Games you enjoyed the Most

[MiniPocketWorld]

I know everyone has their favorite games, as we get older, we learn to appreciate older games we have played. Or games become our favorite as we play them over and over. Time set aside and nostalgia tendencies put aside,...

• What are some of the most enjoyable games you recently played for the first time?
• Were they surprising how much you enjoyed them?
• What did you like most about them?
  
  

 

[LuchaSloth]

I've been obsessed with Yakuza: Like a Dragon for most of this year. I've liked the Yakuza games since the first one I played (which was 6)...but, LaD is so good, and I've just played it nonstop since I got it. Got the game for Christmas...probably didn't start playing it until around January or February...but, it's been in my constant rotation ever since. Don't know how many hours I've put into it. But...it's probably at least 70 at this point. Very rarely will I finish the main story of a game and want to continue playing. But, this is one of those rare games that I just can't put it down. Still level-grinding, still doing side quests, still have a bunch of achievements to get. I love it.

 

[Midoriya]

I really haven’t played any new games as of 2021, but if you count games that came out in 2020, I really wasn’t expecting to love Genshin Impact as much as I do now. I was very surprised how much I enjoy it. I’ve never played LoZ: BOTW and have no intention of playing it as I’m not interested in Legend of Zelda games, so the open world aspect in Genshin Impact was actually fairly new to me and well received. I think what I like most about the game is not only that it’s a gacha and online game at the same time, but all the detail put into it. From the art style, to the voice actors, to the sounds in the game, you really get the feeling that the team behind the game poured their love and souls into it. I also love that there’s both a single player mode and co-op, so it’s not necessarily a MMORPG. I can’t wait until it gets released for the Switch too! Genshin Impact (2020) gets a solid 10/10 in my books.

 

[.: Meri :.]

The two that immediately come to mind for me are Dragon Quest XI S and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon!

I haven't actually finished DQXIS yet, but I'm most of the way through the story at this point, and even as a fan of the Dragon Quest series it absolutely knocked my socks off. I love the story and the entire party, the graphics are stunning and the voice-acting is great. Not only that, there's a lot of very subtle details that, if you catch them and piece them together, say so, so much about the story and the characters. Admittedly I haven't gotten the chance to play VII or VIII yet, so this is only my second 3D Dragon Quest game (the first being IX), but it very quickly became my favorite of the series so far, even over VI, which had been my favorite up until now. I'd also like to add that (at least for most of the game) it's been very light on the level-grindy-ness that I'm used to with Dragon Quest games, so you don't really have to worry about that if you don't like to spend your time grinding. If it is your thing, or you want some added difficulty, there's a number of difficulty options that you can pick as well.

PSMD I finished right before starting DQXIS, and I have to say it really grew on me and I was a little sad to finish it. ;v; It's not my favorite of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series (that title goes to Explorers of Sky), but I really did enjoy it. I have to say that it was pretty slow to start with, though even then I was still having fun with it, but it gets really good once the story finally does pick up. I wound up feeling very attached to the Expedition Society, so much so that I wish that there was another arc to the story, just so I could've spent more time with them and gotten to know them more. I also enjoyed a lot of the new mechanics they added; it was challenging for sure, but in a fun way and definitely still doable.

 

[Jam86]

the game i enjoyed the most has definately got to be lozbotw
i had never played a loz game before but my cousin said botw was great and i was like ok then bought it the next day
i didn't really look into the game so i didn't know what to expect and i never thought i'd enjoy it as much as i did, it's literally the most incredible game i've played

i sort of felt the same with spiritfarer, as in i didn't look up the game to see what it was like before buying and ended up loving it, just not as much as botw haha

 

[JemAC]

I nearly always play games on the Nintendo consoles so all my recent games are on the Switch but to be honest I haven't actually played a large number of games on it, mainly due to lack of time and spending too much time on certain games, and my favourite ones are a few years old now (other then AC but I'm not going to include that one) so aren't completely recent releases but I'll still count them.

