EsteeBestee's recent activity
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Comment on The 2025 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs Dec 18 - Jan 5) in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI booted up Destiny 2: Renegades late last week. I honestly didn’t plan on playing it at all, but two of my friends needed a third for the dungeon, so I decided to login and level up…. And I had a...I booted up Destiny 2: Renegades late last week. I honestly didn’t plan on playing it at all, but two of my friends needed a third for the dungeon, so I decided to login and level up…. And I had a good time. Despite all of the issues with the game in the last year, Destiny is still Destiny and it feels utterly unique.
The campaign was very underwhelming, but the seasonal activity, dungeon, and the new weapons are all 10/10 absolutely fantastic. I was disappointed when renegades was first announced, because even though I’m a massive Star Wars fan, doing a Star Wars inspired expansion seemed like a lazy cash grab, but it was honestly executed about as well as you could expect. Things do still feel distinctly Destiny while clearly being Star Wars inspired, they actually struck a great balance.
Ultimately, there’s absolutely no way I go back to playing this game daily or even weekly like I used to, but the game is still fun once in a while and I’ll probably come back for a couple of weeks each season or expansion.
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Comment on Games: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~games
EsteeBestee Link2025 was a bit of an odd year in gaming for me. I spent the usual amount of time playing games, but I played far fewer (though I still booted up about 45 unique games at any point in 2025). I...2025 was a bit of an odd year in gaming for me. I spent the usual amount of time playing games, but I played far fewer (though I still booted up about 45 unique games at any point in 2025). I think that's maybe a good thing, that I'm content to just play and finish some longer games instead of constantly hopping around, but this was also one of the first years where I skipped a number of big releases and kind of ignored the hype for many games and just got what I knew I'd like + some older games.
Firstly, there are some big games that I started and have yet to finish. Namely, Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (don't worry, at the top of my list), The Rogue Prince of Persia, Pacific Drive, and Ghost of Yotei (just came out and it took me a year to beat Tsushima, so probably will be the same with this). I like all of those games, so I'm hoping I can finish those over the next couple months now that life has settled down a bit for me.
My biggest disappointment is maybe more on me than the console/games, but despite getting a Switch 2 on release, I've barely played the thing. I didn't find Mario Kart World very fun past the first 10 hours and I feel like the library just isn't there yet. I did get it with the knowledge that it might take years for the library to fill up and I was afraid of it being out of stock for a year and getting FOMO. I have played a bit of Donkey Kong Bananza and it's fantastic, but the game also gave me a massive migraine at some point, so I dropped it (I think the console's HDR triggered something in me).
My next disappointment is that I was hoping that Stalker 2 would be in what I personally consider a playable state this year, and while it's gotten some stellar updates, it just isn't ready yet. I'm still watching it until it gets a few more patches as I know that I'll love the game once it's actually finished, but it's been such a long wait so far.
For surprises, I guess the first one is how far Destiny 2 has fallen this year. Last year saw the release of possibly the best expansion in the series, with The Final Shape, but then the series just took an utter nosedive this year. I'm pretty much completely done with the game now unless it completely changes again. I started Renegades and I'm just not feeling it anymore. I thought for sure the community would drop off a bit considering The Final Shape was the end of their first saga and a natural stopping point for many players, but I didn't expect it to be this bad.
My next surprise is that I was finally able to stop playing Call of Duty. I've played all CoD games besides two and over the last 10 years, I've usually put in a couple hundred hours to each CoD game ever year. Black Ops 6 was phenomenal, but I absolutely am just feeling content with the series now and just kind of stopped playing naturally and it feels good to be finally free.
In general, I've been playing far fewer online games and enjoying single player experiences more and it fits me a bit better at this stage of my life. I'd rather get a good story at my pace than queue up for endless online games. I'm still enjoying Battlefield 6 on and off, but that feels more casual than when I used to play a bunch of CoD, Counter Strike, etc.
I've also been returning more frequently to some of my favorites. I don't often play games more than once or twice, but I've returned to Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, and Elden Ring this year and have been enjoying putting time into my 2nd and 3rd playthroughs in some of those. I'm finally able to start enjoying multiple playthroughs of some games after basically having a lifetime of only ever being able to beat most games once (the one exception is usually Mass Effect).
The biggest positive surprise for me was Lies of P. I actively loathe steampunk victorian settings. I think they're done to death, they don't excite me, and it bothers me how obsessed some people get over that aesthetic/theme (even though it shouldn't bother me, it does). I am obsessed with souls and soulslike games, so I finally gave it a try this year and it was genuinely surprising to me how much I enjoyed the setting of the game. I actually got pretty invested into the story of what was going on and the gameplay was great, to boot. I do think many of the bosses were too easy (I beat most on my first or second try on the hardest difficulty) and wish that many were on the same difficulty as Nameless Puppet, which is one of my favorite soulslike fights period. Even though many bosses were easy, this was one of my favorite games of the year as well.
