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If you’re the type who’s “one and done” with your games, you might be missing out. Replaying an old game can bring all those warm fuzzy feelings back that you experienced the first time you played. Here are some reasons why you should start replaying your old favorites.
1Relive the Nostalgia
Gamers are a nostalgic bunch, and rightfully so. Nothing beats the feeling of returning to your favorite games from the past. Whether it’s anold classic from your childhoodthat you might play through anemulator on your phone, or your favorite game from five years ago; the memories will come flooding back the moment you hear the title screen music. By the way, classic games are a great experience to enjoy withyounger siblings or children.
I’d even argue that games evoke a more powerful sense of nostalgia than any other type of media. You’re right there, inside the game world, reliving the same experience you had many years ago. Focus hard enough, and you might even recall exactly when and where you first played the game. It’s currently the closest thing we have to time travel.
2Replay a Forgotten Story
Some older games are incredibly complex and filled with nuances that you might have missed during your first playthrough. After all, you were just getting started and likely weren’t invested in the characters' fates, meaning you’ve likely missed a lot of foreshadowing and other smaller details that can deepen yourappreciation for the game’s story.
For instance, I finished the main story inThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimsix or seven times, and most of the side content three or four, yet I can’t recall many of the main plot points and character names. As it turns out, you don’t have to erase your memory to experience your favorite games again for the first time. Time does that for you!
3Explore Missed Content
Realistically speaking, few gamers aim for100% game completionin every single game they play. Plus, we’re often driven by thesense of urgencythat the main storyline creates, leaving little time to explore the less important stuff. As a result, it’s easy to miss cool areas, collectibles, and certain side quests that turn out to be hidden gems.
Sometimes, these side quests offer awesome rewards. I missed Chippin' In on my first playthrough ofCyberpunk 2077, a side quest that unlocks a secret ending and the only licensed car in the game. Additionally, if youskipped the DLCof your favorite game, now is the perfect time to dive into it alongside the main story.
4Change the Story’s Outcome
Many games feature complex decision-making paths that completely change the outcome of a quest or even the entire story. If it’s just a different cinematic, you can get away with watching the other endings on YouTube. However, some games give you completely different quests, depending on your choices. I bet most of us who playedThe Witcher 3’sBlood and WineDLC missed the questBurlap Is The New Stripe.
Also, some games punish or reward the player based on their behavior, such asRed Dead Redemption’s honor system. You can be a hardened outlaw, a Western hero, and anything in between. These types of systems completely change how you interact with the game world.
5Install Mods for a Whole New Experience
Modding your game can bring a completely new experience to your old favorite, sometimes to the point where it’s almost unrecognizable. For instance,Assetto Corsaallows you to add entirely new maps, cars, weather systems, and shaders that significantly improve the game’s existing graphics.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimeven has several expansion-sized mods, such asBeyond Skyrim: Bruma. These add whole new areas, enemies, NPCs, questlines, items, and more. The best part is that modding games is actuallypretty easy, all thanks to mod managers that take care of adding and modifying files for you.
6Try a New Play Style
So many games havegame loopsthat revolve around various play styles or character builds. RPGs (Role-Playing Games), in particular, offer several different classes or character customizations that completely change your playthrough.
For example,Dragon’s Dogma IIhas four basic vocations (Archer, Fighter, Mage, and Thief), along with several advanced ones. Each vocation comes with its own unique spells and play styles, allowing players to choose how they wish to approach an enemy. You’re potentially missing out on heaps of fun if you never try out the other classes.
You could even go beyond what the game has to offer by setting up your own challenges. It could be something simple, such as beating the game at a higher difficulty, or something near-impossible, such asspeedrunningthe wholeDark Soulstrilogy without dying.
7Take Advantage of New Game+ Features
New Game+ started popping up intriple-A gamesover the past few years. It’s a feature that lets you start the game over while keeping some of your progress and items. Not all games have great New Game+ modes, but those that do are certainly worth replaying.
Examples includeStarfield,God of War,Ghost of Tsushima, andElden Ring. However, no game does it better thanNieR: Automata. To truly finish the main story, you have to beat it three times!
8Some Games Have a High Replay Value
Continuing from my previous point aboutNieR: Automata, some games are simply designed to be replayed many times. TheDevil May Cryfranchise is built for replayability, with its individual levels and scoring system. It’s especially true for theroguelike genre, which revolves around you dying or beating the game only to start all over again.
9Enjoy the Remastered Experience
Remasters can be thebest thing for old games, at least when they’re done right. In addition to giving you a chance to replay an old game “just the way you remember it,“good remakes and remastersoften feature better performance on modern hardware, upgraded graphics, new features, and more, all while keeping the unique quirks that made the original special.
High-quality remakes includeMafia: Definitive Edition,Resident Evil 2,Final Fantasy VII Remake, and theCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
10More Value for Your Money
With new video games now costing $70 a piece, it’s more important than ever to squeeze every drop of fun out of each game you own. Agood gameis always enjoyable, even after you’ve sunk over 100 hours into it. If you’ve got nothing to play and are waiting for anew Steam sale, consider loading up an old favorite and playing through it instead. Trust me, you’ll enjoy the experience more than you think.
The next time you’re looking for something to play, don’t overlook your old favorite games. Brush the dust off the virtual orphysical copyand load it up. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy the experience even more this time around!
