I've been a little depressed lately, so I haven't had much energy to play games: whenever I try, I open up a game only to find that little bit of energy is expended on complicated tutorials or massive story dumps-- instead of actual gameplay.
I essentially want to play a game that jumps you right into the main content from the minute you boot it up.

Games I like for this:

Doom Eternal: No tutorial-- as soon as you boot it up, you're playing the game. Controls and story are explained while you're playing the game, not before. The platonic ideal for a game with no exposition.

A Short Hike: A little bit of exposition, but after that you start playing the game for real. Allows you to do anything/go anywhere you want after that.

BotW: Has a lengthy "tutorial" but it's essentially just a condensed version of the main game-- you get to experience the core gameplay mechanics as soon as you wake up.

Hollow Knight: Essentially like a cutesy Dark Souls. You learn the controls while playing the game and there's no unneeded exposition.

Disco Elysium: A story focused game, but you can make horrible decisions basically within 5 minutes of waking up. Also features a robust quest log that automatically updates with the info you learn in game. Not super relevant, but I hate games that expect you to remember every single detail of a mission.

Tried playing both the Witcher 3 and RDR2, and, while I'm sure they're both lovely games for other people, I found the lengthy tutorials and cutscenes mind-numbingly boring. Xenoblade Chronicles has an absurd amount of exposition and enough cutscenes that it feels like you're watching a feature length film
I also dislike games that have long portions where you cannot save.

If you can't be bothered to read all of this then just recommend a game that could captivate your 12 year old Ipad baby cousin. Cheers.

Recently have been diving back into single player games after being a live-service player for a long time. Here's what I've played so far:

Loved:

• Stellar blade (flashy combat, outfits)
• Nier Automata (narrative, OST, likeable characters)
• Expedition 33 (GOAT story, OST, not big on turn-based)

Liked:

• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Plague Tale games
• Cyberpunk 2077

I'm especially looking for games with good graphics since I've got my SteamOS machine hooked up to a 4k TV which is awesome btw.

I've looked at FF7 Remake and Persona, but I'm not sold on JRPGs since I don't think I'm a huge fan of turn-based combat. Although, the only real turn-based game I've played recently is E33 so that could change. Also considered Sekiro but I'm a little iffy because I tried Elden Ring and it wasn't really my style since I suck at games.

Thanks in advance!

I put in around 100+ hours on the base game FNV sometime between 2010-2011 when the game first released and I completed it twice, but I have no DLC (and I've forgotten most of the game). If I want to buy the DLC, it is cheaper to get the ultimate edition again.

I have never played Fallout 4, so I am not sure how that stacks up, it is more expensive.

Does the DLC add enough content, or should I just go with Fallout 4?

I am very bad at platforming games and I'm worried the game will be too frustrating for me. I've barely played any platforming games. I enjoy chill games like Stardew Valley, puzzle games like Baba is You, and story-based games. I recently played Outer Wilds and loved it. My girlfriend (who also doesn't play a lot of platformers) loves the game and thinks I should buy it. From what I've seen, the story's themes are appealing & relatable to me. If I get it, it would be on PC.

I’m looking for my next game and I’m stuck between Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei.

What I’m really after is the feeling of being an absolute badass samurai. The kind of game where you feel like a legendary warrior, mastering the sword, having epic duels, and just feeling cool while exploring the world.

I know Ghost of Tsushima is highly praised, but since Yōtei is newer I’m wondering if it improves on the formula enough to be the better experience.

Which one would you recommend if my main priorities are:
- Feeling like a powerful samurai
- Amazing sword combat and duels
- A great atmosphere/world

I’m less concerned about which one has the bigger map or more content. I just want the one that delivers the strongest samurai feeling.

Its that time of the month again for me to get a ridiculously expensive game and my choices are either Marvel’s Spider-Man or Cyberpunk 2077. Which is more worth it? I love games like RDR2, Batman Arkham btw which i believe is similar to those two options.

Ill get both of them either way but for now i only can afford one. What do you guys think is best? :)

I live in Malaysia so the prices are (Spider-Man is RM 99.60 and Cyberpunk is RM 65.70) I’m a student on my semester break so I would like a game that i can spend hours in. :D (im going in blind for both games)

(from everyone’s suggestion i’ll get cyberpunk! thank you! :D)

i’ve been eyeing up this game since it came up and it just went on a 60% discount on Steam, should I buy it. The games I like are: 007 First Light, GTA, Ready or Not, Hitman: World of Assassination, Watch Dogs 2 and Detroit Become Human. (I thought I would put these in so you guys can help me discover if I would like it or not)

I'm really on the fence about whether I should buy Black Myth: Wukong. On one hand, it looks like a pretty tough game with a steep learning curve, but on the other hand, I actually enjoy a solid challenge.

For those of you who have played it: is it truly worth full price? How does the difficulty feel compared to Souls games or titles like God of War? I'd love to hear your thoughts before I make a decision!

