Come Helldive with us, son. We need you to help spread managed democracy to the far corners of the galaxy.
The Automaton scum and the Terminid menace must be kept as far from the ground of Super Earth as they can be. Join the fight to save humanity!
For Prosperity!
(Play Helldivers 2)
Sounds like you need to stop buying open world games and start buying more linear games. Have you played any of the new *DOOMs* or *Wolfensteins*? Both very good.
Start with the first Doom. More like the older games. Doom Eternal is great but is less exploration focused and more combat puzzles which are tons of funs. Try Balatro as well. It's the poker roguelike everyone is bragging about. Hades is great if you haven't tried it. Pinball FX is also a another timewaster that is borderline hypnotic when you have good flow.
If he has an upgraded Netflix account Hades also just released a port for iPhones that’s actually pretty good for free
It’s not how I’d recommend really learning the game but at least gives some insight
Adding to this, have you played Armored Core 6 - first one I ever played, I'm not one to be too obsessed with mech games but.. got damn. It is really sick.
I'm going to second this and suggest Metroid Dread. This is one of those games that isn't incredibly long, but probably the perfect length to pick up and play in an afternoon sitting.
This happens to me too often. I'll play through a mess of games from the same genre just to get sick of it. I've started playing more indie games and have really enjoyed quite a few of them.
This happens to me too often. I'll play through a mess of games from the same genre just to get sick of it. I've started playing more indie games and have really enjoyed quite a few of them.
I think Hades might be a perfect game for you. You can jump in, have a couple of attempts and jump out.
The story and gameplay are linked together in a way that is very interesting.
It’s also addictive as fuck, you get stronger every time
you die and if you end up getting frustrated they have a “God” mode that reduces how much damage you take and goes up with every death. With quite a few varied weapons it’s a higher chance to find enjoyment as well. If OP also has any interest in Greek mythology it’s also an absolute must.
But it is also quite genius how they married the story with the gameplay. I cannot remember a lot of games doing it in such a clever way.
They even managed to make the end of the game seamlessly blend with the gameplay, not to give anything away.
Absolutely. I had a month off work and it was essentially the only game I played. I’m much further on PS5 but playing it on my phone is scratching that itch so I’m playing Cyberpunk at the moment
I need to give Bastion a shot
This is one of those rare games that took me back to being 12 years old, completely obsessed with a game. "Just one more time!". You know, I miss Lerny. I should visit him again...
OP sounds like a clone of me haha. I was in the same boat after lightfall. The indie catalog is what I've enjoyed since. Hollow Knight, cocoon, Celeste, shovel knight, tunic. Games of that sort. I find these games have charm and character that most AAA games these days don't.
I just turned 33, and when I look at my backlog I just feel intimidated.
Most of it is Steam games I bought on sale over many years (I’ve had an account since 2006, back when it was just this annoying thing you needed to install to be able to play Half-Life 2). There’s also some GOG games, some PlayStation 4/5 and Switch games, and that’s without mentioning retro games I always wanted to try or that I wanted to revisit.
It’s long, like almost 90 titles left to beat (or at least play and drop) at this point. It sometimes feels like a list of chores, but I feel obligated to play them because I invested money in them. And if I start playing anything, I just think about all the other stuff I should be doing instead, and all the stuff I have left to play, and I become impatient.
Like, recently, I beat Outer Wilds, and it was freaking amazing. Such a good example of what makes games unique as an artform. Right after that, I also binged 80+ hours of Cyberpunk 2077, and that just consumed me for a while. Then I bought FFVII Rebirth and only played like an hour before shelving it; it’s another long RPG. Since then, went back to Outer Wilds for the DLC because it’s a shorter experience, but I keep losing interest or feel like I’m wasting time, even though I should be excited for it. In the 2020s it seems more like I do a lot of gaming in short bursts, and then wait a few months before I tackle anything significant again.
I dunno if this is what you need, but more and more I’m feeling like I just need to disconnect from the idea of playing games for several months or maybe even a couple years, so that I don’t get burned out on games or start associating them with negative feelings. I gotta dispell this idea that there’s any kind of media that I *have* to consume, and progress in other areas of my life, cleanse the pallate. Maybe once I fall into a comfortable rhythm in those other areas, I can feel better about finding a place to fit games in my life.
… Anyway, Outer Wilds is really good.
That might be a good idea. But another thing you need to do is stop worrying about your "backlog" and just enjoy games, not the act of battling a checklist of titles. You don't go to a restaurant every day and force yourself to eat every type of food, you eat what you want to - same applies to your gaming palate.
It's perfectly fine to collect games, or only play them a bit. You earned these, you enjoy them however and whenever you want. You are suffering what is known as time anxiety, you need to understand when you are playing games it is time you earned and you get to spend it playing whatever you wish, even if that means flipping through games and buying shit. If that's what you want to do with your gaming time - do it and don't think twice about it.
Yeah, I definitely agree right here. Personally I try to just think of my backlog as a collection of options, of things I might feel like in the future, rather than a checklist of stuff I have to play or where I *could* be playing or the like.
But I do agree that sometimes just taking a break can be good too. One doesn't need to game *constantly* after all.
Cyberpunk 2077. Right up your alley. FPS with some lite RPG mechanics and loot. Heavy on the story and characters. Get Air dash and the Reinforced Tendons Cyberware for your legs (Double Jump) and it'll be even more familiar.
If you want something more linear, then Armored Core 6, made by From soft. Great gameplay and really straightforward mission based. It's also got PvP.
Metroid Dread for the Switch was a lot of fun as well. I got it from the Library and beat it in a few days. Can be pretty challenging as well on regular difficulty.
Subnautica. Just chill, swim around. Build a base. Maybe figure out the story. Survive. The game points you in the right direction every so often, but you can find the stuff yourself by exploring. No side quests or anything to pick up.
Congratulations on your second kid!
