More money/games does not equal happiness Remember back in the days every new release feels like a must-play, firing up games eager to get started. But don't have enough money to buy the latest games/hardware to experience them properly. These days, I only get about an hour each night to myself. I do my best to try new things instead of replay/rewatch stuff. But the "effort" of starting a new game feels like too much for me. A lot of the days in between games I just end up watching stuff. I think OP's suggestion to do something productive, like a new skill is actually better than trying to get back into gaming. Something I really should be doing.
Absolutely this, man. I think the issue is that since everything is now pretty much free and almost constantly accessible, it has no value. When you had to choose between the releases and stump up some physical or decide to press "Pay" (rather than another amorphous monthly subscription you forget about), you made sure you were putting the time in. I reckon the X360 days were the best - all your mates aligned with the same titles, make arrangements for Games Night, all get online and smash through whatever the current title was as a team. I don't buy games at all any more - no point. Play it on GP or Epic or backlog X360 stuff. Turning point was when I bought Squadrons and Deathwing, both on offer, still haven't really had the time to play them (compounded by my constant PC IT issues) and then Squadrons was free on Epic not long after. Gutted. I do buy Humble Bundles when they're attractive, but the Humble Monthly has now been on hold for as long as I can remember - maybe since the CoD WWII offering - since the main included titles have either become dull, limited in number and padded out by fluff, or given for free elsewhere. Also the reason I'm still running my dated Sandy kit - no point paying for expensive upgrades at the moment (especially brand spanking) as cost vs time in use isn't favourable. The Xbox was cheaper and allows GP access just as well if not better, given the shocker that is the desktop app. Completely agree about the perceived effort of starting a new game as well. Too tired, kids stay up later so should be engaging with them, by the time the domestic stuff is done, it's dinner, bit of TV, then bed. Weekends are clearing backlog of chores, tax returns, kid stuff, all of which has been pointed out many times is completely unhealthy, so changes are in the process of being made this end.....after the tax deadline, of course! Then I'm going to do as has been suggested and try to get Ableton fired up again, make some music. So many plates to spin...
Lack of time is such a killer for me. For example, I shudder to think how many hours I sank into Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 plus their expansions. BG3 should be right up my street, but I haven't been remotely tempted to buy it because I just don't have 60+ hours free (and that's just for the main storyline, you could apparently double that if you are a completionist). I'm actually trying to think what the last game I bought was. Steam reckons it was mid 2022 (Hades, late to the party on that one but a fantastic game, especially as a full run can be done in under 30 minutes). Before that was September 2020 (Cracking the Cryptic Sudoku) Those are much less recent than I was expecting!
I'm in the same boat as well - if a game doesn't hook me in the first 10 minutes, it gets uninstalled. Part of the problem is that there is very little in the way of original games. Looking through GP, there are so many 8-bit style rogue or metroidvania games - and these don't interest me in the slightest (because I'm a certified old fart, I played rogue on the mainframe while I was at uni...30+ years ago ). I don't play online games (I can't stand PvP...mainly because I'm not very good at them ), and even the high profile releases aren't really that original.
Last year I became totally and utterly addicted to....... Half Life 2 ffs. I played through all 3 eps about 10 times, over and over. God what a game though.
My takeaway from this thread is: We're all older now with more responsibilities. Nowhere near the free time when we first registered on these forums. After a day's work, gaming is just too mentally demanding. We want to put effort into something that has lasting benefit at the end. Hardware nowadays is so expensive that playing the latest games just isn't really on the cards.
Neatly summarised, sir. Plus that one about lack of innovation/uniqueness to pull us relentlessly in despite the above, like it used to.
I watched but mainly skipped through a 50 game test of a graphics card a friend of mine is thinking about buying. They mainly fell into just a few categories, completely lacking innovation. 3rd person 'roll around on the floor like a prick mashing controller buttons' Open world 'run around and complete mainly easy and pointless objectives' Top down 'toy soldier' strategy games.
Got some other suggestions for you, bud - Tunic, Scorn or Titanfall 2 (although I'm sure you've already done this one). These have all had recent favourable outings at my end. Puzzley elements to the first two which might make a decent change.
Thanks mate. Got a new graphics card today (7600XT). Determined to broaden my horizons. Love Titanfall 2. Going to try 'Inside' later on a friend recommendation.
