So, it's a new year and that means a bunch of new games to look
forward to. Or is it? Here's a partial list of some of the big-name
games coming out to PC in the coming year (supposedly, development
schedules being what they are. Do any of these excite you? Which, if
any, do you think well make their way into your video game library?

007 First Light
Control Resonant
Forza Horizon 6
Gears of War: E-Day
Grand Theft Auto 6
Halo: Campaign Evolved
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Marathon
Resident Evil Requiem
Replaced
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis



The only one I'm absolutely sure I'll get is "Star Wars: Galactic
Racer". Not because I have any real interest in it (it's basically a
remake of the 1999 Pod Racer game, which I don't have any real
nostalgia for) but because I inevitably buy any and all Star Wars
titles. It's just something I do.

Of course, I'll have to keep my eye on GTA6, but even there the draw
isn't quite what it was for earlier titles in the franchise, and
Rockstar's addiction to online live-service style gaming makes me very
nervous about the direction this game will be going. I figure I'll
eventually pick this one up... but likely not in 2026.

Other than that... maybe "Control Resonant"? I enjoyed the Alan Wake
and original Control game, so the setting is appealing... but
expanding it into yet-another-open-world game doesn't thrill me. But
if its good, maybe?

That's not to say I'd turn my nose up at some of the others on the
list. I perked up at "Halo", if only to see how badly they mangle the
next iteration of that franchise. "Tomb Raider" is very hit or miss;
nothing I've heard about "Marathon" sounds interesting, but surely
they couldn't mess up a franchise THAT terribly? It's all very
conditional whether or not I have any interest in any of these games.
None of them are on my 'must get' list... at least not yet. They'll
have to work to deserve that privilege.


Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:19:37 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

So, it's a new year and that means a bunch of new games to look
forward to. Or is it? Here's a partial list of some of the big-name
games coming out to PC in the coming year (supposedly, development
schedules being what they are. Do any of these excite you? Which, if
any, do you think well make their way into your video game library?

007 First Light
Control Resonant
Forza Horizon 6
Gears of War: E-Day
Grand Theft Auto 6
Halo: Campaign Evolved
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Marathon
Resident Evil Requiem
Replaced
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

The only one I'm absolutely sure I'll get is "Star Wars: Galactic
Racer". Not because I have any real interest in it (it's basically a
remake of the 1999 Pod Racer game, which I don't have any real
nostalgia for) but because I inevitably buy any and all Star Wars
titles. It's just something I do.

Of course, I'll have to keep my eye on GTA6, but even there the draw
isn't quite what it was for earlier titles in the franchise, and
Rockstar's addiction to online live-service style gaming makes me very >nervous about the direction this game will be going. I figure I'll
eventually pick this one up... but likely not in 2026.

Other than that... maybe "Control Resonant"? I enjoyed the Alan Wake
and original Control game, so the setting is appealing... but
expanding it into yet-another-open-world game doesn't thrill me. But
if its good, maybe?

That's not to say I'd turn my nose up at some of the others on the
list. I perked up at "Halo", if only to see how badly they mangle the
next iteration of that franchise. "Tomb Raider" is very hit or miss;
nothing I've heard about "Marathon" sounds interesting, but surely
they couldn't mess up a franchise THAT terribly? It's all very
conditional whether or not I have any interest in any of these games.
None of them are on my 'must get' list... at least not yet. They'll
have to work to deserve that privilege.

Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?

*--

Forza Horizon for sure and maybe another Resident Evil. Not sure
about most of those but I don't think so. Oh - probably interested in
SW Galactic Racer maybe. I haven't looked any of them up though.

-pw

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 1/6/2026 12:19 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Control Resonant

Loved Control, open world not so much. It's one I'm keeping an eye on
in any case.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Sigh. I was a bit disappointed in 5. It's hard to explain why, but it
mostly comes down to gearing the game toward online play which is
horribly unbalanced and sucks and mtx, It's actually worse than Ultima
Online which is quite a feat, and either grind (mtx?) or using
exploits/cheats (not possible on xbox where I played it) to get much
money which felt like it was sucking the fun out of the game in single player, and just being too large. I never completed single player. I
like some of the characters, and over the top stuff, and the races were
fun. I won't be buying 6 and will just hope Epic decides to give it
away in a few years if I'm still around like they did with 5.

_____

Duskbloods (Fromsoft of Souls fame) is supposed to be out this year on
the Nintendo Switch 2. Bold to do a game that doesn't work on Switch 1,
but I'm assuming Nintendo is paying through the nose for the exclusive.

It's a vampire themed game that might appeal to those who loved
Bloodborne. It sounds like it's going to be similar to Nightreign a
timed extraction game, which I hate.

We ended up with a Switch 2 for Christmas, and I'm sure my son will buy
it so I'll try it. Maybe he'll play it with me if it's got local co-op.
That's not Fromsoft's style so I doubt it will.

There's nothing else I know of that I'm interested in.

