Games with Replayability

[thegurullamen]

I hate spending money on games that have a built-in shelf life. One of the most disappointing things about video games is beating one and realizing that doing it again would be boring as hell. It feels like a poor investment which is all the worse when you're as poor as I am.

So Playgrounders, in the interest of research, what games do you think have the most replay value? What games will still be sitting on your shelves years from now because you just can't get enough (or have done so already)?

[chiasaur11]

Well, X-Com has a fair deal of replay for a game that's currently only a fiver.
Played it three times in a row without getting sick of it.

[Tavar]

Generally, RTS's have great replayability. As do 4x games such as galactic civilizations or the Total war games.

[SparkMandriller]

Multiplayer games. You can play them over and over. People can be pretty unpredictable, y'know how it is. I've got like a thousand hours of Splinter Cell, though that's mostly because I'm dumb, I guess.


Be dumb, you can play Splinter Cell for like a thousand hours, it's great.

[schism207]

Well, GTA San Andreas has not yet bored me.
RTSs are usually have fantastic replay value, with the skirmish modes and all.
Games like Champions of Norath and Baldurs Gate are fun almost every time around.
Most multiplayer games can be fun for a while, like COD4 or 5.
That's about it, from my experience.

Hope this was helpful.

[Myatar_Panwar]

I've been playing TF2 for about 1 1/2 years now. Or longer.

I don't even know anymore. :smalleek:

[Robek]

I've been playing the civilization series forever and the series keeps getting better and better. I'm still playing games of civilization 2, even though I first got it when it came out on the Playstation.

[Brother Oni]

I find most RPGs tend to be fairly replayable, if you stop thinking of it as a game to beat and treat it more like re-reading a book.

[Remmirath]

Any roleplaying game where you make your own character or characters. The Baldur's Gate series, Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, and Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights II to a lesser extent as well as Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II come to mind.
For me, Icewind Dale is the most replayable, mostly because it just doesn't take nearly as long as Baldur's Gate and I don't feel so much that I need to make just the right sort of character. I like Baldur's Gate better, though. Icewind Dale II has always seemed just a bit on the depressing side, particularly the ending, so I don't play it as often. That, and I prefer version 2 to version almost-3 for computer gaming.
In NWN, NWN II, KoTOR and KotOR II the point buy system really gets to me, so they aren't as replayable to me for that reason. I don't mind the one in Icewind Dale II so much, as you can at least subtract from your stats and it's one-for-one, but those games seem to have a really brutal point-buy. Maybe it's just because I'm used to actually rolling stats.
That's getting a bit off-topic, though. Moving on.

Unreal Tournament 2004 falls under the playing online thing. Especially with all the custom maps out there.

I used to put in countless hours playing and replaying Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, and Lemmings, but those are all DOS games. And I think I more or less played them to death back then, so I'm not sure if they really count, either. Still, I've been playing them at least every now and then for eighteen years now, so that's gotta count for something. Even if that something turns out to be 'my mental instability'. :smallbiggrin:

The only strategy game I've ever really liked was Populous III: The Beginning, but it's pretty replayable. And if you can ever actually manage to get a game together online, there's also that.

I can't think of any more at the moment. My brother plays Total War, and it seems to be pretty replayable (at least to him). Me, I prefer killing things with no real aim to strategy, so I generally avoid such games. :smalltongue:

[Celesyne]

Infinite replay-ability. Complex strategy. 4x-style workings. and completely free?

THIS IS DWARF FORTRESS!!

[Yora]

Any roleplaying game where you make your own character or characters. The Baldur's Gate series, Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, and Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights II to a lesser extent as well as Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II come to mind.
Yes.

I played Baldur's Gate for probably 6 times (that is, 6 times finished. Possibly 60+ times started :smallbiggrin: ), and Baldur's Gate 2 is many sizes bigger.
Icewind Dale is more like Fantasy-Tactics-Game than RPG to me, but still very entertaining.

