Getting back into the hobby

[Setge]

Is not that I haven't played anything at all, but it was mostly on the switch and on my phone with a GBA emulator. But I'm tired of waiting for the day I will have more free time and decided to get back to clear my vast backlog. Finding this site (among some others too) was really a blessing, specially because I just lost interest in modern gaming.

Is anyone here going through something similar?

 

[Rovole]

For me, it was discovering Retroarch on my steamdeck, coupled with discovering Retroachievements. It has made me want to both replay some of the best games I've ever played as well as work through some titles that I never played, but always meant to.

Plenty of new games are coming out but only a handful seem worth actually playing. Like you, modern gaming has just lost its edge to me and it seems like we are being asked to ignore more and more scummy practices, invasive anticheat, drm, and terrible EULAs, just to play a damn game.

 

[Jayonnaise6105 Jayonnaise6105]

Yeah, sort of. I don't buy as many new games as I used to. I've been going on eBay or looking through local retailers for cheaper games that came out years ago that I may not have played.

I don't play games in as long stretches as I used to, maybe 2-3 hours every couple of days.

I used to play every WWE game pretty much as soon as it came out, but they've been getting worse and worse from a polish & design standpoint for a while now, without even mentioning the scummy business practices behind them.

I'm sure there are some good new games coming out, but I've also been working through my backlog or playing older games in general.

 

[Setge]

Btw, just to clarify something: With my Switch, I was actually buying games, as in acquiring physical media copies (not licensing them via some digital store, that's different!). But the increasing demand for DLCs, localizations that are somehow even worse than the already-bad PS2-and-earlier ones - with politically-charged tampering, fanfic-level dialogs and overall just not respecting the author's vision - as well as increasing prices and anti-consumer actions made me use the system just to play Master Duel, basically, as I'm a big Yu-Gi-Oh fan despite the tampering from 4kids.

I've even dropped my favorite Nintendo series, Fire Emblem, because of the aforementioned reasons. I simply refuse to finance a product that's lower quality and more expensive overseas.

 

[Turbo Kid]

Modern gaming has mostly lost me aside from retro indie games and the occasional 1st party Nintendo title on the Switch 1 like Mario & Luigi Brothership. I hate the PS5 as a console and the only game on it that is worth playing is Astro Bot. So far I have no desire to get the Switch 2 with all of the scummy things Nintendo has been doing with that system. And the Xbox brand just seems irrelevant in 2025. PC gaming doesn't interest me either and never has because I'm a physical collector so PC gaming offers me nothing.

So yeah, I get going retro. I play a lot of older games via emulation, but I own a lot of physical retro games too and whenever I try a new retro game via emulation and enjoy it, that entices me to buy a physical copy of it to add to the collection.

 

[Questless Knight]

"Is anyone here going through something similar?"

Can´t say I do I got plenty of free time but also I like old school as modern gaming. Honestly so many good modern games.
No man sky
Monster hunter world
Monster hunter stories
Cyberpunk 2033
Anno 1800
Fallout 4
Skyrim
Soul mask

And many more and I honestly can´t understand how one can lose interest in modern games or even old games as some people heck I can´t understand how some people can only play 1 game for years.

As some one that grew up with old games and play new games I can say old games had so many bullshit things im thankful modern game decided to give me more quality of life things.

Sure I can agree that modern games are way to easy or to much hand holdie. Maybe I should write to game developers and ask them how they would feel like if I hold their D when they pissing. Because that´s what they feel like that they need to hold my D or wipe my ass for me.

And sure some AAA companies are full of people not smarter than a fish stick but still.

But yeah Old games and modern games to me are fun as hell and I can´t comprehend how one can get sick of either.

 

[Vexicrypt]

Modern games are mostly dead to me because my PC is a rusty bucket and I can't afford overpriced hardware to upgrade. There are some titles I'd love to play but yeah, maybe one day. So I usually stick to older games and thankfully I have a good backlog to choose from.

 

[Setge]

Modern gaming has mostly lost me aside from retro indie games and the occasional 1st party Nintendo title on the Switch 1 like Mario & Luigi Brothership. I hate the PS5 as a console and the only game on it that is worth playing is Astro Bot. So far I have no desire to get the Switch 2 with all of the scummy things Nintendo has been doing with that system. And the Xbox brand just seems irrelevant in 2025. PC gaming doesn't interest me either and never has because I'm a physical collector so PC gaming offers me nothing.

So yeah, I get going retro. I play a lot of older games via emulation, but I own a lot of physical retro games too and whenever I try a new retro game via emulation and enjoy it, that entices me to buy a physical copy of it to add to the collection.

