Note: English isn't my first language, so I used AI to translate this post. I apologize if any wording sounds unnatural.

My Gaming History and What I'm Looking for

Lately, I've been struggling to get into games. I'll launch a game, play for a little while, and then close it. My interests keep jumping from one thing to another, and I often end up lying in bed scrolling through my phone instead of actually playing anything. I used to be able to immerse myself in games for hundreds or even thousands of hours, so I don't really understand what has changed.

I'm looking for a game that I can genuinely get absorbed in again, improve at through practice, and keep playing for a long time. Mods are a big plus, but I also want something I can enjoy without spending hours setting everything up.

### My gaming history

### Titanfall 2 — 2,000+ hours

This was by far my most-played game on PS4. I completed the campaign five times, working my way up from Easy to Master difficulty, earned every trophy, and thoroughly enjoyed the multiplayer. I leveled up my favorite weapons and Titans to their maximum levels, and eventually felt that I had accomplished everything I wanted to.

I gradually stopped playing as the player population declined. My PS4 broke in 2021. I had it repaired once, but it broke again, and I eventually lost access to the console.

After getting a gaming PC in 2022, I tried Titanfall 2 on PC as well. However, I found it much harder to control my character in 3D space with a keyboard and mouse than I had expected, and I struggled to get kills. The declining player population was also still an issue.

Titanfall 2 remains the game I've spent the most time playing, and it was the only sci-fi FPS I really got into.

### No Man's Sky — around 700 hours

I spent a lot of time optimizing my modules and playing Expeditions. However, I stopped playing after the major inventory system and UI changes in version 4.0. I couldn't get used to the changes and gradually lost interest.

### Elden Ring — around 300 hours

I played through the game three times and enjoyed it a lot. My character eventually reached a level in the 300s.

### VRChat — 1,000+ hours

This became my most-played game on PC, although most of that time was spent hanging out with friends from Discord. It isn't really a game in the traditional sense, but it was something I could spend a lot of time in.

Nowadays, those friends are no longer around, and I have little motivation to play by myself. My VR headset also feels cumbersome to wear, so I barely play VRChat anymore.

### Limbus Company — 500+ hours

I played through Chapter 9.5. I enjoyed the story, but it became emotionally heavy and sometimes difficult to understand. The combat system was complicated, and the daily and weekly tasks eventually started feeling like chores.

I've only played sporadically since around August of last year. When my friends encourage me to catch up, I sometimes feel even less inclined to play because I know how much time and effort it would take.

### Easy Red 2 — around 300 hours

I really enjoyed this game, particularly its destructible buildings, something I feel Battlefield has lost. The large number of mods and Workshop campaigns also gave me plenty of content to explore.

Eventually, however, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the AI, graphics, sound effects, and voice acting. I also began to realize how repetitive the gameplay loop was.

I've recently installed some mods again, but I'm still not sure when I'll actually get around to playing it.

### Ready or Not

I started playing during Early Access and enjoyed it a lot. However, I eventually became uncomfortable with Void Interactive's changing development approach and the direction the game was taking. The fact that mods remained broken for a long time also contributed to my decision to stop playing.

### Ground Branch

I stopped playing because development was far too slow, and the 1.0 release was terrible.

### Armored Core 6

I stopped playing after it seemed that the updates and DLC had come to an end. I haven't really had a reason to return to it since then.

### Automobilista 2

I enjoyed this game, but after version 1.69, the driving feel seemed different. It might have been something related to my own setup, but I wasn't sure.

I also became dissatisfied with the sound, the AI's physics, and the fact that AI cars didn't seem to take damage when they collided with things. These details made the experience feel wrong to me, so I stopped playing, although I still support Reiza Studios.

### VTOL VR

I really enjoyed this game, but the weight of the VR headset became an issue. Version 1.13 also broke my mods.

I appreciate the developers continuing to update the game, though. My problem isn't that I don't want the game to improve; it's that keeping my setup working becomes a hassle whenever an update breaks things.

### Blade & Sorcery

This was another game I used to be really into. However, updates kept breaking mods, the game became flooded with low-quality AI-generated mods, and setting up and maintaining my mod list became too much of a hassle.

Eventually, I also lost interest in the gameplay loop itself.

### Cyberpunk 2077

This is a classic example of a game I keep telling myself is definitely great and that I really should play. I genuinely believe it's an excellent game, but somehow I still haven't been able to get into it properly.

### Other FPS games

Arma: I gave up because of the mods and complicated controls. There was too much to configure and learn before I could actually enjoy playing.

Operator: I enjoyed it quite a lot despite its rough edges. However, the battles were relatively small-scale, and I eventually exhausted the available content.

