Fallout 1 and 2. I've played them so many times over the decades. FF7 and Baldurs gate 1&2 are others I've done a few times.
Surprised no one has said Super Metroid yet. The game just excelled at atmosphere.
Civ 1 and 2. I've been playing since about 2003 and I still play about 15 hours a week on my steam deck
Pokemon RB and Gold/Silver feel timeless to me.
Super Mario World
Undertale. It will always be beautiful even if it doesn't have detailed graphics.
Halo: Reach aged very well despite being the black sheep of the excellent OG Halo Trilogy. The more faster pace, exceptional visuals (how this was done on a 360 I do not know), and absurd customizability keep it running today, especially with Forge, Custom sandbox, and now mod support. Everything being coop + splitscreen helps too.
Streets of Rage 2 feels remarkably good to play today. Homeworld 1 and 2 are great to play today, too, especially since RTSs are so rare. The remasters do clean up the visuals a lot, but for the time gap between the originals and the remasters the originals hold up amazingly well.
And then puzzle games. The TGM tetris series may as well be a new release. Puzzle Bubble 1-4 actually look and sound better than the new sequel that came out this year.
And if we fast forward to more modern 3D games, Batman Arkham City, which is now twelve years old (damn) would be a perfectly current open world game if released now, and Burnout Paradise, which is now fifteen years old (double damn) is such a nice racing game that when they remastered you could barely tell the difference.
Oh, and Eye of the Beholder. I have no idea of why Eye of the Beholder, of all games, is just as good as it was at launch and as good as modern reimaginings. The UI is so smooth and the game teaches itself perfectly. I could use an automapper, I suppose, but if you ask me whether it or the Etrian Oddyssey games feels more like a contemporary design it's EotB any day.
Ever played Chrono Trigger randomized? After playing it so many times it was fun playing with a new perspective
I still play through Final Fantasy VI at least once a year.
The original Star Craft and Brood War. I grew up playing those games so they have a special place in my memories.
I've said it before on Lemmy and I'll say it again, but mindustry. It's the game that has held my attention for years and years, it never quite gets old.
Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
Love that game, even if its combat system is pretty dated. The world and the writing are top notch. If you get it, make sure you get the community patch so it's not buggy.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Minish Cap, I rarely play things twice but those two are just so pretty and well done. I play them every few years.
I'd like to try Chrono Trigger but for some reason I just can't get into it
Didn't know FF:TA was an Isekai the first time I played it and that somehow added to the experience lol
I’m a fan of some even earlier RPGs… Miracle Warriors, Phantasy Star, Phantasy Star II and Ys.
The best crack? OG WoW.
Also Chrono Cross, definitely one of the better stories Square has written.
A gaming community free from the hype and oversaturation of current releases, catering to gamers who wait at least 12 months after release to play a game. Whether it's price, waiting for bugs/issues to be patched, DLC to be released, don't meet the system requirements, or just haven't had the time to keep up with the latest releases.
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