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

[Racan]

A lot to say about the game and I look forward to playing it through, it's getting it's claws in me for sure, but it's not what I expected after the masterpiece that was Witcher 3.

Once you get farther into the story and unlock more cyberware and new perks, it expands your gameplay options a lot. And Phantom Liberty is also a must, imo. It’s worth it for the new story and quests alone. It’s like playing The Witcher 3 without its expansions.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Once you get farther into the story and unlock more cyberware and new perks, it expands your gameplay options a lot. And Phantom Liberty is also a must, imo. It’s worth it for the new story and quests alone. It’s like playing The Witcher 3 without its expansions.

-Say no more fam, I'll pick up PL in the next sale.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

-Say no more fam, I'll pick up PL in the next sale.

I keep missing it, post up when it happens please.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I keep missing it, post up when it happens please.

- Funny I just went to Steam and PL is $19.49 right now ($10 off sale).

If that's the lowest price its been thus far I might just pick it up for shiz and gigs.

Edit: Based on IsThereAnyDeal $19.49 is the all time lowest price for PL...

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Ok, bought PL, downloaded it, dealt with some BS where now CP was crashing every time it launched, rolled back drivers to december's WHQL and it works again. Wooooo.

FSR4 also showed up again with the driver reinstall! XESS 2.0 was good, but for some reason that I quite can't pin down FSR4 IQ at Quality is just a little bit better than XESS at Quality and I'm having a hard time pinning down why.

I think FSR's sharpening filter is less aggressive than XESS so things look crisp without looking aliased.

 

[EXCellR8]

I've actually been enjoying my revisit to Night City quite a bit, and I'm glad I actually shelved it not long after it was released. Runs like a dream and I've only encountered a couple of CTD events, but I can typically run it well above 60fps for hours at a time. Been doing a semi-completionist run, leaning more toward stealth and hacking. The city looks absolutely stunning though, and I've been taking a fair share of screenshots.

I'll probably scoop up the DLC as well.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I've actually been enjoying my revisit to Night City quite a bit, and I'm glad I actually shelved it not long after it was released. Runs like a dream and I've only encountered a couple of CTD events, but I can typically run it well above 60fps for hours at a time. Been doing a semi-completionist run, leaning more toward stealth and hacking. The city looks absolutely stunning though, and I've been taking a fair share of screenshots.

I'll probably scoop up the DLC as well.

-The more I explore the city, the more stunning it becomes.

I'm pretty early into the main questlines, but I am having a good time with the side gigs, side missions, and CyberPsychos. I appreciate the time and effort that appears to have gone into those.

 

[MoragaBlue]

After going on what seems like a 2 month non stop playing F125 enjoying some new racing sim peripherals, time to replay some old games.

1. Elden Ring & SOTE
2. Sekiro
3. Bloodborne
4. Old Ninja Gaidens (still waiting for the new one to reach a lower price point)
5. Nioh 2 (waiting for the new Nioh 3 to reach my price point)
6. Witcher 3 (purchased on sale, never played).
7. DarkSouls (purchased on sale, but never played)
8. Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 EE versions (still waiting for BG3 to reach at least a 30% discount).

Started playing Bloodborne again.

While I do think ER is an overall better game, I find myself most enthused about replaying Bloodborne. Every weapon is fun, and I wish more combat systems would incorporate the trick weapon methodology.

I'm really enjoying replaying Bloodborne while listening to the lore and insights from the wonderful content creators. There's still new content coming out for this game, believe it or not. I just wish Sony would green light Bloodborne 2 (unlikely to ever happen). I mean, just imagine if Bloodborne 2 were announced on the GOTY awards?!

 

[EXCellR8]

Sony wouldn't even let the emulator crowd run the original at 60fps... highly doubt a sequel is in the cards. I too think ER is a "better" game, but I still like Bloodborne more.

I'm not sure what my favorite DS title is... I would say the original, but after the Ornstein & Smough fight the game feels a bit undercooked and annoying to play. I suppose Dark Souls 3 is a strong contender due to less jank overall, better graphics, and sharper controls. For me, it does lose some points for the world not being as interconnected... but it does have a few of the best boss fights in the series--my favorite being Nameless King.

