Life Is Strange – once is enough? (pic: Square Enix)
A reader recommends six video games, including Life Is Strange and Subnautica but warns they’re not something you’re likely to play twice.
Most gamers will have their favourite titles that they’ll return to time and time again, but there are also some truly great games that for various reasons only really warrant one playthrough. Here are six games I loved but will never play again (I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum).
Life Is Strange
There are a few modern, story driven games I considered for this list, but my favourite remains Life Is Strange. With a cast of great characters, I was hooked from the very start and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. Of course, with little in the way of traditional gameplay, and your actions only having a minor impact on how the story plays out (aside from the very end, of course), there is very little incentive to play through more than once, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.
Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is a surreal point ‘n’ click adventure, but one that almost entirely forgoes traditional puzzles to instead focus on story. Throughout its seven to eight hour runtime the unique style of storytelling routinely offers fascinating and incredibly memorable moments, that’ll stick with me for a long time. This game is incredibly slow paced at times, however, so once you know the main story beats a second playthrough would quickly begin to feel a little tiresome.
Pony Island
To be honest it’s hard to know where to begin when describing Pony Island but, suffice to say, it’s very clever and unlike anything else you’ll have ever played. In gameplay terms it largely consists of endless runner style segments and abstract puzzles, but it’s ability to constantly surprise and play with gamers’ expectations is what truly makes it great. I believe there is a secret ending that can be unlocked with a second playthrough, but once you know what to expect the game loses a lot of what makes it so special.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
What sets this game apart in terms of gameplay is the unique control scheme that tasks the player with guiding both brothers at once, using the two analogue sticks. This has allowed the creators to craft some brilliantly clever puzzle and gameplay sequences that simply wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Even more impressive, however, is the way the control scheme feeds into the narrative so effectively. I don’t want to go into any more detail, as it’s something you need to experience for yourself to really feel the full impact.
Outer Wilds
At the outset Outer Wilds offers no objectives, and almost no guidance as to what you’re actually supposed to do. Instead, it lets players head off in whatever direction they choose in order to discover the mysteries of the universe for themselves. No matter where you go there always seems to be something interesting to find and piecing together all the information for yourself makes for a great experience that builds to a very satisfying ending. The only downside is that you can only explore this universe for the first time once.
Subnautica
Much like Outer Wilds, Subnautica is all about the joy of exploration. The underwater world of Subnautica is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying to explore, and as you unlock the secrets of the planet on which you’re trapped you’ll find an incredibly intriguing story. Again, it’s just a shame that you can only truly experience it once.
By reader drlowdon
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A reader recommends six video games, including Life Is Strange and Subnautica but warns they’re not something you’re likely to play twice.
