Mizoguchi's comment about the simplified SF6 controls reminded me that there was a similar option on a GBA Street Fighter installment – though it wasn't supported on multiplayer Link matches, if I recall correctly. Made for some frustrating bouts as my brother and I repeatedly failed to produce any combos before the timer ran out and whoever had been hit by an accidental slap lost.
Oh that's a good point actually. I played it at launch but it felt very one-and-done once I'd finished it, was disappointed how little replay value there was to it. Been meaning to go back and check out the update. Thanks for the suggestion!
This is definitely something that I'm trying to come to terms with now. Skyrim was my "Forever home" so to speak but despite splashing out on the legendary edition earlier this year I've barely played it. It doesn't hook me like it used to and I find myself getting bored really quickly which actually makes me quite sad.
I do have a really bad case of open world fatigue at the moment though, I recently finished Horizon: Forbidden West and I was honestly glad for it to be over, its a wonderful world that Guerilla Games have created but I found myself audibly groaning whenever I saw a slew of new quests available in a settlement
To combat this I've spent the evening playing through the original modern warfare campaign, the narrow corridors and linear gameplay has actually felt really refreshing.
I'm not sure where to go next, I long for that feeling of leaving Vault 101 for the first time, spending hours roaming the wasteland in wonder.
Or climbing the wrecked train at the start of Uncharted 2 and being amazed by it all and excited for the adventure ahead.
Or maybe this feeling is just a byproduct of getting old and already experiencing the best moments.
Nothing else can compare to that sweet feeling of nostalgia.
The analogy that strikes me when faced with the abundance of choice on streaming services is Tinder. Let me qualify that I am married to my high school sweetheart and have zero experience with dating apps - but I lived vicariously through my brother before he settled down a few years ago.
My observation: the thrill offered by a seemingly endless array of options ends up acting in direct competition to the goal of "settling down" and being happy with your choice. How can you settle when there is always something newer, shinier, better over the horizon? And then you embark on a series of short-lived, empty relationships which are fun and diverting but don't really provide the fulfilment you felt previously.
Of course, this raises the question "Which streaming service is the equivalent of Grindr?"
Going back to Street Fighter 6 and the possible esports side of it, Wimbledon have recently revealed their plans to better engage people in tennis by using AI to collect stories on up and coming players, potential upsets, how players perform all year round etc. Think we could see something like this introduced to the FGC? I was lucky enough to have friends guide me through the big match ups like Tokido vs Punk, but I always found knowing the players and history a big barrier for entry.
I think that paradox of choice thing has applied since GabeN started stealing all our money a couple of pounds at a time with Steam sales. My steam library (over 400 games!) is bloated with nonsense that I've bought because I've had more money than sense, particularly if I smell a bargain (my mum taught me well in one sense at least).
When I first realised just how bad things had gotten (I had the "Installed" filter turned on for dear knows how long, probably out of shame 😅) I decided to take a year off buying any games and to make a start playing through some games. That got me belatedly through the Witcher series, and got me onto Borderlands finally as well. A year well spent and it's made me a lot more cautious about buying new games (I rarely get AAA titles anymore).
Obsession is probably an apt word for me because I do have an addictive personality, and I quit WoW because I realised it had long since stopped being home for me and I was more existing out of the obligation to do my dailies/farming, whereas a lot of the people who made it a home for me had since moved on. Oddly enough I've never found a game where I've jumped into its community (probably because I have enough of a social life outside of games to now whereas before WoW was the starting point for me building relationships), but I find myself switching off to relax via Hearthstone, Tetris Effect and Hades. I do also have the Arkham games still installed to do a dance of not-death in the challenge mode which I still find delightfully flow-inducing.
I can't remember how many years I had that 'installed' filter on and didn't think twice about my 'backlog'. As you say, a bargain is a bargain after all :P
I'm a lot more disciplined now. It just seems wasteful to buy and own games that I'll never realistically have the time to play. My general roll is to think 'will I have time to play this in the next 3 months'. If the answer is no, then I won't hit purchase.
Side note: I remember reading a Tim Urban piece on Wait But Why about choosing really carefully the books you're going to read, because you're going to read less than you think before time's up!
