Discussion The 2025 Game Thread: Big Stupid Games Edition

[GodisanAtheist]

I'm over nuance. I'm over finery.

I want big stupid games in 2025.

List 12 (12) (Twelve) (12) games you will at least install and play this year and then come back and let us know how it went.

Aliens vs Predator 2011(FPS)(Completed)
Dawn of War 3(RTS)(Completed)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided(Shock-Like)(Completed)
Halo: ODST (FPS)(Completed)
Prototype 2(Brawler)(Completed)
Rise of the Tomb Raider(TPS)(Completed)
Halo: Reach (FPS)(Completed)
Halo 4 (FPS)(Completed)
Darksiders 3 (Brawler)(Completed)
Half-Life 2 (FPS)(Replay)
Half-Life2: Episode 1(FPS)(Replay)
SoW: Blade of Galadriel (Brawler)(DLC)
XCom: Chimera Squad(TBS)(Completed)
Mad Max (Brawler)(Completed)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Brawler)(Completed)
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ARPG)(Completed)
Jedi Survivor (Souls-Like)(Completed)

Dead Space 3 (TPS)(Currently Playing)

Sunset Overdrive (TPS)(Paused)
Star Wars: Squadrons (Space Sim)(Paused)
Papers Please (Sim)(Paused)
STALKER SoC Enhanced (FPS) (Paused)
Grim Dawn (ARPG)(Paused)

Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen (ARPG)
Company of Heros (RTS)
Greedfall (RPG)
Control (TPS)
BattleFleet Gothic: Armada (RTS)

 

[Stg-Flame]

I don't know about 12 off the top of my head, but I'll just update this list as it goes on:

Elex 2 (installed it yesterday but it still counts)
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2
Dead Island 2
Dragon's Dogma 2
Baulder's Gate 3
Metro Exodus
Horizon Forbidden West
Stalker 2
Elden Ring (maybe)

That's about it for now. I've chosen way too many massive RPGs to be completed in a single year, so we'll see how far down that list I actually get.

 

[KMFJD]

Caves of QUD
Dwarf Fortress
POE2
Dyson Sphere Project
Baldurs Gate 3
Black Myth Wukong
RDR2

 

[EXCellR8]

I'll likely finish the story of STALKER 2 at some point this month or next. I may jump into Shadow of the Erdtree at some point if the DLC goes on sale, but considering I just finished Elden Ring this past summer I'm not in any rush to return to the game. I did a semi-completionist run that spanned months,but Nightreign might get me back into it. TBD.

There are some upcoming games I have on my radar, but other than those, I'd like to return to or check these out:

God of War (2018) - can't figure out why I stopped playing this, was doing a masochistic hard difficulty run and trying for platinum lolol
Dead Space (remake) - only a few hours in, loved the original
GTFO - due to jump back into this absolute gem
Lords of the Fallen (2023) - AA souls-like, not great but I've played everything else
Silent Hill 2 (remake) - better than we were thinking it'd be?
Days Gone (PC) - fired this up again recently after not playing the original on PS4 for years; didn't really click w me back then. runs way better on PC
Forza Motorsport (PC) - there isn't enough here to keep me interested week to week, but I play it as things get added. easy to jump into
Doom Eternal - didn't finish it yet, but I also didn't enjoy playing it as much as 2016's game
DUSK HD - indie horror title, like a love letter to classic FPS like Quake and Doom
System Shock (remake) - dunno where I left off on this, but did enjoy it

More details than anyone cares to read, but w/e

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I don't know about 12 off the top of my head, but I'll just update this list as it goes on:

Elex 2 (installed it yesterday but it still counts)
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2
Dead Island 2
Dragon's Dogma 2
Baulder's Gate 3
Metro Exodus
Horizon Forbidden West
Stalker 2
Elden Ring (maybe)

That's about it for now. I've chosen way too many massive RPGs to be completed in a single year, so we'll see how far down that list I actually get.

