Your video game hot take(s) thread

[Old_Hunter_77]

Stellar Balde and Crimson Desert are ruined for me because of chuds. I can never play them.

Yes, it's "political." Sorry not sorry, that's not my fault. It's the fact that these have become right-wing asshole signifiers.

Every on-line space talking about potential games of the years or reviews are flooded with bitches whining about how CD is the savior of gaming and any outlet that doesn't recognize its genius is... well, it's gamergate language that never dies, really.

And of course Stealler Balde is this is gross stupid gender thing that has broken the minds of terminally online misognynists.

(Granted, I just didn't like the combat of SB when I played the demo, so it's not like I was itching to play that game anyway. But like CD, I was willing to wait for a steep discount and give it another go).

These games are, for me, like UFC, or going to a gun range- activities that should be apolitical, but are not- they are now fully associated with the same kind of cruel stupid right-wing evil douchebaggery ruining our planet's future and I want nothing to do with them.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Stellar Balde and Crimson Desert are ruined for me because of chuds. I can never play them.

Yes, it's "political." Sorry not sorry, that's not my fault. It's the fact that these have become right-wing asshole signifiers.

Every on-line space talking about potential games of the years or reviews are flooded with bitches whining about how CD is the savior of gaming and any outlet that doesn't recognize its genius is... well, it's gamergate language that never dies, really.

And of course Stealler Balde is this is gross stupid gender thing that has broken the minds of terminally online misognynists.

(Granted, I just didn't like the combat of SB when I played the demo, so it's not like I was itching to play that game anyway. But like CD, I was willing to wait for a steep discount and give it another go).

These games are, for me, like UFC, or going to a gun range- activities that should be apolitical, but are not- they are now fully associated with the same kind of cruel stupid right-wing evil douchebaggery ruining our planet's future and I want nothing to do with them.

I don't even really get why Crimson Desert is their new favorite game. Is it literally just because it's made by non-Western devs?

 

[BrawlMan]

Stellar Balde and Crimson Desert are ruined for me because of chuds. I can never play them.

Yes, it's "political." Sorry not sorry, that's not my fault. It's the fact that these have become right-wing asshole signifiers.

What's crazier is that now these fools hate Stellar Blade: Blood Rain and are trying to get it banned, because now all of the sudden, it's "standards and protect the children". For reference: it's because of this statement made by the president of the company. The nut fucks who were all about "sticking to the libs" are now wanting to support censorship. This is not me coming to defense of the game, but it shows they have no actual backbones, nor believe in anything except the money and/or their own bullshit.

Stellar Blade CEO Brushes Off Complaints About Sequel's Protagonist

CEO Hyung-tae Kim stated that while Evie is 'younger' and 'smaller in size' compared to Stellar Blade's protagonist, the outfits in the sequel will be 'even more appealing' for fans

kotaku.com

The first trailer for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain set a few alarm bells ringing when it was revealed during Summer Game Fest on June 5, and I’m not just talking about all of the suspicions surrounding its alleged use of GenAI. In fact, all anyone can seemingly talk about is the child-like appearance of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’s new protagonist, Evie. The CEO of its developer, Shift Up, has recently brushed off these complaints in an interview, in which he states that the “physical looks” of Evie are secondary to how much of a “lovable character” she is.


Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim, who also directed the original Stellar Blade in 2024, recently sat down with IGN to talk about all things Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. Naturally, the topic of Stellar Blade’s protagonist, Eve, and the internet’s reaction to the youthful appearance of the sequel’s new protagonist, Evie, popped up in conversation, but Kim shrugged off the complaints and stated that fans won’t feel the same once they “actually play the game.”



“Yes. She is younger. She’s smaller in size. She’s shorter than Eve,” Kim replied, “but she has a stronger personality and engages in much tougher battles. And she’s actually part of a special squad that chases after a group of terrorists who cause terror attacks here and there in the city.”


“If you actually play the game, you will not think that,” he continued. “I definitely like how Eve looked in the previous Stellar Blade. But this time, Evie, not just her physical looks, but her personality, the way she talks, the way she engages in battles, all that will combine together, and you’ll see that she’s a very lovable character.”