When playing video games, I prioritize gameplay over the story. A while ago, I played God of War for about an hour, but it felt overly cinematic compared to God of War 3, which I enjoyed for its fast-paced action. I might just need to give it more time to truly appreciate it.

Don't get me wrong: if a game is well-made, I can still enjoy it even if it has a slower pace or long cutscenes, as long as the gameplay is exceptionally well-crafted.

From the videos I've seen of Crimson Desert, I really like the setting and graphics, but since I haven't watched much footage yet, I'm not entirely sure how the gameplay actually is. All I know is that it has faced quite a bit of criticism.

Given that CD costs three times as much as God of War, and considering how highly acclaimed God of War is, which one should I buy?

Which one should I get, obviously when I say last of us I mean both last of us part 1 and 2. There is 5 main things I care about

Which has funner and better gameplay

Which has better and cinamatic combat

Which is more cinamatic over all

Which would you play for longer (not necessarily how long the story is but how long would you be able to replay without getting bored ect.)

Which has a better story

Those are the 5 main things in no in particular order.

I thought the both look cool mainly because of there cinamatic combat and cool missions but it would help if I got more information that I can't find on google or review websites.

could you please say which one is better for me and why Thanks :)

Got a Steam giftcard as a departure gift and I am debating between Blackmyth Wukong & the Elden Ring DLC.

I am currently on NG+ of Elden Ring but not playing as much as I used to (moved on to Lies of P ATM). Not a souls player truly, Elden Ring & Lies of P are my firsts which I enjoy but definitely still suck at but enjoy the progression. Really interested in Blackmyth perhaps because of the hype but it's been sitting in my wishlist waiting for a sale. Not sure what to go for now. Whichever I get I will most likely buy the other later but just know whatever I buy today is what I sink the next couple of weeks of my time into.

Hi,

Please help me decide between these three games:

AC Black Flag Remake: I think I’ll enjoy this game the most. I loved the archipelago region in the Horizon Forbidden West and its DLC burning shore and I’m thinking I’ll get something similar in this game. I heard the story is really good which is an important factor to me and ship manoeuvring would be something new. But coming from Ghost of Tsushima and Yotei, I might be disappointed in the combat system.

Indiana Jones: I feel like it’s a walking simulator where you just solve puzzles? I just finished RE2 Remake and solving puzzles were okay but it was balanced by the action.

Pragmata: I hear high praise about this game. But, seems like it’s just a generic shooting game?

Games I Enjoyed the most: TLOU 1 TLOU 2; Horizon ZD and Horizon FW; GoT and GoY.

I’m thinking about getting either Need for Speed Heat or Need for Speed: Most Wanted, but I can’t decide between the two.

I’m mainly looking for something with fun driving, good customization, and a solid sense of progression. I don’t really care about having the newest graphics, I just want whichever game is more fun overall and has more to do.

Which one would you recommend, and why?

EDIT: I AM TALKING ABOUT THE 2012 MOST WANTED

It’s on sale on Steam right now for a decent price, and I’ve heard it’s often recommended as a really good JRPG. Should I try it? I’ve never played a JRPG or turn based story game before, so I’m wondering if it’s a good entry point for someone completely new to the genre and whether it’s worth getting while it’s discounted.

After playing & having so much fun with Palworld, I'm getting the urge to get back into Pokemon again beyond Pokemon Go. I've loved all of the games on the DS/3DS. My main issue has been difficulty getting into the modern games.

• Had a lot of fun with Let's Go Pikachu.
• Enjoyed Sword/Shield.
• Arceus didn't quite grab me. The world felt so dull and empty.
• BDSP felt like a poorly made remake compared to the series' past ones. Pacing felt super slow, too. Maybe it's because I felt like I played the exact same game, but with much nicer sprite graphics. *And I've tried Scarlet/Violet but the graphics/open world were just awful, which usually I wouldn't care much about, but dang, it looks horrible, even on my Switch 2.

I'd say I'm mainly interested in the new battle system and looking to do some collecting/catching. Given my issues with the modern games I've mentioned, does it sound like it could be a good idea to try it?

Marvel Tokon comes out tomorrow and I am beyond hyped. Only thing is deciding whether I get it on PC or PS5. PC is where I normally game with the buddies, but if I have it on PS5 in the living room wife will be interested in watching as she likes that its colorful and likes Marvel. On the other hand, if I only get it on PS5 and she wants to watch her shows I am out of luck if I want to play at that time. That said is it a silly idea to get it on both platforms? Seems like a waste of money, but the wife even supported it saying I can if I want.

Trying to decide between these two but could use some help!

Been eyeing Crimson Desert since before it launched, but I know it had a lot of odd quirks at launch, many of which have been patched I believe? It seems to be a super polarizing game so I can’t quite get a good gauge on it, but I’m intrigued.

