The game LOVE thread

So, people following my posts in the comments may have noticed a malaise overtaking me of late. The negativity of the gaming community is wearing me down. I see so many people talking about how "trash" this generation is. The thing is, I don't buy it. I was there playing on the early consoles and they were FULL of shovelware and experiments gone wrong. We just remember all the great times we DID find more clearly.

I think it would be fun to start a thread where people can gush about some of the good times they have had this generation - because in my opinion there is as much to love as there ever was. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that some of the biggest budget, highest profile games are the worst ones. So these stick out in our consciousness as examples of how bad this generation is - when, in truth, they are a small minority of the games out there to play.

Just to seed some thoughts:

TW3, Cities Skylines, Grim Dawn, Hyperlight Drifter, Unravel, Bloodborne, Talos Principle, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity OS, Axiom Verge, Ori and the Blind Forest, XCom 2, as well as stuff like Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Gone to Rapture, Firewatch (although titles such as those are less my cup of tea) - objectively, these are creative, unique, and - if the genre fits your tastes - fantastic games. The quality of these games is as good as anything we have ever had, and - while every single one won't appeal to every single gamer - these are just some of many examples of exactly the type of game we look fondly back on in older generations.

So let's hear it: what games have you loved so far this generation and why?

Let's see... Some recent games I've thoroughly enjoyed and why.

LISA: The Painful- The writing is exceptional and blends with the atmosphere and gameplay to create one of the funniest, but also saddest, games ever made. Beneath its bizarre nature of perverts and weirdos is a truly sad story of humanity breaking down and succumbing to its worst elements. It's an amazing RPG that any fan of good storytelling needs to play.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate- As the first MH game I've really gotten in to, it had me hooked for weeks with its loot crafting and monster fighting. Its bursting at the seems with content, too, so there's a lot of bang for your buck.

Hotline Miami 2- the twitch based murder em up gameplay from the first returns. That's really all you need. The level design is a bit too open at times and filled with guns, but it's still a really fun and brutal game.

These are the two that immediately came to mind without being too monotonous with my system/ genre choice. I've been playing mostly older games a lot recently, so I haven't played a ton from this current generation.

the witcher3 comes to mind first. i was worried going in that maybe CDPR bit off more than they could chew. Nope....sorted...awesome game. its great to see how a series can change so much over 3 games and still have 3 excellent games. i cant wait for cyberpunk 2077 now :D.

xenoblade X also delivered. initally i thought the game was a bit of a missfire (first 2-3 hours or so). then something clicked and all sorted.....another top class game. i bought a wiiu for this game and its money well spent in my book (well i wanted other games on the wiiu also but xenoblade was the biggy).

i cant wipe the smile off my face when i think of superhot. such a simple idea (and its not new).....but throwing a gun at someone, knocking their gun out of their hand, grabbing that gun while its in the air, and killing them with it....its just one of those things in gaming that wont get old :D. sadly the HDD on my linux box decided it wanted to be a coaster instead so i cant play it at the moment.

more an event, but steam coming to linux has also been great. i really want to see more games on linux so that has become my main driver for PC games. GOG also supports it now which is awesome. come on bethesda, ubisoft and EA....we have doughnuts :D.

the steam controller is the most exciting controller i have used since the wiimote.....its a seriusly powerful bit of kit. its great to see companies still taking risks on new ideas and it has worked really well in this case. i can nit pick, sure, but overall the steam controller has been brilliant for me and i hope it gets tons and tons more sales. also flappy paddle buttons are a thing now...anyone who releases a new controller without these will get a right telling off.

Mad Max was so good. I can't believe how this product make sense.

SOMA was a fantastic experience, I doubt I'll ever forget it.

And there is other games I have finish that was a lot of fun. Imo, there is too much crap on Steam and in my case I call it 27bs and the mp games are most of the time a joke but still there is plenty of very good sp games that are really worth to be played as a bourgois guy like me.

HITMAN -EPISODE ONE

Been having alot of fun with Hitman latly, feels very new and refreshing and a type of game consept that i don't think i have seen before.