- I feel your pain. I've deliberately stayed away from purchasing cRPGs because they all take 100+ hours to complete and I still have a solid catalogue to play through.

Honestly your list is pretty achievable though, couple open worlds in there which IMO take a long time until they don't and you hammer out the main quest 20 levels over recommended in a few hours cause you're just over it.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

First game of 2025 completed.

AvP 2011.

AvP2 it is not. Very jank, but you have to admire the amount of effort that went into making three distinctly unique playable characters. The Marine is the survival horror protag, the glass cannon who can dish it out but can't take it, the entire progression is built around getting better weaponry. The Predator which is more like a traditional boomer shooter protag who can take tons of punishment while dealing tons of 1v1 damage (without the spray and prey factor of the Marine).

The Alien is of course the most entertaining of the bunch, both narratively and gameplay-wise. The ability to walk on any surface can be nausea inducing however, especially given the game's relatively low environmental geometry.

Started very slow, but ended with a bang. I'd only recommend it to the hardest core AvP enthusiasts, nothing to go out of your way for.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

The last of Us. Finished this morning. I should not have watched the show, it spoiled so much by being incredibly faithful to the source material. Still loved it. One of the best looking games I've played. Character models are so realistic.

 

[Stg-Flame]

On the final part of the final mission of Dawn of War 3 (where you have to destroy the healing pot thing for the Storm.Prince).

Yeah, this is why in my review a year or two ago, I said the game finished right before this mission starts and I'm happier knowing that there is no final mission where you have to micro-manage all your little hero units against that colossal asshole. The game was good up to that point.

 

[Artorias]

Thanks for doing another yearly thread. This is my list of new games I plan to start, but I still got a few to wrap up that I started last year.

List for 2025:

Disco Elysium
Firewatch
Hollow Knight
Oxenfree
Resident Evil 4(2005) PC Edition
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil Village
Space Haven
The Riftbreaker
Cyberpunk 2077
RDR Remaster
Fallout 4
Prey
Dying Light
Hades(100% achievments)

As a wild card I might re-install Alien Isolation, Steam says I last played it in 2017, I got about 20 hours into the game but was to scared to finish it. Haha. Recently got a bunch Alien videos in my Youtube recommendation and have nostalgia.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Thanks for doing another yearly thread. This is my list of new games I plan to start, but I still got a few to wrap up that I started last year.

To start in 2025:

Disco Elysium
Firewatch
Hollow Knight
Oxenfree
Resident Evil 4(2005) PC Edition
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil Village
Space Haven
The Riftbreaker

Ongoing game to complete in 2025 from last year;

Cyberpunk 2077
RDR Remaster
Fallout 4
Prey

As a wild card I might re-install Alien Isolation, Steam says I last played it in 2017, I got about 20 hours into the game but was to scared to finish it. Haha. Recently got a bunch Alien videos in my Youtube recommendation and have nostalgia.

-Solid games on the list! Fire watch & Oxenfree are fun little narrative adventures that are good at breaking up bigger 100 hour open world slogfests.

Hollow Knight is peak MetroidVania. Has basically ruined the genre for me now, thanks Team Cherry.

I've bounced off Disco Elysium a few times. Everything about it looks like a fantastic game, but it also has a sort of density that I am never in the mood for when I fire it up. Will be curious to hear your thoughts.

Alien Isolation IMO is clearly a well made game, but I found it more frustrating than fun and scary so I eventually dropped it. When you're on your 2/3/4 repeat of a section it's no longer horror, it's not fun, you're just operating on a rote knowledge of game rules instead of really being immersed.

I mentioned this when talking about dead space. Horror games that actually make your character stronger counterintuitively are scarier, because you're not dedicating as much of your mind space to the frustrating mechanics or inching forward at a snail's pace or repeating sections for the nth time being trained out of being scared of the game.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Days Gone (PC) - fired this up again recently after not playing the original on PS4 for years; didn't really click w me back then. runs way better on PC

This game is addictive for many of us.