I’ve re-read these comments several times, and it just comes across as evasive nonsense to me. Kim’s response doesn’t really address Evie’s appearance, nor her overtly sexualized poses in the trailer, beyond stating that she is “younger” and “smaller in size.”


Kim did, however, talk about the new outfits that will be available for Evie in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain: “It will be even more appealing…That’s all we can say.” Good lord. I hope “more appealing” doesn’t mean what I think it means in this context. The jiggle physics present in the reveal trailer were disturbing enough, thank you very much.

I don't even really get why Crimson Desert is their new favorite game. Is it literally just because it's made by non-Western devs?

Because it doesn't feature "woke politics/forced politics" and the main character is a white "manly man, and a man's man". Even though the character in question has a personality the size of a red brick, and the side characters are much more interesting and entertaining.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Did they specify how old she is? Because she looks underage by any reasonable standards. Like, Epstein bait. How low can the goonsquad go? Anyways, South Korea, where Shift Up is based, has one of the lowest ages of consent, so not surprising.

 

[BrawlMan]

Did they specify how old she is? Because she looks underage by any reasonable standards.

Not yet, but again, that didn't stop the grifters before getting horny on anime chicks who looks like a child, but are 1000 years old. Thus "it's okay", because it's a "fantasy" or "their wise and mature despite the look of their age". They really never look in the mirror with these pathetic justifications.

Like, Epstein bait. How low can the goonsquad go?

They can go really low when talking about the alt-right grifters. A lot of them either support Epstein, or act as if he did nothing wrong. Them being two faced and hypocritical about this shows they have no actual standards and will flip on a dime or when their narrative suits them.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Because it doesn't feature "woke politics/forced politics" and the main character is a white "manly man, and a man's man". Even though the character in question has a personality the size of a red brick, and the side characters are much more interesting and entertaining.

Not "even though," but also because the character has a bland personality. Notice how their current IRL heroes, starting with Trump, are just so uncool and gross and stupid and lame. Seeing a boring white dude in charge- that makes them comfortable.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

I don't even really get why Crimson Desert is their new favorite game. Is it literally just because it's made by non-Western devs?

Yeah, there's this weird glow-up of Asian devs dipping their toes in "Western" style games, or AAA games, or whatever. Black Myth Wukong similarly had this annoying fan base. But at least with that game, some of the enthusiasm came from actual China and East Asia so I'm not complaining about some home pride.
But yeah there's this weird fetishization of Chinese and Korean devs now. Maybe part of it is a reaction to the constant bitchin we all do about Ubisoft/Xbox/EA so they're seen as some heroic alternative; but also the whole, you know, they have no black people.

 

[BrawlMan]

Not "even though," but also because the character has a bland personality. Notice how their current IRL heroes, starting with Trump, are just so uncool and gross and stupid and lame. Seeing a boring white dude in charge- that makes them comfortable.

Because they have nothing going with them personality wise and are just as boring or even more boring.

But yeah there's this weird fetishization of Chinese and Korean devs now. Maybe part of it is a reaction to the constant bitchin we all do about Ubisoft/Xbox/EA so they're seen as some heroic alternative; but also the whole, you know, they have no black people.

This is nothing new, and these fuckers have done the same with Japanese media. The only difference being the Japanese are more aware of these parasites and have told them to fuck off. Hell, a localizer at Sega pretty much told the chuds, the Sega corporation (from all divisions, but especially Japan) that they do not give a fuck about them, and that they don't matter to them at all. All of this was said on Twitter in 2023 I believe, because these bitches wanted "non-woke elements" in their Yakuza games. So for all of Sega's faults, they are still never afraid to go multicultural, nor have a strong female character.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

Stellar Balde and Crimson Desert are ruined for me because of chuds. I can never play them.

Yes, it's "political." Sorry not sorry, that's not my fault. It's the fact that these have become right-wing asshole signifiers.

Every on-line space talking about potential games of the years or reviews are flooded with bitches whining about how CD is the savior of gaming and any outlet that doesn't recognize its genius is... well, it's gamergate language that never dies, really.

And of course Stealler Balde is this is gross stupid gender thing that has broken the minds of terminally online misognynists.

(Granted, I just didn't like the combat of SB when I played the demo, so it's not like I was itching to play that game anyway. But like CD, I was willing to wait for a steep discount and give it another go).

