Games That Are The Most Special On The First Playthrough

Summary

• Some games, like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney are best experienced once to maintain the thrill of solving cases for the first time.
• A Short Hike and Spiritfarer offer unique experiences during the first playthrough that cannot be fully replicated.
• Games like Gris and Breath of the Wild provide emotionally impactful experiences that may lose their impact on subsequent playthroughs.

If a game is one of your favourites, you’ll likely replay it over and over to earn that coveted secret ending and see absolutely everything it has to offer. However, there are some games that, no matter how much you love them, will never live up to how they felt on that first playthrough.

These games are so special you want to keep that specific playthrough in your mind forever rather than jumping in again. The experience could be (and mostly likely would be) completely different than the first time around, and that first playthrough is something you simply don’t want to taint.

We’re not saying you can’t play these games again (in fact, many people do), but just that the experience will never compare to the very first time.

10

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

The first game in the series (and one of the best), Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney follows rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright as he solves cases alongside his assistant Maya Fey. While the game is full of humour and has a great overall story, nothing compares to guessing where the cases are going to go the first time around.

Is the witness lying? Are they secretly a completely different person? A lot of the fun comes from being along for the ride to see how wild things can get.

9

A Short Hike

A Short Hike is only a few hours long, so it would be easy to replay it, but capturing the same feeling of that first experience would be pretty difficult. As a young bird named Claire, your goal is to climb to the top of the mountain so you can get reception on your phone.

The name of the game is procrastination, though, as you’ll spend more time exploring the island and chatting to its inhabitants. Once you finally make the climb up the mountain, the view, and the feeling you get from seeing it for the first time, is a memory you’ll have forever.

8

Spiritfarer

Spiritfarer is a cosy management game on the surface, but underneath that, it’s a heartrending experience that can’t be replicated. You play as Stella, the titular Spiritfarer, and it’s your job to help spirits be ready to go through the Everdoor.

Alongside upgrading and decorating your boat, you’ll also get to know the stories of the spirits you’re taking care of. Trust us, playing this game is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a royally great time (pun absolutely intended). The turn-based battles and Archetype system are a lot of fun to play around with, but what keeps you coming back for more is the fantasy epic that unfolds.

The protagonist, Will, and his party are attempting to assassinate Count Louis and win the throne, but not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Nothing can recreate the tension you feel in certain scenes the first time around.

6

Final Fantasy 9

Most Final Fantasy games offer a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience, but there’s just something about Final Fantasy 9 that takes it above the rest. The return to traditional fantasy after the sci-fi heavy themes of 7 and 8 is one reason, but most fans agree Vivi’s character is what makes the game so memorable.

You could argue that playing the game again knowing Vivi’s fate would make it even more impactful, but how are you supposed to see the screen with eyes filled with tears?

5

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

358/2 Days has the best contained narrative of any Kingdom Hearts game. It follows Roxas, Sora’s Nobody, as he fights to be his own person and escape Organisation 13 alongside his best friend Xion.

The ending of the game is so tragic that you’ll likely never want to play it again after the credits roll. No one wants to do that emotional final boss again, but at least if you do, you’ll know to bring a box of tissues this time around.

4

Detention

Detention is a horror game set in Taiwan’s White Terror period, following a student named Ray who becomes trapped in a terrifying version of her school filled with monsters. Throughout the game, Ray learns more about her past and the terrible things she did and feels guilt for.

Uncovering Ray’s past is what makes a first playthrough of Detention so gripping, and playing it again once you know her secrets just isn’t quite the same.

3

Gris

Gris is one of the most visually stunning games out there, both indie and triple-A alike. Its watercolour graphical style is gorgeous and it makes every second of exploration a joy. However, what makes Gris so special is its exploration of grief and how it affects us.

The story follows the protagonist, Gris, who has lost her mother, and how she learns to accept that loss and continue with her life. It’s a powerful and emotional experience, heightened by the game’s beautiful visuals.

2

Xenoblade Chronicles

As a narrative-rich RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles hooks you in and keeps your attention with its story beats and pacing. When you play it for the first time, you can’t wait to see what these visions Shulk is having are about and how they’ll play out when you reach them in the present.

While the exploration and battle system are a lot of fun too, it’s the unfolding of the story that makes the first playthrough special. Once you know all the twists and turns, it’s difficult to have that same experience again.

1

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

If you played Breath of the Wild and it hit for you, you know those first moments of stepping out of the Shrine of Resurrection and seeing Hyrule expanding out before you are unforgettable. As it’s the first open-world Zelda game, there’s something so special about exploring Hyrule that first time that can’t be captured on subsequent playthroughs.

Now that we have its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, with all its quality-of-life improvements, that first experience becomes even more nostalgic. There really is nothing like wandering through the vast Hyrule Field and checking out all of the world’s nooks and crannies that very first time.