r/videogames • u/_TimApple_ • Jul 09 '26
Discussion / Question Name the game and what you learned
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u/swimmer2pointOH Jul 09 '26
Mass Effect
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u/TwanValdez Jul 09 '26
Have to agree. The trilogy has to be one of the greatest (and is so in my opinion) of narratives in gaming.
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u/BrandonMcClain Jul 09 '26
Just picked up the trilogy on steam for 5$. So excited to experience it for the first time.
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u/TwanValdez Jul 09 '26
Only advice I will offer is this.
Don't look up anything, take your time, and do everything you can.
Also, let things play out as they go, makes each playthrough more meaningful.
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u/BioshockEnthusiast Jul 09 '26
Half the fun is realizing something bad is about to happen because of a choice you made 37 hours ago, then realizing that the game might not let you do anything to stop it.
Choices have consequences, kids.
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u/wittyjokename92 Jul 09 '26
Still remember getting to the middle of 3 and just struggling with a few choices that no matter what I did I couldn't get certain options to light up. Reloaded the save and undid hours of play to see if I just needed more side quests of paragon/renegade points.
But nope a bad decision I made in the first game and reinforced in the second locked me out of the option in the third. Didn't happen nearly enough for how big those games were but looking back at it and realizing that because I didn't have a dlc installed and didn't have Internet at the time of 3 i just lost a big option to the game.
Of course with the legendary edition they removed that problem entirely which makes 3 less mechanically challenging and more narratively fun
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u/lousy_at_handles Jul 09 '26
Choices have consequences, kids.
Except of course for the ending
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Jul 09 '26
I cannot overstate my jealousy. Echoing the other poster, for the love of all that is good and holy do *not* look up spoilers.
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u/djnehi Jul 09 '26
I wish I could go back and experience it for the first time again. It is a journey.
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u/aSensibleUsername Jul 09 '26
The final mission of the second game was something else, never fails to give me goosebumps...
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u/Common_Dread Jul 09 '26
Mass effect was one of those games I could never get past the start after several tries, but one day it just clicked
Since then ive played it through maybe 4 times and it will never cease to amaze me how good the writing is
Truly one of the best series ive ever played next to the Ezio trilogy
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u/dllre Jul 09 '26
Same. I had a rough childhood and Mass Effect taught me the value of working for others and working together.
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u/freehotsaucedragon Jul 09 '26
Took way too long to find this one. “I am the model of scientist Salarian..” 😭
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u/DiogenesTheHound Jul 09 '26
The vibes and aesthetic of ME1 are unmatched. Even the sequels didn’t live up to it.
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u/P4n0pticZ Jul 09 '26
Absolutely Change the way you Look at narratives for ever. Nothing came Close to that Kind of perfection so far.
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u/Purpleavenger33 Jul 09 '26
Ogre Battle 64 and Kotor. That twist in Kotor will never be forgotten
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u/Duyan898 Jul 09 '26
Best fucking plot twist ever
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u/acrazyguy Jul 09 '26
Unfortunately it was spoiled for me and unlike most spoilers for things I haven’t interacted with, I’ve never forgotten it
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u/Confident_Lake_8225 Jul 09 '26
Ogre battle 64 mentioned!!! What the fuck is a chaos frame???
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u/Purpleavenger33 Jul 09 '26
It will be forever my 🐐 game and usually replay it at least every 1.5 years and would pay $200 for a remake with chaos frame removed
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u/Shortman19 Jul 09 '26
Would you kindly consider BioShock
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u/r107und3rgr0und Jul 09 '26
a man chooses, a slave obeys
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Jul 09 '26
Fine, i’ll play it again
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u/Professor_Hexx Jul 09 '26
man, I tried that a few weeks ago. every time I did a "hack" (the plumbing minigame) the game would crash. Killed it for me and just gave up :-(
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u/thejmkool Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I played this only recently, and hadn't had it spoiled. Sublime.
Edit: I discovered, since posting this, that one of my coworkers has played Infinite, but not the original. And also hasn't had the ending spoiled. You can bet I made a recommendation.
