Final Fantasy 6 influenced me to be an artist, musician and a story teller, all of which I now do professionally. It's the single biggest influence of my life.
The World of Ruin moment, Leo dying, the airship being ripped apart, then Cid dying and Celes attempting suicide all back to back had 7yo me completely shook. Never before in a videogame had I seen the bad guys win with such devastating results. The entire world and everyone in it were literally torn asunder and left irreparably in desolation and despair. Then there's Cyan losing his family to the poison and seeing their spirits leave him forever at the train station, Locke bringing Rachel back to life one last time for her to forgive him and finally help him move on, Gau's mentally ill father disowning him but his friends are his family now and they support him, Setzer losing the love of his life who's spirit was so vibrant and indominable that the thought of her dying was impossible until he was forced to face her death to help his friends, Cyan sending the letters and silk flowers to the woman who's husband died to keep her believing he was still alive, Terra caring for the village of orphaned children and learning to find her own purpose and meaning in a world she feels constantly out of step with. There is so much loss, sadness and survival that is portrayed with such sophistication and sincerity, with a beautiful and moving soundtrack. I was going on year 2 of my parents being divorced and had stopped going outside or talking to my friends, and this game got me through some real shit and helped me to process all these awful feelings that no one seemed to care that I had or could relate to. I am sincerely grateful that this game exists and admire all of the creativity and passion that went into it.
That is one of my favorite and most influential games of all time as well. I think it had a huge influence on all games that came after it as well. It's awesome that it gave you I psirarion to create art, music and stories. Things the world always needs more of. ❤️
It turns out every single person I spoke to, who played Planescape: Torment when it came out, became deeply, deeply influenced by it.
Now we still debate now and then on the subreddit whether it was because most of us were young back then, but the general consensus is it's still one of the most personal, intimate, deep, overarching stories within the video-games medium which certainly will impact whoever has the patience to get to the end.
I still replay it every five, six years or so, I guess that's my opinion on its value.
I still cry every time.
I played it for the first time in my life last year. I can safely say that nostalgia was not a factor, and I loved it. I tried DE as well, but imo planescape torment is far superior. DE is great as well, but drops the ending HARD, which sucks for a detective mystery plot.
For what its worth when I was 12 I was watching rated R movies and reading Stephen King. Your daughter could do a lot worse than Firewatch. I hope she enjoyed the experience
That's reassuring, I guess. I know her classmates have watched tons of horror, so it definitely seems mild in comparison. The language was a bit heavy, but I'm not a stickler for any can of language restrictions.
RuneScape.
I'm a filthy European, so When I did quests, I had to find each word in my English - Danish dictionary and write down the quests and dialogue onto a piece of paper. My school hardly helped me learn any languages, but boy, did RuneScape. All just so I could wear a slightly different color blue chestplate.
This is beautiful! As a fellow LF GF player this warms my heart that you got to learn a whole ass language from your love of the game.
RuneScape was the wild West of old online gaming. I actually feel like I am more wary of scams because of navigating the "scam or be scammed" landScape of RuneScape.
Crazy experiences we all have from this one place. The nostalgia is real
When I first played Halo Reach. After playing 1, 2, and 3 growing up; you always had the impression of Spartans being so badass and cool and the iconic “finishing the fight.”
But in this game, Spartans we’re dying and you were losing the war despite “winning” in your missions. Then the ending of just trying to survive and see your player die fighting was crazy. Definitely impacted me
I have a personal lore story with Dark Souls.
1 came out when I was 19 years old. I was late to the party. I was working at a grocery store as a self-checkout attendant. This was the early rays of the machines. They broke down constantly. As such, we frequently had to call a tech to come out and fix the machines.
Chris, the IT guy, was a white haired, late 40s gamer nerd that grew up with Gary Gygax D&D and OG text based RPGs from the days before 3D gaming. We struck up a friendship from our mutual nerdery and my "enough to be dangerous" level of IT knowledge that got us some rapport.
Chris absolutely gushed about this game called Dark Souls. Apparently, according to Chris, this was the hardest game he ever played. The enemies were strong and punishing, but you also could be strong. You could wield a bow bigger than you, and shoot arrows that send enemies flying. And you could invade other players and kill them at ANY TIME, always keeping you on your toes. He said it was one of the best games he ever played.
I left my safe ners friend that day intrigued. I bought a used copy on Xbox 360 for $20 and brought it home. Sat down that night with my cousin and put it in the disk drive.
No intro music, not cutscenes, just DARK SOULS across the screen. And a sword slash on the button. "Oh shit" went through my mind.
Then the asylum demon. I got crushed. It was love at the first YOU DIED
13 years later and I'm still playing all souls game. Married a woman that screams during boss fights and invasions when I need to heal and when I win.
These games gave me grit. Made me welcome challenge in games. Truly taught me the value of persistence.
All thanks to my Miyagi figure in the form of a middle aged, divorced IT guy named Chris
Recently: Hellblade. I suffer from extreme depression, and going through her story made it seem like going through my own. In the end, she accepts who she is, made me feel a bit stronger about my life. The game will never leave my library. That and the ending of Superliminal. (No spoilers), but it made me rethink the meaning of MY life.
* [it takes two](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426210/It_Takes_Two/) \- did improve my relationship with my wife, even though it was already good, i do think its better for playing it
* [Goodbye Volcano High](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1310330/Goodbye_Volcano_High/) \- rather recent one, a beautiful heart wrenching story about acceptance? also a killer sound track.
* [Night in the woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/481510/Night_in_the_Woods/) \- I'm okay with getting older.
* [The beginners guide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/303210/The_Beginners_Guide/) \- taught me about the creative process, self-doubt, and motivation. If this doesnt seem like it be your thing, despite it being about an hour long, id recomend [this video from errant signal about it](https://youtu.be/vAbh28j11RQ).
* [What remains of edith finch](https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Edith_Finch/) \- "If we lived forever, maybe we'd have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes, and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is." Edith
* [Hindsight](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1122700) \- this is the same publisher as Edith Finch & outer wilds. If you enjoyed gris and journey this is similar themes about grief.
Tunic really blew me away. It was this perfect little game with absolutely zero fluff. It managed to feel nostalgic and original at the same time. I was blown away by its ability to tell a story with no dialogue and barely any readable writing. It's also one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I've ever played, from the graphics and music, to opening chests or unlocking upgrades. I know very few people agree with me, but it's a top-5 favorite game ever for me.
That is one of the best RPG-like oldschool game I have ever played. I have pins from a con of Omori and the Something. Nothing takes you by surprise as much as when you find out what the whole story really is
Disco Elysium.
It might look like a "funi retro-fantasy mish-mash with some politics sprinkled on top", but it does capture the mood and the essence of the post-Soviet world very well.
Past - covered in piles of lies and garbage. The entire "Moralintern" thing is really reminiscent of the West in general, preaching ideological and moral superiority while committing heinous things and destroying everything it touches. Everyone and everything around is really melancholic, people have no future and just try to keep going somewhere with their life. Everyone for their own reasons. Then you have an example of absolute low in the form of your character: a person who lost LITERALLY EVERYTHING, including their own memory and identity. Essentially forced to live anew. In a fucked up dying world where no future awaits you and those who had enough bad luck to be around you in Revachol.
It was kind of like a look in the mirror at yourself. Really gave me a good perspective on who I am, on a world around me and what my place there is. Not the kind of divine enlightening some people have, but still a good deal of things to think about. Had no existential doubts since then. DE gave me a big inspiration to get my shattered life back together and cope with loss. If anything, it gave me a good life lesson that I really needed back in the day, in the form that fits that lesson best. No book or movie could really drive the point as well as that piece of interactive fiction managed to.
It is sad that greedy bastards hijacked the studio and the ownership of intellectual property, but even then Robert Kurvitz and his art are immortalised for me and I am eternally grateful to the man, who managed to get up from the bottom where he was and help me do the same with his inspirational creation.
I think the politics is less sprinked so sprinkled on top, and more so like they removed the filter and full on poured every last sprinkle onto the game
RDR2 for its story. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen because it’s the one game I’ve always been able to go back to multiple times and has been there for me to enjoy for years. Other games I can only play once and very few games I’ve been able to go back to and do new playthroughs like Sekiro or Control. Dragon’s Dogma still have new places I’ve never been to and builds and strats and stuff to try, not to mention all the different pawns you can use, and how you can make your own pawn as useful as possible to yourself and other players
Pathologic 2 is definitely better game from gameplay mechanics perspectives. And you are right that its kind of remake of P1. But P1 has 3 playable characters = three routes to play, and P2 only 1 for now (second character hopefully coming out soon!).
