Has a second play through of a game ever moved it from good to great for you?

[thonerayman]

I've been playing games since the NES days but something is happening to me right now that's never happened in 30+ years of gaming. I'm replaying Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time since it launched. I played, beat it then and thought it was a solid game, enjoying it for sure. But since the new title launches in about two months and I had nothing else to play I started a new save file (I maybe should have done new game + but eh starting over was fine) and wow.

I don't know what was going on in my life in late 2017 that made me go "Eh it's a fun game but not one of my favorites of all time" or maybe even it's something different in me now 4 almost 5 years later but damn. I'm fairly close to the end of this play through and I was driving to work an hour ago thinking to myself "I just wanna go home and finish this game again". It hit me, this game is f'ing great. I've never had a game jump from my B tier to S tier because of a second play through ever.

So if this has happened to you post about it! And if it's never happened post about that too! Maybe I'm the only one (But I doubt that super seriously)

 

[BasilZero]

Yes.

Banjo Kazooie back when it first came out compared to playing it again 3 years later.

Super Mario Sunshine back when it first came out to playing it again 5 years later.

Both games I hated so much at first but years later - they are some of my most favorite games.

 

[Scott Lufkin]

This has certainly happened for me a few times, and it's awesome every time. Off the top of my head I can remember enjoying but loving all the more on the eventual second play through Final Fantasy XII, Dishonored, and The Last of Us.

 

[stat84]

Nioh.

First time i played it i gave up in one of the final bosses but the next time i decided to play it i was a lot more patient and loved it.

Still haven't played Nioh 2 though

 

[thonerayman]

Yes.

Banjo Kazooie back when it first came out compared to playing it again 3 years later.

Super Mario Sunshine back when it first came out to playing it again 5 years later.

Both games I hated so much at first but years later - they are some of my most favorite games.

Click to shrink...

I'm just curious. What made you decide to revisit?

 

[BasilZero]

I'm just curious. What made you decide to revisit?

Click to shrink...

Banjo Kazooie I played again after playing Banjo Tooie (which I really loved)

Super Mario Sunshine as part of a Super Mario Marathon I did in the late 2000s with all the Mario games at the time (Super Mario Bros 1 to Super Mario Galaxy).


Since then I think I played Banjo Kazooie at least a total of 4 playthroughs - the last time being in 2017.

Super Mario Sunshine I did at least 3 playthroughs - the last time being in sometime in early 2010s. I need to play it again especially since I got it on Switch now.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

I don't think this is rare. A lot of games can be awkward the first time through, but do shine on a second run.

 

[Lemony1984]

I liked MGS 4 more the second time although Great might be stretching it.

 

[J75]

Hated RE4 first time around.
A replay is all I needed to see the light.

 

[Cess007]

Every infamous 2nd playthrough is better than the first one, because I always decide to go Evil on the 2nd playthrough, and being evil in infamous is always more fun.

 

[Beuntje]

The Last of Us 1

 

[aett]

Red Dead Redemption 2! I rushed through it the first time due to having lots of other games that I wanted to play and not a lot of free time. I replayed it during the first summer of the pandemic (sigh) and really let myself fall into it, and it became one of my favorite games of all time.

 

[AverageFisk]

FF7 Remake. Did the second one on hard and suddenly the combat-materia system was amazing.

 

[psynergyadept]

uncharted 3; enjoyed it but didn't really hit me like 2. Played again when the triliogy port came to the PS4 and and enjoyed it greatly.

 

[sionydus]

Death Stranding. The first play through was story, which was fine, but there are gripes to be had. On subsequent play throughs, I took my time, soaked in the aesthetics, and had fun fighting Mules/terrorists and building transportation.

 

[Lightjolly]

Rain World; First playthrough was rough, but fun. Second playthrough you're the predator now, with advanced knowledge of movesets

Earth Defense Force 5: First playthrough you're just getting the weapons, second playthrough on Hardest/Inferno is where shit gets real

 

[Androidsleeps]

Bioshock 2, didn't care much for it the first time, playing it the second time AND the dlc made me appreciate it a lot more.

