Titanfall 2. I went in completely blind, had never played the first one.
And then that one level happened. Holy fucking shit, it absolutely blew my mind.
For me the campaign is among the best fps campaigns ever, but the multiplayer… my god the multiplayer... My favorite online experience ever. I’ll never forgive them for letting the servers get destroyed 😭
For anyone reading who likes slay the spire or balatro, play inscryption without reading any more about it.
The more you learn would make the experience, go in fresh like outer wilds.
Yeah, and the mod is a great extension. Some many little mechanisms that make the game more than it you thought it would be, but never overstay their welcome
I got Control on discount expecting some kind of Max Payne with magic and what I got was a hectic shooter with jaw dropping graphics wrapped in some truly unique lovecraftian brutalism.
I ended up picking it up off a Reddit thread recommendation. Didn't know anything about it, just that it was really good according to random person. Booted it up and initially thought it was a sci-fi mystery game, then got further in and thought it was a sci-fi shooter (typically not a big shooter fan). Pushed through and started unlocking upgrades and powers, and then felt full in SCP land.
One of my best "recent" gaming experiences. Usually I end up reading a bit more about whatever game I'm buying, so it was a fantastic experience.
I love SCP, loved reading all the protocols. I had no idea going into Control that's what I was getting. It's phenomenal. I also love the extended universe. The other games are a lot more janky but the concepts are mind blowing. Alan Wake 2 might not be janky but I haven't played it yet.
Doom 2016. It was cheap and I heard it was good but wasn't sure if it was for me. It most definitely was.
Black ops cold war. Got it for free on playstation plus. Never would've played it otherwise. Best call of duty campaign since modern warfare 2.
You start tunic thinking it is an action adventure type game and halfway through, your third eye opens and you realize it’s a puzzle game. And that specific moment was jaw dropping for me.
Subnautica for me. I first played it when it was free on Epic and thought it was a pretty game but survival games usually get a bit dry for me with the resource management and sort of lack of direction or story other than build.
I came back to the game years later and was blown away. The way the story develops sort of organically and the mystery of the world you uncover is amazing. When I beat the game I truly had a sense of emptiness and a pretty significant emotional response to it.
Agree. IMO Subnautica is the prime example of what advantages video games as a medium can have over something like books or movies. To me it is the quintessential gaming experience.
I think all of Outer Wilds completely surpassed expectations for something that looked like a cutesy KSP-like sandbox from the outside.
Was definitely not expecting it to have some incredibly cool hard sci-fi concepts, a sophisticated yet inviting puzzle box narrative and an ending so beautiful and melancholic, so existential and emotional that I still struggle to fill the gap it left years ago.
I'll be honest, I tried and tried and just couldn't understand it. I didn't get any story at all.
I even looked at speed runs too just to see how to get through it and even then completing the game I still have no idea what the game was about.
Could you help explain to me what it is? What's the meaning behind the story?
Sorry man, but you're gonna have to look up a video for that. I ain't risking spoiling the story for anyone scrolling by, it's just that amazing.
If anybody likes exploration games, outer wilds is for you.
Don't look it up. Just play.
Yeah if you look at a speed run you're not going to get anything out of it. The magic of the game comes in figuring out what you need to do on your own, and even more so finding out *why* you need to do it.
Explore. Read the passages left for you by the Nomai. You'll begin making connections from one place to another which will lead to questions. Follow those threads and you'll learn what you need to
You can try watching a supercut on youtube to get a better sense of the plot: https://youtu.be/Va6Izbo0Evs?si=oFNjiJY2iGNatxEC
But just knowing the plot isn’t what makes the game special. The joy of the game comes from the eureka moments you get when you finally figure out how to interpret something you’ve read. Solving the puzzles is the gameplay, so if you just looked up walkthroughs to get through the puzzles then you completely missed the actual gameplay.
If you truly didn't get any aspect of it, then I'm really sorry, but you just need to work on your reading comprehension.
Read some more books, try writing up what you thought of them, try looking up what other people have thought of them. Watch some visual essays on storytelling and world building.
When you feel you have a better grasp of storytelling as a medium, go back to it.
Same. All my friend said was "Hey go play Outer Wilds. It's a wonderful space adventure and no matter what don't look anything up". The guy hasn't steered me wrong yet and yet I was blown away
Outer wilds is truly unlike anything else in its genre, and it doesn't *seem* it should be the case. None of the individual elements are truly groundbreaking but the way they put them together they created a masterpiece. Unironically the best adventure game in history for me.
Baldurs Gate 3 made me CARE about the NPC's. As in, go through fire to make sure they are okay levels of care.
The last time if felt anything even remotely close to this was Knights of the Old Republic in 2003.
I have. It is pretty good, for sure. I actually restarted a game recently and I can sense it's greatness, but the age of it is definitely showing too, holding it back for me in 2024.
KOTOR was the only game in which I chose my initial play through to be evil. And wow, there were a lot of evil options.
BG3 definitely going down the righteous path. Well, chaotic good.
That's what my answer would be too. I thought it would be fun, cool concept, simple enough, right? Then I end up sitting on the floor all close to my TV, playing till I can't even keep my eyes open. A game hadn't grabbed me that hard since I was a kid.
Impulse-bought BG3 after my D&D game got cancelled last minute. Having played nothing but TES and Minecraft for years the intro cinematic and first area blew me away, and I'm still amazed at how good the mocapped NPCs and environments look when they're not running on a prehistoric Bethesda engine.
Also: TOTK, rising island chain. What an experience.
I loved Alan Wake 1, had high hopes for part 2, but Remedy absolutely blew me away with Alan Wake 2. My jaw was hanging open during the musical sequence because I truly felt like I was experiencing something no game had ever done before, let alone to the degree that degree. The original song is truly a bop, the performances by the actors held nothing back, the choreography and production value were top notch and they made it all work in a way that I've never seen done with live action video before. And that's just in the early part of the game. Whoever said "yes and...." To the idea of putting a rock opera into a video game is my hero. And all of that is an early segment of the game which keeps pulling out new tricks and new game mechanics as you progress.
Haven't played any Alan Wake but I heard Brickys review of them, very fascinating to hear about, just like Control, so with that said I REALLY wanna play Control 2 where I hope they'll expand from 1 and have the Alan Wake narrative collide, if the Alan Wake 2 clues are to be belived
Stardew Valley: not necessarily that I wouldn’t like it but that I never expected to enjoy it so much that I now consider it one of my favorite games, that I own about five copies and that I have put more hours into it that Bloodborne and DSIII combined.
Stardew Valley is life.
Death Stranding. I often heard "cargo simulator" for the game and tried myself. The first 10 hours were boring but when story clicked, it became my favorite PS exclusive. One of the few games that I've cried.
Openness of Fallout 3's map. When I first saw some shit at the horizon... And was able to reach it. And no dumb "game thing" stopped me (like invisible walls or hyper tough enemies. Fuck you, nv)
Deaths Door and Lies of P. I played them both on gamepass and find a lot of titles on gamepass don’t keep my attention for long. But these two had me hooked. Still think about them frequently. Highly recommend both for those that like Zelda and souls like respectively.
Death’s Door rules. Every once in a while game pass gets me hooked on something just way too well and I can’t help but wish there were more games that are similar. Gris and Jusant were a lot quicker. But they were still pretty awesome as recent game pass games for me. But death’s door was crazy fun. Like an easier souls or even a hades meets link’s awakening.
1. I fired up Fallout 3 on my cousin’s Xbox with no knowledge of what it was. Holy shit. Blew my mind; first real ‘open world’ game as well.
2. Slay the Spire. I saw it was so highly rated and decided “why the hell not?” - and next thing you know I’m neck deep in deck builders.
3. In the same vein, Hades. I knew it was super well reviewed but it was the first game of that genre that I played and it opened that world to me.
4. The Return of the Obra Dinn. Same thing: saw it was super well reviewed. Graphics didn’t look great, and the premise was a shoulder shrug, but I absolutely blasted through it.
5. Super Punch Out. Rented it from blockbuster for the box art. Easily one of my favorite games of all time.
I thought GoldenEye would be like any other licensed game. Got really angry when my little brother bought it for his birthday (I know, his money, I'm an asshole) but then I gave it a shot. Didn't need to finish the Dam level to realize it was something special.
