If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

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If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by jztemple2 »

Kotatu just posted an interesting article, If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?
In 2019, I played the brilliant sci-fi space exploration game, Outer Wilds. If only the game’s time loop was a real thing so that I could go back and experience it all over again.

If you’ve played Outer Wilds by Mobius Digital Games, you’ll know that being trapped in its time loop isn’t the best idea. Still, the sentiment remains: I wish I could replay the game for the first time, with fresh eyes and no pre-knowledge of what’s to come, just so I can experience it all over again. It was that great!
Here is what I posted:
This is a tough one, but I think that I’d have to go with Grand Theft Auto V. I had carefully avoided all the previews before the game came out so when I started playing I was seeing everything for the first time. I was just going “oh, wow” every few minutes. It wasn’t just the story, it was the location and the atmosphere as well. Walking along the faux Santa Monica beach and onto the pier is especially vivid. And because unlike the previous games, the whole map was available right away, after a while I just grabbed a motorcycle and toured the whole damn island. So cool.
Anyone else care to contribute?
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Skinypupy »

I just don’t get the overwhelming love for Outer Wilds. It was kinda interesting, I guess, once you got past some of the horrendous controls and figured out what the hell the game actually wanted you to do. Even then, meh.

To answer the question, I’d probably go with Thief. There have been few games before or since that had me that immersed in the world.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Haranguer »

For me all time favourite, Skyrim. Just so much to explore & get involved, one of the best games of all time.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by mori »

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II was the first game I personally bought for the PC. Previous to this my buds and I played console sports and fighting games. Then a roommate bought a PC and we played Doom, Doom II, and Duke Nukem. I bought this game, which at the time was 1/3 of my share of the rent. It was a fabulous experience at the time. People who feared heights could not endure this game. I loved it.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Ralph-Wiggum »

It’s probably recency bias since I just beat it today, but probably The Witcher 3. I remember the first time I played it being blown away by the story and writing and just the little details that were so well thought out (e.g. the song Dandelion’s girlfriend plays in the tavern). And even the side quests were almost uniformly well written and more interesting than first glance.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by NickAragua »

If I had to pick just one, it would be Descent: Freespace (but preferably using "Freespace: Open" tech and updated graphics).

Runners up include the original XCom, TIE Fighter and Starcraft.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by dbt1949 »

If I could go back to the way I felt playing it the first time I'd go back to the original Diablo.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by naednek »

Half Life The Original. That was just a magical experience. The build up to the hype, the game living up to the hype, and the fun to be had.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Blackhawk »

I'm torn. It would be a late 90s immersive sim, either Deus Ex, System Shock 2, or Thief.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by jztemple2 »

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:17 am I'm torn. It would be a late 90s immersive sim, either Deus Ex, System Shock 2, or Thief.
I'd vote for the original Dues Ex. When I first encountered it I'd never played a game quite like it, that gave alternate paths to accomplish a goal. That plus an intriguing story line.

I really have a hard time playing any game with a story the second time because the surprise is gone. Still, it gives me more time to play new games :dance:
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Hrothgar »

There are a lot of candidates going back to Infocom's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (getting the babelfish, finally getting tea and not tea). I loved Final Fantasy VII, I've bought way too many versions of Final Fantasy Tactics chasing that feeling, I remember constantly being amazed playing Shadow of the Colossus and I'll never forget the first time I got to pilot the titular craft in X-wing.

However, I think I have to go with a little game called Fantasy Empires. It was a D&D game. It had quests. It was a SSI strategy game. It had arcade battle. It had global spells. It had siege weapons. It had heroes and magic items. You actually fought on the map of Mystarra. Your armies could combine elves, fighters, dwarves, halflings, shadow elves, orcs and even the undead. If you didn't have catapults or mages with you, you'd better have a battering ram to get into castles. There was even an alignment system that could affect your alliances and how you could play. I loved the game enough to send off for the patch. They sent me a 3.5" floppy back in the mail. It was exactly the game I wanted at the time. I had played Cyber Empires, but this was so much better. Tons of fun memories.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Zenn7 »

I really liked Fantasy Empires! I also really liked Dragonlance - War of the Lance (think that was SSI too, strategy game fighting the war that is fight/described in the original Dragonlance trilogy of books). I liked Cyber Empires a lot too.

Master of Orion and Master of Magic would be strong contenders. Warhammer 40K Dawn of War would be another.

