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Game that deserved the praise, nostalgia-free

Grenseal

Member
Have you ever played a popular or acclaimed game that you missed the first time around, that everyone says was overhyped and not worth the heaps of praise it gets, only to discover that……the praise is totally justified? You've got no nostalgia for it, no rose-colored glasses, just a new perspective that completely validates a game's high pedigree?

I do. I played Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne about two decades after it was released and really enjoyed the gameplay and environments. Thought it really did deserve the praise it got. Before Nocturne, I had previously played through Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, Strange Journey, SMT4, and Apocalypse and still consider Nocturne superior to them all.

Anyone have a similar story?
 
The Persona games

the force awakens GIF by Star Wars
 
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Star Control 2.

The game's name changed to The Ur-Quan Masters.

Oddly enough, that developer Toys for Bob made Crash 4 now.
Totally weird.
 
No one praises it but Yggdra Union. One of the most unique battle system around.

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Grenseal Grenseal Also share your sentiment regarding Nocturne. I played the original for the first time when the recent rerelease happened and I loved it. Great atmosphere and some really challenging parts (enjoyably so).

But fuck this guy.

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I didn't play the original RE4 until years after it came out. I discovered that it was the father of over the shoulder action games for good reason, and still hasn't been surpassed (not even by its own remake).
 
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The fact that the game's themes and deeper messaging ended up being just as, if not more prophetic than MGS 2, is just the chef's kiss/icing on the cake
 
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I couldn't disagree more on Nocturne OP. I just beat it about a month ago, and while I loved it, I absolutely abhored much of the design decisions throughout and consider IV to be superior in every regard imaginable and V to be superior in most regards. I did still love it because I loved the general vibe and story, and it has a deliciously oppressive atmosphere, but much of the labyrinthine designs are what I would call simply asshole level design, and it wastes your time arbitrarily. Take out all the arbitrary dead ends and traps and you cut the game's length down by about 70-80% guaranteed and it'd be better for it, which they clearly realized as IV and V dump all that junk, but unfortunately V dips into shameful weaboo territory, which this series should be above. IV is the perfect SMT, it's everything the series can and should be....we don't talk about Apocalypse though, less said there the better.

IV deserves a modern port, but I doubt we'll get it unfortunately. I should play through it again at some point here soon....damn I wish there was more time in life.
 
The PS1 Resident Evil games, almost every Zelda title, and I first played Dark Souls 1 in 2016 and I was blown away so there is that
 
Most recently Trails game.
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I never got the opportunity start this series despite how people praising the games but 1st Chapter I finally could jump in it was fucking GOOOD!
 
Super Metroid
Earthbound
Chrono Trigger

play them like 20 year after their fame (Chrono Trigger about 5-6 years) and was like "wow. these are actually really good"
 
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