Any major aspect of gaming that just... passed you by?

[Jonnas]

Very interesting answers from everyone, thank you very much

By reading this thread, I have realised that a lot of online gaming culture passed me by, as well. I don't usually play socially, so MMOs have always been outside of my interest, for example. Ditto for the Battle Passes and Battle Royales that thrive on FOMO and regular engagement (that said, I did play Fire Emblem Heroes for a very long time, so I can say I have experience with the Gacha genre, as well as games that live off FOMO).

On 7/19/2024 at 3:08 PM, Julius said:

If I had to nail it down to any particular sort of genre? The biggest gaps I'd point to are probably character-action games (the likes of Bayonetta, Devil May Cry...but even then I've made time for the original God of War, now that I think about it?)

And now that you mention it, this is a gap of mine, too. I mean, I did play a bit with DMC, the original GOW, and even God Hand, back in the PS2 days, but I never sat down and played a 3D action-game (or hack&slash) properly from beginning to end. I suppose the Warriors/Musou games technically fit this genre as well... but I haven't finished Three Hopes, either

(Incidentally, if you ever wish to get into fighting games at some point (like you mentioned in the MvC thread), I can give you some tips on where to begin, or what to expect)

Edited July 22 by Jonnas

[nekunando]

This "generation" of consoles is definitely passing me by!

I say "generation" because Nintendo are off doing their own thing and for a long time now my focus has been, and continues to be, on Switch.

There are so many games that I want to play on Switch, many of which I haven't even started never mind finished.

There just aren't enough hours in the day and largely brings me around to why I just haven't properly been following what's going on with PlayStation and XBOX. If I can't even find enough time to play the games I want to play on my Nintendo Switch, why would I throw money away on other consoles that I have very little interest in as it is..?

Part of that disinterest is that I've owned both a PS5 and XBOX Series X, something that still barely makes sense to me.

I was kinda playing my PS4 more than Switch for a little bit a few years ago which kinda made an upgrade to PS5 seem worth doing but after playing Astro's Playroom, I was just left playing PS4 games. I can do that on my PS4 and since I hate the size and design of the PS5 as well as finding the Dualsense slightly too large to be comfortable, it was easy to sell the console on after a few months back then and not lose any money on it!

A few months later, there was a curiosity about Series X and the value that GamePass seemed to have. I picked one up from Argos one time when it came in stock and it was sold on within 5 days. Ultimately, I realised I made a mistake soon after setting it up and I just knew it didn't feel right. Even the click of the D-Pad was driving me nuts as well as the same navigation sound effects that still haunt me from the 360 days!

Buying them both was absolutely the best thing I could have done, though, as it got the curiosity out of my system and helped solidify where to focus my time and money. I feel like I've been massively benefitting from that clarity since and the Switch has grown into my favourite console of all time 🔥

It does mean that I haven't properly kept up with what has been going on with XBOX and PlayStation for the last 3 years or so. 

Having disliked every XBOX I've ever picked up (the original, 360 and Series X) I now know to steer clear and while I still happily own a PS1, 2, 3 and 4, I no longer feel that it's likely I'll even bother getting a PS5 again at any point.

I'll just keep playing the Switch and I'll no doubt be all in on Nintendo's successor too 😃

Liberation!

 

Edited July 30 by nekunando

[RedShell]

I guess one thing for me (although, not sure if it qualifies as a major aspect of gaming ) is strategy games, but only because I really don't enjoy that genre at all.
I.e., I'm too thick to enjoy them.

As for consoles, a lot of the non-Nintendo stuff has passed me by, particularly in the earlier generations, so... Game Gear/Mega Drive/Saturn, PS1&2/PSP/Vita, XBox/360, etc. I've played them all (to varying degrees) but never owned any of them, so I'm sure there are still some absolute gems I've missed out on among those systems.  

Another aspect I can think of, that's at least partially passed me by for the moment, would be virtual reality.
Other than having played a handful of the simpler types of VR games on Oculus Go, and the random things Nintendo did with Labo VR , that's currently the extent of my experience with it.

Overall though, I'm very happy with the amount and variety of stuff that I have been able to experience over almost four decades of gaming.

[WackerJr]

Great topic!  For how much I love gaming, there are quite a few major/popular aspects that I’ve missed.

Souls-likes: reading this thread I’m glad to see I’m not the only one out there!  I do have Elden Ring in my backlog though, so one day I’ll get around to having my butt kicked over and over and over again!