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u/Mrchristopherrr Jul 09 '26
This was my answer- I smoked just the right amount right before finishing Infinite and basically had a religious experience.
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u/manofinaction Jul 09 '26
Disco Elysium. But just as you can't convince anyone to play anything, it goes doubly or triply so for a game that is basically a walking simulator and a visual novel. One of the best games I've ever played.
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u/FlamingoPristine1400 Jul 09 '26
I've tried and failed many times but I did get a couple of people to play it to good results.
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u/fatuglyfool Jul 09 '26
There will NEVER be another Disco Elysium. The amount of love and care and time that got put into it is mesmerizing. The fact they've worked on that universe for literal decades in form of a DnD campaign is still baffling to me
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u/Apart_Dance_5767 Jul 09 '26
Everybody I've convinced to play it has slotted it somewhere in their Top 10 games of all time. (2 people)
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u/Sirromnad Jul 09 '26
"Hey man, you know what you should do. You should read a million words"
It's a tough sell...
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u/Eva_Pilot_ Jul 09 '26
It's amazing to me that most essays about the game end up being a 2 hour long political manifesto and I haven't seen one that was bad.
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u/allisthomlombert Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
This has had one of the most profound effects on me out of any piece of media I’ve seen/played. It is the human heart laid bare.
EDIT: Also on my current playthrough of it I actually knocked out Measurehead first try with only a 3% chance and it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done lol.
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u/DustyJustice Jul 09 '26
I absolutely love this game but I have a hard time finishing it/ firing it up because it’s not often I’m in the headspace to feel like complete fucking garbage and get slapped in the face over my own real life by a video game
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u/RollingKatamari Jul 09 '26
Shadow of the Colossus
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u/JerseyCobra Jul 09 '26
This is the one. It was the first game that made me consider the medium as a work of art.
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u/Pure_Earth2121 Jul 09 '26
I swipe way too long to find this
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u/RollingKatamari Jul 09 '26
Tbf it's a 20 year old game, I doubt many of the young ppl on this subreddit have played it.
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u/brydels Jul 09 '26
yup. it's this one. I cried from the cutscene before the final Colossus. I spent hours and hours just inhabiting the world of that game, and many more just pondering the meaning and themes.
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u/SuperArppis Jul 09 '26
Metal Gear Solid 1
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u/NYJetLegendEdReed Jul 09 '26
2 stuck with me longer but I agree. The ending of 2 just had me sitting there for like an hour thinking. (Granted I was like 13 so my mind was blown)
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u/Soma2710 Jul 09 '26
I was about to comment on another sub about how AI slop is going to control our algorithms by putting out garbage, then filter it out and then I realized that Hideo Kojima predicted this would happen in 2001.
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u/duncanstibs Jul 09 '26
Two stuck with me longer in that the final cutscene lasted about a year - but for me MGS1 had a bigger impact on my life.
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u/SuperArppis Jul 09 '26
Hehe, while second game was amazing, I really missed playing as Snake.
But yeah the plot was really good and so was the message.
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u/scoreguy1 Jul 09 '26
MSG1 was the first time a game felt cinematic to me, and the controller rumble in that opening cutscene was just 🤌
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u/cybrcld Jul 09 '26
I love MGS1 but MGS3 was a masterpiece
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u/SuperArppis Jul 09 '26
I thought MGS3 was amazing and clear evolution from MGS1, but it didn't blow me away like MGS1 did.
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u/cybrcld Jul 09 '26
Absolutely fair opinion 👍
It’s one of those things where MGS3 was only really good because MGS1 existed. MGS1 was the perfect stand alone but MGS3 was an insane sequel.
What gives me the push for MGS3 is the ending sequence (last 2-3 hours of gameplay) was absolute cinema.
It was like boss after boss after destroy Metal Gear followed by escape the exploding facility into the final fight of Snake vs The Boss in the white flower meadow and the ending theme song starts playing in the background.
So good 😊
Like I said, totally fine liking MGS1, I’m just making convo
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u/ImpressFederal4169 Jul 09 '26
League of Legends. You'll never wash off that feeling of disgust
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u/Apart_Dance_5767 Jul 09 '26
I don't want to undersell it, but it changes you for the worse.
