Replay Value

[Dagger Dias]

We all have games that we loved to play that we have played over and over again. You know what I'm talking about. That one (or several) game(s) that you played so much to the point where you have it memorized and can play out the whole thing in your mind without even turning the system on. The game(s) you could never get enough of. That's something every single gamer has. For all of us it is a different game (or string of games), and what makes us like the game(s) is different for us all as well. It can be any of a number of things. Here are four that determine replay for me.

• Playing through with different characters.
  
• Wanting to relive the experience again.
  
• New Game + and similar replay modes.
  
• Trying a higher difficulty.

For me when it comes to wanting to relive the experience again, in a statement none will find shocking, it's the Final Fantasy series. 4, 6 and 7 in particular, I have played to the point where I can play the entire game in my mind without even turning on the game system. I loved everything about these games. The storylines, the characters, the music, the fun battle systems, levelling up characters, just everything. They changed my life. No matter how many times I played they never got old due to reliving the fun over and over.

I also like trying a higher difficulty. Beating a game at its highest difficulty level is a great feeling. I loved Tales of Symphonia but was ten times more epic on Mania difficulty. The bosses were so much tougher and I welcomed the challenge.

Then there's using different characters. This does it for many people. Being able to play through a game with another character gives you a chance to play the same game over again with someone else, making it a different experience. Whether that be as small as playing Mario Bros 3 with Luigi (who was just a green Mario back then) or something as big as choosing different characters in Chrono Cross to open up entire story arcs otherwise unplayable.

Finally, there are unlockable replay modes. The most famous of these is called New Game +. It lets you replay the game but inherit items and abilities from a file that you already beat it with. Playing through in a newly unlocked mode can be loads of fun.

One thing I wished I could change about FF4 was being able to pick your party members due to being unable to do so for the whole game. That wish became a reality when they added that to the GBA remake of it in 2005. Although you were only able to change party members for the final event, but it was still awesome to me. Another one would be the option of being able to go back to the World of Balance in FF6 because the World of Ruin was really depressing and I would have liked more sidequests in the original world.

So here come the discussion questions:

What are some of your favorite games that you've played countless times? (No long lists please, limit it to 10 if you're going to list more than one) and why?


What is it about these games that keep you coming back for more, and what determines their replay value for you?


If you could change one thing about one game to add to its replay value, what would that be, and why?


Don't forget to include why you think what you think about something, as this is NOT a spam section. Discuss!

 

[The Raven's Epitaph]

So here come the discussion questions:

What are some of your favorite games that you've played countless times? (No long lists please, limit it to 10 if you're going to list more than one) and why?

One of my favourite games to play over and over again is Alundra on the Playstation 1. You may have seen me mention it before in the VGM thread, but it's truly a masterpiece. I recently bought my Dad a PS3 for his birthday, and what did we do? We started our 9th playthrough of Alundra of course.

Not only Alundra, but The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, aswell. That game is just astounding in every manner. I never ever get bored of that game, there's just so much freedom and there's so much to do you can't possibly become bored of it. Espacially not on PC what with all the mods you can download.

What is it about these games that keep you coming back for more, and what determines their replay value for you?

Oh man, everything. I can't for life of me pick out one bad thing in Alundra because there isn't anything bad with it. It's better than most Zelda games in my honest opinion. Some gaming fans always seem to compare it to Landstalker on Sega just because the main character looks like Alundra, but it's nowhere near the same. Alundra was a revolutionary game. The only sad thing is that Activision completely ruined it by released a sequel and totally changing everything. They made it 3D, changed the main characters name, changed all the background Lore and set it in a different location.

Freedom determines their replay value for me. I love open world games with a passion and there's nothing I like doing more than exploring! There are probably still some places on Alundra that I haven't found before and I'm, on my 9th playthrough! Oblivion's map is just incredibly big and in my 3 years of playing it non-stop, I've probably still only discovered about 30% of the map.

If you could change one thing about one game to add to its replay value, what would that be, and why?

I would only change one thing in Alundra, not because anything else needs replacing or that it's bad, but I'd add an end of game free roam option. Once you've completed the game, you can either load previous saves or start a new game. I'd love a free roam option once you've got all your armor, weapons, defeated all the enemies and unlocked all the areas etc. It'd make for a better gaming experience just after completing the game.

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Another great thread DD! No offence intended to Lee and IC25, or anything, but I think you'd make a great Mod for the Video Games Section. You seem to have an incredible knowledge for the gaming industry itself. Keep the great threads coming.