 

[mrmickfran]

Okami
Bayonetta
God Hand
Wind Waker

 

[closer]

Baldur's gate 2 didn't really click until the 4th attempt

 

[Incommensurability]

FF7 Remake. Did the second one on hard and suddenly the combat-materia system was amazing.

Click to shrink...

This. Hard mode was the way to play this game. It should not have been locked for a first playthrough.

 

[pbayne]

FF7 Remake. Did the second one on hard and suddenly the combat-materia system was amazing.

Click to shrink...

Thats a good one. Also helps that on your first run through some of the bosses can be a slog if you dont have the right materia or know the strategy for fighting them.

 

[Scruffy8642]

Undertale. Wasn't until my Pacifist run where I was like "wow this game is something special".

 

[Apo]

Baldur's Gate - The first time I played it like a RTS or action RPG and almost never used pause. It wasn't what I expected. A few years later I tried it again, played it the right way and I was hooked.

 

[Goldenroad]

I'm not sure it has. Certainly not a story based single player game.

Something like Super Mario Kart, or Rocket League, or Rock Band were games that the more you keep coming back to them the better they get. I find with most single player games, the subsequent playthroughs are where I start noticing more of the cracks, or the repetition, or the slower parts that maybe drag a bit more than they do on the first playthrough. I'm not saying that every game gets worse upon subsequent playthroughs, but I'm struggling to think of a game that I really liked that I actually liked more after playing it a second time, and it's not really coming to me.

 

[Brotherhood93]

RE2 Remake - I'm not a big RE fan and never played the original. Enjoyed my first run but it was only on subsequent playthroughs that I truly appreciated it. Helps that it is a game very much designed for that though.

 

[thonerayman]

I'm not sure it has. Certainly not a story based single player game.

Something like Super Mario Kart, or Rocket League, or Rock Band were games that the more you keep coming back to them the better they get. I find with most single player games, the subsequent playthroughs are where I start noticing more of the cracks, or the repetition, or the slower parts that maybe drag a bit more than they do on the first playthrough. I'm not saying that every game gets worse upon subsequent playthroughs, but I'm struggling to think of a game that I really liked that I actually liked more after playing it a second time, and it's not really coming to me.

Click to shrink...

This is usually what happens to me as well. I've had games drop from S to A tier. But this has truly been a transcendent experience for me.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

Yes.
Path of Exile, Super Mario World are some that comes to mind, but there are many more. Games with good replayability used to be the main thing I looked for when buying a game.

 

[Deleted member 27921]

Dark Souls 3.
On my first playthrough, I encountered *maybe* 4 NPC's and did not progress any of their quest lines because I was so preoccupied with trying not to die a billion times.
On my second playthrough, I was actually able to explore and pay attention to what I was doing, so I found a whole slew of new characters and story paths!
Amazing game.

 

[nonoriri]

TLOU2.

I really liked it on my initial play through but it had also been really a really stressful experience wondering where the story was going to go and what was going to happen. Playing through the second time when I knew what was going to happen I was able to appreciate and enjoy the dramatic narrative experience and how it all comes together.

 

[Crayolan]

Undertale. From "this game is pretty good" on my first neutral playthroug, to "wow this game is amazing" on my pacifist playthrough, to "this is one of my all time favorites" on my genocide playthrough.

Pretty sure that's the intended experience though.

 

[SanTheSly]

Prey.

Played it nearish to launch and had a real rough time. Was constantly struggling with combat situations, and the later game sections involving back-and-forthing through Talos 1 on HDD load times was a real enjoyment killer.

Replayed it this year on an SSD and with a bit more knowledge from my first playthrough and had just... the best time. Honestly incredible what a replay did for that game for me.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

These games are lucky if I finish it the first time. I don't have time to do it twice.

 

[UraMallas]

Halo Infinite most recently.

I played through it once on Heroic and got every single collectible and cleared the map. I immediately started a new game the same night I beat it because I wanted to do a timed run. Beat it in 3.5 hours the next day. Started my LASO run immediately because I wanted more. I've been playing LASO for 20 more hours on top of the 40 I put in from my previous two runs and it was last night I finally reflected on what was happening and it was the fact the gunplay and encounters are just SO good every single damn time I play that I just wanted more of it. There is never a session that I play where I'm not having a blast and no encounter has ever even come close to being the same.