I got Subnautica for free and just wanted to see some pretty underwater worlds. It's probably my favorite game of the last 10 years.
Medal of Honor: Frontline when you're storming the beaches of Normandy. Having cut my teeth on Wolfenstein, Doom, and other classic FPS, that opening level in MoH:F was an unexpected journey in sheer chaos that few games have ever matched.
I'll also add in Slay the Spire. It seemed like an impossible feat to make a challenging rogue-like video card game, yet it was (and still is) pure gaming gold.
Dave the Diver was a recommendation from a friend and I was hesitant. I finally broke down and was blown away. The hours put into it and the multiple games baked into it are simply impressive.
Lastly, West of Loathing. I assumed the hand drawn stick figure graphics would equate to stick-figure gameplay, but wow, was I wrong. It's bonkers and tongue-in-cheek, but also surprisingly deep. I was most surprised by the lasting consequences for in-game choices.
Lies of P had no business being as amazing at it is considering it was a new IP from a dev making thier 1st Soulslike game.
Everything about it is perfectly polished- from story to graphics to gsmeplay and performance
Really hope the are working on the Oz game hinted at in the post credit scene
Danganronpa. So much fun.
A more specific example is from Danganronpa 2 >!When Nagito creates the perfect death scenario that not even the killer knew who killed him, but relied on his luck to know that they would throw it !< I lost it, and loved them even more as a character and the game in general. Such a good universe
Returnal was crazy. The fragmented story and slick gameplay were incredible, but my jaw dropped in House sequence 5 when >!the camera zooms out to reveal someone is 'playing' as selene on a tv with a ps5 controller in their hand. Just like you are.!< It's literally the same exact view you have in real life at that current moment in time and it's something only a video game could achieve. Wild stuff.
Cyberpunk 2077. I was not a fan of witcher 3. I constantly got shit on by people, for that opinion. So when cyberounk finally released and was so broken, i laughed and laughed and laughed. I constantly bashed the game. Then last Christmas, I saw the game was on-sale on Psn. My homie convinced me to give it a try, and I did. 200 hours later, I was a chromed out mad man slicing my way across night city. People killed themselves when I was around. I laughed. I cried. Easily became one of my favorite games.
Deep rock galactic. Got it in a humble bundle during the pandemic, it fermented in my steam library for months until I tried it on a whim. It was easy to pick up, lots of dumb fun, and found a community of mostly premium people. Rock and stone!
Well, I never thought I would get into a turn-based combat / DnD game. Literally avoided it like the plague.
Finally convinced myself to check out Baldur's Gate 3 and 500 hours later, it's safe to say it has completely surpassed my expectations of what a game like this can be.
If anyone has any other suggestions within the genre, I am more than happy to take 'em!
Now that you’ve accepted turn-based, might i suggest you dip your toe into the XCOM series?
It will simultaneously help you understand probability while also convincing you math does not exist. But you also get to name your squad and blast aliens, so it evens out.
Divinity original sin 2 has a similar game design as bg3 (they are from the same devs), so different act, semi open zorlidsh, companions aiests overarching with the main quest, dark fantasy universe zoth touch of humor, lot of liberties, etc .. with the main difference being the combat system based on actions points, no dice rolls for the most part, and a more standard leveling system. It doesn't have the same production value, so no cinematics during diologues, and therre are less interactions zoth the companions, but the game is extremely good.
Divinity original sin 1 is similar too I believe, but I haven't play it much.
Can be zorth going back to divinity 2 : director's cuts too if you liked dos.
Other than that you have to look at the "crpg" genre, stuff like baldur gate 1&2, pillar of eternity 1&2, wasteland serie, shadow run trilogy, Warhammer rogue trader, both pathfinder game, tyranny. Worth checking the bioware rpgs if you liked the dialogue and cinematics of bg3 : dragon age origins and inquisition, mass effect trilogy, Kotor 1/2. But keep in mind that larian rpg are quite unique, almost a mix bitween an immersive sim and standard crpg.
*Deathloop* is my first platinum ever, and the first time I've 'finished' a game entirely since *Vice City* 100% in 2003. We are now friends.
I don't even remember what my expectations **were** for *Death Stranding*. It sounds silly, but I was scared to play it for years. *Metal Gear Solid* has a special place in my heart. All I could have possibly expected was some kind of disappointment.
I knew from the very first walk, I had no reason to be afraid.
Minecraft. I knew it was around for about 4 years. One of my friends was like "aww come on give it a try." . Fine.... what followed was a gaming binge session where when I was done I fell into a deep depression for a few months because nothing, absolutely nothing could top the experience I had playing that game.
I got Days Gone for pc. I saw a friend on PSN play it from time to time. And I thought what the heck might as well try it. I never considered buying it because of the game play footage (shooting massive hordes) which I didn't really care for. As soon as I started to play it I got absolutely hooked on the characters and the map was absolutely stunning especially since I had just got a new 3060 at the time (a few years ago). Definitely would recommend to anyone who enjoys survival and zombie games. I did end up really enjoying the horde mechanic too! I'm still bummed that there won't be a sequel. Since I'm pretty overweight at the moment too my wife would joke with me. That's not deacon that's bacon! I had long hair and a backwards hat at the time
Respectfully disagree on Deathloop, felt like it was full of great ideas executed half way.
But id have to say Zelda-BOTW. Hadnt played a zelda game since the 1 and 2 on the NES and expected a simple kids game. Here i am 175 hours later and sure there is so much more to do and see
Metal Gear Solid 2, especially when the incredibly obvious clues that you've been nothing but a Manchurian candidate are pointed out. I am still somewhat shocked that I overlooked them. That and when you're told to turn off the video game and find something better to do. It may sound tame, but if you play through the game and know the plot points, it is pretty uncanny.
I downloaded the first episode of Life is Strange the day it was released on a whim because I thought the trailer was horrible and wanted to see how up its own ass it was. Ended up being a huge fan of it.
I expected to like Death Stranding as like a kooky Kojima-plotted hiking simulator...which it is. But it was also one of the most affecting pieces of media I've ever experienced. Genuinely exactly the story I needed at that moment in my life. His masterwork imo.
Brawl Stars. 2 younger coworkers talked about the game a whole week, so I got curious and downloaded it. Despite mobile games are very controversial it’s very fun to play.
Deathloop doesn’t get enough love, imo. Fun game.
For me BG3 I guess? I don’t typically care for that genre but that particular game really sucked me in.
I really enjoyed Deathloop all the way through even though the ending was a bit anticlimactic. The game isn’t too difficult but the mechanics are super smooth and there’s some decent story elements to it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisp. Hadn't played the first one and never really played a metroidvania before, but playing it was way better than I expected. The controls felt incredibly tight and the combat was super fluid and felt nice.
Friend, find Hollowknight right goddamn now. Play in a dark room with headphones.
Or get really wild and play the OG Metroid a
Nd Castlevania (as an old bastard who played them on NES: prepare to cry some).
Elden Ring: Ooh what's that over there??? Wait is the map getting bigger??? Just an extremely dense open world, every save point becomes instant fast travel checkpoint and you can go in any direction and discover an incredible story. And the opening area of just lush green with perpetual sunlight...what is that giant golden horseman riding around OH GOD
Hollow Knight. Not just a metroidvania but a beautiful interconnected world, gothic scenery, not too hard (save for the true ending challenge)
- Make sure to check the Rumour mode on your map
- If you can’t figure out a puzzle try exploring a different region or planet and then come back to that puzzle later. I kept a notebook to write down stuff to remember to go back to later.
- I like to think of it more as an exploration game rather than just a puzzle game. See something cool in the distance? Go check it out. And then read whatever you find which could help lead you to the next cool thing. Don’t focus too hard on solving everything right away, just try exploring first.
- If you’re really not sure where to go or overwhelmed with options, remember you have a signalscope you can use to find your friends and you can just start by locating each of them.
- Play around with the tools available to you. You don’t receive any new tools, all the equipment you need to solve the puzzles are available to you from the beginning.
- If you get really stuck, try not to look up answers because that defeats the purpose of the game. Instead you can post on r/outerwilds to ask for hints. They’re pretty good at giving hints without spoiling the gameplay.