Damn, you're speeding up my list of favourites on WZ.

 

[red ass skull muhfukkah]

I replay the Pokemon games a lot. I just like them and its nice that it's portable so I can play it wherever or while I'm watching T.V. or something. I keep going back because it is simply addictive, it's my drug I guess.

Another one is Brigandine for PS1. It's a RTS game. There are 5 playable countries (6 if you use a cheat to unlock the badass Esgares Empire). It takes place on a continent where the biggest force Almekia was overthrown by it's general Zemeckis. The rest of the continent gets in an uproar. The Prince of Almekia forms a new country nearby to to retake the continent. The North has Norgard, the winter country that was once the dominant force and is looking to reclaim its past glory. Iscalio is to the south and is led by a maniac who wants to take over the continent just because. Leonia is a peaceful country and is by far the weakest but it has a mountain range straegically to its west leaving only two entry points into the country. And then there's Caerleon, which is the oceanic country which has a truce with New Almekia. Each country has a leader which is usually extremely powerful. Then you have the officers of sorts who range from Samurai, Archers, to Death Knight (Cador is as badass as it gets). Each officer and leader can have a number of different monsters it controls based on how much mana they have and their level. The monsters range from Dragons and Centaurs to Angels, Demons and little genies. When you annihilate one country you gain a bunch of its officers and monsters. And after every battle you can potentially steal monsters from the other country. It's just a fun game that I've played so many times with each country. I was hoping to get the Championship Edition because it has anime cutscenes but that shit is so hard to find and is like $100 or more if you find it.

 

[MMSoldier]

The game that I always go back to is Jak and Daxter for the PS2. I love this game. You preatty much have free will i it. If I could change something about it, it would have to be to make the game faster paced. It is really slow paced.

 

[lenguy]

What are some of your favorite games that you've played countless times? (No long lists please, limit it to 10 if you're going to list more than one) and why?

There are a so many for me. Well lol enough. I love playing halo, I love me some Zelda OoT and twlight princess. I'm also a sucker for most dragonball z games. The older ps2 ones that is. The smackdown series for me has high replay value. The list goes on.

What is it about these games that keep you coming back for more, and what determines their replay value for you?

I find them fun and highly addictive. If I can play a game for more than an hour and not get suddenly bored then there usually keepers and good for future plays.

If you could change one thing about one game to add to its replay value, what would that be, and why?

There was one thing about the Zelda series I've always wished they added. That being difficulty levels, for us hardcore folks. Easy, normal, hard and maybe an unlockable master quest difficulty. I find that while the games are fun to play, they are hardly challenging. Some puzzles can be a pain the ass but that's what I enjoy about them, but in terms of the A.I, its hardly a challenge. Make some of the A.I and the bosses tougher. Make puzzles crazy difficult. Make temples harder or at least some what more confusing on some aspects. Make the game more challenging but not to challenging to the point where it kills any remaining fun. Or at least make it more difficult as you progress in the game. I would die in heaven if this wish of mine came true. Hopefully the new games somewhat challenging.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I have always found the Smackdown games and any sports games have incredibly high replay value for me. I continue to play them until the night before the next installment is released lol.

I love games like Pro Evolution soccer because of the master league mode where your players develop, age over time and then retire, to be regenerated as youngsters a couple of years later. For this reason, the game is always evolving and your team is constantly changing. Depending on which players you sign and play, they develop in different ways. Plus the master league never ends which is great. You can also choose to play in regular leagues, Be A Pro (where you control just one player and attempt to become a star, having began as a rookie), and tournmaments.

Same with Smackdown. With the CAW feature and my own imagination I never get bored. I used to write down the cards for each show and make up my own storylines/feuds, and would play for hours on end. While I dont do this anymore, I still use all the characters and CAW slots to create feuds and rivalries in my head, and use the RTWM and season mode features all the time.

