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[0neAnd0nly]

All seriousness.

I am a 90s child.

Grew up on NES -> GameBoy, then to N64 (my first real love with gaming).

For N64 Mario 64, Goldeneye (GOAT), Diddy Kong Racing, Pokemon Stadium, etc. All fun. Gaming as a whole felt fun. Fresh. Exciting.

PS2 was the same way. I think of even moderately received games (not focusing only on massive hits); Matrix, Shinobi, etc. All felt fun.

PS3 did the same for me... at least at the beginning. Warhawk, KZ2, etc. Everything felt fun, fresh with even gritty games having an element of fun (Max Payne, for example).

PS4 - PS5 has had a drop of in that for me. Granted, I am getting older and don't value gaming as much however I don't think that is exclusively the problem. There are small niches of games that come out that scratch that feeling (at least for a time); Rocket League, Fall Guys, AstroBot, etc. But the majority of games today seem to lack the soul, the fun of what they used to contain. I play and enjoy the Finals but I don't get the same feeling. I certainly don't get it in most story driven games today, that all feel clone-ish to GTA when open world, and stale and safe when not (again, there are exceptions - but just in general).

Interestingly, one of the generational examples of this is Red Dead Revolver -> Red Dead Redemption series. Revolver was light hearted, fun, goofy and linear. I don't find RDR to have that kind of soul, instead feeling like GTA out West.

Thoughts? Anybody else feel the same?

 

[R6Rider]

I've had just as much fun this generation as I have had any before. Lots of great titles are releasing all the time and also VR stuff.

 

[Puscifer]

Really just depends on what you're looking for. I've found my fun comes from my changing taste than anything else. Hell, last year I put more hours in Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Balatro and Cyberpunk 2077 than any big AAA title (maybe outside of Warhammer 2? But I was one and done with that one)

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

 

[GHG]

My current rotation consists of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Helldivers 2 and Le Man's Ultimate, and I'm having a ton of fun.

You probably need to just try sticking to the types of games you enjoy and sticking to them until exhaustion instead of just playing any "hot" new thing.

 

[KimDongHwan]

All seriousness.

I am a 90s child.

Grew up on NES -> GameBoy, then to N64 (my first real love with gaming).

For N64 Mario 64, Goldeneye (GOAT), Diddy Kong Racing, Pokemon Stadium, etc. All fun. Gaming as a whole felt fun. Fresh. Exciting.

PS2 was the same way. I think of even moderately received games (not focusing only on massive hits); Matrix, Shinobi, etc. All felt fun.

PS3 did the same for me... at least at the beginning. Warhawk, KZ2, etc. Everything felt fun, fresh with even gritty games having an element of fun (Max Payne, for example).

PS4 - PS5 has had a drop of in that for me. Granted, I am getting older and don't value gaming as much however I don't think that is exclusively the problem. There are small niches of games that come out that scratch that feeling (at least for a time); Rocket League, Fall Guys, AstroBot, etc. But the majority of games today seem to lack the soul, the fun of what they used to contain. I play and enjoy the Finals but I don't get the same feeling. I certainly don't get it in most story driven games today, that all feel clone-ish to GTA when open world, and stale and safe when not (again, there are exceptions - but just in general).

Interestingly, one of the generational examples of this is Red Dead Revolver -> Red Dead Redemption series. Revolver was light hearted, fun, goofy and linear. I don't find RDR to have that kind of soul, instead feeling like GTA out West.

Thoughts? Anybody else feel the same?

I was in the same boat, but then switched from PlayStation to mostly PC, and on Steam you can find like infinite smaller games that are not bloated and trying new things and are cheaper and all that. Highly recommended. Is difficult to expect this from AAA given the risk to try new things is much more expensive.

 

[Puscifer]

Also, RDR and RDR. One thing to remember is that Revolver was literally an arcade game Rockstar rescued and converted into a TPS. I really wanna know wtf happened to Bully 2 since they hired the original composter mid development and was never heard from again.

 

[0neAnd0nly]

I've had just as much fun this generation as I have had any before. Lots of great titles are releasing all the time and also VR stuff.

Really just depends on what you're looking for. I've found my fun comes from my changing taste than anything else. Hell, last year I put me hours in Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Balatro and Cyberpunk 2077 than any big AAA title (maybe outside of Warhammer 2? But I was one and done with that one)

I guess it's probably just re-prioritizing for me, then.

It's tough. I still play, I worked in the industry, I did journalism in the industry, etc. I have a large attachment to it.

But I definitely don't feel the joy I use to, granted, I don't play as much either.