These games are, for me, like UFC, or going to a gun range- activities that should be apolitical, but are not- they are now fully associated with the same kind of cruel stupid right-wing evil douchebaggery ruining our planet's future and I want nothing to do with them.

You should just ignore such things or avoid whatever platforms/sites that discuss things in such ways. I don't even know the narrative around these games nor do I really care. Similar to people complaining about spoilers on the internet and friends will say they can't go on internet until they see such and such movie (or like series finale of some show) because if they do it will be spoiled. Outside of when IMDB had message boards and topics (that would have massive spoilers in the thread title) that would appear on the main movie page, I've never had anything spoiled. You can not go to / partake is such internet things.

 

[BrawlMan]

People like pitting Ragebound and Art of Vengeance against each other in which is more superior but both are excellent platforming action games. What you personally prefer boils down to personal preference. Do you like juggling and combing enemies? Play AoV. Do you prefer most of your enemies being killed in one or two hits? Play Ragebound. Both are awesome ninja action platforming games. I do have a slightee preference for AoV, but that's because you're giving a lot of tools and movesets to do the juggling, or one strike style moves.

 

[ExtraWildGames]

Most games just become mediocre after a while.

 

[BrawlMan]

Most games just become mediocre after a while.

That's really not a hot take. Yes, it is to somebody that they have not played enough games or only played a one or two franchises. Get some experience here casuals. You don't have to play everything, but you should be playing more than just the two and looking for cheaper options.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

GTA 6 without a real disk is the pinnacle of insular gamer nerd nonsense.
Sure, I get it for those that like their discs to be annoyed. But the reality is that this is a very small nice at this point. We live in a digital world.

This game is gonna have at least two major launches atter the actual launch in November: PC release and online component. And since Rockstar is gonna wanna bleed this cash cow dry for a decade (literally a decade, if not more) there will be other launches: Switch 2, various editions, and yes maybe even a disc.

It's the future for which disc really matters because of resale. People are still buying GTA 5 ffs, so people will be buying GTA6 in 2040 (!) assuming this world still holds it together that long even. Digital sales, of course, but that's when disc options are nice, to be able to find them on ebay. But by then will consoles even have disc drives? PCs already don''t.

Maybe you were thinking of buying GTA6 on disc now and selling it later. Ok, that sucks, sure. But that's not really Rockstar's responsibility to save you a bit of money. If you want to do that, just wait a couple of years for a digital sale. Of course people don't want to do that because of FOMO.

That's what all this bitching about discs and prices feels like right now- wanting to play it immediately on release but also have all the benefits of games that aren't going to be the single biggest entertainment product of all time. Cry me a freaking river.

And don't even come to me about "games preservation." GTA6 will be preserved lol

 

[Xprimentyl]

GTA 6 without a real disk is the pinnacle of insular gamer nerd nonsense.
Sure, I get it for those that like their discs to be annoyed. But the reality is that this is a very small nice at this point. We live in a digital world.

This game is gonna have at least two major launches atter the actual launch in November: PC release and online component. And since Rockstar is gonna wanna bleed this cash cow dry for a decade (literally a decade, if not more) there will be other launches: Switch 2, various editions, and yes maybe even a disc.

It's the future for which disc really matters because of resale. People are still buying GTA 5 ffs, so people will be buying GTA6 in 2040 (!) assuming this world still holds it together that long even. Digital sales, of course, but that's when disc options are nice, to be able to find them on ebay. But by then will consoles even have disc drives? PCs already don''t.

Maybe you were thinking of buying GTA6 on disc now and selling it later. Ok, that sucks, sure. But that's not really Rockstar's responsibility to save you a bit of money. If you want to do that, just wait a couple of years for a digital sale. Of course people don't want to do that because of FOMO.

That's what all this bitching about discs and prices feels like right now- wanting to play it immediately on release but also have all the benefits of games that aren't going to be the single biggest entertainment product of all time. Cry me a freaking river.

And don't even come to me about "games preservation." GTA6 will be preserved lol

I agree with 99% of what you say because it's true, but the one thing that always bothers me about digital-only: what do you actually own?

