Feb 24 · 9 years ago
Hollow Knight 2017
Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw: you map the world, beat bosses to gain abilities and use them to reach places that were closed.
Games released in February that still hold up
Games
Feb 24 · 9 years ago
Hollow Knight 2017
Why it still holds upExploring is still the draw: you map the world, beat bosses to gain abilities and use them to reach places that were closed.
Feb 23 · 9 years ago
NieR: Automata 2017
Why it still holds upIts tone and its music carry it today: the world is heavy and unusual, and its environments are lush.
Feb 28 · 9 years ago
On sale
Horizon Zero Dawn 2017
Why it still holds upFighting each machine is a small puzzle of weak points, in a seamless world with tribes at different technology levels, which keeps it worth playing now.
Feb 26 · 10 years ago
Stardew Valley 2016
Why it still holds upThe relaxed pacing is why it is worth playing now: it asks for motivation and not urgency, missing a townsperson's timer has no real consequence, and the town feels alive.
Feb 13 · 11 years ago
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D 2015
Why it still holds upA small town run on a schedule you learn and replay is the reason to play it today.
Feb 27 · 30 years ago
Pokémon Red Version 1996
Why it still holds upA collecting goal, a route past eight gyms and the Elite Four, and a small Kanto map that leaves things to the imagination are the reason to play it now.
Feb 5 · 17 years ago
Demon's Souls 2009
Why it still holds upLarge, distinct and believably connected areas, and careful stamina based fights with gradual improvement as the core loop, are the reason to play it now.
Feb 11 · 17 years ago
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 2009
Why it still holds upTwo linked layers of play, Bowser outside and the brothers inside, each affecting the other, are the reason to play it now.
Feb 9 · 22 years ago
Metroid: Zero Mission 2004
Why it still holds upIts map still reads clearly: areas linked by doors and elevators and opened by power ups, with statues pointing the way.
Feb 16 · 14 years ago
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 2012
Why it still holds upRevisiting choices so that information from one route opens another still drives the game now.
Feb 23 · 27 years ago
Silent Hill 1999
Why it still holds upWhat you see and hear is limited to a flashlight, a radio and the fog and darkness of the town, and that is why it is worth playing now.
Feb 17 · 21 years ago
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening 2005
Why it still holds upFour combat styles and four weapons to switch between on the fly, paired with a style meter that climbs through combo ranks, still give the combat something to aim for today.
Feb 11 · 28 years ago
Xenogears 1998
Why it still holds upDeathblow combos built by saving Action Points, and mech battles that run on fuel, still give its combat two different rhythms today.
Feb 15 · 7 years ago
On sale
Metro Exodus 2019
Why it still holds upSandbox areas to tackle at your own pace, between linear stretches, still let you choose how to approach each objective today.
Feb 9 · 27 years ago
On sale
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri 1999
Why it still holds upCustom unit design and several victory paths still give it room to try different strategies today.
Feb 14 · 14 years ago
On sale
Crusader Kings II 2012
Why it still holds upInterlocking traits, plots, opinions and inheritance rules generate a different dynastic story each campaign rather than a scripted one, and that still drives every playthrough today.
Feb 27 · 25 years ago
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages 2001
Why it still holds upWith the same map in two ages, puzzles are solved by changing something in the past and walking through the present, and that still gives each area two layers to work out today.
Feb 11 · 27 years ago
Final Fantasy VIII 1999
Why it still holds upJunction and Draw give deep, customizable character building, and Triple Triad ties into progression, which still makes each build your own today.
Feb 5 · 10 years ago
On sale
XCOM 2 2016
Why it still holds upVaried class tools, turn limited objectives and scarce resources that force trade offs between soldiers and research still keep each mission a new problem today.
Feb 22 · 19 years ago
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 2007
Why it still holds upPermanent losses and a weapon rank that rewards long use turn every unit's survival and training into a long term plan, and it still has that depth.
Feb 2 · 32 years ago
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 1994
Why it still holds upA second player who flies and swims as Tails shares the same stages, so it is still a game for two.
Feb 3 · 15 years ago
Gyakuten Kenji 2 2011
Also known as Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit
Why it still holds upCombining clues and pressing witnesses in turn makes each case a chain of deductions you work out yourself, which is still a pleasure.
