this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2025
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Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ

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Here's some on my list:

  • Red Dead Redemption 2 - I do not want to deal with the Rockstar Games launcher.

  • Tom Clancy's Breakpoint - The game's add-on packs feel like Ubisoft is trying to nickel and dime gamers who would instinctively buy the GOTY equivalent of a title. I do not want to deal with a Ubisoft launcher or account.

  • Zombi - According to the Steam reviews it required a Uplay login to validate the game before you play and that version of the Ubisoft service no longer exists. This seems to have been rectified but I still don't trust it and don't want to go through the refund process if it hasn't.

  • Skyrim VR - I've already bought too many copies of Skyrim.

A bit of a "this is why I pirate" thread but more targeted at individual games.

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[–] AFC1886VCC@reddthat.com 48 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Anything with DRM. I refuse to put up with it anymore.

[–] moody@lemmings.world 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] strongarm@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Depends what you mean, Steam is not DRM, most of the game is sells don't have DRM. However Steam API has a DRM feature that developers can use of they choose to.

So what do you mean?

[–] trucy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

then why can't i download an installer without using their client?

[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 16 points 2 days ago

because the game itself wants to load the steamapi program library and connect to the steam client. but there is no encryption or other heavy protection involved. grab a steamemu (like the famous goldberg emu), install it for the game (basically copy/replace a file) and done

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[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 42 points 2 days ago (6 children)

I'm not giving America any of my money right now.

[–] dockedatthewrongworf@aussie.zone 11 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Other than GOG is there even any other storefronts that don't give you a steam key that aren't American?

[–] Daelsky@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

I think GOG is probably just the best way to go at this point.

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[–] CorrodedCranium@leminal.space 9 points 2 days ago

Tangentially related but I was browsing the list of Steam curators and I was surprised by how many of them are dedicated to discouraging people from buying games from specific countries.

[–] fubbernuckin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As an American i wish i could do the same.

[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago

I guess you can only support the least-fascist-right-now countries as much as you can?

[–] xye@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago

As an American this is exactly why I’m not as well. GOG exists, and I have a decent library to fall back on regardless. Now’s the time for us to do that.

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[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 28 points 2 days ago

I mean pretty much anything from EA, Ubisoft, 2K, Blizzard/Microsoft, Xbox, Rockstar, etc.

I did actually end up buying a Sony game after they dropped the account-linking requirement.

I've wanted to try out NFS Unbound for a while now, it regularly goes down to single digit prices but I'd rather eat shit than install an EA launcher on my machine.

[–] wingsfortheirsmiles@feddit.uk 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I got caught out by RDR2, tried playing it a few evenings ago, even signed up for a crappy Rockstar account only to be greeted by the "this game is registered to another account" message. Screw them

[–] radau@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Got this when I went to play fucking Max Payne 3 a few months ago. Why the hell does a 10 year old name need a rockstar account and why is it such a pain in the dick to restore access? It was easier to just pirate the fucking game and actually own it.

[–] ElectricAirship@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 days ago (4 children)

The assassin's creed games because of Uplay being a pain on linux.

[–] IrritableOcelot@beehaw.org 9 points 2 days ago

Lol I was trying to play Dragon Age games a couple months ago, and the EA app is so terrible that I couldn't get them to run on windows. But on Linux in the proton sandbox? No problem, worked right out of the box. 😂😂

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Apparently the next one wont require uplay (on steam) and will be supported on linux. I'm still not interested in it because of the trend of assassins creed becoming supermassive open world RPGs but it would be nice if it became a trend.

[–] nichtburningturtle@feddit.org 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Assassin's Creed died a long time ago. The skinwalkers can't compare.

[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

Absolutely this. I have to admit I'm seeing some things I like in Shadows much more akin to what we should have been having for the past decade but I just don't trust Ubisoft anymore and even on Deaths' door they can't let the corpo scummery go and I refuse to have Uplay or Denuvo infect my computer so I'll not play it until it's been broken.

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[–] fuwa@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I won't buy any paradox games because they invariably end up with 100 DLCs each

[–] toddestan@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And for all the money you spend on a Paradox game, you end up with something that feels like a half-finished beta.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It only feels like if you've played the previous, fully loaded $500 of DLC version.

On that note, absolutely steal Stellaris and its DLC.

[–] toddestan@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

I remember my first game of Stellaris many years ago - I had bought some pack that included some of the DLC out at the time. The crisis was bugged so that even after I beat the crisis and wiped it from the galaxy, the game didn't recognize that I had done so which left the game unbeatable. This was my first playthrough, no mods or anything like that, and I hit a game-breaking bug.

I played quite a bit of Stellaris as it was (still is?) a fun game, but I am more of a casual gamer and every time I picked the game up again they had changed at least one major mechanic, and there was yet another DLC out if you wanted the full experience. Encountering bugs in a play through was common, and game breaking ones would still pop up from time to time. Finally I just got fed up, especially for the cost of some of the pricier DLC you can buy a game like Factorio which is a much better value.

So at this point I'm done with Paradox. I suppose if I really had the urge to play Stellaris again I'd find something out on the high seas, but there's enough other, better polished, games out there to keep me busy.