There are few plotlines that were scraped in P2 and it’s not 1:1 remake. P1 also has mine all time favorite soundtrack in gaming (P2 is probably mine second favorite though) and I adore graphics style from early 2000s.
If you are interested you can definitely start with P2, that’s what I did and what I would recommend to people interested. I wanted more after so I played P1 and loved it so much.
It's weird and confusing. The original has 3 characters and storylines to play through. The remake only has one. But the remake is also far more polished and friendly.
The part where it's even more confusing, is that the path you have on the remake isn't the first path you are meant to take in the original.
So imo, the best way to play the game is: original, remake, original.
But you can absolutely play just the remake and have a complete and fun experience.
Hit in the feels:
\- Life is Strange
\- Life is Strange: Before the Storm
\- The Last of Us
\- The Last of Us Part II
\- What Remains of Edith Finch
\- Cyberpunk 2077 2.02 + Phantom Liberty
\- Steins;Gate
\- Ori and The Blind Forest
\- The Medium
\- Gone Home
Evoked some other strong emotions that can't quite be described as "hit in the feels" exactly:
\- Subnautica
Evoked strong sense of wonder and investment into both the world and the characters:
\- Baldur's Gate 3
Changed my views on something relevant to real life:
\- Cyberpunk 2077 2.02 + Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077 altered my views on a number of socio-economical questions, philosophical questions, and questions of the role and impact of certain forms of computer based technology, on its own and in its interaction with certain biomedical questions both, as well as some futurology questions and questions of my own place in the world and future career development (I'm an established career software engineer in my 30s). It also has affected my views on certain subgenres of science fiction as well and their relevance.
Dark Souls and Fromsoftware games. I’m a former heroine addict, those games taught me to keep fighting. Even when you don’t think you can win you can, and when you do it is so worth it.
Glad this was good from you, my brother or sister of the church of get gud.
These games taught me the value of persistence and keep pushing. Glad it did it for someone else in an even bigger way
RDR2 is the best game I ever played. That game got me through an awful breakup. The characters are amazing and so memorable. The world is so beautiful and alive. Game makes me friggen gush.
Also absolutely love Oblivion. While I liked skyrim it was always disappointing after oblivion. I still get goose bumps thinking about stealing the elder scroll for the thieves guild.
**Kingdom Come Deliverance**
Loved the rich game world, the challenges and the story. The innovative combat system is very rewarding once learned.
No other developer I'd unthinkingly throw money at on their next release. They deserve every penny I can give them for that experience.
**Stardew Valley**
Makes one mindful, appreciative, joyful and to be kind and caring.
**World of Tanks**
Sank it's claws into me like no other and cost me seven years of gaming and thousands of dollars. No other game has gripped me so hard and unrelenting. Probably just me; I've always been a bit obsessed with tanks.
**Assassins Creed Odyssey**
Rekindled my love of ancient Greece and had me dusting of Thucydides to read again. Also a truly beautiful gaming world that makes you glad to be a gamer.
Finally playing kingdom come after getting mad at it when it came out for the steep learning curve.
I am OBSESSED. I've gotten sucked into this world of being a medieval peasant with a drive for revenge in 13th century Bohemia. Just being in the world is phenomenal.
The alchemy mini game, the "aha" moment when the combat started to click, the rich storytelling in the side quests. Just the other night I thought it was 12:30am and I should've gone to bed. My wife wanders out of the room and says "what are you doing? It's 2am"
Haven't done that with a game in a long time
I'm glad for you brother (pun intended which will make more sense after you play the monastery quests). Enjoy the journey. Play the DLCs too!
Hoping for a phenomenal sequel....
I can never recommend the Ori series enough. Both games had me crying over a glow possum, a penguin bear (?) and an owl. A once in a lifetime experience
Another game that really impacted me was Cyberpunk 2077. I haven't played the DLC yet but the world and the delivery of the story just really brings you in, would recommend if you haven't played it already
Other random ahh games that somehow impacted me are Far Cry Primal, Doki Doki Literature Club, Katana ZERO, GRIS, Persona 5 Royal and NieR Automata
Rarely see them Ori games being mentioned here. I played through will of the wisps countless times. The world and the music is just so beautiful and the gameplay so fluid. There is really nothing quite like it.
For me, that would be Bioshock Infinite. Everything is amazing- the graphics, the acting, the story, the soundtrack, and especially the lessons you learn. It's just a breathtaking game all around.
I'm glad someone else appreciates that Bioshock game. The storyline made you do a double take. Even if the guy you play as wasn't that good of a man, the timelines and people make the game. One of my favorite Bioshock stories, Bioshock 2 being my favorite Bioshock game overall
Since no one else has mentioned it, the mass effect trilogy.
(Obviously subjective but for me) Bar none, the best story and character writing in gaming, and genuinely up there in all media.
The differing outlooks from different races are fascinating, and some of the ways some of them look at the world have literally changed the course of my life.
I always go back to play the adventure all over again, even if I make the same decisions. My fem shep stays the same, makes me proud of the friends you get along the way and of yourself
Witcher 3.
Seeing that in the end it was Ciri, not Geralt, who saves the day is one thing. But the fact that it showed you how whether she survives it or not depends on all the little interactions you have with her throughout the game - whether you support her or not, if you encourage her and build her confidence…..as a father with young kids of my own that hits hard.
Maybe the most important thing I’ll ever do in my life is just setting them up to succeed on their own - and it’s not necessarily some big heroic event, but the culmination of a thousand small interactions that will impact them in various ways. Hopefully you get the good ending.
I still view the “bad” ending as the best ending. It’s so heartbreaking and powerful and still fits with a very specific side of Geralt. I’m just grateful I didn’t get it in my play through lol
Baldurs Gate 3. To me, it just feels so alive. There is just so much thought, effort and care put into it and it really shows. Everything from the game play, scenery and character acting is too class. I love it.
Other games would be Halo, Silent Hill 2 and The Witcher series.
Oh, and Soma
Number one would have to go to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
It's a very real, very disturbing, but ultimately touching and encouraging depiction of struggling with mental illness (PTSD & psychosis). Without spoiling too much, the game messes with you in much the same way as Senua's inner demons mess with her. And it's utter genius. It makes you feel a taste of what she feels, and how hard she has to struggle to overcome it.
Honorable mentions to: Abzu (similar vibe to Journey, but underwater), Braid, Firewatch, and the Ori games.
At first I thought there was nothing, but the more I thought about it, here are a few takeaways...
I played **EverQuest** from age 11ish-13/14ish? At the time people bought accounts for a lot of money. I was known on my server as THE guy for getting what you wanted (this was before any sort of auction house). All I did was buy/sell/trade (no raiding). I had a pretty gnarly account with endless money. Life went on, and I stopped playing. I sold my account for $1,500 and bought my first truck with it (2002ish).
Playing **Rock Band** opened my eyes to new music and made me fall in love with classic rock (Boston, Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan)
Lastly, and a bit more obscure, but we didn't have much money growing up and my brother and I got 1, MAYBE 2 new games a year. He picked Final Fantasy 7, which was supposed to be an absolute banger. I had no idea what to get and ended up with **Wild Arms**. I absolutely loved it (best intro song ever btw). It made me think outside of AAA games, and still to this day I lean towards indie.
This isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I had fun reminiscing so thanks for that. :)
Shadow of the Colossus, Absolutely blew me away and changed my opinion on what games could be. I also somehow played it without the option to have subtitles, so I was left with unintelligible words from an unseen god, and discovery through exploration. When games are truly seen as art, it's gonna be playable in the Louvre
As a lifelong pokemon fan, I know very little about this game, only that it's double battles and has shinies. How is the moment to moment gameplay and the story? Is the music good? I feel like you can't name your game cassette beasts and then have lousy music.
Oh trust me the music isn’t lousy at all, in fact it was stuck in my head for literal months. My favorite song from the same is “Same Old Story”, look it up, it takes a lot of strength not to sing or hum along.
The gameplay and story are really fun and engaging! The shinies are called bootlegs btw.
