Following a discussion on another thread, I thought it would be a good idea to have a separate thread related to this topic… Do you replay games you’ve already finished, and why or why not.
Personally I’ve replayed a fair few games after initially completing them, or getting to a point where I would consider them as completed. Games like Deus Ex I replay and complete at least once a year or two since it’s launch. I’ve literally played and finished the game more than 15 times, can almost quote the whole game, and yet still I replay it.
I’ve also recently replayed Evil Genius from start to finish and it was super fun to do again. I’ve replayed ABZU twice, Firewatch twice, Half Life 1 and 2 countless times in various formats, CODMW finished the single player at least 3 or 4 times, same with CODMW2, Far Cry 3 and 2 was completed multiple times as well, I played through the whole GTA 5 twice as well, SO MANY Unreal Tournament 99 and Quake 3 Arena single player “campaign” completions, and many many more.
I think for me I get a flurry every so often and feel like replaying games I previously enjoyed. These days I honestly don’t care or want to play all the games, or play as many games as possible to experience different games. At this point in my life, I know what I like, I know what I want, and I stick to games in that very specific sphere and rarely go outside of it. And when I do, it is only a need that could easily be filled by replaying older games I already own. I guess that makes me weird by hey.
So how about everyone else, what’s your motivation for replaying games or not?
I used to replay games quite frequently, but lately I’m not doing it as much anymore. Back when I first got my original X360, I basically only had GTA IV and Condemned 2 and I played the crap out of both those games, finished them both a number of times. Then during PS3 era I also replayed a lot of games like Uncharted, Killzone 2 , inFAMOUS and basically anything that I really enjoyed. With the PS4 and Xbox one I started doing it less and less (tried replaying God of War, Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima and Last of Us 2 but just stopped after less than an hour in each game).
Right now I just have too many platforms (PS3, PS4, PC, Switch, 3DS, Series S) to considering replaying games like I used to, but there are still exceptions from time to time. I got the platinum trophy for Borderlands 3 on PS4 and played it for about 150 hours on PC and I also bought it on Xbox recently and I’m still having fun with it. I wanted to replay Wasteland 3 on the Xbox as well but the technical issues became too much of a headache in the end.
Then on the Switch I do replay games as well. I’ve gone through BoTW completely (all shrines, as much armour upgrades as possible, etc) twice and I still started a new game. I’ve finished both Xenoblade Chronicles games twice and I started a third run. I’m also busy playing Dragon Quest XI for the third time, but this time in 2D mode.
So yeah, I do replay games I’ve finished but not as much as I used to, apart from Switch, but I also mainly play on it at work to pass time. With game pass there’s usually something new to try out as well.
I replay games quite frequently, I almost think I have played Fable: The Lost chapters about 8 times now, feels like I play it almost every year XD so hard to pinpoint, the same with Dungeon Keeper, Call of Duty 2,MW,MW2,MW3, more recently, CnC3, Red Alert 3, and many others.
The simplest reason for replying the games is basically, that every few years, a game in the same genre gets released, I play it, but in the back of my mind there is a nagging feeling that “I have played something that does this better” and eventually that nagging becomes so much I stop enjoying the current game, and then go back to play the older one of the same genre, dungeon keeper and Fable especially, currently the only game that has come close to Dungeon Keeper is War For The Overworld, and with Fable, I am a man that likes simplicity, and Fable 1 is a very linear, and small sandbox game, that is incredibly simple, easy to understand and easy to play, it doesn’t have that MASSIVE map that overwhelms you.
There are of course games I will probably never replay, like Sleeping Dogs, yeah it is fun, but I don’t want to go through the same combat frustrations again, the map is quite big and the game is a little long. the same with games like torchlight 1 and 2, it doesn’t have that replay-ability for me.
Every game I deem worthy of my time, and I have completed, I have replayed at some point. I’m pretty brutal about bin’ing a game if I get no joy from a game. I also don’t mind buying a game, just to try it out, and then chuck it, if it turns out to be shit.
If there are stellar memories from the initial playthrough, and it doesn’t add in any unneeded painful moments or bad design decisions, and it ages reasonably well, I’ll actually come back quite a few times. Examples of this are: all the Far Cry’s, Titan Quest, all the Diablo’s, F.EA.R, all the Borderlands, Skyrim, Prince of Persia’s, the real Prey (with the native american guy). Looking back at this list, and of all the games I own, I conclude, in my mind, they mostly crap games, or they start off good, and while I’m willing to waste money on a game, I sure as fuck, won’t waste my time.
Oh and FYI: i don’t count sim racing and FPS arena shooters in this list. COs like, it’s online, you play with or against other people, so does it every really end? Else Unreal 2004 would be first, by like a 10 year cycle gap, dwarfing all these other pretenders.
I’ll definitely replay a game…until i 100% it in terms of achievements. Once its on my 100% list, i don’t ever touch it again…
there are a few games i cycle up every few years or so (that were before the time of achievements), but too many of them are perpetual type games, like sim city 2000 etc…
I was part of the original discussion that sparked this thread and my answer is a resounding No! I do not replay games.