 

[existensmaximum]

OP, I agree. The only game this generation that I've genuinely had fun with is Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[Zacfoldor]

I think a lot of people have lost their love of gaming. They have a love of graphics and technology and communication and discord but gaming has been left behind by a lot of folks unfortunately.

You can get back into it. Just play something on Nintendo Switch or your phone that really appeals to you and only you. You didn't lose your joy overnight and you won't regain it that way either. Start slowly and with casual games. Then build back into it.

If you had fun with older games, go back to them. If the fun is gone, it probably isn't modern game design that is your issue. Rather, you have been going thru the motions for a long time. Take a break. Come back in a few weeks or months or years and you will be refreshed. Don't force yourself to do a hobby. That will actually make you resent it.

My big gaming break was between TLOU1(last great game I played before break) and Arkham Knight(first great game I played when I came back). It taught me perspective. I swapped from being almost 100% PC gamer to being an all platform person now. My love of gaming right now is actually stronger than ever. I just "beat" Diablo 4 and damnit boy did I get high up in the pit. Everybody hates that game, but I loved it. Play for fun.

Today I'm going to go home and download/play a game that I just discovered today. Here is is:

Cabernet Review | TheXboxHub

Review - Thirsty for a unique and flavourful RPG experience? A game that is full-bodied? Cabernet might be just the drink you're looking for.

www.thexboxhub.com

I like vampires so this looks like the game for me. I will have more fun with my silly little cheap vampire game than many people will have who game all year. When you love something, that love is effortless. If it becomes a chore you need a break.

 

[Puscifer]

I guess it's probably just re-prioritizing for me, then.

It's tough. I still play, I worked in the industry, I did journalism in the industry, etc. I have a large attachment to it.

But I definitely don't feel the joy I use to, granted, I don't play as much either.

Have you taken a break? I mean gaming is a kickback thing for me, with you working in industry this literally IS your life afterall. Like you said, maybe some repriortization is in the cards. Also play Dave the Diver, I apparently put like 80 hours into it and forgot but I LOVED it.

 

[yogaflame]

Yes. This gen is still fun, but of course nothing beats the 90's and 80's gaming. It is more expensive this days that is the only problem. I enjoyed Stellar blade, GT7, and SH2 remake, they are fun. And once I get MHW and Astrobot after I get my next salary, I know they will be fun. The best way to have fun is not to base everything on reviews and so hang up with RT reflections and frame rate. As long as the presentations is good , excellent design and games are playable, that suffice.

 

[ReyBrujo]

I think you can have fun playing the game once. However you can't be having fun trying to get a platinum trophy and having to redo stuff again and again unless you are reading a walkthrough, in which case you are no longer playing the game but following a recipe.

 

[Ogbert]

A game that is fun will almost always place moment to moment gameplay at the core of the experience. Far fewer games do that these days and it tends to be either Japanese titles or indie games. And it’s why people love Souls.

Western developers churn out bloated drivel. Narrative belongs in video games in the same way it does pornography.

 

[bitbydeath]

I’m playing Cult of Lamb right now and it is a lot of fun. Has that 90’s sim feel about it.

 

[March Climber]

I guess it's probably just re-prioritizing for me, then.

It's tough. I still play, I worked in the industry, I did journalism in the industry, etc. I have a large attachment to it.

But I definitely don't feel the joy I use to, granted, I don't play as much either.

I think a break or a new, different experience would benefit anyone who feels this way about any hobby.

It is the better and more self-aware option than making the entire industry the reason for you not having fun anymore.

 

[Digital-Aftertaste]

Problem also is getting through the glut of games that don't do it for you to find the ones that are worth playing. I actually went back to KC: D to then go through the sequel and it has given me the binge worthy thrill I had back in '09 with games like New Vegas and DA: Origin.

Edit: OP you should also try out Outer Wilds if you haven't, gave me the feeling I had when I played N64 games back in the day... after I got enough clues to know what I had to do.

 

[Soodanim]

Yes we can blame age/life, but there's also an issue with the size and scale of the industry. There isn't room for risk taking like there used to be when games take 5+ years to make and cost hundreds of millions. Games inevitably end up safe and homogenised with added "More money please" to protect profits. I realise how over-generalised that is, but it's undeniably a factor. Remakes exist because they're safe.

And that's why we aren't ever getting another 1998, which among all time greats included a game that was scrapped near completion and started again because it the devs didn't like how it turned out.

 

[Danjin44]

I don’t know about anybody else but I personally having tons of fun with majority of games I play.

If you finding not enjoying video games maybe take a break?