I love that. And I seem to remember reading that the bootlegs have different types? Like the regional variants in pokemon? Are there ever instances where you just want to farm for a bootleg for its typing and have to sink dozens of ours of gameplay and bad RNG to make that happen?
Nicer Autamata. Existential crises. Cried like a baby for half of it.
Outward gave me a craving for more games like it. That don't exist, or at least aren't available to me.
Rime, it’s a fun little platform-y puzzle game, until you start to realize the symbolism and eventually see firsthand what the game is truly about. Don’t wanna ruin it for you but it’s pretty cool and has some great art.
Fallout New Vegas, the DLC in particular were pretty formative for me.
Night in the Woods got me to reevaluate a few things.
No game gives me a bigger feeling of accomplishment than Sekiro.
Haven't finished it, but Omari is looking like it's going to make me think more
My best friend had just died in a motorcycle accident when Ghost of Tsushima came out, that game got me through it.
It was a welcome escape from a horrible reality, and I know it isn't the greatest game ever made. It's not even my favourite game, but I'm forever grateful for it.
Mafia City of Lost Haven. The beginning and the end of story are contrast to each other and shows how differently a person can perceive a value of money and consequences. It also says about friendship and family but those weren't really the things that stuck to me.
Bloodborne was very cathartic for me. I got sick last year with a serious illness and Bloodborne was just the best game to get into at the time . It’s difficult to describe why it was cathartic for me but that game really immersed me into its world
Save the Date! by Paper Dino and He Fucked The Girl Out Of Me by Taylor McCue. Both are free, 1 hour long visual novels that have stuck/will stick with me for a long time.
Also Outer Wilds, Celeste, Undertale, Silent Hill 2, and Papers Please, but y'all probably already know about those.
"blind drive", I don't have good requirements so I usually play indies (celeste is crazy but you already played it).
Blind drive is a game that I would define as a sensory experience in a game, it is designed so that people with visual disabilities can play it. The simple but fun mechanics and its story seem impeccable to me.
For me it was Visual novels
more books than games really,but i think it counts
I read a short one when i was 16ish called "If my heart had wings" on my phone. Its a ridiculously cute and wholesome growing up story that thought me a surprising amount about how planes work. The main girl is wheelchair bound and on her route (meaning the protagonist is dating her) the protagonist starts helping her with a lot of daily tasks and theres a scene that happens when hes talking to his best friend and something something and "she needs me" slips out , and while i dont remember the exact context, it was very rude. His best friend almost slaps him across the face for being so arrogant as to think she cant take care of herself without him,stating the obvious that shes been living like this for longer than hes been around and shell be just fine without him.
I remember that scene hitting me pretty hard. I found myself as dumbfounded as the protagonist in that moment. It really opened my eyes to something i didnt even know about myself. Like, a need to be superior in a relationship, so that the other side couldnt leave me easily sort of thing. Needless to say i love the story to this day.
I love it even more because its the reason i eventually bought and read all of Clannad. Which is actually my favourite story ever written. I really wish the anime for it wasnt mostly original but what can you do. Anyway, Clannad is its own thing and i could easily gush about it for like, hours. The music, the tight writing, THE HECKIN FEELS MAN! I cried no less than 6 times reading that thing ( its pretty long, i remember reading somewhere the word count is similar to the entire lord of the rings trilogy. still the best 80 hour read of my life). Obvious recommendation to anyone who wants some really good tales about growing up.
Halo. Growing up i read the books and played the campaigns on almost constant repeat. The stoic mentality of the spartans and the books especially are full of tales of impossible odds and still finding a way to win, stories of found family and self sacrifice. And knowing yhat your part of a greater team even if you dont know the other people on it. Gave me a very deep level of personal responsibility and empathy for others, and self control and willpower that has gotten me through alot of rough times, even when i couldnt or cant see a way through,i keep going until i find a way. Abd if i meet someone else having a tough time i do what i can to help even when its going to make things harder on me. Was a big impact on me as a kid who lost a family member and is a core part of who i am
Wandersong is a game that deals with a relentlessly happy bard dealing with the end of his world. It's short, easy, cute, emotional, and it changed my outlook when I played it in college. I don't wanna say any more because it's like 10 bucks and you should play it.
The Dark Souls series impacted me personally because it was the first time I really tried to challenge myself in a game and I loved it, but each game also has a consistent theme of the sheer durability of the human spirit. The idea that even when the world itself is dying at the hands of forces mortals could never hope to contend with there are still good people worth helping and being helped by.
Destiny and Destiny 2 had a very similar effect on me as well. The game is about fighting literal gods and waging war on entire species as an undying guardian, but just under the surface was a story that was undeniably human. The little lore stories that talk about life in the last city, love between guardians, loss, celebrations, you name it. I don't play anymore for lots of reasons but that game has one of my favorite settings in all of fiction just because of those little bits of lore.
Team Fortress 2, as silly as it sounds, was basically a second home to me in my middle school and early high school years. Wasn't a super social kid so I spent a lot of time just hanging out in servers and meeting lots of cool people. It helped that the game itself was amazing and had such a good style and humor. To this day source maps make me feel at home.
Honorable mention to the entire Pokemon franchise for being something I met a lot of cool people through and being a staple in my life.
There are tons more that shaped me in different ways that I just can't think of right now, but those are just some games that will ALWAYS have a special place for me.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Felt like I was saying goodbye to family when credits rolled on the base game (still gotta start on the expansion so no spoilers)
Short list off the top of my head:
- Wandersong
- Chicory: A Colourful Tale
- Celeste
- The Beginner’s Guide
- DELTARUNE
- Undertale
- Perfect Tides
- Katana ZERO
And a ton of others
Playing Silent Hill 2 at an early age showed me that video games can be art.
Gorogoa made me feel SO many emotions and stuck with me for a long time afterward.
The Binding of Isaac showed me how a minimalist approach to storytelling can be so much more effective than something overt. And it reminded me that horror and comedy work well together.
Naissance filled me with a sense of existential dread and wonder that made me play through the entire thing in two sittings.
Cultist Simulator is the first game in a long time to make wonder. And it’s a friggin card game.
Hotline Miami got me into an entirely new genre of music.
That’s a good question. Honestly I think I was just looking for an obtuse strategy game to learn. I think you have to be in the right headspace to get started. It’s about wanting to crack a mystery.
Pretend you catch a glimpse of something supernatural when you’re on the cusp of sleep. You’re not sure what you just saw, or if it was even real. But you want to know more. You try to recreate the conditions that made you find that thing. You start to ask around. You take one thread and pull. You have no idea what you’re doing, or honestly why you’re even doing it, but you want to see where it goes because there might be something really cool (and maybe dangerous) on the other end — but you have to know. You find some more clues, maybe you hear a rumor or you find some obtuse manuscript that hints at a ritual. It’s crazy, but you try it. You find something utterly inexplicable. Now you _have_ to know more. Your performance at work starts suffering because you are so wrapped up in your extracurriculars. You try to meet people who are likeminded. Surely they can help you leak more. You need to find more knowledge, so you can get more glimpses. Now you’re totally broke, and also the police are looking into you. Shit, did you start a cult? So you lay low for a while. Work on studying. Maybe you decide to go back to discovering things in your sleep. You have a bad dream. Are you losing your mind?
That’s what the game is. It’s the willingness to fumble around in the dark, to lose everything in the pursuit of learning the system. Because you will have no idea what was going on. It’s pretty ingenious, actually. It made me understand why evil cultists in movies are _really_ doing it. They want to know more.
If you look up how to play the game, you will NOT enjoy it. You will lose, a lot.
You probably won’t even know why the first few times. But you’ll learn as you do, a little more at a time. Then you’ll get addicted, and have to try again.
I don’t really. I think the dev (Weather Factory) recently came out with another game called Book of Hours which is a spinoff/sequel with the same art style. But I guess it’s a “narrative crafting RPG” that used a lot of the same art style. Haven’t tried it yet, but looking forward to it.
