That I haven't posted in this thread in 4 years is telling. Even then it seems I was struggling to maintain an interest in gaming. While I have dipped in and out of some games in the interim I haven't played any games through to completion until very recently. Is this due to Covid-19 and lockdown? Perhaps in part. Maybe also that I have moved in with my partner that I met in 2018 and have more free time to play games than I did when we lived separately (yes, really!). I have created a spreadsheet of games that I intend to play to contend with the paralysis of choice I otherwise suffer... nothing says fun than a bit of surrounding order and admin. I hope that this helps me keep momentum now.
Football Manager 2020 (7/10)
Difficult to rate really, like crack is (probably) difficult to assign a review and rating. The first FM game I've bought since playing Champ Man all those years ago. I'd have hoped that the match engine was more refined but can't deny it was addictive. It's not really a game that one "completes" but I won the CL with Spurs, have filled the squad with wonderkids and subsequently lost interest from there.
Played and completed in this order since early May 2020:
Battletech (7.5/10)
I don't play the tabletop game version of this, but who doesn't love mechs firing lasers, huge rounds and missiles at each other? I know I do. This is a turn based tactical game that I put a lot of hours in to. Steam says I've put 84 hours in, second only to Football Manager 2020. The game mechanics allowed me to largely play with a lance full of up-close-and-personal brawler / "tank" builds rather then anything ultra tactical (eg: sniping / sensor-locking and LRM missile boats) and I wouldn't have it any other way. I recognise that it was produced on a fairly low budget but it would have been nice if the graphics, animations and assets allowed for a greater sense of scale and damage. It was difficult to really feel that the units were huge mechs and that's incredibly important. I hope that there is a sequel that improves significantly upon this aspect and should they choose to crowdfund I will once again invest.
Disco Elysium (8/10)
A difficult game to describe, I had difficulty really understanding how it played despite reading and viewing reviews but after seeing all the plaudits for it and feeling that I was still unsure that I wanted to play a more "action" orientated game I decided to just find out for myself. Technically I suppose it is a sort of CRPG at its base, but with skill checks on dialogue options rather than classic combat (turn-based or real-time). In a sense this aspect made it feel as though they'd integrated a point 'n' click adventure in to this strange yet successful CRPG hybrid. Obviously this makes it text heavy but despite the fact that my attention span is shorter than it perhaps ought to be I felt engaged and really enjoyed it. It's funny too. Smart but not pretentious. Although if you want pretentious, it's got plenty of that, should you choose it.
Metro: Exodus (7.5/10)
I just completed this tonight. I think I'll check a couple of reviews of the DLC and decide whether to play those or move on. I enjoyed it but I could really have done without the odd QTE they've shoehorned in, I guess to make the cut-scenes feel "interactive". It's not necessary. Viewing a cut-scene while wondering whether I'm going to have to quickly hammer the "E" key is not immersive, it's distracting so has the opposite effect, please stop this! I liked that there were different environments this time. The desert stage in particular made it feel like a blend of that open-world Mad Max game that came out a few years back and a Far Cry game (3 to 5, take yer pick!) in that you had to take bases on the map and could choose between stealth with sneaky take-downs and suppressed weapons or full on assault. Much better than Far Cry for me however in that this game allows you to move on to different environments and mixes things up a little rather than the rinse and repeat ad infinitum of the Ubisoft game series.