 

[BigBeauford]

KCD2 and Lonely Mountain just came out so yeah definitely.

 

[R6Rider]

I’m playing Cult of Lamb right now and it is a lot of fun. Has that 90’s sim feel about it.

That game is such a treat to play. It has so much character to it's design and style.

Ii need to replay it now that there's been several larger DLCs released.

 

[Vyse]

I've had just as much fun this generation as I have had any before. Lots of great titles are releasing all the time and also VR stuff.

This is me. Sometimes I just need to dip out and reset my head for a while. I try not to force games that aren’t hitting. Come back to them when I am in the mood.

 

[MiguelItUp]

They definitely are, but I think it's important to listen to yourself. What you wanna play, what you don't wanna play, etc.

I'm an 80's kid and there are often moments where everything REALLY feels the same, and I miss the creativity, innovation, and more that we used to see in the AAA industry that we don't really see anymore. Especially as often.

But I've definitely found games that I love and enjoy, even if they're not as plentiful. There's just plenty out there, you just have to find out what speaks to you. If nothing does, then just take a break. Don't force yourself to play anything that doesn't speak to you.

I think a break or a new, different experience would benefit anyone who feels this way about any hobby.

It is the better and more self-aware option than making the entire industry the reason for you not having fun anymore.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[phant0m]

All seriousness.

I am a 90s child.

Grew up on NES -> GameBoy, then to N64 (my first real love with gaming).

For N64 Mario 64, Goldeneye (GOAT), Diddy Kong Racing, Pokemon Stadium, etc. All fun. Gaming as a whole felt fun. Fresh. Exciting.

PS2 was the same way. I think of even moderately received games (not focusing only on massive hits); Matrix, Shinobi, etc. All felt fun.

PS3 did the same for me... at least at the beginning. Warhawk, KZ2, etc. Everything felt fun, fresh with even gritty games having an element of fun (Max Payne, for example).

PS4 - PS5 has had a drop of in that for me. Granted, I am getting older and don't value gaming as much however I don't think that is exclusively the problem. There are small niches of games that come out that scratch that feeling (at least for a time); Rocket League, Fall Guys, AstroBot, etc. But the majority of games today seem to lack the soul, the fun of what they used to contain. I play and enjoy the Finals but I don't get the same feeling. I certainly don't get it in most story driven games today, that all feel clone-ish to GTA when open world, and stale and safe when not (again, there are exceptions - but just in general).

Interestingly, one of the generational examples of this is Red Dead Revolver -> Red Dead Redemption series. Revolver was light hearted, fun, goofy and linear. I don't find RDR to have that kind of soul, instead feeling like GTA out West.

Thoughts? Anybody else feel the same?

Red Dead Redemption is infinitely better than its predecessor, so idk what to tell you boss. It also doesn't have the "slog" of RDR2.

I also suggest you play Nintendo 1P games. They are big on making fun the center of the experience, and much less focused on narrative and cinematic experience than modern AAA is obsessed with.

 

[nkarafo]

Well, you still have access to old games, in fact, nowadays you can play a ton more old games for much cheaper than when you did back then.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

If you're struggling to find games that are fun to you, I'd hazard to say that it says more about you than the games.

Gaming has been absolutely peak in recent years and my backlog is full of great games.

I first played Persona 5 Royal (released in 2019) in 2020 on PS5. The game was originally released on PS3 and PS4 in 2016. It's one of my all-time favorite RPGs right up there with Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 7, and Final Fantasy X.

Astro Bot is one of the most fun games I've ever played.

Cynicism is taking over gaming discourse. Unless an all time favorite game releases every year and 10 goated games release every year people try saying its a down year. People have lost all semblance of reality and have allowed Nostalgia to cloud their view of the past.

I can tell you that as much as I enjoyed my Gear Gear in the early 90s, that those games are unplayable today. I have some all time favorite games from SNES, but the vast majority of SNES games are unplayable. Same with NES. Even most PS1-PS3 games are unplayable today.

 

[bender]

Sounds like gaming fatigue is setting in for you and that's natural when you've been with the hobby so long. It's hard to escape the been there, done that feeling when you've seen most of what the hobby has to offer.

 

[adamsapple]

Games are fun.

Gamers are jaded fucks.

 

[Danjin44]

Games are fun.

Gamers are jaded fucks.

/thread.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

Take a big break.

 

[Fbh]

Everything was more fun when you were a kid.
That said, I still have a ton of fun with games and I feel like there are consistently more cool new releases than I have the time to.