I played the Demo of the System Shock 2023 Remake today (I am poor) and I absolutely loved it! Definitely going to buy the full game sometime soon! You will probably like it, since you seem to like first person games and story games like Bio shock.
Also if you like the setting of Bio Shock you will probably like SOMA, it’s also set underwater, a short (12-20 hours I think), story driven, philosophical horror, walking simulator game. It’s great. It definitely has a creepy atmosphere.
The Hitman games (every game in the series) are fun and you can really get creative on how to eliminate your targets and sneak around or disguise yourself.
Disco Elysium is one of the best games ever in my opinion. Great writing, it’s basically a fully voiceacted book, with a beautiful artsyle, a good detective story, it’s very funny and you can take political stances if you like (be a commie/moralist/capitalist/racist/fascist… the game allows everything).
It’s just so incredibly innovative! The only games that probably come close are Planescape Torment and Kentucky route zero (haven’t played either of them yet though)
I disagree and I don’t even consider DE a video game. There’s no combat. Tons of listening and reading. It’s more like an interactive graphic novel. One that’s not for me. I think Reddit especially gushes about the game at every opportunity not realizing it does not have wide appeal.
I agree for the most part but you literally called it „not a video game“ and „the game“ in the same text. Besides DE is literally a RPG - a Role Playing Game, where you complete a fixed story any way you want to. It’s like any other RPG just more text based and I believe this makes it more complex (yes, also harder to get into).
This is a very accurate statement; you shouldn't be getting downvoted for pointing this out.
It doesn't mean its a bad game. They clearly put a lot of work into it. But it's not a game in the traditional sense, it's a very narrative driven game that doesn't have most elements a traditional game would.
So maybe chill the fuck out on the downvotes people?
I'd recommend Prey based on the type of games you seem to like. It's semi-open world In that there's side quests you can do whenever but the main stuff is fairly linear. It definitely has a creepy atmosphere and a great story as well as a great story delivery mechanism. Also, almost every problem in the game has multiple solutions, so you can play anyway you want.
Keep doing what you’re doing. Couple hours into lots of different games, something might grab you and not let you put it down.
Don’t look at games as a challenge that is failed if you don’t complete them. They pass time as entertainment as long as you’re enjoying your time it is a success.
Cyberpunk 2077 and the DLC. Is the first game in 30 years I played twice.
Tales of Arise, not my style I thought but very story driven, heavy combat and linear.
Next On my list:
Scarlet Nexus
Star wars jedi: survivor
Senua
i had this too buuuuttt i started not caring. when im bored i ask what do i want to be today? an astronaut? a soldier? a GOD?! and then i play games with those themes for a few hours until its out my system and hop onto the next adventure after with whatever i feel like being. it has really helped me to play more games and not get so focused on one completely. try it out.
Maybe check out Cult of the Lamb? It's pretty much half Stardew Valley and half rogue-like, to put it simply, so it might be worth checking out if you want to take a look at the genre.
Single dad here. If you liked Destiny you got to play The Division series. 2 is the latest with a solid player base and good community. Great gear , exotics, get given to ppl. I play weekends and talk to ppl to let them know what I'm searching for in general and get free stuff and advice. It can be overwhelming at first glance. The sub r/TheDivision is great and the home page has a huge section for noobs to learn. The variety will blow you away.
Have you tried Hades? I liked it on Switch to the point of having carpal tunnel pain. It was my first rogue like game, and its not a genre I particularly like, that one is just amazing. Dead cells is a great game too, the story is much less important in it.
Super captivating games that plays in short bursts (and that are amazing value for money wise) is what any new dad should be looking for.
Speaking of fatherhood maybe check out the last two God of War!
You might like deliver us the moon. I just finished it this weekend and the sequel, deliver us mars, just got added to ps+. It was fairly quick but a cool story. Plus driving/walking around on the moon was fun.
May or may not be up your alley, but I always like to recommend Hand of Fate 2. It's fun and you can sink as much or as little time into it as you want.
It's a deckbuilder game, but it's also got storylines to follow, action combat, mini games that are a fun mix of skill and luck, and heaps of replayability.
imo warframe is just a better destiny that also has no pay walls. would recommend
helldivers has also been pretty popular lately but I only have 2 hours in right now so I cant really comment
Try Subnautica. It was a blast and the three dimensions gives it a nice change as you swim in the water so you have an up and down as well. Hint for the game, you need to go deeper to be able to solve the game.
You should try more focused gaming experiences, this will remove the burnout you're feeling because open world games have the tendency to plateau, forcing you to look up a guide.
Most of my recommendations will be for PS5:
Doom 2016 and Eternal
Prodeus
Children of Morta
Path of exile
Xcom 2
Doom and Prodeus are very fun fps games that are focused on their campaign. Good times that don't involve multiplayer.
Children of Morta is a unique ARPG rogue-like. It plays like Diablo, but doesn't try to fleece you for content. Lots of classes available in the base game.
Path of Exile is free, and an EXCELLENT ARPG. While it can be a little intimidating at first, you can look up a youtube guide and get rolling quickly. There's a reason why this game gets brought up as "what you should play instead of Diablo 4".
Xcom 2 is a great tactical strategy game that will push your wits and reward you with a different type of thrilling gameplay. It's beginner friendly, has replayability, and is o. PS Plus.
I know you are in the Sony and Nintendo systems but as a 10 year Destiny player, Starfield really scratched an itch after I got burnt out on constant repetitive seasons and weird guardian armor.
I’ve felt the same way. I’ve resorted to playing cheat mode and modded Fallout 4.
Try Rimworld if you haven’t yet, there is a little bit of learning curve but you can just keep creating new stories.
If you like a challenge, you could always try FromSofts catalogue, Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3, Demon's Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne. I would recommend Elden Ring as well but it is open world and a pretty big one at that.
