Adam is right.

It was something I was discussing with him a few days ago after the topic came up again in a few separate videos that have been regularly popping up on YouTube. I think there's a channel, AndyPantsGaming or something like that, where he has been lamenting the lack of manly games.

Almost ALL the top comments in that discussion were about Gears of War (especially the first two). And they all mirrored my own thoughts, and the thoughts Adam shared here: we no longer have ANY manly games just for men.

Even Helldivers 2 tries to make sure it's "inclusive", and it avoids any kind of proper storytelling so they can avoid characterisations.

But sadly I just can'\t think of any polished, newer generation, blockbuster games that are just outright unapologetically masculine? I'm not saying this to start anything -- if you actually have suggestions I'm all for it. But it's also why I had to reinstall Gears of War 2.

I've been burning through my back catalogue rather quickly, and have found myself regularly re-circling games like Mad Max, Gears of War, and occasionally I will try to boot up Ghost Recon Wildlands until I remember how much I hate that stupid Tier 1 mode (and unfortunately, there is no further progression outside of that mode).

Games like Vlaidk Brutal are cool and all, but Rus-jank shooters require a mindset to deal with constant jank. High-quality, properly masculine games just do not seem to exist anymore. Even a lot of the boomer shooters -- outside of the Forgive Me Father series -- seem to star female leads.