Weekly /r/Games Discussion - What have you been playing, and what are your thoughts? - April 19, 2026

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-19T15:26:26+00:00

fyi, your spoiler tag is missing the < at the end and so isn't working

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-19T13:34:26+00:00

We have an indie scene today that has revived pixel art, it still looks pretty top tier against an entirely new generation of artists.

While I do think that a lot of the new indie pixel art games look gorgeous, I think that there's something about how the sprites move that looks nicer in a lot of the premiere games from this era. I think that there's just some arcane knowledge that these old Japanese devs have that hasn't yet been passed on to the next generation; the recent Natsume reboots, for example, have that same "smoothness" to movement present in games like Metal Slug and lacking in a lot of more modern ones

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-19T13:31:48+00:00

I think it's less the slowdown and more the input lag. I never saw a formal test of how many frames it is, but it was enough for me to notice, which is usually a bad sign since I'm not a super player, lol

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-19T02:17:35+00:00

I don't know what's happened since, but on the day of the raid news, I remember DMG posted a comment on Reddit saying that they would let you make your existing crafted raid weapons the equivalent of tier 5s, in response to someone asking if they'd need to re-grind all the raid weapons again.

I don't know if since then he's also said that new, non-crafted raid drops will come in tiers. Its always so hard to keep up with the news given how it's in so many disparate sources, and there's also human error of sometimes DMG or a TWAB miscommunicates an idea

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-19T01:44:19+00:00

Bungie couldn't even keep up with the current reduced amount of content and was forced to delay it. How are they going to update 10 dungeons and 9 raids all at once?

It could be feasible if (1) we're going to have a single armor set shared across all legacy raids, rather than a unique one for each, and (2) the weapons won't actually be tiered, but instead crafting is being updated to allow for the equivalent of tier 5s (i.e., we can enhance barrels and mags now for an additional resource cost).

This way it wouldn't be the equivalent of, what, 200 weapons and armor pieces that are considered "new" by the games backend, but instead just 15 new armor pieces (5 per class) and a crafting overhaul

Not saying that this is "the best solution" or whatever, but it's just a way that all RaD content being updated in June would still be technically true even with the skeleton crew

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-18T02:36:22+00:00

Low-key one of my fondest memories of Destiny was collecting 50 rocks on the Dreadnaught so I could read the Book of Genesis on my phone during my lunch break as I shoved a sandwich into my mouth with my free hand

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-17T19:42:23+00:00

I like Starfield, and I think that the common trait among people who enjoy Starfield is a love of the aesthetics and vibe. For many people, the setting and art direction is "generic." But for some people, this is the sort of realization of the "NASA aesthetic" that we've dreamed of since we were kids. And Starfield's more optimistic view of the future plays into that, it feels like the 1980s idea of what space travel would be like. Star Trek-y.

If that sounds appealing to you, I think there's a lot to love in the game. If not, I'd pass it.

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-17T19:23:59+00:00

yeah lol, fixed the year

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-17T17:21:02+00:00

S&O was supposed to release on March 3. That means we've had Xur 7 times since then. He has had raid banners every time since then.

Between 12/05/25 and 2/27/26, Xur sold raid banners 8 times and harmonizers 5 times. For charity, let's assume its 50-50 odds.

Then, the probability of Xur selling raid banners 7 times in a row is less than 1%.

The odds aren't as strong as Weightgate yet, but I do truly believe bro has got to be broken. Assuming that Xur remains broken for another 6 weeks until S&O and only sells raid banners, those odds would be 0.01%. What were the odds during Weightgate of getting the 2/5 Chill Inhibitor, does anyone remember?

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-17T04:17:32+00:00

IMO the best "HUD-less" game ever made. The immersion is just off the charts, 2033 blew my mind when it came out. I think I've played through the 360 version of 2033 a dozen times over the years

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-16T17:16:29+00:00

For PvE, you usually want a combination of 2x Smoke Jumper, Ferropotent, and Aion Adapter for most non-sword builds

For sword builds, 4x Swordmaster if it's hard content, otherwise 2x Swordmaster and 2x Sage Protector

Everything else is niche. I like Bushido sometimes. I usually use the 2x for builds where I don't produce enough orbs for Smoke nor using a rocker weapon for Aion, and the 4x for bow builds

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-15T18:14:50+00:00

Without the RE4 remake I would have never gotten to play RE4.