--
-Justisaur

?-?
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
?ª'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:15:52 -0700, PW <noneused@noneused.net> wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:19:37 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson ><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

007 First Light
Control Resonant
Forza Horizon 6
Gears of War: E-Day
Grand Theft Auto 6
Halo: Campaign Evolved
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Marathon
Resident Evil Requiem
Replaced
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?

Forza Horizon for sure and maybe another Resident Evil. Not sure
about most of those but I don't think so. Oh - probably interested in
SW Galactic Racer maybe. I haven't looked any of them up though.

I still have to start playing Forza Horizon 4! It's one of those games
I've downloaded/installed several times in expectation of my playing
it, only to delete it a few months later because I /didn't/ end up
playing it and needed to free up the space. Repeat process as
necessary. The last Forza Horizon I actually put any time into was
Forza Horizon 2 on the XBox360. So I've a while before I get to the
sixth game. ;-)

The "Resident Evil" games are a series I keep trying to get into, but
never end up enjoying. From the start, I disliked these games. I
remember playing the first game on PC and hating its fixed camera
angles, awful voice-acting, and clunky controls. "Resident Evil 4" I
despised because of its quick-time events. 5 and 6 were bearable
(having finally given up on the fixed camera angles, thank god!) but
dull. 7 was good... but just a bit too creepy for me to enjoy (and the
story was still so abysmally stupid). I haven't even bothered with
Village yet.

Odds are I'll eventually get Requiem (just because, you know, that's
what I do), and even try playing it... but I doubt I'll enjoy it
anymore than the rest. It's a series I _should_ love (who doesn't like
killing zombies?) but for whatever reason it never works out. But I
keep trying.




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 07:39:33 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

Loved Control, open world not so much. It's one I'm keeping an eye on
in any case.

The biggest worry I have is that Remedy will sign another deal with
Epic and make it an exclusive to EGS, like they did with Alan Wake 2.
Seeing as "FBC: Firebreak" was on Steam, that's not a certainty... but
it is a concern.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Sigh. I was a bit disappointed in 5. It's hard to explain why, but it >mostly comes down to gearing the game toward online play which is
horribly unbalanced and sucks and mtx, It's actually worse than Ultima >Online which is quite a feat, and either grind (mtx?) or using >exploits/cheats (not possible on xbox where I played it) to get much
money which felt like it was sucking the fun out of the game in single >player, and just being too large. I never completed single player. I
like some of the characters, and over the top stuff, and the races were
fun. I won't be buying 6 and will just hope Epic decides to give it
away in a few years if I'm still around like they did with 5.

I never bothered with GTA5's online. I played some of GTA4, so it's
not that I'm against the idea, but from the start Rockstar started
selling 'money cards' and the concept was so abhorrent that I just
avoided the multiplayer entirely. Everything I've seen about the game
since made me conclude I made the right choice. If people like it,
that's fine, but that sort of gameplay just isn't for me.

With GTA6 I'm more interested in the single-player. Or rather, less
the single-player than the world-design. Rockstar has put so much
effort and detail into their world design, and I love exploring the
giant map just to revel in all the gritty additions they've hidden
everywhere. But the gameplay and narrative in 5 were much less
engaging than with their previous games.

Honestly, I'm not sure how well the typical storyline of a GTA game
would even work nowadays. Traditionally, they've been satirical takes
on modern culture and all its weirdness and foibles. But given the
current timeline, I don't think that sort of satire would be well
received. After all, we live in an era that's weirder and more awful
than anything Rockstar has ever postulated.



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 1/7/2026 8:33 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 07:39:33 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

Loved Control, open world not so much. It's one I'm keeping an eye on
in any case.

The biggest worry I have is that Remedy will sign another deal with
Epic and make it an exclusive to EGS, like they did with Alan Wake 2.
Seeing as "FBC: Firebreak" was on Steam, that's not a certainty... but
it is a concern.

Hmm 2+ years and it's not on Steam yet. I don't have a problem buying
from Epic, at least I don't need to go buy a $600 Console to play it
like with sony, nintendo and xbox exclusives. Besides they'll probably
give it away eventually. It's down to $15 on sale right now.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Sigh. I was a bit disappointed in 5. It's hard to explain why, but it
mostly comes down to gearing the game toward online play which is
horribly unbalanced and sucks and mtx, It's actually worse than Ultima
Online which is quite a feat, and either grind (mtx?) or using
exploits/cheats (not possible on xbox where I played it) to get much
money which felt like it was sucking the fun out of the game in single
player, and just being too large. I never completed single player. I
like some of the characters, and over the top stuff, and the races were
fun. I won't be buying 6 and will just hope Epic decides to give it
away in a few years if I'm still around like they did with 5.

I never bothered with GTA5's online. I played some of GTA4, so it's
not that I'm against the idea, but from the start Rockstar started
selling 'money cards' and the concept was so abhorrent that I just
avoided the multiplayer entirely. Everything I've seen about the game
since made me conclude I made the right choice. If people like it,
that's fine, but that sort of gameplay just isn't for me.

