When fans really enjoy something, they like to experience it over and over again, but usually, it is never as good the second time. While rewatches are great, the lack of surprise does make a second viewing a bit worse, and this is also true for video games. Titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Red Dead Redemption 2 are masterpieces, but they lack the same impact on another replay.
However, some games are not only as good the second time as the first, but even better. That is why this list will highlight ten video games that are better the second time around. Based on elements such as replay value, how much the second playthrough recontextualizes the game, design, gameplay, narrative, moments, emergent gameplay, new experiences, and overall quality, if fans have only played these games once, it's time for a replay.
'Prey' (2017)
Everyone loves a good horror game, and Prey is one of the greatest out there because it acts like an immersive simulator. Stuck on the Talos I space station, an alien called the Typhon escapes, and with its ability to transform into any object, players need to find a way to escape before it kills them.
Immersive sims offer great replay value because players understand how to better play the game. A second playthrough allows them to use the mechanics in new ways after experimenting. Prey has many routes to explore, environmental physics, and creative solutions for the player to use now that they know what to expect after the first playthrough.
'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' (2003)
There aren't that many successful video game franchises that stem from movies besides Star Wars, which delivered a masterpiece in the early 2000s. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic follows a character who has recently suffered an accident, which gave them amnesia. Now, they must navigate a war between Jedi and Sith while unsure of what allegiance they truly support.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic features a historic plot twist that made this one of the best video game narratives of all time. And while that shock won't be the same on another replay, it does recontextualize the entire story, making a second playthrough worth it. Understanding the story and dialogue makes fans appreciate the narrative of this game the second time.
'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' (2019)
FromSoftware is known for its difficult games, and this list features a couple of them, starting with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Set in Sengoku-era Japan, players are a disgraced samurai who must protect their young lord from a rival clan while also vowing revenge when everything is taken from him.
As opposed to other games that reshape the way the narrative is, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is better on a replay because fans can go through the entire game again with the controls already mastered. The learning curve is steep, so replaying it makes the game much more enjoyable, while still challenging. This experience is rewarding with a hint of difficulty, but just as fun as the first time, if not more.
'Cyberpunk 2077' (2020)
After the disastrous and buggy launch, Cyberpunk 2077 corrected in a big way, now being revered as one of the best video games of the 2020s. Set in Night City, where anything goes, the players are a street punk tasked with delivering a chip to a high-priority client. However, when that chip is implanted in their head, the consciousness of a dead terrorist begins to slowly take over their mind, unless they find a cure.
Cyberpunk 2077 offers many ways to play, and once players know what route fits them the best, the second playthrough is non-stop fun. This video game hooks fans right away with its brilliant worldbuilding, character creation, upgrades, and immersive gameplay, and a second playthrough has all of that and more when players know what they want to do.
'Undertale' (2015)
This list mostly features AAA games, but it also has the most iconic indie title of all time, Undertale. When a human child falls into the Underground, a subterranean realm where monsters are banished, they must navigate this fascinating world with humanized creatures, deciding when to fight and when to use peace to escape.
Any game with multiple endings is just as great a second time, but what is better with Undertale is that the game remembers what players did before. Nothing is ever the same, with the game managing expectations and making it more challenging for the player to get what they want. This offers a unique gameplay situation that tracks morality and requires a great understanding of the mechanics.
'Final Fantasy VII' (1997)
The Final Fantasy franchise has dozens of video games, but the most iconic and popular is Final Fantasy VII. Following Cloud Strife, players join an eco-terrorist group in order to fight against the massive corporation that is draining the planet of its natural resources. Not to mention, Sephiroth plans on using it to make himself an immortal god.
Final Fantasy VII is home to some of the greatest video game characters of all time, and witnessing their stories not once, but twice, is a fantastic experience. This game is simply so good that fans will find more enjoyment on any number of playthroughs, but its mid-game plot twist is what makes a second run even better, with players able to pick up on the subtle writing and foreshadowing.
'Elden Ring' (2022)
After Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the next FromSoftware game on this list is Elden Ring, their magnum opus. After the titular object is broken into many pieces, they are collected by the children of Queen Marika. However, players awaken as the Tarnished, who must travel through the Lands Between to fight the demigod children, collect the shards, restore the ring, and become the Elden Lord.
When players step out into the world, they are greeted with an impossibly challenging boss that sets the pace for the rest of the game. Elden Ring is a desperate test of survival, with players needing to learn how to fight fast. However, a second time playing this game means gamers are accustomed to the controls, and they have their preferred weapons and builds to give them the experience they want.
'NieR: Automata' (2017)
A lot of JRPGs are great games to replay, even if they can take a while, including NieR: Automata, which is set in the distant future. With all of humanity now living on the moon after aliens took over the Earth, they are still fighting using a handful of androids. Sent down to Earth to battle against machines made by the alien invaders, it is a proxy war for their homeland, but what do the androids think?
Unlike other games on this list, where players have the option to play the game again, NieR: Automata requires gamers to go through it again. The first playthrough is just the prologue, with players then experiencing it again with a new character, updated mechanics, and revitalized gameplay. Thus, this second playthrough a much more captivating experience through a unique game design choice.
'The Stanley Parable' (2013)
The best games to play a second time are those that have something new to offer, and The Stanley Parable is exactly that. Taking place in an abandoned office, players are the titular character, able to do whatever they want. They can listen to the narrator and go where he tells them, or forge their own path and explore the dystopian-like office; either way, there are secrets to learn.
The Stanley Parable is designed to play over and over again. If anything, it should be better for each subsequent playthrough, not just the second. By subverting player agency, gamers can make thousands of different choices that change the direction of the story, each with a unique ending. The Stanley Parable is an innovative and thought-provoking video game that, with its quirky charm and philosophical undertones, becomes an experience that fans can endlessly play and enjoy. With so many decisions and gameplay opportunities, fans can play this game forever.
'Mass Effect Trilogy' (2007/2010/2012)
It may be cheating to include multiple games in one entry, but the Mass Effect Trilogy works better as one entire experience, especially on a second playthrough. Players control Commander Shepard in this galactic opera adventure in their battle against the Reapers, a mechanical alien race. But to defeat them, Shepard must unite the galaxy against this common threat and maneuver through political difficulties amidst war and chaos.
Mass Effect prides itself on its branching narrative where every choice matters, creating a web of personal stories mixed with political intrigue and galactic mayhem. This is why it is such a beloved video game, but fans might enjoy it more a second time. Playing a second time means understanding the large-scale choices and consequences, so not only can gamers experience a new story direction, but they can also attempt to craft their ideal ending.