Feb 27 · 8 years ago
Into the Breach 2018
Why it still holds upEach battle is still worth working through, as the Vek show their next attack and every turn becomes a puzzle of where to move and what to hit.
Feb 18 · 16 years ago
Heavy Rain 2010
Why it still holds upCharacters who can die, with a story that branches around it, make each decision carry weight, and a second playthrough today shows what changed.
Feb 13 · 12 years ago
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze 2014
Why it still holds upPartners with different moves, and a shop that sells help, still let you choose how hard a level is for you.
Feb 5 · 27 years ago
Harvest Moon 64 1999
Why it still holds upSeasons that decide what you can plant, and animals that need daily care, give each year a plan to follow today.
Feb 27 · 23 years ago
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 2003
Why it still holds upA second game inside the fights keeps your attention today, because an item creation system lets you craft, patent and recruit inventors.
Feb 11 · 5 years ago
On sale
Little Nightmares II 2021
Why it still holds upThe tension is the reason to play it now: slow stretches of sneaking give way to desperate escapes, with Six at your side.
Feb 28 · 29 years ago
In a bundle
Super Bomberman 5 1997
Why it still holds upRoutes that change which bosses you meet, and a battle mode with this many characters, are still reason enough to come back to it.
Feb 23 · 25 years ago
On sale
Severance: Blade of Darkness 2001
Why it still holds upEven now, four fighters with different weapons give each playthrough its own style.
Feb 24 · 15 years ago
Gemini Rue 2011
Why it still holds upThe investigation is still a puzzle of what each character knows, across two stories you move between.
Feb 17 · 11 years ago
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round 2015
Why it still holds upEvery exchange is a guess against your opponent, since each option in the interruption triangle beats one other, which keeps it worth playing today.
Feb 26 · 13 years ago
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead 2013
Why it still holds upStart it today and, because so many survival systems depend on each other, every run sets its own problem.
Feb 15 · 19 years ago
Professor Layton and the Curious Village 2007
Why it still holds upEvery conversation is still a possible challenge, with puzzles given by the villagers and hidden in objects.
Feb 21 · 33 years ago
Star Fox 1993
Why it still holds upEveryone still becomes a careful flyer, since a clipped obstacle can break a wing off your ship.
Feb 9 · 16 years ago
BioShock 2 2010
Why it still holds upFighting with a weapon and a power at once makes each encounter a mix of shooting and plasmids, as it still does.
Feb 23 · 28 years ago
On sale
Metal Slug 2 1998
Why it still holds upA fight that never stops, in scenery you can blow apart, still makes each level a rush toward the boss.
Feb 8 · 30 years ago
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom 1996
Why it still holds upWingmen chosen for how they fly, and armor that does not heal, keep every sortie a trade between risk and supply today.
Feb 14 · 23 years ago
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2003
Why it still holds upEach fight is still fresh, since random limits change every battle and make you adapt your plan.
Feb 26 · 22 years ago
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege 2004
Why it still holds upStriking just before the enemy does still turns every fight into a matter of timing.
Feb 22 · 24 years ago
Jet Set Radio Future 2002
Why it still holds upFlow is still a bigger goal than the clock, with skating, tricks and tagging in one run.
Feb 10 · 26 years ago
Vagrant Story 2000
Why it still holds upChains that raise your risk and gear that matters more than levels still make each fight a trade between risk and reward today.
Feb 17 · 32 years ago
Windjammers 1994
Why it still holds upEach point is still a test of reflexes, in a rally that speeds up with every throw.
Feb 21 · 9 years ago
On sale
Night in the Woods 2017
Why it still holds upThe town is still a place to get to know: days that start the same way carry new dialogue and you choose a friend each night.
Feb 23 · 32 years ago
In a bundle
Super Street Fighter II Turbo 1994
Why it still holds upThe adjustable speed lets players set the pace of a match, which still helps today.
Feb 9 · 30 years ago
Bahamut Lagoon 1996
Why it still holds upA dragon you raise yourself still makes each squadron feel like your own.
Feb 20 · 23 years ago
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 2003
Why it still holds upToday, a silent hero in a post apocalyptic Tokyo lets the world do the talking.