toastedbread47

So I haven't personally played Tarkov (yet...), but have watched a number of streamers / youtubers who play it, and I have to say that this looks like a must play for anyone that is into realistic shooters and gunplay. The soundscape is AWESOME. That said, what has prevented me from playing it (other than not being able to run it on my old computer and having only recently upgraded) was the fact that I don't really know anyone else that would be interested in playing it. From what I can tell, the learning curve is fairly steep, particularly when it comes to map knowledge. Additionally, it is fairly unforgiving. That said, you're never really totally screwed if you die multiple times at the beginning and lose everything, since you can also play as a 'scav' character in between in order to get loot so you can sell (or use) for your main character, without having to worry about losing any of your own stuff. I think that this kind of gameplay and experience / tension is best had with a buddy though, and I know I'll get around to playing it at some point. I think one just has to approach Tarkov with the mindset that you ARE going to die, A LOT, and to not get too phased by it. One thing to keep in mind though is since it is still in early access, the servers are 'wiped' every so often, resetting all of your gear, experience, etc., putting everyone back on the same level. Some people hate it but others enjoy the refresh and getting to experience the early game over again. I believe this is something that won't occur once the full game releases.

I loved Stellaris when I first started playing it. However, after getting into the mid to late game, I found myself becoming increasingly bored with it. I've bought all of the expansions to date, and have recently tried to get back into it, but really find myself just wanting to play something else. It's fun and interesting at what it does, and a lot of people certainly love this game. I however just can't get into it, as it ends up feeling too repetitive and at times slow. Good for some people, not for me.

I really like ABZU. However, I feel that calling it a game is a tad misleading. It's more of an experience. The creator (Matt Nava) was the art director for Journey, and it really shows. ABZU is very relaxing, calming, and absolutely beautiful in art style, and is a love letter to scuba diving and all of the wondrous sea critters that can be found around the world. The gameplay is super simple. You are a diver. You swim, find little robot friends to remove obstacles, find and release new species of animals, and relax on dedicated 'meditation' spots where you can take the point of view of any of the fish/whales/turtles etc. that are in the area. There are a couple of 'puzzles' but they're really just there to make the chapters a bit more varied. There is no dialogue or text prompts; the story is told entirely through the environment and the setting itself. So ABZU isn't a game you go to for a vast area to explore with multiple gameplay elements and things to do, and/or with an engaging and interactive story. Comparing it to Subnautica or similar really doesn't make sense; they are two completely different games with different audiences, and intentions. It's a game you go to escape, relax, or just admire the wonders the ocean has to offer.

Everspace is a pretty good space/arcade sim with roguelike elements. It's also a very pretty game to look at, and runs quite well on even older systems. Additionally, the roguelike elements are worked in with the game's storyline, so it doesn't feel like you are starting over each time you die (because you will die. A lot); on the contrary, you can only upgrade your ship and perks after you've died and gone back to the hanger. I found it to be the right mix of challenging without being too punishing. Generally, unless you are really unlucky, mistakes can often be mitigated with powerups and other drops that you find on each map. Make too many mistakes though, and it can be very hard to come back. I also liked that after you beat the game once (i.e. get to the end akin to FTL warp points/chapters), the game continues and gives you new objectives that you can carry out, which I found improved its replayability. The space flight and controls feel great - arcade-like (think less Elite Dangerous and more Freespace 2) and very responsive, while still feeling like you are in space. Lots of interesting weapons and equipment power ups that you can get, and I found that the game was good about making different weapons have their uses in certain situations, without feeling like there was one "ultimate" weapon...That is until you unlock a perk which gives you a special weapon that you start the run with, and which when combined with several other perks basically makes the game play itself. I also really enjoyed the side quests and characters that you meet, with some funny and entertaining dialogue and cutscenes along the way. Overall, very great game which is worth giving a try, especially if you like space sims.

A number of others have already echoed this, but just wanted to throw my hat in and say also that Rimworld is great. It's addicting, and can quickly eat away at the hours in what feels like minutes. The kinds of wacky / sadistic stuff you can get into in this is delightful.

GAO is a pretty fun game, but I found that it gets very repetitive and has limited replay value, but I also haven't played this for awhile so I'm not familiar with how much has changed. Agree with the other user that it feels like FTL but in 3D. Very fun to build up your ship, upgrade it and your crew, and also defend against attackers and other threats. However, it doesn't take very long for this to feel very repetitive as you see the same enemies over and over again. Additionally, the difficulty seems to range to very difficult, to insultingly easy. If you get boarded by pirates early on, you're screwed. But if you are allowed time to upgrade and lucky with some rare minerals at the start, you can quickly become way more powerful than any of the enemies in the game. The ending mission is also always the same, and very underwhelming I'd say that GAO is worth playing, but not something I'd necessarily go out of my way to do so.