If you haven't played Lies of P I'd suggest that one as well. I don't venture too deep into the Soulslike genre, but that one surprised me.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Sony wouldn't even let the emulator crowd run the original at 60fps... highly doubt a sequel is in the cards. I too think ER is a "better" game, but I still like Bloodborne more.

I'm not sure what my favorite DS title is... I would say the original, but after the Ornstein & Smough fight the game feels a bit undercooked and annoying to play. I suppose Dark Souls 3 is a strong contender due to less jank overall, better graphics, and sharper controls. For me, it does lose some points for the world not being as interconnected... but it does have a few of the best boss fights in the series--my favorite being Nameless King.

If you haven't played Lies of P I'd suggest that one as well. I don't venture too deep into the Soulslike genre, but that one surprised me.

Yeah, fear you're right about a Bloodborne sequel not in the cards. While I've read the many theories on why Sony isn't interested, the most plausible one is that it only sold about 7 million copies. This is, in my view, an absurdly low amount for a game many consider a masterpiece and the vigorous enthusiasm amongst the Bloodborne community. It feels like a cult!

As to the Lies of P, I've played it and Overture. ER was actually the first Soulslike game I had ever played and Lies of P was the second. I've only platinumed 4 games, and Lies of P is one of them; the others being ER, Sekiro and, of course, Bloodborne. Agreed. Lies of P is one of the best games I've ever played and Overture is probably the best DLC I've played, probably tied with SOTE.

PS - Correction - Actually, 9 million units sold, 7 was the last time I had checked a couple of years ago? So, they're still selling copies of the game, which I'm one of those who had picked up the game within the last couple of years. Bloodborne was probably the main reason and the trigger for me picking up a PS5.

 

[Artorias]

Sony hold the rights to Bloodborne and I think they want to keep it console exclusive to push hardware sales. This is Sony's last true real exclusive as all other games have been released on PC over time. The sales figure do not match its true potential.

Bandai probably told FROM that after Elden Rings success(30M+ sales) there is no way you're working a console exclusive when ER2 being cross platform probably smashes ER sales.

 

[EXCellR8]

This is Sony's last true real exclusive as all other games have been released on PC over time.

I will raise you one Gran Turismo and say you're wrong, lol 😋

It's true that ER very much proved the formula was more successful being cross platform, and therefore more sales are made. As gaming move further and further into 'this is a business' models, we will likely continue to see fewer and fewer "true" exclusives. It's already effectively killed the Xbox brand when it comes to consoles, and it wouldn't surprise me if we eventually ended up there with PS. That wont happen soon, but certain IP's going cross platform (with a relatively short "exclusive to X" run) will erode the rationale behind buying a fancy new console with each generation.

Also, I never finished Sekiro. That's my bad.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Sony hold the rights to Bloodborne and I think they want to keep it console exclusive to push hardware sales. This is Sony's last true real exclusive as all other games have been released on PC over time. The sales figure do not match its true potential.

Bandai probably told FROM that after Elden Rings success(30M+ sales) there is no way you're working a console exclusive when ER2 being cross platform probably smashes ER sales.

30+ million plus copies is insanely good and a bonafide hit. Before ER, I hadn't been aware of the Soulslike genre, let alone having the wherewithal to play Bloodborne; however, ER's mainstream success and general audience acclaim had drawn me in to try the game. In recent memory, it's one of the few games I had paid full retail price, then $59.99.

Being my first game of this type, the experience was truly magical. It has to be the best gaming experience of my life, and that's saying something since I've been a hardcore gamer since I was 10 years old. I had played this game for about 18 months straight with over 1,200 hours logged--enjoyed every minute I had spent on the game.

Afterwards, I was on singular focus to play all of the Soulslike games, e.g., Sekiro, LoP, Bloodborne, Nioh 2, etc...It's far and away my favorite genre. Every single game was incredible value and amongst the best money I've ever spent on anything. As I've said, I picked up a PS5 primarily do play Bloodborne, and my only regret is that I hadn't done it sooner.