One of my top favourites out of my Switch games is Super Mario Odyssey, I've always loved the Mario franchise from a young age and one of my all time favourite games is the highly underrated Mario Sunshine so I was really excited for this game. From what I'd seen in the trailers and read about the game I was hopeful it would be good but I was slightly worried I wouldn't enjoy it as I'd been disappointed by Galaxy despite it been a very popular game and was concerned I wouldn't like this one as much either. When it was finally released though and I got my hands on it I fell in love straight away and played it constantly for hours on end (to be fair it was at a time when I'd been in hospital for a couple of months so I suppose I did have all the time in the world to just play it ), most of the kingdoms were really nicely done and I enjoyed just going about everything at my own pace and exploring everything there was to offer. It isn't a perfect game but for me its has gone into my all time favourites and when I replayed it again last November I fell in love with its character and design all over again, making it one of the few games I've enjoyed playing through more then once.

While I don't rate this as highly as Odyssey I do want to say I also enjoyed Pokemon Shield which is a very unpopular opinion for the gen 8 Pokemon games. It's nowhere near been my favourite Pokemon game (that would go to Sapphire. the AS remake and Colosseum) but I did enjoy the game, liked the graphics they'd gone for with it and loved some of the newer Pokemon - Appletun is a great Pokemon and deserves more love for been a big cute apple dinosaur hybrid (plus he's never let me down in battles) and Cinderace and Dragapult got me through the game and the battle tower without ever losing any matches so I think they're great too. It does have it's flaws - mainly with how bad the storyline is and while there are some parts of the map I love as a whole it's a pretty poorly designed region - but I've still got almost 600 hours in the game and still like going back to it every now and then so to me it must've done something right.

 

[tiffanistarr]

I've played a few new to me games recently

The first one Reverie on the Switch is a quirky Earthbound/Mother 3 inspired pixel art action adventure type game. It was ADORABLE. Earthbound and Mother 3 are two of my all time favorite games and I always am looking to play games that are the same style and very similar in nature as it's very warm and nostalgic for me. Reverie was a bit of a shorter game I would say, but it had some cute boss fights, a decent story line, and some good puzzle type levels. If you're into the Earthbound/Mother 3 vibes I would highly recommend it.

I've also recently played through Anti-Chamber which is lightly portal'ish' and has some great puzzles and weird little psychological bits along the way through the game. It's very fun and at times very frustrating but very much so worth it especially if you're someone like me who absolutely loves the portal games and other puzzle games.

I've also recently played Stardew Valley for the first time which is weird because I'm a huge fan of simulation games, I think I've been playing that genre of game the most my entire life with AC games since GC, the Sims since like forever, and Minecraft. I just love the aspect of living life in a different world so Stardew Valley was such an amazing hit with me. I'm sure a lot of people here have already played it and I feel like I definitely missed out on a lot of time that could have been spent playing it, but I love it so much.

 

[Corndoggy]

i think for me besides animal crossing the best game i have played is stardew valley, because i haven't gotten bored yet and i love creating new farms and going for different friendships, trying different crops etc. It just has enough there for me to keep coming back for more and i greatly appreciate that

 

[pulmona]

Since I’ve been unemployed for a year since my business is closed thanks to COVID I’ve been able to play and find games I love a lot.

The first that comes to mind is Hades. I have never really played a roguelike game before so I was worried about liking it but I was soon obsessed. I love character driven games and it’s definitely character driven. And the gameplay was challenging/fun enough to put 300 hours into it by the time I got the real ending.

I have always loved the Dragon Quest series but DQ11 really blew me away with how good it was. I could have done without the third act of the game but it was still a fun little “cleanup” of the initial bad ending you get.

 

[EmeraldJourney]

I know everyone has their favorite games, as we get older, we learn to appreciate older games we have played. Or games become our favorite as we play them over and over. Time set aside and nostalgia tendencies put aside,...

• What are some of the most enjoyable games you recently played for the first time?
• Were they surprising how much you enjoyed them?
• What did you like most about them?
  

Ghost of Tsushima has been a particularly excellent find, some people find games like this boring, but I really enjoyed Genji for ps2 and ps3, and ghost of tsushima combat is stellar and fun to manoeuvre.

