What's your favorite game you can't play anymore?

Maybe it's a game with its servers taken down, or a game that got updated and changed too much for you, or even an arcade machine you can't find anywhere. Something you couldn't play if you wanted to.

Mine's probably Microsoft Flight. It was the perfect balance between arcade and sim for me, but it was free-to-play and tied up in GFWL stuff, so they just shut it down.

Oh, wait, I just remembered Velvet Sundown. I had a really good time playing that and actually won a game by playing it properly once (or would have if my teammate wasn't AFK).

Dust 514, MAG and Defiance come first to mind. Really enjoyed all three, covering slightly different niches of MMO shooters.

There are also two that got shutdown before I felt I could get my money's worth out of them. Landmark and Darkspore. The PC I had when I purchased Landmark couldn't run it properly, I upgraded about a year later but by then the game had been shut down. I tried marathoning through Darkspore in the last week before its closure, but didn't get all that far. It getting shut down was particularly annoying since so little of it was actually online, it essentially only made online checks for the inventory, seems like they could've patched it to be playable offline, but they didn't.

@fisk0: Ahhh MAG. The game that was oh so cool, yet far too ahead of its time for the hardware. And still managed positive reviews despite that. It really was remarkable at the time. I don't play any MP shooters these days and I'm sure things are even better and crazier now. But hot damn if it wasn't a great water cooler game.

Some really compelling early experiments in massively-multiplayer/persistent world-type games that were exclusive to the now long-defunct (since 2001) Gamestorm service.

I would so pay a monthly sub to be able to play Aliens Online again.

Honestly, I've been getting the urge to play Shadows of the Damned again, but there was never a pc release. Plus, even if I had an xbox console for backwards compatibility, it got delisted from the MS store. Maybe I can figure out how to play it through an emulator at some point?

Does Dark Souls count?

I love that game, and I did manage to finish it once not too long after it came out. But as I've grown older I am probably worse at games now and I don't have the patience to try a boss over and over again, or grind my way out of a bad build.

I am really hoping future From games have some difficulty options to make those games more accessible for casual players who just want to enjoy the atmosphere and story.

Section 8 Prejudice, man.

For being a budget multiplayer title, Section 8 Prejudice (and the original Section 8 but that game is slightly worse) feels like it was chock full of intelligent decisions that I'm surprised more big-map multiplayer shooters like Battlefield and the big Halo gametypes haven't picked up.

For starters, literally just respawning into the map is fun, because you HALO dive into the map. Bases on the map have AA turrets which will prevent enemies from dropping directly into your base, and you can also spend currency earned over the course of the match to build your own AA turrets, which can shape the course of the match as people change where they spawn to avoid, you know, being shot out of the sky. Ground forces can take out AA turrets, which is usually a pivotal step in taking an enemy base, or you can spec your loadout with perks that let you tank AA fire, letting you land deep in enemy territory (admittedly, deeply damaged, meaning anyone who watches you land can immediately pick you off if you don't find cover).

Next! Classic problem of big map MP games: I'm over here, and the most interesting thing is alllllllll the way over there. Are you by a vehicle? Great, guess you can slog it over there. If not, enjoy a 10 minute boring-ass walk. Section 8 solves this simply and beautifully: everyone can run really fast. Like, really really fast. It requires a bit of wind-up, so you aren't trying to hit people moving at The Flash speeds in firefights, but you can easily cross the map in a minute or two, meaning you can be anywhere the action is pretty fast.

The other thing I really love about S8P is that, on top of the normal Domination, base-capture, ticket-draining sort of default gameplay, the game sporadically introduces mini-objectives into the match, essentially minigames that will give bonuses for the winning team in the main game. These are selected randomly from a list, and run the gamut from "one team must try to kill every member of the other team in a set time period", "plant an airstrike beacon and defend it in an enemy base until the airstrike obliterates every structure in the base", to "protect this mobile forward operating base from the enemy team". These add a fun bit of variety to the missions, keeping things feeling constantly fresh, but they're also optional, so you can slink away while most of the game focuses on them, perhaps taking a base when no one's looking.

It's basically unplayable now, the servers are barren and I think it's still GFWL, so it's essentially dead, but I miss it so much.

@asylumrunner: oh yes, the Section 8 games were great budget shooters, really scratching that Tribes itch at a time there was nothing else like it out there.