I bought Final Fantasy 8 in 1999, 27 years ago, and I still have the discs it came on; all I need to play it again is a computer with the correct specification, all I will EVER need is a computer with the correct specifications. So for my purchase of it, I OWN a game I can play whenever I like almost 30 years later.

In my closet is a box with +70 physical copies of games I purchased for my Xbox 360. All I will ever need to play any of them is an Xbox 360. So for my purchase of them, I OWN +70 games I can play whenever I want for the foreseeable future.

Now digital games, I've purchased quite a few, but I don't have enough space on my Xbox Series X to download them all and have quick and ready access to them. I can have maybe handful of "big" games on it at a time, and if I want to play anything other than those, I have to delete something to make room. Here's the rub, what happens when I delete games that I "OWN" to make space for others I "OWN," and some technical issue prevents me from downloading those I deleted again whenever I want to?

The solution I guess is to have external means to store digital games I own, but that means the onus of storing them/preserving them falls on me, so if that's the case... why did I pay full retail price? If they're not footing the bill by pressing my purchases to discs and handing me the product I bought to be used at my will, why are they charging $60 - $70 like the good old days when they gave us discs?

They're saving a ton on manufacturing and distribution; shouldn't some of that savings trickle down to us in their CHEAPER digital options? I mean with tariffs, prices of production went up and the cost of goods for consumers followed suit; this digital takeover in gaming is exactly counterintuitive to that. The cost has gone DOWN for publishers, and they're RAISING the price citing "rising development cost." Give me a break.

I'll only ever be okay with digital-only when there's something akin to the National Archives that guarantees access to digital purchases forever. If you're going to charge me full retail price, then I'd like to see that savings from publishers go into a concerted effort to guarantee I will have access to my purchases until the end of the world. Am I being hyperbolic? Not at all. I'm 46 as of today in 2026; if I "buy" GTA6 for $100 (I do want the Ultimate Edition,) I expect to be able to play it again in 2076 when I'm 96, no questions asked. Otherwise, digital gaming should be paid for like a cart at Aldi: I'll insert my quarter, push the cart around the store, buy my goods, and when I return the cart, return my quarter.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

I agree with 99% of what you say because it's true, but the one thing that always bothers me about digital-only: what do you actually own?

I bought Final Fantasy 8 in 1999, 27 years ago, and I still have the discs it came on; all I need to play it again is a computer with the correct specification, all I will EVER need is a computer with the correct specifications. So for my purchase of it, I OWN a game I can play whenever I like almost 30 years later.

In my closet is a box with +70 physical copies of games I purchased for my Xbox 360. All I will ever need to play any of them is an Xbox 360. So for my purchase of them, I OWN +70 games I can play whenever I want for the foreseeable future.

Now digital games, I've purchased quite a few, but I don't have enough space on my Xbox Series X to download them all and have quick and ready access to them. I can have maybe handful of "big" games on it at a time, and if I want to play anything other than those, I have to delete something to make room. Here's the rub, what happens when I delete games that I "OWN" to make space for others I "OWN," and some technical issue prevents me from downloading those I deleted again whenever I want to?

The solution I guess is to have external means to store digital games I own, but that means the onus of storing them/preserving them falls on me, so if that's the case... why did I pay full retail price? If they're not footing the bill by pressing my purchases to discs and handing me the product I bought to be used at my will, why are they charging $60 - $70 like the good old days when they gave us discs?

They're saving a ton on manufacturing and distribution; shouldn't some of that savings trickle down to us in their CHEAPER digital options? I mean with tariffs, prices of production went up and the cost of goods for consumers followed suit; this digital takeover in gaming is exactly counterintuitive to that. The cost has gone DOWN for publishers, and they're RAISING the price citing "rising development cost." Give me a break.

I'll only ever be okay with digital-only when there's something akin to the National Archives that guarantees access to digital purchases forever. If you're going to charge me full retail price, then I'd like to see that savings from publishers go into a concerted effort to guarantee I will have access to my purchases until the end of the world. Am I being hyperbolic? Not at all. I'm 46 as of today in 2026; if I "buy" GTA6 for $100 (I do want the Ultimate Edition,) I expect to be able to play it again in 2076 when I'm 96, no questions asked. Otherwise, digital gaming should be paid for like a cart at Aldi: I'll insert my quarter, push the cart around the store, buy my goods, and when I return the cart, return my quarter.