Damn I know what you mean. I thought Sniper Elite 5 might be a good home for a while but after finishing the campaign the replays of the levels felt a bit hollow. I'd done all the fun stuff the first time through.
If anything is my home right now -- other than Hades again, somehow -- it would be Fights In Tight Spaces. A great blend of turn-based and cards with a strangely addictive daily challenge that I genuinely look forward to having a crack at once the kids are asleep.
Love this Nathan! Yeah basically I've found myself acquiring old consoles - from an PS1 to a Gamecube, and everything between! Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and nothing emotionally hits the spot like games did when I was 10-25 years old haha! I now totally see why my dear old late grandmother was never really interested in upgrading her old style furniture, TV, or learning how to use an iPhone - many of us are just comfortable with 'our' era!
On a similar note I've been trying out some emulators, with the intent to introduce my 6 year old to some classics from the Dreamcast and GameCube. It's a far cry from the last time i tried emulation, too - it's always had a reputation for being 90% config tweaking and 10% actually playing games, but between friendlier software and a reasonable PC, must of the stuff I've tried has been running great at default settings.
It's deeply weird playing Wind Waker with an Xbox pad, though.
haha, amazing!! Yes, about a month and a half ago a good friend of mine introduced me to retroarch. I got so into it that I ended up trading in my PS5 in for several older gen consoles - and I haven't looked back. Playing through some early 2000's coop Star Wars games with my 9 year old has just been so wonderful!
Part of the reason I love hosting a gaming podcast is that it forces me to play something new on a regular basis, reflect on it, and move on. I'm not sure I could ever settle on a gaming 'home' now like I did for Wow or Halo back in the day. Although as a 13 year old that was less of an active choice than it was wonderment at such a vast and engaging online experience. There's a small part of me which is interested to find a game which is so engrossing as to hold my attention indefinitely, but my adult experience tells me that this is a chimera fed by childhood nostalgia.
That said, my dad used to play a game of Cossacks for 2-4 hours every day for the last five years of his life (and for the five years before that it was Red Alert). When I tried to tempt him away with other games, he just used to say 'I think you misunderstand why I'm playing this game'. Perhaps I'll have a different view when I'm old and grey!
I can highly recommend giving Escape From Tarkov a whirl if you're up for a brutal, cliff like learning curve followed by possibly the most exhilarating, terrifying yet utterly rewarding fps out there, with the added bonus of l00t! It's made all other fps redundant for me now and the secret sauce is you never, ever know how a raid/map is going to play out. I'm still highly rubbish at it but the potential is endless.
I always feel a pang of regret when I "finish" a game. Whether that is because I have beaten it or because I simply decide my time with it has runs it's course. I then enter a period of almost anxiety as I search for another game, one that will provide, as you say, a home or a comforting embrace.
I agree that "obsession" is the wrong word but it is close. The sentiment of having a game that is engaging enough to occupy my thoughts even when not playing it is a high I feel I am constantly chasing. When I look through my Steam most played games I find it breaks down into multiplayer games with friends (Divinity Original Sin, PUBG for a time, couch party games from the days pre covid and children), survival/sandbox games (Oxygen Not Included, Rimworld), strategy and RPGs (Total Warhammer, Civ) and a smattering of roguelikes.
I've tried utilizing the Steam discovery queue and searching for games with tags or "similar to x game you've played" recommendations but for whatever reason despite their efforts I never seem to uncover a hidden gem through these methods. The games that stick with me almost always are a result of some review or preview coverage I read elsewhere.
My other complaint is that for reasons I don't truly understand I feel my wishlist is always overburdened with Early Access games, and while I appreciate that Early Access exists, I still prefer to only play games on release.
For mepath of exile is that game. It does a great job balancing relatively simple flow-statey gameplay with very deep systems u can think about on the train home from work.
I agree and I was going to say a similar thing. The games I've made home have usually come about by what's gone on in my head before I've bought it, and yes I can't think of a single game on a subscription service or for free which I've loved. It's been about previews, tiny snippets of information, a new screenshot, someone I respect saying something about it, and turning that all over in my head.