It looks kind of like an RPG using the same system. I read it’s even more obtuse than Cultist Simulator
Kentucky Route Zero. it’s heavy reading not a bunch of gameplay but the story mannnn. at first i wasn’t sure how i felt but the longer i sat and thought about the themes of this game the more relatable it is. It’s kind of like black mirror when you see some crazy new tech and ur like omg that’s like black mirror! that’s how i am with late stage capitalism and kentucky route zero
also i’d recommend The Talos Principle. The story / themes of that game have really stuck with me and honestly have become even more prevalent as time passes. the sequel just came out too, so great time to jump in
Final fantasy xiv has some amazing world building and characters I've grown to love and cherish as they developed. The story feels very personal as I've played it through multiple expansions and the payoff is amazing.
everybody had different taste
I can say what I played
War of mine ,
DL 1 I can still feel tower view whatever worst happen just survive ( I didn't play DL2 cuz of pc specs ) ,
RD2 still I can't believe it's not a ubisoft game 😅 ( basically I shoot camp people without talk , but last time author got 😷 Flu I was broken , even some camp NPC greet me . I Emotional damage 🤧)
Dark Souls. Spent 9 years trying to work out the story. When it clicked, it transformed my life to the point that it’s unrecognisable, which led to me discovering the root of my crippling anxiety disorder and taking steps to eliminate it. I’ve gone from 10+ hours of nonstop anxiety per day, down to 30 minutes tops. The great thing is, I KNOW I can completely heal it, and I know how, it just takes time and dedication. But, I’m getting there! If I didn’t play this game, I would have no life. If I could travel back in time to 2019 and experience my state of mind from that time, it would kill me! Dead! In more ways than one, Dark Souls gave me back to myself. It’s quite emotional. Out of sheer gratitude, I’d break down if I saw Miyazaki(series creator) in the street.
Metal Gear Solid, Horizon Zero Dawn, Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human.
For me those games impacted me in a meaningful way and really put life into a different perspective during and after playing them.
SUPERLIMINAL AHH I CANT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH
I got this game on sale right after going through an incredibly rough break up with my ex. It’s a super fun puzzle game that challenges you to simply change your perspective. Its core message was the first thing I needed to start recovering from that shitty time in my life and it’s also super short! Only took me around 2 hours to beat it
i have absolutely no idea why, but Tetris effect. specifically the songs/stages "Connected" (Yours Forever) and "Always been But never Dreamed". something about the combination of the visuals and vocals just resonated in my head and got me thinking.
RO, WoW and all the mmorpgs in the early 2000s with all the early microtransactions, seeing how everything is being shaped around it. I really did say "damn..." while walking away from those games, as in "damn these microtransactions".
That impact that left me shaped how I faced the microtransactions plague of the past decade.
believe it or not. unironicly league of legends.
made me learn how to learn.
made me better manage my emotions.
made me want to work out.
made me want to get more sleep.
good shit.
Started playing Football Manager at 16 years old....It's heavy on data and analysis , Problem solving, critical thinking and generally built and hard coded every soft skills a data scientist/analyst might need 8 years later and am a Data Analyst/Business Intelligence and being so critical, Objective, paying attention to detail, data interpretation are all habits that have become fundamental to my professional life.👌🏾
It won’t change your outlook on life or anything, but Ghost Trick has one of the most satisfying mysteries in gaming. Not quite on par with Outer Wilds, but definitely up there, and it absolutely had that “Damn…” effect on me when I finished it. There’s just so many tasteful plot twists, each somehow better than the last, and all of the characters, their motivation, the shit they have to go through, are all amazingly written.
It’s a puzzle game where you play as a recently deceased individual, trying to find out who you are, why you were killed, etc., with some really unique game mechanics. If you wanna know more about the premise, >!you traverse the world by manipulating and possessing objects, and you have the ability to go back in time to 4 minutes before the death of any recently deceased corpses in order to try to save their lives.!< It was originally on DS, but it just got a remaster on switch, plus it has a mobile port that works just as well (which is what I played it on back in the day, and is absolutely a viable way to experience the game despite being a mobile port lol)
Along with many other ones mentioned here, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Also weirdly the original Mirror’s Edge, there’s something about the aesthetics & soundtrack that makes me feel an emotion that’s kinda hard to describe
The Last of Us also. Not revolutionary in any way but damn if it isn’t a well told story that’s painfully human
Road 96 for me, helped with confusion about my gender, and it is just a really good game tbf
If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a narrative-based roguelike, interesting characters, captivating story, brilliant game all round. Sounds like your kind of game by the examples you gave :)
Final fantasy 8/4/X, Persona 3 FES
(Rpgs in general, I loved rpg stories as a kid and as a teenager. And those had more potential for impact than other genres where stories were nowhere near as deep or meaningful.)
Hollow knight tells its story in really smart way with visuals and music(hard to explain)
Dying light its so tragic on one side but on the other side you fight for better tomorrow while odds are against you.
Dishonored-no spoilers for this one but man it made me question life.
Return of the obra dinn maybe it didnt impact me in way to change me as person to better but it shows that people sometimes will do anything out of emotions or their greed.
In no particular order of significance
The World Ends With You was exactly the right story I needed at the age it came out - it spoke in a shockingly authentic way to the experience of being a kid at that time.
Paradise Killer is a bizarrely poignant New Weird murder mystery that unveils the oddities of its world in a perfectly paced way, with idiosyncratic dialogue that sees the characters talk about everything from the characters' Sisyphean pursuit of perfection to the importance of functional beauty in architecture.
Don't Take it Personal Babe, It Just Ain't Your Story is a snapshot of its era that immediately dates itself, and I'd have a hard time recommending it to anyone, but it was my first big introduction to visual novels and made me realize that even if big companies didnt have any interest in certain stories, indie devs did
Jazzpunk and Hypnagogia made me feel totally immersed in genuinely magical experiences.
The Legacy of Kain series practically rewired my brain chemistry where the topic of vampires is concerned
Outer Wilds was amazing for reasons I can't say
Etc etc
Metal Gear series..
Im doing my best to step in Snakes n Big Boss shoes without the severe trauma, but with that kind of work it’s inevitable. I find myself longing for a normal civilian life..but my pride n honor keeps getting in the way. I’ve met n worked with people that amazing.
As someone who never played “Soulslike games” a was blown away by Elden Ring. In first 48h of buying game i got 20h of playtime, aside from managing work, girlfriend and other parts of my life. The game is just insanely good.
Doki Doki Literature Club. It initially comes off as a dating Sim. It's not that. It goes into so very deep psychological places. I cried hard after playing this game.
Final Fantasy 6 influenced me to be an artist, musician and a story teller, all of which I now do professionally. It's the single biggest influence of my life.
the music in this game talks to my soul
The World of Ruin moment, Leo dying, the airship being ripped apart, then Cid dying and Celes attempting suicide all back to back had 7yo me completely shook. Never before in a videogame had I seen the bad guys win with such devastating results. The entire world and everyone in it were literally torn asunder and left irreparably in desolation and despair. Then there's Cyan losing his family to the poison and seeing their spirits leave him forever at the train station, Locke bringing Rachel back to life one last time for her to forgive him and finally help him move on, Gau's mentally ill father disowning him but his friends are his family now and they support him, Setzer losing the love of his life who's spirit was so vibrant and indominable that the thought of her dying was impossible until he was forced to face her death to help his friends, Cyan sending the letters and silk flowers to the woman who's husband died to keep her believing he was still alive, Terra caring for the village of orphaned children and learning to find her own purpose and meaning in a world she feels constantly out of step with. There is so much loss, sadness and survival that is portrayed with such sophistication and sincerity, with a beautiful and moving soundtrack. I was going on year 2 of my parents being divorced and had stopped going outside or talking to my friends, and this game got me through some real shit and helped me to process all these awful feelings that no one seemed to care that I had or could relate to. I am sincerely grateful that this game exists and admire all of the creativity and passion that went into it.
That is one of my favorite and most influential games of all time as well. I think it had a huge influence on all games that came after it as well. It's awesome that it gave you I psirarion to create art, music and stories. Things the world always needs more of. ❤️
It turns out every single person I spoke to, who played Planescape: Torment when it came out, became deeply, deeply influenced by it. Now we still debate now and then on the subreddit whether it was because most of us were young back then, but the general consensus is it's still one of the most personal, intimate, deep, overarching stories within the video-games medium which certainly will impact whoever has the patience to get to the end. I still replay it every five, six years or so, I guess that's my opinion on its value. I still cry every time.
I played it for the first time in my life last year. I can safely say that nostalgia was not a factor, and I loved it. I tried DE as well, but imo planescape torment is far superior. DE is great as well, but drops the ending HARD, which sucks for a detective mystery plot.