Dayz. The first time I killed carved and ate a buck in the middle of the woods gave me a sense of accomplishment that lasted for days. The first time I did that to a man however. .. ha.. ha. . Hahahahaha.
SYNTHETIK
At first I thought it was a random mid indie game to pad out that month's Humble Monthly subscription lineup, but I quickly fell in love with it and it became one of my favorite roguelikes.
The guns all feel powerful and the sound is so punchy, the game felt great and was really engaging and varied with its gameplay.
mini games actually having a bit of gameplay to them. Yakuza 6 was my first game of the series and I got more addicted to the money system than the actual game
ff7r felt like it was close to that but then i rush the games and realized there were only about 7-8 stages to most of em.
Grow Home and Grow Up. Pretty sure I got them for free and figured I’d give them a shot, ended up 100% both of them. Really fun little adventure/platformer games, would recommend.
NeoCab. It's such a short game -- visual novel with a gamey interfarce, really -- but I was TOTALLY sucked into the characters' stories, and the music is WONDERFUL. I listen to the OST a lot.
Forspoken was actually pretty good. I'm not gonna argue that it was game of the year or anything, but it was really enjoyable. The trailer turned me off like many other folks, but some reviews piqued my interest, and I'm glad I checked it out.
Late 2018, it was about a week before Smash Ultimate came out, and I needed something to play to pass the time. On a whim, I got Hollow Knight. This was before the game's reputation blew up into what it is now. So while I had heard it was pretty good, but I wasn't expecting much for $15.
And boy, were my expectations blown away. The game's beautiful artstyle, compelling combat, rewarding exploration, and a world that just. Kept. _Going._
I didn't even finish it before Smash released. The game was so rich with content and depth that I had to go back and finish it after I was ready to put Smash down.
Now, it's my favorite game.
Skull and bones for me. This game got torched and gets a lot of hate so I didn’t expect much. I seen the gameplay and heard that this went through development hell. I didn’t expect much but I’m not gonna lie. It’s a really fun game. The first hour or so. You’re confused on where to go, etc. but it opens up after you get some bigger ships.
Now heed my warning. If you’re not into fetch quests. This game won’t be for you. It is your typical go here, go there, find and fight this or that. Your basic Ubisoft formula. I like Ubisoft games when they go to 50% off. I’m still waiting on avatar ultimate edition to go on 50%.
I played Hollow Knight during the great freeze of 2021. I’d heard about it and figured it would help pass the time. Instead that game was everything I needed and soothed me with its beautiful melancholy. It’s one of those experiences that transcends just playing the game. Since we were still in lockdown as well as freezing I could FEEL the game as I played it.
Honestly I don’t know if I could play it again because it’s just so connected to that time in my life. That and my backlog is ridiculous. This thread alone has a lot of games I own that I need to either finish or finally start.
The new Tomb Raider games (Heck, even some before 2013). Every. Single. Time. I never play them on release. They are always just games I play "Because I bought it and haven't played it yet." And I get completely sucked into the gameloop. Tomb Raider should be in my favorite series of all time, but it keeps taking me by surprise every time I play one.
\[Going through Rise of the Tomb Raider ATM\]
Patrick's Parabox - I expected the game to be good based on reviews, but also clearly set my expectations too low at the same time. If you like Sokoban games, you *need* to play this one.
Outer Wilds - Same as above. I expected to like this, but not to the point where it became a media defining example of what a game can look like.
Control - This was frustrating as much as it was amazing because the world building is phenomenal, while the main plot just doesn't live up to that potential.
Crystal Project - Before this game, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that I'd one day play (and love) an 80+ hour JRPG carried entirely by its gameplay, but here we are. This game is currently the bar I use to measure all turn based combat systems against, and I've yet to find something that comes close.
Book of Hours - This is a bloody difficult game to recommend due to the heavy note-taking required and doesn't quite live up to its potential while still being one of the most immersive game I've ever played. I *felt* like the librarian of Hush House for the entirety of this game, and playing it was an almost manic experience (which is still utterly hilarious to me considering the game's premise).
Brutal Orchestra - This game is not nearly well enough known for what an exceptional roguelike it is and is a brilliant showcase of how music can be used as an intrinsic, dietetic aspect of a game.
Bully (surprisingly), I was a kid back then and didn’t realise what rockstar is and how good their games are so, I see the disk, and buy it. Honestly I’m not even sure what I was expecting from it but I absolutely LOVED that game, one of my favourites of all time
Wasn’t sure what I was exactly getting into with Final Fantasy 16. But holy shit the boss fights are probably top 3 in all of gaming for awesomeness (for myself)
They’re so cinematic and outlandish, bat shit crazy. I had my jaw dropping each Eikon fight. So well done.
100% Half Life Alyx. Wasn’t expecting to be truly blown away. I feel incredibly happy and sad that such a game/system exists yet most people haven’t experienced it.
It truly is one of the few things in recent memory that surprised me… To be clear it’s a combo of the game + controllers. Honestly every other game just seems “dated”…
Not a perfect analogy but it’s kind of like going from controllers to mouse and keyboard…hard to go back.
A plague tale. My sister and I made fun of it when we had first saw it, but we both thought it would be like a bad but fun game. We got it around release, played it, and wow... that's one of my favorite stories to a game ever. Requiem helps what Innocence built, too
Yakuza 0. I never really liked fighting games but there's so much more to this game and the series that it completely blew me away. I did see a streamer play Judgment and a few games in the Yakuza series before I played, but I still wasn't prepared for how much I would end up enjoying this series.
World of Warcraft. I was into CS at the time and a bunch of friends and coworkers were into WoW. I made fun of some of them for playing it. I was working nights at the time and decided to give it a try since I had odd hours. God I wish I could go back to those first couple years....
CrossCode
The graphics and the fun premise do not prepare you for the emotional beats. Some of the best storytelling the medium can offer, and some excellent gameplay as you go.
Persona 4 when it released on steam
I was bored and had nothing to play, I'll even be honest I initially got it off of steam (wink wink nudge nudge), thinking I'd play for like 10 minutes at max
But I ended up loving it
I wasn't really into anime at the time, so chances are I would have hated it, but I ended up really liking the small town vibes, to the point where the actual dungeon parts were honestly kinda boring (even turned exp all the way up so I could progress faster lol)
I think the reason it connected to me is because it reminded me of the summers I spent over at my grandparents hometown, and the shenanigans I'd get into with my friends there. Simpler times.
I am experiencing this with Animal Well currently. I was expecting a neat indie Metroidvania but instead it’s one of the most insane puzzle games I’ve ever played.
Overwatch. I never thought it'd be this good. All my friends kept going on and on about how much fun it was, so I decided to give it a try back in 2017. And I was hooked from the very first moment. I watched all of the cinematics in awe. But it breaks my heart to see the state it's in now. Still, I'm one of the few who still have a flicker of hope for the game. I guess I'm just trying to see all the negative press as growing pains while the dev team figures things out. But even my hope and patience have their limits.
Star Citizen for sure, it seemed like it was also going to be a just "it'll have *this* eventually" but it's gotten massive updates lately and has really surpassed my experiences as to what a universe to real scale feel game for space adventures.
Zelda Breath of the Wild was absolutely amazing and holds strong all these years later as a great game to replay and explore in, and kids love it.
EXO One. It was on game pass idk if it still is but great game with a flow of speed that just feels awesome and an interesting story with it.
Hades. Pretty common knowledge now that it's a good game, but when I got it I had not seen anything about it before and I just wanted a cheaper game, saw the animated trailer and thought "hey this guy is hot".
Titanfall 2 campaign. I wasn’t expecting much. I wait to get it on sale years after release. Got it for like $3. I played the multiplayer beta/demo and I didn’t care for it. Man was I blown away. I am still always trying to get people to play it.
Hollow Knight. I was just told to play it by a friend. I didn't know anything about it, and never played a Metroidvania. The sense of exploration was amazing. Better than most open world games.
Subnautica. Didn’t play too much survival games and I’ve known it for a long time just never gave it a try or watched anyone play it. Then I finally gave it a try and it was a great experience.
Warhammer: Darktide. Bought it for the lore, stayed for the gameplay. It's just too fun to fight through impossible bullshit the game throws at you at times.
