considering the cultural context of the content you consume and what you actually prefer is probably the first and last step to that

This first part might seem banal, but when you approach content try and discern in as concrete terms as you can what you feel about that content and why, and then examine those reasons. Does this game grab you because it’s mechanics are interesting or it has a nice art style? Do you like the narrative? What is it about those aspects that you like and dislike, and how does that inform your perspective on the whole? Is there personal bias coming into play? I, for example, am an art geek and really need to have good aesthetics in a game in order for me to think highly of it; but ultimately what counts as good aesthetics is informed by my broader artistic sensibilities. Again this might sound simple, but lots of gamers can’t say much more than “I think the gameplay is nice” and then fail to consider how or why the gameplay captivated them.

The second part is a bit more intellectual, but I recommend learning and practicing media analysis. Media analysis is important form an individual perspective because it allows upi to not just consider what you liked and why, but also place the work in broader context and make evaluations based on that. To use an example, the Star Wars prequels are an absolute wreck of a movie series that deserve to be panned for all the reasons they are. And yet, out of the entire series, they lay the foundation for some very poignant criticisms of liberalism and contain the most adult story in that sense. Yeah it’s a bloated trilogy with corny ass lines, but there’s also an undercurrent there you can discern out that has value and could have been executed on better. Being able to understand what art is about, not in a surface level rote recitation of its plot but rather what it’s themes and motifs are and how it constructs these aspects or what these aspects actually serve to be in the final exection of the plot, that’s all really important stuff you never see gamers do. And missing all of that, missing what a work is really about being “this is it’s story” means you’re leaving so much behind about a work that you just aren’t looking at and appreciating.

You don’t have to look at every game through that lens. Some of my favorite games amount to me loving the art style and the ludonarrative experience they have more than deep theme or whatever. But, what we like and why tells us a lot about ourselves and in a lot of cases also the culture we see the world through. Some of my favorite play experiences say a lot about me when you look at them from a specific angle, but to see that angle you need to first be willing to analysis a piece of media and your own relationship to it. Art isn’t a thing where you go “oh yeah that’s pretty” or where you go “yes I know what the story behind this painting is”. Art is something that you cultivate a personal relationship with, to the point where you might start saying stuff like “I like how pretty this is” and understand why that is and what that means for you personally. You don’t have to be deeply enthralled by everything, but you’re better served being able to look at your own point of view on media cititcally, and also on the media itself critically

Cyberpunk 2077 is a really good walking sim. Maybe I’m easily impressed but I really dig how all the neighborhoods look different. There will be different ambient sounds too. I dunno I like cool environments and huge buildings. Some parts of the map seem like a real future city layout.

Was looking at mods for Cyberpunk last night and I’m assuming Projekt Red didn’t include tools for people to make their own story content so it’s just a bunch of costumes and AI fixes.

Ironically, i installed the PS5 version and it’s running stably. It’s kinda fun, hacking people and stealth killing, but like, I cannot get hype after the shitshow of installing the previous version and having it crash every hour.