So I’m currently playing through Hollow Knight, and two months ago I played through (and loved) Ori and the Blind Forest.
Two Metroidvanias inside two months. Okay I hear you ask, what of it?
Well, those are the first Metroidvanias (or 'Search Action games, for those in the know) that I’ve ever really played for longer than ten minutes. To say I bounce off those sorts of games would be an understatement.
So, as you’ve gotten older, have you noticed that your tastes in games has evolved in any meaningful way?
When I was in high school and college, I enjoyed games that had a slower burn, like MMOs and JRPGs. I didn’t mind grinding as long as I had friends to talk to or something interesting on in the background. I also didn’t have much money to spend on games, so I was mostly F2P or using roms and emulators.
Now, I’m working full time and have a lot more responsibilities in my home life. These days I prefer games that I can jump right into and get a lot of fun/excitement out of with minimal setup or grinding, big bonus points if I can just pause or stop the game at the drop of a hat when my family needs me. I’m budgeting in an allowance for games now too, so I have access to a much wider range of games than I used to.