[Sir Dar]

One that comes to mine is lords of the realms 2.Feed your people.Rise armys.Become the king!With forging and advanced farming on, the game feels a bit more like real life and gets harder.my words do not tell you how fun this game is.if you look for it.you can get both lord of the realms one and 2 for 6.00$.warning lords of the realm one will steal your life if you try to beat it.it is that hard.


the guild.each game will not play the same as the last.you can be a graveyard keeper a innkeeper and much more.that all i am going to say about this game.becurse i am lazy .thats all the games with replay ability that i think of right now. i am sure theres a few more i forgot about.

[UnChosenOne]

Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age do have wuite good replayablity if you want to find all (and steal) all stuff, espesially if you're fan of Idea of Self Imposed Challenge (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SelfImposedChallenge).

[The Dark Fiddler]

The Dark Fiddler was going to suggest Oregon Trail, bit he died of dysentery.

[Lord Seth]

NetHack. It's free, and it's different each time you play it.

[psilontech]

ADOM, Nethack, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

X-COM, Master of Orion II, Civilization II, Alpha Centauri, DWARF FORTRESS

Baldur's Gate I/II, Fallout I/II/III/Tactics

Freespace 2.

Oh lordy, Freespace 2. I find it extremely hard to get tired of that game.

[warty goblin]

The original Majesty, thanks to a fiendishly good random map generator, is very, very replayable. Even the campaign maps are randomized, but the real power comes from building your own custom scenarios of doom. Want goblin invasions 24/7? Can do. Want an ice themed level with buckets of yetis, wendigos and ice dragons? You can make it, even though it'll kill you totally dead.

Arma II apparently has a mode where you can simply tell the game to generate random encounters and missions for you as you wander around.

[Teln]

Don't look now, but there's a zombie (http://www.popcap.com/games/pvz/) on your lawn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1_0SUGlDQ).

[Blue Ghost]

What, no one has suggested Pokemon yet? I've replayed Crystal Version about 8 times. I can't afford to restart my Platinum, since I'm a competitive battler now, but I've accumulated over 300 hours on it after beating the game.

[Inhuman Bot]

Tetris, as well as roguelikes, have great replayability.

The Fallout series was great too, as you could first play as an evil killer, then a charismatic theif, or a complete pasafisct...

Same with Arcanum, I'd imagine, but I haven't been able to beat it yet. :smalltongue:

[Zevox]

I find most any good game is plenty replayable. I couldn't tell you how many times I've replayed games like Zelda: Ocarina of Time, or Ogre Battle 64, or Tales of Symphonia, or Skies of Arcadia, or the original series of Mega Man, or (you get the drift).

That said, there are obviously some games with more replay value than others. Big one that jumps to mind is the Super Smash Brothers series. I can still go back to the original and have a blast even though it now has two sequels which are both superior to it. And I've logged more hours on Brawl than any other Wii game in my possession, and Melee has only a few competitors for that spot among my Gamecube games (mostly the 2 GCN RPGs I mentioned above). And I fully expect to be going back and playing all three at various times for years to come.

Another is the Disgaea series. Unless you're completely bored by grind-style gameplay, each game is infinitely replayable. The level cap is 9,999. And you don't even need to go beyond 75 or so to beat the main game. Yet there are plenty of other things to do, which include challenges that will actually still challenge you at level 9,999. And there's the reincarnation system, allowing you to return to level 1 with a stat boost based on how strong you were before reincarnating. Allowing for, as I said, effectively infinite replayability, all in one save file.

Zevox

[Castaras]

Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age do have wuite good replayablity if you want to find all (and steal) all stuff, espesially if you're fan of Idea of Self Imposed Challenge (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SelfImposedChallenge).

And fan missions. Google Thief Fan missions, and you get the whole community of people making customised missions.

[Athaniar]

I started playing The Movies again two days ago, and it certainly has replayability if you are into movie-making. They really need to make a sequel, preferably one with a Fantasy and/or Historical genre.

[AgentPaper]

Warcraft III and Frozen Throne, for the custom maps. I have been playing this game, on and off, for at least 6 years. And there's still new stuff to play, because people are still making new maps. There's less now since the game is kinda old and SC2 is coming out soon, but there's still a lot of variety as long as you look past DotA and it's clones.