This guy did the Black Friday horde challenge. It took him over 5hrs to hit the 2 billion score limit. Then he kept playing to see how long the multiplier would stay active. Absolutely insane commitment level and focused strategy.

I've played through 4 times on various difficulty, but all since the 1st with game+. I'll start a 5th soon. I am at the point where I do Wile E. Coyote ACME traps.

 

[CP5670]

I'm going through Horizon Zero Dawn, then plan to play Starfield Shattered Space, RDR 1, Baldur's Gate 3 and DA Veilguard. These big RPGs take me 3-4 months to finish in the little gaming time I have and will probably keep me busy the whole year.

As a wild card I might re-install Alien Isolation, Steam says I last played it in 2017, I got about 20 hours into the game but was to scared to finish it. Haha. Recently got a bunch Alien videos in my Youtube recommendation and have nostalgia.

I got 1/3 of the way through this and gave up. Love the atmosphere but the stealth mechanics felt really off to me, I got fed up with the gameplay. I would rather play Dishonored or Thief.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I'm going through Horizon Zero Dawn, then plan to play Starfield Shattered Space, RDR 1

I will try to get into HZD again. Someone here advised that grinding like most open world games was a problem for them too. And by focusing on the main story missions and finishing the game that way, they enjoyed it a lot more. Hopefully that works for me, as Steam shows I have 10hrs in, and by that point I lost all interest.

RDR I stopped my playthrough for Stalker 2, so I'll finish that soon. Shattered Space I'll give a go this year too.

I will buy Wukong and GoW Ragnarok near the end of the year if the summer sale doesn't have them dirt cheap.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm playing HZDFW atm, and my wife bought me Baldurs Gate 3 for Christmas.

Despite the fact that I haven't played the remastered versions of Tomb Raider 1 - 3 very much at all, TR 4 - 6 remastered are allegedly coming out in February so I'll probably get them when they drop in price. I'm intrigued to see what they do with 6 because the original game was so broken that I've only completed it once.

 

[Muadib]

Baldurs Gate 3. I started it, played about 30 minutes, but don't know if I will finish it.
Horizon Zero Dawn. I played it at a friend's house for about an hour. I really liked it, but don't know if I will buy it. Played it on his PS5, so it may not count for this.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Baldurs Gate 3. I started it, played about 30 minutes, but don't know if I will finish it.
Horizon Zero Dawn. I played it at a friend's house for about an hour. I really liked it, but don't know if I will buy it. Played it on his PS5, so it may not count for this.

BG3 is one of those game genres I have little time with. I played Divinity Original Sin 2 with my friend Olivia, that made it fun. Playing solo I drifted away after a few hours. Picked up BG 1&2 enhanced for free from Amazon/Twitch for GOG. I will give them a go at some point.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I will try to get into HZD again. Someone here advised that grinding like most open world games was a problem for them too. And by focusing on the main story missions and finishing the game that way, they enjoyed it a lot more. Hopefully that works for me, as Steam shows I have 10hrs in, and by that point I lost all interest.

RDR I stopped my playthrough for Stalker 2, so I'll finish that soon. Shattered Space I'll give a go this year too.

I will buy Wukong and GoW Ragnarok near the end of the year if the summer sale doesn't have them dirt cheap.

-With HZD it's 100% about getting into the combat. If the combat and encounter design ain't working for you, the game ain't gonna work for you, cause that's all the game is 100% of the time.

Every.single.mission ends with "oh crap robot dinosaur/Human bandits... Gotta kill em all!"

What I really enjoyed was that a bit of prep work has to go into killing dinos (they have plates of armor to knock off and expose vulnerable bits and different component vulnerable to different effects) so you have to plan your approach carefully cause a head on attack esp at low levels without a full suite of skills will usually end badly.

The main story/plot/mystery involving the old world is really interesting, but there is a secondary main quest regarding shenanigans in the current time period that is definitely less interesting and has you fighting bandits more than robot dinos which is ok but definitely less interesting.

