Jun 14 · 13 years ago
The Last of Us 2013
Why it still holds upToday the fights still come down to scarcity: retreating and coming back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
Games released in June that still hold up
Games
Jun 14 · 13 years ago
The Last of Us 2013
Why it still holds upToday the fights still come down to scarcity: retreating and coming back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
Jun 19 · 6 years ago
The Last of Us Part II 2020
Why it still holds upThe fights are still worth playing for how many ways they leave open: you can sneak through, set human groups and the infected against each other, or shoot your way out.
Jun 23 · 30 years ago
Super Mario 64 1996
Why it still holds upMario controls crisply and each painting lets you pick which star to chase, so the game still feels open today.
Jun 16 · 15 years ago
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 2011
Why it still holds upIts dungeons still make a good case for playing today, a mix of puzzle rooms and mazes that test your memory, with controls that suit the 3DS.
Jun 12 · 18 years ago
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 2008
Why it still holds upCamouflage, bought weapons or a run without killing give you different ways through the same act, which is the reason to go back to it now.
Jun 1 · 34 years ago
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis 1992
Why it still holds upThe three paths give it three routes through one story, which is why it still holds up today, in a tone close to the films.
Jun 25 · 33 years ago
On sale
Day of the Tentacle 1993
Why it still holds upIts comic writing and voice acting are the reason to play it now, since in the CD version every line of dialogue is spoken.
Jun 29 · 10 years ago
Inside 2016
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are why it still plays well: they are natural obstacles that make sense in the context of the game, and the wordless boy is expressive enough to carry it.
Jun 23 · 26 years ago
Deus Ex 2000
Why it still holds upWith several routes to every objective, both a pacifist and a combat approach work, and that freedom in level design is the reason to play it today.
Jun 23 · 11 years ago
On sale
Batman: Arkham Knight 2015
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the draw is combat of counters and takedowns in a city you cross by gliding and grappling.
Jun 26 · 12 years ago
Shovel Knight 2014
Why it still holds upEasy to learn platforming with modern ideas of risk and reward, on an 8 bit look, is why it is worth playing now.
Jun 29 · 28 years ago
Banjo-Kazooie 1998
Why it still holds upEach world is a themed space with many different tasks to collect from, so collecting is varied rather than repetitive, and that is the reason to play it now.
Jun 11 · 5 years ago
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2021
Why it still holds upThe arsenal and the rifts, which move you between worlds in seconds in the middle of a fight or a set piece, make it a shooter worth picking up today.
Jun 6 · 33 years ago
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 1993
Why it still holds upIts world still opens as you find items, with dungeons built around them, and that structure keeps it fresh today.
Jun 19 · 16 years ago
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective 2010
Why it still holds upEach puzzle is still one chain of small object changes inside a fixed room, with a mystery plot pulling it along.
Jun 20 · 29 years ago
Final Fantasy Tactics 1997
Why it still holds upJobs that unlock abilities and a Charge Time that decides who acts still make every battle a puzzle of order and class today.
Jun 25 · 27 years ago
Dungeon Keeper 2 1999
Why it still holds upRunning the dungeon as its villain, down to wages and food for your creatures, still gives it a character of its own today.
Jun 30 · 12 years ago
Divinity: Original Sin 2014
Why it still holds upElements and terrain that interact, and skills that work outside combat, still give each problem several solutions today.
Jun 28 · 24 years ago
Golden Sun: The Lost Age 2002
Why it still holds upPsynergy puzzles that open new areas, and Djinn that tie exploration to battle stats, still link finding things to fighting today.
Jun 10 · 16 years ago
Xenoblade Chronicles 2010
Why it still holds upClear roles for the AI party and rewards for exploring still make both fights and wandering worth the time today.
Jun 21 · 10 years ago
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action 2016
Why it still holds upA world told through confessions and small details, rather than exposition, still makes each shift a conversation worth listening to today.
Jun 27 · 29 years ago
Dungeon Keeper 1997
Why it still holds upIndirect control of creatures that have to be paid, trained and kept content means the dungeon is still run rather than commanded today.
