In the ’90s, Wing Commander: Privateer made me realize what kind of games I love

Ever since 1993, I think I’ve unconsciously judged almost every game by how well it can capture how Wing Commander: Privateer made me feel. Steam and PlayStation (the two platforms I use the most) have been doing a year-in-review summary akin to the wildly popular Spotify Wrapped for the past few years. Based on these, I can report that my most-played games in 2025 were, from most hours down: No Man’s Sky Civilization VII Assassin’s Creed Shadows The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind World of Warcraft Meridian 59 Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon Unreal Tournament With the exceptions of Civilization VII and Unreal Tournament, every one of those games is some kind of open-world experience that’s all about immersing you in a far-flung land (or galaxy).Read full article Comments Ars Technica – All content