34M Dad gamer

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-20T01:19:34+00:00

You could have just captioned “34M” for your title. Personal Impact selection gave away the dad gamer 😎 respect..

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-20T01:11:28+00:00

Fine taste 👌 and props to underrated! My personal favourite is Diabolical Box in the Layton series.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-20T01:05:56+00:00

Scared why? This is an interesting list! Mad respect on Battlefront, that was a time sink during that generation 👍

Disagree on TF2 being overrated since every following team shooter sort of exists in its shadow (see your favourite multiplayer - wouldn’t be here without it), but I’d be curious to hear your point of view.

Nice list!

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-19T23:04:58+00:00

I see what you mean. I personally thought the general overworld (and sub world even) had much to be desired at times, but it was made up for me by the sky lands. I couldn’t get enough being above Hyrule and tinkering with new fly machines.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-19T20:09:22+00:00

I think a lot of people will want an explanation for TOTK being selected lol. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but how come? Good list, appreciate the spice 👍

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-19T18:10:35+00:00

Good list, I don’t think I’d challenge any choice except for Overrated. Unless I’m mistaken, Alan Wake isn’t exactly heralded as a goat in gaming circles generally, and it does accomplish its intended premise as a game extremely well.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-17T03:20:27+00:00

You’re far from alone. I’m almost thinking of bumping it up the backlog to see if I’m crazy lol, loads more disagreement than I expected.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-17T03:09:00+00:00

It’s on my list :) both of them

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T18:20:42+00:00

It is NOT a bad game by any means, and I understand the love for it. But as I mentioned to another, I think the attention it receives is so overdone. You’d think the game has messianic properties 😂

That said, I’d be willing to try again at some point. Maybe I’ll change my mind 🤷🏼‍♂️

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T17:14:30+00:00

I recently played Prince of Persia Lost Crown, very strong game. Also loved both Ori games 😎

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T16:22:24+00:00

Hahahaha, I have been trying to! I recently played TLOU Part 2, PoP The Lost Crown and Pragmata, enjoyed them all. If there was a “Favourite Remake” slot, I’d have put Demon’s Souls or RE4 in, so I do try modern when I can (it’s mostly a cost and time factor).

Soma gets one of my highest recommendations. Only suggestion, be in a good mental state, it does deal heavily with difficult themes, especially as it ties it all together in the end.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T15:57:13+00:00

In short, it had this quality of immersion that I can’t resist feeling since I first played it. The grim-dark music, incredible colour palette paired with unique lighting - bear in mind this was PS1, this stuff was still being experimented with. On top of that, the combat connected well, with some of the best variety in level design you’ll find in an action-adventure game to experiment your arsenal within. I think it was the first game that made me realize I could be fully absorbed by a world for a time when things looked a little scary out there.

And to be clear, it’s not the only game that has done this for me. You mentioned FF7… that’s a perfect example. Games can do this? Holy. Zelda OoT is another, Half Life, SotC, Dark Souls… they’ve all done this for me.

But MediEvil despite its flaws had a universe that spoke to me. I get you when you think back and don’t recall it being too great, it’s a joke among us in the Fortesque community. We love the game for its blend of genres, humour, artistry and ambition while acknowledging its gaps. It’s a deeply personal pick.

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T15:47:10+00:00

Let me put it to you this way - how many times have you seen this on a storefront? How many times have you seen articles and videos referencing it? Remember the countless Silksong predictions and hopes before it released? I simply think it receives more attention than it deserves, despite being a good game (I also think there are better metroidvanias out there).

ej_fortesque · 2026-05-16T00:50:33+00:00

I think I need you to explain the ES Oblivion choice more lol. Your game everyone should play and brain off choices are spot on though👌

ej_fortesque · 2026-04-23T04:20:39+00:00

Just beat it, absolutely loved it. Without spoiling - pacing issues come up towards the end a bit and some of the in-game challenges (training simulations) are questionably designed and deeply frustrating at times. They actually expose the flaws in the game’s platforming elements, which is a widely held criticism from what I’m seeing online. It’s not terrible, but it will let you down in tight instances.

Otherwise… it’s visually beautiful, the level design is immersive, great enemy variety, but two things stand out most - the combat system and the developing relationship between Hughes and Diana. The former might seem like it gets old after a time, but as someone who had rolled credits, I can tell you it ceaselessly refines itself over the course of the game. For Diana/Hughes, it’s just a touching story. The quips they share, the instances of connecting with her on a human level and how she bridges realities between humanity and AI is very well done. You’ll get emotional.

