What videogames are you playing in 2025?

[Ruin Explorer]

I got quite a long way into Elden Ring, but never finished it. Sorcery was my build, never could really get into melee type characters. I got on okay with it until eventually I reached a boss that would reliably one-shot me if it landed a hit, and I just couldn't find a solution for getting past them without taking that hit.

The thing with Elden Ring is, there's always a solution, but sometimes that solution is just going and grinding souls (or whatever they're called in Elden Ring) to raise your Vigor - i.e. HP, or improving your weapon/summon (which can also take some grinding and/or exploring - rarely is your armour the issue, interestingly) and sometimes it's changing your approach so vastly that it isn't doesn't seem like it would work! And that all can be pretty challenging or annoying.

Personally I subscribe to the theory of "at least 20 Vigor as your #1 priority" and then "40 Vigor as soon as is practical after that" (i.e. after raising stats to reach minimums necessary for your weapons/sorceries etc.), because even naked, with 40 Vigor it's very close to impossible to get genuinely one-shot (which is indeed the main threat on certain bosses). Once you've got 40 you should be able to handle everything until NG+.

I really love Elden Ring though because there's just something weird depresso vibe of the world/setting that absolutely works for me in a way more traditional grimdark (c.f. the Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, for example) or cheerier games do not. Also the weird Graeco-Arthurian vibes of the mythology/lore absolutely rock.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I find this with a lot of games. I would say Avowed at least has 3 fairly distinct playstyles, but I definitely get the feeling.

I'm currently playing Elden Ring (again, having finished it when it came out), and I basically ended up making a character nearly identical to the first one I played in play-style, just better-optimized! I'd really like to try playing a character who was "Unga-Bunga" (i.e. big hard-hitting weapons STR-based) or Sorcery-centric, or heavy on the parrying and maybe DEX-based, but I just keep going back to that Faith/Invocations/Sword+Board build. It's very easy and comfortable for me to play and I seem to be even better at it than when I last played!

Obligatory screenshot of my current character.

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Yeah, I have this too. I'm currently replaying Mass Effect, and although it has six classes I feel pretty locked in to Infiltrator, since I like to pick things off methodically from as far away as possible, and not rely on companions for picking locks and hacking. I just can't bring myself to focus on powers or charge in and melee.

I've noticed the same thing with other games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and The Outer Worlds. Whatever the options I still prefer to be a sniper with OOC skills.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

I wouldn't really consider this grimdark as such, despite dealing with a demonic invasion - it's not difficult to achieve a badass heroic ending, and the heroic angel and legend mythic paths are amongst the strongest options.

I consider grimdark as "good can't win" rather than just "bad stuff happens".

 

[SlyFlourish]

I just finished Animal Well on my Steam Deck and loved it. These days it takes a special game to grab my attention for long. I loved Warhammer 40K Bolt Gun — a Doom-style 40K game. I got some distance into the original WH40K Space Marine but it got kind of repetitive and I put it down. Rogue Trader looked good but the text was small and the controls got complicated for me.

I got deep into Octopath Traveler 2 but then some of the stories got so boring and it felt like I needed to do them to level up so I stopped.

I started the original Solasta and want to give it another go.

I’m cheap so I’m waiting for other newer games to drop in price.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I’m pretty sure you can enlarge the text in Rogue Trader, but the RPG mechanics are not well thought out.

 

[Pale Violet Light]

Yeah, I have this too. I'm currently replaying Mass Effect, and although it has six classes I feel pretty locked in to Infiltrator, since I like to pick things off methodically from as far away as possible, and not rely on companions for picking locks and hacking.

I never really replayed Mass Effect for precisely this reason: I’d start off trying another class, and spend the whole time thinking wistfully of the Infiltrator. They’re just so fun!

 

[payn]

I never really replayed Mass Effect for precisely this reason: I’d start off trying another class, and spend the whole time thinking wistfully of the Infiltrator. They’re just so fun!

I replayed the crap out of it for the dialogue pieces alone. I was almost always a biotic though. I’m not sure I’ve ever done infiltratior?

 

[MarkB]

I replayed the crap out of it for the dialogue pieces alone. I was almost always a biotic though. I’m not sure I’ve ever done infiltratior?

Yeah, gotta do at least two playthroughs of each game to get both the Paragon and Renegade routes, and both voice actors.

 

[Pale Violet Light]

I replayed the crap out of it for the dialogue pieces alone. I was almost always a biotic though. I’m not sure I’ve ever done infiltratior?

It’s a very slow, meticulous, precise play style; standing way back and taking sniper shots, with the occasional power thrown in. You might hate it, if that’s not your cup of tea.

Yeah, gotta do at least two playthroughs of each game to get both the Paragon and Renegade routes, and both voice actors.

I never did do a Renegade run, maybe that’s worth a shot. Though I’m not sure I can give up Jennifer Hale.

 

[payn]

It’s a very slow, meticulous, precise play style; standing way back and taking sniper shots, with the occasional power thrown in. You might hate it, if that’s not your cup of tea.

I never did do a Renegade run, maybe that’s worth a shot. Though I’m not sure I can give up Jennifer Hale.

I played at least 4 times. The first was a legit do what I felt like the situation called for play through. Replays were to see what paragon and renegade were all about as well as the voice acting. I couldnt resist. Though, I absolutely resisted Andromeda...