Here’s a look at some of my favorite games. I must say pretty much anything from PS is my favorite. Ragnarok, Helldivers, Spider-Man, Ratchet and Clank, etc.
What I love: Primarily story-driven, third-person, high-fidelity, single-player games with solid fighting characteristics with simple upgrade paths. FPS are cool too. Anything with “power fantasy”.
What I hate: Anything complicated that I have to scower the internet just to learn how to play. Anything with classes or numerical attributes (Strength, Vitality, etc). I know this comprises many popular games, and if you like it, I’m happy for you, it’s just not for me.
Edit: no corporate trash. No Ubisoft, EA, Rockstar, Denuvo, or remote accounts.
Just in case you haven’t played it, the first SUPERHOT is, IMO, quite a bit better than the second, so I’ll toss that in there.
As a wilder card, I’ll suggest the Batman Arkham games. I think Arkham City is probably the most well-regarded of them.
Yeah, I played them both. The original was extra sick in VR. I think I played it on the original Oculus DK.
I enjoy the Batman games as well!
SUPERHOT is the most innovative game I’ve played in years.
since balatro is on your list: Slay the Spire
What I love: Primarily story-driven, third-person, high-fidelity, single-player games with solid fighting characteristics with simple upgrade paths.
There’s enough in here aside from simple upgrade paths that I think you should try Elden Ring. Just remember if you run into something that’s too hard go in a different direction.
Tried Elden Ring. Got my ass kicked by the first guy I encountered repeatedly. Tried to run away but get chased down. I don’t understand the mechanics at all. Like how do you time anything when every maneuver takes 3 seconds to execute?
Since you mentioned not liking numerical attributes or things you need a guide to understand properly, I don’t think you’d like Elden Ring or Dark Souls. But you might like Hollow Knight, which does away with that unnecessary fluff.
Slay the Spire: seconded.
I do like it but I just get bored very quickly walking back and forth over the same path over and over trying to figure out wtf to go.
ah, that’s a lot of Hollow Knight and its sequel Silksong. A general trait of metroidvanias
Yes it’s why I also didn’t like the Ori games.
If you are talking about the golden knight, you meet after emerging from the dungeon: yeah, this one is really hard and you can skip him until much later.
There is a small tutorial area, that is easily missed. After spawning into a new game, there is a big hole in the ground, jump down there (I think there is a guy or a message telling you to do it) and you learn the basics about fighting and other mechanics. Also with an adequately challenging mini boss at the end.
I have no idea who it is. I’ll give it another go 😅
+1 for Slay the Spire. It’s a bit different than Balatro, but to me it scratches a similar itch. It’s easy to get into but somehow I’m still not bored of it after over 500 hours. Even started a second save on mobile.
Outer Wilds. Greatest game of all time. It’s a bit more puzzle and story focused than most of these, but you have portal and GRIS and I would recommend Outer Wilds to pretty much anyone.
Cool, thanks!
E: just realized I’ve never looked at this game bc I confused it with Outer Worlds…
Please get outer wilds it’s a whole experience
Okay fine geeze
to temper their excitement, I usually love games where you have to figure things out for yourself, but that one had me completely stumped. I eventually uninstalled, with a bitter taste in my mouth because I really wanted to figure it out (and the mechanics are fun, the entire thing is lovingly crafted…). That’s coming from a guy who finished most of the Myst games.
Just saying because that suggestion doesn’t really mesh well with your OP statement
I hope you try it again someday! It really is a once in a lifetime experience, so if you aren’t enjoying it it’s a good idea to put it down and come back with a fresh start later. I would hate for someone’s only experience with this game to be one of frustration and forcing yourself to play something because everyone says it’s good.
I am definitely trying it again at some point, the plot is too intriguing and the sense of discovery too satisfying to give up on it. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace or something.
Prey might be your kinda jam. I sure liked it.
Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor could be fun in the third-person power fantasy way. :)
Surprised not to see Horizon Zero Dawn/ Forbidden West on this list! Have you played them?
Ahh yeah, I enjoyed both! Just played Zero Dawn from GoG.
Surprised no one mentioned the Batman Arkham games or Tomb Raider reboot trilogy (2013-2018). Both are third person action games with simple, but enjoyable upgrade elements.
Arkham Asylum may feel a bit dated, but Arkham City and Knight should still feel pretty fresh. And I think the Tomb Raider games hold up well.
I also suspect you’ve played them, but the Uncharted series is also great.