BLOODBORNE

I have this love hate relationship to this game,Im getting more and more into it as im pushing through the game and i feel that it kinda grows on me and im liking it more everytime i play, gonna finish this game somehow but it might take a little longer than i planned :) Gameplay is great! But f#(./ng Hard :p

TRINE 2

Been playing this game with my kid and we are having blast everytime we play it, great sidescrolling platformer with lots of action and puzzles.

UNCHARTED 4 (Mp beta)

I managed to play couple days in a row before the beta was taken down and man did i enjoy that game! I literally felt like i was Indiana Jones while i was swinging, sliding, climbing, rolling and jumping around in this awesome action packed multiplayer game :D Can't wait for release!

All in all i have played way more good games than bad games in this generation and still more awesome games ro come.

Sorry mang, I'm one of those downers. I feel like an old grumpy man...back in my day-kind of attitude. I hate the way the industry is going. Sure, games are prettier and bigger than ever before. But does that mean they're better, or more fun to play? That depends on who you ask. The immersion is gone for me. I'm playing games now, but older ones.

To answer your question though; I've played and enjoyed:
Grand Theft V (PS4)
The Last of Us (PS4)
Diablo III (PS4/PC)....and that's about it. I've played many others but they're in the back of my mind. I just realised those are remasters or were released last gen.

@xantufrog: I agree with you 100%!

As for the question, I love them all, so I will just go with whats fresh in the mind. Since January I've played some Rise of the Tomb Raider, Uncharted Collection, The Division, and most recently Quantum Break. On top of that, eagerly awaiting Uncharted 4 in exactly one month!!!!

Lets overwhelm these Negative Nancies with our love for gaming regardless of platform and genre!

I'm really tired of how negative it has become as well. I actually haven't played many current generation games just yet, but there are a few that have stood out:

Ori and the Blind Forest: Possibly my favorite current generation game so far. Bought this on the day of release and ended up playing it four times in a row. The art style, the music, the control, everything was just right for me. It was unfortunate that some areas became locked off after completing them, but it wasn't that big of a deal for me.

Super Mario Maker: Think I've spend about 20 hours or so just creating. I actually only have one fully finished level. So much of that time was spent testing and ensuring the level worked just right. I assumed I was going to spend most of my time playing other levels, but the creation tools are so easy to use; haven't played many levels at all.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze / Super Mario 3D World: Some fantastic platformers for the WiiU that I felt should be mentioned.

Virtues Last Reward: Assuming 3DS games are considered current generation. I'm usually uninterested in the story for most games, but the story for the Zero Escape games have really kept my interest from start to finish. It's really out there, but I loved it. The puzzles were pretty challenging as well. Looking forward to the third installment for this series.

Recently played through Quantum Break and enjoyed it very much. The gameplay was very fun with the time mechanics. At first I thought the live action stuff was a bit hokey but after the first episode it really draws you into the characters with some pretty good performances. I thought the story was pretty interesting too.

Started Mad Max about a week ago and didn't expect much from it given its underwhelming reviews... but I really like it. The game looks great and the open world is fantastic.

Street Fighter 5 is one of the best fighting games I have ever played in my life, rock solid gameplay and balance, and even though there are some issues right now they are being addressed and worked on, this is a game that I will still be playing years from now.

Killer Instinct Season 3 looks amazing, it is out on PC which is amazing, and I will probably start playing it during my vacation next week.

Put those 2 awesome games together alongside the upcoming release of king of fighters and this is the best gen to be a fighting game fan since the ps1/dreamcast days

This thread is a breath of much needed fresh-air.

Love the many list of games, oddly alot I've played; especially that someone other than me has fondness for Monster Hunter.

For me it's been exclusively DkSIII for awhile now and can't wait to uncover more secrets in the game.

Before that in these late 15/ early 16 months are TearAway: Unfolded and Makai Senki Disgaea 5. Loved those games. Will also give the 2014 love gang a holla- Bayonetta 2, MH4G, The Evil Within, & Guilty Gear Xrd!

Happy gaming all \^_^/

mad max? does it get better? i enjoyed 1-2 hrs but then it got repetitive so i quit it...