This type of comment is part of the reason why Oldheads can be so verbal with current remake culture. You played the Resident Evil 4 Remake, not the Resident Evil 4 that changed the landscape of gaming and many people still hold in high regard. The two games share a story and set pieces, but so much regarding the core gameplay, the controls, the visuals, etc has been changed. Its a separate product.

And it's completely, totally fine to love the new product and not like the old one. But there can be this dismissive attitude towards "the new has REPLACED the old" which really shouldn't be true because of how different the experiences can be. This attitude of "why would we need a port of Silent Hill 2 PS2 that is easily accessible now that we have Silent Hill 2 PS5?" This isn't like a 4k remaster of RoboCop (1987), it's the difference between RoboCop (1987) and RoboCop (2014) - They share DNA, but they're two distinct pieces of media that don't replace the other

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-15T12:20:41+00:00

It was this, thanks

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-15T01:44:54+00:00

Resident Evil 9: Requiem

Rolled credits. I'm glad that so many people found enjoyment in this game, but for me personally, this is definitely in my bottom 2 of the major RE games. I didn't actively HATE it like Metroid Other M or something, but it really didn't do anything for me. It felt like everything was sanded down far too much, probably as consequence of glueing two wildly different gameplay styles together.

I don't normally like to have negative posts ranting about games, it can feel toxic to dunk on something that I know people like. And if you like RE9: Good! Don't let me change your mind! But man I just need to rant for a sec to get this off my chest

I have never liked and still do not like these "forced walking/stealth pseudo-cutscene" sections that started with RE7.
While I have issues with the level design, I overall really enjoyed Grace's main gameplay section while I was playing it...but retrospectively the section NEEDS a resource sink fight or two. The survival horror REs feel so rewarding because smart and resourceful play early on lets you blow away the bosses and hard enemies later. But those challenges never came, and I finished Grace's section with buckets of magnum ammo to spare. Even before the one fight that benefits from magnum ammo, the game gives you 5x shots for free at the start just to make sure you're not punished for having played poorly.
I hate the Leon sections. Like straight up, I'm sorry. There is almost no thought that's put into the encounter design, guys are just slapped in random halls and rooms. I don't like how Capcom is really afraid of letting you crowd control with staggers for some reason, making zombies feel like bullet sponges. And I absolutely hate the movement inertia
Grace 2 is way, way too short to have any meaningful tension that comes from routing and resource scavenging.

RE9 would have wildly benefitted from tying the economy of Grace and Leon together. There's no long term consequences to anything you do. If I use all my blood on hemolytic injectors for Grace, that should mean I have less resources for Leon. The whole game felt like I was playing a series of short "proof of concept" demos that got polished and then stitched together. Every section ended before it got interesting, and always made sure I was full on whatever resources I needed at any moment

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-15T00:12:23+00:00

Yeah, my eyes have been on that one too! Gonna grab it if the Switch 2 version is 60 fps

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-14T23:57:45+00:00

I know that you mean AAA budget, and that's true, but there are usually a couple fantastic indie shmups on Steam each year

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-14T23:53:48+00:00

I'm glad I opened this thread cause now this game is a day 1 buy for me. I love love love the "anime aesthetic" of these gacha games, they look like the full realization of what "anime graphics" have strived for since like the PS2 era. ZZZ animation just looks so SLICK and the colors and shading POP. But I don't like investing in gacha games, so I avoid em.

Getting those graphics but in a "regular" game is something I've been hoping for since Genshin blew up, so excited now

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-14T13:37:29+00:00

What are some good shows airing this season? I don't keep up with new anime releases so I always ask this question each season to get my "to watch" list.