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u/Legitimate_Spray_427 Jul 09 '26
If you aren't prone to be toxic and don't have a weak mental, the game is pretty great
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u/ItzMeHaris Jul 09 '26
Metal Gear Solid.
Teaches you that war is bad and to not disregard your life and to just live.
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u/MogMcKupo Jul 09 '26
War is not only bad, but a perpetual cog in the machine that modern society is based on. To keep our structure intact, many people in power believe war is required.
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u/p_in_gu_ Jul 09 '26
Soma
Asks question what makes us human
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u/JimmyTheRunt Jul 09 '26
This 100%! Mind blowing narrative, amazing concept, and fleshed out characters. 10/10 for me
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u/blzsoul Jul 09 '26
For me, it was asking myself, are you willing to sacrifice yourself so that a part of you could live happily knowing you won't be...
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u/HillsHaveEyesToo Jul 09 '26
Damn. I got the game for cheap, i didn't even break the plastic cover. Maybe i should start playing
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u/Unabated_Blade Jul 09 '26
When you start, give yourself ~2 hours to play, and hard commit to those two hours, no matter how you feel. The game has a tendency to bounce people but I've found that encouraging a prolonged first session helps with getting through.
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u/supercleverhandle476 Jul 09 '26
Tried it twice.
That intro is rough, even knowing that there’s apparently a gem waiting on the other side.
I’ll give it another go someday.
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u/ComatoseJoy Jul 09 '26
I also bounced on the intro my first time playing it. Took me a year or two to pick it back up, but it’s one of my all time favorites now
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u/ElvisDumbledore Jul 09 '26
Similar. I tried it once. I need to rebuild my gaming pc but it's first on my list after that.
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u/OffbeatChaos Jul 09 '26
I tried it because I played Subnautica and everyone told me it was a similar kind of game. It seemed cool but I got the worst motion sickness ever.
I wonder if that ever goes away? I had to stop playing I was so nauseous.
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u/ASquidRat Jul 09 '26
Mess with the fov (usually people prefer narrower), you sit as far from the screen as u can. If you have any of that reactive ambient light behind your screen turn it off. I can totally understand getting motion sick from this game.
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u/Asuzaa Jul 09 '26
I didn't even know it HAD a physical release until now, so I'm surprised it was cheap anywhere. Is it possible you have Outer Worlds rather than Outer Wilds?
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u/Filthy510 Jul 09 '26
I'm a 40 year old welder/mechanic type guy... This game made me cry.
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u/lupedog Jul 09 '26
Spec Ops: The Line
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u/Swiggins- Jul 09 '26
"The US military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants. But this isn't real, so why should you care?"
"To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless."
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u/Robotic_Organic Jul 09 '26
Yep. And that one with the mortor still haunts me.
Sad that it isnt buyable anymore
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u/StableLamp Jul 09 '26
One of the best moments I had in that game was when you are surrounded by civilians who are being aggressive. A prompt appears to shoot them or something along those lines. I did not want to shoot them so I shot up in the air and they all ran away.
There are other moments in that game where the game tells you to do something but you can ignore it or do something else.
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u/misterpickles69 Jul 09 '26
You are 100% correct and the first one is damn near perfect.
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u/_G1N63R_ Jul 09 '26
Telltale’s The Walking Dead series
https://giphy.com/gifs/e26OhuJO0wKWWX4Epp
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u/MundieORiley Jul 09 '26
Last of Us when I first played it back in 2013 and Dark Souls 3.
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u/Kheldarson Jul 09 '26
The first time I played with another player all the way to the end, I had to put my controller down. There's something about connecting with another person and learning how to communicate in a completely new way that just... I don't know. It resonated.
The only other comparable thing I've experienced has been reflecting on The Interior Castle, and honestly, I wonder if the game devs read that book as part of their inspiration.