Insurgency: Sandstorm: I think the balance is good, and the sound is excellent. However, although I mainly wanted to play PvE, the experience felt like it was missing something. It wasn't quite what I was looking for.

Ground Branch: In addition to its painfully slow development and disappointing 1.0 release, I eventually lost interest in waiting for the game to become what I had hoped it would be.

I've also played games such as Verdun and Tannenberg on console. I loved their atmosphere, immersion, and the way they presented battle results.

### Flight simulators and vehicle-based games

I own a HOTAS setup, but I've struggled to get into several flight simulators because of their complexity.

X-Plane and Falcon 4.0: I found both too complicated to get into. I spent so much time choosing and configuring key bindings that it became difficult to get to the point where I could actually enjoy flying.

Nuclear Option: I tried it briefly and enjoyed some aspects of it, but I ran into compatibility issues between my HOTAS setup and HidHide. I also wasn't particularly fond of the aircraft designs.

IL-2 1946: I appreciated its old-school charm, but the sheer number of different mods made the experience difficult to manage.

VTOL VR: As mentioned above, I enjoyed the direct, hands-on cockpit interaction, but the weight of the headset and mods breaking after updates eventually became obstacles.

Automobilista 2: I enjoyed driving, but changes in driving feel, sound, and AI behavior eventually put me off.

### What I'm looking for

I prefer single-player PvE experiences. I want to feel that my own mechanical skill and handling are improving through practice, rather than relying primarily on character levels, stats, or increasingly powerful builds.

I want to feel like I have a reason to be in the game world and that I'm directly controlling my character or vehicle. First-person games are my preference, although third-person games are fine. I generally dislike top-down and isometric perspectives.

I'm interested in games that let me develop meaningful skills through combat, vehicle handling, or piloting. I want to be able to look back after dozens or hundreds of hours and feel that I've genuinely become better at the game.

I dislike base-building, puzzle-focused games, and sandbox games in general. I also don't want a game that requires an overwhelming amount of configuration before I can start playing.

Mods are a major factor in my enjoyment, but they can also become a problem. Too many options can leave me paralyzed by choice, while too few can leave me disappointed by the lack of content or customization. Having to constantly fix mods after updates is another major frustration.

I'm also quite particular about the quality of a game. Poor AI, graphics, sound design, physics, gameplay design, UI changes, questionable development decisions, and broken mods can all eventually ruin my enjoyment, even if I initially loved the game.

I'm not necessarily looking for the most popular games or the games with the highest ratings. I want to find something that genuinely fits my tastes and gives me a reason to keep coming back.

Ideally, I'd like to find a game that I can immerse myself in for a long time, steadily improve at, and enjoy without constantly fighting the game's technical issues, configuration, or development decisions.

How many of you are still playing it?

bro some game trailers make the game look like the greatest thing to ever exist

then you download it, play for 2 hours and realise the trailer was basically the entire experience.
I've started checking Reddit before getting into a new game. Not just reviews, but what people are daying after they've actually put some hours into it.

couple of things that seem to help:
- Search the game's name with “after 20 hours” or “is it still worth it”
- Check the complaints, because every game's fanbase will tell you it's a masterpiece
- Look at recent updates. A review from 2 years ago might be completely useless now.
- Watch actual gameplay instead of a trailer with cinematic shots every 3 seconds.
The funniest part is when you find a thread from someone explaining exactly why the game gets boring
halfway through. Saves you hours of finding out yourself lmao.
But I'm curious, do you guys actually research a game before buying it or just see a cool trailer and say
“yeah, this is the one”?

I was wondering if there's anyone here that can kinda tell me what are the pros and cons of Deadlock. It seems like an interesting game, but I'm not a huge fan of any kind of pvp game. I will admit it's mostly because I have horrendous reaction speed. I tend to play tanks or supports in these kinds of games to make up for my lack of skill.

I have played both mobas and hero shooters before, and found them fun enough sometimes when playing with friends. However, I don't know if I'm ready for something that is both a moba and a hero shooter. Idk if playing it is that hard, how's the community, the builds and all that.

i'm looking for a game with a female protagonist who actually feels like a real person, not just a character you're supposed to think is cool or attractive

i love characters with flaws, complicated relationships, good character development and a story that makes you genuinely care about what happens to them. romance is a plus but definitely not a requirement

i play on pc and i'm open to pretty much any genre, including indie games. i'd especially love recommendations that aren't just the same 3 popular games everyone always mentions

what game made you genuinely attached to its female protagonist? and what did you love about her?

sooo I've never really had a pc or anything like that which can really game or anything, so tbh I've not experienced the peakness of pc games at all yet

