In what will likely be a singularly unique trait among the people on this website I have a bit of a game collection, one I actively seek to further. Most of such collection is not aiming at completion for a system, franchise or the like but games that will mean something in 10 years, either because they are still very playable or because they are a great example or early example of a given mechanic and evolutions thereof. I certainly play the annual shooting, driving, vaguely historical themed "action adventure" and otherwise popular bit of fluff but were they lost to my collection then 99 times of 100 I would not seek to replace it, or if I did I would likely pick the current shininess instead (or given the modern prevalence of recompiles remasters then said same on a newer system...).

This year will be the fifth anniversaries of both consoles, traditionally the final real years of such things, and where at this time in previous efforts my libraries were brimming with games I have nothing to show for myself here. Nobody really expects anything from the first year and a bit to stand the test of time but years two, three and four have invariably produced something before.
I have not moved on from games; I still very much play them and enjoy them. Games have seemingly not moved on from me; everything is still very recognisable and mechanically sound. Everything should be better -- controls are just fine, specs are such that high end devs can do amazing things and mid tier devs can happily do what was formerly amazing or impossible, and everybody else faces fewer restrictions then ever. While we are still pretty far from the same thing that allows nearly anybody to write a book or make a board game it is very much heading in that direction.
I am seemingly not the only one noting this, and for all we might be used to the occasional weak year the notion of a weak generation is something new.

To that end suggest some games that someone coming in cold to the PS4 or xbone should pick up, ones that will stand the test of time or at least be a nice example of something new or evolving.

General idea of this feature
This is the latest entry in GBAtemp's new series discussing game concepts, mechanics (the interesting mechanics thing being the tenuous justification for it being in this series today) and such like. Previous editions saw us discuss games that got better after launch, cancelled games and shuttered devs, and story canon in games.

 

[cots]

I was once against digital game purchases, but with the PS4 I recently acquired the only physical game I have the Star Wars Battlefront II which came with the console. The rest of the games I have purchased are digital so as long as PSN doesn't go down and PS4 hardware is easily accessible (if mine fails) I will still have my games. I know this involves a little bit of risk, but accessing the games via HDD with no disc required and not having to go the store to buy new game are benefits. Of course I plan on keeping all of my games as long as possible as I have invested a lot of money into them.

 

[Deleted User]

I have a tendency to keep every game I buy. There are a few games that I lost when I was younger, though (mainly GBA games, predictably enough). There are also some games I have sitting in storage, by virtue of my somewhat limited living conditions and by the fact that I just don't play them that much, nor have a real need for them.

 

[D34DL1N3R]

Finish them and sell them. Otherwise I'd have thousands just sitting and collecting dust.

 

[Bonestorm]

I keep every single game I purchase I have over 500 physical games

 

[Noctosphere]

I keep every single game I purchase I have over 500 physical games

great collection
mind sharing a pics or two?
of your collection of course

 

[Sakitoshi]

For me the tales of series does it, while I'm yet to play most of them, the ones I have have been excellent experiences that I'll like to play again (and I have already repeated Xillia 2 and plan on doing so with Vesperia as soon as I can get a hackable slim ps3 as the phat I currently have is in bad shape).
The Ratchet and Clank series also holds a special place to me.
As for current gen titles I would say:
- Gravity Rush 1/Remastered and 2
- Blue Reflection
- Bloodborne
- Muramasa
- Axiom Verge
- God Eater series
- Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory
- Project Diva series

Probably some others too, but all the games listed above I would like to play them again in the future because I really enjoyed them.
The Danganronpa and Zero Escape series too, but my memory is too good and I still remember most of what happened so I'll need to wait several years to really enjoy them again.

 

[FAST6191]

I think it's fair to say you might have posted with a bit too much English (UK) this time FAST!

A PS4 highlight for me has to be launch title Resogun: now that's a game I'll have no problems coming back to (as indeed I have since launch day - I still fire that one up!)
Bloodborne as I mentioned before, yeah I can actually see that getting a replay sometime, if only to revisit that gameworld...