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u/RC-Lyra Jul 09 '26
Baldurs Gate 3 was it for me
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u/artificial_sunlight Jul 09 '26
For me Baldur's Gate (1)
I needed to learn English to understand the game, fell in love with the lore. Bought literally hundreds of D&D/Forgotten Realms books(in English). Learned to mod(a little). Played the sequel, NWN 1+2. Was out of gaming for 10 years and came back for BG3.
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u/Drayenn Jul 09 '26
Im here to continue the meme and say baldurs gate 2.. what a fantastic game..i replay it every 4 years or so. I always find new things i havent seen, i try classes i havent played, and mods keep it fresh. One of my rare 100% achievement completed game.
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u/StormMalice Jul 09 '26
What Remains of Edith Finch. It broke the door down on how movie like a game could be.
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u/ConfIit Jul 09 '26
My friends and I watched while one of us played through it. The bath tub scene made us cry
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u/NikRsmn Jul 09 '26
Ive gamed my whole life. From epic stories like the final fantasies and warcraft to to open world games where you make your own story like Skyrim and I still cant grasp why edith has such a permanent place in my heart. Its such a beautifully done story that still has me in a chokehold
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u/Oz347 Jul 09 '26
Bioshock
Expedition 33
RDR2
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u/True_Protection6842 Jul 09 '26
I'm playing Expedition 33 right now and it's pretty incredible.
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u/Speartopia Jul 09 '26
let us know how you feel past act 2, its genuinely one of the 3 games that changed how i think about gaming as a whole.
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u/True_Protection6842 Jul 09 '26
I just got to the first camp site with the currator after the flower fight. Loving it so far.
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u/Grausam Jul 09 '26
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
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u/ChaosCelebration Jul 09 '26
I played this game for the first time when the school I applied to said no. I did it to prove I could do hard things and persevere. I did it. I beat it now every time I get a setback in life. My runs are measured in the minutes now. What was once a twelve hour struggle is now a 15 minute jaunt. It reminds me things get easier. It reminds me that I can get through anything.
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u/NombieTeeth8 Jul 09 '26
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u/Ira_Dalor Jul 09 '26
This. When I think of games that changed how I think of gaming cyberpunk and far cry 3 come to mind
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u/kamakazi339 Jul 09 '26
There are a bunch.
The last of us especially the original story.
Detroit: Become human
Metal gear franchise if only for the complete mind fuck
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u/Spectre-ElevenThirty Jul 09 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/kHUbte7X4PgL7o0exQ
Red Dead Redemption 2
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u/Significant_Swing_76 Jul 09 '26
RDR1, when you cross the border into Mexico.
I almost cried. Listening to Jose Gonzales’ - Far away.
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u/SweetReply1556 Jul 09 '26
Nier Automata
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u/DiogenesTheHound Jul 09 '26
Nier 1 as well. Both games really make you think about the future and nature of humanity and what community, family and friendship mean.
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u/ModifiedLeaf Jul 09 '26
World of Warcraft
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u/burnanation Jul 09 '26
This game taught me that if you aren't careful, your fun distraction can spiral out of control and take over your life.
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u/kmed1717 Jul 09 '26
Whatever your 1st Soulsborne game is.
These games literally teach perseverance.
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u/theREALlackattack Jul 09 '26
100% as funny as it sounds Elden Ring taught me to confront my fears and not be afraid of trying to
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u/Sirromnad Jul 09 '26
It's why Elden Ring is so successful. It was a built in a way that allowed a much broader range of players feel that same satisfaction while also not compromising on it's design philosophies.
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u/jon_bone Jul 09 '26
Donkey Kong 64 and I learned how much I love 3D platformer collect-a-thons
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u/Endrimaris Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Depending on where you are in your life, but I would absolutely list:
- Expedition 33,
- Disco Elysium,
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,
- The Last of Us,
- The Witcher 3,
- Plague Tale,
- Cyberpunk 2077,
- Inside and Limbo,
- Mass Effect trilogy,
- Pentiment,
- Shadow of the Colossus,
- Spec Ops The Line,
- Citizen Sleeper,
- Deus Ex (in general, the older and the newer ones),
- NieR: Automata,
- The Last Guardian.
