Do you replay your games lots?

Oh sure, there are some games that are designed for replay value.  Either they have multiple paths, or high-scores are a key element, or they're roguelikes or something like that.  I'm talking about the big single-player games, all-time favourites like the Mario games or the Zeldas or Hogs of War.  Where the game is very similar on the second playthrough to the first.  Or even the big story-based games, like your Mass Effects, where the gameplay beats are still very similar even if the story changes.  

Do you go back and replay them?  If so, how much?

I'm beginning to think I'm in the minority as someone who doesn't really replay old games much.  I've had my moments, but Mario RPGs and my five replays of Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire aside I don't think I've played any big single-player game more than twice, even if it comes out on new machines.  I feel like everyone else is constantly revisiting their old games, whereas I... don't.  Am I wrong?

Hmm. There are examples of games I do replay. I've played through Dark Souls to completion once each on XBox and PC, and at least half way on Playstation and Nintendo. I've played short older games like Super Mario Bros or Pokemon Blue many times.

With longer games, I like the idea of playing again but often the time investment is prohibitive when there's so much else I'd rather be doing- including playing other games. I really want to replay the Mass Effect, Resident Evil and Metal Gear series but I'm not sure I see it happening while I have a day job, new games and a life!

It helps if there's some extra little incentive- playing Mario Galaxy as Luigi to earn the final level, replaying Spla2n with other weapons to unlock them in multiplayer, or my current playthrough of every Pokemon generation for pokedex purposes.

I very rarely replay action/RPG/adventure/Platform games.

However, I do play rogue-like games, I play management games like Cities Skylines, or strategy games like Total War: Three Kingdoms. I wouldn't say that you replay those sorts of games, but playing through them as with new loot pickups/ with different design goals/ with different factions - is a core part of those games so I do spend much more time on them than I would something like Mario Odyssey, which while a superb game, I have no inclination to play through again.

In terms of RPGs. I have replayed Life is Strange and a couple of the Telltale games. Generally speaking I won't replay RPGs though. In the choice based ones like Mass Effect, I'm happy for my playthrough to be the new cannon. The closest I'll get to replaying will often be to read what would have happened had I done something else. I don't feel the need to spend hours and hours of time going through a game again just to see the odd change here and there.

The only exception to that is The Witcher 3, as I've downloaded the Game of the Year edition now and want to go through all the DLC and also, the plot and character development in that game is something else so I actually want to get my characters an ending that isn't just pure melancholy.

I will now and again feel like playing Sonic 2 on the MD and mess around for a few hours on the console, or this year we were going to do a podcast where we played only retro for 2 weeks.

Which I went back and played Luigi's Mansion and Twin Snakes on GameCube which I hadn't played for years, which was cool to go back but if the challenge was a replay Phantom Pain then I doubt I would (I doubt I would also play a PS5 remaster as it seems fairly new).

Another one for me is the Xbox One has Backwards Compatibly which up in-till E3 this year, you suddenly get a news update with these 10 games now backwards compatible, which then I would go I kinda like to play that again, or that's X enhanced what does it look like, or I played Splinter Cell Blacklist on Wii U so now I can play on Xbox One to earn achievements.

With remasters/remakes/ports etc it's slightly different as Res Evil 2 is very different, SotC I hadn't played since the PS2 and it has more modern things to it and even Onimusha had some new things along with not playing since the OG Xbox.

I guess it comes down to the game and other things going on in my life to give time to an older game over a new one. This is also why I think FFVII and OoT are still considered two of the best games ever as people played back in the day and haven't really gone back as much as you may think and the nostalgia keeps them always around a Top 10.

The other question to this is things like Life is Strange, Mass Effect, Catherine etc which have choices which I could replay makes the other choices in a game like Catherine to get another of the 9 endings but that to me wouldn't be fun as I would feel I'm forcing myself to make this choice so this happens, where I'm more than happy to go that's my choice that's my story.

Not very often nowadays. I play games a lot less than I used to, so when I do set the time aside for one odds are it's going to be a new one. I also haven't done many post-games and/or completion runs in recent years either.

Not much but I'd like to because I think it's a bit of a bad habit to only be looking for what's new and not appreciating what you already have, but a lot like others have said it very much depends on the game stuff like Dark souls & MHGU are obvious because the gameplay loop is fun and can be played in a variety of ways.

Mostly it's one and done though.

Thanks for the responses (thus far!) gents. You mostly seem to be like me: a couple of special games, otherwise not much. I'm imagining that might change when e.g. Jimbob steps into the fray though.

The_Jaster wrote:

...I think it's a bit of a bad habit to only be looking for what's new and not appreciating what you already have...

Is it a bad habit? I've always been attracted by the new and shiny, and as long as you don't go beyond your means, is that a problem? I suppose it does lead to spending more than it would if you played the same game five times instead, but you have more to talk about, more experiences to share.

