Four Old Video Games I Never Stopped Playing

While a lot of people are excited about upcoming titles, I found myself spending the weekend playing “old” games instead. I largely ignored all my next-gen titles for games that were nearly a decade old. Some people may find it hard to digest dated video games, but there are four games that I will never get tired of.

Sure, the graphics and voice acting aren’t as sharp but it has other redeeming qualities.  I’m thankful that a lot of my favorite games have been remastered and sometimes they even release it to other platforms.

Read on for more.

1. Final Fantasy X

I must confess that I’ve never touched this game ever since my PlayStation 2 broke. However, I did play the crap out of it when my old system was still working. I usually replay games that offer different choices and outcomes, but Final Fantasy X really made an impression on me. I have been playing the game non-stop ever since the remastered edition was released. This was the reason why I largely ignored my copy of Infamous: Second Son.

While Final Fantasy VIII was the first ever RPG I ever experienced, Final Fantasy X was the first one I actually finished on my own. It came out when I was old enough to comprehend how to customize and level up strategically. On a general level, it was also quite a memorable game for a lot of people. It was the first Final Fantasy game on PlayStation 2 and I remember how awestruck my friends and myself were when we saw early screenshots of the game in a gaming magazine. It was a departure and upgrade in visual quality from its predecessors. Oh, and the characters had voices for the first time!

One other major reason why I kept playing this game is its Blitzball diversion. It’s basically underwater Water Polo. There are teams from different cities around Spira. You are part of the Besaid Aurochs and you can participate in tournaments and recruit other players. If they added multiplayer support to this game, I bet it would drain more of my time.

I’m really happy that they remastered Final Fantasy X and its sequel. I thought that I would never get a chance to play this game again. I’m not sure if you can appreciate as much if you’ve never played this before. However, I do know people who have so maybe you should give it a shot.

 2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Enough about Final Fantasy X! I’m going to move on to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Most of you may know that Vice City is dear to me, but the truth is that I played SA a lot more. Why? You could do a lot more stuff and the world was huge compared to the last games in the franchise. You can imagine how glad I was when it finally came out on the PC and iPad. Unlike the last game, I still had a platform to play this game on since my Xbox lasted a lot longer than my PS2.

To be honest, I personally felt that all the games that came out after SA lost its replay value. I loved how you could alter CJ’s appearance in a variety of ways. This was minimized in the next games in addition to purchasing property. There were also a myriad of side missions that I loved playing like how you can be a burglar and steal appliances from people’s homes.

SA felt like a modern version of Skyrim. I spent a lot of hours driving through the outskirts of San Fierro. Sometimes I would even drive through all three cities while listening to Ice Cube, Dre. Dre, or America’s Horse with No Name. Grand Theft Auto V’s world may be a lot bigger, but it’s not the same as having three distinct cities: Las Venturas is a sprawling desert with casinos; Los Santos is a cramped metropolis; San Fierro has this scenic charm to it.

3. The Movies

http://youtu.be/pGA5P22A-f4

I still have this game and its DLCs installed on my Macbook Pro. I bought it when my mom brought me to Walmart when I was a kid. I was being bratty so I begged her to let me wander around the video games section. Twenty minutes later I come back with a game called The Movies that piqued my curiosity. I’ve been playing it ever since and I even wrote about it for an Unreality article.

The Movies is a simulation video game that lets players build and manage their own movie studio.  From managing your talent’s happiness to making sure a film has the right PR. There are a myriad of things to do. In addition, it’s also possible to make movies of your own using the sets you’ve acquired. This was the perfect game for me and for anyone who loves both mediums of films and video games.

One main reason why I can’t get enough of this game is because it allows me to make movies while having fun. It doesn’t have every animation, set, and outfit in the world but it’s more than enough to let your imagination run wild. It’ll be a lot more fun too if you’re already the type who tinkers with audio and video editing. Check the video above to see an example. Even if simulation games aren’t your thing, you can also play to make movies of your own.

4.  Indigo Prophecy

http://youtu.be/wxmj68SOijc

Most readers know that I’m a big fan of Quantic Dream. The love affair started with Indigo Prophecy.  I still believe that this game has one of the best opening intros of all time. I always enjoy watching it whenever I replay the game. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve explored every outcome of this game even if I finished it several times. There are just so many choices and different paths you could experience.

While the game is mainly supernatural, it has a little bit of every genre. I remember the times when my friends would try out the hilarious mini-games. I think this was the first time I experienced playing a “choice” game with multiple protagonists. It’s interesting how you can take control of characters who are initially enemies. Thus, doing well with one means undermining the other. My Xbox isn’t with me anymore, but I was able to get the game on the PC for $2. Why don’t you give it a try?