Now, as far as my favorites, I played some fantastic games in 2025. In no particular order, some of my favorites were The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Sword of the Sea, Ghost of Yotei (so far), Lies of P, Get to Work, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Hades 2, Battlefield 6, Megabonk, but perhaps my absolute favorite game I played this year was Star Wars Outlaws. It was baffling to me how good that game is compared to the internet discourse around it. I know that it got a number of updates since the initial release, but it's really good. It feels very Star Wars and is one of the most immersive Star Wars games I've played. It very much feels like a continuation of the good early 00's lucasfilm games, in the sense that it seems the developers cared deeply about the source material and about making you feel like you're living in the star wars galaxy. The story and characters were compelling and I found the gameplay to be pretty fun, even if basic in some places. I just enjoyed exploring as Kay with Nix and playing the balancing act between the various syndicates and the empire. I don't think it's the best game I played in 2025, but it did end up as my favorite.
Here's to another great year of gaming in 2026. There are quite a few titles I'm excited for, but I'm hoping I can dedicate the next month or two to finish some of the games I'm halfway through, like Clair Obscur.
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Comment on Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 - Race Weekend Discussion in ~sports.motorsports
EsteeBestee LinkThis year's championship fight was great, but unfortunately not many of the races were that exciting in a bubble. Out of Max, Oscar, and Lando, Lando is probably the driver I least wanted to win...This year's championship fight was great, but unfortunately not many of the races were that exciting in a bubble. Out of Max, Oscar, and Lando, Lando is probably the driver I least wanted to win it all, but I can't say that it isn't deserved, he drove out of his mind this year. Max really just needed one more race to get it done or for them to have kept fastest lap points. Oh well, he's still the GOAT to me and will definitely have a shot at more titles.
I'm excited for the new regulations and teams to shake things up next year! The first year or two of these regulations were exciting, but these current cars have just raced like shit recently and DRS overtakes are just not exciting to me personally. I'm hoping next year will at least bring some drama in the form of some teams executing the new rules well and some not. I'm hoping that Williams can continue their upward trend. While Max is my favorite driver, Williams is definitely my favorite team and it just felt so wrong for them to be in the gutter the last dozen or so years before this year.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI continued the seamless co-op playthrough of Elden Ring. We eviscerated the last few bosses and beat the main game in just under 8 hours. We’re about halfway through the DLC now and are also...I continued the seamless co-op playthrough of Elden Ring. We eviscerated the last few bosses and beat the main game in just under 8 hours. We’re about halfway through the DLC now and are also doing Malenia for fun since she’s my favorite boss.
I’ve also been watching lots of Elden Ring speedrun and randomizer content lately. Over the weekend, there was a 6v6 team USA vs team France randomizer relay race that was a ton of fun to watch. I do want to eventually try out the randomizer for this game, but I have to get a bit better, first, before I’m good enough for that.
My friends and I also started up another Minecraft server. We have about 8 of us playing regularly and we found a pretty nice starting area with a good mix of biomes and caves to explore. I definitely don’t know how to do advanced things with redstone and all that, but I do like decorating my house and our little town and exploring caves and stuff.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI rolled credits on Hades II and did some progression afterwards as well. This is my personal game of the year. It's just so well crafted and lovely. It's exactly my kind of game and I love the...I rolled credits on Hades II and did some progression afterwards as well. This is my personal game of the year. It's just so well crafted and lovely. It's exactly my kind of game and I love the gameplay, the characters, the story, all of it! I'll continue going back to this for a time. I do need to finish up the list of fates, which requires quite a bit more progression.
I also picked up Megabonk on a whim. I had heard of it when it came out and knew it would be my kind of game, I was just trying to finish up a bunch of other games I was halfway through. I can confirm this is also a fantastic roguelike. I think it being 3D is adding a lot for me over vampire survivors or the like. It feels a bit like Risk of Rain 2, I love it. So far, I've had quite a few varied builds, so I'll also be coming back to this one for a while.
I also rolled credits on Star Wars Outlaws. Yet another fantastic game that I played recently. I didn't play this game on release, so I can't say if the internet chatter was accurate at that time, but by the time I started playing this this year, I really don't understand all the hate it got. The immersion is excellent and it's one of the most "star wars" feeling star wars games. It really brings me back to the early 00's lucasfilm games. It feels like you're living in the world and while the stealth and combat are systems you've seen before in other ubisoft games, I think they're done well enough in this for it to be a great experience if you're okay with open world games. I do heartily recommend this to star wars fans.
I then started Lies of P this week as I've been in a soulslike mood. I'm only about four hours in, but the game feels crisp so far and is scratching the souls itch. I'm not a fan of victorian steampunk settings at all, but the gameplay is good enough for me to keep going.
