Indies and niche games started replacing AAA titles for me

I have got Origin's Prime acess. Do i play all these AAA titles there? Nop. I am searching for hidden gems in the pile of Battlefields, EA games and AAA multiplats. I can not actually call these titles indies anymore as most of them have impressive longevity and production values without the hype, advertising and snobbery of AAA titles.

The only game that actually made me stop playing my indies was Resident Evil 2 that shared with my indies a lot in common: it had old school charm, atmosphete, lacked hand holding and had decent puzzles.

I was trying to pinpoint what exactly draws me to these titles. And it hit me, they give me the same nostalgic sense of coziness, atmosphere, love to details and story that old school games used to have before Sony and AAA developers chugged us with all these walking simulators with cinematics and gameplay for mentally challenged kids. The AAA developers they now go for lowest denominator, making their games too assisted and cinematic.

These are my favorites from Origin's vault:

1. The Count Lucanor

Amazing snes artstyle horror game with gameplay that featutes permadeath, lacks any hand holding, gameplay that involves discovering on your own how to interact with world, and an interesting detective story with the charm of old bloody fairy tales.

2. Cosmic Star Heroine

One of the best JRPG are played in recent years. Sci-fi done right, amazing artstyle, charm and coziness of old school snes jrpgs like ChronoTrigger, impressive production values with anime cutscenes, action packed story wit humor, tactical turn based combat and more.

3.Ghost 1.0

A very outstanding spiritual succesor to Metroid. A very good action packed sci if story with mystery and female android protagonist. It's Metroid meets Ghost in the Shell.

4. They are billions

Steampunk RTS meats Zombie Survival Game meets Colony building strategy. Amazing graphics that can show literally millions of zombies and units at once on the screen. The game is just in early access, but hell, it's polished and has charm and one of the most addictive gameplays in recent years.

These a few game i can call from top of my head that made me play them more than RDR2, Assassin Creed or any other AAA title.

If I would be a PC gamer that would also be me.

AAA gaming has never been better if you own a PS4 though.

@knight-k: i do own ps4, but only good games were Bloodborne, Spiderman and Horizon.

And Spiderman was only good due to its Marvel iniverse. Open world sand box gameplay was mediocre at best.

The same with Horizon, just slightly refreshing robot, sci fi, post apocalyptic story. Mediocre sand box activities.

Subbing to EA Access was your first mistake. ?

I take some solace from the fact that players are seeing through the initial sheen of AAA and assessing games for what lies beneath. That said, my limited time prevents me from dabbling much in the indie scene as much as I would like to and it’s still rare to find something that keeps me coming back more than once or twice.

Lol... Welcome to the club. I've been riding that train since like 2013. Great indies trump AAA games almost every time.

Congrats.

AAA gaming is all about presentation and cinematics rather than quality.

nichie developers or mid tier developers are by far doing best.

Good for you, I buy and play a ton of Indies, but they are not a replacement for a good AAA high-profile, big budget game (that is actually good of course.)

Indies can do a lot of things right, but small teams with small budgets have their limitations. When I can play Indies that look and offer as many features as big games like Forza Horizon 4, I might start putting in more time with Indies.

As I get older, I'm thinking the same way... That's why I'm playing my Switch more than my XB1 nowadays, because of all the great Indies on it.

I definitely get just as much enjoyment (if not more) out of an Indie game that offers something new and interesting, than a big AAA game. For example, I enjoyed a game like Inside more than I enjoyed RDR 2.

Oh, you've started playing cheap and good games now as well? Grats for seeing the light, man. It's nice not playing shitty AAA games that costs lots of money and annoys you while trying to copy bad hollywood movies. If only good AAA games like DOOM and stuff didn't exist, we wouldn't need anymore PC hardware upgrades at all..

Yeah I am enjoying independently published titles a lot more than AAA gaming, if I am being completely honest.

