So I’m currently playing through Hollow Knight, and two months ago I played through (and loved) Ori and the Blind Forest.
Two Metroidvanias inside two months. Okay I hear you ask, what of it?
Well, those are the first Metroidvanias (or 'Search Action games, for those in the know) that I’ve ever really played for longer than ten minutes. To say I bounce off those sorts of games would be an understatement.
So, as you’ve gotten older, have you noticed that your tastes in games has evolved in any meaningful way?
Biggest change is having no patience for anything that feels like busywork for the sake of busywork. If I have to walk from A to B, and it’s not an enjoyable experience in of itself, then I usually just quit the game, start something else, typically a rogue like, and play that.
I could not get past the second boss (I think) in the Demon Souls remake. The huge guy with a even bigger shield. That you have to get to on some long bridge with a dragon flying over. Struggling with a boss is so much fun. So, you had fun with the fight that lasted 2 minutes, even though you died? How about you spend 10 minutes every time you want to give that another go? The feeling of achievement and “high stakes” is strengthened by having you engage in tedium if you fail. Uninstalled the game after the second attempt.