Games you really want to play, but can't or won't?
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I've tried a bunch of the big ones. Fallout 1&3, Skyrim, Final Fantasy 3 and 7, Pokemon, Borderlands, a couple of different MMORPGs, and a bunch of random others. My description was a bit oversimplified, but my point was more about the general lack of care towards the primary loops that you spend 99% of the game engaging with. For example, Fallout 3 has terrible gunplay which is further limitted by the need to focus on one weapon type, and uninteresting AI which doesn't leave room for deeper tactics. Pokemon, along with a lot of other JRPGs, often boil down to finding one or two decent buffs/debuffs to use, then spamming whatever does highest damage. MMOs obviously tend to require a lot of grinding repetitive, often easy enemies.
That said, I have found some of the RPG-adjacent games better. Roguelikes are one of my favorite genres, since they tend to center around a strong gameplay loop, while still featuring the non-linearity and character builds. Same with tactics games. Honestly Dark Souls seems like it may be a good option, but I bounced off of it due to technical issues the first time and just haven't gotten around to trying it again.
I'd argue that a game like Fallout, 1 or 3, is not 99% combat, and that's probably where the disconnect is. They intend for you to do some detective work and even solve problems without combat plenty of times too, even when you have a combat-heavy build. Pokemon is a strange one here too, because that series is built around a rock paper scissors system such that you should be regularly be switching up which attacks you're using. I'd love to see if your complaints hold up to Larian's games on tactician difficulty.
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What did you think of Torchlight? I'm a bit surprised it didn't make your list.
...well, then again, I haven't played anything you listed, so I can't compare.
I'm a very recent fan of loot games, and I only briefly tried Torchlight 1 as more of an academic exercise to see how the genre evolved over time. There was some special sauce that I observed starting around Borderlands 3 or Pre-Sequel (that I suspect originated in Diablo 3) around class design that was still absent from Torchlight. Other than that, I didn't form much of an opinion on it.
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I played it when it was in closed beta. And as a fan of Overwatch and previous LoL player, Deadlock was super fun to play. But combination of high mechanical requirement and knowledge requirement it is hard to enjoy the game as casual peopler. Thank god now there is light version of Deadlock as Overwatch Stadium.
I went back to OW stadium because of deadlock, but i was sick of it pretty soon. It's just not it for me. I think you can enjoy deadlock without being a good mechanical player, depending on the hero. The rough part is other people. Because of the moba part of it, people tend to get super angry. I never get angry because of video games, but even i can feel it. I'm not angry at other players, but it is frustrating to be in a team that is really bad, while the other team is really good. It happens a lot lately, and i never cared while i was learning, because it didn't really matter. Now that i'm better at the game, or pretty good even, you just have players in your or the other team that just started playing and you usually just don't win those. People get mad and it's a whole thing.
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Diablo IV, for me. I love the Diablo series and just a bit ago, I sank 2 hours down to get my necromancer character up and set in Diablo II Resurrection. I have Diablo III and its expansion too, but they're online only and I almost can't be bothered to go through that. I've beaten it a long time ago.
And I really do want to get Diablo IV, but they've made that online-only as well. Like, I know I'm always online and everything but I do like to have that fallback where if I am without internet or I can't afford internet for a time, I can play or watch things to bide the time over. I can't do that with online-only games because it's like being gated away from something you bought.
So everytime I look at Diablo IV, I just get a little depressed at times. Blizzard should do what D2R did, have an online character and have an offline character.
Any of the Civilization games. I used to spend 10+ hours on a single session! My ass can't handle more than 1-2 now
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Shadow of the Erdtree. It's never gone on sale. I know it's 40 bucks but ffs its been out for years and the base game goes on sale all the time.
By years, you mean, 2 years.
You can't just expect games to be on sale for deep discounts within 1 - 2 years or even 3 years of it being released. It sucks, I know, but that's how it is. You're forced to either wait 5 - 10 years or just make the jump to buy it as it is after some savings and when you're able to.
