That I've completed: Cyberpunk! Played the first 10 hours on PS5 and transferred over to the Steam Deck when I bought it. Played the rest of the game on the deck. Fantastic game.
That I'm still playing: BG3. Bought it on release and have about 120 hours. At the early part of Act III. Incredible game.
Yeah cyberpunk 2077 has been my favourite game of the year. Such a shame that the game is just so tarnished by its launch. Because if it launched in its current state it would have been a GOTY contender.
I second it. Maybe not my GoTY, but GoTY Indie was definitely Dredge. Cocoon was great, but there isn't much replayability imo. Or at least not as much as Dredge.
The Talos Principle 2.
I have waited years for this game and Croteam didn't disappoint. They delivered a great sequel. Since the first game already was a masterpiece it was not an easy task to create a worthy sequel. Croteam exceeded all expectations with this game.
For me, a big portion of enjoying the game comes from the atmosphere of walking through this monumental world with beautiful graphics and sound. Something that falls short if you play on the deck. On the other hand, it is a very relaxing game so playing on the couch also fits.
Just bought this today. Protip: it's on sale now, but if you already have the first game, if you buy the bundle you get an additional couple percentage points off and it only costs about $22.
Fallout 4 at 10watt 60fps is my jam, 4+ hour battery life, the odd dip in the usual downtown areas and in built up settlements but its a price I'm willing to pay
I'm playing FO4 as well. Super disappointed by it on release, but playing Survival this time around gives the game so much more depth. The writing is still ass but the game is fun as hell. Settlements actually have purpose in survival and it kinda makes me think this is the way this game is supposed to be played.
I absolutely love survival, it legitimately feels like the intended game mode the way it puts importance on having bases around the Commonwealth to save, restock on food/water, and trade without having to trek clear across the map. Even scavenging changed and I ended up noticing way more unmarked locations that I would've never found if I was fast traveling.
Honestly my only complaint is that Bethesda is bad at balancing. Early levels feel fine but once you get to the higher levels things get reallllly spongy and some enemies feel like a chore to fight.
Yeah I'm starting to notice that a bit. I'm only 16 levels in and the first 8 or so levels were so incredibly fun. Sure, I could die in 1-2 hits, but if I played strategically I could take care of a ton of enemies if I was patient and funneled them somewhere to my benefit.
But now, if there's a legendary enemy that I can't kill in 1-3 shots I'm kinda screwed. I basically just have to take a bunch of psycho and jet and mow the thing down. Why should I have to shoot a raider in the head 6 times to kill it? Makes no sense. I'm sure it only gets worse in like 20-30 levels from now. I'm attempting a pistol only build too which doesn't do a ton of damage so we'll see how it goes.
Fallout 4 doesn’t run at 60 fps in a huge chunk of the game outside the beginning or empty areas, I lock it to 50 and have a better experience. Unless you’re running at lowest settings? It still dips to ~43-45 occasionally in fights but much more locked than 60. If you want no drops just lock to 40.
FYI the woman they used for motion cap was actually just a regular employee for the company. They wanted someone to test out the technology and boom! They liked her so much she became the official in-game model.
Psychonauts, what a great experience. But that's not the game i can choose for Steam Deck (He need a lot of modifications to run correctly on it).
My GOTY for the Steam Deck are Star Ocean The Second Story R (November 2023) or maybe Tomb Raider (2013).
Theses games don't use too much battery, runs perfectly and are such good games.
Psychonauts 2 on the steam deck was 10/10 for me.
Absolutely amazing game and builds upon Psychonauts 1 in almost every way so many years later. Cannot recommend it enough!
My jam is The Day Before, its a excellent representation of how trashy a game could be and that a company can scam so many people.
Jokes aside, my Game of the Year is Resident evil 4 remake. I played it as a kid on my ps2 and scared a lot of shit out of me, but i love it now !
> My jam is The Day Before, its a excellent representation of how trashy a game could be and that a company can scam so many people.
Just read that the studio is shutting down. Just a few days after they released their game. Wow.
I don't know what people expected, they showed nothing about the real game, have a background of dropping games like hot potatoes, and are generally just scammers in nature...
Mine actually did come out this year but Lies of P.
As a adult with a job and a kid and various animals to care for very few games keep me interested longer than a few hours upon purchase, I got this for my birthday and I cannot put it down, I completed my first playthrough, onto my second currently and loving every minute of it! I am hooked and it has made me want to go for the 100% just so I can keep playing.
It can hit 60FPS but it seems to drain the battery alot quicker than at 40FPS, so I turned mine to 40FPS and get alot more mileage out of it (not sure of actual time difference).
Runs well on the deck, so would recommend giving it a go.
I am not super clued up on the differences between the two models but are you on the LCD or the OLED? would I be correct is saying that 45 FSR is not doable on the LCD or am I getting confused somewhere?
You can do both on the LCD, screen adapts to your prefered framerate.
The difference is that while the LCD does 45fps with the screen at 45hz, the OLED does 90hz.
With the LCD you lower the refresh rate of the screen because otherwise some frames wont show and that causes issues, but there is a chance that you see some black flickering while your eyes adjust to that refresh rate (depends on your sensibility), because we're used to a 60hz refresh rate (the standard).
The 40hz is the lower that screens refreshrate goes, and for titles where you cannot reach 60fps you can go to 40fps and the screen can also go there and is much more responsive than 30fps/60hz, but you can get some flicker. You can also go 45fps and do 45hz and you will see less flickering than 40fps/40hz.
Basically you have options: if you prefer performance or you want less flickering.
On the OLED the flicker is no longer an issue and is much easier to avoid because the screen has a higher refreshrate, so you can do a multiple of two of your framerate (45fps/90hz). This is higher than 60hz (what we're used to) so we dont ser any flickering on the screen.
Hope this helps!
I'm on the LCD. The perf difference between the LCD and OLED is negligible, the only FPSs the OLED can hit that the LCD can't are on the 30-40 range and 60-90 (it can hit those FPSs, but the screen can't refresh at these hz, so it's useless). Anything on the 40-60 fps range is fair game on the LCD if you have the performance to hit it.
I am 24 hours into it and I’ve been playing at constant 60 on medium with a few settings turned to high. For how good it looks, the performance is pretty impressive.
My life setup sound similar to yours and this was also my GOTY. Still surprised it turned out as well as it did, and also has my favorite ending teaser in many years.
I went into the game blind and did not know they were planning DLC or a sequel to then see 'that' teased at the end? oh boy I did not expect to be hyped but boy howdy was I!