With GTA6 I'm more interested in the single-player. Or rather, less
the single-player than the world-design. Rockstar has put so much
effort and detail into their world design, and I love exploring the
giant map just to revel in all the gritty additions they've hidden everywhere. But the gameplay and narrative in 5 were much less
engaging than with their previous games.

Honestly, I'm not sure how well the typical storyline of a GTA game
would even work nowadays. Traditionally, they've been satirical takes
on modern culture and all its weirdness and foibles. But given the
current timeline, I don't think that sort of satire would be well
received. After all, we live in an era that's weirder and more awful
than anything Rockstar has ever postulated.

We're definitely beyond anything GTA, and most of Saints Row. We're not
quite to Saint's row 4 levels of insanity. Although you do play the
criminal president, but he doesn't have superpowers and we don't have
aliens invading or are in literal hell (which frankly seems better from
their depiction...) yet.

It doesn't seem particularly fun at the moment.

--
-Justisaur

?-?
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
?ª'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 13:35:34 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 1/7/2026 8:33 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 07:39:33 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

Loved Control, open world not so much. It's one I'm keeping an eye on
in any case.

The biggest worry I have is that Remedy will sign another deal with
Epic and make it an exclusive to EGS, like they did with Alan Wake 2.
Seeing as "FBC: Firebreak" was on Steam, that's not a certainty... but
it is a concern.

Hmm 2+ years and it's not on Steam yet.

This is because if you release a shit game on Steam, your ratings make
or break your career. Therefore it was unwise to release a woke
walking simulator like Alan Wake 2 on Steam.

The cost of refund processing would outweigh the profits for the game.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?

From your list, that 007 prequel game and GTA6 are maybees. Wait and see
as usual.

I have hopes for these but they're not confirmed for 2026:
- Exodus, maybe kinda Mass Effect like?
- Expanse: Osiris Reborn. Liked the books, liked the TV show less but
might be good.
- Aphelion.
- Mass Effect 5.

Oh, and Fallout: London is getting a DLC! So likely that. Although
apparently their patching made old saves incompatible. I kinda do want
to play the beginning of Fallout: London again but don't really want to
slog through all of it. I suppose there's some character editor I can
use to level up if needed or share someone's save...


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Rin Stowleigh <nospam@nowhere.com> looked up from reading the entrails
of the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 13:35:34 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 1/7/2026 8:33 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 07:39:33 -0800, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

Loved Control, open world not so much. It's one I'm keeping an eye on >>>> in any case.

The biggest worry I have is that Remedy will sign another deal with
Epic and make it an exclusive to EGS, like they did with Alan Wake 2.
Seeing as "FBC: Firebreak" was on Steam, that's not a certainty... but
it is a concern.

Hmm 2+ years and it's not on Steam yet.

This is because if you release a shit game on Steam, your ratings make
or break your career. Therefore it was unwise to release a woke
walking simulator like Alan Wake 2 on Steam.

Wouldn't that be Alan Woke?

Xocyll
--
I don't particularly want you to FOAD, myself. You'll be more of
a cautionary example if you'll FO And Get Chronically, Incurably,
Painfully, Progressively, Expensively, Debilitatingly Ill. So
FOAGCIPPEDI. -- Mike Andrews responding to an idiot in asr

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 1/6/26 21:19, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?

Ace Combat 8 is the only game I am excited for this year so far.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 17 Jan 2026 02:36:01 +0000, Tizenhat <16@tizenhat.hu> wrote:

On 1/6/26 21:19, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Any upcoming games I've missed that you think deserve mention? Which
games are on your radar?

Ace Combat 8 is the only game I am excited for this year so far.

Oh, I didn't see that one coming out in 2026. Or perhaps I did and I
just assumed it was console-only (even though the series has been
available on PC since... Ace Combat 5, I think?). It currently has a
release date of only 'sometime in 2026', but so did a lot of the games
on the original list, so it should have been included.

The "Ace Combat" games are a franchise I've never quite warmed up to.
That's probably because I started with 'real' flight sims, and by the
time I encountered the Ace Combat series I found them too arcadey for
my taste. I think the first one I played completely was Assault
Horizon, which I came by way of by playing Ubisoft's HAWX game first.
But between the planes carrying literally dozens (maybe hundreds?) of
missiles and the silly storyline, I didn't enjoy it much.

Since then, I've tried other games in the franchise and while I've
come to appreciate them more --'they're not flight sims, they're
arcade games,' I tell myself-- the games have never been anything I've
gotten excited about. Although I'll be the first to admit they are
quite /pretty/ games, and that's the main reason I keep buying them.
The plane models and terrain are convincing and gorgeous (and I don't
need to run a 50-step start-up procedure to get into the air to
experience that beauty either!).

So I get the appeal of these games... even if I don't feel it myself.




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)