Over on XO Cuphead has to get a mention, purely for its art style, which I'm not sure will ever be bettered (or even attempted, except for a sequel)
Forza Horizon 3? It doesn't have that quick 'fire up for 15 minutes' thing going for it, and with Horizon 4 this year, it's probably better to wait for the next game... certainly I will fire up XBLA classics like Outrun and Daytona first..

Multiplat: I'm a sucker for the Rogue-lites... played through Rogue Legacy on both PS4 and XO at least once, and don't get me started on Spelunky (though that's last gen)

I think the Indies are the place to look this gen mostly: the cost of game development being ever higher meaning big budget games will continue to play it safe (Horizon Zero Dawn anyone? Great game but just teeters above tedium due to being so copycat and safe). Also while I can confidently say neither console offers anything like the fun the 360 had, looking back, the 360 was at its most glorious at the end of its lifecycle...perhaps the same will happen here in a couple of years?

I really did try. Went back and edited things before posting and everything. Oh well. That said I am not sure where the selling games part came from. Time for another rewording of the last bit.

On roguelike elements I too like them. That said to be a pedant I do have to point out Rogue Legacy got released on the PC prior even to the launch of the PS4, indeed checking my emails I got a copy on 31/08/13. FTL had hit in 2012 as well. I will give things like Convoy and Sunless Sea landed nicely in 2015 but if the two main reference points for the gameplay style hit and were big beforehand...

Is Forza really that good? I have sort of missed it (last one I did was Horizon) but most such games I play are easily enough forgotten when the next shiny shiny hits, barring need for speed shift or need for speed payback level tweaks or hose ups. For all I rag on Mario Kart's poor design decisions I can still see going back to most of those, however you are unlikely to see me playing said Need for Speed underground 2 for anything more than nostalgia I don't have. It's not even the graphics as I will still have a hard time coming back to a controller if I fired up mx vs atv on the original xbox.

On the 360 I was covering the scene releases for quite a while. Had a whale of a time for many years, with the last little while being truly amazing as you say. I can hope something changes here but I am not entirely sure why it is so lacklustre for me -- the 3ds had the obvious thing of all the devs doing good stuff on the GBA and DS wandered off to do ios/android but here...
Indie it is though for me this time around, trouble is they also get to be somewhat forgettable too. Guess that early 3d is now in fashion as a style means that could be over as well.

 

[royvedas]

I keep everything. I sold all my 360 game discs for next to nothing and I am now rebuying some for my Xbox One. All digital distribution, baby - it is what they call the future, but right now :-)

 

[guisadop]

I'll be keeping Persona 5 and all the Digimon games for sure. They're both series I started playing/knowing better this generation and I don't regret it one thing.

 

[Cosmic_Link]

For me, I would have to say Digimon World: New Order and possibly The Witcher 3.

Compared to previous generations there's not really anything for me which I would hold as a treasured playing experience. There are games which I have enjoyed, but I wouldn't be too beat up about it if I didn't play them again.

 

[Deleted User]

Ive been almost exclusively digital this generation, but if I could somehow sell a lot of these games off I probably would. I haven't genuinely enjoyed a single god damn game this generation that wasn't from Nintendo (on both Wii U and Switch) or a port of an old game like Master Chief Collection or Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5. In fact I'd have sold at least one of my systems off if they weren't made worthless by their revisions.

Modern games have made me absolutely sick to my stomach. Empty open world this, season pass that, gold editions here and there I'm sick of it. Even the couple games that I am enjoying are hurt by this, Dragonball FighterZ has a fucking $30 season pass and it only gets you like 5 characters. For half the price of the full game I expect a lot more than 5.