For the most part, I will gravitate towards new games or games I haven't played before simply to experience something for the first time. I don't think I'd be alone in that one.

There are certain games that are particularly special to me that I've played several times because I don't think I'll stop enjoying them and because of how they make me feel on every playthrough. Jak and Daxter, Mother 3, The World Ends With You, Castlevania Portrait of Ruin and a few more are some examples of those sort of games.

There are others that I'll replay for multiplayer reasons. I've recently played through Borderlands 2 again with Andy. I've played through Monster Hunter Generations like three times now with the Mash lads. I'll probably play through the first Borderlands game with Andy too soon.

I think time is a big factor for a replay too. Some games need a longer gap before I go back and replay them - RPGs are the genre I've got in mind for this as it takes a long time for the story beats and gameplay to feel fresh enough for a replay.

Balladeer wrote:

Thanks for the responses (thus far!) gents.  You mostly seem to be like me: a couple of special games, otherwise not much.  I'm imagining that might change when e.g. Jimbob steps into the fray though.

The_Jaster wrote:

...I think it's a bit of a bad habit to only be looking for what's new and not appreciating what you already have...

Is it a bad habit?  I've always been attracted by the new and shiny, and as long as you don't go beyond your means, is that a problem?  I suppose it does lead to spending more than it would if you played the same game five times instead, but you have more to talk about, more experiences to share.

It's not majorly bad habit generally but it can be for some folk, I guess I'm just always reminded of this quote from (not radical but the name taker and ass kicker) Reggie Fils-Aime of how the gaming community can act.

Quote :

One of the things that, on one hand, I love and, on the other hand, that troubles me tremendously about not only our fanbase but about the gaming community at large is that, whenever you share information, the perspective is, 'Thank you, but I want more.' 'Thank you, but give me more.' I mean, it is insatiable.

Counter-suggestion: it's okay to want new experiences (certainly better than seeing a company solely living off past glories), but at the same time those are harder to make and some people need to understand that.

JayMoyles wrote:

There are certain games that are particularly special to me that I've played several times because I don't think I'll stop enjoying them and because of how they make me feel on every playthrough. Jak and Daxter, Mother 3, The World Ends With You, Castlevania Portrait of Ruin and a few more are some examples of those sort of games.

See, this is what I don't think happens to me. The Mario RPGs, I replayed because they're nice and light and I enjoy the combat and how they felt, not how they made me feel. If that makes sense. I think it's that sense of feeling and comfort in a familiar game that I don't get so much, or not now anyway.[/go-sen]

I don't replay my games much, but I really should. "A couple of special games, otherwise not much", and "it's mostly one and done" so that I move on "to experience something for the first time".

I'm really reluctant to go back to the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Breath of the Wild though. I fear that the magic won't be there the second time round.

The one game that sticks out for me is Resident Evil 4.

A short while back my friend and I spent an afternoon smashing through Grand Theft Auto 3, and you realise how small that game is compared to current sandbox worlds. It didn't ruin our memories of GTA3 though, but I can see why someone playing it for the first time might be disappointed. It's a very quiet game, outside of the radio stations, and pretty easy all things considered. Some qualities that my memory had forgotten, although I likely spent hours just dropping tanks from the sky thanks to rampant cheating!

SMG is pretty much timeless as it is 5-10 minute snippets of platforming. It might look a little fuzzy, but it's held up remarkably well.

I don't have time, and have a backlog, so not any more - when I played Zelda II, I thought "for the umpteenth time" in my head; but probably I hadn't played it for 5 years prior to that. I haven't even done a second playthrough of Breath of the Wild.

The bombshell! Not even the NES games? I mean, other ones that are better than Zelda II?

gjones wrote:

SMG is pretty much timeless as it is 5-10 minute snippets of platforming. It might look a little fuzzy, but it's held up remarkably well.

This surprises me not at all. I imagine SMO will be great fun just to play about in, years down the line.

I replay NES games the most due to VCs etc. - but that's still once every 4-5 years at the current rate. Every year be "top 5 games of the year" list for the forum gets difficult, and sometimes I haven't played 5 games that came out in the year, such is my backlog.

Ooft. Get a lumberjack to look at that back of yours, stat!

...sorry. It's late.

Not too much these days, I've a huge stack of them I always have an urge to return to but there's so many games these days it's hard to get around to them. These days I'm most likely to replay a game if there's a trophy in it for me to do so, might seem silly but it helps give me that extra push to choose it over a new game.

My most replayed game is still Wind Waker, I couldn't get enough of it back in the day and of course having less games meant there was always time for this beauty, including my one play through on the Wii U remake I must be sitting on about 7 playthroughs total. Unsurprisingly my next most replayed games are probably Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess after that. Thing is I'd definitely play through them all again over a new game if they released them on the Switch.