danutz_plusplus

danutz_plusplus

SasqWatch
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TLDR: Any games that you would consider obligatory to experience before you die.

The long version:
Might seem morbid, but I keep thinking about this, about the fact that I tend to waste time in various games, when I've certain got either better games to play or better things to do.
So it got me thinking about setting up a priority list of all the games I can realistically expect to want to play. And to start going through that list in order, when I have time I want to spend playing.

For example, I'm sure there's outstanding games I've got in my huge backlog, that I might not even know how good are.
The latest example was Hellblade, which just impressed the hell out of me, narratively and thematically. And I only got finally through it because its sequel came around, and I was intrigued.
So I'm sure I've got other games that I can label as must-plays, not due to their mechanics or gameplay, but due to them having something more profound to say. That's the sort of experience I want to prioritize.

My only worry is actually going through the whole list. It's kind of daunting.
I do have some organization of the stuff I got in store, but I never combed too deeply into that list, to at least create some priority groups. But I think I might have to.

So, with that preamble out of the way, back to the reason other people might care about this.
I'd like to also maybe brainstorm a list of such games, that people would consider mandatory to play before you die.
Technically any games that have emotionally touched or spoke to you in whatever way.

Here's my current list, from the games I've played:
Alien Isolation
Baldur's Gate 1/2/3
Bioshock 1/2/infinite
CP2077
Dark Souls 1/2/3
Bloodborne
Elden Ring
Sekiro
Disco Elysium
Legacy of Kain 1/2/3/4/5
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Portal 1/2
Firewatch
Hellblade 1
The Last of Us 1/2
Max Payne
Red Dead Redemption 2
Planescape Torment
SOMA
The Stanley Parable
What Remains of Edith Finch
The Witcher 1/2/3
The Talos Principle
 
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I'm bummed about a few games I've played but not finished, like Planescape Torment and Disco Elysium. Games I liked or even loved, but failed to complete. Now it's an uphill climb to ever see the end of them, because I dislike playing narrative games over again. It's especially bad for Planescape Torment because I've played 90% of the way through that game twice.
 
How can any such list not include the Gothics??!! :)
 
I'll just add a few rather than repeat as bunch.

Gothic 2-- a classic
Dragon age origins-- might be my favorite game of all time.
Skyrim-- Still king of OpenWorld games and modability imo.
wizardry 1-- The game that really got me into PC gaming.
Fear 1-- Best shooter AI in any game I played back then and would still hold it's own today.
 
danutz_plusplus said:
Might seem morbid, but I keep thinking about this, about the fact that I tend to waste time in various games, when I've certain got either better games to play or better things to do.
So it got me thinking about setting up a priority list of all the games I can realistically expect to want to play. And to start going through that list in order, when I have time I want to spend playing.
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing at the beginning of the year. I usually play games mostly chronologically, but my backlog continues to grow, as my lifetime shirinks. So this year I wanted to knock out new (for me) games, to make sure I played 'em before I die! Thus CP2077, BG3, and next will be Elden Ring.
 
I think everyone's list will be very different to others - we all look for different things.

My list would be:

Party based cRPG
Baldur's Gate II
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Neverwinter Nights: The Aielund Saga

RPG with set protagonist
The Witcher 3
Disco Elysium

Non RPG
Stardew Valley
Monster Hunter: World
Rimworld
 
Corwin said:
Try reading the first line of his post!!!!
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You misunderstand. It doesn't have the Gothic games because it's HIS list. Yes, he asked for games you'd add, and you did that, but being incredulous that his list isn't the same as the one in your head is what I don't get.
 
JFarrell71 said:
You misunderstand. It doesn't have the Gothic games because it's HIS list. Yes, he asked for games you'd add, and you did that, but being incredulous that his list isn't the same as the one in your head is what I don't get.
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He was clearly being hyperbolic though.

BG 1/2/3 are the ones you need to scratch off your list first!!

If you are okay with old school games I would recommend trying a few of the old gold box games (with the companion app), Ultima 7/7.2 and the Might and Magic games (IV-VII).
 
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Baldur's Gate 3.

Everything else is optional and down to personal preferences.
 
Here's some that haven't been mentioned yet:
Colony Ship
The Age of Decadence
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Expeditions: Rome / Viking / Conquistador
Fallout 1 / 2
Wasteland 3
Blackguards
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Temple of Elemental Evil
Arcanum

My list would also have the Witcher series, BG3, Disco Elysium, and Dragon Age: Origins
 
JFarrell71 said:
I'm bummed about a few games I've played but not finished, like Planescape Torment and Disco Elysium. Games I liked or even loved, but failed to complete. Now it's an uphill climb to ever see the end of them, because I dislike playing narrative games over again. It's especially bad for Planescape Torment because I've played 90% of the way through that game twice.
Click to expand...
I was actually going to create a similar thread except about games that you've wanted to play through for a long time rather than games that you've already finished.

FO:NV would be at the top for me. I've started it multiple times over the years but always got sidetracked for one reason or another.
 
