Really glad to see this finally hit 1.0; idiosyncratic titles like this are my favourite thing about Early Access. For all the early, often substantiated negativity about the model, it enables developers to work on a lot of cool stuff.
Same deal, and definitely. Before 2.0 I thought Cyberpunk did some really cool stuff with narrative and inter-quest structures, but now the core of the game is a ton of fun all by itself. (The little Edgerunners references in the perk trees are a nice touch, too!)
And god do I love being free of the tedious incentives to check/compare all your attire and weapons for the best stats; standardisation here is a blessing.
Even if you’re excessively concerned with morality and what people think of you, the only people realistically going to kick up a fuss about “pirating” games one already owns are Nintendo’s lawyers.
Just finished Yakuza 3, started Yakuza 4. Enjoying the visual bump, and some refreshing changes to the combat, though I loved the story of Y3. Also playing through BotW for the first time (very late to the party).
Trying not to get sucked in too deep by my return to OSRS on top.
It’s not “obsolete” for set characters, which is what this is if they have pre-established stories and personalities.
You think the PoE devs aren’t getting paid? lol
That’s not how budgets nor gamedev work. It’s not up to individual developers to just add huge amounts of content to a game that hasn’t been budgeted for.
No, I’m not, because I’m not a PoE2 dev and don’t need an excuse. You’re ignoring the realities of gamedev and insisting it should just work because you say so.
They even acknowledged that they could offer it as micro transaction
If they did, that means budgeting for the additions needed because it would be a product in itself.
I’ve never played PoE, and only watched a friend play it briefly; so nice try, but no, I’m not just stanning for a developer out of some absurd association of one’s ego with a product.
You need to actually learn how development works, and I’m not replying further until you either do that or stop being so aggressive.
Throwing all your previous “arguments” out of the window
If you actually read what I said, instead of obsessing over winning an argument no one cares about, you would realise that was the exact thing I said from the start. Unless you can’t even tell you’ve been frothing at two separate people.
I just hope it doesn’t mean more of SE prioritising growing the playerbase over retaining vets. I’m pretty new myself, but the homegenisation of jobs (especially healers, dear god) is clearly not good for the long-term health of the game.
Beyond a certain point, you have to take a risk and say screw balance; otherwise you just make everything the same, and render jobs little more than cosmetic differences.
Seems like they tried to grow the company waaaaaaaaay too fast (practically doubled their number of employees since TW3 was released).
Obviously this sucks, but it’s good that they’re not unceremoniously dropping people with zero notice (looking at you, Activision). Doubt we can expect an environment where gamedev layoffs suddenly disappear, but people actually getting advanced warning about this stuff would be a huge improvement on the industry’s norms.
I got a Quest 2 a while back and played around with it a bit. There were some entertaining games like “I expect you to die” and the first portion of “Lone Echo”, but mostly they just felt like proof of concept demos and I quickly lost interest....
Have you ever played a game and wondered what if you could do something that it doesn’t really allow you to do, for example being able to move around blocks in Minecraft fluidly instead of in sectors, edit the world in Hogwarts legacy with spells, be able to fly in a world like Elden Ring or Elder Scrolls with epic sky...
Blizzard is desperate here. Am I right in thinking this is the first time they’ve put anything on Steam?
Enjoyed Overwatch back in the day, i.e. when it was new; but really not a fan of them reducing team sizes to make it a more conventional “fit” with other ‘esports’.
I recently posted about finding time to game as a parent and the community has provided a bunch of good suggestions. Thank you! After reading all comments, I think it really boils down to accessibility of gaming for the occasional moments of free time that I do have in my busy schedule. The ability to pick something up easily,...
Got a bit carried away, but hopefully this is useful to somebody:
The Steam Deck is surprisingly versatile, especially now Valve have released the dock (enabling portable monitors). The most obvious benefits over a gaming laptop (beyond the price) are the smaller form-factor and relative quiet compared to a strong gaming laptop.
The main thing you should ask yourself is what you want to play.If your answer to that looks like “Crusader Kings III, Dota 2, and the latest competitive shooter”, then it might not be the best choice. But in general, you’d be surprised by how many games work great thanks to its extremely versatile input options.
Games that released before controller support on PC was mainstream – such as Oblivion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Deus Ex, or Baldur’s Gate – typically play fine thanks to its extensive input customisation (including custom radial menus), its dual trackpads and gyroscope, and the community layout system. There are exceptions where you’d want a keyboard and mouse, but not as necessary as you’d expect.
Beyond info on software compatability, ProtonDB also includes Deck-specific reports at the top of each page detailing others’ experiences, such as whether they used a specific community layout or input method, performance under specific conditions (such as limiting power or frames to conserve battery life), and legibility on a smaller display. The wealth of shared controller configs is easily one of the greatest strengths the Deck has.