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Diablo IV, for me. I love the Diablo series and just a bit ago, I sank 2 hours down to get my necromancer character up and set in Diablo II Resurrection. I have Diablo III and its expansion too, but they're online only and I almost can't be bothered to go through that. I've beaten it a long time ago.
And I really do want to get Diablo IV, but they've made that online-only as well. Like, I know I'm always online and everything but I do like to have that fallback where if I am without internet or I can't afford internet for a time, I can play or watch things to bide the time over. I can't do that with online-only games because it's like being gated away from something you bought.
So everytime I look at Diablo IV, I just get a little depressed at times. Blizzard should do what D2R did, have an online character and have an offline character.
Cyberpunk 2077 - it still doesn't go on steep enough sales to justify buying when I have hundreds of unplayed games on Steam. But I'm keeping an eye on its downward progress. Maybe when it reaches £10-13...
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Clair obscur.
It looks so good, and the music is great, and story is apparently fantastic, but I just can not get the hang of the counter/block mechanic in combats, and without it the battles are pretty much impossible.
Clair Obscur for me too, but because of the AI art controversy. I can't stand AI, even if temporary, even if just store banners, I just can't trust the company from then on not to sneak it into other areas.
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Yeah, I'm sure there's some weird neurological explanation to my inability to enjoy that genre. I grew up playing Medal of Honor, Battlefield, and Counter Strike too, so it's not like lack of familiarity is an issue. I just never enjoyed it, and I think what I listed above are the main reasons, or at least my best guess.
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I really wish I could sit down and engage with the heavier stuff in my collection, but it comes to me with much difficulty.
Currently, as we speak, I’m playing SETI—kind of a slow-burn research builder where alien life gets discovered. It’s a lot of brain load though.
However, I know that I’m in a precarious spot. With the brain damage I’ve already sustained, if I’m not pushing my brain as hard as I can, it’ll start falling apart.
Don’t have strokes, kids.
I wish I could understand Stellaris.
Stellaris might be easier to grasp if you start with an earthbound Paradox game first like Victoria 3 or EU V. Not that they're simple, but being a familiar map definitely helps.
That being said, I'm not going to pretend that I fully understand any of those games lol
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Yes! At this point I wonder how much of the show has spoiled my eventual run through the game.
The first season of the show is pretty close to the first game... You might want to just skip to part 2 if you have limited time to play. It's the better game imo.
One of the best narrative gaming experiences I've ever had in my life, and I wish I could erase the memory and experience it again for the first time. Season 2 of the show is only the first half of the second game.
The Ghost of Tshushima/Yotei games are also great. And of course, Bloodborne.
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Ori and the Blind Forest, and other metroidvania/pseudo-soulslikes with pretty art and stories.
I just don’t have the patience to “git gud” anymore.
Ori isn’t bad. I’d not consider it “souls like” in the slightest.
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Cyberpunk 2077 - it still doesn't go on steep enough sales to justify buying when I have hundreds of unplayed games on Steam. But I'm keeping an eye on its downward progress. Maybe when it reaches £10-13...
Do yourself a favour and get the Ultimate Edition. Phantom Liberty is the only real reason to put yourself through it.
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Clair obscur.
It looks so good, and the music is great, and story is apparently fantastic, but I just can not get the hang of the counter/block mechanic in combats, and without it the battles are pretty much impossible.
I found it rough near the start, but it gets a lot easier as you go on, once you get more of a feel for when attacks are coming. Eventually you'll be dodging things you've never seen before just on instinct.
Dodges are a lot easier than parries, even if you don't get the extra AP from it. Fights last a bit longer, but you can definitely plough through most of it even with bad timing. Explore thoroughly in act 1, otherwise you'll probably be underlevelled for the last boss there. Not really any need to grind mindlessly, but you can if you really need the extra levels.
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Do yourself a favour and get the Ultimate Edition. Phantom Liberty is the only real reason to put yourself through it.
I played before phantom liberty and thought it was a neat enough game. Maybe I should give it another shot.
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Diablo IV, for me. I love the Diablo series and just a bit ago, I sank 2 hours down to get my necromancer character up and set in Diablo II Resurrection. I have Diablo III and its expansion too, but they're online only and I almost can't be bothered to go through that. I've beaten it a long time ago.
