Probably why Lethal Company, a game made by one person with little experience, is the 9th highest selling game on Steam.

I hope this happens more often and AAA studios realize they can also make small experimental games with small budgets and few staff. They don't need to spend 10 years doing nothing but work on their next monolithic title. Give some passionate staffers a chance with their unique idea and release smaller games along the way.

And the only options for mobile games nowadays are gachas! Rip gaming

This meme is giving "I have only played Ubisoft/ea/actizard titles for the past 4 years" and I mean do whatever you want but it seems silly to complain about games you continue to buy no?

I loved Pokemon, but it hasn't really changed in like 20 years. I'll play some romhacks, maybe I'll "try out" a newer pokemon game, but I haven't bought one since like omega ruby/alpha sapphire. The point I'm making is if we stop buying repetitive garbage, we can bring the small devs up and let them determine the course of game design moving forward.

Or I mean you can just.... Keep playing assassin's creed: (insert vague cultural name here) I guess

The industry at large has gone to shit, but there are positives. Game dev tools are more accessible now than they've ever been. The indie market is thriving and has recently produced games that are some of the most creative and interesting I've ever seen

It's pretty sad that I can't tell if this list was made yesterday or four years ago. If people are able to have fun despite a stagnant industry, all power to them, but I haven't seen a good game out of AAA in a long while.

I really hope one day business schools will start teaching people that trying to blindly follow trends in art has literally never worked. Hasn't worked for all the film studios trying to make their own cinematic universes, hasn't worked for game studios trying to chase the new live service dragon, but still we get braindead suits getting senior level positions approving derivative drivel.

It's not great! 2023 games that I have really enjoyed this past year have been Tears of the Kingdom, Cassette Beasts, and Hi-Fi Rush.

If this is turning into an indie/AA game recommendation thread, I highly recommend RAILGRADE. I bought it Sunday night and put in 13 hours between that and the next day and I'm only like 1/4 of the way through the campaign.

It's basically like Satisfactory meets Mini Metro and it's so goddamn addicting.

Some of these aren't universally bad. Not every protagonist needs an arc. Not every crafting system has to be complex or function differently than a store. Not every game needs a compelling political statement. These things could actually detract from the experience if poorly implemented.

Hype trains are always bogus and can be mostly avoided by never pre-ordering and waiting for reviews before purchasing. I was excited as hell for Doom Eternal, but I waited until a week after launch before buying it. Patience is the way to go for big budget entertainment. I don't seek out blockbusters until I see the reception, and I don't buy AAA single player games until I know what I'm getting.

Small budget stuff and things you want more of should be supported, but chasing hype just isn't wise. Don't expect the world from something that doesn't exist yet.

TBH I had a pretty good time since the CRPG-resurgence.

some of them are titties

Lies, not in the 2020s where tittes are illegal :P

ITT gamers melt down and act like rowdy children when other people have opinions about games

edit: guys guys guys Larian studios will be fine, you don't need to defend them or shame me into compliance because BG3 doesn't look enjoyable to me. Jesus christ you'd think I was trying to take the game away from everyone.

edit2: guys capcom isn't going to sleep with you because you bravely defended the literally 40th Street Fighter title against some rando's disinterest and failure to hail it as a great moment in gaming or something. sheesh.

I've never been into big A games. I'll pay them if they're highly reviewed and end up on sale, but I guess sim games are my thing. NFS underground me would never believe the driving sims I do with a sim rig and vr headset.

Simple solution, do not play triple AAA games. Find newer studios, indie devs, or smaller publishers who have yet to have private equity sink their teeth in to them.