It's not so much that I dislike AAA for being "AAA" I just think it's going in the wrong direction: same crap regurgitated, little innovation, and a focus on piling on more and more stuff that doesn't really contribute to the core experience; bigger worlds without detail, more equipment to use but all randomly generated derivatives of the same item, and so forth. AAA gaming needs a reality check and to take the "less is more" philosophy to heart.

"Indie" titles tend to take more risks, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because you can be rewarded with some really innovative and refreshing gameplay, or revisions of old-school games done with a modern twist. A curse, because given their self-regulation, some of the projects either don't get finished or delivered as promised; with no behemoth publisher pushing for a release date, there's less pressure. But tbh this happens to published games as well.

Been playing:

• Foundation (early access): great medieval city builder that reminds me settlers and banished. Your serfs have a mind of their own, though, so you zone housing and they sort of build in that area. They walk their own paths, so you don't build roads. It's only 40% complete as far as content and I've spent sooooo much time in that game already.
• Elite: Dangerous: arguably the only [complete] space flight sim of any relevancy right now, E:D is a game of near AAA-quality but is still independently published. If you have a VR headset and HOTAS setup, it's arguably one of the most immersive games you can ever play. Not for everyone, though, as there is a bit of a grind.
• Factorio: micromanagers rejoice! Start off as an engineer on an alien planet and turn it into an industrial juggernaut as you create supply chains, manage your sprawling factories, fend off alien bugs, and spend hours upon hours fine-tuning every aspect of your game.
• Halcyon 6: old-school looking strategy-RPG management game. Basically, it's a charming game with a good sense of humor about a Starbase commander (you) that tries to fend off an alien invasion while dealing with other nonsense.
• Balrum: old-school RPG with a bit of village management in it. Fun game, old-school vibe without being boring
• VTOL VR: taking full advantage of VR and especially the controllers, this is a surprisingly complex flight-sim (don't let the visuals fool you!) where you command an airplane using a "VR HOTAS" setup via the VR controllers you already have. Hold the grip buttons to grab the virtual joystick and fly away. A little awkward at first, but once you get comfortable it's pretty great. Really good flight and weapon modeling.
• Sundered: really great "metroidvania" (?) game. Excellent combat and controls with a great settings. Bonus: there are hand-drawn enemies, environments, and effects in it. It is a beautiful game that also has great gameplay. If you're looking for an "Ori and the Blind Forest" fix this is it :)

There's a whole lot others but these are pretty good ones I've played lately.

It's not 100% indie, but if you folks are interested in being exposed to a lot of games you'd ordinarily not try (and for cheap!) I highly recommend a subscription to the Humble Bundle Monthly package. Good way to get out of your comfort zone.

Yeah finding Spiderman really disappointing if I am being completely honest, especially after all the hype around (though that is to be expected when you only get a handful of good games per year; you have to love what you get :( ). After the initial web-slinging around New York, it was very "meh". The whole tower unlock mechanic kills it for me, too, there's not even any challenge to it just "oh a tower, well I kind of have to unlock it so I might as well *sigh*"

Hence why I am sitting here professing my love for indie games, playing indie games...and not playing Spiderman

Horizon is still amazing ,though, I need to finish that after Spiderman .

Is Bloodborne a "souls-like" game? Not a big fan of those but I hear amazing things about Bloodborne

You play Halcyon 6 on Switch yet? How is it? Kind of curious how well it translated to that platform (hopefully very well!)

Yeah, AAA games are like Michael Bay movies. Expensive production values, cheap entertainment.

They're fun maybe once or twice a year, but get really old.

Unfortunately, they have mass appeal so there's no changing them or getting rid of them.

Yeah finding Spiderman 4 really disappointing if I am being completely honest, especially after all the hype around (though that is to be expected when you only get a handful of good games per year; you have to love what you get :( ). After the initial web-slinging around New York, it was very "meh". The whole tower unlock mechanic kills it for me, too, there's not even any challenge to it just "oh a tower, well I kind of have to unlock it so I might as well *sigh*"

Horizon is still amazing ,though, I need to finish that after Spiderman 4.

