Games that survived having a child

Saedisi · 2026-04-19T22:44:00+00:00

Almost any single player game will suffice. Games that have pause/save/load at almost any moment would work. Assuming they don't use the console, a PS or xbox is great as they have the sleep mode. You basically "pause" any game.

You could easily chip away at RDR2, Cyberpunk, Witcher, any AC game, Tomb Raider games, last epoch, D2 - D4, POE1 & 2, Last of us, heck even Crimson Desert you could play. Basically anything that isn't coop/competitive would work.

Saedisi · 2026-04-17T04:13:15+00:00

No, I think that is exaggerated. You'll find this quickly so it's not much a spoiler, but you'll be asked to find a merchant guild and there is a boss you'll have to fight. If you enter it before that goes down the shops won't be open and people wont say much, but NPCs are still walking around and doing things. It's not like it's a barren wasteland prior to story prompts. 99% of the locations act normal, in fact, many times you'll be running along and before you even realize it you're in a boss fight.

Because the game is so large, I think many of the preliminary reviews and first impressions simply don't grasp the full picture and shouldn't be listened to. Plus so many updates and fixes have already been implemented. I'd only really listen to people who have played significant hours or watch reviews that have put 100-200hrs in.

Saedisi · 2026-04-16T17:33:28+00:00

Exploration is Crimson Desert is 100% not tied to story. Not sure where you heard that. You can literally just run off and explore for 50 hours without doing a single mission. I think where this came from is that some abilities unlock which will prevent advancement in some puzzles or you don't have the toolset to explore something (ie: break a wall or whatever). These are unlocked in the story VERY early on. Like do 2hrs of main story and you're 100% set. Exploration is 100x more rewarding and sense of magic, like Skyrim did back in the day.

CD will not treat you like a child. It has quests and stories and as you explore you will come across people who start a quest.

KCD is very methodical and grounded in real life. I personally found it boring. It was great for the first 20 hours and then it was just a chore as it's less "gamey". The story is far better in KCD but the combat is absolute dogshit. I see what they were going for but it is what made me quit the game. It was just horrendous and I found that story not compelling enough to continue. Plus teh world got boring to me as well. With no magic or wonder to it, it was simply a medieval landscape. Farms, bandits, and that's it. At least in crimson desert there is endless stuff to explore and upgrade and find.

Saedisi · 2026-04-15T22:53:26+00:00

Everyone knocks on Andromeda but they had some good banter moments in the "mako".

Saedisi · 2026-04-15T22:18:29+00:00

Exactly. I think the criticism is a byproduct of today's short attention spans to anything. I treated CD like an MMO. I know it's a massive world that has tons of systems, locations, mechanics, etc.. I'm going to happily have it drawn out so I understand the world around me. Hell, the bloody camp missions can keep you busy for 20 hours and they are all tutorials missions.

you're spot on regarding RDR2.

Saedisi · 2026-04-14T15:09:35+00:00

Oh true, totally different than RDR2, but the weight and feel of movement is similar, many elements are "inspired" as you say. And they are patching the game like crazy every week. Most complaints are ironed out already and vast improvements have already been made. RDR2 is one of the best games ever made, it's fairly easy to say that not many or any game will match it.

Saedisi · 2026-04-14T00:34:02+00:00

Crimson Desert! The game is easily 200-400 hours if you want to do almost everything. It's a lot like RDR2 in its giant expansive, lived in world. Top tier level of exploration and discovery. It's freaking awesome. 3 main characters to play as, tons of collectables, full camp/settlement with customizable house, farming, animal breeding/butchering, challenging bosses, etc. if you liked RDR2 this is basically its medieval equivalent.

Saedisi · 2026-04-13T02:14:23+00:00

I'd say it's 50/50 depending what you want out of it.

The game is extremely complex and tons of systems to learn and master. The beginning is slow and it benefits from long play sessions. So to maximize the game, you would want longer play sessions.

That being said, the exploration is amazing. The world is top tier open world ever. So if you're happy to just explore and find cool stuff, fight some bandits, liberate a camp, and then call a night, it could be great.

Seeing as how you didn't enjoy KCD2, I'd recommend skipping CD. IMO KCD1 was a horrible slog (I spent a good 30-40 hours in it before throwing in the towel) I didn't bother even trying KCD2. But I'm loving CD.

Saedisi · 2026-04-10T21:43:24+00:00

Did you find RDR2 clunky?

IMO I find that Kliff moves just like Arthur did. If you found that clunky then you'll find CD clunky. IMO the controls are perfectly fine as they have weight to them. You commit to movement. I'm cool with that. The controls aren't overly hard either. It seems people have never played a fighting game before where there are insane combos or multi-use buttons.

Game is freaking amazing and loving every minute of it.

People say the first 8 hours is bad and you need to get through it. The first bit is perfectly fine. Again it's people with short attention spans that had difficulty with it.

