The title says it all, really; but I'm still gonna elaborate, just because I
can. When I say 'long-arse games', I mean playthroughs ranging from 50 hours to
200-or-so; such lengths should make those games one-run-only experiences for
weak little me, who starts feeling gaming fatigue around the 30-hour mark. And
yet, I want to play those games again, at least once — and maybe
more, who knows. You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling!
Dragon
Quest IX: A.k.a. the
Don of long runs as far as my gaming career is concerned. I spent roughly 210
hours on that game, and I was nowhere near done when I stopped. Okay, that's a
bit of an embellishment: I was actually very close to being done, since I was
buried deep in Grottoes slaughtering Metal King Slimes by the dozen. Still, I
stopped because other matters required my urgent attention at the time, not
because I was bored; if not for that untimely interruption, my run might have
boasted a couple more hours. Anyway, I wanna solo that game again. Because it
means a lot to me, being one of the first RPGs I played after my Second
Coming of Gaming; because it
has an unique atmosphere I still remember fondly; and simply because I love
it. Since I combed the game world with the Strategy Game by my side during
my first run, mastering all Classes and collecting nearly all the available
gear, my second run would be much swifter. I would simply master the most
useful skills and Classes for a solo endeavour, grind a bit at chosen spots,
skip all the postgame, and voilà! I used to be afraid of not being able
to choose a different MC after spending so many hours with my original one; but
after eight years of not touching the game, I've kinda forgotten her, and I'll
gladly craft a new MC from scratch — a male one, this time.
Hometown
Story: I know that
game's nothing to write home about (easy-lousy pun a million times intended),
being bristling with flaws and boasting a most horrendous Metacritic score of
47; and yet, I have the fondest memories of my 70-hours-or-so run. I remember
scouring the whole village for ressources, I remember rushing and running
around in my shop to refill shelves until I became slightly delirious, I
remember the sweet dingling sound of the cash register; and most importantly, I
remember loving that game, and having great fun playing it. I really
wanna live the shopkeeper's life again at some point — once again,
preferably with the male character that time around.
Atelier
Ayesha: A.k.a. the
game that made me fall in love with the Atelier series in earnest, after
a number of tepid experiences with the Arland entries. My heart still flutters
with a wondrous sort of wanderlust everytime I remember the gorgeous Dusk
vistas; and I still have a number of potential party members unhandled despite
playing two runs back-to-back — and don't get me started on all those
endings I still have to uncover. And of course, beyond all that, I simply love Ayesha's
whole atmosphere so much that I really wanna bask into it again. And
lucky (and industrious) me, I just got my paws on Play-Asia's Atelier Dusk
Trilogy Deluxe Pack and its most convenient multi-language option! It's the
third time I'm buying that darn game, but I love it so much I'm not even salty.
Digimon
Story Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory: It's been hardly a year since I polished off my
50-plus-hours run of Hacker's Memory; and yet, I wanna play it again.
I absolutely adored it, and still do; in fact, I daresay that I love it
even more than when I played it last summer. There's something quite unique
about that gem of a game, something that makes me wanna dive right back into it
again — and purchase every single Digimon portable entry while
I'm at it. At any rate, it's now safe in my precious collection, to be played
and treasured for all eternity, after I secured the rare and much-coveted
physical edition of the Digimon Story Cybersleuth: Complete Edition for
the Switch. Yet another game I've bought twice — but gosh, was it
utterly worth it.
There you have it, dear fellow gamers: the games I'll definitively replay one
fine day, despite having spent way too many hours on them already. It goes
without saying that I'd love to read about the ludicrously long games
you really wanna tackle again — please feel free to humour me in the
comments! I'll see you very soon with more gaming goodness — because
indeed, as
promised, I finally got
my life back and I'm gaming again with a passion. Until next time, take care
and keep playing!
I've been
meaning to play Hometown Story for years, so if you do start playing it again,
I'll take that as an excuse and play along with you (the female part).
As for Digimon, can't blame you at all, but like I said before, do give the
first game a shot instead. Worth it, I promise you. Though I have been getting
the urge to play dragon quest builders again, even though I just finished it
last year and should play the sequel instead, so I get your feelings.
Dragon Quest IX solo run that I had to do over and over because of losing my
quick save file progress is still my worst nightmare. Heck, I haven't even
bought the excellent Dragon Quest XI because of it! (which was actually lucky
of me, since the switch enchanced version is now coming to PS4, and I'd rather
play the "complete" version on that system instead. No double buying for me!)
"Do give
the first game a shot instead": oh, I'll definitely do that. I have an
inkling that both games boast a very similar atmosphere; on top of that,
playing Cyber Sleuth before replaying Hacker's Memory will allow me to better
appreciate the recurring cast.
Playing parallel runs of Hometown Story sounds like a pretty nifty idea. And
heck, you'll be able to benefit from my experience if you ever need it! :P
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