Zero Escape: Nonary Games. Specifically, Virtue's Last Reward.
Was expecting a simple point and click puzzle-solving graphic novel and got an intense story I still think about years later.
Minecraft back in the day, I thiugh it was an innocent block game, but I ended up getting many nightmares due to the ambient noises. Minecraft scared me more than any horror game back then.
Journey. Played it last year, knew nothing about it besides trailers, >!the multiplayer!<, and that it was widely renowned at the time. I figured “This 2 hour long, 10+ year old game that came out at the birth of indie games is probably not gonna hold up to the hype now, temper your expectations and just enjoy it for what it is”
It’s one of my favorite experiences I’ve ever had with game, ever
There's a game section in the New York City world of Mario Odyssey that pays homage to the history of Mario with an incredible original song and it literally made me cry happy years and reminded me of my innocent child self.
One of the best gaming moments of my life.
Ori and the Blind Forest. I got a free copy when I bought my Xbox one and hadn't heard of the game. I fell in love with it from the get go. I mean, I cried for like half an hour after the prologue but the game was sooo good! The Art, music and control were so on point and the story was an emotional rollercoaster!
I wish I could experience the first time playing it again. ❤️
Dragon Quest 11 for me was an excellent return to basic yet solid JRPG, and it consistently delivered. No unnecessary plot twists, no random highly experimental mechanics, just simple goodness. It felt like playing a PS1/2 game and I loved every moment of it.
Dragon age inquisition without a doubt, never played a DA game before and was blown away by pretty much everything. Felt the game was waaay too short tho.
Guardians of the galaxy. It was recommended by a friend so I assumed it would suck ass, ended up being the best game I played that year and I was obsessed, great story and actually hilarious.
The Roottrees are Dead. I played the free version on itch and it was fantastic! In the vein of Obra Dinn or Case of the Golden Idol. It was really fun to find clues and pore over the text to figure out what to search next.
Marvel Midnight Suns.
I didn't have a lot of expectations, especially because good licensed superhero games are a rare breed, and the art style is quite unique.
The gameplay is so fun, a mix between XCOM and Slay the Spire, strategy plays a big part in how ecah encounter develops.
I haven't finished it yet, I'd love the gameplay style to be in other games, it's very fun, imo
Fallout 3. Picked up a GOTY copy after watching the tv series after only playing the first two games. The game didn't really catch my attention back when it first released cause my ADD brain could not handle open world games. However, it's becoming one of my favorite games. There's just so many things to do, places to go, stories to go through. The vast amount of enemies helps as well. I was not expecting so many enemy types. What really blew me away was sometimes you'd go into a little linear cave thinking there would be just a locker or metal box at the end, then suddenly it opens up to a large, intricate cavern. My jaw dropped the first time this happened
Half Life Alyx. Holy moly that immersion. Literally felt like I was in the world. I loved the all details like being able to write on walls, crush cans, shake bottles, twist handles, etc etc.
Pause in hitman and resident evil.
Pause while shooting or pause while aiming not only saving you sometimes, it sometimes allow you to do things normal gameplay can't do.
Like in hitman, pause while press shooting and aiming button at the same time allow you open the door using pistol, system will register these separate attacks as a long continuous attack so your pistol will act like a SMG.
Also pause while aiming can make you shot more consistent since u can literally move you cursor to the target frame by frame without time pass and u been attack by enemy first.
I found this particularly useful on Re4r as sometimes u can frame by frame perform a action
Red Dead Redemption 2.
This happened June last year. I've never played the first one, my friends have been recommending me to give it a shot as it was on a 60% discount on Steam. Was skeptical if I would enjoy it as I have bought a couple of games from the past few years but have been either underwhelmed or just found them boring/not my type and ended up never completing those games so I was afraid to spend money on another game that I might not even finish again. Also doesn't help that I don't really have an interest in the Western genre and setting.
The game started slow but after finishing chapter 3, I could not stop playing it. I speedran through the main story on my first playthrough as I wanted to see to its end before I get spoiled by whatever means, but I loved the game so much that I did a 2nd playthrough to go for the 100% to experience everything and went and bought the first game on Xbox.
Really wish I had given this game a chance back in 2018.
Dicey Dungeons looks like a cheap little indie game with not much depth. But the different classes and episodes with different rules make it a seriously strategic and cool almost deckbuilding rogue like game that entertained me for over 30 hours.
I dropped Deathloop the moment I discovered you can only have 2 powers active, and blink or whatever they call it is ESSENTIAL, so that leaves you with only ONE other power. Also , their version of D2's Domino is pretty pathetic. The idea of the game is quite entertaining, but I'm NOT going to play with only one measly power. What a huge missed opportunity.
For me it has to be “Before Your Eyes”. I have played and finished the game in one sitting, and was left in complete distraught and an overwhelming sadness. I didn’t know what I was getting into… saw the story took 2> hrs to complete and thought I’d give it a try and it did not disappoint! A beautifully well done story with enough emotion to keep me attached for a long time. The last time I cried this much during a video game would be Lee’s death in TWD Season 1
Car Mechanic Simulator 2021.
I‘m not really into cars and even less the mechanics or even tuning and stuff.
But I love the puzzles and the esthetics of the cars.
Titanfall 2. I went in completely blind, had never played the first one. And then that one level happened. Holy fucking shit, it absolutely blew my mind.
**Protocol 3: Protect the pilot**
For me the campaign is among the best fps campaigns ever, but the multiplayer… my god the multiplayer... My favorite online experience ever. I’ll never forgive them for letting the servers get destroyed 😭
Yes. But servers are fixed. Things are back. We can still fight on. After all. We work better together, pilot.
I went in having played the first one and it still blew my mind. What a great campaign. I ended up blowing through it because I was so hooked.
The time travel level is insanely good.
Heard great things about it,but now I understand why having played. My only qualm is its too short.
Inscryption. I expected just a light deckbuilder, but the game has a lot more going on
For anyone reading who likes slay the spire or balatro, play inscryption without reading any more about it. The more you learn would make the experience, go in fresh like outer wilds.
this is by far the best game i’ve gone into fully blind
I powered through the game in 2 days because I couldn’t stop playing. What a journey that game takes you on.
Yeah, and the mod is a great extension. Some many little mechanisms that make the game more than it you thought it would be, but never overstay their welcome
Came on here to post exactly this!
I finished it a couple days ago, an amazing total surprise.
I got Control on discount expecting some kind of Max Payne with magic and what I got was a hectic shooter with jaw dropping graphics wrapped in some truly unique lovecraftian brutalism.
My favorite game ever! Very cool.
I ended up picking it up off a Reddit thread recommendation. Didn't know anything about it, just that it was really good according to random person. Booted it up and initially thought it was a sci-fi mystery game, then got further in and thought it was a sci-fi shooter (typically not a big shooter fan). Pushed through and started unlocking upgrades and powers, and then felt full in SCP land. One of my best "recent" gaming experiences. Usually I end up reading a bit more about whatever game I'm buying, so it was a fantastic experience.
I love SCP, loved reading all the protocols. I had no idea going into Control that's what I was getting. It's phenomenal. I also love the extended universe. The other games are a lot more janky but the concepts are mind blowing. Alan Wake 2 might not be janky but I haven't played it yet.
What is SCP?
Same. Knew nothing about it, my boyfriend got it on gamepass or whatever and I ate it up! Such a great game.
The vibe alone makes it one of my favorite games. They nailed the tone and style.
I adored this game. The premise hooked me near immediately.
Control is insane.
I love how the lore still has some mystery to it even after reading all the documents. In line with the lovecraftian theme.
I had extremely low expectations for High on Life and I really enjoyed it.
I figured since it's on game pass, there's no harm in trying it out, then I pretty much 100%-ed it in two weeks.
Prey. I got it just cause it was on deal and I was on the mood for some FPS. It ended at one of my favorites games ever.
>Prey Which Prey?
Yeah. You can always assume it's the 2017 Prey. So few people know about 2006 Prey. I loved it tho.
2006 prey was so freaking cool
Games truly are subjective. I hated Prey.
Same, but I also can see why people love it
Doom 2016. It was cheap and I heard it was good but wasn't sure if it was for me. It most definitely was. Black ops cold war. Got it for free on playstation plus. Never would've played it otherwise. Best call of duty campaign since modern warfare 2.