On a whim, a friend also invited me to play Elden Ring with the seamless co-op mod. We've both played the game a bunch (me for 100 hours and my friend for 900), so we kind of already knew what builds we wanted to do and in the last 7 hours, we went from game start all the way through killing Malekith before I called it a night for myself. We only have three main boss fights left, though we are also going to do the DLC and I want to do Malenia. But still, even though I know speedrunners can do all main bosses in an hour solo, I'm proud of my friend and I for absolutely wrecking the game tonight. The most attempts we needed on any boss was two (on multiple). We otherwise downed most of the bosses on our first attempt, lol.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
EsteeBestee Link ParentOh yeah, prices are definitely up at many fast food places, I just wanted to note that it’s still very possible to get meals for $5ish, you just sometimes have to be a little savvy with the menu,...Oh yeah, prices are definitely up at many fast food places, I just wanted to note that it’s still very possible to get meals for $5ish, you just sometimes have to be a little savvy with the menu, maybe not get a drink, etc. Most combos are absolute ripoffs these days. A whopper meal is like $12 and I feel just as full with a $5 meal deal at McDonald’s or getting a couple ala carte items at Taco Bell.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
EsteeBestee Link ParentThe bell is my go to for cheap lunch. A double stacked taco and a potato taco was $3.78 today and I just had a la croix at home with it. That’s cheaper than a non frozen chicken breast at the...The bell is my go to for cheap lunch. A double stacked taco and a potato taco was $3.78 today and I just had a la croix at home with it. That’s cheaper than a non frozen chicken breast at the grocery store.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
EsteeBestee Link ParentI should also note that prices can vary wildly depending on region. I do live in a large city, but I seem lucky compared to some. That same order you get at taco bell is $8 for me, with chips and...I should also note that prices can vary wildly depending on region. I do live in a large city, but I seem lucky compared to some. That same order you get at taco bell is $8 for me, with chips and nacho cheese being $3 of that. A hard shell taco is $1.69 for me. My usual at TB is a cheesy double beef burrito and a soft potato taco, $4.28 right now.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
EsteeBestee Link ParentMcDonald’s has had $5 and $6 meals available at any time, without the app, for years now. I get the $5 McDouble meal deal (McDouble, 4 nuggets, small fry, small drink) every week in the drive...McDonald’s has had $5 and $6 meals available at any time, without the app, for years now. I get the $5 McDouble meal deal (McDouble, 4 nuggets, small fry, small drink) every week in the drive through. Even besides that, they have a buy one get one for $1 menu, so you can get a mcchicken and small fries for under $5 as well.
It’s true that meals like the Big Mac or quarter pounder meals are ridiculously expensive for what they are, but McDonald’s is still offering $5 meals without needing the app and I keep seeing articles saying McDonald’s is too expensive when it’s extremely cheap if you just don’t order the numbered meals (same with Taco Bell).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentI’ve never heard of Starwind, but that sounds ridiculous and I want to try it!I’ve never heard of Starwind, but that sounds ridiculous and I want to try it!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentYeah, there are a ton of interactions like that where I’m surprised there’s dialogue for it!Yeah, there are a ton of interactions like that where I’m surprised there’s dialogue for it!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee Link ParentI know modern WoW gets lots of shit for shuttling people to the most recent expansion as quickly as possible, but you’re absolutely right that leveling was just absurdly long and tedious in the...I know modern WoW gets lots of shit for shuttling people to the most recent expansion as quickly as possible, but you’re absolutely right that leveling was just absurdly long and tedious in the MoP days, having to go through all of the expansions. Going through all the content was really only acceptable up through TBC or WotLK. That said, MoP is so good, I’ve been fighting the urge to play MoP classic…
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI’m utterly addicted to Hades II still. I’m now up to 35 hours (and I only picked it up on the 1.0 release date) and still having a blast. I can now see the two incantations required to beat the...I’m utterly addicted to Hades II still. I’m now up to 35 hours (and I only picked it up on the 1.0 release date) and still having a blast. I can now see the two incantations required to beat the game(?), but in a way, it feels like I’m still only scratching the surface. For example, I found a secret weapon aspect and so I’m guessing there’s one for each weapon that I now need to find. I’ve also barely explored builds with some gods and I keep finding new and unique builds. This game is just insane. This is all me talking about gameplay, but the story, art, and voice acting are all superb as well. I think this might be my favorite game that I’ve played this year, it’s just excellent.
So yeah, while I’m playing that, I’m making no progress on my backlog, but so many fantastic games are coming out that I want to play that I’m not worrying about the backlog too much. I still want to get Ball X Pit and Powerwash Simulator 2. Tavern Keeper also looks very cute and I’m actually thankful it’s in early access and not full release as that means I’m going to wait to pick it up.