There’s so many games out there and so little time. I can’t go back and play something again when there’s so many new things to discover.
There’s one exception. If I didn’t finish a game then I may go back at a later stage and finish it. For instance I didn’t finish Pillars of Eternity because it’s a super long game and I got bored. And now years have passed and I’m thinking of just starting from the beginning. If I’ll actually do it, that I don’t know.
If I enjoy a game and want to get my platinum trophy, I will replay it, or play it enough to pop the trophy. If there’s a NG+, and it is one of those games that cause “post game depression”, I’ll jump on it, like Persona 4 and 5. I also enjoyed playing through The Witcher 3 for gameclub.
Don’t get me started on Mass Effect. I’ll probably play through it on PS3 again someday, unless Humble Bundle offers the LE and I can put the sliders to not give a cent to EA like their last EA bundle a number of years ago.
Then there’s rhythm games that don’t have an end, other than trophies, but I still play them whenever I’m in the mood, just not recently. Once the living room cools down as we head into autumn I’m sure I’ll be back on 'em again.
I’m also part of the annual Replay Deus Ex Club. It hasn’t been surpassed to this day and I always seem to discover something new.
I like replaying gameplay heavy games like DMC, Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden. I’m excited about the Ninja Gaiden remaster for this reason. Mechanically there’s nothing else like these games.
Else Unreal 2004 would be first, by like a 10 year cycle gap, dwarfing all these other pretenders.
I literally just closed UT2K4 after fragging some bots. That game might as well be part of my OS!
Games that provide a lot of replayability and personal enjoyment, such as Souls-likes I have played through numerous times. But on the contrary, what about games that have no “end” such as MMOs are typically playable without really “replaying”, endlessly. I have been playing Elite Dangerous for about 6 years now, and have started over a few times on a few platforms, does this mean I am replaying them without discovering the end, What is determined as an end, finished or complete. I think this can be very subjective.
I recently finished Man of Medan, and while I hear that the game offers a multitude of endings, do I want to experience that again and possibly be presented with different outcomes? I am honestly not sure I want to go through that again. I now know the premise and albeit my (one) outcome ending, it kind of takes away the appeal of a first time experience. Going forward, my experience and choices will be tainted by what I have already chosen and the paths I had previously taken.
Much like a title such as The Last of Us. I am not sure I want to replay it and have actually tried a few times. I know the outcome and wish to keep that original experience untainted.
Though as stated previously, I get OP perspective of replaying certain games and entrenching yourself in that game, the games world and story or lore. By playing through multiple times you gain a better understanding and knowledge of this with each successive playthrough. Much like watching movies over. You see things you didn’t before. Not just in terms of knowledge but also skills get improved the more you play a game and train your muscle memory in that regard.
I do have another problem though, I tend to replay the “start” of a game very often and in multiple games too, even an incomplete game. I don’t know why.
Absolutely, it’s almost all I do now.
I love the feeling of game mastery and being able to play comfortably on the hardest difficulty.
Take the Crysis series for instance. It has such a great feel when you master it. Flitting between suit powers in combat the Ceph don’t stand a chance, and you really are like a super soldier compared to when you first ever played the game.
On topic, now that Bethesda is added to Game Pass, I have this incredible need to play Fallout 4 again. Not like I’ve already done 200 hours on console in the game. No I WANT MORE!
Only reason I’m compelled to try Fallout 4 (or Skyrim) again, is for VR. I can only imagine viewing a giant, dragon or super mutant in VR can be as intimidating as the devs and artists intended them to be. BUT, I don’t have the time to sink into those games… Not again, anyway. And let’s not forget the fact that the VR versions of both of them cost R799 on Steam currently.
I’m also hoping the VR versions of all Bethesda games hit Game Pass soon, so that I have a reason to renew my sub again.
I don’t often replay games but there are a select few that I really enjoyed that I’ll revisit. One such game is the original Mafia, I’ve played that a couple of times. Really enjoyed the remake as it was a way of reliving the memories but much, much better looking!
This! In order to replay them, I need to finish them first. And that generally doesn’t happen for me at the moment.
I am trying to change that though, and will start to make a greater effort to actually complete at least the main story line of a number of games this year. Maybe then I’d “replay” the better ones to complete side missions and achievements. But that’s a secondary challenge at this point for me.
I love replaying games, but it depends on the game. Also, I have a short memory so I get easily re-entertained .
Games with multiple choices or endings are the obvious ones. So I’ve replayed Mass Effect, all Witchers, Dragon Ages and some of the older Fallout games. Bethesda and Ubisoft games aren’t really that replayable due to their massive size.
Then games like Tower Defense games, Orcs Must Die and especially XCom, I can pretty much replay anytime and become addicted.
Other games like Batman, Darksiders, Saints Row and Wolfenstein can be replayed after letting it rest for at least a year… speaking of which… maybe it is time to give Wolfenstein another shot.
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