Yeah, the initial point of the list was for everyone to list games that impacted them or they found emotionally resonant or poignant.
So that we could build up a list of everyone's list and everyone would get to benefit from such recommendations.
But the list could take on other flavors as well; I don't want to be gatekeeping.
So, yeah, any games that you really loved and are able to distinguish from simply liking to absolutely loving can make the list.
Or games that you've heard others gush about, that you keep wanting to get into.
2nd hand recommendations are fine too.

Maybe this is a good example for what I meant:
Corwin said:
How can any such list not include the Gothics??!!
Click to expand...

While I really loved Gothic, especially the first one, and it does have a special place in my heart, especially due to the time when I played it (probably among the first more serious rpgs in my life) I can't really say that the actual contents of the game had an emotional connection to me (made me think more deeply about life, etc). Maybe this is what I'm finding hard to explain. And maybe I may even find out that my initial premise is actually wrong, since I'm finding it hard to put into words. Maybe how the whole of the game makes me feel, versus how particular components that spoke to me (generally, the story and characters) make me feel, is the same thing, and I'm just rambling.

Anyway, maybe it's not worth making more complicated, and we can keep it simply at games that we feel are great or that we heard are great.
 
If you want a game that makes you think, then Ultima 7 was probably the first one that did that for me. There's been others since, but that was really the first for me. Some prefer U4, but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the later Ultimas.
 
Some games that impacted me emotionally that haven't been mentioned:

FFVII (old and new)
FFX
Norco
Gone Home
Citizen Sleeper
Photopia
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Rameses
A Plague Tale (1)
Transistor

In the category of games I haven't played but I'm pretty sure they will affect me when I do:

Nier: Automata
Outer Wilds (this one seems to blow the mind of everyone who plays it)
 
JFarrell71 said:
Some games that impacted me emotionally that haven't been mentioned:

FFVII (old and new)
FFX
Norco
Gone Home
Citizen Sleeper
Photopia
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Rameses
A Plague Tale (1)
Transistor

In the category of games I haven't played but I'm pretty sure they will affect me when I do:

Nier: Automata
Outer Wilds (this one seems to blow the mind of everyone who plays it)
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Yeah, Outer Wilds I keep constantly hearing about (not to be confused with Outer Worlds). And yeah, everyone gushes about it.
I tried it once but I was either very tired or something, but I couldn't take off right at the start of the game (if I remember this correctly) or didn't get what the games wanted me to do.
One of these days I'll return to it.

Nier: Automata I also keep hearing about, but I think my prejudice towards anime games and seeing the main character and how she's dressed ... not that I'm a prude or anything ... but it just superficially signals to me immaturity. But maybe I'm the immature one if I can't get over my superficiality and just try it.
I hear it has a lot of endings, and some of them even build on top of each other ... so that sounds cool. I'll have to give it another try one of these days.
 
danutz_plusplus said:
Might seem morbid, but I keep thinking about this, about the fact that I tend to waste time in various games, when I've certain got either better games to play or better things to do.
Click to expand...
It's always interesting to have a backup list, but by exploring you may also see interesting things you'll miss otherwise. So don't discard it as wasted time. Besides, tastes vary, wrong expectations are built from lists, and it all depends on the mood of the moment anyway.

That being said, I echo some of the games listed above (but I hate some others I see there, which shows how subjective this is):
  • Pathfinder: Warth of the Righteous (maybe Pathfinder: Kingmaker, too)
  • Expeditions: Viking, Expeditions: Rome
And I'd add those (I'm not including outdated games or the ones you've already listed):

Action / action RPGs:
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  • Prey
  • Dishonored, Dishonored 2
  • SW Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Metro 2033, Metro Last Light (Redux editions) - I didn't play Exodus
  • Dying Light
  • Hades
  • Grim Dawn
Misc genres:
  • Divinity: Original Sin 2
  • ATOM RPG
  • Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
  • Pentiment (provided they finally fixed the bugs)
  • Portal Reloaded (and it's even free!)
  • Little Nightmares
 
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Redglyph said:
It's always interesting to have a backup list, but by exploring you may also see interesting things you'll miss otherwise. So don't discard it as wasted time. Besides, tastes vary, wrong expectations are built from lists, and it all depends on the mood of the moment anyway.
Click to expand...
This is so true, that a lot of the enjoyment or effectiveness is dependent on the mood of the moment or of the moment you are in life.
Some things can fall flat for one person, and be poignant for another that had a particular experience or is at a moment in their life (good or bad).
People with different life experiences will also take things different.
You might even have people that should be theoretically "prepped" to take in an experience, but might be disconnected emotionally in that particular moment, and it never lands properly.

Yeah, a lot of things have to align to get that emotional moment.
 
I feel like I'm only one in Watch who value the games that let me create stuff - like ESO housing, Garden Life etc, which is the reason why I didn't list any of those games above. For me, it's a creative outlet without having to invest in learning to paint, photoshop etc, and it means a lot :p
 
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