Finally the GTA series, with its open ended map always offers something new. I am sure I have not discovered all there is to find in these games. You can always just go on a killing spree, or try and do the missions/sub-missions, or just drive round causing mayhem. Especially on GTA4, there is fucking loads to do, too much even lol

 

[LamaNamaneumi]

Mario Kart is a game I love to replay. I can sit and play that game for hours on end at times. It dose not matter what one either, I prefer SNES or the Wii versions, but I love to play the ones for N64 and DS as well. Mario Kart Wii has the online option, and that always gives you new people to race against, so the replay value on that is pretty good. You also get the little wheel controller, that thing makes the game much more fun to play. Getting to unlock more cars and characters as you win encourages you to keep playing. They even have online contest that you can participate in.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Mario Kart is a game I love to replay. I can sit and play that game for hours on end at times. It dose not matter what one either, I prefer SNES or the Wii versions, but I love to play the ones for N64 and DS as well. Mario Kart Wii has the online option, and that always gives you new people to race against, so the replay value on that is pretty good. You also get the little wheel controller, that thing makes the game much more fun to play. Getting to unlock more cars and characters as you win encourages you to keep playing. They even have online contest that you can participate in.

Mario Cart is probably the best multiplayer game I have ever owned, especially when you play with someone else and go online. Its so much fun, and really hard to become good at, cos as soon as you get out in front you get taken out by someone lol.

I think they need to release an update for it, maybe not even MarioCart 2 but just downloadable tracks/characters/weapons...just to freshen it up as the Wii version has been out for ages now

 

[Trill Co$by]

Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 & 2 for me... I don't even like these kind of games usually but this one always has me hooked. The storyline was one of the best, and the upgrades you can give your weapons and power ups and all that were addictive. It also has the best same screen multiplayer I've ever seen. My family and I still play them to this day.

And of course, Super Mario 64 will always have replay value for me. In my house, it's always a goal to see who can beat the game the fastest. I love all mario games, of course, but I am obsessed with Mario 64.

 

[Chicago1989]

To me, I always felt that the Resident Evil games always had replay value to them. There was always a sense of beating the story over and over again because you would always be able to play as a different character and use new weapons and secrets that you might've missed on the first playthrough.

Resident Evil 4 and 5 have awesome replay value; You would have a Mercenaries mode, a time attack mode, DLC, & new costumes. I gotta go with the RE games for this one.

Dead Space could also be considered as a game with good replay value as well..

 

[Nova Secura]

I guess the one game that i can never ever turn my back on would be Grand Theft Auto San andreas For the PC. It is perhaps the only game (other than a few playstation exclusives) That can offer limitless replay value. You want to fly a military Jet Into the heart of a top secret base in the desert you can do that, or maybe you would enjoy being chased by flying invisble police cars through a forest in a ice cream van. What i have just written has not even scratched the surface of the things you can do. I sometimes swim out to see with my friends only to get eaten by sharks, we have battles in the sky, ride around in a pimped out lowrider while doing a drive - by on hillbillys in the country side. or just look for one of the many secrets and easter eggs in the game to have fun. It is in my view one of, if not the greatest game of all time.

 

[Kashagi]

I guess the one game that i can never ever turn my back on would be Grand Theft Auto San andreas For the PC. It is perhaps the only game (other than a few playstation exclusives) That can offer limitless replay value. You want to fly a military Jet Into the heart of a top secret base in the desert you can do that, or maybe you would enjoy being chased by flying invisble police cars through a forest in a ice cream van. What i have just written has not even scratched the surface of the things you can do. I sometimes swim out to see with my friends only to get eaten by sharks, we have battles in the sky, ride around in a pimped out lowrider while doing a drive - by on hillbillys in the country side. or just look for one of the many secrets and easter eggs in the game to have fun. It is in my view one of, if not the greatest game of all time.

Online San Andreas is extremely fun.. Get on a Cops and robbers server and your usually playing with 100 others! I actually used to play it with a girl I was starting to get close with.. Though she usually didnt play games, we would plan to rob banks together, get a helicopter, plan an escape and then have it backfire in our face when a lone cop happens to be driving by or something. She and I used to have great fun doing the whole Bonnie and Clyde thing, not to mention the car chases through the desert, with police (real players) calling each other for backup. It didnt even really matter if you were caught or not, the thrill of it all made it worthwhile. Great bonding time too

A game I have to bring up, because it is one of the biggies when it comes to replay value... Civilization. Anyone who hasnt played a game in the series cannot really understand the appeal of the game until they play it. Basically running a civilization, playing a famous leader with different traits (Napoleon in my case usually) and running your race through the history of mankind, advancing in technology, fighting wars and striking alliances with others. It is very rare to finish a game in one sitting (I once did with friends in the shortest play settings possible, took 6 hours). This is a game notorious for having one play hours on end, losing track of time.. and then doing it all over again.