So, I realized on my third playthrough that the game wasn't just great for me. It was an all-timer.

 

[XR.]

Definitely Nioh. I liked my first playthrough fine, but once I started my second playhthrough it opened up a new world of mechanics that I never needed to use before, so that's when I really learned to appreciate its combat and its variety.

 

[Gelf]

The Evil Within. I'd worked out how matches are best used far too late in my original playthrough. Using them properly in the replay made it a better experience.

 

[Atolm]

Nioh.

First time i played it i gave up in one of the final bosses but the next time i decided to play it i was a lot more patient and loved it.

Still haven't played Nioh 2 though

Click to shrink...

Oh you're in for a treat, 2 is so much better, especially high level play which is nuts.

 

[RingoGaSuki]

Pikmin for me, I really didn't click the first time I played it, but played and loved 2 a few years later. I went back to 1 after that and it was great.

 

[Eugene's Axe]

Yes
Uncharted 4
Dark Souls 3
MGS3

 

[shadow_shogun]

Bloodborne. I thought it was okay after my first play through but I came to appreciate it to a much greater extent after platinuming it as having avoided them during my initial play though, I spent a lot of hours experiencing the chalice dungeons.

 

[The Traveller]

Max Payne 3. Playing through the story I thought it was bad. Decided to try the store attack mode, and that's when it clicked for me.

Playing on score attack required planning and skill which elevated the game from a simple shooter to a more deliberate, methodical game and I really enjoyed my second playthrough because of it.

 

[Poppy]

i eventually realized that final fantasy V is godlike yes

touhou luna nights also got better on replay because i think once you know how to exploit your power set to its full potential right off the bat you feel like you're really good at the game

 

[BenedictBlakbrn]

Morrowind. Played it the first time for 10 hours or so at launch and somehow got lost in what to do and hated the combat. Then revisited it again a year later on a friend's strong recommendation and somehow it all clicked and I had a blast playing through it.

 

[ghibli99]

Wind Waker

Click to shrink...

I agree with this, but only because I went from the GC version to the Wii U one. Not just the QoL changes, but I was also much more well-versed with Zelda games by my second playthrough. Enjoyed it a lot more the second time. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the artstyle originally, but the passage of time tends to soften feelings on stuff like that. LOL

 

[Magnus]

Nah, just the other way around. Feeling like one of your old faves just doesn't hold up is always very disappointing.

 

[KennyLinder]

This was The Last of Us for me.
Playing it through a second time, on the hardest setting felt like a much more interesting experience to me. Loved it.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

Oh you're in for a treat, 2 is so much better, especially high level play which is nuts.

Click to shrink...

I just finished 1 a few days ago and loved it, I am at the 2nd area for 2 and I honestly don't like it as much for some reason. I'm not a fan of the transformation mechanic and the burst thing at all. It also seems way harder.

As for the OP, yes. I feel like I have had more in which I didn't like the game as much the 2nd time but for the question at hand:

Bioshock 2 - First time I thought it was good, when I went back years later it became my favorite in the series.

Dark Souls 3 - Thought it was okay the first time, when I went back last year on my series playthrough it really clicked and it's in my top 10-15 games, it's still my least favorite of the DS games, but I actually love it as a game overall now.

 

[Dan Thunder]

Death Stranding

really liked it on PS4, loved it on PS5.

 

[Kill3r7]

Doom Eternal.

I thought it was just okay on my first playthrough. The game felt way too restrictive and having to micromanage ammo and health seemed like a chore. After a couple of posts in the OT (I think, it might have been another thread) someone posted a video of how to deal with marauders and some high action gameplay from SunhiLegend which was all I need to see that I had been playing it the wrong way (boots on the ground).

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Batman: Arkham City. I thought it was somewhat worse than the Arkham Asylum after I rushed through the campaign at a friend's house in 4 hours.

After revisiting the game, it became one of my top favourite games of all time, and I appreciate it more and more on replays.

 

[henlo_birb]

Yes; Dark Souls II when the DLC came out.