Redditors wish they could forget these games and play them again for the first time

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We’ve all been there, staring at our game library, stuck for what game to play next. Maybe your preferred method is checking out Metacritic scores, or seeing what the game of conversation on Twitter is that day. What about taking suggestions from Redditors, because we all know Redditors have strong opinions?

Let’s sweeten the deal further, with one question: What’s a video game you wish you could entirely forget playing so that you can play it through again? Solid premise, right? Recommending a video game that could be played once is one thing. Recommending something you wish you could experience anew, is a whole new ballgame.

For me, that would probably be 2016’s Rise of the Tomb Raider. Yes, the combat isn’t as solid as other modern games, but I’m a sucker for any game with a bow. The big draw for me is the way it pulls you into the environment.

This is never better than when you enter the physical puzzle sections, with my favorite being the Ice Ship challenge tomb. The feeling of scale as you walk into the tomb is fantastic and deserves at least one playthrough.

Let’s see what the hivemind of Reddit chose.

The next video game you should play, chosen by Redditors

Before we dive in, I wanted to say a few words. This post has 25.8K comments so we likely won’t cover everything. I’m also trying to find the hidden diamonds, so fan favorites like anything in The Elder Scrolls series or Fallout aren’t going to make the cut here.

There’s no end of pieces out there recommending those. I’m also going to try to find ones with reasoning behind them, without anything becoming spoilery.

Titanfall 2

Whatever the eventual fate of the Titanfall series, the campaign from the second game in the series is definitely worth playing. Part tightly scripted storyline, part multi-hour tutorial for all the gear you’ll use in multiplayer, it’s one of the best campaigns I’ve ever played. Reddit has some love for the game as well, and it should be on everyone’s to-play list. You’ll never look at a robot the same way again.

Outer Wilds

The universe is on a time loop, set to reset every 22 minutes. You’ve got to explore, gather, and then break the loop. Sounds great already, right? Redditors loved that they could play Outer Wilds with their kids, the sense of achievement when you figure out the next steps, and how it all clicks into place so you can essentially finish the game in about 10 minutes once you know everything. The whole planetary system is the puzzle, and nothing is gated behind progression. Oh, and you can play it in VR if you want.

The Return of the Obra Dinn

Does anyone remember those point-and-click detective games, where you had to solve the mystery by touching everything? Well, Return of the Obra Dinn is that experience reborn for the modern era. Dive into the shoes of an insurance investigator, and piece together what happened aboard the Obra Dinn. Redditors overwhelmingly either wished they could play it anew or recommend it to all their friends to vicariously experience it again through their eyes.

Portal 2

If you’ve never played any of the Portal games, boy are you in for a treat. Redditors call out everything from the cleverly designed puzzles, the writing, and even the Steam achievements for reasons to get amnesia so you could experience them again for the first time. So many memes, so many memories, and some psychotic AI. What a winning combination. If only Valve could count to three, so there would be a sequel…

Bioshock

Bioshock gets a place on this list for the genius of its storytelling and that twist. No, we won’t spoil it. Just play the game, immerse yourself in the world, and pay attention to the dialogue. You’ll love the gameplay, and then your mind will get blown. Now excuse me, I’m going to go reinstall it and play it for what seems like the 50th time because it’s that good.

Shadow of the Colossus

Redditors want to go back in time to re-experience the sense of majestic wonder and sense of the scale of the fights against the Colussi. I mean you’re a tiny, puny human, fighting against literal giants. They also enjoy the vague storytelling of Shadow of the Colossus and the deep feeling of lore and mystery. Play the remastered version, it was done well and doesn’t detract from the feeling of the original.

The Last of Us

Naughty Dog is one of the current masters of game storytelling, and The Last of Us is their magnum opus. It manages to immediately make you care about the main characters, which only makes the eventual twists hurt more. Redditors seem divided between whether the first or the second game is more of an emotional rollercoaster, but both games benefit from fresh eyes.

Halo CE

A sizable contingent of Redditors mentioned at least one game from the Halo franchise, but it’s the original, Halo CE, that takes my vote. I can’t quite explain the feeling that this game gave me on its release, those 20 years ago. Before this, FPS were mostly arena shooters or on-rails single-player experiences. Not that Halo isn’t either of those two things, but Bungie brought an expansiveness to the table that set the tone for every FPS game since. The only thing I’d caution is that because of how much of an influence it was, even if you have never played it, it’ll feel immediately familiar.

Horizon Zero Dawn

I’ve already said I’m a sucker for anything that lets you use a bow, so maybe it’s no surprise that Horizon Zero Dawn is on here. It’s packed with “Oh, shit” moments, from the soaring vistas to the ways the plot is uncovered, and has one of the most lifelike game worlds I’ve ever played. The thing is, the story as it unfolds won’t shock quite the same way twice, so this is a game to go in blind and stay away from spoiler content.

A few last words

Still stuck for what to play after reading this? Got another option that we didn’t mention? Head on down to the comments section or our social channels and we’d love to discuss things further.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Ubisoft is taking microtransactions to the next level with in-game NFTs
• Sony is working on a PlayStation subscription called Spartacus to rival Xbox Game Pass
• Bask in the glory of this custom ‘dick and balls’ GameCube controller
• Razer is apparently working on its own handheld gaming console

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.