Ah, yeah - definitely try Inside, it's wicked. Follow-up to Limbo, if you've not played that one either (but I thought Inside was better) and Braid is in a similar vein with a really smart time-winding mechanic that gets your brain involved. Also Gorogoa for something different. None of those will be taxing that new card though! Have you got Game Pass? For the sake of £17 or whatever it now is (much less if you just get the PC-only option), you'll find almost too much to choose from...well worth it and Limbo/Inside are included. EDIT: Braid Anniversary Edition might be worth waiting for - end of April - and apparently The Witness is meant to be good although I have no experience of that one. The Stanley Parable also comes to mind whilst we're on the puzzler tip. And certainly check out Lonely Mountains Downhill - surprisingly addictive and can fill a quick coffee break. I'll try and think of some different stuff for next post... EDIT 2: Game Pass is £1 for 14 days then £8 for PC or £13 for PC/Console/Cloud (Cloud is actually pretty decent)
Ah, yeah - this occurred to me during shower thinking this morning. Taking my own advice, I downloaded and had a go at The Witness last night - it's interesting and decent, but as someone else said online, "use it as a bit of a project", which I think is apt (assuming you can remember your progress between sessions - Quick Resume Cheesecake here). I feel like we have an awareness of each other at this point so I will be so bold as to suggest reserving this one for a later date on the basis it's a bit sloooooooow. On the other hand, Inside is definitely a great story that you kind of fill in yourself but isn't especially challenging, so it ticks the "do games do this?" box of transporting you away from IRL for a bit, but it ain't gonna tax ya bruv, as the kids say. The underwater sequences will give you the willies the first time (you'll know when ) but don't read the internet till you're done. Then wonder at the internet and why you didn't think any of that. And realise you just enjoyed it for what it was. But that's just what I reckon. Be free, gamer!
There just doesn't seem to be enough new games, let alone to warrant upgrading/buying a system/console, so many re-releases of previous generation console games - I like the remakes, but remasters seem to just be a cash in if it's say X from PS4 now on PS5 (if you've already played the death out of it on the previous gen version)
Manor Lords. Everyone saying it's amazing. To me, it looks like someone dragging icons around a desktop. No thanks.
Jesus, just looked it up, the first thing I saw said: "Manor Lords Might Have the Best-Looking Capes in Video Games" That's a hard NOPE!
I can still get into a game if it gets me really hooked early on, and there are still some franchises/IPs I’m going to play to death whether it immediately hooks me or not. FFVII Rebirth, for example, I’ll be getting as soon as it’s out on PC, and I play to play through both Remake and its expansion ahead of that. OG FFVII had such a formative influence on me that I’ll happily play related titles even if they’re complete dogshit. I’ll shortly be diving into Horizon Forbidden West, now that the brief interlude for the Fallout TV series is concluded, because I loved the original game. I absolutely did not expect to be sucked in so much by Baldur’s Gate 3. I thought I would probably enjoy it, but I did not expect my first playthrough to hit 120 hours. I started a new save not too long ago that I do plan to get back to, I’m enjoying it just as much the second time round. And there’s still quite a few “smaller” titles I’ll happily play over and over again. The final content update Stardew Valley dropped recently, and I totally forgot how much that game can suck you in. It’s not “aggressive”, violent, tactical, strategic, or even challenging in terms of its gameplay (with the possible exception of bloody fishing!), but it’s very easy to keep doing “just one more day”. It’s also perfect for the Steam Deck - I was able to limit the APU to just three watts and it runs perfectly.
I used to love a good FPS. HL1 and deus ex were the peak for me. Bit tech for me into multi player fps with it's amazing bfbc2 community. Day-z is still the greatest multiplayer game ever made though, endlessly replayable, and I've been revisiting it for 10 years! I'm now hugely enjoying Hunt Showdown, hands down the best new multiplayer FPS I've played in years. Bit of a steep learning curve, but it's so different, sound is absolutely central which is quite novel, and different play styles actually work. I can't compete with the 20-somethings in twitch reflexes now, but I can use my brain and play a patient, ambush style and win. It's a bit like day-z in that if you "need to win" you won't enjoy it. It's tough, you'll lose all your characters, but as long as you can realise that starting over IS the fun, it's amazing.