And I really do want to get Diablo IV, but they've made that online-only as well. Like, I know I'm always online and everything but I do like to have that fallback where if I am without internet or I can't afford internet for a time, I can play or watch things to bide the time over. I can't do that with online-only games because it's like being gated away from something you bought.
So everytime I look at Diablo IV, I just get a little depressed at times. Blizzard should do what D2R did, have an online character and have an offline character.
Alan Wake 2, I loved the 1st but I'm not using Epic's shitty store. Especially with Epic's general anti-linux stance.
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Anything on PS5. I bought one thinking I'd catch up on whatever I'd missed since the PS1 days. Heard that that mushroom zombie game was good. Never started it. I just sit at the desk and play another round of CS2 deathmatch.
Not quite the same dillema, but I have a similar issue. I have many singleplayer games I know I want to finish, but when I start my vegout state, it often defaults to a few known multiplayer games, even knowing I've had many sessions that leave me infuriated.
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Diablo IV, for me. I love the Diablo series and just a bit ago, I sank 2 hours down to get my necromancer character up and set in Diablo II Resurrection. I have Diablo III and its expansion too, but they're online only and I almost can't be bothered to go through that. I've beaten it a long time ago.
And I really do want to get Diablo IV, but they've made that online-only as well. Like, I know I'm always online and everything but I do like to have that fallback where if I am without internet or I can't afford internet for a time, I can play or watch things to bide the time over. I can't do that with online-only games because it's like being gated away from something you bought.
So everytime I look at Diablo IV, I just get a little depressed at times. Blizzard should do what D2R did, have an online character and have an offline character.
I love the story of Final Fantasy XIV, but it can easily categorize as "One of the most expensive singleplayer games of all time". On top of buying the expansions, you'll need to pay for each month you play; and unless someone's really speedrunning, that will start to add up. Worse, for a first timer setting up their account, their website and payment system is really stuck in 1998, making giving them money an obtuse task. And, while the story has its great moments and excellent side content, a depressing amount of it is extensive polite dialog with just simple quests where you move to a location and right-click on someone. I've finished Dawntrail, and am glad I experienced it, but I can't blame anyone who sees it all as beyond them.
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Clair obscur.
It looks so good, and the music is great, and story is apparently fantastic, but I just can not get the hang of the counter/block mechanic in combats, and without it the battles are pretty much impossible.
I haven't played since I beat it. But I did look into this after I did...
In general, every time the screen zooms in, you need to act. What type is something you learn, but that cuts down on the timing aspect There are also audio queues, like a sort of woosh effect. I don't play a lot of fast response games like this, so I never noticed until it was pointed out.
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Outer Wilds.
I very much want to play this game. It's everything I want from a detective puzzle game, but actually playing it gives me motion sickness.
My issue was, I did not feel the expected experience of "Each loop, you learn something new." It was more like, every 7 loops, I might get into the thing I was repeatedly trying to enter; and then it might just be a bunch of random ancient messages that don't teach me anything. On top of that, I really hated the ship controls, especially when they veer AWAY from the autopilot path to pull me directly into the sun. If the game had been remade without any physics system, and simple direct puzzle mechanics, I might've enjoyed it more.
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Shaun has a video essay on Stellar Blade. According to him, its very much "can I copy your homework" of Nier Automata, and some sekiro gameplay.
I have only played the the later 2. Nier Automata is something I will never forget, and (IMO) Sekiro is the best Fromsoft+Combat game. Highly recomend both of them
I stopped Nier Automata midway because it felt completely awful. Then I was sternly motivated by someone to give it a full go and finish it all the way, and it got EVEN WORSE.
Stellar Blade, though, made the gameplay very enjoyable; and its writing, while following a very similar theme, didn't feel nearly so excessively ultra-grimdark. It kept some core reveals for close to the end (I guess unless you were paying attention to what few audio logs amounted to more than just "They're coming...! Agh! We're all dead.") but I liked the dilemma it posed.