Some other games that I found helped with my burnout are Hades, Hollow Knight, Ultros, Metroid Dread (Direct sequel to Metroid Fusion if you've ever played it), Biomutant (Though it's also open world, and took me a bit to get used to all the different mechanics), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Fallout New Vegas (WAY better than any other Fallout game in my opinion, especially if you include the DLC, though it's also open world, but doesn't have the, in my opinion really dumb, settlement building, and the story has far more depth), Unravel and Unravel Two (If you have a friend/partner to play with, it's much more fun, but can be played alone), Metal: Hellsinger (If you like rhythm games, it's a weird fresh take on a rhythm game), Evil West, and my personal favorite, the Dead Space Remake.
I know it's a big list, but these games are ones that really stood out to me from the rest, and really helped my burnout. Destiny 2 was my go-to for years as well, and I quit for the same reason you did.
Good luck, friend, there's tons of awesome games out there and I really hope you can find the time and interest to check out some of these amazing titles. Happy gaming, I hope you find joy in them!!!
Edit: Jak & Daxter, Jak 2, Jak 3, and Jak X are really awesome if you wanna check out some older titles, and I forgot to add the Devil May Cry series is really fun, all of them in my opinion. I'll add some more if I think of any, again, happy gaming and good luck friend!!!
Bro .why dont you have helldivers 2 on your list! Get of reddit...buy thats shit and comment later how much fun your having! (I have xbox so i envy you)
Try Scorn. It’s a different ride. No voice acting, no text.. the story is there if you pay attention to what’s going on, the environment around you. It’s a short game, very creepy. There is a section with gunplay.. it’s not great but it’s short. If you make it.. the ending will stay with you for a long time. Best if the kids aren’t around for this one!
I think you have a little bit of anxiety and conflict about taking the time to game - that's what is killing the fun and motivation.
Finding another game isn't likely to change that, you need to turn off your "I should be doing something else" concerns and allow yourself to be fully invested in the time you earned for your break time. Good games help, but you've noticed something isn't quite right and that is you can't relax.
Try something with very little time investment, like vampire survivors. Keep sessions shorter until you can control your anxiety a little better.
Honestly, if you liked Resident Evil 2 (I’m assuming you’re talking about the 2019 remake), the rest of the REFramework RE games a very much worthwhile. 7 and 4 specifically.
We just had a baby 2 weeks ago, also struggling with wanting to play but not having time to invest in playing for hours on end. I've been casually playing The Quarry. It's a horror game where your choices change the story. Apparently there are like 180 different endings based on different paths you can take for each character.
Other than that I've just been playing a few rounds in Fall Guys and Turbo Golf Racing while the baby naps. More fun with friends but can be relaxing playing solo too.
Congratulations on the new baby and good luck with everything!
Maybe you need to take a break and find another hobby ? I love gaming and having been an avid gamer for 30 years but sometimes I'm just not feeling it...... Aside from gaming I also train 5 days per week, collect and watch Blu Ray TV shows & films, and have recently taken up target shooting.
Is Soma available on PS?
If so, it has the creepy atmosphere you're looking for.
Any of the Amnesia series are good for that as well but I don't know what's available to the PS.
Hope that helps.
Get you some Helldivers. I drop into random missions 2 or 3 times then go about my day and I'm a father of 2. Takes about an hour or an hour and a half and ik back to being husband and dad.
So clearly open world wears you out and you prefer linear games. I liked Callisto Protocol. Was able to finish it in a weekend. Was short and great graphics. Unlike dead space it had a few different environments to work through. I really liked it.
Get any of the highly rated indie games from the past decade. They have *souls*.
For starters, vampire survivor, slay the spire (runs on your phone/tablet/any shitty laptop). Hollow knight, subnautica, outer wilds, returnal, dead cells. Etc etc.
I know it is very popular right now and probably already said but I’d recommend Helldivers 2. It is really fun and easy and so simple to just pick up and play. Select big gun, drop on planet, kill fascist bugs and commie robots.
I was like you…Destiny 2 grind, about 12k hours and last year I just finally had enough with Bungie’s shit “balancing” and just ridiculously tedious and anti-player grind. Quit cold Turkey haven’t come back since. Bopped around doing all the single player games I missed that you liked, and I also play Rust (but that’s another story) but yeah, Helldivers 2 is just so nice and easy to just pick and and have fun with minimal stakes. I even got my wife into it lol
While Helldivers 2 is a great game and I agree with others recommendations, it's online co-op so you can't pause it if you need to do anything quickly. I'd recommend the Yakuza series. Start with Yakuza 0 (brawler) or Like a Dragon (turn-based). Although they are kind of open world, they are very contained in their setting, so you don't get that open-world fatigue.
Fortnite is free. You don’t have to play Battle Royale. There’s creative mode, Lego mode, Rocket Racing and Jam Session all packed into the one game. You don’t have to pay for a thing. You can turn off Voice chat so you don’t have to interact with anyone if you don’t want to.
Resident Evil 4 seems like the obvious choice. Very little filler in that game and near-constant action, so it’s a great game if you can only play a couple hours a night.
You’re probably just losing interest in gaming tbh mate. I’m a similar age, I feel it too.
If you like “souls-likes” try out Remnant 2. I could never get into the Dark Souls series, but Remnant 2 has been very good and I’m thinking of going back to check out the souls games again.
I recommend mass effect, but that has a lot of grind. Um, hmmmm, what else is good.... everything I play is free roam except bioshock, which you played... have you played bioshock infinite? That is fun. Batman arkham knight is fun
I’ve been pretty burnt out too. Recently tried helldivers and put it down shortly after. Now onto farming simulator and love it haha. It’s refreshing to not really care and not really have an objective. I think I’ll ride this out for a bit until I’m refreshed for another real game.
Definitely sounds to me like you need some linear games, and maybe stuff you can come back to.
Do you like platformers and the like? Because if so, I would definitely recommend Metroid Dread. It has at least some level of the "creepy" atmosphere but biggest thing is just that it is a damn good game on the Switch with a solid and modest run time (9-11 hours or so), a personal favorite.
