How to get back into gaming?

Asking for a friend... named me. I haven't played a newly released game in four years. Hell, I haven't played any game in two years, but I'm starting to feel the itch again. I still have little to no interest in most modern games, and I would prefer to play the old stuff I never tried, but I don't know where to start.

I don't think it would be too hard to compile a list of great games I missed, but I'm wondering if I should play them at random, or start with the 80's and work my way forward. And should I replay all my favorites first, or should I try to separate myself from my long held biases?

Do you guys have any other suggestions with this endeavor? Thanks 👍

I would say start with something light like a Mario game. If you're still hungry for more, try Super Smash Bros or Splatoon 3. The sky is the limit. There is no right/wrong way to get into gaming.

@dimebag667: I'm a Sega connoisseur of sorts. So, if you have a question in regards to Sega I will try and help you out.

But yeah, modern day gaming sucks for the most part, I would definitely go retro and work your way up.

Last_Lap is in the exact situation you're in. Hasn't played anything since Remnant 2 came out.

I think the most important thing is that you are enjoying the time you spend playing. Don't force yourself to finish a game, or play the next thing on a list.

What kind of game do you want to play right now? Start there.

I'm actually playing Shenmue 3, which means i've played a PS console more than you have this year, you germy hermy fakeboy.

Hmm... the old stuff you never tried, eh? Would definitely recommend the SNES library. I'm probably biased myself in that regard, I can't see myself playing anything older than that other than Super Mario Bros maybe. SNES in my opinion had a lot of hits, though.

How do you play SNES now a days? Well, you could find an old SNES, a remake console (like from analogue, hyperkin etc.), the "SNES classic" from Nintendo, emulation, you could buy a Switch and get the basic subscription for SNES games. etc.

@dracula_16: Cool. Do you recommend the switch for the older titles (NES though N64), or is there a more realistic option?

@last_lap: Right on. Same question about acquiring the games, and what are some you would recommend? Are there any Saturn exclusives worth checking out?

You said it yourself, you have a lot of trouble playing through the game, which isn't really playing a video game.

@pyro1245: I kinda have an itch for some point and click adventure, but I don't know how I want to start. There are plenty I could play, like a the quest games (kings, police, space), but I also have trepidation about burning through all the good old games. I'm a nutball with this stuff, but the idea of there being nothing left, actually freaks me out. Also, I'm wondering if I should make a pool of 80s point and click, 90s point and click and so in. Then play them randomly from those pools? Or should I play a few old games, then move to the next decade, and eventually circle back to the older decades?

@dimebag667: Playing old-school games on the Switch requires a special subscription (it's a monthly subscription fee). I'm not subscribed to that stuff, so I have no idea as to whether the subscription is a good deal or not. Sorry.

@hardwenzen: Yes I'm playing it in small doses, but still playing it, as for you, well you haven't turned on your PS5 this year, rumour has it you sold it and are a fill on germs hermy. That's why you're buying Dragon's Dogmeh 2 on PC.

When you're trying to make a point, at least be accurate. I played MHW on the ps5 daily for two months straight🤡

@dimebag667: There's a ton like Nights, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dragon Force, Shining Force 3, Guardian Heroes, Burning Rangers among others.

Just comes down to what genres you like.

@hardwenzen: Of course you did 🙄

I did, and also solo'd Fatalis, a boss you wouldn't even dream of doing solo😢

@hardwenzen: Of course you did 🙄

I know, hard to imagine when you're playing 3/10 shovelware like shenmue3.

@dracula_16: No prob. I'm just collecting info right now, so anything helps. Thanks 👍

@Sam3231: Yeah SNES is what I had back then, so I've played a lot of those games. But there are some glaring omissions from completed list. And some of those carts are way too expensive for what I'm willing to pay. I'm assuming the shadier option is the route I would take, but finding one of those all-in-one boxes that isn't loaded with Chinese spyware is my concern. If there was a more legit option, that was also economical, and covered Genesis, 3DO, Jaguar, etc, I would be interested. But I doubt there is one.

I'm having the same issue. I've barely been playing video games in recent years. I usually just stick to shorter arcadey games nowadays, as I don't have the time or patience for long games anymore.

Play your favorites first, they'll make you remember why you love them.

Easy... Play The Last of Us... God of War... Bloodborne... you will be back to gaming in no time.

Go back to basics:

• Play games that offer fun and excitement ("something new around each corner")
• Play linear games
• Stick to the genres you know you love
• Avoid games heavy on cutscenes, instead put gameplay and the player first.

It's easy to get burned out by modern games, heck many of them feel like second jobs.

@Jag85: I can see that. One of the last thing I played a couple years ago was 40k Kill Team. I love 40k, and had a hoot knocking out some top spots on the leaderboard. Unfortunately, my PS3 crapped out shortly after.

That being said, I wouldn't mind a long involved game, as long as it's worth the investment.

@adsparky: That's probably the route I'll take. I wonder if I should alternate the old with the new. That way if I get a dud, I'll have a classic to get me back on track.

@Mozelleple112: Haha, I wasn't overly fond of any of those, but I might have to give them another whirl.

@R4gn4r0k: Fair points 👍

When you play great games, you really start to lose track of time. I played Batman Arkham Asylum the other day and before I knew it the credits were rolling, I've never beat that game before.

