Now that there's some classic video game physics shenanigans

Too bad there are no cars you can drive onto the bridge

When I was a kid, I really liked Modern Warfare 2 and 3. They just have great gamefeel, the maps and movement options feel like they combine well to make all sorts of different strategies work. The progression feels great too, using all sorts of different weapons to unlock their various upgrades and experiment with how they affect your approach to different situations, etc.

I only stopped playing these games back in the day because the playerbase moved on to the newer games and the proportion of cheaters left in the remaining playerbase was too high. So I haven't called a duty in a long time, but recently I picked up MW2 & 3 through IW4x and plutonium respectively, and even today, with just a few weirdos like myself who want to play these games with functioning anticheat, I still feel like these games are great.

Last time I saw a "modern" call of duty game (though keep in mind what I think of as modern call of duty is probably like a decade old) it was all about super high speed movement tech, which also seems to be what other popular arcadey shooters are about these days too. I've never been very good at that sort of gameplay.

Then there's the other side of shooters, the super tactical "esport" kind like Counter-Strike or Valorant. I'm about 20 years too late to start getting good enough at those to have fun with them. I'm glad people like them, but they're not for me lol

Are there any shooters left that sit in this sort of middle ground? Not crazy fast paced, not super slow and tactical, but just a versatile and simple arcadey pew pew?

https://summereternal.com/anthology

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-former-disco-elysium-devs-of-summer-eternal-announce-their-new-game-red-rooster-in-the-form-of-a-book

Looks like top management has completely given up on gaming following the disastrous acquisitions of Activision and Zenimax.

They've killed their first party studios, their hardware and now their last remaining thing which was the game pass.

Always remember, Fitgirl is free.

I'm a certified small color gets big enjoyer, and I'm tired of pretending I'm not.

Lately I keep seeing comments like:

“It’s just virtue signaling devs whining.”

“Saudi Arabia isn’t open-minded, so at least games will finally be more neutral, without ideologies shoved down our throats.”

"They also have big stakes in nintendo, activiosn, capcom and nothing changed"

Let me be clear: if BioWare actually goes “neutral tone,” Dragon Age and Mass Effect stop being Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

also, Nindendo's franchises (Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, Smash), Capcom's (Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter) and Activision Blizzard's games (Call of Duty) don’t touch LGBTQ+ themes or social commentary in the first place. There’s nothing “controversial” to censor..”

So of course nothing obvious changed, those publishers already weren’t leaning into progressive storytelling.

These games have always been political

Mass Effect: Entire arcs are about systemic prejudice (krogan genophage, geth/quarians, council xenophobia). Shepard is literally trying to unite clashing civilizations. Romances — including queer ones — aren’t optional fluff; they’re woven into the emotional heart of the trilogy.

Dragon Age: Mages vs. templars = authoritarian religion vs. oppressed class. The Dalish = displaced, colonized people. Party members like Dorian (gay), Krem (trans), Zevran, Leliana, Anders, etc. embody themes of identity and resistance.

This isn’t “virtue signaling.” It’s core BioWare storytelling. If you remove the politics, you’re left with generic swords and lasers.

🛑 “Neutral” ≠ neutral

“Neutral tone” under authoritarian or ultra-conservative ownership doesn’t mean “fun escapism.” It means stripping out diversity, sanitizing themes, and avoiding messy questions.

The result? Games that look AAA but feel hollow — worlds without queerness, without marginalized voices, without allegories that hit close to home. That’s not Dragon Age. That’s not Mass Effect.

Why this matters now:

People point to PIF’s investments in Nintendo, Capcom, Activision and say “nothing changed.” True, but those companies weren’t pushing queer or political themes in the first place. BioWare is different. Its brand identity is built on exactly the kind of representation that makes authoritarian investors squirm.

David Gaider (lead writer on Dragon Age) already said it bluntly: guns and football are safe, queer content is not. If EA’s new owners steer BioWare toward “neutral,” it won’t just be censorship., it’ll be the death of the very thing that made these games beloved.

TL;DR

If you’re saying “good, make games neutral again,” you’re really saying:

“Make Dragon Age not feel like Dragon Age.”

“Make Mass Effect not feel like Mass Effect.”

These games have always been about politics, identity, queerness, and resistance. If you want them stripped down to “apolitical escapism,” you might as well play something else.