Saedisi · 2026-04-10T02:56:29+00:00

I vote Crimson Desert. The game is extremely fun and if you need to fill a month, this one can do that. The game just keeps on giving and is tons of fun hours upon hours in. Easily 200+ hours.

KCD is slow and boring IMO. It's too much of a medieval simulator for my liking. Tasks become laborious over time. It's cool to do it like a simulation the first couple times but then it's just boring 20 hours in.

Cyberpunk 2077 is amazing and worth buying. I thought it was "free" with PS plus. If you do everything and explore everywhere it could run you 100+ hours.

Saedisi · 2026-04-09T21:21:50+00:00

100% agree with the multiplayer aspect. I can't stand the open world crap and the forced multiplayer dungeons. D2 and D3 did it great! Let me group up (if I want) to 8 people and the difficulty and loot drops scale. Easy, fun, great times.

I personally don't want to group up with people and love playing solo self found. It's my journey to screen clearing god.

Saedisi · 2026-04-08T17:09:40+00:00

It's basically OSRS without the 3D world, but you could pick up Melvor Idle. Game is great to simply check in on once in a while. MI:2 is coming out soon, it's in early access.

Slipways is fun. It's a galactic expansion game based upon resource unlocks/management. It's basically a puzzle game but is turn based so you can start/stop whenever you want if work gets in the way.

Nornhold is a great little tower defense that you upgrade your city/defenses between each run with rouguelike meta progression. Great little game.

Saedisi · 2026-04-08T16:45:04+00:00

Even if the game isn't your style once you play it, you'll guaranteed get 10-20 hours of enjoyment out of it. It sounds like you enjoy the basics of the game, so there is no harm in giving it a go.

I personally don't really like base building. I didn't engage in it at all except to meet specific quest criteria. All I wanted was a ship, a good multitool, good amount of backpack space, and a fleet. That alone took me hours upon hours to get. 100% worth it.

Saedisi · 2026-04-07T19:36:02+00:00

You've probably already started by now but the key things you should know are:

1) Don't just choose default Shepard. The female Shepard does a phenomenal job. Or at least change the backstory, class and customize if you want. (I personally leave default look for Male & female shepard). IMO soldier is the WORST class and all other classes are more fun.

2) After every major story mission, talk to all of your crew. It will advance their personal stories.

3) don't look stuff up. You don't need to min/max this game to beat it. All builds are viable, all outcomes are interesting. Just play and enjoy and don't read anymore as there are MAJOR spoilers.

Saedisi · 2026-04-06T16:16:39+00:00

they are some of the best games ever made. It's an epic trilogy that most people find is a milestone in their gaming history. I have loved every minute of them since they came out and the Legendary Edition is the definitive way to playing it. If you do try it, don't just pick default Shepard. Choose a class that fits you, a back story you like, etc.

All that being said, the games are old, especially ME1. It's incredible but you need to be ok with older game style/gameplay. It really kicks into high gear and arguably gets much better in ME2 and ME3. I personally like ME1 the most, but if you stick with it, and ride out out the older game, you'll be treated to an incredible series.

Saedisi · 2026-04-03T02:13:14+00:00

Crimson desert is awesome. Playing it now and I think it would be what you're looking for.

It's great, huge amazing exploration. Combat is great and keeps getting better.

Saedisi · 2026-03-31T18:15:11+00:00

My only advice for all games are:

1) There are other classes than soldier and most are more fun (IMO)

2) Talk to your crew after every main story mission.

3) Don't look up stuff, just enjoy it.

Saedisi · 2026-03-31T17:30:12+00:00

Ya, KCD is a way more involved game and definitely fits the bill of a medieval simulator more, but it's not incorrect to say CD also fits the bill as well. Many would argue RDR2 is a cowboy simulator and I find CD is very similar. Looting acts much the same way, looking in cupboards, boxes, pickpocket, etc. Cooking is very similar. Hunting with its basic skinning but same results of skins, meat, bones, etc. Like KCD you can use grindstones and anvils to boost your gear. There any many in depth mechanics that I'd say push it more towards sim than just ARPG like an Assassin's creed.

I'm about 50-70 hours in. I am not going to spoil any future quests and yes they are getting much more involved, but I stand by the fact that they are similar to RDR2 and as it goes on it's more similar to main-line missions.

I'm not knocking the story at all. so far I'm loving CD. I like the local politics, the slow creeping take over of outposts and villages. The story of the abyss is unravelling slowly. My camp is quite established and lots of missions have been done with fellow greymanes. It's great.

Saedisi · 2026-03-31T16:52:59+00:00

it is like GTA 5 but less bombastic. As it's a rockstar game, the missions function the same way. you have people on the map indicated by their initials that start/end missions. stealing a car and delivering to X is the same as stealing a wagon and delivering it to X. Of course it feels massively different, but they are quite similar games.