Just now, the last 10 hours replaying Bloodborne has just flown by, and I'm enjoying the game as much as I ever had. Truly remarkable. While I'll always think ER was probably the game of the decade, I'd have to say Bloodborne is my favorite. Not sure if there's such a thing as a perfect game, but, if there is, my pick would be Bloodborne.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Alright, picked up Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition on sale.

I think this is my next game after my replay of Bloodborne, which should end tonight, as I finish up the Old Hunters DLC. Always look forward to fighting Lady Maria and Ludwig, though not quite on the same level, in my view, as Rellana and Bayle, they're nonetheless two of the best bosses to ever grace the halls of fighting games.

I heard about GTA's leaked price of $89.99. Probably, too rich for my blood, and will pass and play my list of games. I suspect, Witcher 3 (if all the rave about his game resonates with me), whenever I get to it, will likely capture my attention for a very very long time.

 

[quikah]

Been playing Blue Prince. Interesting game. I "finished" it (reached room 46), only to find that there is a ton of extra stuff to it. Some of the puzzles are BS (Gallery, come on, even with the "hints" I found in one of the wiki's it was a massive stretch to get to the final answer on some of the pictures). Overall, quite enjoyable, intersting storyline from what I have uncovered so far.

 

[JujuFish]

The gallery is the one puzzle I looked up hints about, and hated that I had to look it up so much that I never used the reward from it. I need to get back to that game someday

 

[Stg-Flame]

Apparently Space Marine 2 is criminally short. I honestly didn't know I had beaten the game since I had a "technical issue" (cat stepped on my power strip because I forgot to put it back on my shelf after cleaning) during the final cut scene. When I loaded my game, I was back on the battle barge and couldn't figure out how to get to the next mission. The side mission stuff is far more fleshed out than the main campaign, so it's now very obvious that they took the multiplayer grind route as opposed to actually making the campaign longer.

The game was fun, graphics were gorgeous, game ran phenomenally well, pretty samey in terms of the gameplay loop, but the side operation/multiplayer stuff does have a lot of customization that I only got to see a fraction of before I downloaded a mod that unlocked everything. The side stuff seems like it's the same 15 or so missions, but with varying difficulties and mission modifiers. Could be fun if I had other people to play with who I could rely on, but playing with randoms is about as fun as digging splinters out from under my nails.

No idea what to play next.

 

[EXCellR8]

Alright, picked up Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition on sale.

I think this is my next game after my replay of Bloodborne, which should end tonight, as I finish up the Old Hunters DLC. Always look forward to fighting Lady Maria and Ludwig, though not quite on the same level, in my view, as Rellana and Bayle, they're nonetheless two of the best bosses to ever grace the halls of fighting games.

DS3 is a good time, and if you like Bloodborne there's basically no way you won't like it. If I wasn't so "Souls'd out' at the moment, I probably dive into more Elden Ring. Took me forever to stick with a build and finally run through to the end of the base game. Never touched Shadow of The Erdtree and have zero interest in playing Nightreign.

As for the Witcher III... prob never gonna be in the cards for me. I've tried (and failed) many times to "click" with playing that one. Actually bums me out, because I do believe all of the hype surrounding that game is completely valid. I have a much harder time trying to play it compared to nearly any From Software IP.

 

[MoragaBlue]

DS3 is a good time, and if you like Bloodborne there's basically no way you won't like it. If I wasn't so "Souls'd out' at the moment, I probably dive into more Elden Ring. Took me forever to stick with a build and finally run through to the end of the base game. Never touched Shadow of The Erdtree and have zero interest in playing Nightreign.

As for the Witcher III... prob never gonna be in the cards for me. I've tried (and failed) many times to "click" with playing that one. Actually bums me out, because I do believe all of the hype surrounding that game is completely valid. I have a much harder time trying to play it compared to nearly any From Software IP.