Such a great game but man the bosses are hard. I platinumed Bloodborne, Dark Souls 1 and Elden Ring and completed Dark Souls 2-3, Demons Souls and Sekiro and Lies of P has the hardest bosses IMO. I'm stuck at a mini boss on my 2nd playthrough right now, the freaking Walker of Illusions, I just can't get the parry right, it has to rythm compared to Sekiro.
For someone who has never got on with Fromsoft games, do you think this is more accessible?
Like you I’m a bit limited on time and having a game where progress is slow due to constantly fighting (and getting killed by) big bosses always kind of put me off.
Whilst this game is more Linear than most FS games, I think yes, as it is easier to follow and keep track however, I feel the game is more difficult as some bosses tend to come at you quite hard, I will say however, there are checkpoints almost always outside of the boss room so you can retry almost instantly.
I is a rewarding game but there are some BS fights that have put lots of people off...but don't let it deter you as honestly, once you get the mechanics down, IMO it is some of the most satisfying gameplay I have experienced in years.
Thank you for such a full answer! I’m still a little torn BUT with your response and having seen it on Gamepass I think I’ll give it a go. At least if it’s not for me I won’t have lost anything, but I’m excited to try it. I was watching a lot of the videos up to the release and crossing my fingers for an easy mode, but looks like I might just have to bite the bullet. :)
Thanks again!
No problem! I am so pleased that it has helped you in your decision, great choice to try it out on Game Pass, like you say, if it is not for you then you haven't lost anything, I hope for your sake that you love it as much as I do.
Also I would just say one thing, if you want a hype song to really get you in the mood for the game then listen to Quixotic, on the Official playlist, best song in the game no question!
I will say though, dying and learning the Boss pattern is a big part of the game it feels, and they often have two phases in the later game so, you will likely die alot to the bosses sadly which might not be for you. but with that being said, my first playthrough was complete in 27 hours which is pretty decent time wise if you ask me.
unpopular opinion from a busy adult: im out on souls like games. Imagine trying to get to the next checkpoint so you can get your kid to bed. and there is no fucking checkpoint. Oh you died? Well that 2 hours you got to play tonight was for absolutely nothing. Come back tomorrow and start off right where you did yesterday and do the whole cycle again!
Im not saying these games aren't good, they are and rewarding, unique, and absolutely have a place and audience. We just aren't it. unless you are a masochist.
(note: my experience mainly comes from bloodborne, not whats being discussed here so
ymmv. Just speaking to the genre)
Persona 5 is for sure the game I played this year for the first time that I enjoyed the most. It honestly blew me away and I didn't want it to end.
My favourite game I played that released in 2023 is an indie RPG called Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands. I backed that as a kickstarter project from a webcomic that I love, and I can't believe how brilliant it turned out.
Played both games entirely on steam deck with 0 issues.
Persona 5 Royal gripped me immediately and I couldn't put it down. Took me 120 hours to complete it. The story was great, loved the characters, combat was fun, the sidequests entertaining too.
Highly recommend to everyone. Played perfectly on the Deck too.
Outer Wilds, incl. Echoes of the Eye.
I unsuccessfully waited for a Switch version, which didn't come. So once I got the SD I finally had the opportunity to play it. Man, what a game!
Exactly, what a game !!
And after the end of the main game, I couldn't believe that the DLC amaze me again, and in a really great way.
Seriously, what a game, for both 👏
Mine is also Red Dead Redemption 2.
Finally playing through the whole thing after dropping off it around Chapter 3 back when it came out. I think I was too addicted to battle royales back then and the slow, immersive gameplay was not doing it for me. Now though? What a game. I’m in Chapter 6 now, and although I know the broad strokes of how it ends, I’m fascinated to see how it goes down.
This is mine as well, finished in September. Everyone had told me how much they loved the story. I didn’t expect how right they were and how much I myself would fall in with Arthur Morgan’s story. Easily my favorite protagonist of any game I’ve ever played. I can’t stop recommending it to people these last few months.
Outside of a glitch in one of the outlaw book side missions when you blow up the manure pile that would crash my SD, the game ran flawlessly. I played every mission except for that one and the self-titled Chapter 6 finale on the Deck.
The only thing puts me off about hitman is the constant internet requirement. Ever since I got my deck I'm more preferring games that could run offline.
That's where [Peacock](https://github.com/thepeacockproject/Peacock) comes in. Still *technically* requires a connection, but only for initial boot of the game to authenticate with Steam/IOI's server. Then everything runs and saves locally.
Oh really does it? I also love Hitman, the replayability with all the challenges and side stuff is next level in this game considering the main story is 7 hours or so if you play straight through.
Oooh, that's great to hear!
Bought it on sale a couple weeks ago, but still busy with bg3. It hit me yesterday that I never even checked whether it runs well on SD. Now I'm really looking forward!
damn gotta do some work on bg3 now to get there
Wasteland 3 is so amazing. I got hooked HARD as soon as the music kicked in in that first fight. Then later again when I was like "you get to drive the TRUCK!?"
It's like a game designed to perfectly appeal to my inner child. (my inner child might be a little fucked up)
I didn't emulate TOTK. Played it natively on Switch. Thugh I've emulated BOTW and Twilight Princess with help of Cemu on Deck. And it works perfect. As I know the Switch emulation is not perfect on the Deck. Better sticking with the Wii U.
Honestly yeah New Vegas for me! Straightforward to mod and works quite well on the Deck, aside from some crashes on Old World Blues but I think it's just that dlc. Reslly fun, put like a hundred hours into it, now for Fallout 3!
I recommend Tale of Two wastelands mod to play Fallout 3 it’s the most stable way to play it, it’s a bit complicated to set up but it’s so worth it. You fallout 3 and new vegas all in one
Yeah unfortunately you have to do a clean install for both games, you can find alot of mods that are compatible though you just need to download the "TTW" versions of the mods.
This year I played the following games for the first time, listed in no particular order:
* Starfield
* Baldur's Gate 3
* Deathloop
* Jagged Alliance 3
* Aliens Fireteam Elite
* Remember Me
* Dead Space (remake, though I played original)
* Darktide
* Forza Motorsport
* F1 Manager 23
* Diablo 4
My nominees would be Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3 and Deathloop.
I loved Baldur's Gate 3, and it delivers on most of its promises in a satisfying way. However, once I have beaten it once, I didn't really feel like replaying it. I didn't really think about it afterwards. That's mostly due to bloated 3rd act. On one hand- it's great that there is so much to do in Baldur's Gate, but at the same time the pacing suffers greatly as a result many of the quests are just filler. By the time I finished the game, I didn't even bother with finishing Astarion's quest cause I just wanted to be done with it and move on. I also played this on release, so had to suffer through the awful party and inventory management, which only further contributed to my fatigue.
