As someone who grew up playing games like World of Warcraft and other AAA titles, I’ve seen how the gaming industry has evolved over the years—and not always for the better. One of the most disturbing trends is the rise of gacha games, which are, at their core, thinly veiled gambling systems targeting younger players. And I think it’s time we have a serious conversation about why this form of gaming needs to be heavily restricted, if not outright regulated.

Gacha systems prey on players by offering a sense of excitement and reward, but at the cost of their mental health and well-being. These games are often marketed as "free to play," making them seem harmless, but in reality, they trap players in cycles of spending and gambling. You don’t just buy a game and enjoy its content—you gamble for the chance to get characters, equipment, and other in-game items. It’s all based on luck, with very low odds of getting what you want, which leads players to keep spending in hopes of hitting that jackpot.

This setup is psychologically damaging, especially for younger players who are still developing their sense of self-control. Gacha games condition them to associate spending money with emotional highs, which is the exact same mechanism that fuels gambling addiction. You might think it's just harmless fun, but it’s incredibly easy to fall into a pattern where you're constantly chasing that next dopamine hit, just like a gambler sitting at a slot machine. Over time, this not only leads to financial strain but also deeply ingrained mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and a lack of self-control when it comes to spending money.

Countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have already banned loot boxes and gacha systems, recognizing the dangers they pose, especially to younger players. The fact that these systems are still largely unregulated in many other regions, including the U.S., shows just how out of control things have gotten. The gaming industry has shifted from offering well-rounded experiences to creating systems designed to exploit players’ psychological vulnerabilities.

We need to follow Europe’s lead in placing heavy restrictions on gacha and loot boxes. It’s one thing to pay for a game and know what you're getting; it's another to be lured into a never-ending cycle of gambling for content that should be available as part of the game. Gaming should be about fun, skill, and exploration, not exploiting people’s mental health for profit.

It's time for developers and legislators to take responsibility and start protecting the players, especially the younger ones, from these predatory practices.

Game Information

Game Title: UFO 50

Platforms:

• PC (Sep 18, 2024)

Trailers:

• UFO 50 Music Teaser
• UFO 50 - Announcement Trailer

Developer: Mossmouth

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 90 average - 100% recommended - 7 reviews

Critic Reviews

Digital Trends - Giovanni Colantonio - 4.5 / 5

UFO 50 will remind you why you fell in love with video games in the first place.

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Eurogamer - Christian Donlan - 5 / 5

A collection of new-old sports games, RPGs, platformers and puzzlers: what is all this sweet work worth?

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God is a Geek - Lyle Pendle - 9.5 / 10

UFO 50 is a celebration of retro gaming, full of wonderful modern ideas, sensational video games and a whole lot of content.

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PC Gamer - Kerry Brunskill - 83 / 100

A superb retro-style smorgasbord in real danger of drowning out its own consistently good work.

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Siliconera - Graham Russell - 9 / 10

Faux retro compilation UFO 50 is a can't-miss release.

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Slant Magazine - Mitchell Demorest - 4 / 5

You’ll occasionally come across signs bearing dreamlike musings: “the sea shells form a bridge between us,” “there is a dark shape on the horizon,” and so on. As you travel further, the wind changes direction and the evening sky shifts from orange to purple. Platforms get sparser and require leaps of faith or hope. And when you inevitably miss and Waldorf falls into the sea, he wakes up on an ice floe, surrounded by sleeping walruses, waiting to dream again. It’s the clearest example of UFO 50’s willingness to experiment paying off in something as fun to play as it is interesting conceptually, but in a crowded field, it’s far from the only one.

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TheGamer - James Kennedy - 4.5 / 5

Sitting down with this collection is stepping into an alternate timeline, and having 50 timeless 8-bit gems dumped into your lap. The level of variety, and the incredible quality of each game, make UFO 50 an absurd value. For anyone looking to experience the magic of video games, I can’t stress enough how excellent UFO 50 is. It is an out-of-this-world collection.

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