120°

Recapturing the Love of Exploring and Discovering as an Adult Gamer

BY JOHN SANTINA: As adult gamers, it can be difficult to find the joy that we once found in exploring every nook and cranny in a video game world. Speaking personally, I’ve found that even minor deviations from the main plot can quickly begin to feel like a needless chore.

I’m determined to recapture the joy of exploring and discovering as an adult gamer.

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growngaming.com
isarai1552d ago

Should really check out Outward, it's very good at rewarding exploration with tons if great things to discover. Also while pretty much the opposite of hand holding, it's also pretty forgiving replace death and reloading with "defeat scenarios" that picks a random scenario after being defeated that keeps the game moving. You can be saved and given a weapon by a mysterious being, or dragged into an animal den needing to crawl your way out alive an refind your gear

gamer91551d ago

In the same boat, but for me it’s the linear story driven games that I just can’t get into anymore. After 25 years of them, they seem very formulaic compared to something like Siege or PUBG where I’m playing against real humans and the adrenaline is pumping. I’ll always have a place to be immersed in something like Xcom 2 or fallout 4, but I haven’t clicked with a story driven linear game since TLOU. Could also use some of these tips on how to enjoy a story game like you’re a kid again ha ha. Looking forward to TLOU2!

Felix_Argyle_Catbro1551d ago (Edited 1551d ago )

SOMA
INSIDE
What Remains of Edith Finch
Observation
Dishonored
Tomb Raider 2013

6 great story-driven games for you. You can pick them all from the current Steam sale for probably less than 20 bucks combined.

Also, Dark Souls and Bloodborne for the pure joy of exploration and discovering.

gamer91551d ago

Thanks! I really enjoyed the soulsborne games and INSIDE as well. Is Dishonored 2 also recommended?

Felix_Argyle_Catbro1551d ago

Yes, I recommend Dishonored 2 as well.

william_cade1551d ago (Edited 1551d ago )

What Remains of Edith Finch surprised me. I will never forget playing her brother at the cannery.

EDIT (Bloodborne and Dark Souls are amazing)

Felix_Argyle_Catbro1551d ago

Oh, forgot to also recommend Hollow Knight and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Great games for exploration and discovering.

Atom6661551d ago

It's interesting because I find myself in a similar situation lately. There are still those exceptions where I'm interested in gaining that linear, engaging experience, but I'm finding myself being drawn away from those experiences more and more.

Sometimes it gives me a weird feeling of obligation and anxiety. Like I'm more focused on completing the game then enjoying the path to get there.

I've become an open world enthusiast more and more because of it. If I know I have X amount of time to game or just don't want to be heavily invested in something, I look to those games first. Maybe I clear out a base, do a side mission, or just explore. Maybe I play story missions for hours at a time. It's the variety that I like.

Similar thoughts about MP. I can drop in and drop out, play some competitive round of something and be on my way.

Felix_Argyle_Catbro1551d ago (Edited 1551d ago )

Dark Souls and Bloodborne are the best games for exploring and discovering. In these games you will actually find cool shit as you explore. Straight up big hidden areas with unique enemies and bosses, etc.

frostypants1551d ago (Edited 1551d ago )

There's only so much to explore in those, though. You're still very much kept on a general path. There's exploration but it's more along the lines of a Metroidvania-style exploration where you're just peeking down every path put in front of you. I love those games though. The very first one, Demon's Souls, may have been the most interesting in that sense, because there were a few secret areas that would only open up if the world tendency was dark or light enough, which relied on the behavior of other players. They did away with the world tendency mechanic in the other games and that always bummed me out.

1551d ago
frostypants1551d ago (Edited 1551d ago )

The problem is by a certain age you've seen enough games that you start seeing the patterns and design limitations that flew over your head as a younger gamer. And game developers haven't been able to take that next step in their open worlds to make truly interesting emergent gameplay, nor do they want to spend a lot of time on content that is purely optional...everything tends to feel shallow, e.g. "the Ubisoft/Far Cry problem". They need more randomness, better AI interacting within that randomness, and more hidden content, that is actually well thought out and elaborate, buried out in the world to make exploration rewarding (even knowing that most players may never even come across it). Otherwise you end up with a game where only the main plot has anything memorable.

One thing The Witcher 3 did well is it had lots of purely optional quests that actually took time to complete, with their own little storylines. I want to see that sort of dedication to optional content, but in a more exploration-oriented game design. Not everything has to be quest-based.

The author's complaint near the end about just not having time to even TRY some games is weird and a different topic entirely. Not sure what he was getting at there.

