I’m a grown up. That means I don’t have nearly as much gaming time as I used to. That means most games tend to get the “one-and-done” treatment. That means that I tend not to complete many games multiple times. That means…I don’t think I can carry on doing this “That means…” thing. I know. You’re upset. It was pretty hilarious whilst it lasted. But you’ll just have to move on. Much like I’m going to right now.
Rambling aside, I tend not to finish games repeatedly, simply because I don’t have the time to before I move onto the next experience. But there are a few games I’ve played during my more recent adult life that have had the special privilege of not being returned to the shelf once I’ve finished it. This is dedicated to those games!
Some rules here. Games that require multiple playthroughs don’t count (sorry Nier: Automata). Super short games don’t count either, so things like Blue Estate are going to be ignored. They need to be games I’ve played since being a proper grown up and having a real job, so don’t expect anything before the past couple of generations. On with the show!
Mass Effect
Seven times. I played this from start to finish seven times. It was absolute madness to spend that length of time on a single game, but utterly worth it. There were so many different ways to play it, with multiple classes as well as multiple ways to approach a situation and alter the story.
My final playthrough was on Insane mode. God knows why I did that, but it really was a slog as the enemies just became bullet sponges. Still! There was a lot to love in this universe, so much so that I went back to see those things seven times…
Oh, and I ended up taking my original playthrough through to the future games, making those other playthroughs moot.
Dark Souls
This was an odd one for me, as I finished the game and then started playing it through again immediately so I could get the other ending. Not that I had a clue what either ending meant. Honestly I think it was just an excuse for me to go back and experience it all again.
Having finished the game, I found out that there were other bosses and such that I didn’t even know existed, let alone had found. So back in I went, armed with my new knowledge. I got thoroughly killed by most of them (along with the minions in the areas. Screw those wheel skeletons) but going back through the worlds was just as much fun the second time around as the first.
Alan Wake
Alan Wake did something that I don’t like in games. It hid content behind difficulty modes. If you wanted to see everything in the game you had to play it on the hardest setting. Thankfully, normal mode was actually fairly tame, meaning that I felt alright about going into Nightmare mode. For a hardest setting, it wasn’t all that tough (HASHTAG MLGPRO!). Anyway, I’d enjoyed the main game a lot. I found the story interesting, the atmosphere spot on, and the soundtrack fantastic. The gameplay wasn’t half bad either.
I’m pretty sure there isn’t anything in this game that I didn’t do. All the collectibles, all the DLC, all the extra challenges, everything. I know it has its flaws, but I found it utterly compelling, and I’m one of those that still hopes for a proper follow-up one day. I’m not holding my breath though.
DmC: Devil May Cry
No, you shut up! Whilst I found the new Dante a bit irritating (plus that who “Not in a million years.” thing felt like a deliberate swipe at fans of the previous games), I considered the world and gameplay to be absolutely spot on. The real world/demon world thing lead to some really intersting environmental designs and trversal challenges, and whilst the combat was a little easier than previous installments, it was still incredibly satisfying.
Add to that the bosses, that were incredibly varied and fun to fight. The Bob Barbas one above was insane in its presentation alone. I didn’t play this a second time until years later, but it was just as fun the second time around. It held up pretty well in spite of this being a pretty hated entry in the series.
XCOM/XCOM 2
Well obviously. Did anyone expect this to not be here? Literally hundreds of hours across numerous playthroughs that are different every time depending on successes and failures as well as the choices you make in the “overworld”. This is my go to game any time I need a play through of something comfortable. Comfort gaming if you like.
If you missed it, I recently did a week by week run through of my most recent campaign featuring friends and family. Needless to say, not eveyone made it thought…
Some honourable mentions. Alpha Protocol was a horribly under appreciated spy thriller with tons of choice about how to play that had genuine consequences. I needed a few playthroughs to see everything I wanted to. DOOM (2016) got a couple of run throughs by virtue of being brilliant and having a fun enough core gameplay loop for me to want to do it all again. Fallout 3, because I really wanted to blow up Megaton…
How about you? What have you played over and over again? Are they comfort games or ones that genuinely needed more playthroughs just because they were that much fun? Tell me about them so I can absolutely not play them because I don’t have time to!