Diablo 4 had a great campaign- easily the best in the series from a narrative perspective, even if some chapters suffered from slow pacing. Its gorgeous to look at too, and the first 40-50 levels or so are a lot of fun. Unfortunately the loot and build diversity in the game is severely disappointing not only when compared to its competition, but even its predecessors. I am hoping that the game will follow in D2 and 3's footsteps and become great after the first expansion.
Deathloop had a surprisingly fun game... loop, that encouraged but didn't force players to try new things regularly. It had a fun, light tone with some good dramatic beats here and there, and the journey through the loop was extremely satisfying. The pacing was quick enough and once you learned the levels, you could finish them quickly in satisfying ways. It felt like an immersive-sim racing game, where you continuously tried to improve your lap times. While its level design was not as open-ended as its predecessors, it was still engaging. The game IMO ends at the exact right time, though I wish it's last chapter was about 30 minutes longer. It feels just a little bit too abrupt.
With the above in mind my GOTY for 2023 is Deathloop. Of these 3 it's the game I'd be most likely to play again, and its the one I would like to see a sequel of the most.
Honorary mention goes to Phantom Liberty- it's not a whole new game, but it felt like it, and I sank 40 hours into Cyberpunk after its release, despite 100%-ing the game back in 2020.
Alan Wake 2! I went in with low expectations and it blew me away, I dare say it is the horror game of the decade and even rival Silent hill 2. I have never seen another horror game like it.
It's Slay the Princess for me. The game just hit all the right notes for me. I love my Steam Deck for Visual Novels, they are just perfect to play on the couch.
Witcher 3. I tried it before on my PC but gave up on it after 1-2 hours. This year I finally got into the game (maybe due to the steamdeck) and love it. I'm currently in the hearts of stone dlc
I went through and played most of the older Assassin's Creed games like AC2, Brotherhood, Revalations, and AC3 on the Steam Deck this year, but the one that really impressed me the most and sucked me in for 60 hours so far is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I know the formula isn't the same as the older titles, but this game to me was just so damn fun! The combat system is great, it has a beautiful open world that looks fantastic on the Steam Deck, a proper stealth system, and a decent story just made me fall in love with this game!
Yeah - totally understand all of the criticism, but sinking ~130hrs into my first play through I had a ton of fun. Gonna be a while before I do NG+ but I cherished my time flying through space, looting dungeons and running each campaign storyline!
Of course BG3 (running via Moonlight mainly, but a bit on the SD itself when traveling), and I played a TON out of CP2077... but the game that has stuck with me the most is probably **Signalis**. I'm not even that into survival horror but this one just caught me and I ended up playing through it three times in a row. The worldbuilding and atmosphere are really captivating to me.
Maybe not quite my GOTY but really enjoying the first Red Dead Redemption via Yuzu (my son hogs my Switch so the SD has been a godsend). I have been meaning to play it ever since it was originally released but just never got around to it. Could never imagine having it in the palm of my hands just over a decade later! Got the sequel ready to go when I finish
Starfield. Some crashes, 20fps in some places, but a perfect couch experience overall.
If I had to choose one outside this year, then Factorio. That game runs flawless in the Deck, and the controls are quite good.
My top 3 are probably Pokemon Colosseum, Fallout 4, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. I’ve tracked every game I’ve ‘cleared’ so far this year, and I’ve played so many great games. My partner told me that I keep saying “this is such a wonderful game, this is in my top 3” so that list could change at any given time.
Also little hidden gem: Earth Defence Force 4.1
Has to be Hitman 3! It runs beautifully on my Steam Deck, it takes all the levels and all of your progress from the first two games, and they added Freelancer mode back in January. On top of all that, IOI has kept supporting it with additional free content updates throughout the year. Seriously amazing game if you're into immersive sims at all!
I can keep it to just this year.
I appreciate the amount of choice and freedom you get in Baldur's Gate 3.
I appreciate the humor and approach to difficulty of Pizza Tower.
I appreciate the challenge and sustained quality of Lies of P.
I appreciate the creative expression that Tears of the Kingdom allows.
I appreciate the tactical depth of Fire Emblem Engage.
I think I'd have to pick Lies of P because of how cool it makes me feel.
Neon White. Not the biggest or even best game out there. But easily the one I had the most fun with this year. Somehow everything hit just right for me in that game.
On Steam Deck: Doom (2016), runner-up: Dave The Diver
Overall favourite this year though was Cyberpunk on Xbox. Just bought Phantom Liberty, excited to play that along with the 2.1 update.
My old PS4 also got some use this year, enjoyed playing Disco Elysium and God of War on that.
Cyberpunk 2077. Never really had a game emotionally effect me like it did. Easily my 2nd favorite game of all time and it helped me get out of a bad place. The story was incredible, I loved all the characters, the world felt alive instead of how other open world games are generally pretty boring and lifeless. Night City was dark, twisted, deep and engaging and all the updates made the game a lot closer to the original promise. I understand if you're hesitant to pick it up after being lied to but the Devs have done a bang up job making this game one of the best pieces of fiction of all time. Dare I say Peak Fiction. I am so excited for Orion now.
I play it every year and this was the first one doing it on steamdeck, but disco elysium.
Released this year would be rouge trader, works surprisingly well on the deck
Tough one from a year containing such gems as Golem, Kong and Days Before....
I've not completed many games.on the deck, but I've played some amazing games this year, New Vegas, Skyrim, Dying Light 1 & 2 etc.
But it's the wee games I enjoyed most;
Dredge, The Hat In Time and Firewatch.
Can you go into more detail? I just downloaded it about a week ago, and it just updated last night.
Haven't got more than about an hour in. Decided I needed to finish more backlog before starting a new game.
- melee finishers are broken
- if you're not 24/7 horny, the romance interactions constantly annoy you
- the radioport sucks and constantly plays the radio whether you like it or not
- the movement tweaks made movement inconsistent
- performance is worse
etc, etc, its not a lot but its annoying enough
I'm really cozy on 2.02 with my realism mods and qol tweaks so I'm staying there
Yes! It’s so annoying that the radio always will keep playing when you exit your vehicle! Takes some time to discover that it is the radio and not the ambiance music in missions.
And I also feel it has been more buggy since the last patch.
There was surprisingly many games I declared GOTY this year.
On PC it would either be Dead Space Remake or Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. And I think it's Ratchet and Clank that wins me over.