The discussion on ownership and all that is fine but it feels out of place in the context of GTA6. That would be like someone storming into a screening of the Minecraft movie and demanding accountability for children's education, screen time, and physical activity. A classic- "you're right, but not right now."

PC's don't have disc drives anymore! I just have this image in my mind of keyboard warriors bitching about no disc on their disc-drive-less PCs.

I just feel we're dancing around edge cases here. If you're digging up your copy of FF8 to play on your computer using your disc drive, you're a hobbyist. Most GTA6 players are not doing that.

If I demanded the new Olivia Rodrigo album be released in a cheap vinyl version (not one of these expensive version intended more for display than actual listening) because I want to really OWN my music, I may be right in a sense, but also justifiably laughed out of the room because it's 2026 and that is not the issue for the overwhelmingly vast supermajority of Rodrigo's fanbase.

 

[Xprimentyl]

The discussion on ownership and all that is fine but it feels out of place in the context of GTA6. That would be like someone storming into a screening of the Minecraft movie and demanding accountability for children's education, screen time, and physical activity. A classic- "you're right, but not right now."

PC's don't have disc drives anymore! I just have this image in my mind of keyboard warriors bitching about no disc on their disc-drive-less PCs.

I just feel we're dancing around edge cases here. If you're digging up your copy of FF8 to play on your computer using your disc drive, you're a hobbyist. Most GTA6 players are not doing that.

If I demanded the new Olivia Rodrigo album be released in a cheap vinyl version (not one of these expensive version intended more for display than actual listening) because I want to really OWN my music, I may be right in a sense, but also justifiably laughed out of the room because it's 2026 and that is not the issue for the overwhelmingly vast supermajority of Rodrigo's fanbase.

What makes GTA6 an exception? I don't care how big it's going to be, what records it's going to break, or how long it's going to supported, if you're "buying" it, you should own it in perpetuity.

But you bring up a good point with you music ownership hypothetical: yes, streaming services are en mode nowadays, and owning a physical CD or vinyl is very niche, but there's a difference here. I pay about $20 a month for Spotify, and I can stream ANY music I want at any time. I'm not paying $15 per album I listen to as if I'm buying a CD; I'm paying for a subscription that allows me access to digital music.

If the gaming industry is pushing customers towards this all-digital inevitability, it should come with us. Maybe the next generation of consoles should be digital subscription services where we pay a flat monthly fee and can play any game we want as long as we pay the subscription fee. That sounds fair. They're already hinting at this with the likes of Game Pass which "benevolently" offers "free" games for a monthly fee; they should go all in and that should be the inevitable future: we "buy" the access, not the games.

 

[BrawlMan]

I disagree on all fronts with GTA 6. Yes, not as many people are getting physical, but that doesn't excuse them, screwing over their own fan base and customers by locking standard and basic features behind an extra $20 paywall on a product that's already $80. If you think that's excusable or nothing wrong, have fun being screwed over for the rest of your lives. If you all want to spend all that money on something you can't own nd they can remove the license anytime (for any reason or due to licensing issue, then you have all learned nothing from these past generations. Because this has happened multiple times, but almost nobody seems to learn or only gets upset when it's one specific game or group of games they care about. Then come with a screw everyone else attitude.

It ain't just "insular/incell gamer" moment. Even professional reviewers are bringing this up, as a problem or something not good. I'm talking about the legit ones or the ones that get scrutiny. Even the ones not behind a big corporation are pointing this out, or why it's an issue. I don't care if any of you are seeing me coming off as a brace of as abrasive, which I am not, but if that's what it takes to get the point across. So be it. Have fun with nearly every other AAA publisher or developer trying to justify another price increase. I hope it's worth it for your sakes, because hello more indie and AA games.

I'll hear nothing else otherwise.

Also, whenever the next generation decides to go, all digital only for the consoles and not have a disc drive. I'll quit sony too. Also, you still got like another five or six years before a PS6 is even possible. Especially when those price increases on computer parts in the dumbass tariffs. If I have to stick with nintendo only, or just go back to my old consoles or my emulation devices, I have no issue with that, because there'll always be something for me to play.