I ended up playing through Fire Emblem: Fates three times, though that was mostly because it had three different paths. To be honest, outside of a few classic games such as Super Mario Bros. 3, I don’t tend to replay games a whole lot. I do revisit some of my favorites on occasion, but there’s usually a bit of time between playthroughs – especially if they’re heavy on story.
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There were 3 versions of Fates, is that right?
It’s a rarity to replay games as you get older due to there being less free time, but there are always those I’d like to play through again. Even with the best intentions it tends not to happen though.
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Yes. They were: Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation. They’re all entirely different campaigns, so there was more of an incentive to replay it one time right after the other.
I know what you mean; at the end of the day, new games tend to take priority over ones I’ve already played not only because it’s more productive, but also so I can get more material for my site.
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I’ve been doing fewer reviews for that very reason. I’ve been enjoying the games I’m playing more as a result!
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I’m nearly done with my 3rd Mass Effect playthrough myself. Gone with female Shepard this time and I have to say I don’t miss male Shepard all that much. I love the world building in this game, it still blows me away.
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I like how the world is already there and can be discovered further only if you really want to. Do the Elcor matter in terms of the plot? Not really but you can learn a lot about them if you take the time to.
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Off the top of my head, I’ve played through Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros., Dark Forces, the Batman Arkham games more than a few times. I’m 100% sure I’ve done others as well though.
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Oh Dark Forces, that takes me back. That god damn sewer level was my undoing as a youngling.
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Resident Evil 2 will be the game i’ve completed most that isnt a 10 minute speed run. As I’ve probably beaten Super Mario Bros 100 times.
Final Fantasy VII is probably the game I’ve spent most time playing and probably completed that 20 times.
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Finishing FFVII that many times is quite the feat! Considering how long a full play through of that would take!
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When I was 14 when it came out it was pretty much the only game I played for 2 years.
I could speed run it in 20 hours
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Great post! And yeah, I’ve done Mass Effect a few times (although not 7!). Such a great game. Otherwise the only ones I can really think of that I’ve played over and over since I also reached ‘gaming adulthood’ are the Uncharted games.
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I never really got into the Uncharted series, but I can see that they’d be a great “comfort game” that’s easy to go back to.
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Really enjoyed this post! I’m glad you’ve found a few games that you’re able to take the time and enjoy multiple times while adulting!
Being a grown up myself, I tend to play games that don’t have a defined ending, such as the Pokemon series or Harvest Moon franchise, games I can pick up and just keep going to help relax. There are quite a few games that I have finished multiple times, with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars being my favorite. Paper Mario and Ocarina of Time are another couple of favorites.
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That’s a fair point. Games that you can just keep playing would be great for this sort of thing. No defined end point and always more content to dip into.
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Being an adult usually means one and done for me too. I must have beat Ocarina of Time 20+ while growing up. It’s still my all-time favourite game 😀
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I suppose when you’re younger you have the time to play your games multiple times simply due to the fact of not being able to afford new games as often. Then again, 20 play throughs of OoT is some serious commitment 😉
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Good post! I’ve played through Heavy Rain several times, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater atleast twice, and The Last Of Us more than afew times.
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I hadn’t really thought about Heavy Rain and its ilk. They’d lend themselves really well to multiple play throughs thanks to all the different paths and endings.
Kind of want to play Until Dawn again now.
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My one on your list I’ve beaten multiple times is Dark Souls.
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I don’t know what it is, but it’s such a compelling game to play over. The hidden bosses certainly help though.
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one of my favorite games that I’ve finished multiple times is Skyrim.
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Yeah, those open world ones would lend themselves really well to several play throughs. There’s no way you’d find all that content in just one run without a guide.
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Agreed, there’s just so much to discover.