In a similar vein, Starcraft 2 would also be a great choice once it comes out, since it's going to have an even more powerful editor than WC3 had, which is saying a lot already. If you're tight on cash you could just wait until SC2 comes out, since the WC3 community is probably going to die for the most part once SC2 is available.

[The Dark Fiddler]

What, no one has suggested Pokemon yet? I've replayed Crystal Version about 8 times. I can't afford to restart my Platinum, since I'm a competitive battler now, but I've accumulated over 300 hours on it after beating the game.

I would have, but my problem is that I can never bring myself to restart. :smallfrown:

[Gamerlord]

The movies, as well as dwarf fortress and nethack, along with fallout series,

[Winthur]

Civilization series, any old-style cRPG like Baldur's Gate or Fallout, any roguelike (ADOM is my favourite), Heroes of Might & Magic series.

[Oregano]

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is near infinitely replayable. It's an RPG, with four different character types(as well as a lot of special mercenaries to recruit) that's online multiplayer, with numerous difficulty settings and new game plus.

I've been through it several times already.:smallbiggrin:

[Freshmeat]

Deus Ex. If you like System Shock or Bioshock, then Deus Ex will probably be right up your alley.

[loopy]

I've played through Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines about 5 times now.

Civilisation is always a winner.

Stone Soup/Nethack/Roguelikes?

[Geno9999]

Like Brother Oni pointed out, RPGs can have a lot of playability if you think of it as reading a book. To me, Fire Emblem series has lots of replay into it, especially if they have support conversations. Even if you stop playing it for a few days, you can jump back into the last stop you were at and continue on.
Smash Bros Series also have lots of replay into it, especially if you have friends over. In Brawl, you can make your own Special Brawls (like Metal Rabbits at High Gravity or Stamina Brawl.)

[Xyk]

Definitely the Civilization series as well as Rise of Nations. Until my PC broke, I played Civilization 4 for probably 3 hours per day almost every day. It was an addiction that I miss every day.

Also Dynasty Warriors.

[Twin2]

Starcraft multiplayer, especially map settings games.

[Hunter Noventa]

Sins of Solar Empire is pretty good. It's a space-based 4X style RTS that should be called an RLTS (Real Long Time Stretegy) since you can easily play for 5-6 hours a game and still not research or build everything and win. It's fairly cheap and available in digital form.

[Prowl]

I'm going to guess that we should assume the OP means "RPG games" rather than all games, since many genres are replayable by the essence of their design. I mean, if a multiplayer game - and I'm thinking RTS or shooters or simulators or electronic boardgames (e.g. Civ series) here - wasn't replayable, there wouldn't be much point to releasing it at all.

[Martok]

4x games such as galactic civilizations or the Total war games.
As far as strategy games go, I agree that these two have immense replayability, albeit for slightly different reasons.


GalCiv2 is highly replayable due to the sheer amount of customization options. (This is true even if you don't have the expansion packs, but it's even more so if you do have them.)

The Total War games generally have a relatively large number of factions you can play as. In addition -- and perhaps even more importantly -- there are numerous mods (particularly for MTW, Rome, and Medieval 2), many of which greatly extend the life of these games.

[AgentPaper]

I'm going to guess that we should assume the OP means "RPG games" rather than all games, since many genres are replayable by the essence of their design. I mean, if a multiplayer game - and I'm thinking RTS or shooters or simulators or electronic boardgames (e.g. Civ series) here - wasn't replayable, there wouldn't be much point to releasing it at all.

I would actually suggest against recommending RPGs, not because they can't have replayability, but because the only thing that determines whether or not you would want to play it again is how much you like the game. (Though for me, it's really a testament to how much I like the game if I even finish it in the first place :smallredface::smalltongue:)

[Myatar_Panwar]

I'm going to guess that we should assume the OP means "RPG games" rather than all games, since many genres are replayable by the essence of their design. I mean, if a multiplayer game - and I'm thinking RTS or shooters or simulators or electronic boardgames (e.g. Civ series) here - wasn't replayable, there wouldn't be much point to releasing it at all.