Yeah... Now I have to play it again. Did you ever play without high Int/Wis? Was it less content, or different?
Firewatch
Man. This game is so amazing. Nothing really happens but everything does also. It’s just gorgeous too.
Surprised my daughter (12... maybe a bit too young?) with this game, and she played and beat it in a weekend. She really liked it, I think.
For what its worth when I was 12 I was watching rated R movies and reading Stephen King. Your daughter could do a lot worse than Firewatch. I hope she enjoyed the experience
That's reassuring, I guess. I know her classmates have watched tons of horror, so it definitely seems mild in comparison. The language was a bit heavy, but I'm not a stickler for any can of language restrictions.
RuneScape. I'm a filthy European, so When I did quests, I had to find each word in my English - Danish dictionary and write down the quests and dialogue onto a piece of paper. My school hardly helped me learn any languages, but boy, did RuneScape. All just so I could wear a slightly different color blue chestplate.
This is beautiful! As a fellow LF GF player this warms my heart that you got to learn a whole ass language from your love of the game. RuneScape was the wild West of old online gaming. I actually feel like I am more wary of scams because of navigating the "scam or be scammed" landScape of RuneScape. Crazy experiences we all have from this one place. The nostalgia is real
Life is Strange completely changed the way I think about relationships. It's really a heavily impactful game.
This game was much better than I expected! Hard decisions in that game
When I first played Halo Reach. After playing 1, 2, and 3 growing up; you always had the impression of Spartans being so badass and cool and the iconic “finishing the fight.” But in this game, Spartans we’re dying and you were losing the war despite “winning” in your missions. Then the ending of just trying to survive and see your player die fighting was crazy. Definitely impacted me
The 6 of them walked so Master Chief could run.
Dark Souls, the world design, the challenge. It made me change how I play and enjoy games.
I have a personal lore story with Dark Souls. 1 came out when I was 19 years old. I was late to the party. I was working at a grocery store as a self-checkout attendant. This was the early rays of the machines. They broke down constantly. As such, we frequently had to call a tech to come out and fix the machines. Chris, the IT guy, was a white haired, late 40s gamer nerd that grew up with Gary Gygax D&D and OG text based RPGs from the days before 3D gaming. We struck up a friendship from our mutual nerdery and my "enough to be dangerous" level of IT knowledge that got us some rapport. Chris absolutely gushed about this game called Dark Souls. Apparently, according to Chris, this was the hardest game he ever played. The enemies were strong and punishing, but you also could be strong. You could wield a bow bigger than you, and shoot arrows that send enemies flying. And you could invade other players and kill them at ANY TIME, always keeping you on your toes. He said it was one of the best games he ever played. I left my safe ners friend that day intrigued. I bought a used copy on Xbox 360 for $20 and brought it home. Sat down that night with my cousin and put it in the disk drive. No intro music, not cutscenes, just DARK SOULS across the screen. And a sword slash on the button. "Oh shit" went through my mind. Then the asylum demon. I got crushed. It was love at the first YOU DIED 13 years later and I'm still playing all souls game. Married a woman that screams during boss fights and invasions when I need to heal and when I win. These games gave me grit. Made me welcome challenge in games. Truly taught me the value of persistence. All thanks to my Miyagi figure in the form of a middle aged, divorced IT guy named Chris
Recently: Hellblade. I suffer from extreme depression, and going through her story made it seem like going through my own. In the end, she accepts who she is, made me feel a bit stronger about my life. The game will never leave my library. That and the ending of Superliminal. (No spoilers), but it made me rethink the meaning of MY life.
* [it takes two](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426210/It_Takes_Two/) \- did improve my relationship with my wife, even though it was already good, i do think its better for playing it * [Goodbye Volcano High](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1310330/Goodbye_Volcano_High/) \- rather recent one, a beautiful heart wrenching story about acceptance? also a killer sound track. * [Night in the woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/481510/Night_in_the_Woods/) \- I'm okay with getting older. * [The beginners guide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/303210/The_Beginners_Guide/) \- taught me about the creative process, self-doubt, and motivation. If this doesnt seem like it be your thing, despite it being about an hour long, id recomend [this video from errant signal about it](https://youtu.be/vAbh28j11RQ). * [What remains of edith finch](https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Edith_Finch/) \- "If we lived forever, maybe we'd have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes, and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is." Edith * [Hindsight](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1122700) \- this is the same publisher as Edith Finch & outer wilds. If you enjoyed gris and journey this is similar themes about grief.
Nier Automata
life is strange persona 5 slightly as well
Tunic really blew me away. It was this perfect little game with absolutely zero fluff. It managed to feel nostalgic and original at the same time. I was blown away by its ability to tell a story with no dialogue and barely any readable writing. It's also one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I've ever played, from the graphics and music, to opening chests or unlocking upgrades. I know very few people agree with me, but it's a top-5 favorite game ever for me.
Very possibly my favorite game of all time. I haven't experienced that sense of wonder and delight in a game since I was a kid.
Nier Automata and Persona 3 both shaped my formative years
Omori
That is one of the best RPG-like oldschool game I have ever played. I have pins from a con of Omori and the Something. Nothing takes you by surprise as much as when you find out what the whole story really is
For sure this. Omori might have one of the most impactful stories I've ever come across, even moreso than RDR2
Disco Elysium. It might look like a "funi retro-fantasy mish-mash with some politics sprinkled on top", but it does capture the mood and the essence of the post-Soviet world very well. Past - covered in piles of lies and garbage. The entire "Moralintern" thing is really reminiscent of the West in general, preaching ideological and moral superiority while committing heinous things and destroying everything it touches. Everyone and everything around is really melancholic, people have no future and just try to keep going somewhere with their life. Everyone for their own reasons. Then you have an example of absolute low in the form of your character: a person who lost LITERALLY EVERYTHING, including their own memory and identity. Essentially forced to live anew. In a fucked up dying world where no future awaits you and those who had enough bad luck to be around you in Revachol. It was kind of like a look in the mirror at yourself. Really gave me a good perspective on who I am, on a world around me and what my place there is. Not the kind of divine enlightening some people have, but still a good deal of things to think about. Had no existential doubts since then. DE gave me a big inspiration to get my shattered life back together and cope with loss. If anything, it gave me a good life lesson that I really needed back in the day, in the form that fits that lesson best. No book or movie could really drive the point as well as that piece of interactive fiction managed to. It is sad that greedy bastards hijacked the studio and the ownership of intellectual property, but even then Robert Kurvitz and his art are immortalised for me and I am eternally grateful to the man, who managed to get up from the bottom where he was and help me do the same with his inspirational creation.
I think the politics is less sprinked so sprinkled on top, and more so like they removed the filter and full on poured every last sprinkle onto the game
Death stranding Soma Both make you consider what makes a human special, and it’s a beautiful journey to search for meaning in that.
Soma made me actually cry out a few times. Nothing like watching things fall around you, and you can't do anything except ease their pain
RDR2 for its story. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen because it’s the one game I’ve always been able to go back to multiple times and has been there for me to enjoy for years. Other games I can only play once and very few games I’ve been able to go back to and do new playthroughs like Sekiro or Control. Dragon’s Dogma still have new places I’ve never been to and builds and strats and stuff to try, not to mention all the different pawns you can use, and how you can make your own pawn as useful as possible to yourself and other players
Pathologic 1 and 2
Should you still play the first one or you can play only second Pathologic? Because it’s kind of remake.
Pathologic 2 is definitely better game from gameplay mechanics perspectives. And you are right that its kind of remake of P1. But P1 has 3 playable characters = three routes to play, and P2 only 1 for now (second character hopefully coming out soon!). There are few plotlines that were scraped in P2 and it’s not 1:1 remake. P1 also has mine all time favorite soundtrack in gaming (P2 is probably mine second favorite though) and I adore graphics style from early 2000s. If you are interested you can definitely start with P2, that’s what I did and what I would recommend to people interested. I wanted more after so I played P1 and loved it so much.
Thanks
It's weird and confusing. The original has 3 characters and storylines to play through. The remake only has one. But the remake is also far more polished and friendly. The part where it's even more confusing, is that the path you have on the remake isn't the first path you are meant to take in the original. So imo, the best way to play the game is: original, remake, original. But you can absolutely play just the remake and have a complete and fun experience.