The idea that failure is shameful is very much from ancient Rome, and I think that the weaknesses of gaming should be looked at in terms of potential improvements, instead.

For example, Fallout 4 is one of the biggest budget games that I have recently purchased, and it is a great game that I think could have been even better if you could play music on your PS4 in the Pip Boy radio, and control it in game.

legends is a good game....

I love it, glad people are chiming in. I'm really excited for Ratchet and Clank, and later Deus Ex, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more.

I don't know if the hype train still has everyone wary of it, but Undertale is pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean it was among the best gaming experience I've ever had. It feels like playing a really good cartoon to me. It cuts out all the chaff and grinding and just provides a deeply endearing experience with great characters, humor that's actually funny (and without needing to know any references!), and a story that has ups and downs that made me actually feel something.

@RSM-HQ: I only recently got into Monster Hunter. MH3 on the original Wii felt really overwhelming and not paced well for teaching the many systems. MH4U was much more well done even if certain systems are still learned best through trial and error. But I also had a friend who was playing the shit out of it so he showed me a few pointers as well.

I'm not a big fan of "Generation" term in relation to gaming; maybe it is because I only game on PC and it's not really clear to me what a "generation" is on PC (CPU type? GPU chip? I don't know...). I also think it promotes a lot of competition, but not in the good, constructive sense...more in the crap-talking sense. That's not me being all "PC Mastery Race-y" on you, just what I think lol

But, to answer your question, some games I have enjoyed (love, even) these past few years are:

The Witcher 3: just fun, fun fun.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak: a nice return to the story-centric RTS games of my youth, it was nice to see a game built around the epic universe and story of it's predecessors. Truly enjoyable, and the general sense of foreboding you experience your whole time while playing is a unique experience.

Factorio: completely caught me off guard; dropped a small 12 dollars on this game on a whim, and hundreds of hours later I am still hooked. Ugly but endearing game, incredibly fun, limitless replayability.

Divinity: Original Sin: like the review said, it makes you fall in love with the classic RPG genre all over again. Fun fun fun, and funny, too lol. Never forgot the first time I talked to a dungeon-dwelling rat or a clairvoyant cow.

Grim Dawn: been chipping away at this game, slowly but surely, over the past few years. Amazing to see it finally in it's retail, ready-for-sale form. Truly a great game.

SWTOR: not since WoW has an MMO held my attention for so long; starting to fade for me, but I come back frequently enough to remain subscribed. A fun game, and the emphasis on storytelling is nice. Plus...Old Republic Star Wars is da' best.

Cities Skylines: another nice surprise, this city builder came from a studio that is comprised of like 10 people or something crazy like that. Big, fun games don't need big budget or large staff! Constantly supported, moddable, and so forth.

Lethis: Path ofProgress: a good game, but the reason I love it is because it is a nod to the old Impressions' city builders (Pharaoh, Caesar III, etc). Haven't played it for a while, but a great game.

Stonehearth: Minecraft meets town-building/settlement management. Still a bit buggy and weird, but that's early access for you. A fun, charming game with a surprising amount of depth, and a devoted development team that consistently adds and updates a product important to them.

Honorable mentions, AKA "games I want to love, but just can't, probably for stupid reasons:

Far Cry Primal: so many memorable moments, especially the first time my noob ass encountered a sabre tooth w/o having good gear. Now that is a panic moment! But I just can't get over the lackluster main campaign, the recycled terrain map, and so forth. Fun, but they totally ringed it in on this one, like "Oh hey we aren't doing an Assassin's Creed this year so lets crank out an extra Far Cry instead"

Homeworld Remastered: one of my favorite games of all time; the combination of 3D movement (new, at the time), epic story and story telling, beautiful graphics, and so forth is what made me fall in love with the game, and experiencing it all over again in an upgraded game engine is even better. But...it's an older game, so I can't really include it in this "generation".

