Board 8 > The game I wish I could play again for the first time is...

(+) Yeah! (+)

and why!

For me, the experience of playing Morrowind is something I wish I could re-experience. For me, it was the first truly open world experience, and I never stopped being in awe of the dozens upon dozens of books and conversations that helped construct a living, breathing world for me. I know it was a primitive design at the time, but the schedule system as it was made me feel like these were AIs inhabiting a massive world. It was just, I don't know. Something special.

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Outer Wilds

Legitimately one of the best games I've ever played as first experiences go but the entire game is progressed by your own knowledge so it's really impossible to have that experience a second time without a memory wipe.

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Pyre

The emotions I got playing through the first time are almost unmatched, especially so since I didn't know what I was getting into while playing it. Especially the credits sequence and hearing the vocals literally tell the story as you chose it is just so damn good.

Really wish there were more games out there like it. Amazing mix of different types of characters (including cool and cute animal ones) with a really interesting story and fantastic music to back it up. The gameplay is only supplementary for me.

Almost an even second would be Ghost Trick for pretty much exactly the same reasons.

I think that's my ideal though. Having a game with... mostly human characters but a few animal characters that are actually relevant and not just filler or comic relief. Having a rich story that makes you think with awesome music. Gameplay comes after for me.

The reason I like it set with mostly humans is because it makes the story feel more grounded and real. If you have a game / or movie with literally ALL animal characters and whatever, sure I'll still enjoy it, but the realism aspect disconnects a bit for me and loses a bit of that punch when it comes to the storytelling (in a way I can personally connect with). At least for me.

But yeah, Pyre and Ghost Trick for very similar reasons.

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Undertale

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Eh, this is always a weird question to me. I don't think I'd undo any of them because the time and context of when I first played them matters.

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Oh this is actually tough!

I may have to pick Spec Ops: The Line after having given it some thought. Experiencing that game with no spoilers or knowledge of what that game does in its narrative was a transformative experience.


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Hmm. I'm thinking Mass Effect trilogy?

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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Though a lot of that may have been barely playing Adventure games before then.

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Outer Wilds

Other games I still absolutely love playing through even though it's diluted

Outer Wilds is specifically a one and done deal - which is part of its beauty, but still, it's the perfect choice for a topic like this

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Firewatch. Such a great story that just won't have the same impact the second time round. I'm strongly considering buying The Outer Wilds now.

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Leonhart4 posted...

Eh, this is always a weird question to me. I don't think I'd undo any of them because the time and context of when I first played them matters.

Was just thinking this. Sure, I could pick a high profile game I enjoyed back in the day like Chrono Trigger, but both me and the gaming scene have evolved over the span of time since. I'd still love the game and wonder why I hadn't experienced it sooner, but would I be as captivated by it?

Perhaps Antichamber would fit the bill for me. It was neat working through the perspective it cultivates, and it is relatively time and context free.

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Knights of the Old Republic.

That twist so thoroughly blew my mind I couldn't sleep.

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Landman posted...

Firewatch. Such a great story that just won't have the same impact the second time round. I'm strongly considering buying The Outer Wilds now.

I want to play Firewatch too!

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Nier: Gestalt

The characters, the interactions, the story. All was near perfect to me. Luckily I have an absolutely shitty memory so when I replay it I'll remember almost nothing about it.

Pyre is a close second, though.

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Probably 999

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humm i thing Heavy Rain, or Life is strange.
And Final fantasy 6 to 10

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The boring but real answer is basically what Leon said. Hard to think I'd love any game as much with a first playthrough anymore, especially considering my relatively less time playing games (and immersing myself in them) and the games I've played since playing them influencing my opinion. Just really hard.

Now all that being said, after some time thinking about it, I guess if I had to pick one I'd pick SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS. That one is simple enough that I could probably get into it with the time I had now and exploring the mechanics the first time was really fun. It's only after playing it more that I realized how shallow it was and that the AI didn't really explore the system enough to be engaging, but man I loved it as a card game for a card game's sake and it had a lot of franchises I really liked repped. I'd be all over a current gen sequel for it. Or a mod, if I cared to look for those.

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Go back in time and play, or just erase my memory of and start over? If it's go back in time, something like World of Warcraft has merit. But WoW Classic proved that although there's magic there, it's not quite the same. (It was pretty close, though.)

Watching Anagram's Danganronpa topic unfold, I think V3 might be my answer here. Even from the first case, that game was not pulling any punches.

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Second Sight. It wasnt a tremendous game, but the twist got me good.

Portal 2

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Outer Wilds.

HM to Tales from the Borderlands I still love that game.

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Ace Attorney

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Deadly Premonition 1

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Outer Wilds for the reasons people have already mentioned.

TF2 if I could also go back and experience the game again back in its beta days.

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maybe Breath of the Wild?

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Final Fantasy X

Even though I've replayed it countless times, nothing matches the first time. Learning about Spira along with Tidus, finding out the truth about various things, and of course the ending. In terms of narrative, I can't think of anything that benefits more from not knowing what's coming

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Uglyface2 posted...

Second Sight. It wasnt a tremendous game, but the twist got me good.

Oh yeah! Great call

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Return of the Obra Dinn.

In fact, I wish I could purge all memory of this game from my mind about once a year, and do it each year.

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I normally say FFX for the same reasons as M, but the narrative hasn't aged too well (animations, voice acting) so it wouldn't have the same effect. MGS3 then, for similar reasons. Discovering all the layers in the narrative and gameplay is just too awesome.

Outer Wilds is a good one but I feel like in a year or so I will be able to replay it pretty well. There's also the tiniest glimmer of hope they'll make another one.

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I guess the thing for me is that I don't need to relive it for the first time because I still remember how FFVIII impacted 13-year-old me, or how the endings of FFX and MGS3 hit me. I'm also a person who loves replaying games and I enjoy how each playthrough builds on my previous experiences.

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Portal

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XIII_rocks posted...

Outer Wilds

Other games I still absolutely love playing through even though it's diluted

Outer Wilds is specifically a one and done deal - which is part of its beauty, but still, it's the perfect choice for a topic like this

oh wait no, this

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Ace Attorney (especially the first three), logically, as they're visial novels. But other than that, I always wanted to swipe Paper Mario: TTYD from my memory and replay it. Doesn't matter as much nowadays, though.

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Most things I'm thinking have been said already.

FFX was amazing to have develop before me, but I'm not sure it would have the same effect today. It'd have to be back when I was younger.

WoW had so much power in my life, as an extension of shitty browser-based MMORPG's, that I felt really comfortable, but more importantly it was a place for me and my friends to hang out. While I enjoy occasionally re-experiencing it today (and shit it's really different now), it wouldn't be the same as hanging out with friends in middle school.

Which means the real answers are probably...

Ace Attorney. The characters, stories, experience, would all be mostly the same between high school and now. But being able to unwrap the mysteries again, that would be nice.

The other answer I have is maybe MGS? I didn't play MGS1 until, I think, 2010 or so. So it was already outdated for me when I played it. But man, did it make just as strong as an impact. By that logic, maybe FFX would be fine too. Still gotta play FF13, have it on steam...

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Xiahou Shake posted...

Outer Wilds

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It'd have to be a narrative or exploration-based game where the wonder and thrill of a first time play can't be recreated, and something that doesn't hold a special place in my memory largely due to nostalgia. Outer Wilds is pretty much the perfect answer here, though I'd love to experience Breath of the Wild again for the first time. Metroid Prime too maybe.

This topic is also reminding me I have yet to play Firewatch, The Witness and Obra Dinn.

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Breath of the Wild

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