So, I FINALLY upgraded my computer after about 10 years, and now am able to play a ton of games I couldn't play previously. The new rig also came with free copies of a few games, so I'm getting a chance to try out a bunch of new games. So far, it's been...a mixed bag. I'm actually coming to the conclusion that a lot of AAA developers are kind of losing their development chops, and that while games are increasingly visually stunning, the actual gameplay is stagnating. It feels like the industry is poised for a leap, but nobody's leaping.
Battlefield V
I've put in probably 2-3 hours online with this game and I have to say...it's incredibly underwhelming. Oh, sure, it's gorgeous, but the actual gameplay just feels...I dunno...thin and like it's all been done before. Prior to getting the new computer, I'd been playing primarily on XB1, and the last DICE game I played there was Star Wars Battlefront 2, which has rather disappointed me. I'm getting the sense that DICE is losing its ability to effectively develop and manage genuinely good games. Battlefront 2 has a terrific core to its gameplay, but it's languished in terms of actually expanding upon that core. Initially this was due to the loot box fiasco, which some here may recall, and the fact that they'd built their business model on a revenue stream that subsequently disappeared just before launch. That meant no new money coming in for additional development, and they had to shift their revenue source to purchasable skins (although those have been slow to roll out). Only recently has that game seen any significant gameplay content releases, but those have been rather spare.
I'm getting the sense that this same development problem plagued Battlefield V (which is why I brought it up in the first place). So far, most of BFV seems focused around infantry and infantry alone. Most of the maps I've played haven't really featured the kind of large-scale infantry-plus-vehicles gameplay I'd gotten used to with the franchise. I played BF1942, BF2, BF3, BFBC1, BFBC2, and all of those games felt a lot more varied in gameplay than this one does. From what I gather, the game only has about 8 maps, two factions, and a bunch of uniforms people aren't that interested in.
I actually uninstalled it last night, given that the whole thing just feels...I dunno...pretty bland. It doesn't feel like a Battlefield game to me. Maybe it gets better as you play, but (1) with only 8 maps, I expect I'd get bored quickly, and (2) I'm REALLY over grinding to unlock stuff. Seriously, the unlock model is just mind-numbingly stupid at this point. I get that some players who know no better love the hamster wheel aspect of it, but games should be more than just Skinner boxes.
COD: Black Ops 4
I've never really been a COD fan, at least online. I have no real desire to spend my time being berated by adolescents. But, I usually could reasonably enjoy the paint-by-numbers single player campaigns. I tried this game for maybe an hour or so, but it doesn't seem to have any kind of single player component beyond some "training missions," and the gameplay setting just doesn't seem to have a point to it so far. Maybe playing more of the training makes the setting clearer and more interesting, but it just seems like generic half-modern/half-future setting where random dudes shoot each other. Meh.
Destiny 2
I got this for free from Battle.net, after getting Overwatch as part of a Humble Monthly bundle. It's...eh...fine. As a generic FPS/RPG hybrid it's ok. I mostly game alone in it, and the single-player campaign has felt fairly dull. I gather its more fun playing alongside folks? I tried some multiplayer PvP, but couldn't get into it. Again, gorgeous game, but the actual gameplay just felt ho-hum. I can't seem to get myself into the lore, and the "story" itself doesn't really grab me, although it takes itself quite seriously. However, I played it for probably about 20 hours or so, so I feel a lot better about my sense of it. It's fun enough, just doesn't really leave me feeling like "Man, I can't wait to get home and play that game."
Anthem
I just fired this up last night. I played maybe 5 minutes. So far, it feels like a Destiny clone. Meh. I may give it more of a try, but I have the distinct sense that the single player game is going to be just as anemic as Destiny 2's was. Maybe there's more lurking under the surface, but I'm not sure.
The above four games were all free for me. I'm glad I haven't paid for any of them. I'd be pretty irritated if I had. But even so, it astounds me that free AAA games are so far not really able to hold my interest, in spite of all of them having absolutely gorgeous visuals. The core gameplay just feels bland. I'll give Anthem more of a try, but a Destiny-where-you-fly-like-Iron-Man game just seems really uninspired. Can anyone comment on the above games and whether my read of them is accurate? I'd like to enjoy them, but none of them are really jumping out at me.
Overwatch
I got this one, as I mentioned, as part of a Humble Monthly. It was fun initially, but started to feel pretty stale after playing for about a month. I deleted it after that. I liked playing with friends, but I'm not interested in, like, joining a clan and playing competitively. Plus there seemed to be a pretty limited number of maps.
The Division
Got this one as part of a Humble Monthly, too, and I like it!! I don't know why, but the game's setting managed to really grab me. It's fun (so far) running around a natural-disaster version of Manhattan, picking off rioters and looters, and helping rebuild the base and such. Sure, it's got the hallmarks of your typical ubisoft game, but at least that's fun in single player, and I can drop into multiplayer/PVP if I want to (which I won't). This one actually gets me wanting to play. I'm less driven by the "accumulate more and more gear" aspect, and far more by the "play through the single player game and complete missions" aspect.
Battletech
I'd been wanting to play this game FOREVER, and I'm really, really enjoying it. I guess I just dig Harebrained Schemes' game design, because I love their Shadowrun games, too. I'm just getting into the game, but it's a lot of fun so far. Looking forward to more.
Other games I've bought, but haven't had a chance to play yet: The Witcher 3 (debating whether to play 1 and/or 2 first -- leaning towards 2); Fallout 4 -- GOTY (gotta look up which mods I want to run, because I don't bother with vanilla Bethesda games); Mafia III (might play the 2nd one first, or might just get around to this later); Assassin's Creed Unity; Assassin's Creed Origins (got Unity for free, Origins as part of a bundle. I haven't played an Assassin's Creed game since I finished the second one, so I'm a little reluctant to dive into the story again until I catch up...but that's also kinda daunting to me, given the sheer number of games I'd need to play -- Brotherhood, Revelations, III and its side games, Black Flag, Syndicate, etc.). I've enjoyed the Assassin's Creed series, but it can be kind of daunting to dive into. Can anyone comment on the single player stories for the AC games, and whether you really need to play the earlier games to "get" the stories moving forward?