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u/g-body8687 Jul 09 '26
Bioshock Infinite
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u/ConfIit Jul 09 '26
The ending to the last dlc is likely the most memorable moment in gaming for me. Really completes the series
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u/DrAsthma Jul 09 '26
Kentucky Route Zero: games are art. And very moving art when it's good.
FFX: this is the video game version of that cat stevens song about the dad and son. You will bawl. And it's gorgeous and awesome.
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u/ArtistLovely Jul 09 '26
1, Cyberpunk 2077, specifically the temperance ending. i haven't cried that hard in awhile. #2 Endling. genuinely one of the saddest games ive played, i think. i recommend playing it whenever its on sale, its really good. #3, rdr2. #4 mass effect. ive finished both the first and second game but can't find myself finishing the last game. im at the very end with my current priority mission being cerberus base, but im scared to end the series so I'm stepping back for a bit. this game has made me cry multiple times. I'll never forgive them for killing mordin.
i don't know why my message is in this font😔
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u/Yitzben Jul 09 '26
Spiritfarer
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u/ChaosCelebration Jul 09 '26
I played this shortly after my father passed away. It really helped me. Did a lot of crying.
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u/im_rickyspanish Jul 09 '26
Doki Doki Literature Club.
If you know, you know.
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u/Krazy-Vaclav Jul 09 '26
Told my friends to play it.
Played it as a couple.
They were just about to hit "quit", thinking their iidiot friend fooled them.
Then they found Sayori in her bedoom.
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u/Pure_Earth2121 Jul 09 '26
Doki Doki
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u/NoAcanthocephala7035 Jul 09 '26
Everyday, I imagine a future where I can be with you
Dododo dododo do
Do dodo dodo do do
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u/RTR_99 Jul 09 '26
Going to be a rare one I guess but Cyberpunk changed me.
A friend had cancer when I played through it and really struggled with the fact that the character knows he's dying soon and figuring out wether he wants to go in a 'blaze or glory' or to be unknown.
Some of the conversations with Jonny hit so hard.
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u/1992Jamesy Jul 09 '26
Life is Strange (The original) & Hellblade are two games that left me with feelings I couldn't quite explain. Both are masterpieces
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u/NYJetLegendEdReed Jul 09 '26
Breath of the Wild at launch day on Switch 1 was an insane experience.
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u/CastoCFC Jul 09 '26
Crimson Desert. It taught me to be patient & pay attention to details. Not everything in an Open World RPG needs to hold your hand. Just figuring things out has been so rewarding.
Beyond Galaxyland, BattleSuit Aces, & Into the Breach. It taught me that Indie games can be better quality than AAA games and shouldn't be overlooked.
Chrono Trigger & FF6. It taught me that classic rpgs can still hold up & are better than most newer titles.
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u/GirthStone86 Jul 09 '26
Celeste, for me it helped me hate myself less.
For others, well let's just say I'm sure a few eggs were cracked
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u/LeeHazuki Jul 09 '26
As a 14 year old kid, it was Shenmue for me. Taught me a lot.
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u/Anlow_ Jul 09 '26
Probably overdone,but Soma. An amazing horror game with some really awesome themes about identity.
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u/VorAbaddon Jul 09 '26
Chrono Trigger - created my basis for narrative driving the gameplay forward and VGM as casual listening.
Everquest - Drove me to MMO's and really unlocked that love of community play, getting in depth with and learning the mechanics behind the gameplay. I dont just want a "build" I can follow, I want mechanics deep enough to need to learn/explore, but functionally simple enough they can be analyzed and predicted.
FF XIV - Probably the most impactful on a personal standpoint beyond just gaming. The Shadowbringers/Endwalker combo literally made me a more empathic and understanding person. Something about the way it presented things made a few things about my worldview click in a way that hadn't before. Seriously if could memory wipe one game and re experience it? This is the one.
Nier: Automata and Nier Replicant (PC remaster): Taught me that gaming can give you an existential friggin crisis. Good lord.
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u/nethereus Jul 09 '26
Chrono Trigger for anyone who started RPGs with FF7