souls). Gamers are supposed to have superior observation and navigation skills so this is as good a time as any to put that thesis to the test.

Enjoy the long-ness of this weekend and we’ll see you all next week for another round of news, views, reviews and competitions!”

Bryan

“Roll on another weekend! This one is obviously special for a bunch of reasons but probably the most common denominator for most readers is the extended holiday and the cultural obligation to scoff spans of chocolate and not be considered a piggy! Me, I’m going to be joining in on the cultural obligation but I’m determined to reduce my intake this time around (have to be responsible and set a good example for my little girl).

The extended holiday is becoming a tech-free weekend away for me in the Eastern Cape (see what I did there? I picked a venue with the word “Easter” in it… smart huh?) so I won’t really be focusing on anything much else besides having some quality family time, a small introspective retreat, and confirming my survival cache is up to date for the Zombie Apocalypse*.

Until next week I am on a break but will be roaring to go when I come back. For those doing the Sprint this weekend, enjoy it, and remember: you don’t necessarily have to be the fastest to survive the Zombie Horde, just faster than someone else! Oh, and I suggest you give Oltman a urine test if he outruns the rest of you - at his age there’s only one explanation for him outperforming the young’uns…”

(* Before everyone considers this to be the absolute location of my secret bunker, let me remind you that a fool has all their eggs in one basket. To survive ‘The Apocalypse’ you have to be prepared … and more importantly than preparing, you have to keep your bunker location(s) secret. I’ve said too much already…)

Oltman

“Yay! for long weekends! Less work equals more play! But let’s remember the reason for these few days off. I wont use this as my soap box, but Easter is def not about drinking and driving guys! At the very least it is time to spend with family or loved ones. I love my Xbox, PC and PS3 equally, so they will all be getting some love.

For appetisers I will be getting my grubby paws on Portal 2 and this weekend GLaDOS will give me cake! She better have cake or why else will I have grubby paws? It’s from the cake, right? Right?

Once my brain has sufficiently exploded into small enough pieces after Portal 2, I will get some colour back into my life with de Blob 2. For those who noticed Lisa bragging about it last week, there is no limit to my sneakiness…

But every man can only handle that much “cute and colourful” before bloody crimson is required to bring back the balance in his life. Operation Flashpoint: Red River will provide adequate amounts of crimson for this, if not in gameplay then at least by name. Lets hope this shooter is not complete pants, eh Oliver? (Holding thumbs! – Oliver)

Finally, nobody took me up on my Tiger Woods 12 challenge. I guess there is no limit to my awesomeness either!”

Lisa

“It’s definitely been one of those weeks, you know the ‘try to cram five days of work into four’ type. But luckily I survived and the only thing that kept me going was the light at the end of the tunnel…the Gears of War 3 Beta! So far it’s been really awesome to get back into the Gears action and I’ve been enjoying Team Deathmatch against some friends online.

So this weekend will see me equipping the Lancer yet again and causing some serious mayhem in the Gears of War 3 online multiplayer Beta, and then before I know it, it’ll be time to warm up and get those knees up in Kinect Sports for the Guinness World Records – please join the El33tonline team on Saturday at 7pm if you have the game p33ps!

Have a great long weekend everyone and be safe. See you guys next week and happy gaming!”

Oliver

“I’m an eggs-pert! I’m an eggs-pert! Now can we eat ‘em?”

“Anyone remember that classic stop-motion animated movie, “The Easter Bunny is Comin’ to Town.” No? Just me? Dang. While I haven’t seen it in years (and years), I remember it fondly.

Anyways, other than random memories from my youth, I’ll be lingering on some awesome games this weekend with the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta (hopefully not getting chainsaw’d by Lisa) and SOCOM 4 multiplayer (if the PlayStation Network is up…), before moving on to a spot of sport with Kinect Sports.

I’ll double Lisa’s invitation to join El33tonline on Xbox LIVE to take part in the Guinness World Record attempt in Kinect Sports, so hopefully you can make it! Also, are you competing in El33tonline’s Achievement Race? There are prizes! And spot prizes! All great! Rack up those Gamerscore points, p33ps!

See you all next week, bright and early – when next we meet, you had better have had an excellent long weekend, or else!”

What games will you be working through this weekend everybody?