Based on your examples though, it seems like you are more into competitive multiplayer games. I do think that's a part of games that's no longer as fun. It's largely dominated by the same GAAS that have been popular for years, and games are built with this idea that they need to last forever as opposed to, say, the Ps3/360 where everyone was more ok with the concept of a multiplayer game lasting 6-12 months and then you moved on to something else.
Also with social media, streamers and the general online culture it feels like it doesn't take long for every game to be dominated by some meta which takes away some of the fun factor IMO.

 

[Danknugz]

for me, not really, i usually have more fun playing old roms (master system, nes, genesis, snes all the way up through mame arcade roms)

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Part of this is just aging, things are more readily available to be enjoyed as a youth. But games themselves are definitely still fun - sometimes in different ways, but not necessarily. I know that if I were a child, I would be having a blast with some of these modern titles, especially the ones that offer a lot of freedom or a "world" to be in.

 

[GHG]

Games are fun.

Gamers are jaded fucks.

This will depend on what you play and who you talk to though.

 

[Killer8]

I'm convinced most of the "gaming is dead" rhetoric is just people aging out of the hobby. It's okay to step away from it for a while or just play retro games you like.

 

[Raven117]

Hit or miss.

 

[bender]

Games are fun.

Gamers are jaded fucks.

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Roberts]

Just took a 10 min break from avowed and, yes, it just about as fun as games I played 5,10,20,35 years ago

 

[bender]

 

[IDKFA]

Thoughts? Anybody else feel the same?

Yeah.

I believe games were more fun in the 90s and 00s.

However, that's probably a "me" problem. As I've gotten older, I just find hobbies such as reading, cooking and learning new skills/languages etc more enjoyable than gaming. When I do get round to playing something it's normally something retro from the 90s or 00s. Modern games rarely get my member throbbing, but like I said, that's because I've changed rather than gaming.

 

[Generic]

The last fun game was Fortnite.

 

[Punished Miku]

You have my sympathy even if I don't agree. If I listened to prevailing sentiment on here instead of picking stuff by myself I would have probably quit gaming already.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Currently playing as Indiana Jones in a Temple with a Giant Snake. Fun for me no so much for Indy.

 

[cireza]

It's it not that you are getting old. You can discover a fun game from the 90s that you have never played, and will most certainly have a ton fun. So you are not the problem. It happens to me all the time, one recent example being Vandal Hearts translated in English on Saturn : this game was an instant 9/10.

Most games' top priority is not fun anymore. It is perceived value for money invested. And perceived value = time. This leads to the exact opposite of fun. Fun is something that is most likely to be experienced as an intense, and rather short, feeling. Anything that lasts for too long will fail at being fun. You can only have so much fun doing the same thing, and keeping the experience fresh requires ideas, surprises, and you can only have so many.

Old games were all about this. They kept things fresh and fun until they ended, and they weren't too long. Vandal Hearts wasn't too long : it felt perfect. Most modern RPGs are an absolute chore, they never end on top of being bland and repetitive.

Not saying you can't find any modern game that fits this bill, but most of them, especially the big budget ones, will go the "perceived value instead of fun" route.

 

[XXL]

Games are fun.

Gamers are jaded fucks.

 

[keefged4]

Once in a while something like KCD2 and Baldurs Gate 3 comes along and breaks the mold, but generally speaking I agree, there is too much busywork and bloat in the majority of "modern" games thesedays and far too much "fill the map" ubislop copypastas.
I find myself spending more time emulating older games than playing newer ones, and I don't think its nostalgia or getting old, I feel I'm spending my time wisely.

 

[simpatico]

Western AAA games are mostly not fun. This is correct. Far and few between do they release titles with true vision or passion. They're products developed by committees and focus groups. No human spirit resides in them. They're not born of one man's idea, wrestled from the ether and digitized by a team of crafty, hungry coders. No sir, the accounting lady has a to sign off on every milestone. The budget is far too high to take creative risks.

Indie gaming is really getting better and better as tools progress to allow 1 man or very small dev teams realize that vision and passion. Hopefully AI tools can give much more power to these tiny devs so they can expand on scope and asset complexity without adding needless brains and mouths to the creative process.

 

[Markio128]

One thing that I have noticed recently (from looking at my own library) is that lot of the best games in recent gens have been mostly dark, and serious in tone. I’m talking horror games (Resident Evil/Silent Hill/TLOU), Souls games (and souls-likes), RPGs (The Witcher/Cyberpunk/BG3), and other adventure games like GOW. That’s not to say you can’t have fun with these games because they can be super fun, but I do find myself yearning for something more lighthearted.

 

[GigaBowser]

most gamers play old games for reason startistirks proven bookmarked confirmed