Life and Gaming Update in 2026

I didn't post anything in 2025. Since starting this blog in 2011, I've rarely gone an entire year without writing something, so it feels strange to see a gap that long.

Games I Played in 2025

• Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
• F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Dishonored 2
• Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle

I played this on Xbox Game Pass, which I picked up for $1. I finished it in a few days without doing many side quests. The companion character was predictably annoying and dragged the experience down. The graphics were excellent, but the gameplay had issues and the weapon system felt clunky. Overall, it felt like a $5 game.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

A console-ized version of F.E.A.R. The story is completely insane - anyone who has played it knows what I mean. It's a good game, but nowhere near the league of the first.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

This will probably be the last Assassin's Creed game I play for a while. It's not bad, but it's not as good as Unity. The graphics feel noticeably worse, and switching between characters is a gimmick that didn't add much. The story is boring. Unity was a much better game.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Excellent graphics, but a very boring story. The RPG mechanics feel unnecessary, and I wish they had removed them entirely. My next Tomb Raider game will be Underworld, which I plan to play in 2026.

Dishonored 2

One of the best single-player games I've ever played. I think it's better than the first. I played as Corvo, and it felt like a worthy sequel in every way. It's rare for a sequel to surpass the original across the board, but this one does. An all-time great for me.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

More of the same - in a good way. A very solid game. I didn't understand parts of the story, but the level design is excellent. I'll watch a YouTube breakdown to fill in the gaps.

Life

2025 was a bittersweet year. Some great things happened, and some very sad things happened. A death in the family was difficult to deal with, and life will never be quite the same. I also traveled a bit - Austin, Atlanta, and Chicago. Austin wasn't really a vacation; it was more family-related. Chicago was great, and I plan to return in 2026.

I haven't played many games this year. Battlefield 6 is probably my most-played so far. I'm also playing RoboCop: Rogue City and enjoying it. Gaming feels strange lately - I want to play more, but I'm not finding the time or the motivation. I miss the days when I played games instead of watching YouTube.

I want to stop worrying about the world, the wars, the market, and just enjoy games like I used to. The problem is that every social media platform has turned into a political cesspool. I'm still partial to X (Twitter), but I try to check it only once a day to preserve my sanity. I miss the days when Reddit wasn't what it is now, when forums still existed, and when PC gaming wasn't a rich man's hobby.

When I look back at life between 2014 and 2017, it feels like a real high point - both in life and in gaming. This was the golden age of Battlefield. I played so many great games during that time. My family was doing well, my grandmother and uncle were in good health, and I was planning to visit her soon. I have so many fond memories. We bought a house and paid it off in two years. I was financially well off. I'm not doing badly now - arguably I'm doing better - but I don't feel like life has gotten better.

I want to recapture that feeling again. I want to live more in the moment, work out more, and spend time doing things that make me happy and have a positive influence on my life.

Broadly speaking, I want to get more into Linux, earn a certification and make a career transition, play more games, work out more, eat healthy, and reach $2 million in net worth.

Let's see if I succeed.