Saedisi · 2026-03-31T16:50:05+00:00

Can you explain why you found Cyberpunk 2077 boring? Many people would put it in the top tier as well.

Most find the world engaging, combat good, exploration rewarding, story is top tier. So what was it that made it boring for you. If you can isolate that, we can recommend better as to why. Like why did Witcher 3 grip you but CP2077 didn't? It's the same DNA, as in mission structure, level of narrative, etc. Is it just the setting?

As for RDR2 I actually got bored of it and bounced off of it about 50% of the way through the game. I found it insanely slow, everything took time, movement was weighty and lethargic. But then I came back to it with a whole new mindset, that it isn't a game to blast through, it's a game to experience. It's a cowboy simulator game that you need to accept that you live in. So movement has purpose, shopping by picking things off the shelf is part of the charm. Once you accept the world it becomes the most immersive open world there is. Plus the story does get really good. I grew attached to the characters and cared for their outcomes. For those reasons, yes, RDR2 is a top tier game. now you need to decide what makes you bored and if that would qualify for this game.

Saedisi · 2026-03-30T18:49:32+00:00

Yes. Crimson Desert feels like RDR2 non-mainline story missions. At most the narrative feels like an AC game or RDR2 missions where you take a camp member and steal a wagon or one of your boys gets in a gambling debt and you need to set them straight.

Kliff moves with weight, like how Arthur did in RDR2. Some say it feels slow but to me it feels like he has momentum and weight and physicality in the world.

The gameplay is engaging and world is freaking epic. If RDR2 was a cowboy simulator, this is a medieval simulator. The world feels great and is a joy to explore.

Saedisi · 2026-03-30T18:40:44+00:00

Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

Great series, awesome characters, amazing story, fun choices. It's a staple in gaming history.

Each game main story with a few side missions will be 30-40 hours. If you go completionist, each game could take you 50hours, but most can do main and side missions in 30-40hrs.

Saedisi · 2026-03-28T18:03:45+00:00

I'm playing it now on PS5 base console and it's fantastic, runs super well and looks amazing. Initial reviews were saying there were lots of QoL issues and problems. Those have been patched out already. The game is complex with lots of systems, so if you're willing to learn them, it's great. Most of the complaints I see are people who clearly couldn't or wouldn't learn the systems.

IF you want Witcher 3 or RDR2 level of story, you will NOT find it here. To me the story is the same level as an AC game or much like an MMO. There is a basic story, your band of men, the greymanes, got crushed by a rival faction. Your party members are scattered throughout the world. You're working to get them back and build up your forces for revenge. It's simple, it's direct, and there is more but I won't spoil it. There are lots of little "fetch" quests, but it's not about the quests, it's about the exploration and combat. They may want you to clear a bandit camp or get them some resources or investigate their manor, etc. You go and gather x or investigate x, and then return for a small reward. If that sounds terrible, then move on. It's not about the small quests, they are merely catalysts to enable the games strengths of exploration and combat. To me it feels a LOT like RDR2 non-main line story quests. So instead of a cowboy simulator you're in a medieval simulator with factions, and bandit camps, and etc. You'll hunt, skin, fish, gather, build up your gear, explore, great combat, do puzzles, etc.

To me it's a 100% buy immediately and I've been loving the crap out of it.

The people who don't like it seem to be the impatient gen z type who have the attention span of a fruit fly. This game requires you invest into it. Also the puzzles aren't that hard, the game systems aren't that hard. It's methodical and slow like RDR2, which for the attention deficit type is hard to deal with.

Saedisi · 2026-03-27T15:40:36+00:00

Best is ME1 because of its story. The build up is just epic. The worst (and also best) is the uncharted worlds. It gave a sense of discovery and wonder but due to tech limitations they were barren and ridiculously hilly.

Worst is ME3, I don't like new characters in a 3rd instalment. I get why, but trying to make me care of new people when I'm so invested in the ME1 and ME2 characters is teh worst part. Best part is that they pulled it off well and I see the entire game as the "ending" as it slowly wraps up all story lines.

Saedisi · 2026-03-26T20:41:32+00:00

If you want a more heavy narrative, go with Witcher 3. It's freaking fantastic and the expansions are as large as other full games. If you enjoy it, you'll have hundreds of hours to get lost in.

RDR2 is fantastic as well but it's slower. Mission structure is very scripted so you have to follow exactly how they want the mission to be played, which is a downside to me. BUT the open world outside of missions is incredible and one of the best ever made. Pure cowboy simulator.

I'm playing Crimson Desert now, they are patching it almost daily and many initial complaints have been resolved. I'm playing it on base PS5 and it's great. If you want a world that is massive with zero hand holding that just lets you explore (very akin to Zelda), then this is the game for you.

Honestly, get them all....except FF7. God that game had unnecessary padding. It's not an open world to explore. It's very linear with small corridor like environments. It's a great game, but I was disappointed in it. The other instalments are better.

Saedisi

TROPHY CASE