Which was first farmville, clash of clans or candy crush?

I agree with you that one of those manipulative mobile games deserves to be on the list.

Oh yeah they are perfect games for the deck! Im sure the sequel will run great too.

Definitely. Immersive sim is a scant genre with some of my favorite games. We need more of them, so its good that the OGs have been getting so much love.

Thanks for sharing this, wishlisted.

The remake of SS1 was so masterfully done i had hoped SS2 would get the same treatment… But this heavy remaster looks like itll do just fine. Thank god itll have controller support.

I mean, yeah, the systems in skyrim werent deep, but at least they were there and somewhat entertaining. You just hold a button to “lockpick” in Avowed. You just roll a die like you do for everything in BG3. Personally I never used bows in skyrim, always enchanted single-handed weapons and destruction.

Larian Should have built more intricate rpg systems since then and they have, Skyrim is a decade and a half old. The caveat is that they have done so by abandoning active combat gameplay. Their combat systems are fun, they just arent engaging like Avowed or even Skyrim. Again to each their own, im sure many rpg players dont care one bit about active/realistic combat simulation. If Elden Ring’s success is an example though, then many people do want engaging combat.

Again with Avowed, it is a brand new game and compared to its only direct competitor(14yo skyrim) it feels lacking in every way except when you hit something with a weapon. And i guess thats ok, but only for like $30 or less.

I guess it depends on what kind of depth youre looking for. Depth of lore, attributes and upgrades? Skyrim has plenty. Depth of gameplay? Things get a little more murky.

I will agree that Elder Scrolls games have never had combat be their strongest feature and that is definitely what Obsidian focused on with Avowed to make it stand out.

Being a skyrim and fallout fan, I wasnt necessarily disappointed by Avowed, just understimulated.

The whole 15ish hours I played i found myself just craving the depth of a bethesda game, which really wasnt there.

Cons: The lack of a fully integrated item physics system. No wanted or theft system. 1 dimensional npcs that only seem to physically adhere to any lore if they arent human. The human npcs look randomly generated in a character customization screen. The lack of an open world to explore and invisible walls all over. Shallow inventory management that doesnt feel like it matters. Very Mid story with a zero effort intro/character background. Weapons/magic combinations arent as versatile as I would like.

Pros: Streamlined inventory management, for people that dont enjoy it. Combat is solid. Magic and effects are beautiful, fun and tie into exploration well. Platforming is solid with excellent level design. Graphics and performance are great also. Unlimited stamina while exploring is great.

The scales just dont tip in the game’s favor, especially when a game from 2011 outdoes it in almost every way.

I understand that obsidian is focused on churning out more easily digestible games more often, but is that really what rpg fans want? More shallow games that leave us wanting?

Idk maybe skyrim left me with unrealistic expectations, but all i want now is that level of world building and depth when it comes to rpgs of this type.