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Comment on Tilderinos in ~talk
EsteeBestee LinkI love y’all <3 Tildes has been healthy for me in helping ween me off from other social media and this place means a lot to me. I love the topics posted here and the discussions I’ve had. I look...I love y’all <3
Tildes has been healthy for me in helping ween me off from other social media and this place means a lot to me. I love the topics posted here and the discussions I’ve had. I look forward to the gaming thread every week, especially!
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Comment on The algorithm failed music in ~tech
EsteeBestee LinkThanks for sharing that article. It sums up a lot of my own feelings on “discovery” services. I dropped Spotify a few years ago when I realized that while I was “listening” to much more music than...Thanks for sharing that article. It sums up a lot of my own feelings on “discovery” services. I dropped Spotify a few years ago when I realized that while I was “listening” to much more music than I used to, I wasn’t actively listening, I was just letting it play and fill silence. I’ve since moved back to acquiring albums via bandcamp, record stores, etc. I haven’t been spinning as much vinyl, but I did get an iPod classic on eBay last year and it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I like that it’s filled with music that I organically discovered and that it’s completely divorced from my phone or any apps.
I do truly recommend everyone take at least one step to de-algorithm their media, whether that’s music, movies, tv, or anything else. You don’t realize how much apps are governing your consumption of art until you go back to the old fashioned ways of discovering media, actually doing research, instead of letting an app dictate your tastes.
One other thing the article mentioned that I agree with is that it noted many people are using apps like Spotify to be a background soundtrack to their life to fill silence. I largely agree with that, I know a few people that cannot just exist and need some sort of stimulation in everything they do. Like a 2 minute drive to McDonald’s or whatever requires a soundtrack. This extends beyond music, too. For example, whenever I go to a sporting event, it’s depressing that as soon as there’s a break in the game, everyone’s phones come out. People are just straight up addicted to algorithms. Tildes seems like the kind of crowd to be hyper aware of this already, but yeah, try to take steps to divorce yourself if you can.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
EsteeBestee LinkI've still been playing Battlefield 6 most days. It's just such a solid multiplayer experience and very easy to spend an hour or two in without realizing it. That said, I've been losing most of my...I've still been playing Battlefield 6 most days. It's just such a solid multiplayer experience and very easy to spend an hour or two in without realizing it.
That said, I've been losing most of my gaming time to Hades 2. I picked it up when it hit 1.0, but this last week is when I really went hard on it. I'm too lazy to spoiler tag and I won't spoil anything, so I'll say that I beat the final boss on the first path three times and beat the first three bosses on the second path and only just saw what I think is the final boss on that path and what the fuuuuuuuck.
This game is just incredible and it might be my game of the year. The gameplay is ridiculously smooth, I've been having a ton of fun with almost all of the weapons and have put together some seriously bonkers builds. And there just seems to be more and more game that's unlocking even after having multiple successful runs. I'll be in this one for the long haul.
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Comment on Supermarkets intentionally charging full prices on sale items in ~food
EsteeBestee LinkWhile stores local to me aren’t as insidious as the exact techniques outlined in this video, even my local chains have started to lessen the number of products with a straight sale and have...While stores local to me aren’t as insidious as the exact techniques outlined in this video, even my local chains have started to lessen the number of products with a straight sale and have started to instead have sales that require a rewards account or require a specific quantity (and prices of everything have skyrocketed everywhere). Those aren’t exactly new, but when I live by myself, it’s annoying when something is $4 each if you buy five, but $7 if I just buy one when I can’t really use five before they go bad or I don’t have enough space in the pantry.
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Comment on NBA's Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier among dozens arrested in illegal gambling probe in ~sports.basketball
EsteeBestee LinkOkay, this is wild. Chauncey was coaching last night and arrested today. It appears that in addition to this poker scheme tied to the mafia that he was also possibly fixing basketball games, like...Okay, this is wild. Chauncey was coaching last night and arrested today. It appears that in addition to this poker scheme tied to the mafia that he was also possibly fixing basketball games, like using non public injury info about Damian Lillard to inform people on how to bet. Rozier appears to have bet against himself in games and underperformed on purpose or faked injuries. The NBA also previously cleared Rozier of wrongdoing after their own investigation.
This is such a bad look for the NBA considering how much they've cozied up to casinos and sports betting companies over the last few years. It's dominating all advertising around sports and becoming ingrained. I'm not at all surprised to find out that players and coaches are fixing games...
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NBA's Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier among dozens arrested in illegal gambling probe
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A friend bought Nubby's Number Factory for me and I'm excited to try that out!
I also convinced myself that Half Life 3 is totally coming out this year, so I bought Black Mesa for myself. I've played most of HL1 but never beat it. HL2 and the episodes are some of my favorite games, so I'm looking to play through the series again this year before HL3 totally releases.
I have enough of a backlog where I really don't need any additional games, but I've had my eye on Space Marine 2 for a while and that's down to $24...