Well, there are more than just RPGs and multiplayer games. So..... what? It sounds like you are suggesting we assume the OP is only talking about RPGs because its the only genre which isn't completely based around re playability? Or something? I have no idea.

edit: And I am totally with you there Agent Paper. Finishing an RPG is a rare occurrence.

[LurkerInPlayground]

A good multiplayer shooter.

Start climbing your personal skill curve and you'll find that FPS's can have a lot of depth. However, the whether it's worth the trouble to climb the curve for a particular game depends on the quality of the shooter.

TF2 is a good one. Mostly because it removes the assault-rifle spam common to so many games.

[Pie Guy]

A good multiplayer shooter.

Start climbing your personal skill curve and you'll find that FPS's can have a lot of depth. However, the whether it's worth the trouble to climb the curve for a particular game depends on the quality of the shooter.

TF2 is a good one. Mostly because it removes the assault-rifle spam common to so many games.

Hey! Don't insult my CoD4 strategy! It's not my fault that suffocating people with sheer numbers of bullets is fun!

[Optimystik]

I would actually suggest against recommending RPGs, not because they can't have replayability, but because the only thing that determines whether or not you would want to play it again is how much you like the game. (Though for me, it's really a testament to how much I like the game if I even finish it in the first place :smallredface::smalltongue:)

Judging by the OP's avatar and signature, I'd say he's not totally averse to the idea of RPGs. :smalltongue:

[Willis888]

Games I'm still playing (and how old they are):

Master of Magic (15 years): Like Civilization, but with elves, dragons, and wizards. No multi-player though.

Magic: The Gathering, Duels of the Planeswalkers (12 years): MtG cards up to 5th edition and a decent AI to play against. I'll sometimes play a game or two while waiting for a download.

Civ 2 (12 years): We play this in the office. Gotta love turn-based games.

Diablo 2 (9 years): The loot system in the first game was revolutionary, and the sequel improved on it. With the different character build possibilities, and random equipment, each (casual) game requires inventing new tactics.

NWN1 (7 years): There is a bottomless treasure chest of user-created content.

Planetside (6 years): The only 'pure' MMOFPS in existence. There are no NPCs - every figure has a human brain controlling it.

Call of Duty 5 (1 year): Co-op Nazi Zombies - if you like shooters and you have a friend who does too, you need to check it out. This might only be replayable if you are the type to become determined to find a solution when faced with insane difficulty.

[Voldecanter]

Lords of Magic !

[Gamerlord]

GalCiv2 is highly replayable due to the sheer amount of customization options. (This is true even if you don't have the expansion packs, but it's even more so if you do have them.)



No multiplayer, that kills about half the RPability.

[Smight]

Space Empires,
Dominions 3,
Sword of the Stars.

[Lamech]

Alpha centuri all the way! That game is great.

[Stormthorn]

Sins of Solar Empire is pretty good. It's a space-based 4X style RTS that should be called an RLTS (Real Long Time Stretegy) since you can easily play for 5-6 hours a game and still not research or build everything and win. It's fairly cheap and available in digital form.

The scale in that game is amazing. I like to zoom in on one tiny fighter and watcht he battle from his point of view. Then, if my ego needs stroking, i slowly zoom out to view all of my vast solar empire.
Then i roll out the Novalith Cannon.

[Miss Nobody]

The Baldur's Gate games, the Fallout series, Planescape : Torment and pretty much every well-made RPG with a good story that involves different choices and consequences.

The Neverwinter Nights series, with the tons of mods that you can find on the internet.

Also, any shooter or strategy with a good and addictive multiplayer.

[Faulty]

Multiplayer games are an obvious choice. Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 are good choices. Really deep RPGs too. The Baldur's Gate series, for example. There are so many options in Baldur's Gate 2 you'd have to play it 3 or 4 times to even see most of the content. You can also play all the way through Baldur's Gate into the Baldur's Gate 2 expansion pack with the same character.