Is Bloodborne a "souls-like" game? Not a big fan of those but I hear amazing things about Bloodborne

You poor thing. The amount of garbage you have to sift through must be mind boggling.

Triple A games try too hard not to be games. This is where Indie devs pick up the slack.

Only play Sony's AAA games. Rest of my time are filled up with indies.

I don't like what modern AAA gaming has become in recent years. The only AAA developer that I still buy from on a frequent basis is Nintendo.

Most of the games that I play nowadays are either Nintendo games, indie games, or retro games. Outside of Nintendo, it's rare for any other modern AAA games to interest me.

Funny with PS4 you get both.

A creation from one of our own System Wars users from the Dreams 6 wk BETA.

Dreams pretty much resolves his criticism about Sony AAA's and provides endless indie possibilities all in one game.

Ask and you shall receive. Behold the greatest create and share game ever made, one time buy of $60.

"you're welcome" - Sony.

@boxrekt: If you think Indie games are of the quality of the video you have posted then you are living in a different world from the one the rest of us are living in. Dreams is NOT going to compete or be able to compete with Indie games.

lol you're already failing.

I love how fanboys instantly contradict themselves the moment they realize the company they hate provides the best solution for something they praise.

@Pedro: You’re arguing with a cow defender - you realize that, right? He’s done it in multiple threads now trying to push this crap.

Nindies live best on Nintendo Switch.

Call me whatever you want, it doesn't change the topic of discussion nor diminish my point.

lol he's trying to compare 1 SW users creation completed in 6wks to the work of a game that needed a team of developers several years to accomplish and you're calling me a "cow defender"?

You all sound moronic.

LOOK at this SYSTEM WARS user creation and realize it was DONE is a short SIX WEEK BETA!

If you can't admit how impressive is and easily on the level of may indies that have released this generation then you're the blind one. The thread here is about "indie and niche" games, if that's the case Dreams is the ultimate HUB for users interested in these type of projects.

It's not my fault you're mad because Sony is the provider of that outlet.

@boxrekt: You realize these game creation games already exist, right? You act like Dreams is something new and innovative.

Ugh, now I’m arguing with this cow.

Failing at what? Incorrectly comparing actual Indie games with hobbyist games developed in Dreams? Aren't you the fool that compared this video to Ori and the Wisp? LMAO

Yep. I am aware of his allegiance. :)

Indies have been the best thing that happened to this industry in decades, in my opinion. They are not replacing AAAs for me (AAA are also getting better and more polished), but having both worlds mixed in the same generation (plus VR) is the best scenario i could have asked for.

@Pedro:

You still failing.

Every project in Dreams is technically "indie".

You're the only fool here, Keep failing.

Dreams, developed by Media Molecule, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Now, please tell me how content made in Dreams is technically indie games?

:)

K thanks bye

I definitely purchase a lot more indies than I do AAA games. If I see a AAA that appeals to me, I don't have any qualms with buying it, but it seems no matter where I look, I've found another indie to add to my wishlist, and my backlog.

There are a few indie games that I enjoy however I still greatly prefer the AAA experience myself.

Wait, did I just see someone saying Dreams is the best game because you can create all the indie games (supposedly) in it? Cool, that means Unity3D and UE4 are not engines but the bestest games ever made because not just indies you can make AAA games with it for free.

Oh and all that is we forget that level editors goes as far back as 1981 with Odyssey and did anyone forgot Minecraft? Or thousands of games with level editors/mods. I mean yup, SOny really did make an innovative game NEVER have been done in the past.

Didn't you know, if it has a shitty level design, outdated graphics/style, floaty/un responsive gameplay, 'he thinks' it's indie. The guy only play 2 games a year from Sony. Give him some slack.