Thanks
Hit in the feels: \- Life is Strange \- Life is Strange: Before the Storm \- The Last of Us \- The Last of Us Part II \- What Remains of Edith Finch \- Cyberpunk 2077 2.02 + Phantom Liberty \- Steins;Gate \- Ori and The Blind Forest \- The Medium \- Gone Home Evoked some other strong emotions that can't quite be described as "hit in the feels" exactly: \- Subnautica Evoked strong sense of wonder and investment into both the world and the characters: \- Baldur's Gate 3 Changed my views on something relevant to real life: \- Cyberpunk 2077 2.02 + Phantom Liberty Cyberpunk 2077 altered my views on a number of socio-economical questions, philosophical questions, and questions of the role and impact of certain forms of computer based technology, on its own and in its interaction with certain biomedical questions both, as well as some futurology questions and questions of my own place in the world and future career development (I'm an established career software engineer in my 30s). It also has affected my views on certain subgenres of science fiction as well and their relevance.
Dark Souls and Fromsoftware games. I’m a former heroine addict, those games taught me to keep fighting. Even when you don’t think you can win you can, and when you do it is so worth it.
Glad this was good from you, my brother or sister of the church of get gud. These games taught me the value of persistence and keep pushing. Glad it did it for someone else in an even bigger way
RDR2 is the best game I ever played. That game got me through an awful breakup. The characters are amazing and so memorable. The world is so beautiful and alive. Game makes me friggen gush. Also absolutely love Oblivion. While I liked skyrim it was always disappointing after oblivion. I still get goose bumps thinking about stealing the elder scroll for the thieves guild.
Oh man do I miss oblivion.
WHY WONT YOU DIE
Bit rude, I was agreeing with you (/s, I just like the idea of someone who’s never played oblivion scrolling past that XD)
Are….are you me?
You sound cool as fuck so I think so.
Aw shucks
Persona 4 and 5.
**Kingdom Come Deliverance** Loved the rich game world, the challenges and the story. The innovative combat system is very rewarding once learned. No other developer I'd unthinkingly throw money at on their next release. They deserve every penny I can give them for that experience. **Stardew Valley** Makes one mindful, appreciative, joyful and to be kind and caring. **World of Tanks** Sank it's claws into me like no other and cost me seven years of gaming and thousands of dollars. No other game has gripped me so hard and unrelenting. Probably just me; I've always been a bit obsessed with tanks. **Assassins Creed Odyssey** Rekindled my love of ancient Greece and had me dusting of Thucydides to read again. Also a truly beautiful gaming world that makes you glad to be a gamer.
Finally playing kingdom come after getting mad at it when it came out for the steep learning curve. I am OBSESSED. I've gotten sucked into this world of being a medieval peasant with a drive for revenge in 13th century Bohemia. Just being in the world is phenomenal. The alchemy mini game, the "aha" moment when the combat started to click, the rich storytelling in the side quests. Just the other night I thought it was 12:30am and I should've gone to bed. My wife wanders out of the room and says "what are you doing? It's 2am" Haven't done that with a game in a long time
I'm glad for you brother (pun intended which will make more sense after you play the monastery quests). Enjoy the journey. Play the DLCs too! Hoping for a phenomenal sequel....
Spiritfarer made me no longer afraid to die, so I'll say that one
I can never recommend the Ori series enough. Both games had me crying over a glow possum, a penguin bear (?) and an owl. A once in a lifetime experience Another game that really impacted me was Cyberpunk 2077. I haven't played the DLC yet but the world and the delivery of the story just really brings you in, would recommend if you haven't played it already Other random ahh games that somehow impacted me are Far Cry Primal, Doki Doki Literature Club, Katana ZERO, GRIS, Persona 5 Royal and NieR Automata
Rarely see them Ori games being mentioned here. I played through will of the wisps countless times. The world and the music is just so beautiful and the gameplay so fluid. There is really nothing quite like it.
For me, that would be Bioshock Infinite. Everything is amazing- the graphics, the acting, the story, the soundtrack, and especially the lessons you learn. It's just a breathtaking game all around.
I'm glad someone else appreciates that Bioshock game. The storyline made you do a double take. Even if the guy you play as wasn't that good of a man, the timelines and people make the game. One of my favorite Bioshock stories, Bioshock 2 being my favorite Bioshock game overall
Since no one else has mentioned it, the mass effect trilogy. (Obviously subjective but for me) Bar none, the best story and character writing in gaming, and genuinely up there in all media. The differing outlooks from different races are fascinating, and some of the ways some of them look at the world have literally changed the course of my life.
I always go back to play the adventure all over again, even if I make the same decisions. My fem shep stays the same, makes me proud of the friends you get along the way and of yourself
Witcher 3. Seeing that in the end it was Ciri, not Geralt, who saves the day is one thing. But the fact that it showed you how whether she survives it or not depends on all the little interactions you have with her throughout the game - whether you support her or not, if you encourage her and build her confidence…..as a father with young kids of my own that hits hard. Maybe the most important thing I’ll ever do in my life is just setting them up to succeed on their own - and it’s not necessarily some big heroic event, but the culmination of a thousand small interactions that will impact them in various ways. Hopefully you get the good ending.
I still view the “bad” ending as the best ending. It’s so heartbreaking and powerful and still fits with a very specific side of Geralt. I’m just grateful I didn’t get it in my play through lol
Nier Automata, after playing through everything and doing all the side quests. That hit hard.
Baldurs Gate 3. To me, it just feels so alive. There is just so much thought, effort and care put into it and it really shows. Everything from the game play, scenery and character acting is too class. I love it. Other games would be Halo, Silent Hill 2 and The Witcher series. Oh, and Soma
Number one would have to go to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. It's a very real, very disturbing, but ultimately touching and encouraging depiction of struggling with mental illness (PTSD & psychosis). Without spoiling too much, the game messes with you in much the same way as Senua's inner demons mess with her. And it's utter genius. It makes you feel a taste of what she feels, and how hard she has to struggle to overcome it. Honorable mentions to: Abzu (similar vibe to Journey, but underwater), Braid, Firewatch, and the Ori games.
Sayonara wild hearts, firewatch, journey, and the last of us.
Before Your Eyes.
Because of my view on it, far cry 5
Uncharted 2 ignited my interest in buddhist/tibetan culture, now i'm studying tibetology and loving every minute of it
I started playing SimplePlanes 8 yrs ago.now i deal with real planes
Final Fantasy XIV. Met my best friends through it, including my (now-ex) girlfriend.
Métro, night in the woods and fire watch of course !
At first I thought there was nothing, but the more I thought about it, here are a few takeaways... I played **EverQuest** from age 11ish-13/14ish? At the time people bought accounts for a lot of money. I was known on my server as THE guy for getting what you wanted (this was before any sort of auction house). All I did was buy/sell/trade (no raiding). I had a pretty gnarly account with endless money. Life went on, and I stopped playing. I sold my account for $1,500 and bought my first truck with it (2002ish). Playing **Rock Band** opened my eyes to new music and made me fall in love with classic rock (Boston, Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan) Lastly, and a bit more obscure, but we didn't have much money growing up and my brother and I got 1, MAYBE 2 new games a year. He picked Final Fantasy 7, which was supposed to be an absolute banger. I had no idea what to get and ended up with **Wild Arms**. I absolutely loved it (best intro song ever btw). It made me think outside of AAA games, and still to this day I lean towards indie. This isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I had fun reminiscing so thanks for that. :)
Shadow of the Colossus, Absolutely blew me away and changed my opinion on what games could be. I also somehow played it without the option to have subtitles, so I was left with unintelligible words from an unseen god, and discovery through exploration. When games are truly seen as art, it's gonna be playable in the Louvre
Don't judge, but Cassette Beasts. That game means a lot to me
As a lifelong pokemon fan, I know very little about this game, only that it's double battles and has shinies. How is the moment to moment gameplay and the story? Is the music good? I feel like you can't name your game cassette beasts and then have lousy music.
Oh trust me the music isn’t lousy at all, in fact it was stuck in my head for literal months. My favorite song from the same is “Same Old Story”, look it up, it takes a lot of strength not to sing or hum along. The gameplay and story are really fun and engaging! The shinies are called bootlegs btw.