[nooblade]

Civilization series, any old-style cRPG like Baldur's Gate or Fallout, any roguelike (ADOM is my favourite), Heroes of Might & Magic series.

I thought you said you hated how much of your life ADoM stole away? :smallamused:

[Asheram]

With fear of sounding like a broken record.

Fallout 1 and 2 is something you just don't get bored with.

Civilization 4.... I've lost many a day to that game.

X-com Enemy Unknown... Again. lost many hours there.

Heroes of Might and Magic. Never get tired of thatone either.

And a classic, not sure if you've heard of that one, but:

Uplink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplink_(video_game)) one of the simplest games I've had a Lot of fun with.

[Zeful]

Well, most of the Final Fantasies with job systems are pretty replayable (III, V, X-2, Tactics, Tactics Advance, And Tactics A2 are the one's from memory). Titan Quest is also very replayable (unless your computer crashes 8 times in a row before you get out of the first act, then you start to hate that starting town). As is: Jack and Daxter (PS2), Monster Hunter (all of them (Various Systems)), Children of Mana (DS), Golden Sun and GS:TLA (GBA), Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission (GBA), The next Golden Sun game that's not out yet.

[deuxhero]

Deus Ex is a good example of supporting mutliple playstles. Fallout 1/2, and Arcanum also are fairly good on this. I hear Bloodlines is too, but not being all that willing to try digital distribution, I haven't tried it... yet.

[Inhuman Bot]

The Baldur's Gate games, the Fallout series, Planescape : Torment and pretty much every well-made RPG with a good story that involves different choices and consequences.


I argue PS:T having choices.

It's easier to read FATAL cover to cover then be evil in that game. :smalltongue:

[deuxhero]

Bad bit of wording there. Doing KotOR 1's evil is as hard as reading FATAL because they are both bad. Torment evil is hard because it makes you feel horrible.

[dsmiles]

Console game but:

Star Ocean: Till the end of Time

MEGA-replayability. So many plot twists, so little time.

Also, I can't get enough of the Disgaea series.

[Starbuck_II]

PS1 Brigidine. There are like 7 countries and each has different story/Character plots.
It is a strategy RPG with countries. Instead of mooks for battles you buy every general monsters.
Monsters level if they survive a battle. Like ghouls became Vampire spawn and then Vampires.

On Sega Saturn, Dragon Force is awesome. Every country is pretty cool. Whether the black armored country of the north. The Elven country of the west. The Monk country is pretty rough due to be surrounded on all sides.
And if beat game can be the Mage Country or the bad guys.

So many hidden characters as well.

[Winthur]

I thought you said you hated how much of your life ADoM stole away?

I love to hate it. :smalltongue:
Maybe it's just my ADHD, I just can't stay concentrated on this game enough to finally beat it, so now all the previous efforts feel kinda worthless.
I'm coming back, though. It's fun.
Especially since now I send to death make characters based on Playgrounders.

tannish, the trollish farmer, was killed by a mimic.
Let me tell you one thing: "Doomed" status sucks, especially when you get it deliberately. So, bam, experienced mimic, paralysis, bye.
Although he was remarkable because he got a sword of sharpness early on. And he also had a hefty collection of dwarven sausages, although only because the RNG dropped a lot of juicy corpses. Surely there ain't any reason why would I collect sausages.
Next time: Murska, a wizard who has no idea how to use Lightning Bolt. :smalltongue:

[Ilena]

A game i will always love is M.A.X. Mechanized assault and exploration, its an old 98 game, it so simple in everything, but its so ... well just plain good, its not very stable anymore on the newer machines and it is somewhat upsetting, but if you have dos box it works mostly ok, but its still a fun fun game.

[Asheram]

Oh... And my own guilty pleasure...

Anyone of you ever played Megaman Legends for the old PSX?
This is... You take a bit of Metroid, A bit of Legend of Zelda, put a Megaman(ish) person as the main character, then throw in a completely new storyline.

I swear, I've played that game from start to finish about 30 times. I LOVE it.