Inspired by a notion we recently saw floating around our Twitter feed, we’ve decided to pilot a small project involving our “favorite” games. And we don’t have “favorite” there in quotes for emphasis, but rather because this project involves us challenging the idea of favorites when it comes to games.
When we say “[insert game here] is my favorite game,” what exactly does that mean? Are we simply saying that the game offered a great, all-around experience? Or is there more to it than that? No game is without at least a few imperfections, so how and why are we able to overlook them in order to call a game a “favorite?” Do we have to put in a certain number of hours, gain a certain number of achievements, or play through a game a certain number of times (maybe playing in different modes and on different difficulties) before we should be allowed to say “[insert game here] is my favorite game?”
Okay, so that’s a lot of questions, and we don’t want to get too analytical (because games should be fun, right?), but we couldn’t help but be intrigued by this idea of revisiting “favorite” games. Awesome games come out all the time, so there’s got to be something about the ones that we perceive to like the most, something that makes them stand out above the rest. By taking another look at these games, maybe, just maybe, we’ll find out something about these “favorites” that either knocks them down a couple rungs or elevates them even higher.
So this month, Hatm0nster, The Duck of Indeed, and I are revisiting our “favorite” games, and then next month we’ll be reporting on our experiences. To keep things simple, we’ve each picked one game apiece, and it’s up to each of us how to approach it for the purposes of this project. Maybe the results will be spectacular, and maybe they won’t. But whatever comes of this project, we think it’s worth the effort to take a step back from crowded cityscape of games and spend some quiet time with those few games that once made a difference; that seemed to materialize at just the right moments in our lives; that caused us to proclaim them as “favorites.” Will we have to eat our words? Stay tuned!
What “favorite” games have you replayed only to discover that they may not be as great as you once thought? What “favorite” games of yours just keep getting better and better?
I’m about to replay Ratchet and Clank, the last one in the series.
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Cool! You know R&C gets lots of love around here. A definite favorite!
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How do you pick just one?!
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For this challenge? It wasn’t easy, but it had to be done for the sake of focus. (Shoot, someone could probably devote an entire blog to writing about replaying favorite games!)
But generally speaking, it’d be nearly impossible to pick just ONE favorite game. Everyone’s “favorites” seem to change year by year…or month by month, haha! :)
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Yea after reading this, I tried to pin down some of my “favorites” but it always changes. Normally I have to pick a category like “favorite PSX game” or something. I guess that’s a good thing to say about the medium
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Favourites is always going to be slippery, but I did recently start playing Final Fantasy VIII seriously for the first time in over ten years. Definitely a game that made an enormous impact on me, and I’ve long considered it my joint favourite game alongside Ocarina of Time (which I’ve replayed many times over the years).
I was anxious that FFVIII wouldn’t live up to my memories, but I’m a good few hours in now and so far at least my memories/expectations of the game have held up well. I’m amazed too by how much I remember of the game after so many years away. Lastly, and I realise this sounds weird in the context of a PS1 game, but I keep catching myself thinking that FFVIII is a gorgeous game to look at?!
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The PS1 had tons going for it graphically (at the time) — Castlevania: Symphony of the Night comes to mind as being beautiful — so it seems like what you said makes perfect sense. Pretty game is pretty! No matter the system.
You mention two interesting things in terms of favorites: impact and standing the test of time. That’s a nice summation of why “favorite” games become true personal classics. It’s great that FFVIII is proving to be just as wonderful an experience for you now as it was then. I feel the same about Super Metriod, though I’m not playing it for this challenge. :)
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