The latest game I found a home in was Dungeon Encounters. Two big reasons, Sam Barlow mentioned it positively in passing in his Edge column and this damning review from Metacritic:
"This is the most boring and uninteresting game I've ever played!
I have no words to describe how dull and empty this game is."
That compared with Sam Barlow's comment told me there was something special going on.
I should of course have mentioned reviews in my list of influencing factors above. Often the final decision pointer for me. I think you are in an unusual position with your profession though, I'm not sure I could handle another layer of meta reasons to like or dislike a game which that would bring me.
I'm curious, do you mean games you've discovered thanks to a subscriptions services vs. those other means? As for me there's plenty of games I've got through subscriptions I've loved. Tunic is an absolute delight that's available on Game Pass. Whilst it won't be for everyone, Guardians of the Galaxy is a great time and a great crew to hang out with for the duration of the story. Then when you add on things like Forza Horizon 5 which is just amazing fun, there's plenty to be loved from just Game Pass, let alone things I've tried thanks to PS+, Apple Arcade and the like.
For me, it's never been about not having anything to play. I certainly find that I might not be in the mood for certain things, but I have a backlog a mile long so there is so much I want to play I have to sort of ignore that when picking a game or I'd never pick anything.
Personally for me I've found that games I've tried on subscription service have been tainted by the fact they are on a subscription service. Tunic I installed from a free month of Game Pass but then avoided starting it as I felt it deserved my attention without that taint. This is very much personal thing though, an example of how factors external from the game affect how much I can enjoy a game.
Huh, interesting. For me I don't care how I get access to a game, if I have access to play and it's good that's it really. I've really been enjoying Game Pass as it's allowed me to play things I might not have paid for, and to then spend my money on other games. I can't really relate to this, but it's interesting that you feel it taints the games.
All I'd say is definitely play Tunic if it appeals. Really loved that experience.
Mizoguchi's comment about the simplified SF6 controls reminded me that there was a similar option on a GBA Street Fighter installment – though it wasn't supported on multiplayer Link matches, if I recall correctly. Made for some frustrating bouts as my brother and I repeatedly failed to produce any combos before the timer ran out and whoever had been hit by an accidental slap lost.
I realise you’ve probably played Returnal, but I can’t recommend it enough. Especially the Tower of Ascension update, the world building is sublime.
Oh that's a good point actually. I played it at launch but it felt very one-and-done once I'd finished it, was disappointed how little replay value there was to it. Been meaning to go back and check out the update. Thanks for the suggestion!
This is definitely something that I'm trying to come to terms with now. Skyrim was my "Forever home" so to speak but despite splashing out on the legendary edition earlier this year I've barely played it. It doesn't hook me like it used to and I find myself getting bored really quickly which actually makes me quite sad.
I do have a really bad case of open world fatigue at the moment though, I recently finished Horizon: Forbidden West and I was honestly glad for it to be over, its a wonderful world that Guerilla Games have created but I found myself audibly groaning whenever I saw a slew of new quests available in a settlement
To combat this I've spent the evening playing through the original modern warfare campaign, the narrow corridors and linear gameplay has actually felt really refreshing.
I'm not sure where to go next, I long for that feeling of leaving Vault 101 for the first time, spending hours roaming the wasteland in wonder.
Or climbing the wrecked train at the start of Uncharted 2 and being amazed by it all and excited for the adventure ahead.
Or maybe this feeling is just a byproduct of getting old and already experiencing the best moments.
Nothing else can compare to that sweet feeling of nostalgia.
The analogy that strikes me when faced with the abundance of choice on streaming services is Tinder. Let me qualify that I am married to my high school sweetheart and have zero experience with dating apps - but I lived vicariously through my brother before he settled down a few years ago.
My observation: the thrill offered by a seemingly endless array of options ends up acting in direct competition to the goal of "settling down" and being happy with your choice. How can you settle when there is always something newer, shinier, better over the horizon? And then you embark on a series of short-lived, empty relationships which are fun and diverting but don't really provide the fulfilment you felt previously.
Of course, this raises the question "Which streaming service is the equivalent of Grindr?"
