Discussion The 2026 Game Thread: You Will Own Nothing and Be Happy Edition

[MoragaBlue]

Crimson Desert debuts today, and, for me, it's been a while since a game has launched with so much fanfare.

To each his or her own, but I'm not paying $70 for any game not made by FromSoft or named Red Dead Redemption 3, not even GTA 6. However, I'm looking forward to see if CD matches the hype, and, assuming it does live up to expectations, I'll await the usual 20% sale (if it's good), but hold out for the 30% if it's just "ok."

In the meantime, I've decided to go back and play Sekiro. I'm reminded of how the sword play in this game is the best ever made, in my view. It's the best pure fighting game in the sense that once you tackle the early learning curve, this is probably the game where you feel the most powerful. I suspect From intended Sekiro to play this way, because after going through one of the series of Gauntlets in NG+, you're rewarded with this skill that is just incredibly powerful, like Melania's butterfly almost unblockable sword dance move. So fun to use, as if the devs are rewarding the player for mastering the swordplay mechanics--like, "here you go, have fun destroying everything as a master swordsman."

Hopefully, by the time I get through 1/2 of my replay list, CD and some games I"m eyeing will reach the price point where I'm willing to pick them up.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Crimson Desert debuts today, and, for me, it's been a while since a game has launched with so much fanfare.

-Everything I've seen about Crimson Desert strongly suggests its incompatible with life after 40 years old.

Another broad as an ocean, deep as a puddle game that is fine if you have a gaming addiction at 16 but is something you'll never finish if you have kids/wife/mortgage.

 

[MoragaBlue]

-Everything I've seen about Crimson Desert strongly suggests its incompatible with life after 40 years old.

Another broad as an ocean, deep as a puddle game that is fine if you have a gaming addiction at 16 but is something you'll never finish if you have kids/wife/mortgage.

I don't know too much about the game, but just kept hearing about it. Some say it's the greatest thing ever (with DeNuvo, but not a deal breaker for me, per se) and others say it's overrated.

Regarding the open world long long game play, I'm with you on this one. After ER, where I had spent over 1,200 hours (insane amount of time), I don't think I can ever embark on that kind of open world game again. Even when I replay ER, I just skip most of the stuff and make a beeline to the boss fights, which is why I enjoy Bloodobrne and Sekiro so much because they offer a much more streamlined "linear" experience. Open exploration has never been my cup of tea, otherwise I'd go play Breath or Call of the Wild.

 

[EXCellR8]

I mostly agree... a lot of early reviewers are saying the first 8 or so hours are an absolute slog, but then after that it opens up and is much more enjoyable. I may give it a whirl at some point just for swords-y sandbox shenanigans, but it's not a game I intend on taking seriously. Heck, it took me some 3 years to finally commit and put the time into BASE Elden Ring; that game I very much loved to play.

I'm not 40 just yet, but I'd say even back at 30 years old the modest-sized (by today's standards) open worlds would be a bit overwhelming for me. CD just seems like a nightmare for someone like me who wants to "see cool thing" only to be distracted by "even cooler thing" 10 seconds later. I don't know if my psyche can handle it honestly.

Having said that, it does seem like one of those things that you need to experience for yourself in any capacity--even if it doesn't appear your cup of tea. I'll try to jump in after my RE marathon. I'm still chugging through the 4 remake as I have the time.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I mostly agree... a lot of early reviewers are saying the first 8 or so hours are an absolute slog, but then after that it opens up and is much more enjoyable. I may give it a whirl at some point just for swords-y sandbox shenanigans, but it's not a game I intend on taking seriously. Heck, it took me some 3 years to finally commit and put the time into BASE Elden Ring; that game I very much loved to play.

I'm not 40 just yet, but I'd say even back at 30 years old the modest-sized (by today's standards) open worlds would be a bit overwhelming for me. CD just seems like a nightmare for someone like me who wants to "see cool thing" only to be distracted by "even cooler thing" 10 seconds later. I don't know if my psyche can handle it honestly.

Having said that, it does seem like one of those things that you need to experience for yourself in any capacity--even if it doesn't appear your cup of tea. I'll try to jump in after my RE marathon. I'm still chugging through the 4 remake as I have the time.

Yeah, I've watched lots of reviews and game play footage, and it appears ok.

On the surface, there isn't anything wrong with the game. For me, as it always has, whether or not I'll bite at the 20% or 30% (again, no way I'm paying $70 for this) will come down to the combat mechanics. It doesn't have to be perfect and as refined as, say, the ER DLC bosses, but it has to be at least be on par with, say, a Black Myth: Wukong's level. If it is, as with you, I may give it a whirl at some point in the future.