Did you miss the part where he says he has little to no interest in modern day games?

As for your list, not even Sony cares about Bloodborne. And God of War and The Last of Us are some of the best examples of how bad modern day games are, full of cutscenes.

Play shit you like. It's very simple.

Start of with something easy..say a Sony first party game......30 hours of cinematics sprinkled with bits of game play here and there then maybe move into a proper game say dragons dogma or the newly released stalker for consoles 👍

@Litchie: But how will I know if I like it if I've never played it? Just like playing Super Metroid for the first time a few years ago, I'm hoping to find some great stuff that I missed the first time through.

@saint-george: I was thinking more about something like Rogue, or Wing Commander. But yeah, a modern cinematic Sony game sounds great too🤮

@R4gn4r0k: I have been wanting to replay that. Loved it when it came out. I remember getting that, borderlands, uncharted 2 and Demon's Souls all within a couple months back then.

@dimebag667: I'm a weaver lol, I weave replaying old games I missed and games I loved in between new releases.

A lot of new releases can feel exhausting and consoles like the Xbox Series X or one X allow you to play old games with 4K and or 60fps with ease 😉

Play old games or Nintendo games.

Ignore everything else.

I am Dr. Jaydan and I prescribe you to indie games. Avoid sugary movie game content and fanboy drivel, and just play indie games.

If you like the older stuff, a lot of indie games capture the essence of a retro era while others take greater experimental risks than anything you'll find in the AAA market.

@dimebag667: What platform are you gaming on? That's sort of important here; not from a dick-measuring System Wars stance, but simply so we know what you have access to.

In general however I think you need to self-reflect a bit before deciding.

Using myself as an example, I have found that I really have a lot of love for a lot of different genres and I love dabbling in all those different games...but I don't really consistently play anything outside of factory- and city-builders. I've got close to a combined 3000 hours in Cities: Skylines, Factorio, and Satisfactory (over the last few years), but I struggle to get through a 20-hour singleplayer game like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora despite really enjoying it.

So if you're honest with yourself and you know what you like, and you can make peace with the fact that it might be a bit more "casual" than what you played in your youth, then you can move forward.

@uninspiredcup: This. Basically.

You can just play Super Mario Bros 3 or Link to the past and not really care about anything that has ever been released ever since and have a great time.

@R4gn4r0k: haha, I think your "weaver" method is a solid plan. Try some unknown stuff, but palette cleanse with the tried and true.

I've contemplated getting a Series X (I don't have any modern consoles) and gamepass(the thought makes my skin crawl 😜), then just barrel through some classic titles. But couldn't I do that with a PC as well? I built my last PC in 2012, and it's barely still limping along. I feel like any day it's just not gonna turn on. As much as I don't use it, building a new one seems like a waste, but it is also part of my refocusing strategy, where I'm trying to will myself up to going back to a dumb phone, and get away from the smartphone addiction. And having a new PC would (I hope) push me towards being more direct with how I spend my time. At least, that's my thought process. Is there anything on Xbox that couldn't be played in PC?

@uninspiredcup: Haha, I haven't played a new Nintendo game since my buddy bought a WiiU, and we played the pack-in games. Before that was bowling on another buddy's Wii. And before that was when Perfect Dark came out. Maybe it's time 🤔

@jaydan: Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. Probably oughta give em a shot.

@dimebag667: I presume you want new games anyways. Like some people are saying to play old games you probably already played, and I'm sure that's not why you made this thread, because why make a thread for games you already know?

With indie games, many are decidedly old-school yet new. There's a treasure trove of really great indie games out there just waiting to be played.

I would personally ignore those that recommend The Last of Us or God of War, unless you want a good reason to retire from games altogether.

@mrbojangles25: Currently I have a PS4 and a 12 year old PC 😁. Cutting edge. I just sent some stuff to @R4gn4r0K: about this. Historically I'm mostly a console player, but I've played a lot of PC stuff as well. Building a new PC seems like it's probably the better option; albeit more expensive. And if I wanna do something gross like streaming🤮, it seems like a must. The vast majority of what I really want to play wouldn't require a powerhouse, but if I'm gonna go through the trouble, I might as well build something that's capable of playing anything I want.

I pretty much play every game on the hardest difficulty I can handle, but I'm definitely not as hardcore as others. I love Diablo 2, but I care more about how cool it feels to walk around the desert ruins of Lut Gholein than getting a shako. I get bored doing the same loop before I find anything of the good stuff. So I replay the first act every few years, and I'm good.

@jaydan: Well, I want both. There are tons of games from the past that I haven't played, but I also would like to see what people love now. I'm open to anything that's good.

I second this prescription from Dr. Jaydan.

That's the fun thing about hardware: you don't.

Hehe, everything ages. You could keep a smarphone or any device for years but it will deteriorate.

Same with a PC. Your PC could theoretically do older and indie games. But it'll be slow and unwieldy. Because of its age.

Whatever you choose (there are a couple of Xbox exclusives, but not much). Don't overburden yourself with too many games.

Ok so I got an emulator handheld device, and for the first time ever I could do Gamecube and PS2 on a portable handheld.

I had a hundreds games ready but instead of overburdening myself, I chose to only transfer two and focus on those two.

Get yourself a SuperMighty XSX MonsterBox and GamePass and poof, just like that you're back baby!! lol :P