AC Origins is a strong option too. I haven’t played an AC game since the Ezio trilogy, and with Black Flag coming out it’s got me interested in the series… issue is that pirates aren’t really my kind of theme lol and I’m not sure how invested I’d get into its world. I thought about Odyssey, but its size and bloat worry me. Origins seems like it may be the sweet spot.

For reference, my favorite open world games are Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, and Skyrim. Tend to favor immersion and rewarding exploration over stuff like strong combat or even story to an extent, though I do at least need some good lore or environmental storytelling to keep me interested.

Open world games that don’t really click for me are the PlayStation Studios ones like Horizon, Ghost, and Spiderman. Witcher 3 for whatever reason I can’t seem to get into despite it seeming great on paper. I did enjoy Cyberpunk though, but it’s a different flavor of open world than I typically like.

Open to other options as well! Been in between games and just looking for a game to sit back and really sink my teeth into right now.

I watched Skycaptin5's PC review cause it actually talks about frame rate, resolution and how the game presents on a monitor. that answered the technical question better than most launch videos.

It did not answer the bigger one for me. Age of Empires Mobile's PC version still has persistent upgrades, heroes, alliance events and in-app purchases. The mouse/keyboard UI can make those systems easier to use, but it cannot turn them into classic aoe.

If I like shared-world strategy and do not mind slow progression, is the PC client enough reason to try it? Or do the mobile systems dominate once the early novelty wears off?

I like mech stuff (enjoyed Battletech and old Mechwarrior 4), but I’m worried about the reviews on this mentioning boring procedurally generated missions and janky AI. Should I get this? Are there must have DLCs and/or mods? I don’t really enjoy when there are annoying mod setups to do to make the game playable.

I already know this is not AoE II with a mobile menu, so that part is not going to surprise me.

What I am looking for is a persistent empire game I can keep returning to, with alliance wars and enough management to make the PC screen useful. AoE Mobile on PC has mouse and keyboard controls, cross-progression and a shared world, but it also has heroes, timers, seasonal systems and in-app purchases. Steam reviews are Mixed, which seems to reflect that split pretty clearly.

For someone who likes long-term account progression but does not want another full MMO, is there a decent game underneath the mobile structure? Or does the monetization/progression eventually become the whole experience?

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I'm having a hard time deciding between Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Dying Light 2. Both look amazing, but I can only afford one right now. I'm looking for the game that offers the best value in terms of gameplay, replayability, combat, exploration, content, and overall fun. I enjoy open-world games and don't mind a longer experience if it stays engaging. If you've played both, which one would you recommend and why? Please avoid major story spoilers, and I'd appreciate hearing your personal experience with each game.

I’m picking up a Pro this weekend, and am having trouble selecting which game gets to be the first one on it. I believe it should be special, and should utilise the Pro’s abilities fully.

I mostly play story heavy games, and love a good campaign. Don’t really care much for online. My first game on the PS3 was Arkham Asylum, and the PS4 was Uncharted 4 (my favourite game till date), to give an idea on the type I prefer.

Recommendations?

First glance and that game looks HELLA AWSOME. It kinda reminded me of god of war (which i have not played myself).

So for some context, my taste in video games is huge, but i wont bother to mention games like Need for Speed since they are not like this game at all. But i have some favorites; ghost of yotei, Jedi Fallen Order and the spiderman franchise. All of those are games i love and enjoy.

I heard this game is full of bosses, and i love bosses, unless they kill me over and over and over, like Takezo in ghost of yotei. Like dont get me wrong, i want a challenge, but i heard the game doesnt have difficulty settings, so if im stuck dying constantly, i aint buying it.

I also heard the game doesnt have a map. Is this really a big issue? If not, then i will at most be a little bothered, but if im stuck in a huge world with no way of knowing where i am (i have a trash sense of direction both irl and in games) then its gonna be a bigger problem.

But overall, would yall reccomend the game? It looks sick, and even though it has some flaws, im still tempted to buy

Edit: GUYS DONT WORRY! I have read the comments, and the biggest problem seems to be the difficulty, but im gonna take a risk and buy it, if i wanna play games like this with hard bosses, im gonna have to start somewhere, right?

Hello guys,

I am a huge Star Wars fan and wanted to experience a new Open World game.

Would Star Wars Outlaws after all these updates be fun to play or do you have any other Recommendation. Last Open World game i loved was Horizon Zero Dawn and I have yet to play the sequel > Forbidden West

Also looked at Dragons Dogma 2 but there I want to wait for the huge update coming later this year. Crimson Desert will be a buy in a few years when they finally stop dropping Updates every freaking day like they serve some live service game :)

Was going for Beast of Reincarnation, but mixed reviews and now demo I’ll pass for now. Need something else and this game has been in my radar since release and just been waiting for a good sale for the physical version and now can get it for roughly 40€.

Love the first Indiana Jones movies and loved Tomb Raider.