Having said that, it appears the game is off to a good enough start with a high of almost 1/4 million concurrent players on Steam. This will at least allow for them to succeed or fail on the game's merits, and I'll wait for what the gamers' say about it in about 6 months. In my view, their success, as with most games, will depend now on the word of mouth of gamers, and I'll pay attention to the specific gamers who have a similar play preference as I do--the hardcore Souls guys.

Until then, I wish them the best of luck. It appears, unlike me who is clearly in the minority, most people are indeed willing to pay $70 for a new game, and, of course, that's where they should open up the asking price.

 

[Stg-Flame]

So, I've never heard of Crimson Desert until today (and I only saw gameplay footage like five minutes ago) but it's been getting roasted on Reddit in various gaming subs most of the day - not for the game being bad, but for the game being vastly overhyped. It appears that everyone's expectations were beyond comprehension and now they're realizing that the game they envisioned is not what the game actually is. I've seen lots of people say it's the Paris Hilton of video games - pretty and expensive, but extremely shallow.

Though I do see that the rating has jumped from Mixed to Mostly Positive in just one day. It looks fun, but not "$70 fun". It definitely looks like "I'll wishlist it now and play it in five years when it hits $20 assuming we aren't living in a nuclear winter type of fun".

Edit: I've also been seeing a lot of AI accusations without disclosure from the developer.
Edit #2: Here's an IGN article about more AI use without disclosure.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

So, I've never heard of Crimson Desert until today (and I only saw gameplay footage like five minutes ago) but it's been getting roasted on Reddit in various gaming subs most of the day - not for the game being bad, but for the game being vastly overhyped. It appears that everyone's expectations were beyond comprehension and now they're realizing that the game they envisioned is not what the game actually is. I've seen lots of people say it's the Paris Hilton of video games - pretty and expensive, but extremely shallow.

Though I do see that the rating has jumped from Mixed to Mostly Positive in just one day. It looks fun, but not "$70 fun". It definitely looks like "I'll wishlist it now and play it in five years when it hits $20 assuming we aren't living in a nuclear winter type of fun".

Edit: I've also been seeing a lot of AI accusations without disclosure from the developer.
Edit #2: Here's an IGN article about more AI use without disclosure.

-Which is weird because the game never pretended to be something it's not. I'm not even that interested in the game and I've picked up through osmosis that it was supposed to be a sequel to Black Desert Online (MMO with goon worthy female characters) that slowly morphed into a single player game over time.

Not sure what people were expecting or why they were even hyped honestly.

 

[MoragaBlue]

It appears that everyone's expectations were beyond comprehension and now they're realizing that the game they envisioned is not what the game actually is. I've seen lots of people say it's the Paris Hilton of video games - pretty and expensive, but extremely shallow.

My first impressions of all the clips I've watched match somewhat with this assessment.

From the clips I've watched, it is a very impressive looking game, however the combat appears a little underwhelming. However, these are early days and I'll keep an open mind. I'm waitting for the clip where you watch it and (for me) I just decide, "ok, this I have to play." E.g., Sekiro boss fast clashing combat, Rellana, Lady Maria type clips. Perhaps, we'll see them in CD in the future, but I haven't seen any fighting footage where it draws me in.

According to the devs, they've sold over 2 million units, which means $70 - $80 games are here to stay, I suspect. As a lifelong free market capitalist, if people are willing to play for it, it would be criminal not to let them.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Here's what I was waiting for.

Dunkey will properly evaluate this new desert game.

 

[EXCellR8]

I'm super intrigued by it, but wont pay full price to try it out. It seems like only a certain type of person will really enjoy playing it, whereas the rest of us will probably be extremely frustrated.

The one thing that's really turning me away is how many players are stating how obtuse and weird its primary control system is. Obviously, it's an open-world action game (not a true RPG) with a lot of MMO in its blood so some jank is expected, but at this point in my life if basic controls aren't competent it's super unlikely that i'll stick with something.

I'll pick it up at some point, and maybe it'll do the Cyberpunk thing where it's FAR better 2 years from now lol

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Unless the game is bundled with hardware I bought, it is rare for me to play it before a 50% or more price drop.

I also waited to play 2077 for quite a while. It was a polished game by then. I need to do another run plus the expansion.

Finishing up a handful of games currently. I have a lot of titles in my backlog to hold me over until the Steam summer sale.

 

[EXCellR8]

Oh man CP2077 in 2020 was an awful time across the board. It's a much better title today, even if it did damage the devs' reputation for a little while. I'm still working on finishing up my replay...

