What's a gaming experience you wish you could do for the first time again?

[Benji]

Thinking about Assassin's Creed and how satisfying that first aerial kill or double kill was (and don't even get me started on an aerial double kill).

What's an experience in games that you wish you could re-live? Could be gameplay or story, but don't forget spoiler tags!

[Ruki]

Portal 2! Going through that game for the first time was just the bees knees. Same with any of the Final Fantasy or Persona games, just for the story!

[Forky]

Final Fantasy VIII. It was my first. It was like love at first completion. It's probably the game I've beaten the most times.

[Bobfoc]

Maybe it's a bit of a cop-out, but I'd say just the buzz of pressing a button and making something happen on a screen. There's this sense of awe you feel when you first try something out. Putting on a VR headset for the first time was similar, but to a lesser extent.

As far as actual gameplay or story, I imagine I wouldn't get the same feeling as I did the first time round, simply because I'm older and more jaded now. The opening of Metal Gear Solid, with the operatic music and film-like subtitles still appearing on the screen as you sneak towards the lift, blew me away back in the day, but I'd probably find it corny if I were to experience it for the first time now.

[King Ellis]

Demons Souls, or the whole Soulslike genre in general. The later games obviously have their own little quirks to learn and overcome but playing any of the preceding games gives you a strong foothold with which to deal with the challenges that lay ahead. But that first experience of working my way through the Boletarian Palace, getting to grips with this games unique style and finally overcoming the Phalanx several hours later , it's a feeling that's never really going to be equaled.

[Your Mom]

The Mass Effect Games before the cop out ending for 3 for sure. The first season of the TT Walking Dead game and...

 

Spoiler

"Would you kindly?" 😮 

 

[Benji]

10 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

The Mass Effect Games before the cop out ending for 3 for sure. The first season of the TT Walking Dead game and...

 

  Hide contents

"Would you kindly?" 😮 

 

Spoiler

So glad you mentioned that spoiler one. That was exactly the story one I had in mind and I wondered if anyone would do that. Golf clubs have never been the same for me since.

 

[Pooker]

My go to answer for this will always be the first Knights of the Old Republic. Such a great story.

[Benji]

11 minutes ago, Pooker said:

My go to answer for this will always be the first Knights of the Old Republic. Such a great story.

Spoiler

I remain super pissed off that the twist was spoiled for me by a friend before I'd even left the tutorial level.

 

[TheGrandAvatar]

Playing Dead Rising and Resident Evil 1 and 2 with my Grandmother.

Same for Mass Effect series. Would put Heavy Rain on the list as I loved that game. Day's Gone.

Getting my first PlayStation and the smell of the plastic wrap around it, and loading it up to hear that classic wound. Playing Tomb Raider 2. But only at Croft Manor. Theme Hospital that I was playing back then and few year's later the WWF Games. 

PlayStation 2 also. Mainly for Vice City. Because I received it a week too early before release date with ordering for Littlewoods. Smackdown HCTP and Shut Your Mouth.

Although. My personal choice. Broken Sword. I know it off by heart now which is sad. Often love visiting that game. 

[Benji]

6 minutes ago, TheGrandAvatar said:

Although. My personal choice. Broken Sword. I know it off by heart now which is sad. Often love visiting that game. 

Spoiler

No, I refuse to learn the goat puzzle again :@

 

[Mad Jack]

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun. It's not the best game, it's probably not even the best Medal of Honor, but it was the first game I ever completed (outside of the HP Game Boy Color RPG game), and it was enjoyable from start to finish.

[TheGrandAvatar]

7 minutes ago, Benji said:

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No, I refuse to learn the goat puzzle again :@

Spoiler

 

Broken Sword. I swear you had to be so clever back then. It got to the point I just went to the local library to print out a guide. 

[Dang117]

It's probably cliche at this point as its been remastered so many times but The Last Of Us. 

[Pooker]

1 hour ago, Benji said:

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I remain super pissed off that the twist was spoiled for me by a friend before I'd even left the tutorial level.

 

Spoiler

People who spoil games aren't true friends. I remember buying Maxx Payne when it first game out, and had a friend staying over that weekend who beat the game while I just sat there and watched. Didn't see much point in playing it after that.

 

[Ruki]

19 minutes ago, Pooker said:

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People who spoil games aren't true friends. I remember buying Maxx Payne when it first game out, and had a friend staying over that weekend who beat the game while I just sat there and watched. Didn't see much point in playing it after that.

 

Spoilers are the worst. Nothing ruins my enjoyment of something more than that!

[Bobfoc]

I get annoyed when people act as though there's a statue of limitations on spoilers. Someone on Twitch casually spoiled the ending of The Last of Us and, when called out on it, smugly responded that anyone who hadn't played it yet was never going to. Plenty of people get round to playing games years, and even decades, after they first launch, so to throw out spoilers without warning is just inconsiderate.

Even worse is when people assume that, because they've seen, read or played something, everyone else has, making spoilers fair game. It's something that fuels the "FOMO" factor that companies have latched onto as a way to entice people to pay ever-increasing prices to consume their stories on day one.

[fourstarfizzle]

A few come to mind,

Super Mario Bros 3 (I never got games on release day, I grew up on a poor council estate in Liverpool, but my mum and my cousin's mum put money together to get us a copy in the same week it was released. I remember both of us sprinting home from primary school to see that bright yellow box sitting there. The rest is just a blur.)
Metal Gear Solid (the cinematic intro was so cool at the time)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (just for the emotional journey)
Final Fantasy VIII (I missed the boat on VII, VIII was my first play-through of an FF game on my own)
Gran Turismo 2 (I loved how I could buy regular cars that I'd seen in person, customise them and make them faster. I wish someone would do this again but I'm sure licensing rights would be a pain.)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (My first point-and-click adventure game)

Edited February 17, 2023 by fourstarfizzle

[andrethegiantstopfan]

Maybe the first episode of Doom. My first experience of it was the 32X port, which wasn't without its issues (like missing a third of the levels and ending with a C:\DOOM prompt) but I was still quite taken in by the atmospherics - how you could look through windows to other areas of the map, the sound of doors opening in the distance and monsters approaching. All quite impressive to young me.

Playing a PS2 for the first time at a friend's house, and thinking Smackdown JBI looks amazing ("full" entrances!!) and is the best game ever.

I'd go along with Vice City and Broken Sword 1 and especially 2. Good times.

[Blink]

I'd definitely say Metal Gear Solid, Assassin's Creed and Red Dead Redemption (both the original and second/prequel).