Poll: Replaying Games: What Types of Games and Why?

[Scrustle]

So I just watched the latest Mailbox episode from TotalBiscuit (link here [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABc0mQTZHQk&feature=g-u-u]), and the first question he addressed was about the replay value of games vs. age and graphical quality of games. It sparked a thought in my mind. Although he makes a good point that time and resources are more focused on graphics and spectacle than truly compelling gameplay, I think there may be another influence to it. I thought to myself that it might have a lot to do with how a game is presented, not just in terms of how good the graphics are but what kind of events occur in the game and the part you play in them as a player.

It's common now for games to present things in a very "cinematic" style. A lot of scripted cut scenes and set pieces. These can be fun when implemented correctly, but I think they can also damage replay value. A huge moment in a game can be very impressive, but you don't really feel like you have anything to do with what's actually going on. You're aware that it's there for you to just watch as a passive observer. Once you have experienced it you don't really feel the need to experience it again, since you know exactly how things are going to pan out and that there's nothing you can do to alter it. This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with graphical power or the quality of game mechanics, it's just a trend towards how the game and it's story are presented to the player. Older games tended to spend more time on the gameplay, so didn't suffer this as much.

But this has literally popped in to my head as I write this, so I wanted to bounce the idea around with you guys and see what you think. I've added in a poll to see if older games really do have more replay appeal to see if it backs up my ideas too.

 

[dimensional]

I suppose I replay older games more but thats only because there are more of them meaning more of my favourite games are older by default to be honest im not sure why I replay games other than the fact I enjoy them I mean I still regularly replay FFVII even though I know exactly where everything is and whats going to happen I still enjoy it massively.

Whereas something like Oblivion I played to death and then never touched again I also recently restarted replaying Jade Empire but am getting bored as feel I have mastered that game long ago strange really. I also still replay SF2 turbo and Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3 and enjoy them. So I dont think its open ended gameplay that brings me back its probably more mostly down to individual enjoyment or a truly compelling experience whether thats in the gameplay, writing,cinematics all of the above whatever its the experience that brings me back for repeat playthroughs. Same reason I may rewatch a film many times or reread a book dosent matter if im passive or active in it really all that matters is the experience and whether I want to repeat that experience (at least as far as is possible).

 

[everythingbeeps]

I very rarely replay old games, and it's even rarer that I'll replay an old RPG. Just too time-consuming, and there are too many new games I haven't played yet.

If I had all the time in the world to fuck around and play video games, then yeah I'd replay more. But for the most part, I'd rather play something new than replay something old.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I very rarely reply games at all, I just don't have the time to play through more than once in most cases. If I do reply a recent game, it's because I lost my save data...

I have, on occasion gone back and played some old platformers like Sonic, for nostalgia fix.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

I have an amazing tolerance for repetition, I can watch a movie over...and over again in one day. When I was a kid I used to watch Mortal Kombat back to back after school (grade 1) I must have watched it 5 times in a row. Since then I have not lost this ?gift? and I have since been able to approach games the same way. When I replay something it?s not usually to find every Riddler challenge it could be but usually it?s just because I loved the levels loved the story and want to experience it all again. Mind you some games you need to take a breather from once you beat them such as Abe's Oddysee or Bio Shock.

 

[Don Savik]

I don't so much replay games anymore. I don't own many 3-4 hour spectacle games, and the 20-40 hours ones seem a bit ridiculous to play through again. And a lot of games don't encourage multiple playthroughs. They either take forever to build up, giving you the "I'VE ALREADY FUCKING DONE THIS" reaction, or they don't give many options in terms of how you approach combat. Games either need to keep you coming back from keeping your same gear, or some kind of leaderboard, or some kind of variation to the combat/choices.

A lot of games aren't as linear nowadays, and have you coming back mainly because of friends. Sandbox games, multiplayer shooters, racers, non-spectacle brawlers, dungeon crawlers, even platformers are just a few examples of games that don't necessarily have a linear story to "beat" but have you replay because the experiences change each time.

 

[TehCookie]

I replay older games for the cinematic moments, since it's been so long I don't remember all the details. I replay newer games for the game play that is just so much fun I don't want to put it down. Or when replaying a game it's fun to look for foreshadowing you didn't see before and try to go for all the extras and side missions.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I have an amazing tolerance for repetition, I can watch a movie over...and over again in one day. When I was a kid I used to watch Mortal Kombat back to back after school (grade 1) I must have watched it 5 times in a row. Since then I have not lost this ?gift? and I have since been able to approach games the same way. When I replay something it?s not usually to find every Riddler challenge it could be but usually it?s just because I loved the levels loved the story and want to experience it all again. Mind you some games you need to take a breather from once you beat them such as Abe's Oddysee or Bio Shock.

hah exactly this way. Hell I used to do this with movies myself, (one week Happy gilmore didn't leave my dvd player once, watched it at least twice a day, watched every second of it every time too)

If I enjoy the shit out of a game, generally rpg's, I'll replay that shit to the high heavens for it's story/characters/(or amazing gameplay)

 

[Zhukov]

I'll replay newer games if I enjoy them, but I almost never replay old games.

