WRUP: Zelda Syndrome edition

One of the games that motivated me to buy the Humble THQ Bundle was Darksiders, which I had heard described as basically Legend of Zelda with ultraviolence and Joe Mad. It delivers what it promises, but as a result, I'm in the late game and fighting hard against my Zelda Syndrome.

Zelda Syndrome is a condition wherein a player stops playing an action-adventure title after the majority of the game is done, usually with all of the really annoying bosses already dead. All that's left is a dungeon or two and the final boss, but for some reason sufferers simply lose interest and go back to playing something else. I've fought against it with every single Legend of Zelda game and several points related. There is no known treatment.

While I raise awareness of this horrible syndrome, you can entertain yourself with this week's installment of WRUP, which outlines the games that the Massively staff will be playing this weekend. You can also let us know what you're playing down in the comments. After doing so, please consider giving money to researchers addressing Zelda Syndrome by purchasing a related title -- possibly Okami.

@Beau_Hindman: I'll be switching to The West by Innogames for Rise and Shiny. It's an interesting browser-based sandbox that takes part in the Western era of the United States. There are some really interesting mechanics going on in it. I'll also continue to work with my new Chromebook to find games that run well and look good on it. There are scores and scores of them, perfect for couch-gaming. It's a really exciting and inexpensive device... now to get it away from my wife.

@nbrianna: I'll be in World of Warcraft this weekend, working my old Shaman through Pandaria and trying to sort out my family's mess of alts and crafting skills. I'll also be in Torchlight II for a wee bit on a top-sekrit project.

@PsykopigAU: I'm rocking some serious Star Wars: The Old Republic this weekend while I can! My bounty hunter is getting pretty sweet!

@tvggraves: I'll be playing some Borderlands 2 in an attempt to beat the normal difficulty and catch up with my friends for Sunday's stream. I will also be continuing to work on solid Protoss timing attacks in Heart of the Swarm. I've nailed a solid Dark Templar timing for PvT and PvZ but really haven't nailed the one base void ray push yet. It might not even be possible to do a void ray rush; I just love their damage.

Also, I will be putting my final notes together for the video "Why I Play SWTOR."

@Eliot_Lefebvre: I can feel some sickness creeping in on the corners, so I'm going to spend the weekend pre-emptively recovering. Then there's a secret project with other Massively members and my slow slog through the huge library of games I've acquired on Steam. Where do MMOs fit in there? This past week, they haven't; my Guild Wars 2 guilds have mostly evaporated and I'm on a lull in SWTOR. But I've got some good leads on guilds in the former, I've got some new projects in the latter, and of course I'm enjoying my time in DC Universe Online.

@elixabethclaire: This weekend I'm apparently going to be a sniffling mess of pain and nausea. That makes this weekend perfect for some iPad games, although I'm not quite sure which of those I'll be pretending to enjoy. I'll be logging into Guild Wars 2 a time or three. Aside from that, I'm also hoping to squeeze in some Torchlight II time (well, I'll need to since I'm streaming some on Sunday).

@irljasmine: In World of Warcraft I'll be working on the next stage of MoP's legendary weapon quest chain. Everything was going great up until now. By law if you begin enjoying World of Warcraft, Chris Metzen descends from the heavens and slaps you in the face with a rep grind.

I'll also be continuing my dream of becoming less awful at FPS games. My #1 goal in Black Ops 2: To try to hit the other guy. My secondary goal is to not get hit by the other guy. So far my odds aren't looking good.

@jefreahard: Top secret Massively projects dominate my weekend plans. Oooh. Ahhh. If I get to game at all it will be in EverQuest II, and I might play some more Rage if there's time (worst name ever, but a really fun open-world shooter/driver/post-apocalyptic thing-a-ma-bob).

@Sypster: If I'm conscious enough following a week of hard-hitting flu to game, then I'll count that as a victory in and of itself. Jef and MJ have me sorely tempted to return to EverQuest II, although I'm probably going to be pushing hard into RIFT and Lord of the Rings Online's expansions with what time I get. I also want to put in a good word for the excellence of The Secret World's Transylvania zones, which are so, so much more interesting than Egypt was to me. Vampires are actually creepy and slightly scary? Yup -- and they're only part of the total threat here.

@mvmatt: This weekend I'm going to be dabbling all over the place. A little RIFT here, some World of Warcraft there, with a heaping helping of The Secret World on the side. I'm still working my way toward the level cap in RIFT, and while I'm sure that Instant Adventures ad nauseam is the most efficient way, it's also the most tiresome so I'm trying to not do that. Meanwhile in WoW, I've finally recovered from that particular brand of burnout that stems from a poor guild choice and I'm trying to get back on the horse. Rep grinds, heroics, guild-searching, the whole kit and caboodle. And finally, I recently joined up with a lovely cabal in TSW, so I'll be getting my RP on while I try to get through Egypt (which, I feel it should be noted, I absolutely hate).

@MikedotFoster: I'm taking a dive back into TERA, and will probably pick up a little Aion since MJ totally sold me on it during our stream this week. Beyond that? Dudes, it's NFL playoff time.

@MJ_Guthrie: I'm sure to clock a fair amount of time in my own holy trinity -- Everquest II, The Secret World, and Aion. So much to do in all of them, I couldn't begin to list it out; even thinking about all the possibilities nearly paralyzes me! Baby steps, MJ. Baby steps. I think I might also pop into DC Universe Online and make a smidgen of progress over there, especially since it was requested for streaming again. I'd hate to catch my cape in a door or something with everyone watching.

@mackeypb: In Age of Wushu, I'll be trying to expand my small fortune while learning a couple of new alternate styles. I've also been practicing a few technical things. It feels really cool to be on the bleeding edge of discovery in a game; I can show someone a trick and that trick will not be in any guide on any English-speaking place in the world. In League of Legends, I'm still on my somewhat broken up losing streak in Dominion. Sometimes it's my fault, sometimes it's not, but I've been playing a bit inconsistently lately and it's very frustrating. Lastly, I'll be trying to get in some Guild Wars 2 with my girlfriend, as she got it for me for the holidays and I've been really meaning to put some time into it.

@RichieProcopio: This weekend I'll juggle my gaming time between Guild Wars 2, Torchlight II, and The Walking Dead. So basically, it's a mix of quaggan, loot piñatas, and zombies. Ah, don't you just love perfect weekends?

@terilynns: Now that the Winter Event is almost done I can concentrate on taking my alts on Star Trek Online through the terrain on Mol'Rihan and getting them to earn some reputation with the Romulans and Remans. If time allows I have a Lore Master in Lord of the Rings Online who needs to take his black bear out on a serious walk.

At the start of every weekend, we catch up with the Massively staff members and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" (Otherwise known as: WRUP!) Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!