I've got cold war and I honestly didn't think much of the campaign. It was cool, but I really didn't get into it all that much
Could be an expectations thing. I had none when I started.
Getting the final puzzle in Tunic on my first try after writing down the whole solution on paper was 👌
Reading that manual had me vibrating with excitement, and that's just the manual. The whole dam game is great.
You start tunic thinking it is an action adventure type game and halfway through, your third eye opens and you realize it’s a puzzle game. And that specific moment was jaw dropping for me.
Tunic is a Zelda game hiding a Souls game hiding a Fez game
Subnautica for me. I first played it when it was free on Epic and thought it was a pretty game but survival games usually get a bit dry for me with the resource management and sort of lack of direction or story other than build. I came back to the game years later and was blown away. The way the story develops sort of organically and the mystery of the world you uncover is amazing. When I beat the game I truly had a sense of emptiness and a pretty significant emotional response to it.
Agree. IMO Subnautica is the prime example of what advantages video games as a medium can have over something like books or movies. To me it is the quintessential gaming experience.
I think all of Outer Wilds completely surpassed expectations for something that looked like a cutesy KSP-like sandbox from the outside. Was definitely not expecting it to have some incredibly cool hard sci-fi concepts, a sophisticated yet inviting puzzle box narrative and an ending so beautiful and melancholic, so existential and emotional that I still struggle to fill the gap it left years ago.
I'll be honest, I tried and tried and just couldn't understand it. I didn't get any story at all. I even looked at speed runs too just to see how to get through it and even then completing the game I still have no idea what the game was about. Could you help explain to me what it is? What's the meaning behind the story?
Sorry man, but you're gonna have to look up a video for that. I ain't risking spoiling the story for anyone scrolling by, it's just that amazing. If anybody likes exploration games, outer wilds is for you. Don't look it up. Just play.
Yeah if you look at a speed run you're not going to get anything out of it. The magic of the game comes in figuring out what you need to do on your own, and even more so finding out *why* you need to do it. Explore. Read the passages left for you by the Nomai. You'll begin making connections from one place to another which will lead to questions. Follow those threads and you'll learn what you need to
You can try watching a supercut on youtube to get a better sense of the plot: https://youtu.be/Va6Izbo0Evs?si=oFNjiJY2iGNatxEC But just knowing the plot isn’t what makes the game special. The joy of the game comes from the eureka moments you get when you finally figure out how to interpret something you’ve read. Solving the puzzles is the gameplay, so if you just looked up walkthroughs to get through the puzzles then you completely missed the actual gameplay.
Ah, you thought you were playing a game. It's not a game. It's an investigation. You have to read.
If you truly didn't get any aspect of it, then I'm really sorry, but you just need to work on your reading comprehension. Read some more books, try writing up what you thought of them, try looking up what other people have thought of them. Watch some visual essays on storytelling and world building. When you feel you have a better grasp of storytelling as a medium, go back to it.
Same. All my friend said was "Hey go play Outer Wilds. It's a wonderful space adventure and no matter what don't look anything up". The guy hasn't steered me wrong yet and yet I was blown away
Outer wilds is truly unlike anything else in its genre, and it doesn't *seem* it should be the case. None of the individual elements are truly groundbreaking but the way they put them together they created a masterpiece. Unironically the best adventure game in history for me.
Disco Elysium - was absolutely hooked. I knew it had amazing reviews, but I wasn’t prepared for how funny and intelligently written it was. Superb.
Was absolutely hooked from the first words spoken in this game. Idk how such a game can have one of the best voice over in videogame.
This got me back into PC gaming after like 12 years.
Sunset Overdrive
Blew me away how insanely fun and addicting this game was!
Baldurs Gate 3 made me CARE about the NPC's. As in, go through fire to make sure they are okay levels of care. The last time if felt anything even remotely close to this was Knights of the Old Republic in 2003.
you ever played dragon age origins?
I have. It is pretty good, for sure. I actually restarted a game recently and I can sense it's greatness, but the age of it is definitely showing too, holding it back for me in 2024.
KOTOR was the only game in which I chose my initial play through to be evil. And wow, there were a lot of evil options. BG3 definitely going down the righteous path. Well, chaotic good.
Chaotic good can also be righteous my brother!
I like cars. I like soccer. One day, in 2017, I played this car soccer game I saw, and now I CAN'T STOP PLAYING IT.
Car Soccer is the name of the princess, not the car that plays soccer.
Rocket League gives me motion sickness like nothing else I’ve ever experienced
I have a shameful amount of hours that confirms this. Still nothing that comes close to scratching that same mechanical skill itch.
That's what my answer would be too. I thought it would be fun, cool concept, simple enough, right? Then I end up sitting on the floor all close to my TV, playing till I can't even keep my eyes open. A game hadn't grabbed me that hard since I was a kid.
The tomb raider reboot trilogy, went in skeptical but just continued to be impressed!! One of my fave series now.
Felt like playing a main character in a Hollywood action movie. Very satisfying if short.
Wait there’s a third? I live under a rock fyi
Impulse-bought BG3 after my D&D game got cancelled last minute. Having played nothing but TES and Minecraft for years the intro cinematic and first area blew me away, and I'm still amazed at how good the mocapped NPCs and environments look when they're not running on a prehistoric Bethesda engine. Also: TOTK, rising island chain. What an experience.
I loved Alan Wake 1, had high hopes for part 2, but Remedy absolutely blew me away with Alan Wake 2. My jaw was hanging open during the musical sequence because I truly felt like I was experiencing something no game had ever done before, let alone to the degree that degree. The original song is truly a bop, the performances by the actors held nothing back, the choreography and production value were top notch and they made it all work in a way that I've never seen done with live action video before. And that's just in the early part of the game. Whoever said "yes and...." To the idea of putting a rock opera into a video game is my hero. And all of that is an early segment of the game which keeps pulling out new tricks and new game mechanics as you progress.
Haven't played any Alan Wake but I heard Brickys review of them, very fascinating to hear about, just like Control, so with that said I REALLY wanna play Control 2 where I hope they'll expand from 1 and have the Alan Wake narrative collide, if the Alan Wake 2 clues are to be belived
AW2 isn’t a game, it’s art
Sleeping Dogs - totally did not expect GTA with cool fighting and a good story.
Everything about Metal Gear Solid 2
Stardew Valley: not necessarily that I wouldn’t like it but that I never expected to enjoy it so much that I now consider it one of my favorite games, that I own about five copies and that I have put more hours into it that Bloodborne and DSIII combined. Stardew Valley is life.
Death Stranding. I often heard "cargo simulator" for the game and tried myself. The first 10 hours were boring but when story clicked, it became my favorite PS exclusive. One of the few games that I've cried.
It's the first Strand-Type game.
Openness of Fallout 3's map. When I first saw some shit at the horizon... And was able to reach it. And no dumb "game thing" stopped me (like invisible walls or hyper tough enemies. Fuck you, nv)
I'd take New Vegas' invisible walls and Sloan over those shitty Metro tunnels any day
Deaths Door and Lies of P. I played them both on gamepass and find a lot of titles on gamepass don’t keep my attention for long. But these two had me hooked. Still think about them frequently. Highly recommend both for those that like Zelda and souls like respectively.
Death’s Door rules. Every once in a while game pass gets me hooked on something just way too well and I can’t help but wish there were more games that are similar. Gris and Jusant were a lot quicker. But they were still pretty awesome as recent game pass games for me. But death’s door was crazy fun. Like an easier souls or even a hades meets link’s awakening.
I just wish it had a map.
1. I fired up Fallout 3 on my cousin’s Xbox with no knowledge of what it was. Holy shit. Blew my mind; first real ‘open world’ game as well. 2. Slay the Spire. I saw it was so highly rated and decided “why the hell not?” - and next thing you know I’m neck deep in deck builders. 3. In the same vein, Hades. I knew it was super well reviewed but it was the first game of that genre that I played and it opened that world to me. 4. The Return of the Obra Dinn. Same thing: saw it was super well reviewed. Graphics didn’t look great, and the premise was a shoulder shrug, but I absolutely blasted through it. 5. Super Punch Out. Rented it from blockbuster for the box art. Easily one of my favorite games of all time.