 

[MoragaBlue]

BG3 is on my to play list, but awaiting a sale better than 20%. I mean, why not? Since, I have a backlog of 30 games?

According to my Steam review, all the time I had spent playing were on a handful of games: ER, SOTE, LOP, BMW, Hogwartz Legacy and Sekiro. As to 2025, the first game I'm looking forward is the LOP DLC. Ever since ER, I've just been in a Souls-like fighting game phase, since I missed out it for so long.

Aside from LOP's DLC, maybe try Nightreign? Kind of on the fence, but given FromSoft's street cred with me, if there's ever a MMO type game I may try, it'd be from the ER universe.

By the way, noticed Plague Requiem on sale? Worth playing? Is it purely story driven, or is there some sort of skill based combat? At this point, I'd rather avoid purely story driven games mostly with puzzled. I'm just not good nor motivated with solving puzzles in games.

 

[CP5670]

HZD is not that grindy as far as these types of games go, it feels smaller and more focused than Witcher 3, Starfield, etc. I do the main, side and cauldron missions but ignore any collection quests. That gives enough XP to level up without doing any extra grinding. I like the world building, it feels unique and different from both medieval and post-apoc.

I never played BG1/2 (have them in gog for a long time though) but am a huge fan of Planescape Torment and liked all the Dragon Age games.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Wow. Just wow. I beat the Dawn of War 3 Campaign.

Normal difficulty ofc, but I did it.

I just had to micro smaller and harder than DJT's junk and I did it.

I'm just. Wow.

And that ending, comically referenced as the "best ending of all time" I get it. It's such a lame reward for such an incredibly hard fought final level and ridiculous difficulty spike in gameplay.

It's often said that the final level of a game is like the final exam of a course: you should put to work everything that you learned through the campaign up to that point. The fact that Relic thought the final exam was all about 1337 level microing of your three primary heroes really goes to the heart of everything they got wrong with the game.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Aaaaand started DX:Mankind Divided for the n-theenth time and it's sucking me in like an Alabama tick on a slow day.

It feels like a more refined Cyberpunk 2077 and that's OK by me.

I gawd damn love post human narratives and this is shaping up to be no exception...

Got Rise of the Tomb Raider installed as well so that's in the pipe too.

 

[CP5670]

I loved DXMD despite the abrupt ending. If they ever get around to making the "rest" of that game it would one of the best games ever.

 

[Racan]

Aaaaand started DX:Mankind Divided for the n-theenth time and it's sucking me in like an Alabama tick on a slow day.

It feels like a more refined Cyberpunk 2077 and that's OK by me.

I gawd damn love post human narratives and this is shaping up to be no exception...

I loved DXMD despite the abrupt ending. If they ever get around to making the "rest" of that game it would one of the best games ever.

It's a goddamn shame that we didn't get a sequel. Currently watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex to get my cyberpunk fix.

 

[JTsyo]

Star Control Origins (currently playing)
Baldurs Gate 3 (might play NWN2 before buying)
Cyberpunk 2077
POE2

Haven't planned anything else currently.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Ok, so the issue with all shock-likes is overcoming the boredom curve.

DX:MD is slowly (so slowly) getting it's hooks into me, but honestly early on the game kinda sucks.

Cause you got no skills. You cant do anything. There isn't enough mission density.

As you keep rolling, the side quests stack, your ability to hack or talk though a situation improves, you get more durable. The game gets more fun. But early on it's just a really really crappy shooter.

Shock-Likes (immersive sims to some but that's just a terrible name) need to rework themselves so that you can do all the things early, you just get way better at them later on. Too much gating and it the first 5-10 hours feel like you're playing 1/10th of a game and that just turns a lot of people off.

Anyway, the look and vibe of DX always hooks me and the gameplay keeps me coming back and DX isnt much of an exception.
Gorgeous game too, one of those "graphics really peaked in 2016" kinda games.