 

[Mr_Persona]

Halo, monster hunter games, Twilight Princess but l wouldn't count it anymore because l finished it over 6 times and l did kinda just stopped. New Leaf because l own 8 towns, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Bayonetta, Pokèmon Moon, one of the fire emblem games, Terraria, Persona games, and there was more but my brain can't keep a track of all of them...

 

[Ichiban]

personally for me over the last few years ive really found something special with the yakuza series, they combine my two favourite things in gaming: a good combat system and an amazing story. every game they always manage to hit it out of the park (we just dont talk about yakuza 3) and on top of it they manage to break the dramatic tension of the stories with some of the funniest **** you'll see in a video game for sub stories (think side quests).

like a dragon which just dropped a few months is honestly probably the dumbest game i've ever played because they took the comedy and sprinkled it into the main game with summons that let you summon a lobster and a man baby among other things. if you want to see shirtless mafia guys fighting over different philosophies but also want to do things like: beat people up in a mascot costume, infiltrate a cult, invest in real estate, or fight a monkey controlling construction machines then you'll probably enjoy these games

 

[Jhine7]

For me, I'll play any AC, Dragon Quest, and Mario related game that comes out.

 

[Mairmalade]

It was released in 2019, but I played Risk of Rain 2 for the first time earlier this year and it has quickly become one of my favorite multiplayer games, and games in general, to play. It's an action roguelike which I haven't played a lot of in the past so I'm surprised I've sunk the hours I have into it.

I love that each run is different no matter how many times you play: item combos, characters, bosses, stage rotations, and different artifacts that manipulate gameplay (e.g.: more monsters but they have less HP, items only drop from monster kills as opposed to spawning in chests, choosing the item you want from the catalog whenever there's a drop, etc). A slight learning curve, but easy to get into!

 

[Croconaw]

I really enjoy playing sports games. My favorite was NCAA Football 14. I had a Dynasty mode with the Arizona Wildcats, and brought them to a bunch of BCS championships (as the playoffs weren’t a thing yet). I was obsessed with this game as it is really in depth with the recruiting and the career mode, where it lets you start in high school. I even recreated the high school I graduated from and it lets you customize everything from the name of the school to the jerseys. It’s a very well made game. Alright, I’ll stop rambling.

 

[Cosmic_Crossfade]

I find a lot of games that I've enjoyed the most were all apart of my childhood growing up. The memories make them more special to me as well. While I do enjoy games in the present, I find myself however always looking back towards the ones that I don't play anymore, all of which were those I am fondly close to that were played in my youth.

 

[sleepydreepy]

this year I've been expanding my video game library from just Nintendo games with smaller "indie" games. I usually go for something in the adventure, strategy, or RPG genre with hand-drawn scenery and a compelling story. some titles I've really liked are Raji, Overland, tangled tower, Cozy Grove, and Röki. I really love all 5 of these, even though I've just started playing the latter two very recently. Here is a small description-

Raji- An adventure RPG with some fighting about a girl from ancient India who is searching for her kidnapped brother. It also includes old myths and stories about some Indian gods who end up helping Raji on her quest by gifting her weapons and powers. The music and visuals from this game are stunning and the story telling is amazing. Plus its a great game for anyone to play since you have unlimited lives and don't lose progress when you die. It has a really relaxing atmosphere and is a great game to play with a blanket and cup of tea. Disclaimer: the story does end abruptly due to the creator's lack of financial resources towards the end of development, but since Raji has been such a success since its release they are hoping to add more chapters in future updates.

Overland- a strategy game about surviving a cross country trip across the United States during an alien invasion that is turn based (kind of like a board game). You start off with one character but can recruit others if you choose, and if you have enough resources to share. During each level you have to find a way to collect more resources (weapons, cars, gas, etc.) while avoiding getting killed by aliens. This game really made me think, and although its not plot or dialogue heavy, I really enjoyed this game and it was very rewarding to finish it.