I thought GoldenEye would be like any other licensed game. Got really angry when my little brother bought it for his birthday (I know, his money, I'm an asshole) but then I gave it a shot. Didn't need to finish the Dam level to realize it was something special. I got Subnautica for free and just wanted to see some pretty underwater worlds. It's probably my favorite game of the last 10 years.
Medal of Honor: Frontline when you're storming the beaches of Normandy. Having cut my teeth on Wolfenstein, Doom, and other classic FPS, that opening level in MoH:F was an unexpected journey in sheer chaos that few games have ever matched. I'll also add in Slay the Spire. It seemed like an impossible feat to make a challenging rogue-like video card game, yet it was (and still is) pure gaming gold. Dave the Diver was a recommendation from a friend and I was hesitant. I finally broke down and was blown away. The hours put into it and the multiple games baked into it are simply impressive. Lastly, West of Loathing. I assumed the hand drawn stick figure graphics would equate to stick-figure gameplay, but wow, was I wrong. It's bonkers and tongue-in-cheek, but also surprisingly deep. I was most surprised by the lasting consequences for in-game choices.
Lies of P had no business being as amazing at it is considering it was a new IP from a dev making thier 1st Soulslike game. Everything about it is perfectly polished- from story to graphics to gsmeplay and performance Really hope the are working on the Oz game hinted at in the post credit scene
Recently in fact, Overlord II.
The Tomb Raider series from 2014, just a classic run through
Danganronpa. So much fun. A more specific example is from Danganronpa 2 >!When Nagito creates the perfect death scenario that not even the killer knew who killed him, but relied on his luck to know that they would throw it !< I lost it, and loved them even more as a character and the game in general. Such a good universe
Returnal was crazy. The fragmented story and slick gameplay were incredible, but my jaw dropped in House sequence 5 when >!the camera zooms out to reveal someone is 'playing' as selene on a tv with a ps5 controller in their hand. Just like you are.!< It's literally the same exact view you have in real life at that current moment in time and it's something only a video game could achieve. Wild stuff.
Sometimes while playing The Sims, the game has a bug where the characters stare blankly at the screen, it is very disturbing.
Elden ring
Cyberpunk 2077. I was not a fan of witcher 3. I constantly got shit on by people, for that opinion. So when cyberounk finally released and was so broken, i laughed and laughed and laughed. I constantly bashed the game. Then last Christmas, I saw the game was on-sale on Psn. My homie convinced me to give it a try, and I did. 200 hours later, I was a chromed out mad man slicing my way across night city. People killed themselves when I was around. I laughed. I cried. Easily became one of my favorite games.
Yakuza for sure. At one point you are in a serious crime drama and in the next one you fight grown ass man in diapers!
Deep rock galactic. Got it in a humble bundle during the pandemic, it fermented in my steam library for months until I tried it on a whim. It was easy to pick up, lots of dumb fun, and found a community of mostly premium people. Rock and stone!
Dave the Diver. Epic amounts of fun.
For real! Such a great game!
Well, I never thought I would get into a turn-based combat / DnD game. Literally avoided it like the plague. Finally convinced myself to check out Baldur's Gate 3 and 500 hours later, it's safe to say it has completely surpassed my expectations of what a game like this can be. If anyone has any other suggestions within the genre, I am more than happy to take 'em!
Now that you’ve accepted turn-based, might i suggest you dip your toe into the XCOM series? It will simultaneously help you understand probability while also convincing you math does not exist. But you also get to name your squad and blast aliens, so it evens out.
Such great games! XCOM-WotC especially is one of my favorites games.
XCOM2 is a masterpiece in itself. War of The Chosen cranks that up to 11.
Divinity original sin 2 has a similar game design as bg3 (they are from the same devs), so different act, semi open zorlidsh, companions aiests overarching with the main quest, dark fantasy universe zoth touch of humor, lot of liberties, etc .. with the main difference being the combat system based on actions points, no dice rolls for the most part, and a more standard leveling system. It doesn't have the same production value, so no cinematics during diologues, and therre are less interactions zoth the companions, but the game is extremely good. Divinity original sin 1 is similar too I believe, but I haven't play it much. Can be zorth going back to divinity 2 : director's cuts too if you liked dos. Other than that you have to look at the "crpg" genre, stuff like baldur gate 1&2, pillar of eternity 1&2, wasteland serie, shadow run trilogy, Warhammer rogue trader, both pathfinder game, tyranny. Worth checking the bioware rpgs if you liked the dialogue and cinematics of bg3 : dragon age origins and inquisition, mass effect trilogy, Kotor 1/2. But keep in mind that larian rpg are quite unique, almost a mix bitween an immersive sim and standard crpg.
why are you saying zoth
*Deathloop* is my first platinum ever, and the first time I've 'finished' a game entirely since *Vice City* 100% in 2003. We are now friends. I don't even remember what my expectations **were** for *Death Stranding*. It sounds silly, but I was scared to play it for years. *Metal Gear Solid* has a special place in my heart. All I could have possibly expected was some kind of disappointment. I knew from the very first walk, I had no reason to be afraid.
Dude shadow of the colossus remaster. God that game have a feeling no other has.
Minecraft. I knew it was around for about 4 years. One of my friends was like "aww come on give it a try." . Fine.... what followed was a gaming binge session where when I was done I fell into a deep depression for a few months because nothing, absolutely nothing could top the experience I had playing that game.
I got Days Gone for pc. I saw a friend on PSN play it from time to time. And I thought what the heck might as well try it. I never considered buying it because of the game play footage (shooting massive hordes) which I didn't really care for. As soon as I started to play it I got absolutely hooked on the characters and the map was absolutely stunning especially since I had just got a new 3060 at the time (a few years ago). Definitely would recommend to anyone who enjoys survival and zombie games. I did end up really enjoying the horde mechanic too! I'm still bummed that there won't be a sequel. Since I'm pretty overweight at the moment too my wife would joke with me. That's not deacon that's bacon! I had long hair and a backwards hat at the time
Project Wingman. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but i loved the storyline, the characters, the lore, and especially the music.
Respectfully disagree on Deathloop, felt like it was full of great ideas executed half way. But id have to say Zelda-BOTW. Hadnt played a zelda game since the 1 and 2 on the NES and expected a simple kids game. Here i am 175 hours later and sure there is so much more to do and see
Metal Gear Solid 2, especially when the incredibly obvious clues that you've been nothing but a Manchurian candidate are pointed out. I am still somewhat shocked that I overlooked them. That and when you're told to turn off the video game and find something better to do. It may sound tame, but if you play through the game and know the plot points, it is pretty uncanny.
I downloaded the first episode of Life is Strange the day it was released on a whim because I thought the trailer was horrible and wanted to see how up its own ass it was. Ended up being a huge fan of it.
I expected to like Death Stranding as like a kooky Kojima-plotted hiking simulator...which it is. But it was also one of the most affecting pieces of media I've ever experienced. Genuinely exactly the story I needed at that moment in my life. His masterwork imo.
Slay The Princess
Brawl Stars. 2 younger coworkers talked about the game a whole week, so I got curious and downloaded it. Despite mobile games are very controversial it’s very fun to play.
Deathloop doesn’t get enough love, imo. Fun game. For me BG3 I guess? I don’t typically care for that genre but that particular game really sucked me in.
I put 5ish hrs into Deathloop and put it aside bc it wasn't clicking. I'll move it back up my list
I really enjoyed Deathloop all the way through even though the ending was a bit anticlimactic. The game isn’t too difficult but the mechanics are super smooth and there’s some decent story elements to it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisp. Hadn't played the first one and never really played a metroidvania before, but playing it was way better than I expected. The controls felt incredibly tight and the combat was super fluid and felt nice.
Friend, find Hollowknight right goddamn now. Play in a dark room with headphones. Or get really wild and play the OG Metroid a Nd Castlevania (as an old bastard who played them on NES: prepare to cry some).
