To make this list I looked at games from different platforms and genres, so hopefully my answers seem well rounded.
In no particular order:
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Or any of the franchise games really. There's something therapeutic about building a life for yourself in a fictional town, surrounded by anthropomorphic animal friends. This game literally never ends, but after a certain point I always get bored with my town, the villagers, or my house, and go off and start over. Dealing with Tom Nook and your crippling debt to him isn't all fun, but redesigning my whole life from scratch gives this game a place on the list.Dragon Age: Inquisition
Truth be told, I liked Dragon Age 2 more than Inquisition, but that didn't stop me from playing DA:I 4 times. This game plays like a cross between my old-school favorite Neverwinter Nights, and Skyrim, with a (mostly) open world game play, and a gripping story to tie everything together. There are multiple races to choose from, three classes, 3 different moral stances, and many romances. These things aside, Dragon Age: Inquisition got its spot on this list for the details. There are millions of decisions to make throughout the game, and a million and one different scenarios based on those decisions. I have a friend who never recruited one of the main companions, and she played a completely different game than I did.
In addition, Bioware stepped up its backstory game, giving players the option to completely customize every element from games 1&2. This means that you can play the game 50 times, and have 50 different backstories. Maybe the current king is a dwarf, maybe it's your OC. Did you side with or against the werewolves? What happened to *insert name here* from the other games? All these things and more are fully customizable within the game's World State function.
p.s. they just announced new DLC for this game!
The Sims 4
Pulling out a classic here. I don't think there's anyone on the planet who hasn't at least heard of this game, or one of its many expansions packs, and for good reason: it's addictive. You become so enraptured with the fake life of whatever family you designed that you can neglect your own!
Anything you've ever wanted to do can be done within this game, and if you don't have time to get it done within the first family you create, created another! From fashion designer to spy, artist to stay-at-home parent, everything is up for grabs.
The best part of The Sims franchise, however, isn't its gameplay, but everything leading up to it. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent carefully designing people and houses, only to get bored and never actually play the game. But therein lies the beauty of the game: the next time you get a hankering to go to Pleasantville, you just start all over. This is a game build on the foundations of replay-ability.
Does anyone even use the same family twice?
Mass Effect 2 & 3
This franchise is unashamedly my absolute favorite. If you haven't played it, I suggest you go out and buy it right now. Go ahead, I'll wait....
Now, I didn't include the first installment, Mass Effect 1, because while it was fun and a great introduction to the world and its characters...it has some faults. (Luckily these faults only become apparent when you've finished 2 and 3 and go back to have another stab at the first one again.) Combat is strange (why are the sniper rifles so goddamn shaky??) and areas confusing (Don't get my started on the Citadel), so I've only played this game twice. Compared to the 4 times I've played ME2 and the 6 times I've played ME3, you can see that it's not the best.
But where ME1 is lacking in replay power, ME2&3 are bursting with potential. The protagonist, Commander Shepard, can be male or female (though I find femShep kicks ass harder), and have three distinct backgrounds. There's a sliding morality scale that opens up new dialogue, changes the way you look, and shapes your interactions within the game. There are multiple branching decision points, some of which are hidden. And, my guilty pleasure within the game, there are so many romance choices. You can romance a character as a renegade and have a completely different experience than if you were paragon. You can chose to date one person and cheat on her/him with another. You can have heterosexual and homosexual relationships, per your fancy.
And while many people balked at the third game's ending choices, I found them intriguing. Depending on how many missions you've done, and how well you've completed them, your morality stance, and how you chose to end the game, you get something different.
It's one of the most detailed and customizable action RPGs out there, so go play it right now.
p.s. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT GAME
Grand Theft Auto V
Okay, I'll admit that it took me awhile to hop on the GTA train (I never saw myself as a girl who'd like a game about cars) but wow did this game surpass my expectations! It's one of those things that you kick yourself for not playing sooner.
GTA V is fun because it lets you do whatever the hell you want. Want to rob a bank in a pig mask? Go for it! Want to make your money by stealing and reselling cars? That's available. Between driving around and looking for cool ramps to jump off from and pimping my personal vehicle, the campaign on this game seems secondary, especially with the awesome GTA online feature that lets you connect with friends and build your own missions, or simply drive around the city to see who can evade the cops the longest.
This game is replayable for the sheer adrenaline rush it gives you. (Although I will say that the campaign is fun, and worth the time it takes to finish it.) And for the fact that you'll probably always find new things.
BEWARE once you start this game, you probably won't be able to put it down. You'll be trapped in an endless loop of replaying it until your fingers fall off from exhaustion.
Super Mario Sunshine - Nintendo GameCube & Wii
Maybe this choice seems a little weird, but let me explain.
This isn't your average Super Mario side-scroller. This isn't even one of the Mario Sports games. This is Super Mario Sunshine, an action/adventure title that has a special place in my heart for being my first ever video game. It combines the beloved jumping puzzle elements of the traditional Mario games, with the movement capability of a 3D game. It's a unique setting, the Wonderful Isle Del Fino, and features favorites like Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and Bowser who help or hinder you as you race to recapture lost 'Shine Sprites' and bring sunshine back to your vacation.Do I have you hooked yet?
Well how about when I tell you that this game is so much fun to replay. It's not for the usual reasons of customization, as it's a Mario title and not an RPG, but for the sheer enjoyment that I got from playing this game. There's no linear requirement for completing missions, (you just have to beat 50 of them) which means you can skip the locales that you hate (I.E. Noki Bay) and have fun on the ones you love (I.E. Gelato Beach). There's nothing better than running around, stomping on bad guys and collecting coins. If you want a game that repayable for its actual gameplay, see if you can track down a copy of this game.
So there you have it folks, my list of the best games to replay.
Disagree with something on this list? Have a game you think deserves a spot? Let me know!
-Jules
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