I can’t think of a game that Valve has released just to make money except for Artifact which totally flopped.
From what I understand, Valve has a non-hierarchical internal personnel structure and projects are started because someone has an idea that other people at the company like and want to work on.
Half-Life 3 won’t get traction inside Valve unless it has something to push the envelope like the other main-line games had. Half-Life had unrivaled first person storytelling. Half-Life 2 has unrivaled physics to play with. Half-Life Alyx had an interactive environment unlike anything else that exists even still. My money says if Valve can’t think of something gameplay-wise that’s as enticing right now as any of the previous games had when they were released, they don’t care that the story is still on a cliffhanger.
The wild monetary successes of Call of Duty and Fortnite send a clear message: treat unsupervised children as prey and you will earn billions of dollars
That’s perfect. I don’t think there could be a better way to describe it in one sentence. It’s also a fun spin on the “like skyrim with guns” oversimplification lol
I just finished playing Horizon: Zero Dawn for the second time and it was way more engaging than I remember it being back in 2017. Apparently a lot of reviews ragged on it for “not being Breath of the Wild” which is a lame thing to complain about, even if the game came out at the same time, and they share a lot of thematic elements (like heavily focusing on archery, fighting ancient machines, exploring a beautiful world, etc.).
But it’s a very different game, very narrative heavy, very beautiful, and very well-optimized on PC. The combat is very focused and fun in a good way.
Leave it to microsoft to join the party years late with a product that completely misses the point of what makes the original to their copy actually popular
Escape Academy? It’s a great escape room game (even better in co-op) but it’s more engaging than Escape Simulator since there’s a story pulling everything together. The story’s ridiculous but honestly the context adds entertainment value, regardless of how absurd it is.
SuperBrothers: Sword and Sworcery probably fits this bill. It’s an odd game, but I love the shit out of every minute of it. I have 3 hours in that game. I haven’t touched it since 2013, but I still remember just how ethereal and soothing it was while still being an exciting adventure game. One of the odder things about it is how it instructs you when and for how long to play it. For example, it tells you to stop playing it for a few weeks so the moon’s phase can change. Not that that’s a bad thing, but
I think my favorite aspect(s) about DOOM is that all of the games are good, they are all worth playing, and they are all representative of the peak of 3D technology from their respective release eras.
Aside from that, every DOOM short of DOOM 3 satisfies my primal need to violently, quickly, adeptly slaughter demons (which has needed far more satisfaction in recent years for some odd reason). I recently finished a nightmare DOOM 2016 playthrough and loved every minute beginning to end, yet again. I’m now in the depths of a nightmare DOOM Eternal playthrough and I can’t get over how addicting the game is. You CANNOT beat the game without engaging with every single one of the combat mechanics, but it’s up to you, your skills, and your digital (read: finger) dexterity to determine when and how you do that. It’s nothing but flawless game design, gorgeous visuals, technical mastery, and some of the best instrumental heavy metal there is.
I may be in the minority, but I went and played the first 2 Witcher games (and then the 3rd again) with the intention of seeing how CDPR grew as developers before I played Cyberpunk and I was blown away with how they have ALWAYS been good at making a game atmospheric and immersive. Yeah, the first game the whole combat experience is janky AF (but fun in its own way) and a few of the key character models (Zoltan shudder yeesh) look horrifying, but the game, story, atmosphere, and storytelling that made the Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 great were all present and noticeable in the Witchers 1 and 2
I saw the title and the first thing that came to mind was DOOM (2016) lol.
I love all the games, but there’s something about the 2016 reboot that feels wonderfully immersive. I just beat the Cyberdemon in a replaythrough and the way it throws you across the room but the Slayer just slides angrily instead of tumbling and smacking into the wall puts a devilish(angelic) smile on my face
Yeah that’s fair. But with how they’ve managed other “first party” titles I do not trust their policies.
I’m most curious to see how Senua’s Saga comes how since it should be a single player-only game that won’t fit into the monetization scheme Microsoft seems to like most
It’s old enough that I can’t attest to how hidden it was/is, but Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery is likely the greatest 3 hours I’ve spent in a single videogame. It’s chock-full of confidence and style and atmosphere. The story is nothing unique but the presentation is everything. Pixellated graphics contrasted with vivid sound design and a glorious soundtrack. I love everything about it.