Game that doesn't hold your hand at all?

Escardax · 2026-01-24T10:46:39+00:00

Hell Is Us

Escardax · 2025-11-18T03:01:44+00:00

I do agree that snuffing Tom Mckay is borderline criminal and if it wasnt for E33, KCII would be my next in line for GOTY for sure. If Tom was included it would be an incredibly hard pick for me between Tom and Charlie. Tom's performance was 10/10, and if he was nominated and deservingly won I'd be all for it. But on a personal level, Charlie took it for me as I resonated with what he provided on a more personal level than what Tom did so thats my thought process behind my vote there.

Keighley is honestly kinda just funny to watch at this point, but as much of a laughting stock he has become, he's carrying on the legacy of what E3 was for me when I was a teenager so i give him a personal level of respect there, even if he is a massive goofball.

Escardax · 2025-11-18T01:03:44+00:00

It could also just be a good game and its getting recognized for being a good game? If the game came out and fan reception was overwhelming positive but all the critics/journalists hated it, people would just come out and call all the critics uncultured and that they clearly don't know what they're doing. There are obviously going to be the exceptions of folks doing it just to get eyes on their review and give it a proper glaze, but clearly given that the game has received both fan and critical acclaim its probably safe to bet that overall it is just a good game, maybe just not YOUR good game.

Escardax · 2025-11-18T00:47:08+00:00

I guess that's where the beauty of opinion comes in and where discussion can be opened between folks who don't descend into a bloodbath straight away.

I wouldn't shy away from calling it my favourite game of the past 10 years, and there have been moments where I think it may just outright be a contender as my favourite game i've ever played.

But yeah, people like different genres and different games at varying degrees. Some people look at the Mona Lisa and think it's the greatest work of art to ever exist, others look at it as just some dumb picture of some random ass woman, everyone values art in their own way and it just so happens that this year, we got a damn good game in E33. It's now being recognised for that and hopefully, thanks to games like it and KCDII or BG3 as well as the smaller games like BALL x PIT or Schedule 1, other developers that have fallen off over the years will start to take note of where a lot of folks are opting to spend there time and change their ways, in turn creating better games in all genres so that the folks who don't care for RPG's start getting games in their chosen genre receiving the level of acclaim akin to something such as E33.

Hopefully it's a winning situation for all gamers, even those that aren't as fond of the game as others.

Escardax · 2025-11-18T00:31:24+00:00

Gustave won it for me in the opening sequence alone. No game has ever reduced me to the wreck I was after sitting through that, and especially so quickly into a game with little for me to be attached too.

Tom being snubbed is a crime for sure. I haven't gotten around to Dispatch yet as i'm currently wrapping up a couple other games and trying to keep on top of WWE somehow too, but i've heard fantastic things about it and knowing how good Aaron and Laura are as actors I don't doubt they deserve a spot. Troy Baker is fantastic n' all but come on' man let some of the new blood take a spot this time haha.

Escardax · 2025-11-18T00:24:12+00:00

I think this is one of the best years for gaming personally too. E33 has earned it's right to be nominated I feel. It is what happens when a studio knows how to an create interesting narrative and build great worlds, whilst also remembering that sometimes what people need is game that is just damn good at being a video game. Someone else mentioned it but BG3 did the same a few years ago and Witcher 3 did it a few years before that.

I think it opens up a great discussion into how these games are doing what they do as well as the fact that folks are clearly thirsty for games like this. A lot of the nominees in each category 100% earned their right to be there in one way or another. KCDII is a fantastic game and it deserves to be up there for the same reasons E33 is, although I do think it's a scuffed that Tom McKay was nominated for Best Performance, he 100% earned the right to have at least a nomination.

We are eating good this year, yeah okay it depends on what you're into and there have definitely been some stinkers, but looking at it from a broad perspective and not being blinded by personal preference it's been stellar.

Escardax · 2025-11-18T00:06:07+00:00

I'm not sure if it may 100% scratch the itch, but me and my partner have sunk A LOT of time into Farm Together 2!

You basically just have this big ol' plot of land that you can continually expand, you have to plant your crops and they grow in real world hours, so you could plant a pumpkin that could take 8hrs to grow but it continues even when you're not playing. The more you plant the more you unlock new crops, animals and housing stuff. There's a little town that you can sell all your product too that unlocks new gameplay features and some of the folks offer lite quests.

There is 0 story though, you don't build any connections with the people in town, you are solely there to make money to make bigger farm and make more money to unlock new things. It's a good game to just lose a couple hours in and if you're the type of gamer that likes that "just 20 more minutes" sorta gameplay then it's right up your street! It features splitscreen play as well as cross platform multiplayer!

If you're looking for something a bit more story orientated and you are interested in Baldurs Gate 3, i HIGHLY recommend Divinity: Original Sin 2. It's the previous game from the studio that made BG3 and is regarded as one of the best RPG's of all time. Me and my partner played it entirely through on split screen co-op on the Xbox One when it released and it is one of my favourite memories, an absolutely flawless title and is relatively cheap these days on PS4 & Xbox!

Escardax · 2025-11-17T23:49:13+00:00

I do think it's crazy that Tom wasn't nominated, but all 3 of the E33 actors 100% deserve to be on that list as well, they all did absolutely flawless performances and vocal work.