(And while other, more recent – albeit more expensive – options have stronger performance at higher power settings, the Deck has a strange persistence in outperforming its competitors at low power settings (source).)
Again, it’s mostly down to what you want to play. If you want to play recent releases with all the bells and whistles enablesd, you’d need to pay for a laptop many times the cost of a Deck (desktops less dramatically). Given you’re even considering handheld PCs I’m assuming that’s not your priority. Cyberpunk and the ever-demanding Red Dead Redemption 2 have been in the top 20 most-played games on Deck since Valve started publishing that information, so simply playing them isn’t an issue. (The top 100 games for 2023 by daily active players can be seen at the bottom here.)
To address some specific games and genres: If you’re into MOBAs, League and Dota play fine but you’ll want to be using a keyboard and mouse, while grand strategy games would at least warrant an external display.
If you want to play the latest CoD multiplayer, Valorant, or the upcoming Tarkov Arena, you should probably get a laptop. (You can install Windows on the Deck, but I can’t speak to that firsthand.) The trackpads themselves are viable for FPS games, though a learning experience, but the main issue here is that most developers haven’t enabled the option for their anti-cheat to work on Linux. Hunt: Showdown is a happy exception to this trend.
Almost any singleplayer RPG, FPS, or adventure game can be made to work just fine. Emulation has EmuDeck and can play most older games – assuming general emulator compatibility – up to some PS3 titles (like Demon Souls, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, or the MGS HD Collection) and even a lot of Switch titles. Traditional roguelikes include many among the few 2D/singleplayer titles that don’t simply work out of the box. Yet a substantial number play great (e.g. Jupiter Hell, Tangledeep, Shiren the Wanderer, Caves of Qud); and many others have community layouts already so you don’t have to take the time to set one up yourself. It was learning that Dwarf Fortress played fine on Deck that opened my eyes to just how flexible the chunky little handheld can be.
I hope that helps in determining whether the Deck suits your personal needs; if there’s any angle I didn’t cover adequately that you have questions about, please feel free to ask.
Edit: Slight clarification, re: “Almost any singleplayer RPG, FPS, or adventure game” – this year, many multiplatform games have released on PC in a poorly optimised state, and depending on your personal tolerance the Deck may struggle to provide an adequate experience for them. Though it’s hard to give a recommendation in one direction or the other without knowing your budget, as such titles are often found lacking on even the newest consumer desktop hardware (hardware very few laptops can compare directly against, and so many will suffer these issues in a similar manner). A relevant Digital foundry video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oav-pZyA8y4
Don’t have Game Pass, but I believe the options on Deck are currently to either install Windows and use the Xbox app, or following these instructions to access Xbox Cloud Gaming from SteamOS. (Assume that’s what you meant?)
Do you only plan on playing games available through Game Pass? I know there’s a couple of handheld devices (not really handheld PCs, Switch/Deck-esque with Android and smart phone hardware) that are built specifically for Xbox’s cloud gaming. (Maybe you don’t even know what you intend to play at this stage, and just expect to play whatever’s available without paying more money?)
If you buy a Steam Deck you’d probably eventually end up getting a bunch of things through Steam’s big sales (you’d have money spare to do so, if nothing else). If you buy a strong laptop, you’d have access to the same sales, and you might want to buy more games anyway to justify the relative price. Hard to really guess what use case would suit you without knowing what future you would want to play (or how well future Game Pass would correlate).
Also, are there any issues still plaguing the device?
The only real issue I ever had was some WiFi connectivity problems, but I haven’t experienced those for months now. I genuinely struggle to understand the experience of the other commenter, simply because it’s so far from my own experiences. And if anything I’ve found Steam’s use of Deck-Verified to be pretty conservative at times.
As long as I’ve had the thing there’s been a fairly constant stream of updates and bugfixes.
After all, the Steam Deck is still a first gen product. I can’t wait to see what they will do in their next iteration.
Hah, hard to know when that’ll appear. I’ve been waiting years for a second iteration of the index, and at this point I wish I’d just bought one years ago. Valve aren’t exactly the most transparent company with their ongoing projects.
Yeah, that’s a great use for it. I guess I rely on Steam refunds being automatic under 2 hours played, but it’s not quite the same liberty to try things as with Game Pass. Certainly seems like a no-brainer if you have an Xbox (or at least it was even a decision before they decided to make Xbox Live and Game Pass the same thing).
Hah, no kidding. Before I read that remark in the OP, I was going to mention it given it’s completely free up until the end of Heavensward, but given OP’s disclaimer and how many people get filtered by the slow burn of ARR it’s probably the worst suggestion in the case.
