This is going to be a weird one considering the graphics, but hear me out, the original Deus Ex. Something about the game just feels so well put together that the graphics take a back seat to the gameplay. There is a reason the community around the game has fought so hard to keep it running on modern hardware.
Patient Gamers
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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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.
Pumped for Baldur's Gate 3 next month. I've avoided absolutely anything talking about the game. I want to go in blind. It's got a hell of a legacy to live up to though.
Heroes of might and magic III. I play it 25 years later and it would be great to share some time on it with my child, one she grows up.
It is the best one, still fun. A lot of great memories playing that game
There’s a game called Heroes Hour on steam that is like the pixel version of an expanded HoMM3, the over world and town building and unit recruiting is all almost the same, but the fights are real-time auto-battler that you can pause to cast spells or give directions to units. Really scratches the itch left by HoMM3
Super Mario World
Undertale. It will always be beautiful even if it doesn't have detailed graphics.
Pokemon RB and Gold/Silver feel timeless to me.
Surprised no one has said Super Metroid yet. The game just excelled at atmosphere.
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.
Civ 1 and 2. I've been playing since about 2003 and I still play about 15 hours a week on my steam deck
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
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.
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.
Ever played Chrono Trigger randomized? After playing it so many times it was fun playing with a new perspective
The original Star Craft and Brood War. I grew up playing those games so they have a special place in my memories.
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.
I’m a fan of some even earlier RPGs… Miracle Warriors, Phantasy Star, Phantasy Star II and Ys.
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