Think though, I might have to go back to the old SSI Gold Box original Pools of Radiance. Back then, I didn't have anywhere near all the experience with games as I have now. It was such a novel feeling playing D&D on the computer. Loved it! Now, I just don't get into crpg games so much.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Blackhawk »

I also think that for a lot of the games, I'd want to qualify that my experience is as it was at the time. Play Deus Ex or SS2 the way it was to play them in 2000 when the graphics were new and the concepts were fresh.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Ralph-Wiggum »

I think that qualification is necessary. Some other games I was in awe of the first time I played them: Ultima 7, Dune 2, X-Com, Fallout 2, Star Control, Everquest. But I can’t imagine being wowed by any of them if I were just playing them for the first time in 2020.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Alefroth »

Do we go back in time and play it for the first time, or do we start it for the first time now and not remember it?

Privateer and Arena would be up there for me. Also Baldur's Gate and System Shock.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Suitably Ironic Moniker »

I would have to second Witcher 3. I loved the first two, but the third one not only blew them away, it became my favorite game of all time. Everything about it was just top-notch, from the world itself, to the characters and voice acting, to the wonderful writing. It was a joy to complete each side quest and Witcher contract, because they were almost always more than a simple fetch quest, or simple “kill x number of monster” task. Plus, one would find quests along the roads while they traveled. This, along with the liberal distribution of NPCS throughout the world, made the setting feel alive. I’ve always loved playing RPGs that allowed me to create my own character from scratch, but I will always enjoy slipping into Geralt’s shoes to reexperience the lands of The Witcher.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Hyena »

Put me back into the body of the Nameless One. There was so much reading, but that storyline was hands down the best I've ever experienced in a game. So many things tied beautifully back into the character's past; who he'd been, who you were shaping him up to be, and the final decision at the end. Some of the craziest spells if you were able to get him up to the highest mage level. I remember one that would summon a gnome laser cannon that took up a quarter of the screen and blast everything in front of it. Talking with your companions to unlock their true potential... Never had so many moral decisions keep me up at night.

Yeah, Planescape: Torment for me.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Skinypupy »

Alefroth wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:12 am Do we go back in time and play it for the first time, or do we start it for the first time now and not remember it?
I was assuming the former in my answer. The Thief games are kinda hard to hard go back and play in 2020, but were an absolute revelation when they first come out.

I was also assuming the series as a whole, not just the first game. While Thief 1 was great, it definitely had its fair share of warts. Thief 2 was where the series’ brilliance really started to show.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by coopasonic »

jztemple2 wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:25 am
Blackhawk wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:17 am I'm torn. It would be a late 90s immersive sim, either Deus Ex, System Shock 2, or Thief.
I'd vote for the original Dues Ex. When I first encountered it I'd never played a game quite like it, that gave alternate paths to accomplish a goal. That plus an intriguing story line.

I really have a hard time playing any game with a story the second time because the surprise is gone. Still, it gives me more time to play new games :dance:
My answer was Nope until I saw these responses. The original Deus Ex was an eye opening experience for me. I wouldn't mind doing that again. Of course in a modern context it wouldn't be that special, so maybe I have talked myself into a nope again. In a modern context, Horizon Zero Dawn would still be worthy.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Jaymann »

Diablo II. East, always east.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by JCC »

Ultima IV and Thief 2 for sure.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Jaddison »

Wizardry 1- on the Apple IIC or The Bards Tale

Red Baron and probably F-117

Totally entranced by Micro-league baseball

yep I'm that friggin' old
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by sgoldj »

Jaddison wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:55 pm Wizardry 1- on the Apple IIC or The Bards Tale

yep I'm that friggin' old
Wizardry was what came to mind for me. I still remember my Bishop fondly and carried him through all 8 games as well as "Tales of the Unknown : The Bard's Tale". I even ran 8nto him in Werdna's Revenge since I had to send a disk to Sirotek for recovery at one point.

I wish I was young enough to say Wizardry I was one of my first video/computer games, even on my Apple ][ .

My only claim to computer game fame: I was a tester for Wizardry 8.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Hipolito »

Hyena wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:18 am Put me back into the body of the Nameless One. There was so much reading, but that storyline was hands down the best I've ever experienced in a game. So many things tied beautifully back into the character's past; who he'd been, who you were shaping him up to be, and the final decision at the end. Some of the craziest spells if you were able to get him up to the highest mage level. I remember one that would summon a gnome laser cannon that took up a quarter of the screen and blast everything in front of it. Talking with your companions to unlock their true potential... Never had so many moral decisions keep me up at night.