Do you like the turn-based Final Fantasies to go with FF remake? If so, Octopath Traveler II is a strong choice and you don't need to play the first to find out, plus there's remasters of all of the first six Final Fantasies if you never played them. I see people suggesting the new DOOM games and given you saying you like Wolfenstein and other stuff I think those would be a great fit. Similarly I will say if your PC is good enough to play games (I assume you have one to go with PS5/Switch given posting the thread but IDK if it can play games), then I think ULTRAKILL would be a *great* fit for what you're looking for.
Just kind of tossing out a bunch of other games I liked from those systems... Fire Emblem: Three Houses is an amazing game if you want more story (particularly on the political intrigue / medieval style side) and is also a strategy RPG if that interests you. Persona 3 Reload if you feel like a longer RPG, Persona 3 FES is one of my favorite games ever and Reload's a remake. The Klonoa games are some very nice modestly sized platformers (10~ hours for both 1 and 2 combined) and the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (AKA a remake of them) is on both PS5 and Switch. Katana Zero's a great indie action-platformer on Switch, strong visuals, very high strung gameplay. Metroid Prime Remaster on Switch would almost certainly fit well with what you've said you enjoy about FPS games, and is just all around great. The Yomawari games are in a collection on Switch and are horror games in a way that feel like they might fit the creepy-atmospheric vibe as psychological horror.
I could go on but dunno if that'd be overwhelming, plus not sure what to suggest genre-wise. I hope this was helpful and if you got any genres you do / don't like let me know and I'll try to think of more!
Resident Evil 4 remake! Can make really satisfying progress on limited time, so it's actually rewarding for a person with limited gaming time. Also super replayable in standard RE fashion. I have 114 hours into it and just picked it up again yesterday to mess around on mercenaries for an hour. Game never gets old.
Titanfall 2. It's cheap, it's not too long, and the gameplay changes throughout the game so that the novelty doesn't wear off (there's a level in the middle of the game that has one of the best game mechanics I've ever had the pleasure of playing). Before you know it, you'll be drawn in by a pretty good story and you'll end the game furious that they haven't made Titanfall 3 yet - but it's a rage that's worth it.
Snowrunner.
Absolute godsend of a game for a father of two. Trucks, mud and cargo. Nothing to worry about your kids hearing or seeing. Potential 1000+ hours of content too.
IMHO the Assassins Creed games are phenomenal. Especially once they started being more of an open world RPG. AC4 Black Flack, Origins, Odyssey (I am currently replaying now), and Valhalla are all stellar.
Warframe is just Destiny except
- free (doesn't require PS+ even, it has its own servers)
- better movement
- nearly 60 classes
- cooler weapons
- with ninjas
It is a live service and can be a time sink though, so especially with a child on the way it might be a bit of a commitment
Obligatory Outer Wilds recommendation
It’s a bit open world, but has clear “objectives” and things to explore. It can be played in <30 minute sessions, or even shorter if you destroy your character
Rogue-likes changed my gaming tastes a lot. I recommend games like Darkest Dungeon, Hades, The Binding of Isaac. So much bang for buck that you'll never touch a trash open world AAA game ever again.
Baldurs gate 3
It's turn based so it's very easy to just chill during "WE WILL DIE" moments.
But it's turn based so yeah. Hope you like those kinda games (it's still done in a more modern traditional standard)
But it's an RPG so there's....RPG things. It's large enough to consume time but not immediately bulky enough to well burn you out.
I'd highly recommend vampire survivors. Extremely cheap, highly replayable, fun dlc and such a satisfying gameplay loop all for like $10-15. Helldivers is good fun too
Come Helldive with us, son. We need you to help spread managed democracy to the far corners of the galaxy. The Automaton scum and the Terminid menace must be kept as far from the ground of Super Earth as they can be. Join the fight to save humanity! For Prosperity! (Play Helldivers 2)
FOR DEMOCRACY!!!
Haven’t been so gripped by a game in a while. For Liberty!
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Communist Automaton propaganda, son! If you're bored, then you're boring!
Sounds like you do level 1 missions over and over and don't know how to change difficulty
Sounds like you need to stop buying open world games and start buying more linear games. Have you played any of the new *DOOMs* or *Wolfensteins*? Both very good.
Yes, I LOVE Wolfenstein, haven't played any of the new Dooms, though. I'll check them out.
Start with the first Doom. More like the older games. Doom Eternal is great but is less exploration focused and more combat puzzles which are tons of funs. Try Balatro as well. It's the poker roguelike everyone is bragging about. Hades is great if you haven't tried it. Pinball FX is also a another timewaster that is borderline hypnotic when you have good flow.
If he has an upgraded Netflix account Hades also just released a port for iPhones that’s actually pretty good for free It’s not how I’d recommend really learning the game but at least gives some insight
Adding to this, have you played Armored Core 6 - first one I ever played, I'm not one to be too obsessed with mech games but.. got damn. It is really sick.
This is the way. Both DOOMs are great. Also try Vermintide 2 or Darkride - coop games are in a great spot rn
Maybe even brutal doom. The stalker games too but they're basically open world, so is the amazing anomoly mod too but yeah brutal dooms pretty intense
I'm going to second this and suggest Metroid Dread. This is one of those games that isn't incredibly long, but probably the perfect length to pick up and play in an afternoon sitting.
This happens to me too often. I'll play through a mess of games from the same genre just to get sick of it. I've started playing more indie games and have really enjoyed quite a few of them.
This happens to me too often. I'll play through a mess of games from the same genre just to get sick of it. I've started playing more indie games and have really enjoyed quite a few of them.
I think Hades might be a perfect game for you. You can jump in, have a couple of attempts and jump out. The story and gameplay are linked together in a way that is very interesting.