Jun 26 · 14 years ago
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Why it still holds upOrdinary shooter systems turned toward the protagonist's choices, with missions, hints and environment all pushing one theme, still make it play as one argument today.
Jun 21 · 25 years ago
On sale
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis 2001
Why it still holds upOn foot and vehicle combat in one continuous game, with squad orders and a mission editor, still gives a mission many ways to play today.
Jun 22 · 30 years ago
On sale
Quake 1996
Why it still holds upFull 3D levels, enemies with distinct roles and rocket jumping still make exploring and fighting feel like one thing today.
Jun 1 · 22 years ago
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 2004
Why it still holds upIf you come to it now, expect to rely on fists and shadows, because you have few guns early on.
Jun 24 · 22 years ago
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2004
Why it still holds upA new player today is not stranded for long, because dialogue that changes with the story makes each town worth revisiting.
Jun 16 · 6 years ago
Desperados III 2020
Why it still holds upToday every level is still a puzzle with many answers, because each character's tools combine with the others'.
Jun 5 · 9 years ago
Monument Valley II 2017
Why it still holds upSingle screen perspective puzzles with simple touch controls, and a new idea in every level instead of a reused one, still keep each screen worth solving today.
Jun 23 · 14 years ago
Pokémon Black Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upIf you come to it now, expect a tournament full of trainers from earlier games and a Key System for a harder replay, which give you plenty to do after the main story.
Jun 5 · 12 years ago
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth 2014
Why it still holds upEach floor is a puzzle of routes and timing today, as roaming FOEs have to be dodged and a Boost comes from hitting weaknesses.
Jun 21 · 7 years ago
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled 2019
Why it still holds upChained boosts from power slides turn each lap into a matter of rhythm, and it races well today.
Jun 23 · 23 years ago
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising 2003
Why it still holds upA meter that offers a small power often or a super power later makes you choose when to spend it, and every battle today carries that choice.
Jun 18 · 7 years ago
On sale
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night 2019
Why it still holds upExploring is still rewarding, because shards dropped by monsters, each with a different attack, make every defeated enemy a possible new skill.
Jun 23 · 21 years ago
Advance Wars: Dual Strike 2005
Why it still holds upPlanning two battles at once on two screens, with a different commander on each, is still the reason to take it up.
Jun 3 · 13 years ago
Gunpoint 2013
Why it still holds upA cross section that shows every guard and circuit lets you plan a route before moving, and that planning still pays off.
Jun 9 · 21 years ago
On sale
Pathologic 2005
Why it still holds upA game that moves on whether or not a player keeps up is still worth meeting today.
Jun 30 · 20 years ago
On sale
FlatOut 2 2006
Why it still holds upWrecking the car is still part of the fun, with minigames in which the driver is the projectile.
Jun 28 · 19 years ago
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd 2007
Why it still holds upScenes you open with a door and a symbol still make each dungeon a source of story as well as combat.
Jun 7 · 15 years ago
Infamous 2 2011
Why it still holds upMoving through the city with the same powers you fight with ties traversal and combat together, as it still does.
Jun 25 · 12 years ago
Valiant Hearts: The Great War 2014
Why it still holds upToday, a war story told through puzzles and a few short action sections gives each chapter its own mix.
Jun 8 · 27 years ago
On sale
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor 1999
Why it still holds upToday, classes that cap each skill make the party you choose shape what it can become.
Jun 20 · 7 years ago
On sale
Amid Evil 2019
Why it still holds upEnemies resist weapons differently, so you choose what to fire at each foe, and it stays lively today.
Jun 15 · 25 years ago
Startopia 2001
Why it still holds upRunning a station is still an exercise in setting things up, with rooms and staff you choose and aliens you cannot order around.
Jun 25 · 17 years ago
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland 2009
Why it still holds upEach outing still gets a plan, with enemies you see before you meet them and ingredients to gather.
Jun 21 · 25 years ago
Gitaroo Man 2001
Why it still holds upTracing a line to play a riff, with a guard and a solo in each song, still makes every song a short fight.
Jun 3 · 18 years ago
On sale
Ninja Gaiden II 2008
Why it still holds upWounded enemies who turn desperate still make every kill matter.