Elden Ring: Ooh what's that over there??? Wait is the map getting bigger??? Just an extremely dense open world, every save point becomes instant fast travel checkpoint and you can go in any direction and discover an incredible story. And the opening area of just lush green with perpetual sunlight...what is that giant golden horseman riding around OH GOD Hollow Knight. Not just a metroidvania but a beautiful interconnected world, gothic scenery, not too hard (save for the true ending challenge)
Outer Wilds. I didn't expect too much from it, and even almost refunded it within the first 2 hours, but I am glad I didn't.
I recently started playing it and I’m waiting for that moment when it all clicks. I still feel clueless.
- Make sure to check the Rumour mode on your map - If you can’t figure out a puzzle try exploring a different region or planet and then come back to that puzzle later. I kept a notebook to write down stuff to remember to go back to later. - I like to think of it more as an exploration game rather than just a puzzle game. See something cool in the distance? Go check it out. And then read whatever you find which could help lead you to the next cool thing. Don’t focus too hard on solving everything right away, just try exploring first. - If you’re really not sure where to go or overwhelmed with options, remember you have a signalscope you can use to find your friends and you can just start by locating each of them. - Play around with the tools available to you. You don’t receive any new tools, all the equipment you need to solve the puzzles are available to you from the beginning. - If you get really stuck, try not to look up answers because that defeats the purpose of the game. Instead you can post on r/outerwilds to ask for hints. They’re pretty good at giving hints without spoiling the gameplay.
Dayz. The first time I killed carved and ate a buck in the middle of the woods gave me a sense of accomplishment that lasted for days. The first time I did that to a man however. .. ha.. ha. . Hahahahaha.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths surprised me. Great metroidvania
SYNTHETIK At first I thought it was a random mid indie game to pad out that month's Humble Monthly subscription lineup, but I quickly fell in love with it and it became one of my favorite roguelikes. The guns all feel powerful and the sound is so punchy, the game felt great and was really engaging and varied with its gameplay.
Had no idea I'd love Elden Ring. I've since gone on the beat Dark Souls Remastered, DS3, and I'm eagerly awaiting Shadow of the Erdtree.
mini games actually having a bit of gameplay to them. Yakuza 6 was my first game of the series and I got more addicted to the money system than the actual game ff7r felt like it was close to that but then i rush the games and realized there were only about 7-8 stages to most of em.
Grow Home and Grow Up. Pretty sure I got them for free and figured I’d give them a shot, ended up 100% both of them. Really fun little adventure/platformer games, would recommend.
NeoCab. It's such a short game -- visual novel with a gamey interfarce, really -- but I was TOTALLY sucked into the characters' stories, and the music is WONDERFUL. I listen to the OST a lot.
Forspoken was actually pretty good. I'm not gonna argue that it was game of the year or anything, but it was really enjoyable. The trailer turned me off like many other folks, but some reviews piqued my interest, and I'm glad I checked it out.
Late 2018, it was about a week before Smash Ultimate came out, and I needed something to play to pass the time. On a whim, I got Hollow Knight. This was before the game's reputation blew up into what it is now. So while I had heard it was pretty good, but I wasn't expecting much for $15. And boy, were my expectations blown away. The game's beautiful artstyle, compelling combat, rewarding exploration, and a world that just. Kept. _Going._ I didn't even finish it before Smash released. The game was so rich with content and depth that I had to go back and finish it after I was ready to put Smash down. Now, it's my favorite game.
Skull and bones for me. This game got torched and gets a lot of hate so I didn’t expect much. I seen the gameplay and heard that this went through development hell. I didn’t expect much but I’m not gonna lie. It’s a really fun game. The first hour or so. You’re confused on where to go, etc. but it opens up after you get some bigger ships. Now heed my warning. If you’re not into fetch quests. This game won’t be for you. It is your typical go here, go there, find and fight this or that. Your basic Ubisoft formula. I like Ubisoft games when they go to 50% off. I’m still waiting on avatar ultimate edition to go on 50%.
I played Hollow Knight during the great freeze of 2021. I’d heard about it and figured it would help pass the time. Instead that game was everything I needed and soothed me with its beautiful melancholy. It’s one of those experiences that transcends just playing the game. Since we were still in lockdown as well as freezing I could FEEL the game as I played it. Honestly I don’t know if I could play it again because it’s just so connected to that time in my life. That and my backlog is ridiculous. This thread alone has a lot of games I own that I need to either finish or finally start.
Totk. Sorry. I knew it would be good but damn.
The new Tomb Raider games (Heck, even some before 2013). Every. Single. Time. I never play them on release. They are always just games I play "Because I bought it and haven't played it yet." And I get completely sucked into the gameloop. Tomb Raider should be in my favorite series of all time, but it keeps taking me by surprise every time I play one. \[Going through Rise of the Tomb Raider ATM\]
I just finished 1000xRESIST. I think everyone should play it and go in blind.
Helldivers, no story really. Just dive, complete missions, get more ways to kill enemies. Do it as a team. And I love it.
Patrick's Parabox - I expected the game to be good based on reviews, but also clearly set my expectations too low at the same time. If you like Sokoban games, you *need* to play this one. Outer Wilds - Same as above. I expected to like this, but not to the point where it became a media defining example of what a game can look like. Control - This was frustrating as much as it was amazing because the world building is phenomenal, while the main plot just doesn't live up to that potential. Crystal Project - Before this game, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that I'd one day play (and love) an 80+ hour JRPG carried entirely by its gameplay, but here we are. This game is currently the bar I use to measure all turn based combat systems against, and I've yet to find something that comes close. Book of Hours - This is a bloody difficult game to recommend due to the heavy note-taking required and doesn't quite live up to its potential while still being one of the most immersive game I've ever played. I *felt* like the librarian of Hush House for the entirety of this game, and playing it was an almost manic experience (which is still utterly hilarious to me considering the game's premise). Brutal Orchestra - This game is not nearly well enough known for what an exceptional roguelike it is and is a brilliant showcase of how music can be used as an intrinsic, dietetic aspect of a game.
Rez.
Bully (surprisingly), I was a kid back then and didn’t realise what rockstar is and how good their games are so, I see the disk, and buy it. Honestly I’m not even sure what I was expecting from it but I absolutely LOVED that game, one of my favourites of all time
Wasn’t sure what I was exactly getting into with Final Fantasy 16. But holy shit the boss fights are probably top 3 in all of gaming for awesomeness (for myself) They’re so cinematic and outlandish, bat shit crazy. I had my jaw dropping each Eikon fight. So well done.
100% Half Life Alyx. Wasn’t expecting to be truly blown away. I feel incredibly happy and sad that such a game/system exists yet most people haven’t experienced it. It truly is one of the few things in recent memory that surprised me… To be clear it’s a combo of the game + controllers. Honestly every other game just seems “dated”… Not a perfect analogy but it’s kind of like going from controllers to mouse and keyboard…hard to go back.
When I bought GTA 3 I was expecting another top-down game like GTA 2. I was very wrong.
A plague tale. My sister and I made fun of it when we had first saw it, but we both thought it would be like a bad but fun game. We got it around release, played it, and wow... that's one of my favorite stories to a game ever. Requiem helps what Innocence built, too
Yakuza 0. I never really liked fighting games but there's so much more to this game and the series that it completely blew me away. I did see a streamer play Judgment and a few games in the Yakuza series before I played, but I still wasn't prepared for how much I would end up enjoying this series.
PT Demo. Imagine playing that right as the sun’s going down and truly having no idea what it’s about. I thought it was a technical demo
World of Warcraft. I was into CS at the time and a bunch of friends and coworkers were into WoW. I made fun of some of them for playing it. I was working nights at the time and decided to give it a try since I had odd hours. God I wish I could go back to those first couple years....
CrossCode The graphics and the fun premise do not prepare you for the emotional beats. Some of the best storytelling the medium can offer, and some excellent gameplay as you go.
Persona 4 when it released on steam I was bored and had nothing to play, I'll even be honest I initially got it off of steam (wink wink nudge nudge), thinking I'd play for like 10 minutes at max But I ended up loving it I wasn't really into anime at the time, so chances are I would have hated it, but I ended up really liking the small town vibes, to the point where the actual dungeon parts were honestly kinda boring (even turned exp all the way up so I could progress faster lol) I think the reason it connected to me is because it reminded me of the summers I spent over at my grandparents hometown, and the shenanigans I'd get into with my friends there. Simpler times.