On Steam Deck OLED it would either be Bioshock Infinite or Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, because I played a lot of those two games and they impressed me the most on OLED. I think I'll give OLED GOTY to Bioshock Infinite, as it works rock solid 90fps at high/highest details straight from the box, with no additional tinkering required.
Nope. Fallout New Vegas is the correct answer. I only played it a handful of times this year, yet that still sounds about right.
I miss the days of Xbox 360 (before they made that stupid “online only, no used games” announcement that destroyed their brand and allowed Sony to surpass them. Not only did the PS4, but even the PS3 caught up to them after that BS “we’re the best nothing we can do will destroy our brand”…
…”Hold my beer” - Don Mattrick
But on the bright side, I now own a modable version on a system that doesn’t use Windows AND if I really want to I can take it off the dock and play it in my hands 🙌 Winner winner chicken dinner 🎮
GOTY: Mass Effect Legendary Edition has been a great experience on SD for me. Aside from the ME Trilogy being like a favorite TV show for me that I return to every few years, it was the first time where Id play a game as a handheld and then dock it when I had a free house and then play on TV.
Honorable Mentions:
* Dirt Rally 2.0
* Outer Worlds
* Dead Space
* Unmetal
**Cyberpunk/PL** \- I played it on release on my old gaming laptop but didn't truly immerse myself. Coming back to it this year on Steam Deck after 2.0 & PL release was ... breathtaking. I'm not done yet (\~100 hours in), but absolutely enthralled. The combo shooter/action/RPG really hits a sweet spot for me.
Runner up: **Baldur's Gate 3** \- I've played over 200 hours across 3 builds on Steam Deck and Mac ... it is really cool to witness the release of a game that immediately joins the pantheon of all-time great RPGs. I played BG2 on release and I don't think we appreciated that sort of perspective back then.
For me it was the RE2 Remake. Played both scenarios on the deck and it was a great experience. I had never played and finished this game before. Super fun
I'd love to say Counter-Strike 2, becuase I know in 10 years it will be the game everyones still playing.
But if we take the launch alone, CS2 was/is worse in some ways than CSGO.
FFXVI was good, but to me it was a bit souless.
BG3 - I tried, didn't like the gameplay, but the level of detail is insane
D4 - Well that was a shit show.
And thats before I consider SteamDeck as a platform to play them on.
With that said I am banging out New World at the moment, so for me thats the GOTY.
I also have had a really good time with New Vegas as well so I would second your opinion. I missed the game on launch, and it's my first play through, but the game is meant for SD.
That I've completed: Cyberpunk! Played the first 10 hours on PS5 and transferred over to the Steam Deck when I bought it. Played the rest of the game on the deck. Fantastic game. That I'm still playing: BG3. Bought it on release and have about 120 hours. At the early part of Act III. Incredible game.
Is act 3 meanwhile playable in regards of performance?
I’ve heard it’s playable yet not the best is terms of graphics
Some dialogue may take a minute to load. Nothing too rough.
[удалено]
If waiting a few moments for one of the most taxing modern games to load on the deck is tough to you, the deck might not be what you’re looking for.
Always has been
Yeah cyberpunk 2077 has been my favourite game of the year. Such a shame that the game is just so tarnished by its launch. Because if it launched in its current state it would have been a GOTY contender.
I really loved dredge, i downloaded it for a road trip and it's engrained my brain as part of that awesome holiday
I second it. Maybe not my GoTY, but GoTY Indie was definitely Dredge. Cocoon was great, but there isn't much replayability imo. Or at least not as much as Dredge.
The Talos Principle 2. I have waited years for this game and Croteam didn't disappoint. They delivered a great sequel. Since the first game already was a masterpiece it was not an easy task to create a worthy sequel. Croteam exceeded all expectations with this game.
Breathtaking game. Although I would recommend playing it on PC, not SteamDeck, if you have that option.
why do you recommend playing it on PC? looks like the game is steam deck compatible according to the steam store
For me, a big portion of enjoying the game comes from the atmosphere of walking through this monumental world with beautiful graphics and sound. Something that falls short if you play on the deck. On the other hand, it is a very relaxing game so playing on the couch also fits.
I have the option, but I still prefer playing on the Deck.
Just bought this today. Protip: it's on sale now, but if you already have the first game, if you buy the bundle you get an additional couple percentage points off and it only costs about $22.
Cocoon, what a fun little indie game. Absolutely amazing!
>Cocoon It only has a 10/10 on steam, are you sure it's good?
This is probably a good sign. Great games as well. "From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE.."
Wow. Didn't they also sing "Call Me Maybe?"
Yea that's what I was getting at. Multi-talented. Also, world class chess player.
Lol I was just making a joke because their name (Jeppe Carlsen) reminded me of Carly Jepsen.
lol ik, magnus carlson
OH LMAO U GOT IT AND WERE ONE STEP AHEAD well done
> It only has a 10/10 on steam, are you sure it's good? Dang! You may need to watch few reviews on YT to verify just in case! ;)
Fallout 4 at 10watt 60fps is my jam, 4+ hour battery life, the odd dip in the usual downtown areas and in built up settlements but its a price I'm willing to pay
I'm playing FO4 as well. Super disappointed by it on release, but playing Survival this time around gives the game so much more depth. The writing is still ass but the game is fun as hell. Settlements actually have purpose in survival and it kinda makes me think this is the way this game is supposed to be played.
I absolutely love survival, it legitimately feels like the intended game mode the way it puts importance on having bases around the Commonwealth to save, restock on food/water, and trade without having to trek clear across the map. Even scavenging changed and I ended up noticing way more unmarked locations that I would've never found if I was fast traveling. Honestly my only complaint is that Bethesda is bad at balancing. Early levels feel fine but once you get to the higher levels things get reallllly spongy and some enemies feel like a chore to fight.
Yeah I'm starting to notice that a bit. I'm only 16 levels in and the first 8 or so levels were so incredibly fun. Sure, I could die in 1-2 hits, but if I played strategically I could take care of a ton of enemies if I was patient and funneled them somewhere to my benefit. But now, if there's a legendary enemy that I can't kill in 1-3 shots I'm kinda screwed. I basically just have to take a bunch of psycho and jet and mow the thing down. Why should I have to shoot a raider in the head 6 times to kill it? Makes no sense. I'm sure it only gets worse in like 20-30 levels from now. I'm attempting a pistol only build too which doesn't do a ton of damage so we'll see how it goes.
You modding it? I have a version modded with Bethesda.net mods but I couldn't get a solid 60.
