All the games I adored, yet won’t play again

 

I promised it not so long ago, and here it comes! I thought these games were Cult Classics of Mine, because I enjoyed playing them so darn much; but I realise now that they were actually once-in-a-lifetime experiences — which is mighty fine too. And so I’ll part with them, with a few words as a heartfelt goodbye!

 

Final Fantasy Legend II: That spinoff was one of my most memorable Game Boy runs — a feat made all the more memorable by the fact that I didn’t play it as a starry-eyed kid in 1991, but rather as a seasoned RPG aficionado in 2014. It was a mad challenge that I totally relished; but I also remember that it roughed me up like crazy, and that I came very close to quitting a couple of times. I didn’t complain at the time; but I sure as heck don’t want to relive the whole thing either.  

 

Shiren the Wanderer: I had the most amazing time with the first Shiren entry. It was an epic ride full of elation and despair, joy and sorrow. The highs were deliriously high, the lows were soul-crushingly low; and I can safely claim that very few games I’ve played were such a rollercoaster of feels. Any second run of Shiren would pale compared to that first one — and heck, I really don’t want to endure such brutality again.

 

 

Legacy of Ys – Books I&II / Ys I&II Chronicles: Playing that pair delighted both the gaming historian and the ARPG aficionado in me. However, I have to face the truth: not only have I forgotten nearly everything about these games, but they also cannot hold a candle to other ARPGs and Hack’n’Slashes that are Cult Classics of Mine. 

 

 

Final Fantasy: The original Final Fantasy was a delirious grinding fest from beginning to end, and I completely lapped it up. However, as far as grindy turn-based RPGs go, I can think of a thousand titles that I’d rather play — starting with my whole posse of Kemco budget RPGs. 

 

 

Popolocrois: I absolutely adored that game back in the days. It was lovely and heart-warming, with a sweet nostalgic atmosphere that stayed with me long after I finished it. Playing it made me feel good, and I cannot remember a single thing that bothered or annoyed me. For the longest time, I kinda wanted to replay it; but that desire is now gone, and I don’t think it will ever come back.   

 

 

Riviera– The Promised Land: Just like Popolocrois, Riviera really charmed the pants off me when I played it. It was absolutely unique back in the days, and still is; I loved every minute of it, and I don’t have a single negative thing to say about it. I wrote an amazingly long post about that first Dept. Heaven offering, and it still has plenty to offer me; and yet, I never felt even the slightest urge to replay it once my run was over, and I still don’t.

 

 

Astonishia Story: Man, I owe a lot to that game. It was the first game to awaken my gaming ferweh after my Second Coming of Gaming, and one of very few modern games that awoke the raw emotions I used to feel when I started gaming (other such games being Legend of Legacy and Arc of Alchemist). That first run was truly magical; and I’m afraid any subsequent run would feel more mundane, and only serve to reveal some flaws while bringing nothing of value to my gamers’ soul. 

 

 

Trails in the Sky: I should have hated that game for its slow, strategy-infused combat, its indolent pacing and its emphasis on story; and yet, a miracle somehow happened, and I ended up adoring it. Like, really friggin’ adoring it. I still feel mushy just thinking of it; but I also feel just as strongly that I shouldn’t ever come close to it again. 

 

 

Moe Chronicles: I had some darn good fun with that game. However, and despite my undying love for FPDCs, I don’t feel like replaying it, ever. I’d gladly lose myself again in The Lost Child, Dungeon Travelers 2 or Demon Gaze; but Moe Chronicles leans more on the Class of Heroes side — an acquired taste that I can live without.

 

 

Bravely Default: Definitely one of the most intensely original and memorable RPGs I’ve played, boasting what is probably my favourite class system of all times (coming from someone who dislike class systems as a rule). Unforgettable aesthetics and atmosphere, and the most insane boss rush I’ve ever tackled. Heck, just writing all this makes me wanna play Bravely Default again; and yet, deep down, I know I’ll never get down to it.  

 

 

Legend of Legacy: Playing that game was a deeply moving experience for me: it offered me a completely unique mix of feels, impressions and emotions I never encountered in any game before, or since. And yet, something is lacking; something that could make me wanna play Legend of Legacy again. The old me would have tried to analyse what that ‘something’ was, but the new me knows that it won’t change jack sh*t — and so, I’ll just accept these feelings and move on.

 

That’s all for the time being; but who knows, maybe other games will join that club, as I realise over time that I don’t wanna replay them despite loving them to pieces. At any rate, I’m happy I can now feel that way about a game: it means that I’m finally reaching a place of solace in my gaming career, and that I’m done with the need to cling obsessively to every single game I love. Some are meant to be lifelong companions, some are meant to stick around for a while, and some are meant to be cameos — and hey, it’s mighty fine that way!