Yeah, Planescape: Torment for me.
Me too!

Wasteland was my favorite game until Planescape: Torment came along. With the upcoming Wasteland Remastered, I feel like I will get to replay it for the first time, in a sense. I look forward to it.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by hitbyambulance »

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:01 am I think that qualification is necessary. Some other games I was in awe of the first time I played them: Ultima 7, Dune 2, X-Com, Fallout 2, Star Control, Everquest. But I can’t imagine being wowed by any of them if I were just playing them for the first time in 2020.
it's for this reason (and others) this question is silly as too many qualifications are needed. phrasing should be something like 'which game had the kind of experience you would like to go through again?' which avoids the whole time-travel or memory-wipe or "brand new fully remastered for the current year" prerequisites. i really enjoyed my time playing through Crusader: No Remorse, but i have doubts i could deal with those clunky pseudo-action controls on the Gravis Gamepad again.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Blackhawk »

There is also the factor that part of what contributed to the experience the first time was your psychology and interests at the time, not just the mechanics or atmosphere. For Deus Ex, for instance, cyberpunk was a brand new thing for me. Now I'm pretty familiar with the genre. For System Shock 2, I was deeply, deeply into Trek at the time, and some elements of the aesthetic had that 'clean' feel (disrupted by the events, but still there.) Now I'm a Trek fan, but less obsessed than I was then. For Everquest, I was in a really bad place and EQ gave me an escape that drew me in like no other game. Any of them now, even if I didn't remember the game, wouldn't appeal in exactly the same way as I'm not the same person now.

But it is still a fun exercise, and works for new stuff, too. Game of Thrones. Buffy. The Kingkiller Chronicle. All experiences I'd love to have again that are a little less dependent on their tech/originality/or era.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Jolor »

Civ II.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by AWS260 »

The Witcher 3. The story affected me so much that when I finished it, I swore I would never play it again. To me, there is only one Witcher 3 storyline, the one I played through. It ended perfectly, and I will never sully that experience.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Montag »

Command and Conquer or Total Annihilation.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Unless I'm going back in time, probably Half Life 2. The graphics would stand up and the story would be new.


If I'm going back in time and can handle bad graphics and DOS and crappy controls, then Ultima III or IV.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by El Guapo »

Gut reaction is any of Witcher 3, Planescape: Torment, or possibly Fallout 2.

Though with the latter two it's been long enough that I could probably replay them now and it'd be maybe 50% fresh.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by NickAragua »

AWS260 wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 9:15 pm It ended perfectly, and I will never sully that experience.
I wish mine ended perfectly. But no, it was depressing as all fark.

That being said, yeah, I have a hard time seeing myself going back to it. It was one of those games where I genuinely enjoyed the storyline and having it pre-spoiled, I don't know. Maybe when I start going senile.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Unagi »

Alefroth wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:12 am Do we go back in time and play it for the first time, or do we start it for the first time now and not remember it?

Privateer and Arena would be up there for me. Also Baldur's Gate and System Shock.
Wait, So you mean to imply that I need to consider the non-existence/unborning of my children?

:P
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by coopasonic »

Wow, just remembering ES: Arena... and all the time I spent falling through the world. Was there any staircase in the game that was actually safe?
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Alefroth »

Unagi wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:29 pm
Alefroth wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:12 am Do we go back in time and play it for the first time, or do we start it for the first time now and not remember it?

Privateer and Arena would be up there for me. Also Baldur's Gate and System Shock.
Wait, So you mean to imply that I need to consider the non-existence/unborning of my children?

:P
Totally. Is playing a game again worth it?
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Unagi »

Well, stessier should be all over this deal.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Isgrimnur »

Unfortunately, time travel leaves you with a vinegar taste in your mouth for three days.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Unagi »

So obviously ImLawBoy wouldn't be taking this deal at all.
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by stessier »

Unagi wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 1:02 pm Well, stessier should be all over this deal.
I just saw it and was coming in to make the kids joke, but you BAM'd me. :D
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Re: If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?

Post by Unagi »

Kidding aside , I suppose this thread brings another angle to the Red/Blue pill question:

Most of the great video games you play will actually just be a replay of those games.

In fact I imagine a replay at 6 would result perhaps in me not getting as into pc games, cause I will have already played em.
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