The last old game I replayed was Fallout, and that was back in 2009.

 

[gideonkain]

Of the thousands of games I've played, I only replay a select few titles.

Super Mario World and Shadowrun (SNES) atleast once a year.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Any game that was truly interesting to me the first time time around i'll be able to go through endlessly without getting tired of it.

Currently approaching my 5th playthrough of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and still loving the fuck out of it for example.

That's also the reason why I can go through the first two hours of Persona 4 just hitting X repeatedly and never lose interest, i'm still finding new ways to interpret things even now.

I still go through the Medical section of Bioshock finging it to be completely epic but when I get to the next area after that I just drop the game back into the box for another year. The research camera can die in a fire.

Multiplayer games can be the most fun to go back to. Like how my group of friends went back to Halo: Reach yesterday and found that Team Doubles is kinda in a new meta where they take Hologram and use it as a bullshit bullet sponge. That never happened way back when we used to play it ages ago.

The changing metagame is why multiplayer stuff can be really exciting. Like how in LoL, Evelynn sucks because she's stuck in the old roaming meta (apparently, never played it back then). Plus she got nerfed to hell and back but that's beside the point.

Anyway playing a new Champion just makes LoL feel fresh... You could go back to owning the scrubs with Morgana. when she's not Permabanned of course or go and learn the awesomeness that is AP/Tank Sejuani.

Yes i'm up at 2:30 in the morning so I can see exactly when the rotation changes. What of it? XD

 

[Reaper195]

Generally story-driven games. While I can play something like Just Cause 2 or Skyrim or Fallout to death, it's generally on the first, maybe second play-through. Something like Mass Effect or Max Payne (Any of them) or GTA, I generally replay them if I have no new games to play as long as I haven't played them in a couple of months. I can't replay a game within a month or two at least. Otherwise it ruins the point of replaying it. One of the main reasons I can't play Halo 1 or watch Shaun of the Dead.

 

[FoolKiller]

I find that I can tolerate some games over and over again. Things that are fun and quick (such as Contra) I will do more often than replay an RPG but thats just like re-reading a book or re-watching a movie. I've played through some shooters again and again just because I liked the game. Bulletstorm came to mind. The humour, while juvenile, was refreshing so I could do it 2 or 3 times without getting sick of it.

I guess each game either warrants it or not. There isn't any criteria though.

 

[AD-Stu]

I don't think age has anything much to do with it. I'm still playing NFS: Most Wanted, and that's about eight years old now. I'm also still replaying the various entries in the Mass Effect series. In the past I've replayed ancient stuff (like the Ultima games) on GOG.

I don't think it's a genre thing either, because there are racing games (which should lend themselves ideally to endless replaying) that I've never bothered to finish once, let alone reinstall and replay.

If I really enjoy a game first time around, chances are I'll replay it at some point, same as I'll sit down and watch Black Hawk Down again from time to time or listen to one of my favourite albums over and over again. Simple as that, really.

 

[Conn1496]

Well, let's look. I recently replayed. Pokemon Black (after a horribly long time, because I just CBA), Star Fox: Command, Mirror's edge, SSBB, L4D2, Madballs in: Babo Invasion, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect 3, Mario 3:Wario Land, and finally Guitar Hero: World Tour. So yes. I replay all types of game.

 

[Ljs1121]

I like replaying games. I can guarantee that any game I own that I've ever beaten has been replayed at least one time.

There's just something so satisfying about seeing the credits roll by and knowing that all the hard work I put in has finally come to fruition. It gives me a high that I don't think could ever be matched.

 

[Scrustle]

Interesting. There doesn't seem to be much governing why people replay games other than how much we personally enjoyed them. At least on The Escapist.

It seems most people replay games a lot too. I don't really tend to replay games. I'd say something like 85% of games I play I never touch after I'm done with them. Maybe I'll go back for a brief visit to more games than that, but I hardly ever go through entire games a second time round.

 

[Dandark]

I sometimes replay games I like. One of the games I replayed constantly and would still replay now if not for it's sequel is Prototype. I just found it to be such a fun game, I may even go back to it despite owning the sequel.

I also play older games sometimes, usaully I will reinstall Dawn of war or supreme commander every now and then to play them.

 

[Regiment]

I replay games that I want to play again. I tend to replay modern games more often, if for no other reason than the PS3 is hooked up and the N64 isn't.