Anno2205: pretty terrible relative to the other Anno/Dawn of Discovery games, but...I just can't stop playing it! Still, Anno 2070 has me at 300+ hours, 2205 only has me at like 20. But still, I have fun...but I hate it. Love to hate, hate to love? Maybe

There are many many many more I should mention, or forgot to mention, but that's the short list. People that lament about the "golden age" are looking with rose-colored shades; there were fun games back in the day, sure, but things are much, much, much better now. For starters, we can do more in the games, and the "Independent" game studios that are abound are making some really fun games with very little. I mean...Hyper Light Drifter? AMAZING! I've only played an hour or so, but wow....so moving.

Galak-Z!

Can't say enough good stuff about this little game. I love it to death and have put in over 600 hours on it so far. Not even close to stopping, and the game isn't even complete yet. If anyone doesn't have it and likes shooters, I'd heavily advise picking this up. The developers need all the sales they can get, and we need more games like this.

@turtlethetaffer: MH4G is definitely my favorite game, I have X as well but didn't exactly love what they did with the game. So like many, fled back to 4G/4U :)

I don't think this generation has been very good so far, but gen 6 was the last time I was entertained from start to finish. It took until 2010 for me to get into gen 7, so I went into this one expecting something similar. With that said, there still have been games that I have enjoyed quite a bit so far:

Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii ver.) - This game is a dream come true for me. Made by Yuji Naka, Rodea is essentially the spiritual sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams, which is one of my favorite games ever. Like NiGHTS, you play as a character that flies through the air, and the gameplay consists of simple controls but is difficult to master. This is not the type of game you're going to enjoy when you first pick it up, but once you get a hang of the controls and become familiar with the level layouts, it transforms into an absolutely amazing experience. Rodea is all about challenging yourself to get faster times and achieving higher scores, like an arcade game, which is a type of playing style that I don't think is very appreciated today. Most people want instant gratification like in a Mario game, but for people like me that prefer platformers where the enjoyment comes from getting better like in NiGHTS and Sonic, Rodea answers that bell. This game almost didn't come out too due to weird decision making by the publisher, so I'm even more grateful that I'm able to own this terrific title.

Azure Striker Gunvolt - Made by Inti Creates, Gunvolt is a platformer made in the same spirit as the Mega Man Zero and ZX series, which isn't all that surprising considering that they're the guys behind those games, as well as Mega Man 9 & 10. Unlike Mega Man though, Gunvolt's gameplay is based around tagging your enemies with your gun, and then destroying them together in order to build up your score. Trying to chain attacks, while at the same time, going through each level as fast as you can, and without getting hit no less, makes Gunvolt a thrilling experience. Since Capcom hasn't made a Mega Man game in a while, Gunvolt has filled that void for me, and I'm super excited that a sequel is coming out this summer.

Freedom Planet - The best way that I can describe this game is that it's basically Sonic X Gunstar Heroes X Rocket Knight X Mega Man, and if it came out for the SEGA Saturn. So as you can imagine then, Freedom Planet is a high speed action platformer with badass bosses, has an amazing soundtrack, and looks as sharp and colorful as something from the mid 90's. I've gone through it multiple times, and like Gunvolt, I'm eagerly anticipating the recently announced sequel.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - I love Metroidvanias, and the Shantae games are among the better ones of this genre. They're not as hard or deep as Metroid or Castlevania, but Shantae makes up for it with its personality. Pirate's Curse is the third installment in the series, and is by far the best one that WayForward has produced, being much longer than Risky's Revenge, and has an even more stellar soundtrack. If you're in the mood for a Metroidvania, I would definitely recommend giving this game a try.

Crimzon Clover - If you like vertical scrolling shmups, specifically bullet hells, then you owe it to yourself to play this awesome game. It's colorful, has crazy bosses, an adrenaline pumping soundtrack, a very fun risk-reward scoring system, and oh yeah, it's hard as balls. Even if you suck at the genre, you'll most likely love Crimzon Clover, because it nails everything just in the right way.

A Link Between Worlds - I don't believe I have to go into detail for this game, other than saying it's A Link to the Past 2. I actually think it's even better than the original to be honest.

Shovel Knight - I think everyone knows about this game too, but yeah, Shovel Knight rocks on all levels.

@RSM-HQ: What did they change that you didn't like?

