Two initially jump to mind for me.
Outer Wilds took me three attempts to get into, but when it did…wow. Its a game that I is definitely more than the sum of it’s parts, and one that I’d argue is genuinely beautiful in it’s story and how it tells that story.
That said, once you’ve worked out the games mystery; it’s story, it’s tricks, timing and logistics, I wonder how more pull the game would have.
Return of the Obra Dinn is a game that I spend a lot of my time thinking about. The music, the atmosphere and of course, the games moment to moment gameplay.
Those puzzles will likely (hopefully) melt from my mind at some point, but even then I fear that initial sense of excitement and intrigue will be lost.
As much as I plan on going back to it at some point, I’m not sure a game of it’s nature is all that well suited to additional playthroughs unfortunately.
Oh, this one’s easy: Subnautica.
I didn’t find all the parts to the Cyclops on my first play until I was like an hour away from finishing the game. So months later I played it again, so that I could find the Cyclops sooner. Definitely didn’t feel as magical the second time around, even with my shiny new sub.
Definitely Subnautica. It doesn’t matter how many times I play it, there’s still the twitchy dread. I imagine if I could play it for the first time, but in VR, I would never have finished it and there’d be a hole in the wall where I threw the controller.
Horizon zero dawn.
I’ve played it for the first time a month ago. I really wanted to love it. Not my cup of tea unfortunately, I’m really upset about it (about the fact I did not like it, not about the game)
That’s fair, and honestly I feel like it’s a game you either love or hate. And really, play what you love and don’t let the haters bring you down. I was enthralled with the story being a fresh take on a post-apocalyptic world. There are some…quirks with the gameplay but still one of my favorite games of all time.
I agree with this. That game is a movie with good gameplay. Definitely worth picking up for a tenner in a GOG sale.
Mass Effect Trilogy
My big one is Subnautica, but Mass Effect is right behind it. Such a great trilogy.
Halo CE, but in 2001 when it released. I remember how incredible landing on Halo felt. Also the flood reveal.
Myst on the PC
That shit broke my mind as a kid. It was life changing.
Riven is probably even better, just a great sequel all around. Exile too, but then I kinda fell off.
Riven remake is coming sometime soonish
TUNIC. It’s impossible to truly explain without spilling anything. But I don’t think any other game could do what that game did again and succeed, unless of course whoever is playing it hasn’t already played TUNIC.
Fez is also similar in that regard
Portal 2
Chrono Trigger.
Because Chrono Trigger.
Maybe FF8.
Also because Chrono Trigger.
I want to go to a con just for Chrono Trigger. I don’t meet enough people in irl that love this game as much as me.
Thanks for sharing
Fire watch and portal.
Shadow of the Colossus
Portal and Portal2. Epic games that just aren’t quite the same on replay
This. I wish I could finish Portal 1 and hear the ending song for the first time again. I remember finishing this game in like 3 in the morning after the party I hosted. I wanted to finish it so badly I couldn’t resist. My jaw was so dropped. Still one of the best feelings I had with games.
This is a triumph…
Try Portal Revolutions if you haven’t, I just started and it feels just as “Portal” as any Valve-made game.
I mean, it’s the Outer Wilds. That’s the right answer to this question.
But also, Hellblade was absolutely incredible to play in one sitting with good headphones in a pitch black room. It took a few minutes to get used to the voices, but once I was finished with the game, my mind felt strangely empty for a while
I didn’t play Hellblade in one sitting, but I also really loved it. The blind trial where you navigate purely through sound and controller vibration and have to ignore the scary monsters will stay with me for a while. Very cool level.
Looking forward to the sequel.
And the boss at the end of that! My favorite boss fight in any video game
I don’t think there was a boss immediately at the end? It was one of the many trials for the sword. But if you mean Garm a bit later then yeah that was very cool!
In no particular order:
Undertale, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2, Final Fantasy III/VI, Slay the Princess. All those games “lose” something the more that you’ve played them.
Any of the souls games. The exploration in those games is so damn good.
Playing Dark Souls 1 blind was a religious experience.
Read Dead Redemption 2. While I didn’t like the Intro as much, it really made for quite a journey.
I really should try getting through the intro again. 3rd time’s the charm!
The gameplay is pretty unique in this one, and the world is enormous, so a long tutorial makes sense. Once you final escape the snowy mountains and can access the wider world you feel a real sense of release and freedom that’s really worth it.
That said, like skyrim, it makes a new game a slog and I wish you could skip it on subsequent play throughs.
I don’t know if you’re on PC, but if you are I imagine there are plenty of clean save files available on the Nexus that are just post-intro.
I only just started this game, but I will say this one too simply because I got the ending spoiled way back, and now that I’m finally playing it I can already tell it would have had a massive impact on me. So I’m sad I’ll never get to experience that.