MMOs: I don’t have any close friends who play these either, and I’m more a fan of games with a definitive start and end, or that I can play in my own time.

Fortnite: Played it once, I was dreadful, didn’t have any desire to keep playing.

Call of Duty: FPS aren’t my favourite genres (I don’t completely discount them, Goldeneye & Perfect Dark remain some of my favourite games), but I’ve never tried a CoD game, nor really mustered the inventive to do so.  I think I’ve got one free via the PS+ monthly games, but I fully expect it’ll remain in my library gathering (digital) cobwebs.

3D Final Fantasy: Ok here I do start my gaming regrets. I loved Final Fantasy VI, but I don’t know where to start with the 3D games.  I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?  I admittedly still have Chrono Trigger (DS), Golden Sun 3 (DS) and Xenoblade Chronicles (3DS) in my backlog yet to play and I know whatever RPG I start will be a big investment of time.

Metal Gear: I had a conversation recently with a colleague who’s a huge MGS fan, as I have never played a game in the series.  With the majority of the games now available to play on Switch (& I have V via PS+) I could finally experience the series, as it seems such a major one to have missed out on.

[Hero-of-Time]

24 minutes ago, WackerJr said:

 

3D Final Fantasy: Ok here I do start my gaming regrets. I loved Final Fantasy VI, but I don’t know where to start with the 3D games.  I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?  I admittedly still have Chrono Trigger (DS), Golden Sun 3 (DS) and Xenoblade Chronicles (3DS) in my backlog yet to play and I know whatever RPG I start will be a big investment of time.

Definitely play FFVII and Crisis Core before playing the remake. You will miss/not appreciate a lot of stuff in Remake and Rebirth if played before the originals.

 

[Julius]

26 minutes ago, WackerJr said:

3D Final Fantasy: [...] I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?

I started with VII myself back in 2017 I think it was? And had a blast. The game's mechanics hold up, for sure, but it definitely looks and feels a bit archaic at times (the camera, the older polygonal PS1 models, etc.). Like @Hero-of-Time says, definitely think it's worth playing VII before checking out Remake and other VII-related media for what it adds to that experience, but at the same time I think playing VII first almost feels like an investment in then checking everything else out – which isn't a problem, really, but I think it adds more to the backlog than it takes away if you do play it first 

Personally, I would throw IX in the ring as a really great place to start with the 3D Final Fantasy games for how it just generally feels like a celebration to the franchise where everyone is invited, no matter how many of the games you've played. Great story, music, pretty much everything you'd expected from a great FF. One of the criticisms I see levied at IX is that combat is a bit on the slow side (probably fair to aim that at the other PS1 entries too at times), but the remastered version available on modern platforms have options to speed up battle, turn off random encounters, etc., to help streamline things if that's your cup of tea; for me, I know the option to speed up battles is a huge plus when going back to these older titles, and a lot of the other FF remasters also have similar options (such as VII on modern platforms). 

Generally speaking, I think X is also thrown around as a good starting point, but having not played it myself I can't really speak to it. I do know it's known for being a good bit more linear too in some of its area designs, so it might make going back to the PS1 games after feel a bit weird I imagine, which is why I saved it myself until after I'd got a few of the PS1 titles under my belt. 

27 minutes ago, WackerJr said:

I admittedly still have Chrono Trigger (DS), Golden Sun 3 (DS) and Xenoblade Chronicles (3DS) in my backlog yet to play and I know whatever RPG I start will be a big investment of time.

Chrono Trigger blind for a complete newbie to JRPGs will be pushing 20-25 hours including the (excellent) optional side content, whereas just a bit of experience with the genre probably take that much closer to the 20 hour mark (probably closer to 15 if you were to avoid the optional stuff). 

Still an investment, but doubt it's weighing in at a similar length to the others you mentioned, Xenoblade especially 

[Cube]

I've played FF7 remake and not the original. It's like watching a sequel where you feel like you'd understand a lot more if you had seen the previous part.

[Glen-i]

2 hours ago, WackerJr said:

I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?

Yep, have to agree with the advice given already. Remake's whole shtick kinda falls apart if you haven't played the original.

Can't say I totally agree with @Hero-of-Time saying Crisis Core is also needed. I just played that recently for the first time, and it's nowhere close to necessary.

Also agree that Chrono Trigger is much less of a commitment. 20-25 hours is accurate, and totally worth it. Try and play the SNES version if you can. The rewritten script in the modern version is a bit dry in comparison. If you can't though, the modern version is fine.