Going back to Street Fighter 6 and the possible esports side of it, Wimbledon have recently revealed their plans to better engage people in tennis by using AI to collect stories on up and coming players, potential upsets, how players perform all year round etc. Think we could see something like this introduced to the FGC? I was lucky enough to have friends guide me through the big match ups like Tokido vs Punk, but I always found knowing the players and history a big barrier for entry.
You can read the Guardian's coverage on it here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jun/21/wimbledon-big-data-fan-experience-tennis
I think that paradox of choice thing has applied since GabeN started stealing all our money a couple of pounds at a time with Steam sales. My steam library (over 400 games!) is bloated with nonsense that I've bought because I've had more money than sense, particularly if I smell a bargain (my mum taught me well in one sense at least).
When I first realised just how bad things had gotten (I had the "Installed" filter turned on for dear knows how long, probably out of shame 😅) I decided to take a year off buying any games and to make a start playing through some games. That got me belatedly through the Witcher series, and got me onto Borderlands finally as well. A year well spent and it's made me a lot more cautious about buying new games (I rarely get AAA titles anymore).
Obsession is probably an apt word for me because I do have an addictive personality, and I quit WoW because I realised it had long since stopped being home for me and I was more existing out of the obligation to do my dailies/farming, whereas a lot of the people who made it a home for me had since moved on. Oddly enough I've never found a game where I've jumped into its community (probably because I have enough of a social life outside of games to now whereas before WoW was the starting point for me building relationships), but I find myself switching off to relax via Hearthstone, Tetris Effect and Hades. I do also have the Arkham games still installed to do a dance of not-death in the challenge mode which I still find delightfully flow-inducing.
I can't remember how many years I had that 'installed' filter on and didn't think twice about my 'backlog'. As you say, a bargain is a bargain after all :P
I'm a lot more disciplined now. It just seems wasteful to buy and own games that I'll never realistically have the time to play. My general roll is to think 'will I have time to play this in the next 3 months'. If the answer is no, then I won't hit purchase.
Side note: I remember reading a Tim Urban piece on Wait But Why about choosing really carefully the books you're going to read, because you're going to read less than you think before time's up!
Damn I know what you mean. I thought Sniper Elite 5 might be a good home for a while but after finishing the campaign the replays of the levels felt a bit hollow. I'd done all the fun stuff the first time through.
If anything is my home right now -- other than Hades again, somehow -- it would be Fights In Tight Spaces. A great blend of turn-based and cards with a strangely addictive daily challenge that I genuinely look forward to having a crack at once the kids are asleep.
Love this Nathan! Yeah basically I've found myself acquiring old consoles - from an PS1 to a Gamecube, and everything between! Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and nothing emotionally hits the spot like games did when I was 10-25 years old haha! I now totally see why my dear old late grandmother was never really interested in upgrading her old style furniture, TV, or learning how to use an iPhone - many of us are just comfortable with 'our' era!
On a similar note I've been trying out some emulators, with the intent to introduce my 6 year old to some classics from the Dreamcast and GameCube. It's a far cry from the last time i tried emulation, too - it's always had a reputation for being 90% config tweaking and 10% actually playing games, but between friendlier software and a reasonable PC, must of the stuff I've tried has been running great at default settings.
It's deeply weird playing Wind Waker with an Xbox pad, though.
haha, amazing!! Yes, about a month and a half ago a good friend of mine introduced me to retroarch. I got so into it that I ended up trading in my PS5 in for several older gen consoles - and I haven't looked back. Playing through some early 2000's coop Star Wars games with my 9 year old has just been so wonderful!
I'm torn on this one.
Part of the reason I love hosting a gaming podcast is that it forces me to play something new on a regular basis, reflect on it, and move on. I'm not sure I could ever settle on a gaming 'home' now like I did for Wow or Halo back in the day. Although as a 13 year old that was less of an active choice than it was wonderment at such a vast and engaging online experience. There's a small part of me which is interested to find a game which is so engrossing as to hold my attention indefinitely, but my adult experience tells me that this is a chimera fed by childhood nostalgia.