Yeah, I'm having a blast playing DS3! Of course, after my tons of hours with ER, there's absolutely zero learning curve.

I hear ya on Witcher 3. There are some games where most would universally acknowledge as masterpieces, but when I play them, it just doesn't resonate with me. As with most gamers, if I'm not engaged or the gameplay (primarily combat) doesn't draw me in within the hour, I'll quit and never return. On Steam, it's straight to the refund button. Not sure if Playstation has a refund policy, but I'v picked a game or two on sale where it just doesn't click with me, and which I'll never play again.

 

[Stg-Flame]

After just 40 hours, I completed the base story of Hades 2. It's much easier than the first game (I made it to the final area on my first attempt), but oddly enough, it's also a lot more fun. They listened to the fans and allowed some bonuses to stack to create insanely overpowered combinations. Granted, the first time you get access to one of these overpowered stacking bonuses is after you complete the main story, but there's plenty of other ways to make overpowered builds prior to that.

I enjoyed the new gods and boons, as well as how the story for this one unfolds, but I will say I was slightly disappointed with how they continued the story in the "post game". I won't spoil anything, but I was expecting... more; or at least, something different. It's yet another sequel where it's just the same game as before, but with more of what made the first game great while tweaking some things to make it more fun.

The only disappointment so far is Poseidon's boons no longer let you pinball the enemies across the entire room like you could in the first game. That was one of my favorite runs to have just because I would only have to dash or attack once and then watch the entire room bounce around while inflicting massive damage to each other and themselves.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Mother of God, I'm like 50 hours into Cyberpunk and there is just more and more game. It's definitely a slow burn, but I'm feeling pretty fully immersed at this point.

The main quests (especially the intro to Phantom Liberty) have been great so far, but the side quests in general are some real gems. Sinnerman was a helluva thing. Even the gigs and CyberPsychos have some panache to them.

Also a good chance to mess around with Optiscaler. FSR4 looked pretty good, but I'd heard CDPR did a crap job with FSR inputs (still some shimmering and weirdness here or there), so Optiscaler to the rescue using DLSS inputs and FSR4 upscaling and frankly it looks fantastic.

At this rate I have no idea how much more game there is. Might be playing this for the next 3 months (which is kinda how Witcher 3 worked out) but I can't say I mind.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm playing Hades 2. I'm not yet in a position to judge whether it's as good as the original, but the gameplay is probably as addictive and the plot is interesting so far.

 

[mikeymikec]

After just 40 hours, I completed the base story of Hades 2. It's much easier than the first game (I made it to the final area on my first attempt)

Presumably you mean the final area of the underworld on your first attempt? Evidently you're way better at the game than I am, I looked up how to defeat Chronos because the one-shotting was getting tedious.

I imagine I'm about 50 hours in and haven't managed to defeat Typhon yet, and I think it's a lot harder than the first game 🙂

 

[Stg-Flame]

Presumably you mean the final area of the underworld on your first attempt? Evidently you're way better at the game than I am, I looked up how to defeat Chronos because the one-shotting was getting tedious.

I imagine I'm about 50 hours in and haven't managed to defeat Typhon yet, and I think it's a lot harder than the first game 🙂

Yeah, I made it to Tartarus on my first attempt, though I was basically at 1HP thanks to the boss guarding Tartarus taking almost my entire health bar off in one hit.

The Arcana Cards make the game a lot easier if you focus on those and so long as you're playing with the fated weapon every round (glowing red), you'll have thousands of spare bones to buy extra resources. I will say that the weapons make a lot more sense to me on this one as opposed to the first game and most bosses have massive telegraphed attacks - especially Chronos. Typhon's issue is the small arena and just how much bullshit he throws your way. The large attacks are easy to dodge, but when he starts tossing out 20+ projectiles all over the field, then starts slamming his stupid face on the arena, you're not left with many places to run. Plus with his insane health pool, it can easily feel like a slog, but the boon synergies can easily lead to some stupidly overpowered runs.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Me and some buddies are playing Slay the Spire 2.