[drahkon]

Oh, Chrono Trigger.

Technically it's not something that passed me by because I tried it many times but oh man, I cannot get into it.

Edited August 10 by drahkon

[Hero-of-Time]

1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

 

Can't say I totally agree with @Hero-of-Time saying Crisis Core is also needed. I just played that recently for the first time, and it's nowhere close to necessary.

For Rebirth it's poverty much necessary and probably why they remastered it in the first place. Not to mention the Remake ending will lack any real impact without having played Crisis Core.

[Glen-i]

37 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

For Rebirth it's poverty much necessary and probably why they remastered it in the first place. Not to mention the Remake ending will lack any real impact without having played Crisis Core.

Yeah, I had a feeling Rebirth might elaborate on that. Not played it yet though, waiting for the inevitable PC port.

[Dcubed]

On 8/10/2024 at 1:04 PM, WackerJr said:

3D Final Fantasy: Ok here I do start my gaming regrets. I loved Final Fantasy VI, but I don’t know where to start with the 3D games.  I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?  I admittedly still have Chrono Trigger (DS), Golden Sun 3 (DS) and Xenoblade Chronicles (3DS) in my backlog yet to play and I know whatever RPG I start will be a big investment of time.

Chrono Trigger should be your number 1 priority before any FF game.  It's probably my personal favourite RPG of all time, the absolute apex of the genre.

Ideally you should play the original SNES version over the DS one (the revised script is rather flavourless compared to the stellar original, and the new content added to the DS version actively lessens and cheapens the experience as a whole by association), but the DS version will do if you can't otherwise play the original SNES version.  Stay far away from the PS1 or mobile ports, while the modern Steam release is an improved version of the mobile release (which itself is a low quality port of the DS version).

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Dcubed said:

Chrono Trigger should be your number 1 priority before any FF game.  It's probably my personal favourite RPG of all time, the absolute apex of the genre.

Ideally you should play the original SNES version over the DS one (the revised script is rather flavourless compared to the stellar original, and the new content added to the DS version actively lessens and cheapens the experience as a whole by association), but the DS version will do if you can't otherwise play the original SNES version.  Stay far away from the PS1 or mobile ports, while the modern Steam release is an improved version of the mobile release (which itself is a low quality port of the DS version).

You explaining all the different versions

[darksnowman]

On 8/10/2024 at 1:04 PM, WackerJr said:

3D Final Fantasy: Ok here I do start my gaming regrets. I loved Final Fantasy VI, but I don’t know where to start with the 3D games.  I’d like to play 7 at some point, but don’t know if I should play the original or FF7 Remake. Any advice anyone?  I admittedly still have Chrono Trigger (DS), Golden Sun 3 (DS) and Xenoblade Chronicles (3DS) in my backlog yet to play and I know whatever RPG I start will be a big investment of time.

Something I will say about FF VII is that even though you are just selecting moves off the menu, it still somehow manages to feel good. If you go for it in one of its current releases (like eShop), it has a speed up option and you can even fully heal whenever you want at no in game cost. You can also disable random encounters if there's a stretch you just want to get from point A to point B.

I have Chrono Trigger on DS and Wii VC, and as much as I like gaming on the big screen, DS is easily the way to go. Regarding the additional stuff, one of the extras isn't there in your first file so its nothing to concern yourself with, the monster arena won't blow you away but feel free to dabble in it, however, if you find yourself in the Lost Sanctum doing boring fetch quests... abort immediately and move on with the game!

CT is a short game in RPG terms, but there's no need to rush through it either. Enjoy the various settings, the music, talk to the characters you come across. Just go where the game leads you and do the sidequests when you're presented with them towards the end. It's a lovely ride that may surprise you by becoming one of your favourite games, even this long after it first came out. Fully recommend it. 

You could do both FF VII and CT in less time than Xenoblade. Throw in Golden Sun 3 and you might run it close.  

On 8/10/2024 at 1:31 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

Definitely play FFVII and Crisis Core before playing the remake. You will miss/not appreciate a lot of stuff in Remake and Rebirth if played before the originals.

You may even be missing/ not appreciating a lot of stuff in life if you haven't played Crisis Core.   

On 8/10/2024 at 2:17 PM, Cube said:

I've played FF7 remake and not the original. It's like watching a sequel where you feel like you'd understand a lot more if you had seen the previous part.

Not a remake, but reminds me of playing Persona 5 Strikers. I just accepted they'd been on a world saving adventure previously and went along with it.