As for which system had I liked better and thought had the best exclusives, for me personally, I liked Xboxs offerings a lot more than PlayStations. I know Sony had way more of them but the ones over on Xbox were just so much better. Sunset Overdrive, Dead Rising, Halo, Forza, I would take all of these over Uncharted, Uncharted clone, and generic open world game #69,420. And I know "XBOX GAMES ARE ON PC TOO RETARD LOL" my PC couldn't dream of playing any of these games and Im not dropping a grand and a half on a machine to play them when I could buy the console for $200.

Also Xbox One has 360 backwards compatibility, and while not the largest selection, it has most of last gens big hitters and they even run better than they did before and thats really cool. They also just added OG Xbox compatibility too and Im super stoked on that. Meanwhile PlayStation has absolutely nothing in terms of BC. I can see potential problems with PS3, it's such a complex machine its forgivable. But they easily could've slapped a PS1 and PS2 emulator in there, theyve done it in software before on weaker hardware so theres no reason not to have it here. They don't even have any digital offerings. They have like 10 PS2 games, and NO PS1 games. Its a joke.

Overall Im only going to look back on this generation in disgust, and it seems like its only downhill from here. 80% of my gaming time the past 5 years has been spent on Nintendos systems(because they can make good games without any strings attached what a forgotten fucking concept) or just playing older games from the previous generations.

 

[DarthDub]

The only PS4 game that I own that is Playstation exclusive is Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. The other 2 I regret buying cause they're on PC, Final Fantasy XV: Day One Edition and Tales of Zestiria.

 

[KevinLSX]

Metal Gear Solid 5 Phantom Pain

 

[THYPLEX]

Games that i would still play even years later ?
Bloodborne (i love the atmosphear),
Metal slug anthology,
Xenoblade Chronicles,
Mario Bros 3 (GBA)
Yoshi's Island (GBA porting)
Rayman 3 (ps3 , Xbox 360 , any version that you prefer ),
Shovel knight.

 

[Deleted User]

Metal Gear Solid 5 Phantom Pain

bad opinion

 

[KevinLSX]

bad opinion

meh, I find it fun to just run around doing dump crap

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

The games industry's following the trend of all the other entertainment industries, from film to theater. Film being one of the most recent to "mature," you'll observe that large film studios rehash tried and true formulas, deviating only as much as necessary to generate consumer interest and sales. Mid-tier studios (mid-range budgets and/OR studios without regular releases, such as Bethesda Game Studios) are the drivers of innovation that the larger studios pick up on and follow. In the film industry, it's often not the large studios that receive Best Picture wins. Indie groups are the wacky underside that takes greater risks, some of which works its way up the ladder to eventually be adopted by mid, then top-tier studios (quick aside: these tiers are not determinations of quality, simply size and influence).

When an industry is new, these tiers aren't established, and the scene is much like a gold-rush: a wild west of possibilities, each company trying something new. Eventually the industry reaches towards maturation, wherein these tiers are solidified and formulas are established. If you're wondering why this generation doesn't have as much novelty as past generations, this theory is a potential (and only partial) explanation from me.

 

[Bonestorm]

bad opinion

Great opinion, it was a great game.

Sony and Nintendo have many games this gen that will stand the test of time.

 

[wurstpistole]

To be honest and if speaking of single player games - none except the digitally bought, obviously. I have been playing games regularly on all platforms for around 25 years now and there are only two games I finished more than once - FF7 and Super Mario World. Everything else gets sold quickly after I finish them. There's three games in my shelf now - Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and GTA 5 PS4 which I bought on release day but never really played because I had already finished it on 360.

 

[shadow1w2]

I tend to keep my games but I don't even have an Xbox One or PS4 as most of the games I can find on PC anyway.
Though I do miss having a physical collection.
If I did get a PS4 or Xbox One I'd just be aiming for the exclusives and some collection games, that's about it.
Then I'd likely keep them

This new feature I think I like, I do enjoy talking about deeper game mechanics and gaming culture thoughts.
I'll have to remember to keep chiming in to these.