Other mentions that fit the third person, decent-good story, and fast/fun action:
- Sunset Overdrive
- Hi-fi Rush (rhythm game)
- Bayonetta Series (DMC like series)
- Nier series
- Kena Bridge of Spirits
- Just Cause Series (I think the stories are a little weak for this series, more about sandbox play).
- Infamous series (superhero themed 3rd person action game made by the same people who made Spiderman)
Jumping on here to give a second recommendation for Hi-Fi Rush. Game was so good i had to quit before finishing. Finally came back to it to see the ending and it was just as amazing as I thought. Very emotionally satisfying game.
I liked HiFi Rush but there was some sort of latency issue in my system and no way to compensate for it.
See i thought I had an issue like that as well (an not saying you don’t at all, only anecdotal) but turned out i just suck. Playing Osu and retraining my brain to follow rhythym or atleast get back into it on a moments notice REALLY helped hifi rush click for me.
Went from D’ing every level to S’ing the finales, bosses, and endings. Not sure if it was cause it finally just clicked, I understood the rhythym, or maybe it being a different pc i also had that issue an just didn’t know it lol.
Nah I remember this from the old Guitar Hero games except they had a built-in calibration. I’ve got a new setup now with a dedicated gaming monitor so I’ll try it again.
The single-player campaign of Titanfall 2 is incredible. Short and sweet (about 6-8 hours), super fun parkour system and cool story to play. I highly to recommend to pick it up when on sale.
I had a blast playing it last year. Great suggestion, it’s a 1st person story-driven power fantasy (although the story is on the simplistic side).
Isn’t that an EA game?
Unfortunately, Respawn was acquired by EA, yes.
Pass, thanks
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Third Person:
Mad Max
Warframe (F2P MMO)
First Person:
Mirror’s Edge
Cyberpunk 2077
STALKER series
Dying Light 1/2
Gunfire Reborn
Prey
Dishonored
Vampire Hunters (kind of an FPS version of Vampire Survivors)
Good stuff, thanks!
You seem to like Character Action Games so why not give the Ninja Gaiden series a go? You can emulate Ninja Gaiden Black for free on Xemu and even enjoy using save states to save yourself some frustration with unnecessary runbacks (this was removed in later entries). I think NGB is an all time classic, although it leans a little bit more into the adventure game style than later titles, that are pure action. You have some exploration, platforming and even an almost Metroidvania-like hub area you backtrack back and forth through and unlock new branches of.
Or if you want something more modern and pure high octane action you can start with Ninja Gaiden 4. More free flowing combos as opposed to specific fighting-game style strings like in previous games, but still fun. I’m only a few chapters deep but any fan of DMC or CAGs in general would enjoy it I think.
Sounds like you dislike soulslikes.
Dishonored, or maybe Deathloop? Deathloops a bit more complicated but dishonored should prep you for it. They share a lot of the same abilities, the world is just laid out different in deathloop.
Wolfenstein New Order you’re the one man army BJ Blazkowicz, mowing down nazis through linear levels. Run and gun for the most part, with story between levels.
2016 doom or doom eternal
DnD does have a lot of stats but Baldurs Gate 3 makes it fun, and it has everything else you’re looking for. I would give it a shot even if you’re stats averse
I can’t get around the incredibly slow character movement in soulslikes. Like the games are all about timing but how do you time something properly when every move takes 3 seconds?
Dishonored I think I have but haven’t played. I’ll give that a go.
Deathloop I have played and enjoyed but unfortunately ran into issues with GoG on Linux that I couldn’t be bothered to track down.
Wolfenstein NO I’ll have to try as well.
Love the Doom games, esp. 2016 Dark Ages. Not sure how they got left out of my faves. Eternal I bought and then immediately returned bc it tried to force me to sign in.
Tried BG3 and I was bored to tears and incredibly confused.
Great recs, thanks!
You can spec into faster classes. In DS1, that would be scimitars, curved swords and katanas I believe. Unfortunately means looking up that kind of info online or trial and erroring a bunch of weapons.
Yeah I’m out, thanks haha
The Yakuza series checks most of those boxes, highly recommended. Start with Yakuza Zero.
Will do, thanks!
Kingdom come deliverance and also the second one. Solid story driven 3rd person
Not 3rd person, but A Story About My Uncle is a really good action platform-puzzler. Definitely worth picking up.
I just picked up Just Cause 3 for like 2.99 on a steam sale and have been no-lifing it since
I was going to recommend Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, but it’s listed in your screenshot. Deus Ex would be great. The original is the best but Human Revolution is good, too. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines would be good. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also great.