CDPR supposedly tweaked the controls for The Witcher III over the years, but I still loathe the control scheme for that game. Crimson Desert seems even worse in that dept though; even watching reviewers and players try to navigate certain areas (which would be simple in other titles) is painful.

In it's current state, I have to agree with the folks who are stating that it's got "Steam Winter Sale" written all over it. Which is fine by me, new games be too expensive anyway.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I'm super intrigued by it, but wont pay full price to try it out. It seems like only a certain type of person will really enjoy playing it, whereas the rest of us will probably be extremely frustrated.

The one thing that's really turning me away is how many players are stating how obtuse and weird its primary control system is. Obviously, it's an open-world action game (not a true RPG) with a lot of MMO in its blood so some jank is expected, but at this point in my life if basic controls aren't competent it's super unlikely that i'll stick with something.

I'll pick it up at some point, and maybe it'll do the Cyberpunk thing where it's FAR better 2 years from now lol

Well, It appears until they patch it, you can't change or remap the controller scheme?

Ah, I'm not playing a fighting game with a M&K, and I'll at least await until the option to remap my controller is introduced. At this point, I don't think I could ever stop using the right bumpers for light & heavy attacks respectively.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Just replayed Sekiro several times and this game is just pure fun.

For most games, I prefer to turn down the music after the initial playthrough, and this is where Sekiro, in my view, really shines. Aside from having the best pure sword combat of any game I've ever played, the sound effects are also the best, The clinging from the katanas clashing will clue you in on whether it's prudent to keep pressing your attack or prepare for a riposte. In the long run, for me, I suspect this and Bloodborne will have more replayability than any other game I've played.

What's remarkable to me is, again, this game actually won GotY and only sold ~ 10 million units worldwide. Along with Bloodborne, while I understand all the reasons posited as to why, it still perplexes me. Also, according to the data, only about 15% - 20% managed to finish this game? I'd imagine this percentage could only be far lower amongst those who vote for the game awards, yet this game won? Both scenarios here vexes me.

 

[sandorski]

Been buying some older titles. So far played Subnautica and currently playing Stranded Deep.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Ok so I beat Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Ultimately went with freeing Songbird and sending her to the moon over Reed's dead body.

Helluva expansion pack, appreciated how it integrated with the base game seamlessly to the point where you wouldn't even know its an expansion unless the missions weren't coded differently from the base game. CDPR seems to handle this exceptionally well, Witcher 3's expansions were much the same way. Honestly, without PL, it actually feels like the base game wouldn't have enough content for the scale and scope CDPR was promising. I was a little shocked how quickly I was able to get to the "meet Hanako at Embers" point of no return when railroading the main questline.

Each of the Phantom Liberty primary story missions has a lot of variety, fun gagdets, balls to the wall combat, back stabbing, front stabbing, side stabbing. The whole thing.

Dogtown does definitely have more of a "theme park" vibe than the rest of night city, but the game's lore does a good enough job to support why it is that way.

One day I'll do another run of Cyberpunk and make the opposite choices to see how that turns out, but holy hell I'm pushing 100 hours of playtime and there are still tons of gigs and sidequests left to do. I'm maxed level and starting to feel the burnout setting in so I might just hammer out a few quests for achievement purposes then beeline the main game ending, set the game aside for a year, and then come back and do an alt playthrough.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Ok so I beat Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Ultimately went with freeing Songbird and sending her to the moon over Reed's dead body.

Helluva expansion pack, appreciated how it integrated with the base game seamlessly to the point where you wouldn't even know its an expansion unless the missions weren't coded differently from the base game. CDPR seems to handle this exceptionally well, Witcher 3's expansions were much the same way. Honestly, without PL, it actually feels like the base game wouldn't have enough content for the scale and scope CDPR was promising. I was a little shocked how quickly I was able to get to the "meet Hanako at Embers" point of no return when railroading the main questline.

Each of the Phantom Liberty primary story missions has a lot of variety, fun gagdets, balls to the wall combat, back stabbing, front stabbing, side stabbing. The whole thing.

Dogtown does definitely have more of a "theme park" vibe than the rest of night city, but the game's lore does a good enough job to support why it is that way.

One day I'll do another run of Cyberpunk and make the opposite choices to see how that turns out, but holy hell I'm pushing 100 hours of playtime and there are still tons of gigs and sidequests left to do. I'm maxed level and starting to feel the burnout setting in so I might just hammer out a few quests for achievement purposes then beeline the main game ending, set the game aside for a year, and then come back and do an alt playthrough.