Indies are awesome, because those are the games that actually take chances. Return of the Obra Dinn was one of the most satisfying game experiences of the last year. Every time I solved another three fates was so satisfying. Cheap game and I got a good 8-9 hours of really enjoyable time.

Other indie titles are shorter but that's a good thing too. I don't have time for every game I buy to be a 40-60 hour open world experience. Those are fun too (when they are well done) but sometimes I just want something a bit more bite-sized.

-Byshop

The triple-A market has been making 'experiences' for a while now.

If you want games you have to look at the double-A or indie market.

Honestly if I had to pick a few games to play for the rest of my life if would probably be:

• Factorio
• RimWorld
• Slay The Spire

Those games have more content and replay value than all the AAA games combined. What am I going to do after I finish the latest 20-hour blockbuster AAA game? I'm probably going to play one of those.

AAA & Indie both offer great experiences. But most AAA games aren't generic and boring these days. Indies are where the real innovation is. Indies are keeping gaming alive. I just like good games, but lately, indie games like Undertale, Transistor, and Child of Light have proven indies can give a AAA game run for it's money, depending who you ask of course. But the most important thing for me is, I go where good games are and if it looks fun, I'm gonna play it.

This is why I love about PC gaming, you get both AAA & Indie games at the same time on the same system. I'm pro PC :)

PC has the most high scoring AAA and Indy titles.

PC is the best at both.

I like all games.

@mrbojangles25: Yeah, well put.

And no I haven't tried Halcyon 6 yet. But looks cool. Gonna check it out :)

A video game is a video game. The budget of the game doesn't matter. To be honest, if you only played big-budget games, your options would be much more limited. There are many games that didn't cost millions of dollars to develop.

Google Play is a good example. It has countless games. No way did these mobile games cost millions to develop, yet they are some of the funnest, most addicting games out there.

AAA is the video game equivalent of "blockbuster movies." Movies obviously don't need to be blockbusters to be good. In fact, B-movies or indie movies might be funner to watch, because they take more chances (the same with indie games).

Just gonna add this here. If it weren't for Nintendo and indie games, I'd be completely burned out on gaming. If someone forced me to only play AAA games, I'd abandon gaming altogether.

AAA studios just do what they think will sell. They take zero chances. They're not trying to improve unless they have to. They try to come up with several different money milking schemes. So much crap comes with AAA gaming, and that's on top of already badly designed games. And they cost a lot. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much AAA games suck.

What's the best new AAA game? Resident Evil 2? That game copies an old game. And Capcom gets praise for not fucking it up, lol. That's how bad AAA gaming is right now.

Same here. If you remove Nintendo games, indie games, and any remake of a retro game from this generation, there is not much left that appeals to me. Without Nintendo and indie games, I would probably just give up on modern gaming completely and focus soley on my retro consoles. It's depressing to see how bad AAA gaming has become.

I struggle to get into most indie / niche games.

I don't equate indie with game quality. Indie is just short for independent developer. An indie developer ceases to be one if they get another party as a publisher. That's it. There are many upstart indie developers that may come along with young inexperienced talent. But, there are also indie developers who comprise of experienced game creators. They just happened to chuck off the corporate crap and strike out on their own. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think that has any bearing on their skills.

Considering so many here dislike the corporate establishment in politics..... I find it a bit hypocritical that they look down on indie developers when they should be embraced.

I seem to like playing indie games only in short burts, whereas I can spend countless hours on games where I can roam around and explore the environment (like in Rise of the Tomb Raider), or rarely when the game captures me for its story, which only basically happened with The Last of Us. The sense of immersion is important for me in how much time I can spend playing a video game, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have more fun with those than with short-burst kind of games, in fact Super Mario is still my favorite type of games when it comes to sheer fun.

@Pedro said:

@boxrekt said:

:)

K thanks bye

OUCH!

Indies have their place for sure. But nothing wrong with liking AAA games.

cool