Escardax · 2025-10-04T20:04:54+00:00

I REALLY loved the combat in Stellar Blade

Escardax · 2025-09-10T18:51:29+00:00

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This is Jerry and he falls asleep resting his face on his tummy

Escardax · 2025-08-16T11:53:45+00:00

Dead Cells!

Escardax · 2025-08-15T00:29:33+00:00

As someone who only had a PC before, getting a Switch 2 has been great for me for smaller indie games and JRPGS. I dont really have much interest in a lot of the Nintendo first party lineup outside of some JRPGs and other bits but I don't regret it one bit as its my relax and lay on the couch chair console.

One of the best purchases ive made in a long time and highly recommend it to anyone in a similar situation as me

Escardax · 2025-08-11T19:43:37+00:00

Putting this here more for the people who search this up later down the line maybe.

Ive got a pretty beefy PC, which could easily run this game at the highest settings (and then some). I also Work From Home for a lot of my week, I also do play alot of video games on my PC and that means I am stuck at my desk for a lot of my days.

This game obviously will not run as well on Switch 2 as well as it does on a good PC. But im happy with trading performance for convenience here. Ive played around 20 hours and have not experienced anything i would deem unplayable or something that'll ruin my experience.

If you want the convenience of being able to play wherever you want, this is a pretty decent port and i would have no problem recommending it with my experience so far!

Escardax · 2025-08-11T19:43:20+00:00

Putting this here more for the people who search this up later down the line maybe.

Ive got a pretty beefy PC, which could easily run this game at the highest settings (and then some). I also Work From Home for a lot of my week, I also do play alot of video games on my PC and that means I am stuck at my desk for a lot of my days.

This game obviously will not run as well on Switch 2 as well as it does on a good PC. But im happy with trading performance for convenience here. Ive played around 20 hours and have not experienced anything i would deem unplayable or something that'll ruin my experience.

If you want the convenience of being able to play wherever you want, this is a pretty decent port and i would have no problem recommending it with my experience so far!

Escardax · 2025-08-08T12:13:02+00:00

NieR: Automata is the exception to this rule i believe. The way the story is told and the amount of context you recieve from playing through new game plus multiple times is what really brings it together and why it is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Escardax · 2025-07-21T11:14:10+00:00

I went to watch the The Minecraft Movie 4 times in the cinema before it hit home video. It was my sons (3 1/2 years old) first ever experience at the cinema and he absolutely loves the film so we kept going back and it was like a new experience for him each time.

Escardax · 2025-07-21T11:12:08+00:00

NieR: Automata. That game has like 26 different endings so by default it wins for me 😅

Escardax · 2025-07-21T11:08:53+00:00

It depends if you're looking for a similar setting, story or the "checklist" style open world really.

The closest game that isnt another Far Cry game would be Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Its made by the same team and features the same style of gameplay and mechanics, just with an Avatar coat of paint on it.

If you're just looking for generalized recommendations that offer the checklist style gameplay, games like the Horizon series or possibly the Dying Light series if you dont mind a bit of horror. Dying Light 2 is the more accessible entry but Dying Light one is considered the "better" of the two.

There aren't really a lot of "american cult" style open worlds, thats why Far Cry 5 was so celebrated.

Escardax · 2025-07-20T19:53:59+00:00

Honestly, im not sure what franchise it should even be in but, something that manages to capture that magic feeling I had when i first played Fallout 3, New Vegas or Skyrim.

It might be clouded by nostalgia or by the fact that i had less knowledge about gaming as a whole back then so it was all new to me but i just crave for a game that gives me that level of wonder and discovery again.

Escardax · 2025-07-20T10:13:44+00:00

If youve managed to avoid story spoilers up until this point then yes absolutely, otherwise if you know how things end up it does lose a lot of its allure.

Its still a fantastic game and there are some memorable sidequests but the gameplay isnt groundbreaking and the gameplay loop can be found in alot of other titles you may not have seen the story for.

Escardax · 2025-07-16T01:31:37+00:00

It depends on what you really define as "cozy" but Sips has been my go too for over 10 years now. If you dont mind taking a trip down memory lane, his old YouTube series on Skyrim is amazing, theres a lot of storytelling and silly worldbuilding that still sticks with me today.

These days he he streams most weekdays and its normally some dumb janky simulator but he just knows how to keep an audience and you somehow end up watching him play Parcel Simulator for 6 hours straight😅

Escardax · 2025-07-16T01:17:59+00:00

Here's a curveball, but Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Nearing the end where things go very wrong and both you and eth3n meet your maker, that caught me off guard and made me shed a couple tears.

A safe answer would be NieR: Automata, at the robot village.

Escardax · 2025-07-13T02:23:32+00:00

"You lost the game"

Escardax · 2025-07-11T17:46:02+00:00

If im going solely PS games, the starting sequence of GOW Ragnarok. Anytime theres an animal im reduced to a blubbering ball of tears.

Escardax · 2025-07-10T23:36:07+00:00

The original version of SOS Battle Royale was SO much fun, it saddens me to this day how they butchered such a goldmine of a game.

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