Show all comments (13)
70°

5 Most Brutal Ways to Die in the Fallout Universe

The Nerd Stash: "The Wasteland is unforgiving, and there are a ton of brutal ways to die in the Fallout universe. We listed out the absolutely worst ones."

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thenerdstash.com
JSONEHUNDRED4h ago

Personally I would have put Supermutant Suicide Bomber at number 1

360°

Fallout 4's 'next gen' update is over 14 gigs, breaks modded saves, & doesn't change much at all

We were expecting problems with mod support, but there are a lot of other issues.

isarai1d 5h ago

Wow what the actual hell 🤣🤣🤣

just_looken1d 5h ago

This is why you get the GOG version on gog you can select the version of the game to download.

On pc fallout 4 fallout new vegas and skyrim are all broken on steam because they all got the same "next gen" update.

Skyrim dec 2023
https://www.pcgamer.com/sky...

Can not find new vegas but anyone that modded it knows the script extender there was also broken

GamerRN3h ago

The amount of shade that gets thrown at Microsoft! This is a free next Gen upgrade that bumps up visuals quite a bit, and it's free! Not $10 like some companies...

Jesus, it's getting thick in here...

Valkyrye1d 3h ago

Not accidental, they want modders to stop modding their older games to force them to mod Shitfield.

just_looken1d 2h ago

There doing the same on starfield with a mods store and blocking mods

There goal is like blizzard and what they did with fallout 76 you make mods they can sell and you become a slave.

On skyrim they have "trusted" mod devs now basically a badge that lets your mod on the store you get a crumb of the sale when someone buys it.

GamerRN9h ago

The mods aren't broken, just modded saves

Michiel19899h ago

@gamerRN shhhh don't tell them, if you do they can't mindlessly hate a company when they're so uninformed anymore

MaximusTKG8h ago

My modded save is working fine. Perhaps it’s not a blanket issue.

Inverno1d ago

lol to the disagrees, the last Skyrim update broke mods too. They've been trying to kill mods to monetize them in creation club for years, it's not a stretch that they purposely put out patches just to break free mods.

porkChop22h ago

The disagrees are from people who have common sense. They aren't trying to kill mods. Most mods for any game will break with a new update because they rely on files/code that have been changed. This isn't new. Even with Bethesda this would happen way before the creation club. Mod support is literally one of the things that got Bethesda to where they are, and they're one of the only devs that releases comprehensive mod tools for each of their games.

Sirch12h ago

This is business 101.

These are massive companies who are here to make money, not please us gamers. They will charge whatever the market will bare, and will monetize everything they can until gamers stop buying.

People need to wake up and smell the capitalism that has come to gaming. They aren’t here for us any more, they are here for their profits.

just_looken3h ago

Thank you inverno it seems even after starfield there are still thousands that will do anything todd says and gives free blowjobs to team B.

Anyone with a working brain and a pc knows the on going war that is modding fallout/skyrim there dam paid mod store along with forced updates has done more harm than good.

For those that are like but update break mods all the time have never modded a unreal/unity game it takes a large update to break those games were as a simple 30-100mb skyrim updates kills the game except those paid mods.

But fallout 76 has a high player count and is considered by many of the new "gamers" a GOAT game so that says it all.

Armaggedon4h ago

Why do we keep bringing starfield into this. Purge the wrongful hate from yourself

just_looken2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

Because it still has the same framerate as fallout 3 on a xbox 360 with the same resolution 6 months later we still have only gotten a photo mode and every update there has been killing all mods but a paid mod store is on the horizon.

Fix starfield? na fuck that take this $40 blue skin mod bitch

If you read before the game was live you would see that said before and after official mod support on the way you can make your own planet but like i said 6 months later nothing has been added.

Starfield the biggest budget biggest team but smallest amount of content the most censorship the most control over the community including auto steam review reply with auto delete and exclusive to windows os with the same performance of 2005 hardware.

Armaggedon2h ago

There are plenty of articles and videos for you to go and be wrathful towards starfield… but this one aint it. This is a fallout 4 article.😂

Chocoburger23h ago

Over 14 GBs and doesn't change much at all? What? Taking up that much drive space for a pathetic 'remastering' is shameful.

Par for Bethesda.

Aussiesummer22h ago

It's not a remaster, it's a next gen update.

GamerRN9h ago

It actually bumps the settings up to ultra, 1440p 60fps. Added some new content. And it's free. That's a great upgrade to me...

badz14922h ago

LOL people are actually expecting massive improvements or something? From Bethesda?? the same people who released Skyrim multiple times and the all look like shit? THAT Bethesda? are people for real?