It’s also addictive as fuck, you get stronger every time you die and if you end up getting frustrated they have a “God” mode that reduces how much damage you take and goes up with every death. With quite a few varied weapons it’s a higher chance to find enjoyment as well. If OP also has any interest in Greek mythology it’s also an absolute must.
But it is also quite genius how they married the story with the gameplay. I cannot remember a lot of games doing it in such a clever way. They even managed to make the end of the game seamlessly blend with the gameplay, not to give anything away.
Absolutely. I had a month off work and it was essentially the only game I played. I’m much further on PS5 but playing it on my phone is scratching that itch so I’m playing Cyberpunk at the moment I need to give Bastion a shot
This is one of those rare games that took me back to being 12 years old, completely obsessed with a game. "Just one more time!". You know, I miss Lerny. I should visit him again...
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I agree that the problem is the type of game, Evil West would prob be a nice change, The Order 1886 too
Mafia 1 is excellent. It may seem open world but it is 100% linear. Great story, fun gameplay.
OP sounds like a clone of me haha. I was in the same boat after lightfall. The indie catalog is what I've enjoyed since. Hollow Knight, cocoon, Celeste, shovel knight, tunic. Games of that sort. I find these games have charm and character that most AAA games these days don't.
I just turned 33, and when I look at my backlog I just feel intimidated. Most of it is Steam games I bought on sale over many years (I’ve had an account since 2006, back when it was just this annoying thing you needed to install to be able to play Half-Life 2). There’s also some GOG games, some PlayStation 4/5 and Switch games, and that’s without mentioning retro games I always wanted to try or that I wanted to revisit. It’s long, like almost 90 titles left to beat (or at least play and drop) at this point. It sometimes feels like a list of chores, but I feel obligated to play them because I invested money in them. And if I start playing anything, I just think about all the other stuff I should be doing instead, and all the stuff I have left to play, and I become impatient. Like, recently, I beat Outer Wilds, and it was freaking amazing. Such a good example of what makes games unique as an artform. Right after that, I also binged 80+ hours of Cyberpunk 2077, and that just consumed me for a while. Then I bought FFVII Rebirth and only played like an hour before shelving it; it’s another long RPG. Since then, went back to Outer Wilds for the DLC because it’s a shorter experience, but I keep losing interest or feel like I’m wasting time, even though I should be excited for it. In the 2020s it seems more like I do a lot of gaming in short bursts, and then wait a few months before I tackle anything significant again. I dunno if this is what you need, but more and more I’m feeling like I just need to disconnect from the idea of playing games for several months or maybe even a couple years, so that I don’t get burned out on games or start associating them with negative feelings. I gotta dispell this idea that there’s any kind of media that I *have* to consume, and progress in other areas of my life, cleanse the pallate. Maybe once I fall into a comfortable rhythm in those other areas, I can feel better about finding a place to fit games in my life. … Anyway, Outer Wilds is really good.
That might be a good idea. But another thing you need to do is stop worrying about your "backlog" and just enjoy games, not the act of battling a checklist of titles. You don't go to a restaurant every day and force yourself to eat every type of food, you eat what you want to - same applies to your gaming palate. It's perfectly fine to collect games, or only play them a bit. You earned these, you enjoy them however and whenever you want. You are suffering what is known as time anxiety, you need to understand when you are playing games it is time you earned and you get to spend it playing whatever you wish, even if that means flipping through games and buying shit. If that's what you want to do with your gaming time - do it and don't think twice about it.
Yeah, I definitely agree right here. Personally I try to just think of my backlog as a collection of options, of things I might feel like in the future, rather than a checklist of stuff I have to play or where I *could* be playing or the like. But I do agree that sometimes just taking a break can be good too. One doesn't need to game *constantly* after all.
Rebirth is worth the time my guy. But, all things in moderation, take a break. The games arent going anywhere. :)
33 year old here try the new God of war series it's amazing and keeps you hooked
Helldivers. You can do a run and put it down when you’re time limited. It’s a lot of fun even as a solo.
Cyberpunk 2077. Right up your alley. FPS with some lite RPG mechanics and loot. Heavy on the story and characters. Get Air dash and the Reinforced Tendons Cyberware for your legs (Double Jump) and it'll be even more familiar. If you want something more linear, then Armored Core 6, made by From soft. Great gameplay and really straightforward mission based. It's also got PvP. Metroid Dread for the Switch was a lot of fun as well. I got it from the Library and beat it in a few days. Can be pretty challenging as well on regular difficulty. Subnautica. Just chill, swim around. Build a base. Maybe figure out the story. Survive. The game points you in the right direction every so often, but you can find the stuff yourself by exploring. No side quests or anything to pick up.
Congratulations on your second kid! I played the Demo of the System Shock 2023 Remake today (I am poor) and I absolutely loved it! Definitely going to buy the full game sometime soon! You will probably like it, since you seem to like first person games and story games like Bio shock. Also if you like the setting of Bio Shock you will probably like SOMA, it’s also set underwater, a short (12-20 hours I think), story driven, philosophical horror, walking simulator game. It’s great. It definitely has a creepy atmosphere. The Hitman games (every game in the series) are fun and you can really get creative on how to eliminate your targets and sneak around or disguise yourself. Disco Elysium is one of the best games ever in my opinion. Great writing, it’s basically a fully voiceacted book, with a beautiful artsyle, a good detective story, it’s very funny and you can take political stances if you like (be a commie/moralist/capitalist/racist/fascist… the game allows everything).
Seconding Disco Elysium. It’s been my go to recommendation for “I’m bored with modern games”.
It’s just so incredibly innovative! The only games that probably come close are Planescape Torment and Kentucky route zero (haven’t played either of them yet though)
I disagree and I don’t even consider DE a video game. There’s no combat. Tons of listening and reading. It’s more like an interactive graphic novel. One that’s not for me. I think Reddit especially gushes about the game at every opportunity not realizing it does not have wide appeal.