I've been tryna play emulated games like resident evil earlier games and silent hill earlier games on my mobile but that's it.

so i js plan to write down the list of games I plan to play after i get a new laptop which will obviously be a gaming laptop

so far, I've had a list like

the latest resident evil games

persona 3 reload

but that's kinda it for now

i really need a list, i love story mode games a lot so something like that maybe

please help if you can, any suggestion is appreciated

thankyou

I have been a console player all my life. I’d consider myself decently okay at games but I have NEVER touched KbM. Recently, with a lot of hype around deadlock I’ve been debating getting one. Watching deadlock it definitely demands a lot of movement plus abilities and stuff so it seems like a hard mantle. I was wondering if there are any other games I could be recommended to play to get better at using KbM.

because I never could.

She has not played many games; only played around with the steamdeck for under a year- but very few games. Here is what she describes to me as her perfect game. We are looking for suggestions because this genre is out of my ball park

Needs to...

• Be a cutesy-type game
• Have an exploration aspect
• Have a building aspect "similar to Sims or Animal Crossing"
• Have no time-related stress (for example, the energy mechanics of Stardew Valley)
• Have a nice, modern look/graphics. E.g., Slime Rancher. Cannot be old and pixelated like Terraria - her words, NOT mine

So far she has tried the following games, but some seem to fall short.

• Slime rancher
• Dinkum
• Palia
• Heartopia - was good but got burnt out
• Dave diver - this one is "too stressful" lolol
• Cult of the lamb - not "too stressful" HUH?
• Balatro - fan favorite :-)

Thank you all in advance

Edit: Thank you everyone SO MUCH for the overwhelming amount of comments. We are gonna review the top voted comments and see what stands out. Sandrock is looking like a pretty good option

I really love games where you can farm and grind endlessly but also just enjoy the story! I love games like that. The only exception probably must be bird view games!

I just finished AC Black Flag resynced, and I thought it was great. I'm a fan of most of the AC games, but can't bring myself to play Shadows after hearing how horrible the story is....

I enjoy games with a solid story, lots of exploring to do in a visually impressive atmosphere, some type of home/base building is a plus, even if it is only as robust as the system for Great Inagua in black flag resynced.

Some of my favorite games in no particular order;

AC Black Flag resynced, Cyberpunk 2077, Skyrim, RDR2, AC origins, AC Odyssey, most of the the Far cry games, KCD2, Days Gone.

Games I'm heavily considering;

Ghost of Tsuishima, Ghost of Yotei, Witcher 3 ,AC shadows, Far cry 6.

Would love to hear any votes of confidence for any of the games I listed as considerations, or recommendations for something I may not have considered yet....thanks in advance!

Hi,

I’d love to hear which game reviewers people like and trust. I’ve found Gamerzakh’s lists of upcoming promising games great, been introduced to lots of games I ended up loving, but lists for my preferred genres don’t come around that often. I’m looking for someone who focuses mostly on indie games.

I love games like Strange Horticulture, Dredge, Cultist simulator (normally hate deck builders but that one’s an exception), Dishonoured (probably all time favourite), Inkblood (demo), Tainted Grail, Spirittea, Carimara, Stray, Grim Dawn. So it would be good if they are likely to pick out similar games.

Ty for reading.

any game where ur a murderer or just any person where you have a body and you can take it apart and dispose of it as the main mechanic?

So I played Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced and A2 when they came out, and I loved them so dearly. As such, I had always wanted to play Final Fantasy Tactics, but I didn't have a PSP or Playstation. When FFT - the Ivalice Chronicles got released last year, I was so pumped to finally be able to try this game that everyone was raving about. I finally got it and... it just didn't hit. Now, I'm not very far in (near the end of chapter 1, it seems), but I cannot get myself excited to play it. I am a person who loves fantasy and whimsy, and I feel like FFTA, with all the different races and jobs and world, really accomplished that. FFT's more... militaristic, war, doom and gloom feeling is not what I am looking for. I also tried to play the remake of Tactics Ogre when it came out, once again for its cult acclaim, but the setting was also hard for me to get into. I've played a number of isometric, turn-based TRPGs, from the Fire Emblem games to Wargroove to Wintermoor Tactics Club to Fell Seal to Disgaea, but FFTA is still my favorite. I guess the things I like are

• job systems
• fantasy setting, but not "realistic" kingdom clashing, politicking medieval fantasy
• unique characters (not super into just having a bunch of randomly generated mercs)
• more RPG less puzzle (I want to level up, get new skills, maybe even grind to get stronger)

Any thoughts?

I've played all the great story mode games on my pc and I'm looking to play the soulslike genre of games since I haven't tried that. I tried to play elden ring and Bloodborne but I can't even go through the first enemy hence finding it very difficult.