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 4 points 2 days ago

Studio fan death by 1000 papercuts.

This is where I've gotten to with their games as well. I love them, but tired of it basically becoming an MMORPG DLC subscription.

Most of the game genres they excel at are the type I like buying and playing because they are complete from day one, and you maybe get 1 to 3 DLCs. Like movies, the trilogy (original game and two nice DLCs) is the sweet spot.

Stellaris got insane and most of the individual races should have been bundled somehow into larger expansion packs.

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[–] No_Bark@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

I got fed up with Rockstar Launcher so I got myself a cracked version of Red Dead 2 a few days ago and I can't believe I put up with that goddamn launcher for as long as I did.

Next up I'll be trying the Red Dead Redemption remake/remaster.

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[–] Davel23@fedia.io 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Red Dead Redemption 2

RDR2 went on sale for $20 a couple of months back which was about what I was willing to pay for it, so I grabbed it then. I tried playing it and it's just boring. WAY too much riding around on horses just getting to the next bit of action or story. I dropped it and doubt I'll ever get back to it.

[–] johnnyb@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

fuck the guy who thought fast travel is bad for immersion

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fast travel is a bit hidden in that game. You have to upgrade the boss's tent to unlock it.

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 4 points 2 days ago

I did get far enough to unlock fast travel, but it's extremely limited to the point of uselessness.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 4 points 1 day ago

I knew this was a horse riding simulator and I had zero interest. like, how did that sneak up on you?

[–] tauren@lemm.ee 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A couple of Sony games because they don't want to sell them in my country 🤷 They leave no other choice but to pirate them.

[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 7 points 2 days ago

Ghost of Tsushima is well worth pirating!

[–] NeryK@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown looks like a banger, but I am unwilling to spend any amount money on it until Ubi gets the memo and strips Denuvo from it (at least outside of the launch window).

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 10 points 2 days ago

They're all still too expensive for me. Like Flight Simulator 2020. I do believe the effort they put into it is probably worth 35 €. But I wouldn't play enough for it to be worth 35 € for me. And I'm still salty about the time when they accidentally discounted it by 85 % instead of 15 % and snatched it right out of my cart when I was about to pay.

[–] Xed@lemm.ee 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I only bought games that cost 1.99 like portals 2 and undertale

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[–] venotic@kbin.melroy.org 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I really got impatient last year and just decided to pirate games left and right.

I got Balatro, Iron Meat, Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection, MMPR: Rita's Rewind, Sea of Stars, Scott Pilgrim, Shadows of Doubt, Bit Trip ReRunner, Xenotilt and Castlevania Advance Collection.

I mean, it just feels like I'm seeing the same prices, every. damn. year. I'm sorry but I thought the point was mind-staggeringly good deals, not stagnated deals. And most of the games that are on sale, are games I don't particularly care for. While everything on my wishlist, stagnates, regardless of how old the game becomes.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

Before I buy something, I look if theres a deal on isthereanydeal and if there is, I check the history.
If it's shit, I don't bother.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 day ago

I was gonna buy the foundation game, so I checked out the pirated version (fitgirl repack) first. Seems like it doesn't run quite as well on my laptop. Had to play in low settings to be bearable.

saved some money, ig. There's always next sale.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago

1: I didnt even notice the sale is happening (too many sales... Spring, Easter, Summer, Fall, Halloween (same as fall?), Winter/X-Mas, publisher sales).
2: Yakuza series.
3: Any other game because I spent most of my time on YT (sadly) or on Jellyfin (still TV but linux ISOs).

Also most modern games arent worth the effort.
Multiplayer games would require friends I don't have and those that I have (currently seem to) prefer games like Valorant (which I would play even less than CS2) or ZZZ (hoyo) which I don't really like either.
Single player games are interesting but I don't feel like gaming anymore.
But I did enjoy playing smaller ges like Exit 8. Fun game :)

[–] Localhorst86@feddit.org 6 points 16 hours ago

Anything ubisoft. They told us to get comfortable not owning their games and I am happy to oblige.

[–] iSeth@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I don't think I'll buy Stellaris DLC unless it's 90% off

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[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 6 points 2 days ago

a few weeks ago I have seen watchdogs legion in a few streams an liked it. Recently it had a sale (maybe now again) but saw that it uses denuvo, the ubisoft launcher and that it needs a ubisoft account. no thank you. I'll rather pirate it and be reassured that it'll have less malware in it

Ubisoft games. Too unreliable.

[–] Xianshi@lemm.ee 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Ghost of Tsushima amd ff7 remake because I'm waiting for steeper discounts

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[–] muhyb@programming.dev 4 points 2 days ago

X4 Foundations Community of Planets Edition. Got it on GOG instead which was cheaper due to local prices. This is quite rare since usually it's the other way around.

[–] Psiczar@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago

The latest Indiana Jones game, because it’s too damn expensive. It’s normally $120 AUD and has been discounted to $95 AUD. When it’s below $50, then I’ll consider it.

[–] endeavor@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ubisoft and ea games; I do not want to deal with the launcher and ubisoft games are just so incredibly bad. They're like marvel movies but less entertaining

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