Hah, snap. I’m also somewhere around the end of 5.3, and have far too many hours logged (comes with levelling all jobs to somewhere between 70 and 81).
I’ve always found myself bouncing off hard on “make your own fun” type games like Minecraft or the newer Zeldas. This extends to any type of game that has no clear goals or motivators....
I don’t think I fit either side of this dichotomy (though if forced to pick would choose extrinsically), as I love a good story but am very much about the journey and not just the destination.
If I had to guess, the limits of development scope and the resulting limits on worlds being believably reactive means a lot of people are going to see themselves as extrinsically motivated, with the big exception being people that just love building things in sandboxes. Intrinsic motivators would be much easier to come across if more avenues of interaction felt fleshed out but for some rare exceptions.
Just an open world survival game, only you’re a cat, dealing with regular cat problems. You have to hunt, avoid larger animals, compete with other cats, figure out which humans are dangerous and which will give you treats, judiciously spray things to maintain your territory, maybe mate and reproduce (your sex and fertility...
... the Court finds the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content. The motion for a preliminary injunction is therefore DENIED.
It’s almost certainly a positive to see Bobby Kotick (boy do I struggle to maintain this site’s cardinal rule as far as he goes ) losing influence in the “AAA” games industry; but it’s not good to see MS buying every studio they can get hold of. Both these things can be true simultaneously.
My biggest concern with MS’s rampant acquisition spree is what happens when there’a an economic downturn (as already seems to be the near future); will those newly acquired studio be subject to the corporate euphemism that is dOWnSiZiNg? How many working on moderately niche titles will be out of a job and their work indefinitely shelved?
Hello! I already have some games that I’ll buy form the steam sale but I want to also buy some kind of online game. Any recommendations? For genres, I mainly prefer FPS’s but I am ok with everything.
Hunt is like a more accessible version of Tarkov, without the loot Tetris, gun modding, and crazy detailed ballistics, set in a cool Lovecraftian late 19th century iteration of Louisiana’s swamps. Strongly recommend! (To anyone concerned about monetisation, outside buying the game, everything else is entirely cosmetic.)
So far I’m liking the base game a lot, but I wasn’t sure if the DLCs add a whole lot more to the game that make it more enjoyable than it is already or if it’s merely extra content for hardcore fans. Any thoughts?
Thank god LostWinds didn’t die with WiiWare. (Though playing it with a mouse isn’t really the same, admittedly.) I was so glad when I saw it pop up on Steam.
A lot of trash doesn’t have a reason to be rereleased, for sure, but I think you’re maybe underestimating how many genuinely cool titles get neglected for a heap of dumb, business-related reasons.
Hello! I’m looking for any game recommendations on GOG – especially anything that’s on sale! Tell me about your favorite few games that you have on GOG, or maybe some gems in the rough out there. I’ve seen a few threads on Steam lately, so it feels appropriate to me to look for some love on one of the smaller game...
I love obscure and overlooked games and want to share a bunch with all of you. Most “hidden gem” threads end up listing titles with thousands of reviews or that got some level of marketing. I aim to mostly avoid that. While you may see a few familiar games here, everything in the list below has under 1500 reviews on Steam...
I’ve recently rekindled my love for Katamari Damacy and it made me wonder if there’s any other amazing cult classics out there that aren’t talked about these days. What are your recommendations?
Sands of Time was so cool. That series was flawed (Warrior Within was the emo-most game in an era full of emo sequels as the original audience reached adolescence), but I’m sad that it essentially got canceled by warping into AC.
Would disagree it’s where the game begins, given how story-directed it is. FFXIV is, to me, a single-player JRPG in the shell of MMO combat with a huge amount of multiplayer content. (Especially with the fulfilment of duty support allowing you to do MSQ dungeons with bots.)
Would recommend OS over RS3, because much as I love archaeology, RS3 is overmonetised (I think most of the community agrees with that?), and that seems like a big part of what OP wanted to get away from.
The best part of video games back in the day was making memories with your friends, now it all feels like structured fun. “This is how you play the game and this is when you are supposed to have fun” Idk if that makes sense.
Yeah, it's a golden age for indie development. I struggle to find AAA games I want to play, but when it comes to games as a whole I have far too many I want to check out thanks to the current vibrancy of the indie scene.
I've recently found that big (mostly open world) games tend to overwhelm or even intimidate me. I'm a big fan of the Rockstar games and absolutely adored Breath of the Wild, but my playthrough of Tears of the Kingdom has been a bit rocky from the get-go....
World Of Horror review: a weird and wonderful horror adventure in time for Halloween (www.rockpapershotgun.com)
Weekly “What are you playing” Thread || Week of October 15th
Whatcha playing!...