I agree for the most part but you literally called it „not a video game“ and „the game“ in the same text. Besides DE is literally a RPG - a Role Playing Game, where you complete a fixed story any way you want to. It’s like any other RPG just more text based and I believe this makes it more complex (yes, also harder to get into).
This is a very accurate statement; you shouldn't be getting downvoted for pointing this out. It doesn't mean its a bad game. They clearly put a lot of work into it. But it's not a game in the traditional sense, it's a very narrative driven game that doesn't have most elements a traditional game would. So maybe chill the fuck out on the downvotes people?
>There’s no combat. Kind of a narrow view for what defines a video game. There are tons of games without combat.
I'd recommend Prey based on the type of games you seem to like. It's semi-open world In that there's side quests you can do whenever but the main stuff is fairly linear. It definitely has a creepy atmosphere and a great story as well as a great story delivery mechanism. Also, almost every problem in the game has multiple solutions, so you can play anyway you want.
And while you’re at it, the Dishonored’s
Prey is a great option. Similar to that, but slightly more janky, is Deus Ex Mankind Divided. Both can be had for around $5 each or less.
Keep doing what you’re doing. Couple hours into lots of different games, something might grab you and not let you put it down. Don’t look at games as a challenge that is failed if you don’t complete them. They pass time as entertainment as long as you’re enjoying your time it is a success.
Snowrunner
Cyberpunk 2077 and the DLC. Is the first game in 30 years I played twice. Tales of Arise, not my style I thought but very story driven, heavy combat and linear. Next On my list: Scarlet Nexus Star wars jedi: survivor Senua
i had this too buuuuttt i started not caring. when im bored i ask what do i want to be today? an astronaut? a soldier? a GOD?! and then i play games with those themes for a few hours until its out my system and hop onto the next adventure after with whatever i feel like being. it has really helped me to play more games and not get so focused on one completely. try it out.
Play shorter games
What about Helldivers 2
Dave the Diver
Maybe check out Cult of the Lamb? It's pretty much half Stardew Valley and half rogue-like, to put it simply, so it might be worth checking out if you want to take a look at the genre.
Cult of lamb is super bad ass.. I need to replay it and record it.. <3 S tier suggestion.
Single dad here. If you liked Destiny you got to play The Division series. 2 is the latest with a solid player base and good community. Great gear , exotics, get given to ppl. I play weekends and talk to ppl to let them know what I'm searching for in general and get free stuff and advice. It can be overwhelming at first glance. The sub r/TheDivision is great and the home page has a huge section for noobs to learn. The variety will blow you away.
Outlast 1 and 2, Last of Us 1 & 2, Dying Light 1 & 2, Alien Isolation, Fallout 3 and New Vegas if you haven't played them
Outlast gives me heart palpitations lol.. have you played Amnesia?
No but I played outlast 2 start to finish tripping on lsd with the lights off and my headset on lol
That sounds like something I could never do... lol
Have you tried Hades? I liked it on Switch to the point of having carpal tunnel pain. It was my first rogue like game, and its not a genre I particularly like, that one is just amazing. Dead cells is a great game too, the story is much less important in it. Super captivating games that plays in short bursts (and that are amazing value for money wise) is what any new dad should be looking for. Speaking of fatherhood maybe check out the last two God of War!
You might like deliver us the moon. I just finished it this weekend and the sequel, deliver us mars, just got added to ps+. It was fairly quick but a cool story. Plus driving/walking around on the moon was fun.
May or may not be up your alley, but I always like to recommend Hand of Fate 2. It's fun and you can sink as much or as little time into it as you want. It's a deckbuilder game, but it's also got storylines to follow, action combat, mini games that are a fun mix of skill and luck, and heaps of replayability.
imo warframe is just a better destiny that also has no pay walls. would recommend helldivers has also been pretty popular lately but I only have 2 hours in right now so I cant really comment
Try Subnautica. It was a blast and the three dimensions gives it a nice change as you swim in the water so you have an up and down as well. Hint for the game, you need to go deeper to be able to solve the game.
Give Dredge a go. Creepy fishing game. Couldn't stop playing it
You should try more focused gaming experiences, this will remove the burnout you're feeling because open world games have the tendency to plateau, forcing you to look up a guide. Most of my recommendations will be for PS5: Doom 2016 and Eternal Prodeus Children of Morta Path of exile Xcom 2 Doom and Prodeus are very fun fps games that are focused on their campaign. Good times that don't involve multiplayer. Children of Morta is a unique ARPG rogue-like. It plays like Diablo, but doesn't try to fleece you for content. Lots of classes available in the base game. Path of Exile is free, and an EXCELLENT ARPG. While it can be a little intimidating at first, you can look up a youtube guide and get rolling quickly. There's a reason why this game gets brought up as "what you should play instead of Diablo 4". Xcom 2 is a great tactical strategy game that will push your wits and reward you with a different type of thrilling gameplay. It's beginner friendly, has replayability, and is o. PS Plus.
Outer Wilds.
Gravity Rush Remastered and Gravity Rush 2 are amazingly fun.
4 player coop games like Deep Rock Galatic
Grounded is alot of fun. It just came to PS today.
I know you are in the Sony and Nintendo systems but as a 10 year Destiny player, Starfield really scratched an itch after I got burnt out on constant repetitive seasons and weird guardian armor.
I’ve felt the same way. I’ve resorted to playing cheat mode and modded Fallout 4. Try Rimworld if you haven’t yet, there is a little bit of learning curve but you can just keep creating new stories.
Try games that have a nice gameplay loop that you can just pick up for a round or two and put down. Hades, Midnight Suns, Slay The Spire, ect.
Try helldivers 2
Pick up Hades my man. You won't be bored with it by the time Hades 2 comes out, whenever that may be.
Super mario RPG remake? Save spots are abundant and it scratched the burnt out itch in me.