@Renegade_Fury: +2 for both Shovel Knight and Azure Striker. Former is a terrific throwback platformer and the latter is a really great, challenging action game.

i think i'll pick it up, have seen a lot of people say similar things about it.

in the past year or so i've been revisiting all my back library on pc so not bought much new stuff pc wise. the stand out games on the ps4 i've played are:

tlou remastered - didn't care so much for the dlc and the core gameplay wasn't stellar but holistically the game was magnificent and every bit as good an experience as i'd hoped it would be.

alien isolation - brilliant psychological horror. one of the most atmospheric game i've played in recent years containing some genuinely super tense and frightening drop the controller and take a breath moments. throw in some of the most subtly effective stealth mechanics and despite the excessive length and some nasty difficulty spikes you have a stand out intelligent horror game that really shows up shit like the evil within for the predictable drivel it is.

mgsv - it went on and on. it was convoluted. it was repetitive. but nonetheless it delivered some of the greatest, dynamic, edge of the seat stealth action moments i've experienced in years. the feeling when some audacious and super risky strategy pulls off, all just falling into place with you escaping some area unseen and undiscovered without killing or raising an alarm was really satisfying.

until dawn - didn't expect much. got one of the most polished, stylish and boldly executed interactive story based games i can remember. the story went a bit loco two thirds through but still thoroughly enjoyable. perfect game to play with a girlfriend who's not particularly into gaming.

witcher 3 - goes without saying. huge, ambitious, gloriously told rpg with decent combat and strong characters. pay off over long storylines was deep and meaningful, and contrasts sharply to more shallow and forgettable plot paths in other rpgs *cough cough fallout 4. my only complaint was there were times when it felt a little like i was going through the motions picking up contracts, finding / mixing ingredients, defeating enemies using said ingredients, rinse and repeat. nit picking really though.

bloodborne - hated it at first. got my arse handed to me consistently. restarted and realised i hadn't picked up the weapons at the very start lol - doh. suddenly not quite as hard but what i'd learnt fighting weapon-less really came in handy so all worked out in the end. grows on you like a nasty rash that you can't help love itching

I totally agree, we need to be more positive, and we need more celebration of the games we love. So without further ado, games that have stood out to me.

Pikmin 3 -- A perfection of the series. Some of the best co-op/multiplayer fun I've had this generation.

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt -- A perfection of RPG story-telling. Great combat. Fantastic graphics.

Fallout 4 -- My first Fallout game so of course I was blown-away and loved every minute of my time in the Commonwealth.

Mad Max -- While copying many of the tired-open-world tropes there was a perfection of collect-a-thon, gorgeous-graphics and car racing/combat.

Need for Speed: Rivals -- Great open world racing game plus a perfection of the "hot pursuit" gameplay.

The Crew -- Best open-world MMO racing game ever. While the racing game-mechanics weren't always spot-on the "road-trip" feel of this game was amazing and the tiny-recreation of the American map was intense.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor -- The nemesis system, need I say more? This game took the open world, great combat and great traversal and some super-awesome powers/skills with a truly unique enemy AI that was simply incredible.

inFamous: Second Son -- While not the best story telling the gameplay and graphics were simply fantastic.

Those were just some of my favorites!! :)

This gen is so good. The Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid V, Fallout 4. Those where massive. Indies have been really great too. Trackmania Turbo, ResoGun, Ori and the blind forrest, Elite Dangerous, Hotline Miami, Not a Hero, BroForce, the Witness... Graphics are great in my opinion, controllers have never been better. It's just nothing but progress. A lot of great games in the near future. No Man's Sky is keeping my hype levels high. I love video games. Now is a very good time. I've been gaming since 77'. These negative posters in system wars are just mental cases. If they hate everything why are they chatting on a video game site? You would think they would just give it up but some people like to complain more than anything.

@turtlethetaffer: The combats more flashy and less strategic. Just felt like they changed alot that worked. Eitherway, not the place for my negative feedback. MH4G/U was just so great, that's why I'm probably indecisive with the sequels changes. I'm like this with Bloodborne as well for completely different seasons (which I listed in a different thread), but at the same time, fully enjoyed all 'said' games.