Tangle Tower- a point and click mystery game with puzzles about solving a murder in a beautiful hand drawn art style. You play as a detective and must talk to the eccentric characters who live in Tangle Tower and search around their rooms to find clues and puzzles. This game was super fun for me to play, and the story had a plot twist at the end that I wasn't expecting.

Cozy Grove- a life sim game about camping on a haunted (but cute!) island in a beautiful hand drawn art style. I just started this game a few days ago but I'm already obsessed! Its kind of like a laid back animal crossing game with ghosts instead of villagers. You play as a spirit scout who helps adorable bear ghosts find peace by fulfilling their requests. You can customize your character, decorate your campsite, and craft items and furniture. Since I'm new to the game I'm not really sure if my description does it justice, so I'd recommend watching a trailer or reading more about it if you're interested.

Röki- I literally just started playing this game yesterday but its already made such a huge impact on me! It's one of those games I knew I was going to love within the first 5 minutes of playing it. It's about a young girl and her brother who get transported to this magical forest related to old norse mythology. You explore woods, caves, and castles, collect items, and complete quests for various creatures you meet along the way. To me its a mix between a point and click game and an adventure RPG since you can move around and control your character. Its just so much fun and I've had such a great time playing it. I would highly recommend you read more about it or watch the trailer if it sounds remotely interesting to you.

 

[0ni]

This is difficult, because I tend to stick to franchises/remakes of franchises that I already know I love - saves me from disappointment (and saves me from spending)

The most recent game I started that was something I'd never picked up before was Stardew Valley: Started playing it late last year for the first time and loved it. Burned myself out big time, though lol - even with the new update I can't keep myself interested anymore.

I also just finished FF7 remake but I played, and loved, the original so I don't think that counts as there is still an aspect of nostalgia goggles about that.

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

I guess this is only for recently played games so I'll just count games I've played this year. I was on an indie game kick lately (a whole new world for me) and I've had so much fun with these.

Roki: This is a point and click puzzle adventure game. I absolutely adored the story and the world and the puzzles were very satisfying to solve! The art style was simple but really nice to look at. And while there's no actual voice acting, it's amazing how much emotional depth the characters could convey with simple words and grunts and sounds. Really amazing.

Gris: This is a watercolour platformer that is very simple in its gameplay but very captivating. The music fits so well to every scene and every action you take. The platforming and puzzles aren't difficult but at still very unique and fun to play through. The story is up for interpretation, and it definitely got me emotional.

Hades: Wow. I loved this game so much. It was my first ever roguelike game and it was super addicting. Everything was perfect from the music to the art, the voice acting and the writing, etc. I played over 200 hours and I played it so much that it caused my joy cons to start drifting LOL which is not a good thing, but still noteworthy haha. I'm taking a break from it but I still intend on going back to it to complete it 100%.

Valiant Hearts: This game was phenomenal! It's side scrolling but the art design made use of the fore ground and background and it just felt like an actual world because of it. The characters were interesting and the gameplay was simple yet engaging. I found it to be very unique and such a fun and touching experience.

Child of Light: Another water colour artstyle! What a gorgeous game! I had a lot of fun with this. I found it to be difficult at first because I wasn't used to the combat system but it very quickly became too easy, but still very fun. It also ended too abruptly in my opinion, but that's just a testament to the fact that I wanted more of the game. I enjoyed it that much.

Okami: This is the game I'm currently playing and it was a bit of a rocky start but now I absolutely adore this game. It has the same quirkiness and silliness of a Zelda game while standing out on its own as well. I really like the characters and the humour. The combat is probably the weakest element to it, but honestly it doesn't matter to me since I still wholeheartedly enjoy it and I respect the risks it took in creating a different way of playing.

Honestly, I was surprised at how much I loved these games. I used to be very picky about the games I played but, starting with Gris and Roki, i realized how much i was missing out on by ignoring indie titles or older titles, in the case of Okami. I've quickly become more open in my gaming interests now and I'm happier because of it

 

[Licorice]

The Sims 1 holds a very special place in my heart. It’s the only game I play on my computer. The music, the items, the humor, the vibe. Everything about that game is perfect and no other Sims game since then has been able to recreate that feeling.