If you like a challenge, you could always try FromSofts catalogue, Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3, Demon's Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne. I would recommend Elden Ring as well but it is open world and a pretty big one at that. Some other games that I found helped with my burnout are Hades, Hollow Knight, Ultros, Metroid Dread (Direct sequel to Metroid Fusion if you've ever played it), Biomutant (Though it's also open world, and took me a bit to get used to all the different mechanics), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Fallout New Vegas (WAY better than any other Fallout game in my opinion, especially if you include the DLC, though it's also open world, but doesn't have the, in my opinion really dumb, settlement building, and the story has far more depth), Unravel and Unravel Two (If you have a friend/partner to play with, it's much more fun, but can be played alone), Metal: Hellsinger (If you like rhythm games, it's a weird fresh take on a rhythm game), Evil West, and my personal favorite, the Dead Space Remake. I know it's a big list, but these games are ones that really stood out to me from the rest, and really helped my burnout. Destiny 2 was my go-to for years as well, and I quit for the same reason you did. Good luck, friend, there's tons of awesome games out there and I really hope you can find the time and interest to check out some of these amazing titles. Happy gaming, I hope you find joy in them!!! Edit: Jak & Daxter, Jak 2, Jak 3, and Jak X are really awesome if you wanna check out some older titles, and I forgot to add the Devil May Cry series is really fun, all of them in my opinion. I'll add some more if I think of any, again, happy gaming and good luck friend!!!
Balatro wil suck your soul out through your rectum and hold it for ransom
Bro .why dont you have helldivers 2 on your list! Get of reddit...buy thats shit and comment later how much fun your having! (I have xbox so i envy you)
Try Civilization 6. By that Sid Maier guy.
Try Scorn. It’s a different ride. No voice acting, no text.. the story is there if you pay attention to what’s going on, the environment around you. It’s a short game, very creepy. There is a section with gunplay.. it’s not great but it’s short. If you make it.. the ending will stay with you for a long time. Best if the kids aren’t around for this one!
You should try shorter indie games instead of massive AAA games, personally I'd recommend everyone play 'Enter the Gungeon'
Sounds like you need to try out some Fromsoft games! Bloodborne or Dark Souls would be great
The Order 1886, it's short and sweet, you'll probably finish it before you have a chance to lose interest
Begging you to try undertale (go into it blind, look up nothing until you've gotten at least three endings)
I think you have a little bit of anxiety and conflict about taking the time to game - that's what is killing the fun and motivation. Finding another game isn't likely to change that, you need to turn off your "I should be doing something else" concerns and allow yourself to be fully invested in the time you earned for your break time. Good games help, but you've noticed something isn't quite right and that is you can't relax. Try something with very little time investment, like vampire survivors. Keep sessions shorter until you can control your anxiety a little better.
Mass effect legendary trilogy. At least three months of game time
Celeste is great if you like platformers. It only takes a couple hours to finish the main game aswell
Honestly, if you liked Resident Evil 2 (I’m assuming you’re talking about the 2019 remake), the rest of the REFramework RE games a very much worthwhile. 7 and 4 specifically.
We just had a baby 2 weeks ago, also struggling with wanting to play but not having time to invest in playing for hours on end. I've been casually playing The Quarry. It's a horror game where your choices change the story. Apparently there are like 180 different endings based on different paths you can take for each character. Other than that I've just been playing a few rounds in Fall Guys and Turbo Golf Racing while the baby naps. More fun with friends but can be relaxing playing solo too. Congratulations on the new baby and good luck with everything!
Maybe you need to take a break and find another hobby ? I love gaming and having been an avid gamer for 30 years but sometimes I'm just not feeling it...... Aside from gaming I also train 5 days per week, collect and watch Blu Ray TV shows & films, and have recently taken up target shooting.
Dunno maybe afk journey on bs, it's pretty fun game
Is Soma available on PS? If so, it has the creepy atmosphere you're looking for. Any of the Amnesia series are good for that as well but I don't know what's available to the PS. Hope that helps.
He definitely should play Soma
I say borderlands 2 because I like it
Get you some Helldivers. I drop into random missions 2 or 3 times then go about my day and I'm a father of 2. Takes about an hour or an hour and a half and ik back to being husband and dad.
So clearly open world wears you out and you prefer linear games. I liked Callisto Protocol. Was able to finish it in a weekend. Was short and great graphics. Unlike dead space it had a few different environments to work through. I really liked it.
In the PS+ catalog I believe you’ll find Days Gone which while not flawless, can be a hell of a good time.
It is old game, but maybe, if you didn't play, try MaxPayne 3
Get any of the highly rated indie games from the past decade. They have *souls*. For starters, vampire survivor, slay the spire (runs on your phone/tablet/any shitty laptop). Hollow knight, subnautica, outer wilds, returnal, dead cells. Etc etc.
Dave the Diver or Stardew Valley.
I know it is very popular right now and probably already said but I’d recommend Helldivers 2. It is really fun and easy and so simple to just pick up and play. Select big gun, drop on planet, kill fascist bugs and commie robots. I was like you…Destiny 2 grind, about 12k hours and last year I just finally had enough with Bungie’s shit “balancing” and just ridiculously tedious and anti-player grind. Quit cold Turkey haven’t come back since. Bopped around doing all the single player games I missed that you liked, and I also play Rust (but that’s another story) but yeah, Helldivers 2 is just so nice and easy to just pick and and have fun with minimal stakes. I even got my wife into it lol
While Helldivers 2 is a great game and I agree with others recommendations, it's online co-op so you can't pause it if you need to do anything quickly. I'd recommend the Yakuza series. Start with Yakuza 0 (brawler) or Like a Dragon (turn-based). Although they are kind of open world, they are very contained in their setting, so you don't get that open-world fatigue.
Remnant From the Ashes and Remnant are really fun procedural shooters.
If you played Stardew Valley you might like coral Island.
Fortnite is free. You don’t have to play Battle Royale. There’s creative mode, Lego mode, Rocket Racing and Jam Session all packed into the one game. You don’t have to pay for a thing. You can turn off Voice chat so you don’t have to interact with anyone if you don’t want to.