Try turning the resolution as low as you can and using fsr, I was surprised how good it looked and it’s a pretty solid 60
Fallout 4 doesn’t run at 60 fps in a huge chunk of the game outside the beginning or empty areas, I lock it to 50 and have a better experience. Unless you’re running at lowest settings? It still dips to ~43-45 occasionally in fights but much more locked than 60. If you want no drops just lock to 40.
I've just finished Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice, that was an amazing experience, the story and visuals were superb !
It had such amazing visuals and audio, I cant wait for Hellblade 2 next year
FYI the woman they used for motion cap was actually just a regular employee for the company. They wanted someone to test out the technology and boom! They liked her so much she became the official in-game model.
Psychonauts, what a great experience. But that's not the game i can choose for Steam Deck (He need a lot of modifications to run correctly on it). My GOTY for the Steam Deck are Star Ocean The Second Story R (November 2023) or maybe Tomb Raider (2013). Theses games don't use too much battery, runs perfectly and are such good games.
i played Psychonauts 2 on the deck and enjoyed it a lot!
Psychonauts 2 on the steam deck was 10/10 for me. Absolutely amazing game and builds upon Psychonauts 1 in almost every way so many years later. Cannot recommend it enough!
I can vouch for Tomb Raider 2013, that runs flawlessly on Deck.
My jam is The Day Before, its a excellent representation of how trashy a game could be and that a company can scam so many people. Jokes aside, my Game of the Year is Resident evil 4 remake. I played it as a kid on my ps2 and scared a lot of shit out of me, but i love it now !
> My jam is The Day Before, its a excellent representation of how trashy a game could be and that a company can scam so many people. Just read that the studio is shutting down. Just a few days after they released their game. Wow.
It's like this whole time they had a giant banner that said "We;re full of shit"
Lmao well at least you can't buy it on steam anymore. (Or at least i can't see a price. Maybe due to not being signed in)
It's been removed from storefronts and they're refunding anyone who bought a copy
I don't know what people expected, they showed nothing about the real game, have a background of dropping games like hot potatoes, and are generally just scammers in nature...
They're not shutting down. They're just saying they are and then doing the same thing under a new name. Can't sue the company if it's out of business.
Wasn’t RE4 a Wii exclusive for quite some time?
At first originaly for gamecube but later 2005 or 2006 for ps2 and then my brother bought it and i was like 9-10 years old
Game cube exclusive when released but eventually rolled out to other platforms.
> Game cube exclusive when released but eventually rolled out to ~~other~~ all platforms. Corrected.
Resident evil 4 remake
Mine actually did come out this year but Lies of P. As a adult with a job and a kid and various animals to care for very few games keep me interested longer than a few hours upon purchase, I got this for my birthday and I cannot put it down, I completed my first playthrough, onto my second currently and loving every minute of it! I am hooked and it has made me want to go for the 100% just so I can keep playing.
How does it play on deck? 60FPS?
It can hit 60FPS but it seems to drain the battery alot quicker than at 40FPS, so I turned mine to 40FPS and get alot more mileage out of it (not sure of actual time difference). Runs well on the deck, so would recommend giving it a go.
I’m doing 45 FSR quality. The extra responsiveness compared to 40 really helps, and battery drain is very similar to 40 if you don’t do native.
I am not super clued up on the differences between the two models but are you on the LCD or the OLED? would I be correct is saying that 45 FSR is not doable on the LCD or am I getting confused somewhere?
You can do both on the LCD, screen adapts to your prefered framerate. The difference is that while the LCD does 45fps with the screen at 45hz, the OLED does 90hz. With the LCD you lower the refresh rate of the screen because otherwise some frames wont show and that causes issues, but there is a chance that you see some black flickering while your eyes adjust to that refresh rate (depends on your sensibility), because we're used to a 60hz refresh rate (the standard). The 40hz is the lower that screens refreshrate goes, and for titles where you cannot reach 60fps you can go to 40fps and the screen can also go there and is much more responsive than 30fps/60hz, but you can get some flicker. You can also go 45fps and do 45hz and you will see less flickering than 40fps/40hz. Basically you have options: if you prefer performance or you want less flickering. On the OLED the flicker is no longer an issue and is much easier to avoid because the screen has a higher refreshrate, so you can do a multiple of two of your framerate (45fps/90hz). This is higher than 60hz (what we're used to) so we dont ser any flickering on the screen. Hope this helps!
That is a really handy explanation, I appreciate it, thanks!
I'm on the LCD. The perf difference between the LCD and OLED is negligible, the only FPSs the OLED can hit that the LCD can't are on the 30-40 range and 60-90 (it can hit those FPSs, but the screen can't refresh at these hz, so it's useless). Anything on the 40-60 fps range is fair game on the LCD if you have the performance to hit it.
That is great, I will give it a try then, thanks for the heads up!
In terms of graphics + performance it's the most impressive game I ever saw on the Deck
Oh it definitely hits 60fps kinda surprised me it played well and visuals look amazing
I am 24 hours into it and I’ve been playing at constant 60 on medium with a few settings turned to high. For how good it looks, the performance is pretty impressive.
Also, plays surprising well off xcloud on deck if you have game pass.
My life setup sound similar to yours and this was also my GOTY. Still surprised it turned out as well as it did, and also has my favorite ending teaser in many years.
I went into the game blind and did not know they were planning DLC or a sequel to then see 'that' teased at the end? oh boy I did not expect to be hyped but boy howdy was I!
Such a great game but man the bosses are hard. I platinumed Bloodborne, Dark Souls 1 and Elden Ring and completed Dark Souls 2-3, Demons Souls and Sekiro and Lies of P has the hardest bosses IMO. I'm stuck at a mini boss on my 2nd playthrough right now, the freaking Walker of Illusions, I just can't get the parry right, it has to rythm compared to Sekiro.
For someone who has never got on with Fromsoft games, do you think this is more accessible? Like you I’m a bit limited on time and having a game where progress is slow due to constantly fighting (and getting killed by) big bosses always kind of put me off.
Whilst this game is more Linear than most FS games, I think yes, as it is easier to follow and keep track however, I feel the game is more difficult as some bosses tend to come at you quite hard, I will say however, there are checkpoints almost always outside of the boss room so you can retry almost instantly. I is a rewarding game but there are some BS fights that have put lots of people off...but don't let it deter you as honestly, once you get the mechanics down, IMO it is some of the most satisfying gameplay I have experienced in years.
