Uncharted Series
The Uncharted series, all the way from Drake’s Fortune to The Lost Legacy, has been nothing short of cinematic masterpieces.
From jumping off deadly cliffsides and surviving a raging fire to escaping a sinking ship and terrifying train crashes, the set-pieces in all of the Uncharted games are simply unforgettable and are some of the most intense gameplay sequences of all time.
They’re just so memorable that we wish we could live out the entirety of Nathan Drake’s trilogy, as well as Nadine and Chloe’s spin-off –which was just as excellent and starred two of the most badass females in gaming– one more time, with all of our memories wiped clean.
We could experience all of the oohs and ahhs once again and also gasp at all of the plot twists, bad guy reveals, and enormous set-pieces. We’re probably not getting a new Uncharted game for quite some time now, but being able to relive one of the greatest action-adventure series of all time would be extremely delightful.
Mass Effect Trilogy
The Mass Effect Trilogy from BioWare and EA gave players so much choice in this narrative-driven third-person action RPG.
Taking players to a faraway galaxy, they are put in the shoes of their version of Commander Shepard, a soldier who is tasked with ridding the galaxy of dangerous creatures known as the reapers; I say “their version” because the main character in Mass Effect can be fully customized, with the player being able to even change the gender.
You can romance all of the aliens in the galaxy –male or female–, make nail-biting decisions that can make or break your favorite characters that are part of Mass Effect’s story, or kill of your hated characters –it’s all up to you.
These decisions are what makes the entirety of Mass Effect so replayable; a decision you made in the first game could be carried over to the third game, with your choices actually making a difference in your Mass Effect universe.
If somebody wanted to wipe our minds clean, please do it just so we can play the Mass Effect Trilogy over and over again.
The Last of Us
Joel and Ellie’s tragic and harrowing adventure through an infestation-ridden world is probably one of the most memorable stories in gaming history. Naughty Dogs take on the “zombie genre” excels here as every encounter with the fungus monsters is terrifying and requires the player to think twice about the moves that they make.
The gunplay, crafting, and horror elements in The Last of Us, as well as the top-notch voice acting and amazing attention to detail, make the game a big part of Naughty Dog’s history. And with a sequel on the way, what better time to wipe our memories and experience the 2013 title once again with a fresh pair of eyes?
The first 30 minutes of The Last of Us will surely make me cry like a baby once again, oh and that Giraffe scene as well –you guys know what I’m talking about.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
It was hard for us to choose between The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild for this entry, but we just couldn’t leave off OoT as it served as such an important video game that would go on to inspire tons of third-person action games.
Ocarina of Time is the first 3D Zelda game, giving fans the first look at characters like Zelda, Ganondorf, and Link, in their new 3D models. And who can forget leaving Kokiri Forest for the first time and getting a taste as to just how big the world of Hyrule was?
Roaming the vast lands with Epona by your side, not knowing what was around the corner was exciting, thrilling, and left us feeling like a true hero of time.
inally taking out Ganon and saving the princess felt so satisfying after all the trials that Link faces in Ocarina of Time; it’s honestly hard to forget all of these moments, but this is one of those games that if given the chance, I would replay without a moment’s notice if I had my memory wiped clean.
NieR: Automata
Right from the get-go, NieR: Automata shocks and delightfully surprises players by the switching of video game genres, and then, later on, the plot twists and multiple endings that seem to never slow down.
The majority of NieR: Automata is played like your typical character-action games, pulling off combos with a variety of weapons and techniques, but before you know it, things start getting crazy. The game changes from a third-person action game to a side-scrolling bullet hell, and then you’ll be playing as 2B and 9S with a top-down perspective.
Playing NieR: Automata is like walking into a theme park and getting on a roller coaster with a blindfold on. You won’t see what’s coming ahead of you, but once you feel what’s going on, the result is truly something special. Also, please don’t go into a theme park with a blindfold on, you will get hurt.
I’m not an android like 2B or 9S, but if I had some sort of memory chip, I would definitely pull that sucker right out. And you know what I would do first? I would play NieR: Automata.