Profchaos21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

The ps5 version doesn't change a ton but from my small playtime it's enough to make me want to replay it just to have it running at 60.

A side note to this my PS4 version no longer boots after it's "update" so I guess that's what it feels like to own a Bethesda game on PC

1nsomniac9h ago

My ps4 version boots fine after the update. It flashed up some long message about the ps5 version when I got in to the game menu but as soon as it appeared the message disappeared so I couldn’t read it. But the game loaded in and I was able to play.

just_looken2h ago

Its a psplus deal with licenses they already went opps we hit wrong button we sorry.

Show all comments (41)
220°

Bethesda Looking Into PlayStation Plus Subscribers Not Being Able to Upgrade Fallout 4

Bethesda Customer Support Manager confirmed they're looking into Fallout 4 not being offered to those who redeemed via PlayStation Plus for free.

Read Full Story >>
infinitestart.com
Christopher1d 4h ago

Why would anyone downvote this? Don't be silly. This is great news. Thanks for sharing, darthv72.

MWeaver5891d 4h ago

I think it's because the main question for many was whether or not the PlayStation Plus Collection version would support the upgrade. To me it seems obvious the PlayStation Plus Extra version would, though it is nice to see confirmation it will.

That said, Bethesda highlighting the PlayStation Plus Extra version low-key confirms they do not plan on upgrading the other version given to players. Naturally some people are pissed, as even the in-game phrasing says "free for all players."

VenomUK1d 3h ago

@MWeaver589 Exactly this point, it was advertised as free for everyone.

VincentVanBro1d 2h ago (Edited 1d 2h ago )

It’s just a lame solution to the problem, even if it is a solution. The comment shouldn’t be downvoted though.

Christopher1d 2h ago

I mean, it's at least something. It's 'good' news compared to the alternative. Not darth's fault even.

Also, I highly believe this will get fixed. PR nightmare if they don't since the PS store doesn't differentiate/have different text for those with or without the PS+/PS Collection version.

VenomUK19h ago

@Christopher wrote "Why would anyone downvote this? Don't be silly. This is great news."

Is this your first time here?! And when you question the downvotes you get downvoted - I don't make the rules but that's the rules!

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 19h ago
raWfodog1d 3h ago

Even though I claimed the PS Plus version, I still have my physical GOTY PS4 edition and was able to get my PS5 upgrade a little earlier today. Physical media FTW lol. Hopefully it won't be too long before the PS Plus owners also get to upgrade their copies.

JackBNimble1d 3h ago

My digital version works just fine , what's your point?

raWfodog1d 2h ago

My point is that even though I claimed the digital version via my PS+ Essential sub, I was still able to upgrade to the PS5 version using my PS4 GOTY physical version that I bought years ago. Otherwise I would have had to wait for the fix to be released, however long that will take. Isn’t that what the article was about?

JackBNimble21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

No, you claimed an upgrade that everyone with the physical or digital license can other then ps+ extra .
And what you hold is nothing more then a physical license.

And the article is talking about people with ps+extra who didn't own the game previously to it going on ps+ .

I bought the game years ago to ... digitally, my whole point was to your statement " physical media Ftw" . So what does physical have to do with anything?

raWfodog2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

Dude, the comment about physical ftw was supposed to be funny. Did you miss the ‘lol’ after it? That was an issue specific to my case and wasn’t meant to be taken as a stance on physical vs digital. The problem with these forums is that everyone takes everything too seriously lol.

FYI I have bought more digital games than physical over the past five years so I’m good with either format.

k2d15h ago

Should have looked into the 75% deal before the update, but I just assumed I owned it. Thankfully I found the physical disc, ha...

raWfodog2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

But wait! Listen to the dude who also commented above. You can’t be thankful that you found the physical because you don’t actually own it LOL, and you can’t be thankful that you didn’t have to wait for them to fix the issue with the PS+ version. So what was your point? 🤣😁

blacktiger1d ago

I expect this and also no releasing on next ps console. Pretty simple. Please don't be suprise

purple10114h ago(Edited 14h ago)

More like not releasing on next Xbox, all games sell better on ps due to 1 more consoles in the wild, &, 2 ps players buy more games. The fallout games take a long time to make I assume, probably want to make a good profit on that development time

Literally yesterday “Chairman And CEO Microsoft Satya Nadella:

"We committed to meeting players where they are by brining great games to more people on more devices."

anast8h ago

They don't need to. They have shill game writers trying to point people to the $35 version...yeah, let that sink in.