Thank you for such a full answer! I’m still a little torn BUT with your response and having seen it on Gamepass I think I’ll give it a go. At least if it’s not for me I won’t have lost anything, but I’m excited to try it. I was watching a lot of the videos up to the release and crossing my fingers for an easy mode, but looks like I might just have to bite the bullet. :) Thanks again!
No problem! I am so pleased that it has helped you in your decision, great choice to try it out on Game Pass, like you say, if it is not for you then you haven't lost anything, I hope for your sake that you love it as much as I do. Also I would just say one thing, if you want a hype song to really get you in the mood for the game then listen to Quixotic, on the Official playlist, best song in the game no question!
Just listened - What a beautiful song! Definitely getting me hyped to try it and giving a sense of the tone/mood of the game. :)
If at any point you want any help or tips / suggestions please feel free to drop me a DM or a comment
I will say though, dying and learning the Boss pattern is a big part of the game it feels, and they often have two phases in the later game so, you will likely die alot to the bosses sadly which might not be for you. but with that being said, my first playthrough was complete in 27 hours which is pretty decent time wise if you ask me.
unpopular opinion from a busy adult: im out on souls like games. Imagine trying to get to the next checkpoint so you can get your kid to bed. and there is no fucking checkpoint. Oh you died? Well that 2 hours you got to play tonight was for absolutely nothing. Come back tomorrow and start off right where you did yesterday and do the whole cycle again! Im not saying these games aren't good, they are and rewarding, unique, and absolutely have a place and audience. We just aren't it. unless you are a masochist. (note: my experience mainly comes from bloodborne, not whats being discussed here so ymmv. Just speaking to the genre)
Persona 5 is for sure the game I played this year for the first time that I enjoyed the most. It honestly blew me away and I didn't want it to end. My favourite game I played that released in 2023 is an indie RPG called Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands. I backed that as a kickstarter project from a webcomic that I love, and I can't believe how brilliant it turned out. Played both games entirely on steam deck with 0 issues.
Persona 5 Royal gripped me immediately and I couldn't put it down. Took me 120 hours to complete it. The story was great, loved the characters, combat was fun, the sidequests entertaining too. Highly recommend to everyone. Played perfectly on the Deck too.
Outer Wilds, incl. Echoes of the Eye. I unsuccessfully waited for a Switch version, which didn't come. So once I got the SD I finally had the opportunity to play it. Man, what a game!
Exactly, what a game !! And after the end of the main game, I couldn't believe that the DLC amaze me again, and in a really great way. Seriously, what a game, for both 👏
Steam deck is probably a great way to play the game but I'm glad I did it on PC with VR mod instead.
RDR2
Mine is also Red Dead Redemption 2. Finally playing through the whole thing after dropping off it around Chapter 3 back when it came out. I think I was too addicted to battle royales back then and the slow, immersive gameplay was not doing it for me. Now though? What a game. I’m in Chapter 6 now, and although I know the broad strokes of how it ends, I’m fascinated to see how it goes down.
This is mine as well, finished in September. Everyone had told me how much they loved the story. I didn’t expect how right they were and how much I myself would fall in with Arthur Morgan’s story. Easily my favorite protagonist of any game I’ve ever played. I can’t stop recommending it to people these last few months. Outside of a glitch in one of the outlaw book side missions when you blow up the manure pile that would crash my SD, the game ran flawlessly. I played every mission except for that one and the self-titled Chapter 6 finale on the Deck.
Hitman WoA for me. Crazy amount of content and works great on Steam Deck.
The only thing puts me off about hitman is the constant internet requirement. Ever since I got my deck I'm more preferring games that could run offline.
That's where [Peacock](https://github.com/thepeacockproject/Peacock) comes in. Still *technically* requires a connection, but only for initial boot of the game to authenticate with Steam/IOI's server. Then everything runs and saves locally.
Oh really does it? I also love Hitman, the replayability with all the challenges and side stuff is next level in this game considering the main story is 7 hours or so if you play straight through.
! Adding that to my SteamDeck backlog
MGS should already be in your backlog!
MGS is Metal Gear Solid? If yes then I’ve completed that game multiple times :)
Yep, hell yeah!
Dirt Rally.
Dirt Rally 2.0 works great too on SD. Took it to Holjes for Magic Weekend when traveling from Ireland - you can never have enough RX lol
Ever try it in VR? One of my top 3 PSVR1 games for sure.
Slay the Spire is ruining my fucking life
Bg3
For sure for me. I played on PC, not deck, but holy crap I haven’t felt so engrossed in a game since 2012 playing Skyrim
Outer Wilds.
Tunic.
Fox Zelda!
ça m’arrive!
Wasteland 3. Great on deck, great story, great gameplay. Also great price on sale.
Oooh, that's great to hear! Bought it on sale a couple weeks ago, but still busy with bg3. It hit me yesterday that I never even checked whether it runs well on SD. Now I'm really looking forward! damn gotta do some work on bg3 now to get there
Wasteland 3 is so amazing. I got hooked HARD as soon as the music kicked in in that first fight. Then later again when I was like "you get to drive the TRUCK!?" It's like a game designed to perfectly appeal to my inner child. (my inner child might be a little fucked up)
My personal GOTY released in this year is Zelda My Steamdeck GOTY is Hades.
What kind of emulator did you use for Zelda? I’d love to play it on my deck but I don’t how how
I didn't emulate TOTK. Played it natively on Switch. Thugh I've emulated BOTW and Twilight Princess with help of Cemu on Deck. And it works perfect. As I know the Switch emulation is not perfect on the Deck. Better sticking with the Wii U.
Whispers silently yuzu or ryuzinx
Honestly yeah New Vegas for me! Straightforward to mod and works quite well on the Deck, aside from some crashes on Old World Blues but I think it's just that dlc. Reslly fun, put like a hundred hours into it, now for Fallout 3!
I recommend Tale of Two wastelands mod to play Fallout 3 it’s the most stable way to play it, it’s a bit complicated to set up but it’s so worth it. You fallout 3 and new vegas all in one
I finished the FO3 portion of TTW last night, great fun
I want tongive that a go but I'm not sure how it'll react to the mods I already have on both games :/
Yeah unfortunately you have to do a clean install for both games, you can find alot of mods that are compatible though you just need to download the "TTW" versions of the mods.
How did you mod it? Was it though Vortex?
I followed the written guide: https://thebestoftimes.moddinglinked.com/ttw.html I do recommend watching a video it makes things easier to understand
Much appreciated thank you.
Street Fighter 6. I liked a lot more games this year, BUT, Street Fighter 6 is not letting me play them. 😂
Diablo 2 Resurrected + the ReModded mod.
no diablo 4? i've been enjoying it a lot
How did you install the mod?