That said, my dad used to play a game of Cossacks for 2-4 hours every day for the last five years of his life (and for the five years before that it was Red Alert). When I tried to tempt him away with other games, he just used to say 'I think you misunderstand why I'm playing this game'. Perhaps I'll have a different view when I'm old and grey!
I can highly recommend giving Escape From Tarkov a whirl if you're up for a brutal, cliff like learning curve followed by possibly the most exhilarating, terrifying yet utterly rewarding fps out there, with the added bonus of l00t! It's made all other fps redundant for me now and the secret sauce is you never, ever know how a raid/map is going to play out. I'm still highly rubbish at it but the potential is endless.
I always feel a pang of regret when I "finish" a game. Whether that is because I have beaten it or because I simply decide my time with it has runs it's course. I then enter a period of almost anxiety as I search for another game, one that will provide, as you say, a home or a comforting embrace.
I agree that "obsession" is the wrong word but it is close. The sentiment of having a game that is engaging enough to occupy my thoughts even when not playing it is a high I feel I am constantly chasing. When I look through my Steam most played games I find it breaks down into multiplayer games with friends (Divinity Original Sin, PUBG for a time, couch party games from the days pre covid and children), survival/sandbox games (Oxygen Not Included, Rimworld), strategy and RPGs (Total Warhammer, Civ) and a smattering of roguelikes.
I've tried utilizing the Steam discovery queue and searching for games with tags or "similar to x game you've played" recommendations but for whatever reason despite their efforts I never seem to uncover a hidden gem through these methods. The games that stick with me almost always are a result of some review or preview coverage I read elsewhere.
My other complaint is that for reasons I don't truly understand I feel my wishlist is always overburdened with Early Access games, and while I appreciate that Early Access exists, I still prefer to only play games on release.
For mepath of exile is that game. It does a great job balancing relatively simple flow-statey gameplay with very deep systems u can think about on the train home from work.
Yes, it did occur to me earlier that 10-year-old me would probably want to slug me in the face reading all that.
I agree and I was going to say a similar thing. The games I've made home have usually come about by what's gone on in my head before I've bought it, and yes I can't think of a single game on a subscription service or for free which I've loved. It's been about previews, tiny snippets of information, a new screenshot, someone I respect saying something about it, and turning that all over in my head.
The latest game I found a home in was Dungeon Encounters. Two big reasons, Sam Barlow mentioned it positively in passing in his Edge column and this damning review from Metacritic:
"This is the most boring and uninteresting game I've ever played!
I have no words to describe how dull and empty this game is."
That compared with Sam Barlow's comment told me there was something special going on.
Oh that's a good shout, thank you. On the list it goes!
I should of course have mentioned reviews in my list of influencing factors above. Often the final decision pointer for me. I think you are in an unusual position with your profession though, I'm not sure I could handle another layer of meta reasons to like or dislike a game which that would bring me.
I'm curious, do you mean games you've discovered thanks to a subscriptions services vs. those other means? As for me there's plenty of games I've got through subscriptions I've loved. Tunic is an absolute delight that's available on Game Pass. Whilst it won't be for everyone, Guardians of the Galaxy is a great time and a great crew to hang out with for the duration of the story. Then when you add on things like Forza Horizon 5 which is just amazing fun, there's plenty to be loved from just Game Pass, let alone things I've tried thanks to PS+, Apple Arcade and the like.
For me, it's never been about not having anything to play. I certainly find that I might not be in the mood for certain things, but I have a backlog a mile long so there is so much I want to play I have to sort of ignore that when picking a game or I'd never pick anything.
Personally for me I've found that games I've tried on subscription service have been tainted by the fact they are on a subscription service. Tunic I installed from a free month of Game Pass but then avoided starting it as I felt it deserved my attention without that taint. This is very much personal thing though, an example of how factors external from the game affect how much I can enjoy a game.
Huh, interesting. For me I don't care how I get access to a game, if I have access to play and it's good that's it really. I've really been enjoying Game Pass as it's allowed me to play things I might not have paid for, and to then spend my money on other games. I can't really relate to this, but it's interesting that you feel it taints the games.
All I'd say is definitely play Tunic if it appeals. Really loved that experience.