@jasonredemption: Fallout 4 is even greater if you've spent time in Beantown - really fun to play through a place you've called home fromm such a warped perspective

Top 5:

The Witcher 3- Wild Hunt: Great story, tactical gameplay, world feels alive, graphics, mature writing, likable characters

Starcraft 2- Legacy of the Void: Fitting conclusion, likable characters, fantastic presentation, level of polish, terrific gameplay

Total War- Attila: Huge replay value, great atmosphere, shit ton of content, great graphics, deep gameplay, time killer

Divinity- Original Sin: Great visuals, a lot of handcrafted quests, superb combat, amazing encounter design, no handholding, enjoyable story, RPG elements, freedom

Alien Isolation: Best horror game in a long time, great atmosphere, tense atmosphere, fantastic AI, great gameplay

Which I have! I love Boston (second only to Chicago)!

Haven't really played a lot of games this generation yet, but of those I did, well:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - currently my favorite of the generation so far. It had great combat, some of the best narrative delivery of any RPG ever, and one of the richest and most engaging worlds ever to be conceived.
• Dragon Age: Inquisition - While not nearly as high quality as The Witcher 3, I still enjoyed it. The combat was fun, the story engaging, and the world of Thedas never looked so beautiful.
• Bloodborne - I love From Software's games, and they absolutely nailed it with this one. Brutally satisfying combat, dark and creepy atmosphere, seriously interesting narrative, and one of the most grimly beautiful worlds I've ever seen in a game.
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - I'll say it: the Nemesis System is what really makes this game shine. Battling orcs who remember your face creates a story all its own. It also helps that the world is well put together, and that the combat is excellently made.
• Destiny - I know this game gets a lot of flack (not without reason), but I can't help but actually enjoy playing it. The controls are buttery smooth, the worlds are beautiful, and I love finding all the different guns to experiment with. Though lacking in story, the lore is still incredibly fascinating. Plus, this game is what finally got me into online multiplayer and allowed me to make some good friends.

I think I'll throw out a great little gem you aren't likely to hear much about: Banished. This is a great survival/city sim hibrid. It is deceptively simple, but actually lasting more than a few hours you start to learn how important the nuances of the game are. It does suffer from a lack of variety in scenery - it's basically the Northeast from Colonization and that's that. But it has that magic "one more year" quality and overcoming even the little adversities makes you want to keep playing.

@Macutchi: "The excessive length and some nasty difficulty spikes you have a stand out intelligent horror game that really shows up shit like the evil within for the predictable drivel it is".

*Sigh* You manage to bring this to a thread all about noting the positives.

Alien: Isolation & The Evil Within are the same game length which is average for its genre inbetween 15-16 hours. https://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=986, so will take your experience with a grain of salt. Seeing as the average is on par with The Last of Us.

TEW is difficult in spots, so I understand your frustration. Luckily the game rewards your persistence with powerful weapons, special keys, bolt parts, and upgradable goo in the plenty; all for continuing the extremely satisfying combat.

So my advice is to adapt and don't give-up. Some encounters are puzzles, and not confronted with head-shots. So that is also worth consideration.

The game despite pacing issues is remarkably fun in my/ and many peoples point-of-view (very subjective in this case; which is ok), with some of the best boss encounters I've played in years (SafeHead in the Steam Vault is a beautiful boss encounter). However, if you're looking for an engaging plot or motive? You are definitely in the wrong place, it's a cluster. & even as a big fan I will point out these flaws. If a sequel is in the works? I highly hope they work on this.

Might be worth your while to down the difficulty-slider, if you ever give the game the time of day again. As it seems all you need to do is adjust to how the game functions. No one would judge you for trying it on an easier setting, it's why games have them in the first place.

Otherwise, I understand your disliked reaction to this game. It's a mixed box of good and bad design choices. Just like Bloodborne.

@RSM-HQ: fair point, this is a thread about positivity, "predictable drivel" is probably a bit insulting to anyone who enjoyed it and i appreciate there are probably lots of people who did