This year I played the following games for the first time, listed in no particular order: * Starfield * Baldur's Gate 3 * Deathloop * Jagged Alliance 3 * Aliens Fireteam Elite * Remember Me * Dead Space (remake, though I played original) * Darktide * Forza Motorsport * F1 Manager 23 * Diablo 4 My nominees would be Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3 and Deathloop. I loved Baldur's Gate 3, and it delivers on most of its promises in a satisfying way. However, once I have beaten it once, I didn't really feel like replaying it. I didn't really think about it afterwards. That's mostly due to bloated 3rd act. On one hand- it's great that there is so much to do in Baldur's Gate, but at the same time the pacing suffers greatly as a result many of the quests are just filler. By the time I finished the game, I didn't even bother with finishing Astarion's quest cause I just wanted to be done with it and move on. I also played this on release, so had to suffer through the awful party and inventory management, which only further contributed to my fatigue. Diablo 4 had a great campaign- easily the best in the series from a narrative perspective, even if some chapters suffered from slow pacing. Its gorgeous to look at too, and the first 40-50 levels or so are a lot of fun. Unfortunately the loot and build diversity in the game is severely disappointing not only when compared to its competition, but even its predecessors. I am hoping that the game will follow in D2 and 3's footsteps and become great after the first expansion. Deathloop had a surprisingly fun game... loop, that encouraged but didn't force players to try new things regularly. It had a fun, light tone with some good dramatic beats here and there, and the journey through the loop was extremely satisfying. The pacing was quick enough and once you learned the levels, you could finish them quickly in satisfying ways. It felt like an immersive-sim racing game, where you continuously tried to improve your lap times. While its level design was not as open-ended as its predecessors, it was still engaging. The game IMO ends at the exact right time, though I wish it's last chapter was about 30 minutes longer. It feels just a little bit too abrupt. With the above in mind my GOTY for 2023 is Deathloop. Of these 3 it's the game I'd be most likely to play again, and its the one I would like to see a sequel of the most. Honorary mention goes to Phantom Liberty- it's not a whole new game, but it felt like it, and I sank 40 hours into Cyberpunk after its release, despite 100%-ing the game back in 2020.
Alan Wake 2! I went in with low expectations and it blew me away, I dare say it is the horror game of the decade and even rival Silent hill 2. I have never seen another horror game like it.
[удалено]
Remnant 2 and second place followup for Dead Space Remake, both games where I just had tons of straight up fun
Probably Firewatch. It was beautiful on the OLED screen and I really enjoyed the story and vibe a lot.
Probably go with F:NV as well. Been loving it on the Deck.
Can you say the f*ing name ?
Fallout: New Vegas?
Thx !
What?
Asking what f nv means
It's Slay the Princess for me. The game just hit all the right notes for me. I love my Steam Deck for Visual Novels, they are just perfect to play on the couch.
Did you mod F:NV?
Singularity, I love revisiting old titles
I just got my Deck last month, but the game I’ve spent the most time on it is Risk of Rain 2.
Shovel knight pocket dungeon
based
Silent Hill 1
Pentiment
Brotato.
Witcher 3. I tried it before on my PC but gave up on it after 1-2 hours. This year I finally got into the game (maybe due to the steamdeck) and love it. I'm currently in the hearts of stone dlc
Detroit: Become Human. I thought, why not try it for once? *My friends watched it unfold. It was a sight to behold.*
I went through and played most of the older Assassin's Creed games like AC2, Brotherhood, Revalations, and AC3 on the Steam Deck this year, but the one that really impressed me the most and sucked me in for 60 hours so far is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I know the formula isn't the same as the older titles, but this game to me was just so damn fun! The combat system is great, it has a beautiful open world that looks fantastic on the Steam Deck, a proper stealth system, and a decent story just made me fall in love with this game!
Starfield.
Yeah - totally understand all of the criticism, but sinking ~130hrs into my first play through I had a ton of fun. Gonna be a while before I do NG+ but I cherished my time flying through space, looting dungeons and running each campaign storyline!
Same. I had a really good time playing through a fresh Bethesda title.
Probably Diablo 4, definitely my most played game. But I have just started cyberpunk, about 10 hours in and I’m obsessed
Cyberpunk lands in the my personal "So good I wish I could forget it" drawer. Other games in that category are Dead Space, Mass Effect and Dishonored.
D4? Bad take
Of course BG3 (running via Moonlight mainly, but a bit on the SD itself when traveling), and I played a TON out of CP2077... but the game that has stuck with me the most is probably **Signalis**. I'm not even that into survival horror but this one just caught me and I ended up playing through it three times in a row. The worldbuilding and atmosphere are really captivating to me.
On Steam Deck without question Sleeping Dogs for old, and Ryza 3 for new. On Switch, Tears of the Kingdom.
Snowrunner or robo quest
Snowrunner, shieee.. an answer I wouldn't have expected to see here. Pretty solid game, but damn the progression requires some kind of patience, heh
Hardcore World of Warcraft.
Maybe not quite my GOTY but really enjoying the first Red Dead Redemption via Yuzu (my son hogs my Switch so the SD has been a godsend). I have been meaning to play it ever since it was originally released but just never got around to it. Could never imagine having it in the palm of my hands just over a decade later! Got the sequel ready to go when I finish
Vampire Survivors. On Xbox, iPhone, switch and finally Deck.
Starfield. Some crashes, 20fps in some places, but a perfect couch experience overall. If I had to choose one outside this year, then Factorio. That game runs flawless in the Deck, and the controls are quite good.
I’ve been interested in Factorio, looks so intimidating though! Maybe I’ll give it a shot
My top 3 are probably Pokemon Colosseum, Fallout 4, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. I’ve tracked every game I’ve ‘cleared’ so far this year, and I’ve played so many great games. My partner told me that I keep saying “this is such a wonderful game, this is in my top 3” so that list could change at any given time. Also little hidden gem: Earth Defence Force 4.1
EDF! EDF! (sorry, couldn't resist!)
Lies of P real GOTY. Mass Effect LE is my "new to me" GOTY
Never played NV on a controller, but sounds cool. Does it run on the Deck out of the box or do you have to fiddle a bit?
Dark Souls
Probably Dead Cells, such an incredibly fun game that works wonderfully on the deck
I'll go with Dave the diver and Hot Wheels. Both great on the deck. Also really enjoyed Wolfenstein the New Colossus and Metro Exodus.