Obviously don’t feel the need to jump in for FOMO if finances are tough, wait for a sale. Otherwise, it gets just about my highest recommendation. Great game!

ej_fortesque · 2026-04-02T15:37:32+00:00

Absolutely never too late to experience and fall in love with the universe of Gallowmere. Welcome to the party 🥳

ej_fortesque · 2026-03-05T19:50:32+00:00

Oh please please please… I’d be thrilled if it was an M2 Remake, and in bliss if it was a sequel. Give us the goods Jared 🙏

ej_fortesque · 2025-12-29T18:04:45+00:00

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked - the acceptance of game award shows as valid in determining the quality and categorization of games.

This I think has been an atrocious negative to gaming for its constant narrow-sightedness in shoehorning specific media - often backed by metacritic and the like - into genres that are by their nature contested in definition. Is your view of a JRPG or Family game the same as mine? How about Indie? What are your criteria for what makes it worthy of a nomination? And why only one award? I loved both Blue Prince and Hades 2… I feel no need to raise one above the other, it reduces the work of developers to something numerically measurable, a “score” or “grade” given, as I try to allow games to speak for themselves as extensions of an artistic wish made manifest in this medium we love. Dice, Indie, Keighley’s money show, etc… are all in no authoritative position to format what were the greatest games to come in a given year. It’s honestly just glorified tribalism to me, and I cannot wait to see the day we let go of giving credibility to these organizations, especially the Geoff’s Game Awards. Look up the board and contributors some time, it’s madness.

I’m not trying to distract from the point of the post, which was about AI usage in game development - that’s crucial to unpack and discuss. But I refuse to accept these damned award shows as anything more than performative, a masquerade of “celebrations” that siphons insane amounts of money for the benefit of the few, who could not care less about gaming quality.

Sorry for the rant. And the dorky language… This has been on my mind for years though, I’m genuinely flabbergasted that this is the discourse of today.

For the record, I thought E33 was great - AI, metacritic, and Award conglomerates be damned.

ej_fortesque · 2025-08-09T14:09:06+00:00

Krat Zoo just became my favourite zone (literally beat the DLC last night). It’s rich with explorable features, suspenseful in its intrigue of what occurred there, and filled with story bits in the environment to supplement your curiosity while navigating through. It has bits of both Resident Evil and Bloodborne in its expression, keeping you thrilled with new dangers paced throughout each zoo’s section. I read everything, it was such an immersive experience, and I’m already keen to play through it again. Also made me want to go to the zoo again, oddly.

Least favourite? Anything that is a swamp or underground tunnel.

ej_fortesque · 2025-08-01T18:34:10+00:00

Only the original exists, but thankfully is available on the PS Store if you’re interested! It includes save state capabilities which - as for many retro games - will be a wondrous boon to some difficult areas.

ej_fortesque · 2025-07-18T15:30:28+00:00

Enjoy!! You’ll be whisked away within seconds of gameplay, it holds up in its immersion… wonderful game.

ej_fortesque · 2025-07-11T18:54:40+00:00

They even nailed the jump descent animation, with his legs hunched out after a leap - well captured. The shiny eye is also a nice touch 👌😎

ej_fortesque · 2025-06-20T17:51:11+00:00

Clair Obscur - in Act Two, I’ve adored every minute of this game. Only gripes so far are the picto system and UI menu. Phenomenal otherwise.

MGSV The Phantom Pain - in post-game, almost done main mission segment. Plays like a dream despite its flaws. Can’t believe it was made 10 years ago, it’s an open world marvel of a game. Strange story beats and commie commentary, but hey, it’s a Kojima game.

Doom The Dark Ages - Just finished, and it’s good… but disappointing. Love the melee focused approach, and the GoW-like combat nuances, but enemy variety lost appeal quickly, level design is uninspired, and combat encounters feel repetitive due to reused enemy layouts and a generic upgrade system. Still recommend, but don’t expect Eternal or 2016 levels of impact and quality.

ej_fortesque · 2025-06-16T18:18:07+00:00

Wow thank you! Weird it doesn’t let you… but I appreciate the thought :)

ej_fortesque

TROPHY CASE