Pirating games you own?
This might seem stupid, but hear me out....
Weekly “What are you playing” Thread || Week of July 30th
Whatcha all playing!...
Path of Exile 2 New Gameplay Trailer (youtu.be)
Videogame fantasy settings are staler than mouldy bread right now (www.pcgamer.com)
Final Fantasy 14 heading to Xbox (www.eurogamer.net)
Caves of Qud to be published by Kitfox Games & 1.0 release trailer (youtu.be)
Caves of Qud is my favorite game ever and I’m absolutely stoked :)...
Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher studio CD Projekt laying off 100 staff (www.pcgamesn.com)
Are there any good VR games yet?
I got a Quest 2 a while back and played around with it a bit. There were some entertaining games like “I expect you to die” and the first portion of “Lone Echo”, but mostly they just felt like proof of concept demos and I quickly lost interest....
Best "Lets Play" Series
What are the best Let’s Play series that you have seen? Looking for something to watch while I’m exercising.
What type of game do you want to play that doesn't really exist?
Have you ever played a game and wondered what if you could do something that it doesn’t really allow you to do, for example being able to move around blocks in Minecraft fluidly instead of in sectors, edit the world in Hogwarts legacy with spells, be able to fly in a world like Elden Ring or Elder Scrolls with epic sky...
Overwatch 2 is releasing on Steam on 10th August (store.steampowered.com)
Gaming laptop or handheld PC?
I recently posted about finding time to game as a parent and the community has provided a bunch of good suggestions. Thank you! After reading all comments, I think it really boils down to accessibility of gaming for the occasional moments of free time that I do have in my busy schedule. The ability to pick something up easily,...
Where to even start with Final Fantasy?
I’ve been wanting to jump in on the final fantasy universe for a while now but I’m not sure where to start....
I finally got a Switch! What now?
After years of lamenting about the cost, I was gifted a switch recently (
Are you an intrinsically or extrinsically motivated gamer?
I’ve always found myself bouncing off hard on “make your own fun” type games like Minecraft or the newer Zeldas. This extends to any type of game that has no clear goals or motivators....
Stray really disappointed me. I want a real cat game.
Just an open world survival game, only you’re a cat, dealing with regular cat problems. You have to hunt, avoid larger animals, compete with other cats, figure out which humans are dangerous and which will give you treats, judiciously spray things to maintain your territory, maybe mate and reproduce (your sex and fertility...
Any good online multiplayer that are discountes on steam?
Hello! I already have some games that I’ll buy form the steam sale but I want to also buy some kind of online game. Any recommendations? For genres, I mainly prefer FPS’s but I am ok with everything.
Are the Dead Cells DLCs worth looking into at all?
So far I’m liking the base game a lot, but I wasn’t sure if the DLCs add a whole lot more to the game that make it more enjoyable than it is already or if it’s merely extra content for hardcore fans. Any thoughts?
87% Missing: the Disappearance of Classic Video Games (gamehistory.org)
Games that Don't Fake the Space (youtu.be)
This video is an incredible look into the idea of size and space in video games. Highly recommend a watch.
Games on GOG?
Hello! I’m looking for any game recommendations on GOG – especially anything that’s on sale! Tell me about your favorite few games that you have on GOG, or maybe some gems in the rough out there. I’ve seen a few threads on Steam lately, so it feels appropriate to me to look for some love on one of the smaller game...
Actual Hidden Gems on Steam
I love obscure and overlooked games and want to share a bunch with all of you. Most “hidden gem” threads end up listing titles with thousands of reviews or that got some level of marketing. I aim to mostly avoid that. While you may see a few familiar games here, everything in the list below has under 1500 reviews on Steam...
What forgotten cult classic games are worth revisiting?
I’ve recently rekindled my love for Katamari Damacy and it made me wonder if there’s any other amazing cult classics out there that aren’t talked about these days. What are your recommendations?
Does an MMO with no way to turn money into power exist?
I miss playing MMO’s, but micro transactions ruin any sense of progression for me....
Is it me or are games really not fun anymore
The best part of video games back in the day was making memories with your friends, now it all feels like structured fun. “This is how you play the game and this is when you are supposed to have fun” Idk if that makes sense.
Steam Summer Sale: Hidden Gem/ Recommendations thread
Hey all. Always enjoyed reading everyone's suggestions on more unknown games available during big steam sales....
Does anyone else sometimes feel overwhelmed by (big) games?
I've recently found that big (mostly open world) games tend to overwhelm or even intimidate me. I'm a big fan of the Rockstar games and absolutely adored Breath of the Wild, but my playthrough of Tears of the Kingdom has been a bit rocky from the get-go....