Interesting what you said about PC gaming. I do have some physical media games here in my collection. Also, it might be interesting to you to check on GOG, they do offer you the offline installers for the games there, so it is possible to make backups, including on disks.

 

[Aziamuth]

The key to enjoying gaming, as well as any activity, is:

1. Doing it in moderation (if all you do is gaming, without changing, you will get bored, whether you like it or not, because that's just how the brain works. Combine gaming with other hobbies such as playing an instrument, painting, exercise or simply going out)
2. Doing it when you actually feel like it (that means, don't force yourself with thoughts like "oh man I just have to beat this game". Enjoy the ride!)
3. Only play things that you truly have an interest in (for example, let's say you really want to try Disco Elysium because you're into dice-based RPGs and detective stories, but plenty of friends say that you HAVE to play Resident Evil 4 because it's so good, but you don't really have an intereset in RE4 for whatever reason)
4. Find the best way for yourself to experience the medium (this can mean a lot of things: on your own, with friends, with your favorite console...)
5. Don't be afraid to emulate. You don't owe companies anything, especially if you're short on cash

 

[TinRattler]

G'day mate I lost interest in gaming for 15 years barely played at all due to getting married (bad mistake) having 2 tin lids and work. Since my divorce and my tin lids love of gaming I got back into it.
Hope you find your love for the hobby again

 

[vulonkaaz's iconvulonkaaz]

idk why i even am on gaming forums at this point like the last game i played was 4 days ago when my friend forced me to play steal a brainrot

before that it was a week or more ago playing a browser mini golf game

 

[Russianbias]

Modern games are mostly dead to me because my PC is a rusty bucket and I can't afford overpriced hardware to upgrade. There are some titles I'd love to play but yeah, maybe one day. So I usually stick to older games and thankfully I have a good backlog to choose from.

- you really dont miss much, AAA segment is like a bunch of clones that decided to build incestuous family. They are all the same, and have serious issues due to severe inbreeding. Same thing with wannabe AAA games from B tier. The most recent stinker is Mafia Old County, which story wise plagiarizes Mafia 1 and gameplay wise just a... i dont even know what to call it... half walking sim perhaps? Just imagine any AAA, but with way less gloss and polish. But it is on EU5 engine! Yapee!

 

[qw90700]

"Is anyone here going through something similar?"

Can´t say I do I got plenty of free time but also I like old school as modern gaming. Honestly so many good modern games.
No man sky
Monster hunter world
Monster hunter stories
Cyberpunk 2033
Anno 1800
Fallout 4
Skyrim
Soul mask

And many more and I honestly can´t understand how one can lose interest in modern games or even old games as some people heck I can´t understand how some people can only play 1 game for years.

As some one that grew up with old games and play new games I can say old games had so many bullshit things im thankful modern game decided to give me more quality of life things.

Sure I can agree that modern games are way to easy or to much hand holdie. Maybe I should write to game developers and ask them how they would feel like if I hold their D when they pissing. Because that´s what they feel like that they need to hold my D or wipe my ass for me.

And sure some AAA companies are full of people not smarter than a fish stick but still.

But yeah Old games and modern games to me are fun as hell and I can´t comprehend how one can get sick of either.

Then you didn't get old enough, especially you didn't experience much of the video game industry.

Yes, in everything in every era there are lots of bad stuff. For example while 80s American songs are often loved a lot they also have lots of rubbish songs, but then what is liked is the art movements that got popular around 80s that lyrics are poethic and about what a person can relate and learn from. Now the lyrics are "boom boom that ass, me jealous I'mma kill you" and the music is like factory noise, back then music was not like that.

Same shit as new modern gaming. Games used to be a game, now they are "wanker satisfaction simulators", instead of a gameplay they offer whatever is insane and primitive. Even the sense of RPG changed, people think RPG is when a game is dating simulator. They fuck at Persona 1 and Morrowind, they go for Persona 4 and Skyrim just for dating BS. Developers knows it so you buy Assassin's Creed Shadow and most of the game is a cutscene about lesbian relationship drama. Do you call this worthy game to play? They are not even a game. My guy Hideo Kojima releases Amazon delivery guy simulator, but new generation modern customer type is "I will buy any shit just because I have" mentality. Kinda the new gamer types are like that too. Even back then when there wasn't much games are we ignored rubbish games and replayed the games we liked, and since games were fun it was fun to replay them. Now games mostly have no replay value whatsoever because gameplay is pretty much 3D version of random NES games but more walking and more cutscene. For example I would like to replay Persona 5 but even though I skip dialogues shit takes too long to get into the actual game. Naturally I wouldn't wanna play a game that gameplay wise considering what the gameplay is about it is worse than best games I played decades ago. I won't gonna play a game just to waste time, but companies assume I would lol.

