This does make sense. The biggest Shanna vulnerability is being targetted by Killmonger before the game ends, though for me particularly I always found the tightness of space to be a large constraint, especially considering a possible Dazzler. That also makes her somewhat Surfer viable, though maybe an odd mix.

I’ve recently played a bit of FarCry 6 since its on PS+ Extra and…honestly, I don’t get who these games are made for these days. There’s a veneer of absurdity and seriousness but it doesn’t fully commit to either, while having the typical overstuffed Ubisoft open-world. Ends up not going into either the military shooter direction or the goofy, zany shooter direction or in any other direction. It just kinda is, like a fatty, filling but ultimately bland fast food.

So yea, a reinvention would be good, but I at this point I believe Ubisoft games are their own genre, for better or for worse.

A lot of things can cause “the mind to wander” and, frankly, I’m not a health professional but as a person who sometimes has trouble focusing I somewhat sympathize. There are times when I simply can’t sit down and enjoy myself, and there’s nothing that can be done about that. Usually times of high stress and anxiety.

But outside of those extreme cases, there’s generally a few things here and there that can help alleviate. The first, and maybe almost stupidly obvious one, is to do some of those tasks beforehand. I don’t have to stress about doing the dishes or paying the bills or returning a call if I just do it beforehand. Logging into the bank app is just 5 minutes, why worry about it otherwise.

Another is to get comfortable and shut yourself off. Leave your phone in a place you can’t reach from wherever you’re gaming (or watching a movie, or reading or studying. Your phone should actually be in a different room every time you don’t immediately need it) as well as any other electronic devices. Close the windows and doors, turn off your PC. Make it a bother to stop enjoying yourself.

Take a bathroom break (or if its in the evening, a shower+grooming) and maybe have a snack or a full meal. Have a bottle of water nearby. That crosses out basic biologic annoyances (until you need a pee break but that’s at least a healthy obstacle).

Exercise a bit. Sounds out there, but exhausting yourself physically isn’t only healthy, it also takes your mind off a lot of things. Since that’s a relatively boring activity that can also have your mind wander, have some podcasts handy, but something light and preferably with 2+ hosts so you can have several voices in your head that aren’t yours but also don’t need to follow a story or anything heavy. Going on a walk while listening to a 1 hour episode should be good enough (and something we all should do regardless of attention issues)

On the subject of podcasts, I’ve found that some games aren’t gripping enough to draw my attention or are repetitive enough that I don’t need to dedicate all of my attention to them, so I’ve dubbed them Podcast Games and do both at the same time. Roguelikes do very well in this regard, as well as management games, or anything that isn’t story heavy (or if the story blows) and where the sound isn’t exactly necessary.

And sometimes, ultimately, maybe you just aren’t really in the mood for a game. There are hobbies of mine that I enjoy, but don’t do much because I’m not “in the zone” as often, like reading or watching a TV series. So if gaming is like that for you, swap around and enjoy yourself, time spent doing something you like isn’t time wasted.

Optional: I’ve found that I’m much better at sitting down and watching a movie or a show when I have someone alongside me to chat up. Maybe having someone along to play/watch together, or simply streaming through Discord for a friend might be a solution. You’d be surprised at how many other people are also bored and would accept an invite to watch you play while chatting about their day.

You’re in luck because 7 just happens to be a reboot (of sorts) with an entirely new protagonist, cast of secondary characters as well as gameplay. Even its setting and crime organizations steer away (mostly) from the previous conflicts of the Kamurocho red light district.

Yakuza also has the an advantage (IMO) that its “how anime bullshit is this anime?” is fairly low. The characters are actual adults, dealing with (mostly) relatable to real life issues, and even the stories that are far out there (such as fighting a giant roomba) are not very egregious.

I certainly prefer the series as a whole than Persona, which I admit is an unpopular take. If you’re ever curious about doing a deep dive, 0 is also very welcoming and its the (now canon) beginning of the previous series.

The usage of “content” and “engagement” in this post is genuinely depressing. People clearly want to have conversations and discussions, not feed an algorithm machine.

Its literally quoted in my post

The thought of a competitive Pokemon Sleep scenario just filled me with the most precious mental image. The Reverse Gamer™ Room, no leds, no table full of monitors, a mega comfy bed, relaxing music or white noise machine, guides on how to have a healthy diet and regular workout sessions.

I had taken a break from Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin and picked it back again. Genuinly amazing game, some nice character action style combat that flows greatly, intricate rice farming that makes you struggle but reap satisfying rewards, unexpected character development that feels organic and well earned in its joy.

I also got my first Infinite rank in Marvel Snap, but that’s hardly a “week” playing and more like a constant habit I’ve been doing since October or so.

I only realized it was satire after I opened the thread and saw it was HardDrive, not only did it feel something a game would do (probably a New Blood game) but I was also genuinely stoked

This was going to be mine as well. The fact that you don’t start to investigate the mystery in chronological order turned out to be quite a treat, as I need some way to organize my thoughts.

Fantastic game, honestly, I’ve had quite a few good detective experiences the past few years that nearly perfected the genre to me.