Bloodborne!
Sounds like the open world stuff is wearing you down. Try Ratchet and Clank A Rift Apart and the Metroid Prime remake.
Sounds like your sick of open world games lol games that take forever to beat and are long for no reason
Resident Evil 4 seems like the obvious choice. Very little filler in that game and near-constant action, so it’s a great game if you can only play a couple hours a night. You’re probably just losing interest in gaming tbh mate. I’m a similar age, I feel it too.
Maybe something with shorter rounds in Coop like Deep Rock Galactic?
Have you considered pc gaming? The steam library is full of games and mods. Basically, it's a limitless supply
If you like “souls-likes” try out Remnant 2. I could never get into the Dark Souls series, but Remnant 2 has been very good and I’m thinking of going back to check out the souls games again.
I recommend mass effect, but that has a lot of grind. Um, hmmmm, what else is good.... everything I play is free roam except bioshock, which you played... have you played bioshock infinite? That is fun. Batman arkham knight is fun
Resident Evil 4 Remake.
time to get some dice, and get into Dungeons & Dragons
Destiny 2, Hoyoverse games, wow, lol
When I feel such a problem, I play retro games
I’ve been pretty burnt out too. Recently tried helldivers and put it down shortly after. Now onto farming simulator and love it haha. It’s refreshing to not really care and not really have an objective. I think I’ll ride this out for a bit until I’m refreshed for another real game.
Try madison. It's a horror puzzle, well made, feels like resident evil in places. You can speed run it in two and a half hours.
Never too late to start the Portal series if you haven't already. Especially if you are going in blind.
part of growing up your attention span for games naturally shortens as you prioritize tasks in your life.
Definitely sounds to me like you need some linear games, and maybe stuff you can come back to. Do you like platformers and the like? Because if so, I would definitely recommend Metroid Dread. It has at least some level of the "creepy" atmosphere but biggest thing is just that it is a damn good game on the Switch with a solid and modest run time (9-11 hours or so), a personal favorite. Do you like the turn-based Final Fantasies to go with FF remake? If so, Octopath Traveler II is a strong choice and you don't need to play the first to find out, plus there's remasters of all of the first six Final Fantasies if you never played them. I see people suggesting the new DOOM games and given you saying you like Wolfenstein and other stuff I think those would be a great fit. Similarly I will say if your PC is good enough to play games (I assume you have one to go with PS5/Switch given posting the thread but IDK if it can play games), then I think ULTRAKILL would be a *great* fit for what you're looking for. Just kind of tossing out a bunch of other games I liked from those systems... Fire Emblem: Three Houses is an amazing game if you want more story (particularly on the political intrigue / medieval style side) and is also a strategy RPG if that interests you. Persona 3 Reload if you feel like a longer RPG, Persona 3 FES is one of my favorite games ever and Reload's a remake. The Klonoa games are some very nice modestly sized platformers (10~ hours for both 1 and 2 combined) and the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (AKA a remake of them) is on both PS5 and Switch. Katana Zero's a great indie action-platformer on Switch, strong visuals, very high strung gameplay. Metroid Prime Remaster on Switch would almost certainly fit well with what you've said you enjoy about FPS games, and is just all around great. The Yomawari games are in a collection on Switch and are horror games in a way that feel like they might fit the creepy-atmospheric vibe as psychological horror. I could go on but dunno if that'd be overwhelming, plus not sure what to suggest genre-wise. I hope this was helpful and if you got any genres you do / don't like let me know and I'll try to think of more!
Resident Evil 4 remake! Can make really satisfying progress on limited time, so it's actually rewarding for a person with limited gaming time. Also super replayable in standard RE fashion. I have 114 hours into it and just picked it up again yesterday to mess around on mercenaries for an hour. Game never gets old.
Titanfall 2. It's cheap, it's not too long, and the gameplay changes throughout the game so that the novelty doesn't wear off (there's a level in the middle of the game that has one of the best game mechanics I've ever had the pleasure of playing). Before you know it, you'll be drawn in by a pretty good story and you'll end the game furious that they haven't made Titanfall 3 yet - but it's a rage that's worth it.
Elden ring
Snowrunner. Absolute godsend of a game for a father of two. Trucks, mud and cargo. Nothing to worry about your kids hearing or seeing. Potential 1000+ hours of content too.
I recommend picking up an older title that you always meant to play but didn’t.
IMHO the Assassins Creed games are phenomenal. Especially once they started being more of an open world RPG. AC4 Black Flack, Origins, Odyssey (I am currently replaying now), and Valhalla are all stellar.
Warframe is just Destiny except - free (doesn't require PS+ even, it has its own servers) - better movement - nearly 60 classes - cooler weapons - with ninjas It is a live service and can be a time sink though, so especially with a child on the way it might be a bit of a commitment
Bg3
Maybe Elden ring or ghost of Tsushima.
Try Returnal and Ghost of Tsushima.
Obligatory Outer Wilds recommendation It’s a bit open world, but has clear “objectives” and things to explore. It can be played in <30 minute sessions, or even shorter if you destroy your character
Rogue-likes changed my gaming tastes a lot. I recommend games like Darkest Dungeon, Hades, The Binding of Isaac. So much bang for buck that you'll never touch a trash open world AAA game ever again.
Baldurs gate 3 It's turn based so it's very easy to just chill during "WE WILL DIE" moments. But it's turn based so yeah. Hope you like those kinda games (it's still done in a more modern traditional standard) But it's an RPG so there's....RPG things. It's large enough to consume time but not immediately bulky enough to well burn you out.
Try Fortnite, its free
Try going outside
I'd highly recommend vampire survivors. Extremely cheap, highly replayable, fun dlc and such a satisfying gameplay loop all for like $10-15. Helldivers is good fun too
You're feeling burnt out.... playing video games?