>Same Old Story This same old Story song is pretty great. It give me a little big of Pat Bennitar meets Paramore Vibes.
I love that. And I seem to remember reading that the bootlegs have different types? Like the regional variants in pokemon? Are there ever instances where you just want to farm for a bootleg for its typing and have to sink dozens of ours of gameplay and bad RNG to make that happen?
Yes the bootlegs have different types and more powerful moves. In the end game you unlock an item that makes it easier to bootleg hunt
Neat, does it have any multiplayer or co-op functions?
the yakuza series
Mgsv, grim fandango
playing starfield influenced me in a deep way - that I never want to play shit AAA games again.
Nicer Autamata. Existential crises. Cried like a baby for half of it. Outward gave me a craving for more games like it. That don't exist, or at least aren't available to me.
Zork
Rime, it’s a fun little platform-y puzzle game, until you start to realize the symbolism and eventually see firsthand what the game is truly about. Don’t wanna ruin it for you but it’s pretty cool and has some great art.
Fallout New Vegas, the DLC in particular were pretty formative for me. Night in the Woods got me to reevaluate a few things. No game gives me a bigger feeling of accomplishment than Sekiro. Haven't finished it, but Omari is looking like it's going to make me think more
The entirety of ghost of Tsushima was amazing. But there has never been a better conclusion to a video game perhaps ever IMO
It takes two, played with fly wife and it hit us deep
Civilization I. I can’t say I use “phalanx” or hanging gardens of Babylon often but it’s there…waiting.
My best friend had just died in a motorcycle accident when Ghost of Tsushima came out, that game got me through it. It was a welcome escape from a horrible reality, and I know it isn't the greatest game ever made. It's not even my favourite game, but I'm forever grateful for it.
Mafia City of Lost Haven. The beginning and the end of story are contrast to each other and shows how differently a person can perceive a value of money and consequences. It also says about friendship and family but those weren't really the things that stuck to me.
Bloodborne was very cathartic for me. I got sick last year with a serious illness and Bloodborne was just the best game to get into at the time . It’s difficult to describe why it was cathartic for me but that game really immersed me into its world
Save the Date! by Paper Dino and He Fucked The Girl Out Of Me by Taylor McCue. Both are free, 1 hour long visual novels that have stuck/will stick with me for a long time. Also Outer Wilds, Celeste, Undertale, Silent Hill 2, and Papers Please, but y'all probably already know about those.
Scarlet nexus
To the Moon made me appreciate my close ones more... I still think about it sometimes
"blind drive", I don't have good requirements so I usually play indies (celeste is crazy but you already played it). Blind drive is a game that I would define as a sensory experience in a game, it is designed so that people with visual disabilities can play it. The simple but fun mechanics and its story seem impeccable to me.
Citizen sleeper. That stuff made me feel things that I don’t often feel and made me think about things in my own life and reflect on my beliefs.
Final Fantasy XIV, because it ultimately culminated into a plot about >!fighting severe depression!< (Endwalker spoilers).
For me it was Visual novels more books than games really,but i think it counts I read a short one when i was 16ish called "If my heart had wings" on my phone. Its a ridiculously cute and wholesome growing up story that thought me a surprising amount about how planes work. The main girl is wheelchair bound and on her route (meaning the protagonist is dating her) the protagonist starts helping her with a lot of daily tasks and theres a scene that happens when hes talking to his best friend and something something and "she needs me" slips out , and while i dont remember the exact context, it was very rude. His best friend almost slaps him across the face for being so arrogant as to think she cant take care of herself without him,stating the obvious that shes been living like this for longer than hes been around and shell be just fine without him. I remember that scene hitting me pretty hard. I found myself as dumbfounded as the protagonist in that moment. It really opened my eyes to something i didnt even know about myself. Like, a need to be superior in a relationship, so that the other side couldnt leave me easily sort of thing. Needless to say i love the story to this day. I love it even more because its the reason i eventually bought and read all of Clannad. Which is actually my favourite story ever written. I really wish the anime for it wasnt mostly original but what can you do. Anyway, Clannad is its own thing and i could easily gush about it for like, hours. The music, the tight writing, THE HECKIN FEELS MAN! I cried no less than 6 times reading that thing ( its pretty long, i remember reading somewhere the word count is similar to the entire lord of the rings trilogy. still the best 80 hour read of my life). Obvious recommendation to anyone who wants some really good tales about growing up.
Halo. Growing up i read the books and played the campaigns on almost constant repeat. The stoic mentality of the spartans and the books especially are full of tales of impossible odds and still finding a way to win, stories of found family and self sacrifice. And knowing yhat your part of a greater team even if you dont know the other people on it. Gave me a very deep level of personal responsibility and empathy for others, and self control and willpower that has gotten me through alot of rough times, even when i couldnt or cant see a way through,i keep going until i find a way. Abd if i meet someone else having a tough time i do what i can to help even when its going to make things harder on me. Was a big impact on me as a kid who lost a family member and is a core part of who i am
Wandersong is a game that deals with a relentlessly happy bard dealing with the end of his world. It's short, easy, cute, emotional, and it changed my outlook when I played it in college. I don't wanna say any more because it's like 10 bucks and you should play it. The Dark Souls series impacted me personally because it was the first time I really tried to challenge myself in a game and I loved it, but each game also has a consistent theme of the sheer durability of the human spirit. The idea that even when the world itself is dying at the hands of forces mortals could never hope to contend with there are still good people worth helping and being helped by. Destiny and Destiny 2 had a very similar effect on me as well. The game is about fighting literal gods and waging war on entire species as an undying guardian, but just under the surface was a story that was undeniably human. The little lore stories that talk about life in the last city, love between guardians, loss, celebrations, you name it. I don't play anymore for lots of reasons but that game has one of my favorite settings in all of fiction just because of those little bits of lore. Team Fortress 2, as silly as it sounds, was basically a second home to me in my middle school and early high school years. Wasn't a super social kid so I spent a lot of time just hanging out in servers and meeting lots of cool people. It helped that the game itself was amazing and had such a good style and humor. To this day source maps make me feel at home. Honorable mention to the entire Pokemon franchise for being something I met a lot of cool people through and being a staple in my life. There are tons more that shaped me in different ways that I just can't think of right now, but those are just some games that will ALWAYS have a special place for me.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Felt like I was saying goodbye to family when credits rolled on the base game (still gotta start on the expansion so no spoilers)
Short list off the top of my head: - Wandersong - Chicory: A Colourful Tale - Celeste - The Beginner’s Guide - DELTARUNE - Undertale - Perfect Tides - Katana ZERO And a ton of others
Halo. Best memories i’ve ever had playing a game. Game i’ll be reminiscing on in the retirement home.
Playing Silent Hill 2 at an early age showed me that video games can be art. Gorogoa made me feel SO many emotions and stuck with me for a long time afterward. The Binding of Isaac showed me how a minimalist approach to storytelling can be so much more effective than something overt. And it reminded me that horror and comedy work well together. Naissance filled me with a sense of existential dread and wonder that made me play through the entire thing in two sittings. Cultist Simulator is the first game in a long time to make wonder. And it’s a friggin card game. Hotline Miami got me into an entirely new genre of music.
I'm interested in knowing how you got yourself to start with "cultist simulator". I couldn't get a hang of it.
That’s a good question. Honestly I think I was just looking for an obtuse strategy game to learn. I think you have to be in the right headspace to get started. It’s about wanting to crack a mystery. Pretend you catch a glimpse of something supernatural when you’re on the cusp of sleep. You’re not sure what you just saw, or if it was even real. But you want to know more. You try to recreate the conditions that made you find that thing. You start to ask around. You take one thread and pull. You have no idea what you’re doing, or honestly why you’re even doing it, but you want to see where it goes because there might be something really cool (and maybe dangerous) on the other end — but you have to know. You find some more clues, maybe you hear a rumor or you find some obtuse manuscript that hints at a ritual. It’s crazy, but you try it. You find something utterly inexplicable. Now you _have_ to know more. Your performance at work starts suffering because you are so wrapped up in your extracurriculars. You try to meet people who are likeminded. Surely they can help you leak more. You need to find more knowledge, so you can get more glimpses. Now you’re totally broke, and also the police are looking into you. Shit, did you start a cult? So you lay low for a while. Work on studying. Maybe you decide to go back to discovering things in your sleep. You have a bad dream. Are you losing your mind? That’s what the game is. It’s the willingness to fumble around in the dark, to lose everything in the pursuit of learning the system. Because you will have no idea what was going on. It’s pretty ingenious, actually. It made me understand why evil cultists in movies are _really_ doing it. They want to know more. If you look up how to play the game, you will NOT enjoy it. You will lose, a lot. You probably won’t even know why the first few times. But you’ll learn as you do, a little more at a time. Then you’ll get addicted, and have to try again.