I wanna ease into this genre by finishing the easiest soulslike game and then leveling up by playing even harder games because that's how I played horror games.

So tell me a great easy soulslike game that I can start at.

Hello. I am looking for a free tactical shooter games for my PC to handle it at least at 60fps constantly... i have i5 8500, RX 580 8GB, SSD + HDD. I used to play Project Reality, so i am looking for that kind of game. Realistic, tactical, a lot of communication, and most important is that it is realistic. I am talking about weapons, movements, AAS.... also be free to suggest paid games too, excuse the title.

I am playing operation harsh doorstop, but it is somehow buggy.

so i played most drug dealing games and im really desprate to find more i really like that type of games so i hope yall can help here is the list of drug dealing games i played

1-drug dealer sim 1

2- drug dealer sim 2

3-schedule 1

4-cartel tycoon

5-pusher drug tycoon

6-trapper

7-deffinitly not fried chicken

8-drug lord tycoon

9-gta 5 with mods

10-gta chinatown

11-drugX

12-basement

13-weedcraft inc.

14-empire of sin

thats it i hope yall can help me find more

Just about to finish Ghost of Yotei after a while and i need to decide on what to play next. Maybe something with a darker vibe and cinematic immersion (e.g. assassin's creed, The witcher 3, ghost of tsushima)

Title.

For the past years, I've been spending a lot of time trying to get good at PVP games and it's finally taken it's toll. I'm trying to find a strictly non-PVP video game that I can sink a lot of time into. I really like tactical games and have sunk a lot of time into XCom. I'm currently playing Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave but it doesn't scratch that difficulty itch that I'm yearning for. I like the Star Wars IP, so I tried Zero Company, but it has the same problem.

No Soulsborne suggestions please. I don't know why, but I've gotten bored of Dark Souls/Elden Ring. The only game in this genre I've played to completion is Sekiro for some reason.

Any suggestions?

• RPGs with minimal quests or story, or at the very least not dialogue heavy, that contain plenty of secrets and customization options. The more builds the better, but a moderate amount is still alright. My concern is longevity through replay value(unlocks, secret outfits, secret bosses, optional mod support, cool things to show you've beat certain things like trophies, etc).
  • For this I've played all the souls-games, including Elden Ring. Also Terraria, and modded MC
• Roguelites that have a boatload of unlocks to them, with the more satisfying and creative they are to grind the better.
  
  • Games that fit this are Streets of Rogue(which has honestly been my #1 lately), and Noita
• Level-based games that have tons of secret outfits and unlocks to hunt for. The more you're incentivized to "revisit" the better
  • Cruelty Squad, Hitman, Control

Games I tried but am not looking for:

• Baldur's Gate 3: Wasn't what I was looking for as it was way too dialogue heavy and the storage cost on my computer was utterly obscene
• Bethesda RPGs: I like them but you honestly can't get far without doing NPC quests. There are very little things like world bosses or artifacts to find outside through natural exploration, as a majority of the good stuff are tied to quests. You can't just roam the world, you have no choice but to engage in quests. Again, I still love Skyrim don't get me wrong, it's just not what I'm looking for ATM
• Kenshi/Grim Dawn: Found them cool, but honestly was not too big of a fan of the point and click movement style. I'm not sure why, I just didn't like it

my sister want to get into gaming she liked split fiction and it takes two and obv those two are top tier games but she wants to get into open world games that she can sink in its world and explore but dont want to feel overwhelmed

what do yall suggest? i thought of skyrim and oblivion but idk i feel like these 2 games gonna overwhelm her even tho i like bathesda what do yall suggest?

Looking for some games that make me feel some of the heavier emotions like dread, despair, hopelessness etc. without being too action heavy. Been playing too many games lately that, while fun, don’t get the emotions going and I’m a sucker for good writing. I’m on PC and PS5 if that helps.

[PC] Preferably open world/sandbox

Examples - Stalker GAMMA (at least, last time I played it), mech warrior 5, HBS battletech, (to a lesser extent) SP Tarkov

Stalker GAMMA: have to get lucky and find a weapon, find functioning parts, find stuff to clean/repair the parts, find the tools to put them together, then have to continuously find ammo and cleaning/repair equipment for it

SP Tarkov: I kinda played it like I did GAMMA - have to find weapons, find upgrades/parts for them, find ammo for them, keep them repaired, etc

MW5/BT: have to either get lucky with a shop, or fight a bunch of a specific mech (preferably without damaging it too much) and salvage them, find equipment to install on it, and then try to keep them from losing said equipment and/or having to find replacement equipment for them