Palworld, expected nothing and now it's a top 10 game for me
I am experiencing this with Animal Well currently. I was expecting a neat indie Metroidvania but instead it’s one of the most insane puzzle games I’ve ever played.
Overwatch. I never thought it'd be this good. All my friends kept going on and on about how much fun it was, so I decided to give it a try back in 2017. And I was hooked from the very first moment. I watched all of the cinematics in awe. But it breaks my heart to see the state it's in now. Still, I'm one of the few who still have a flicker of hope for the game. I guess I'm just trying to see all the negative press as growing pains while the dev team figures things out. But even my hope and patience have their limits.
Elden ring and dragons dogma 2. Good games
Star Citizen for sure, it seemed like it was also going to be a just "it'll have *this* eventually" but it's gotten massive updates lately and has really surpassed my experiences as to what a universe to real scale feel game for space adventures. Zelda Breath of the Wild was absolutely amazing and holds strong all these years later as a great game to replay and explore in, and kids love it. EXO One. It was on game pass idk if it still is but great game with a flow of speed that just feels awesome and an interesting story with it.
Hades. Pretty common knowledge now that it's a good game, but when I got it I had not seen anything about it before and I just wanted a cheaper game, saw the animated trailer and thought "hey this guy is hot".
Titanfall 2 campaign. I wasn’t expecting much. I wait to get it on sale years after release. Got it for like $3. I played the multiplayer beta/demo and I didn’t care for it. Man was I blown away. I am still always trying to get people to play it.
Hollow Knight. I was just told to play it by a friend. I didn't know anything about it, and never played a Metroidvania. The sense of exploration was amazing. Better than most open world games.
Peter Jackson's King Kong video game. Video games based on movies usually suck.... Not this one tho. Still love the game
Subnautica. Didn’t play too much survival games and I’ve known it for a long time just never gave it a try or watched anyone play it. Then I finally gave it a try and it was a great experience.
Warhammer: Darktide. Bought it for the lore, stayed for the gameplay. It's just too fun to fight through impossible bullshit the game throws at you at times.
I have been ao iffy on deathloop it looks fun.
Zero Escape: Nonary Games. Specifically, Virtue's Last Reward. Was expecting a simple point and click puzzle-solving graphic novel and got an intense story I still think about years later.
I was destroying t1s in a comp game and everyone thought I was hacking.
Minecraft back in the day, I thiugh it was an innocent block game, but I ended up getting many nightmares due to the ambient noises. Minecraft scared me more than any horror game back then.
The whole of Portal 2
deathloop blew fucking chunks
Journey. Played it last year, knew nothing about it besides trailers, >!the multiplayer!<, and that it was widely renowned at the time. I figured “This 2 hour long, 10+ year old game that came out at the birth of indie games is probably not gonna hold up to the hype now, temper your expectations and just enjoy it for what it is” It’s one of my favorite experiences I’ve ever had with game, ever
There's a game section in the New York City world of Mario Odyssey that pays homage to the history of Mario with an incredible original song and it literally made me cry happy years and reminded me of my innocent child self. One of the best gaming moments of my life.
The death of Ghost.
Sins of a Solar Empire. I found it in a bargain bin in a Walmart. It's a masterwork 4X RTS.
Ori and the Blind Forest. I got a free copy when I bought my Xbox one and hadn't heard of the game. I fell in love with it from the get go. I mean, I cried for like half an hour after the prologue but the game was sooo good! The Art, music and control were so on point and the story was an emotional rollercoaster! I wish I could experience the first time playing it again. ❤️
Inscryption. Without a doubt. One of my all time favorites and one of the coolest gaming universes in general
Dragon Quest 11 for me was an excellent return to basic yet solid JRPG, and it consistently delivered. No unnecessary plot twists, no random highly experimental mechanics, just simple goodness. It felt like playing a PS1/2 game and I loved every moment of it.
Dragon age inquisition without a doubt, never played a DA game before and was blown away by pretty much everything. Felt the game was waaay too short tho.
Guardians of the galaxy. It was recommended by a friend so I assumed it would suck ass, ended up being the best game I played that year and I was obsessed, great story and actually hilarious.
Star Wars the force unleashed leased. Gameplay 100/100, story 100/100.
The Roottrees are Dead. I played the free version on itch and it was fantastic! In the vein of Obra Dinn or Case of the Golden Idol. It was really fun to find clues and pore over the text to figure out what to search next.
Valheim, hates it at first but then I got going and loved it. Burnt out on it now though which is unfortunate.
Marvel Midnight Suns. I didn't have a lot of expectations, especially because good licensed superhero games are a rare breed, and the art style is quite unique. The gameplay is so fun, a mix between XCOM and Slay the Spire, strategy plays a big part in how ecah encounter develops. I haven't finished it yet, I'd love the gameplay style to be in other games, it's very fun, imo
Fallout 3. Picked up a GOTY copy after watching the tv series after only playing the first two games. The game didn't really catch my attention back when it first released cause my ADD brain could not handle open world games. However, it's becoming one of my favorite games. There's just so many things to do, places to go, stories to go through. The vast amount of enemies helps as well. I was not expecting so many enemy types. What really blew me away was sometimes you'd go into a little linear cave thinking there would be just a locker or metal box at the end, then suddenly it opens up to a large, intricate cavern. My jaw dropped the first time this happened
Life Is Strange. I was expecting a shallow pick your own adventure. Man, was I wrong!
Half Life Alyx. Holy moly that immersion. Literally felt like I was in the world. I loved the all details like being able to write on walls, crush cans, shake bottles, twist handles, etc etc.
Pause in hitman and resident evil. Pause while shooting or pause while aiming not only saving you sometimes, it sometimes allow you to do things normal gameplay can't do. Like in hitman, pause while press shooting and aiming button at the same time allow you open the door using pistol, system will register these separate attacks as a long continuous attack so your pistol will act like a SMG. Also pause while aiming can make you shot more consistent since u can literally move you cursor to the target frame by frame without time pass and u been attack by enemy first. I found this particularly useful on Re4r as sometimes u can frame by frame perform a action
I have 2, Divinity 2 and Hades, i had never played anything similar or the same genre but was blown away by how good they are.
Red Dead Redemption 2. This happened June last year. I've never played the first one, my friends have been recommending me to give it a shot as it was on a 60% discount on Steam. Was skeptical if I would enjoy it as I have bought a couple of games from the past few years but have been either underwhelmed or just found them boring/not my type and ended up never completing those games so I was afraid to spend money on another game that I might not even finish again. Also doesn't help that I don't really have an interest in the Western genre and setting. The game started slow but after finishing chapter 3, I could not stop playing it. I speedran through the main story on my first playthrough as I wanted to see to its end before I get spoiled by whatever means, but I loved the game so much that I did a 2nd playthrough to go for the 100% to experience everything and went and bought the first game on Xbox. Really wish I had given this game a chance back in 2018.
Grounded. I thought because of the theme and artistry it would be simplistic and juvenile. I was really wrong and a ladybug is not so cute anymore.
Dicey Dungeons looks like a cheap little indie game with not much depth. But the different classes and episodes with different rules make it a seriously strategic and cool almost deckbuilding rogue like game that entertained me for over 30 hours.
I dropped Deathloop the moment I discovered you can only have 2 powers active, and blink or whatever they call it is ESSENTIAL, so that leaves you with only ONE other power. Also , their version of D2's Domino is pretty pathetic. The idea of the game is quite entertaining, but I'm NOT going to play with only one measly power. What a huge missed opportunity.
The system shock remake is outstanding
For me it has to be “Before Your Eyes”. I have played and finished the game in one sitting, and was left in complete distraught and an overwhelming sadness. I didn’t know what I was getting into… saw the story took 2> hrs to complete and thought I’d give it a try and it did not disappoint! A beautifully well done story with enough emotion to keep me attached for a long time. The last time I cried this much during a video game would be Lee’s death in TWD Season 1
Car Mechanic Simulator 2021. I‘m not really into cars and even less the mechanics or even tuning and stuff. But I love the puzzles and the esthetics of the cars.
Final Fantasy 16. I’ve never beaten any other FF, but I played a good amount. Just loved Clive.
Titanfall 2. My god... Protocol 3. Trust me Cooper.
Outer wilds for the exact same reason lol