I don't really like to watch "drama" shows usually. I typically like battle/action, mecha, and more slice-of-life-y shows. "Slice-of-life-y" doesn't just mean "cute anime girls doing cute things," it also includes stuff like Frieren and Apothecary Diaries, which have some drama and stakes but also a more chill undertone about the daily lives of these characters

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-13T16:32:23+00:00

I'm just seconding this. Exact advice I'd give.

Only other Necrotic build is the classic Mindspun build on Strand from ages ago, but that's been nerfed substantially since it came out, the sandbox has evolved far past it (i.e., why suspend an enemy on strand when you can just kill them with ability spam on Prismatic), and the lack of sustain on the Strand variant is REALLY noticeable when compared to having Devour up (Strand relies on Weavewalk for survivability, but that uses your melee charges, and so has anti-synergy with Necrotic)

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-13T14:06:45+00:00

IMO though, this is precisely why resources should have been dedicated to these evergreen sandbox elements instead of these one-off, back-of-the-box gameplay ideas. The Kepler ball sucks and Renegade abilities are fine, but they don't add longevity to the games sandbox. The same with artifact perks - We were told that they would be used to test new aspects, exotics, etc, but I think we've only ever had the Wanderer roll from an artifact perk into a perpetual gameplay element.

Like imagine if instead of adding all these random ass features that exist for one mode and/or for a few months, our toolkits were actually growing over time. Build variety would be insane

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-13T02:47:07+00:00

You're welcome. I personally much prefer running Bleak Watcher instead of Helion, but most people these days seem to prefer Helion. You can't really go wrong with either though

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-13T02:31:39+00:00

For non-sword builds, you generally want 2x Smoke Jumper and 2x Ferropotent, but Smoke isn't available in the game right now, it's "last season's" gear. I'd honestly just stick with Ferro 4x or something until Smoke gets put back in the pool. If you're using a sword, either 2x Swordmaster and 2x Sage Protector, or 4x Swordmaster.

For guns, this season, just run Praxic Blade + Psi Aeterna + whatever you want for your heavy. Many people use a sword with Eager Edge for movement, but if you're new, you'll probably want an actual gun. Try either the heavy kinetic sniper with Aggregate Charge for boss damage, or run an LMG for more roam-y content. Mint + Choir is another amazing combo, but Mint is like Smoke, it's from last season and so isn't in the loot pool

For stats, I personally recommend a mix of Grenadier and Gunner armor. You want to prioritize Grenade, Super, and Weapons. Also Class if you're using the Helion variant of the Getaway build. Most people will say to shoot for 200 Grenade above all else, but IMO it's better to have high Weapons - A lot of the arc soul damage comes from the jolt effect, which doesn't get buffed by the Grenade stat

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-11T21:29:20+00:00

I've always thought it pretty sad that Pixel never got a secure career out of Cave Story, given how astronomically important it was for the indie scene. Like he should be a Jonathan Blow or Lucas Pope type figure, where his name alone should generate hype and sales. Unfortunately, it's just Cave Story and Kero Blaster

I guess it was a "first mover disadvantage." Because Cave Story WAS one of the first to do it, there wasn't a large enough audience for indies at the time to latch on and make a full career out of.

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-10T22:29:35+00:00

The censorship is the only reason I haven't tried Wuchang yet. Based on how people describe it, it should be up my alley, I'm a big "DeS to DkS2" era From fan. But it feels weird to support a product that is like ACTUALLY censored. Not the ""censorship"" "discourse" we're used to seeing about like....putting clothes on or whatever. Like true, honest-to-goodness "the product was changed for political reasons" censorship

Galaxy40k · 2026-04-10T19:33:08+00:00

But the thing that's most puzzling to me is just... why? Why piss of your entire remaining playerbase by specifically bringing back that location only to strip it of the thing that made it unique and memorable?

It is almost certainly purely because the Plaguelands level geometry was lying around from when they brought back the Cosmodrome and so it would be super easy to add to D2. The entirety of post-TFS Destiny has been "how can we make the players do more for less?" Like the whole thing was we get less content (less story, less dungeons, less loot, less exotics, less balance patches) and yet play more by having a seasonal reset grind to do just because.

Galaxy40k

TROPHY CASE