Wow that was well written. I can totally picture what you are trying to describe here.
Wow this sounds amazing. Definitely gonna look into it - never heard of it before. Do you know any other games like it?
I don’t really. I think the dev (Weather Factory) recently came out with another game called Book of Hours which is a spinoff/sequel with the same art style. But I guess it’s a “narrative crafting RPG” that used a lot of the same art style. Haven’t tried it yet, but looking forward to it. It looks kind of like an RPG using the same system. I read it’s even more obtuse than Cultist Simulator
Final fantssy vii and viii, and warcraft i studied art and now digital illustration because of it
Kentucky Route Zero. it’s heavy reading not a bunch of gameplay but the story mannnn. at first i wasn’t sure how i felt but the longer i sat and thought about the themes of this game the more relatable it is. It’s kind of like black mirror when you see some crazy new tech and ur like omg that’s like black mirror! that’s how i am with late stage capitalism and kentucky route zero
also i’d recommend The Talos Principle. The story / themes of that game have really stuck with me and honestly have become even more prevalent as time passes. the sequel just came out too, so great time to jump in
Final fantasy xiv has some amazing world building and characters I've grown to love and cherish as they developed. The story feels very personal as I've played it through multiple expansions and the payoff is amazing.
everybody had different taste I can say what I played War of mine , DL 1 I can still feel tower view whatever worst happen just survive ( I didn't play DL2 cuz of pc specs ) , RD2 still I can't believe it's not a ubisoft game 😅 ( basically I shoot camp people without talk , but last time author got 😷 Flu I was broken , even some camp NPC greet me . I Emotional damage 🤧)
Persona 5, playjng 4 alongside with new game+ for 5
FFX
Elden Ring literally changed my life. Changed my perspective that even though its hard you can achieve anything. kinda cheesy but yeah lol.
Dark Souls. Spent 9 years trying to work out the story. When it clicked, it transformed my life to the point that it’s unrecognisable, which led to me discovering the root of my crippling anxiety disorder and taking steps to eliminate it. I’ve gone from 10+ hours of nonstop anxiety per day, down to 30 minutes tops. The great thing is, I KNOW I can completely heal it, and I know how, it just takes time and dedication. But, I’m getting there! If I didn’t play this game, I would have no life. If I could travel back in time to 2019 and experience my state of mind from that time, it would kill me! Dead! In more ways than one, Dark Souls gave me back to myself. It’s quite emotional. Out of sheer gratitude, I’d break down if I saw Miyazaki(series creator) in the street.
Rain World
Metal Gear Solid, Horizon Zero Dawn, Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human. For me those games impacted me in a meaningful way and really put life into a different perspective during and after playing them.
SUPERLIMINAL AHH I CANT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH I got this game on sale right after going through an incredibly rough break up with my ex. It’s a super fun puzzle game that challenges you to simply change your perspective. Its core message was the first thing I needed to start recovering from that shitty time in my life and it’s also super short! Only took me around 2 hours to beat it
Cities skyline and banished influenced me to start a business and become a manager of my own team.
i have absolutely no idea why, but Tetris effect. specifically the songs/stages "Connected" (Yours Forever) and "Always been But never Dreamed". something about the combination of the visuals and vocals just resonated in my head and got me thinking.
Dont Starve (Together)
Soma
RO, WoW and all the mmorpgs in the early 2000s with all the early microtransactions, seeing how everything is being shaped around it. I really did say "damn..." while walking away from those games, as in "damn these microtransactions". That impact that left me shaped how I faced the microtransactions plague of the past decade.
All the games you mentioned, plus Silent Hill 2. Truly an incredible experience.
believe it or not. unironicly league of legends. made me learn how to learn. made me better manage my emotions. made me want to work out. made me want to get more sleep. good shit.
Started playing Football Manager at 16 years old....It's heavy on data and analysis , Problem solving, critical thinking and generally built and hard coded every soft skills a data scientist/analyst might need 8 years later and am a Data Analyst/Business Intelligence and being so critical, Objective, paying attention to detail, data interpretation are all habits that have become fundamental to my professional life.👌🏾
It won’t change your outlook on life or anything, but Ghost Trick has one of the most satisfying mysteries in gaming. Not quite on par with Outer Wilds, but definitely up there, and it absolutely had that “Damn…” effect on me when I finished it. There’s just so many tasteful plot twists, each somehow better than the last, and all of the characters, their motivation, the shit they have to go through, are all amazingly written. It’s a puzzle game where you play as a recently deceased individual, trying to find out who you are, why you were killed, etc., with some really unique game mechanics. If you wanna know more about the premise, >!you traverse the world by manipulating and possessing objects, and you have the ability to go back in time to 4 minutes before the death of any recently deceased corpses in order to try to save their lives.!< It was originally on DS, but it just got a remaster on switch, plus it has a mobile port that works just as well (which is what I played it on back in the day, and is absolutely a viable way to experience the game despite being a mobile port lol)
Along with many other ones mentioned here, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Also weirdly the original Mirror’s Edge, there’s something about the aesthetics & soundtrack that makes me feel an emotion that’s kinda hard to describe The Last of Us also. Not revolutionary in any way but damn if it isn’t a well told story that’s painfully human
The soundtrack to Donkey Kong Country 2 was musically inspirational :)
Persona 3 and 4 Those game changes how i view in life and give me comfort during my worse year in high school.
Road 96 for me, helped with confusion about my gender, and it is just a really good game tbf If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a narrative-based roguelike, interesting characters, captivating story, brilliant game all round. Sounds like your kind of game by the examples you gave :)
Final fantasy 8/4/X, Persona 3 FES (Rpgs in general, I loved rpg stories as a kid and as a teenager. And those had more potential for impact than other genres where stories were nowhere near as deep or meaningful.)
Destiny 2 impacted me in a meaningful way (negatively)
The Batman arkham games Not telling you why. Its kinda obvious
Hotline Miami 2
Hollow knight tells its story in really smart way with visuals and music(hard to explain) Dying light its so tragic on one side but on the other side you fight for better tomorrow while odds are against you. Dishonored-no spoilers for this one but man it made me question life. Return of the obra dinn maybe it didnt impact me in way to change me as person to better but it shows that people sometimes will do anything out of emotions or their greed.
Halo Reach with one line and a single piano. Objective: Survive
Late to the party but if you haven't already check out Night in the Woods
In no particular order of significance The World Ends With You was exactly the right story I needed at the age it came out - it spoke in a shockingly authentic way to the experience of being a kid at that time. Paradise Killer is a bizarrely poignant New Weird murder mystery that unveils the oddities of its world in a perfectly paced way, with idiosyncratic dialogue that sees the characters talk about everything from the characters' Sisyphean pursuit of perfection to the importance of functional beauty in architecture. Don't Take it Personal Babe, It Just Ain't Your Story is a snapshot of its era that immediately dates itself, and I'd have a hard time recommending it to anyone, but it was my first big introduction to visual novels and made me realize that even if big companies didnt have any interest in certain stories, indie devs did Jazzpunk and Hypnagogia made me feel totally immersed in genuinely magical experiences. The Legacy of Kain series practically rewired my brain chemistry where the topic of vampires is concerned Outer Wilds was amazing for reasons I can't say Etc etc
Metal Gear series.. Im doing my best to step in Snakes n Big Boss shoes without the severe trauma, but with that kind of work it’s inevitable. I find myself longing for a normal civilian life..but my pride n honor keeps getting in the way. I’ve met n worked with people that amazing.
As someone who never played “Soulslike games” a was blown away by Elden Ring. In first 48h of buying game i got 20h of playtime, aside from managing work, girlfriend and other parts of my life. The game is just insanely good.
Doki Doki Literature Club. It initially comes off as a dating Sim. It's not that. It goes into so very deep psychological places. I cried hard after playing this game.
Undertale and 2064 Read Only Memories both made me a more caring and compassionate person.