The games you listed are not "bad" per se but since I played better games they are no fun for me. Playing them feels like riding a horse when in 90s I enjoyed Ferrari plenty. In this context + the sense of wasting time prevent me from playing new games. Even a bad game back then was playable because it was a game, now they are more like brainwash tools that Mother Russia is jealous, comrade lolol.

In the end, did I completly ignored new games? Nope. Do I play less games? Nope. There are tons of games I didn't play yet, I always enjoyed playing old games no matter how old they may be. I do not think my life time can be enough to play all the games I wanna play so I have no problem with that. Video game industry always had the shitty eras that they couldn't come up with games I was interested. NES-era was awful for me, before PS1-era was too, PS3-era too, before and after Witcher 3 era too... After every storm sun always shines brightly yo lol.

 

[Questless Knight]

Then you didn't get old enough, especially you didn't experience much of the video game industry.

Yes, in everything in every era there are lots of bad stuff. For example while 80s American songs are often loved a lot they also have lots of rubbish songs, but then what is liked is the art movements that got popular around 80s that lyrics are poethic and about what a person can relate and learn from. Now the lyrics are "boom boom that ass, me jealous I'mma kill you" and the music is like factory noise, back then music was not like that.

Same shit as new modern gaming. Games used to be a game, now they are "wanker satisfaction simulators", instead of a gameplay they offer whatever is insane and primitive. Even the sense of RPG changed, people think RPG is when a game is dating simulator. They fuck at Persona 1 and Morrowind, they go for Persona 4 and Skyrim just for dating BS. Developers knows it so you buy Assassin's Creed Shadow and most of the game is a cutscene about lesbian relationship drama. Do you call this worthy game to play? They are not even a game. My guy Hideo Kojima releases Amazon delivery guy simulator, but new generation modern customer type is "I will buy any shit just because I have" mentality. Kinda the new gamer types are like that too. Even back then when there wasn't much games are we ignored rubbish games and replayed the games we liked, and since games were fun it was fun to replay them. Now games mostly have no replay value whatsoever because gameplay is pretty much 3D version of random NES games but more walking and more cutscene. For example I would like to replay Persona 5 but even though I skip dialogues shit takes too long to get into the actual game. Naturally I wouldn't wanna play a game that gameplay wise considering what the gameplay is about it is worse than best games I played decades ago. I won't gonna play a game just to waste time, but companies assume I would lol.

The games you listed are not "bad" per se but since I played better games they are no fun for me. Playing them feels like riding a horse when in 90s I enjoyed Ferrari plenty. In this context + the sense of wasting time prevent me from playing new games. Even a bad game back then was playable because it was a game, now they are more like brainwash tools that Mother Russia is jealous, comrade lolol.

In the end, did I completly ignored new games? Nope. Do I play less games? Nope. There are tons of games I didn't play yet, I always enjoyed playing old games no matter how old they may be. I do not think my life time can be enough to play all the games I wanna play so I have no problem with that. Video game industry always had the shitty eras that they couldn't come up with games I was interested. NES-era was awful for me, before PS1-era was too, PS3-era too, before and after Witcher 3 era too... After every storm sun always shines brightly yo lol.

One of my biggest issues with allot of old games I can play them once and be satisfied and se no reason to replay them after maybe bunch of years. Last time I played FF7 was 10 years ago. Sure there are some old games I play over and over like Heroes of might and magic or C&C 95 or red alder or even anno 1503.

But there are more modern I can replay over and over and still have fun. Conan exiles, Ark, No man sky, Skyrim, Fallout 4 "sure with out mods I probably could not. And many more games the list would be to long.


I love old games I grew up with or games I even missed back in the 80s-90s But I have a huge lover for modern games as well. Stardew valley is 100 times better than Harvest moon on snes so even some modern game makes some old games just feel out right horrible.

But the worst part allot of old games have not aged well. Sure this is not that old but WItcher 1 suck gamplay wise compared to witcher 3 because the combat and how you do things did not age well between 1 and 3.

But then again some old games better than new one Link to the past 100 times better than breath of the wild which does not even feel like a zelda game.


But yeah old and new has their good and bad but being entirely sick of modern game is highly strange at least that how I see it. But that´s the neat part we all think differently and have different taste in games. Which is a great thing.