I was just blown away by the phenomenal voice acting and motion capture they were able to pull off. There were more than a few times where my girlfriend looked over and asked what movie I was watching - not realizing that it was still just Cyberpunk.

I also made the same choice for the ending - despite not being happy about it one bit.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I was just blown away by the phenomenal voice acting and motion capture they were able to pull off. There were more than a few times where my girlfriend looked over and asked what movie I was watching - not realizing that it was still just Cyberpunk.

I also made the same choice for the ending - despite not being happy about it one bit.

-I was admittedly caught off guard with Elba putting on an American accent, but it grew on me over time.

But yes the voicework and mocap is fantastic across the board.

That ending where So Mi spills the beans, great job making her both a huge bitch and entirely sympathetic at the same time.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I started replaying Red Dead Redemption 2.

Generally, I'm not a big fan of expansive open world games (ER & RDR2 are the rare exceptions) and story driven games; however, RDR2's story really resonates with me--probably because, as with most of my generation, we had grown up with watching westerns and loved the cattleman's revolver (the single action Colt/peacemaker) as a toy. I still have fond memories of cap guns! For me, truly one of the best gaming experiences available.

Also, been watching tons of content on Crimson Desert. I'll probably be tempted at around 30% - 35% off? It appears just about all of the gamers I follow who tend to enjoy the same games as I do are really enjoying this game and offering lots of contents and guides. The clincher is when the CEO confessed during an investors' conference that his focus was on combat & gameplay at the expense of the story, which is my kind of game. You can't have everything in a game (there just isn't enough time), and I care much more about combat/gameplay than the story.

While I, of course, will not buy GTA6 at launch, I am however looking forward to its launch and content. Probably, the biggest launch in gaming history, which is kind of exciting, in my view.

PS - This time, playing RDR2 on a 38 inch ultra wide ultra settings, and it's just amazing. The PC gaming experience for this title is so much better than that of consoles, it reminds me how amazing the PC can be for the right game.

 

[JujuFish]

I've never really understood the obsession with GTA.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I've never really understood the obsession with GTA.

Ah, I picked up some kind of "deluxe" GTA V edition on sale for $20?

Not sure if it was a marketing ploy to price it at $60 making it appear like a huge discount, but I'm one of those gamers who will buy most games at $20 with very little thought. Of course, I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, and likely will give it a go after RDR2.

No idea whether or not I'll enjoy the game, but, if I had to bet, I'd wager I probably wouldn't hate it, at the very least.

 

[sandorski]

GTA is just a very well done Open World series. San Andreas was the best, but the newer games were Technically superior and are better Simulators.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I've never really understood the obsession with GTA.

The allure of GTA (starting with GTA 3) was being thrown into an open world and being told "go". Sure, you have missions and things to do, but it was that freedom of just being tossed into an open world when 99% of all games made around and prior to its release forced you down a very linear path.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

The allure of GTA (starting with GTA 3) was being thrown into an open world and being told "go". Sure, you have missions and things to do, but it was that freedom of just being tossed into an open world when 99% of all games made around and prior to its release forced you down a very linear path.

-IMO I just don't jive with the "Gangster Soap Opera" stylings of GTA.

I've enjoyed things like Sleeping Dogs or my current game Cyberpunk 2077, but they usually do something to spice up the standard gangster formula (SD doing the HK Crime Procedural thing and CP2077 ofc being a sci-fi dystopian hell).

GTA seems so... vanilla by comparison.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Since I've yet to play it, I certainly am not in a position to speak about GTA V, but I can offer some insight on why, in my view, RDR2 is such a beloved game.

During my first blind playthrough (I play all new games blind), my main focus was following the plot and story line since I was so drawn in and engrossed by it. The gameplay was almost secondary, especially since it had felt "clumsy" after coming off FromSoft games. However, what I hadn't realized was that what I would enjoy most about the game is when replaying it and exploring the world, doing all of the challenges and noticing the amazing details in the game. It's the only game where not only I've enjoyed it the more I play it, but I naturally play it very slowly. This is unique for me, since all the other games I've enjoyed (Bloodborne, Sekiro, ER), it's almost as if I tolerate the cannon fodder enemies and always looking forward to the next boss.

RDR2 literally flips this on its head after subsequent playthroughs where I prefer to stay & linger in Chapter 2 and just doing everything & enjoying the world. It's hard to explain, and I would've chalked up the ole West and those guns really appealing to me, but since 70 million other gamers seem to agree, there has to something to it.

I suspect at over 200 million units sold, GTA V must have something special. Of course, no idea if it will appeal to me as RDR2 has, but there's lots of potential if it does.