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Mass Effect and DmC for me as well. Also Contra, Metroid, FF7, 8, and 10, Skyrim, Dragon’s Dogma, and Dragon Age Inquisition. Just finished a 2nd playthrough of Life is Strange, but I guess that’s not very impressive.
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I don’t get all the hate for DmC. I understand fandom and all that but the outright vitriol you see expressed is crazy.
I’d forgotten about FFX. I’ve played that through a few times myself!
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I stand firm in my opinion that DmC is the best in the series.
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You sure it isn’t DMC2? 😂
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Oddly, the most recognizable lol.
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Great list!
My repeat play is probably SmackDown 1….had millions of season modes over the years! I admit, once I’ve seen the story’s end, I’m usually on to the next game….
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Was that the Smackdown that had a few different story paths? I can’t remember which one, but I’m sure one of the earlier ones did.
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Nope, it’s just got the big ranking list and you just keep trying to win titles forever! No story at all, but I got obsessed with it….
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I’ll have to work out which one it was at some point then!
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Sorry, I’m being vague! It’s the very first SmackDown! out on the PS1 in 2000
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Yeah, I remember a friend of mine having it and playing it at there house repeatedly. Before it turned into a god awful iterative update series.
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That’s the one! Yeah, it’s a shame what happened to the series, there is a good game every five years now….
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Man I wish we got another Alan Wake! I have replayed many a game in my day but usually shorter stuff. Even when I love a long game, it is rare I go back for another play through. Super Mario Bros. 3, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Mirror’s Edge are probably among my most replayed (though the latter more in time trial form than full play throughs).
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Mirror’s Edge was great for replays, as doing it quickly was part of the appeal. It’s like going back to beat lap times in a racing game. I should have another play of that some time.
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What a great idea for a list! Very interesting about DMC! I love the series but haven’t played the reboot , I just can’t get over new Dante 😐…perhaps it’s time for me to bite the bullet!
I haven’t replayed many games, my top one is resi 4. It’s like an old friend, I always stick it on if I’m a bit fed up (or, when as frequently happens, I can’t afford a new game!) Hasn’t had a 2018 play through yet though so that might be happening soon!
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I like the idea of an annual playthrough game. I’ll see if I can pick one out that I’d like to do each year some time.
DmC was a good reboot. The gameplay was spot on, the soundtrack was fantastic. Everything felt great. But because Dante is such a loved character, the retconned changes and the deliberate digs at the original fans really rubbed people the wrong way. If you want a top notch hack & slash game, it’s well worth playing the definitive edition of it.
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That’s really good to know, I might actually pick up a copy (once I’ve finished dmc 3 that I’ve been playing for about a year!)
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The story and characters are pretty awful though. There’s a lot to genuinely dislike about it besides just people being bitter fanboys.
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I’ll agree with the story being a touch weak (although I like how it was presented) and the characters being irritating. It’s the hate for the gameplay that I disagree with. Everything feels fantastically fluid when the fighting starts.
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Oooh, now that’s put the cat amongst the pigeons!
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Fallout New vegas, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Gold I’ve finished and replayed too many times to remember.
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I’m hearing a lot of people liking to go back to the Pokemon games which I can kind of understand.
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My gaming skills suck so I cannot beat Dark Souls once, let alone multiple times.
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I won’t lie, I used more than a couple of summons to beat it! Can’t claim it’s all my own skill.
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Most of my repeats are Final Fantasy (I know, shock, right?). I’ve played FFVI, FFVIII, and FFIX multiple times, and I’ve given FFVII two or three tries to complete. I didn’t for lack of interest, but rather life circumstances. I’ve seen the end multiple times, and have probably read enough about it to fill a library. Mario games were also my go-to, because they’re simple, fun, and not to difficult. I can’t think of a modern game that I’ve played on repeat, since I have so little time for gaming. I tend to do one and done at this point after I’ve beaten something.
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I think that’s the case for most grown ups. If it’s not a game designed to be played repeatedly (multiplayer etc.) then it’ll be played through once before moving on.
Adulting is hard!
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It’s why I try to only do it once a day!
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