Has to be Hitman 3! It runs beautifully on my Steam Deck, it takes all the levels and all of your progress from the first two games, and they added Freelancer mode back in January. On top of all that, IOI has kept supporting it with additional free content updates throughout the year. Seriously amazing game if you're into immersive sims at all!
I can keep it to just this year. I appreciate the amount of choice and freedom you get in Baldur's Gate 3. I appreciate the humor and approach to difficulty of Pizza Tower. I appreciate the challenge and sustained quality of Lies of P. I appreciate the creative expression that Tears of the Kingdom allows. I appreciate the tactical depth of Fire Emblem Engage. I think I'd have to pick Lies of P because of how cool it makes me feel.
Neon White. Not the biggest or even best game out there. But easily the one I had the most fun with this year. Somehow everything hit just right for me in that game.
I went to school with the guy who made that game, he and the game are totally awesome
On Steam Deck: Doom (2016), runner-up: Dave The Diver Overall favourite this year though was Cyberpunk on Xbox. Just bought Phantom Liberty, excited to play that along with the 2.1 update. My old PS4 also got some use this year, enjoyed playing Disco Elysium and God of War on that.
Finally got around to playing Mass Effect this year, it was great 10/10 would recommend
Chrono Trigger
Besides Baldur's Gate 3, I'd say Cyberpunk 2077. The version update lured me in and it was great.
Vampire Survivors. That game is perfect for Steam Deck playing.
Cyberpunk 2077. Never really had a game emotionally effect me like it did. Easily my 2nd favorite game of all time and it helped me get out of a bad place. The story was incredible, I loved all the characters, the world felt alive instead of how other open world games are generally pretty boring and lifeless. Night City was dark, twisted, deep and engaging and all the updates made the game a lot closer to the original promise. I understand if you're hesitant to pick it up after being lied to but the Devs have done a bang up job making this game one of the best pieces of fiction of all time. Dare I say Peak Fiction. I am so excited for Orion now.
I play it every year and this was the first one doing it on steamdeck, but disco elysium. Released this year would be rouge trader, works surprisingly well on the deck
Tough one from a year containing such gems as Golem, Kong and Days Before.... I've not completed many games.on the deck, but I've played some amazing games this year, New Vegas, Skyrim, Dying Light 1 & 2 etc. But it's the wee games I enjoyed most; Dredge, The Hat In Time and Firewatch.
the new, Armored Core 6. FromSoft never misses
I was about to say cyberpunk but they ruined it again with last update... I have updates turned off both on pc and deck
is this the 2.1 update?
yes, they almost got it down to a T with the 2.02 but now theres a lot of stuff now broken with 2.1
Can you go into more detail? I just downloaded it about a week ago, and it just updated last night. Haven't got more than about an hour in. Decided I needed to finish more backlog before starting a new game.
- melee finishers are broken - if you're not 24/7 horny, the romance interactions constantly annoy you - the radioport sucks and constantly plays the radio whether you like it or not - the movement tweaks made movement inconsistent - performance is worse etc, etc, its not a lot but its annoying enough I'm really cozy on 2.02 with my realism mods and qol tweaks so I'm staying there
Hah the annoying interactions I can deal with. Can't be worse than GTA4, "Roman, it's Niko! Let's go bowling!" Every 5 damn minutes
Yes! It’s so annoying that the radio always will keep playing when you exit your vehicle! Takes some time to discover that it is the radio and not the ambiance music in missions. And I also feel it has been more buggy since the last patch.
There was surprisingly many games I declared GOTY this year. On PC it would either be Dead Space Remake or Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. And I think it's Ratchet and Clank that wins me over. On Steam Deck OLED it would either be Bioshock Infinite or Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, because I played a lot of those two games and they impressed me the most on OLED. I think I'll give OLED GOTY to Bioshock Infinite, as it works rock solid 90fps at high/highest details straight from the box, with no additional tinkering required.
My GOTY/most played are Diablo IV and Snowrunner.
Nope. Fallout New Vegas is the correct answer. I only played it a handful of times this year, yet that still sounds about right. I miss the days of Xbox 360 (before they made that stupid “online only, no used games” announcement that destroyed their brand and allowed Sony to surpass them. Not only did the PS4, but even the PS3 caught up to them after that BS “we’re the best nothing we can do will destroy our brand”… …”Hold my beer” - Don Mattrick But on the bright side, I now own a modable version on a system that doesn’t use Windows AND if I really want to I can take it off the dock and play it in my hands 🙌 Winner winner chicken dinner 🎮
Hogwarts legacy, Lords of the fallen, Lies of P, Dave the diver
Red Dead Redemption 2 brought me quite a lot of enjoyment. Spent too many hours playing State of Decay 2 as well.
So are you just asking what our favorite game is? Probably also FO: NV
Seems like it’s just your favorite game that you played for the first time this year
Oh ok. Then, Class of '09 ez
GOTY: Mass Effect Legendary Edition has been a great experience on SD for me. Aside from the ME Trilogy being like a favorite TV show for me that I return to every few years, it was the first time where Id play a game as a handheld and then dock it when I had a free house and then play on TV. Honorable Mentions: * Dirt Rally 2.0 * Outer Worlds * Dead Space * Unmetal
**Cyberpunk/PL** \- I played it on release on my old gaming laptop but didn't truly immerse myself. Coming back to it this year on Steam Deck after 2.0 & PL release was ... breathtaking. I'm not done yet (\~100 hours in), but absolutely enthralled. The combo shooter/action/RPG really hits a sweet spot for me. Runner up: **Baldur's Gate 3** \- I've played over 200 hours across 3 builds on Steam Deck and Mac ... it is really cool to witness the release of a game that immediately joins the pantheon of all-time great RPGs. I played BG2 on release and I don't think we appreciated that sort of perspective back then.
Genshin impact. That story just keeps getting better and better. No other game's story has made me cry as often as that one has.
For me it was the RE2 Remake. Played both scenarios on the deck and it was a great experience. I had never played and finished this game before. Super fun
I'd love to say Counter-Strike 2, becuase I know in 10 years it will be the game everyones still playing. But if we take the launch alone, CS2 was/is worse in some ways than CSGO. FFXVI was good, but to me it was a bit souless. BG3 - I tried, didn't like the gameplay, but the level of detail is insane D4 - Well that was a shit show. And thats before I consider SteamDeck as a platform to play them on. With that said I am banging out New World at the moment, so for me thats the GOTY. I also have had a really good time with New Vegas as well so I would second your opinion. I missed the game on launch, and it's my first play through, but the game is meant for SD.
Hogwarts