BioShock
Dropping down into Rapture after your plane crashes into the ocean at the beginning of BioShock is a scene that fans of the series will always look back on fondly. Seeing Rapture for the first time and all of its dilapidated structures and psychotic creatures doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Everything in Rapture is well thought out and once you start exploring the creepy hallways and all-too-quiet areas, you will begin to wonder, “what exactly did happen here?” BioShock’s environmental storytelling lets the player decide if they want to learn more about Andrew Ryan’s planned utopia.
Searching every nook and cranny, the first encounter with a Big Daddy, and finding out the big twist, are just a few things in the game that make it worth playing again if we ever had the chance to get rid of the memory of our initial playthroughs. That twist would have made my jaw drop once again.
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Stepping off of our favorite bounty hunter’s ship and seeing Samus for the first time in 3D had a similar effect as to when people first got their hands on Ocarina of Time, but Metroid Prime was different.
This time, we get to control Samus from the first-person perspective, with the UI inside of her helmet acting as a part of the gameplay experience.
You can see all her levels on the corners of the screen, such as her health, which was important to keep in mind as Samus is alone as ever in the Metroid Prime series. As you slowly discover new enemies, power-ups, and the lore that the game offers to players, you can’t help but be immersed in Samus’ mission to fight off the Space Pirates on the planet Tallon IV.
The Metroid Prime Trilogy is over and done with, but there is a fourth entry coming to the Switch that will bring Samus back to the forefront.
Maybe Samus can shoot us with one of her missiles or something to knock us out cold. If we get hit hard enough, we won’t remember anything from this series, allowing us to play through it like it was brand-new.
Journey
Journey is a spiritual and emotional experience that’s hard to define. You don’t fight anything and the entire game is essentially a walking simulator with light platforming and diet puzzle-solving.
The goal is to get across this vast stretch of land to eventually get to the top of a celestial mountain, a mountain that is always seen in the distance, pretty much no matter where you are. The game pairs you with a second player who looks just like you, but there’s no way to communicate by text. You can chirp at each other, creating a dialogue that only the two of you could understand.
There are many different meanings that you can think of when it comes to the end of Journey, but my depiction of the story is one that is very depressing, emotional, and yet, beautiful all at the same time.
Video games don’t usually make me cry, but Journey is one of those games that hit me right in the gut in the final act. Replaying this game now doesn’t evoke the same feelings, but boy, if I had my memory wiped, I will be needing a couple of tissues.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus tasks you with killing 16 colossi that are scattered across the lands and resemble titans, aquatic creatures, and even huge birds. The land that you traverse is quite stunning as you can roam about on foot or by way of a horse to seek out your 16 victims.
The main character, Wander, is attempting to bring his lover back to life and the only way is to take care of these monstrous creatures that act as moveable puzzles.
You see, there are no other enemies or characters to interact with in SotC, making the experience feel very lonely and melancholy. There are no other weapons besides your sword and bow and arrow, making each boss fight simple but also quite intricate.
Stabbing them is easy to do, but figuring out how to access all of the bosses’ weak points is the real puzzle here. Taking down all 16 colossi is a journey that’s unforgettable and surprisingly difficult to accomplish if you refuse to think outside of the box.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Telltale had developed several other titles before diving into the already established Walking Dead franchise, but the first season of the adventure game put Telltale onto the map.
The first season of The Walking Dead puts us into the shoes of a man named Lee, who comes across a little girl named Clementine, and together, they work to survive a zombie outbreak —one that will forever change the rest of their lives.
The narrative-driven point and click zombie game forced us to make heart-pounding decisions that we really didn’t want to make. Lee tries to protect Clementine with all of his willpower but there’s not much you can do when danger lurks around every corner, making it the hardest job ever.
There’s one big moment at the end of season one that is just heartbreaking to go through, but that moment is what makes The Walking Dead more than just a zombie game. It’s about humans and their connections to one another, but there just happens to be zombies all around them.
I would do anything to feel those emotions again as if I was playing this for the first time.
Published: May 15, 2019 09:26 am