Chromehounds, which will never come back.

There's this game on Steam (and I think it's on Switch now too) called Rockets Rockets Rockets that my friend and I would play for hours every weekend when it was in early access. Early on it was so simple and perfectly balanced to where we both felt that we really earned the wins against each other. As it got closer and closer to 1.0, the movement changed to where it became a litle floatier and that just felt slower? It's hard to for me to explain, but it just really derailed my love for the game. But I had a great 4ish months with it.

I think it's criminal that you cannot legally obtain any of the old Lionhead PC games. I wanna say the licenses are split between Microsoft and EA and just isn't on either of their platforms. Worse still, even if you manage to find a physical copy, the DRM of that era means you can't install the thing without cracking the game.

Regardless, if you want to play Black and White 2 or The Movies you're gonna have to pirate them.

Gwent during that time in the Open Beta when I was playing it. It essentially became a completely different game on hitting 1.0 and just never had the same magic for me.

The matrix online. I never got the opportunity to play it and I’ve been sad about it ever since

I'd say Need For Speed World, it's severs were shut down since mid-2015.

I still have yet to fill the void that Marvel Heroes 2014/2015 left behind, and am increasingly sad when each new Marvel game comes out and just isn't as good at offering what that game offered.

@asylumrunner: I remember Section 8! Somehow both extremely generic, but also really cool. I don't care how many times it's done in military sci-fi, I'm a sucker for dropping from orbit onto the battlefield in an armored suit! Unfortunately I never got into it that much, but I enjoyed what I played.

I like you. I still talk about Darkspore all the time. I can't believe they would just get rid of it.

Anyway, big one that comes to mind: Radical Heights. The best battle royale concept, but sadly overwhelmed by everything surrounding it.

Maplestory 2. They only took down Westerns servers, which hurts even more. And considering it reminded me of my first MMO addiction that also shut down, Tales of Pirates 2, it really was a gut punch.

As to games that still exist but changed: Rocket League. They introduced that greedy CSGO bullshit economy and I literally dropped it the next day. Fuck that game forever.

Battlefield Bad Company Two, back when the online community was at its peak. I miss environment destruction in my FPS shooters.

The multiplayer in the original Red Faction was awesome too. Why can't we get a game like that where you can swiss cheese the level and create great hiding spots and escape roots?

Paragon, but the original map not the newer one thats being used in the fan remakes. I really miss that game.

Burning Crusade, but the 2007 good version, not the soulless 2021 one

Mechwarrior 3, it just doesn't work on modern PC's, MW5 is ok but eventually gets tedious with its basic repetitive mission design, i want a more tailored campaign and i crave to play 3 again.
Also C&C Tiberian Sun, you can technically still play it, you can even download it for free on CnCNet, but it requires a lot of tweaking and fixes to make it playable and i can't get the mouse to work in a satisfactory way, please EA make another remaster with Red Alert 2 and Tiberian Sun.

Prior to the discovery of the Homecoming servers this summer, I would have said City of Heroes was #1 with a bullet.

Otherwise, the only other game that comes to mind is Marvel Heroes.

I still miss Super Monday Night Combat. So much fun with that game back in its day.

Practically every PS1 and PS2 RPG that hasn't been ported. Thinking Xenosaga, Suikoden (to modern consoles on a digitally sustainable store), WILD Arms (and Alter F, now that I think about it), all those.

Vigilante Eight too.

Wildstar. Especially now that I could really use a WoW that isn't made by Blizzard.

Also sad that I never got to play P.T.

It would be P.T if I had a chance to play it. Sadly, I'm one of the many who missed the boat.

I'll say DC Universe Online, since I actually like that MMO game. But its way too expensive to really get into, with the episode packs and stuff. So after I max out my character at level 30, which is the limit before you have to open your wallet, I moved on.

For me it's the period of WoW pre- mists of pandaria. There were a couple really awesome expansions in a row then I completely lost interest after that.

That pinball game for Windows XP.

@facelessvixen: Such a nostalgic game!

I forgot to mention Michelin Rally Masters: Race of Champions for PC, this is one of the very first PC games that I've ever played during my childhood and it's made by the same studio behind Xbox's Rallisport Challenge series.

For me it would have to be Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear and the expansions for the PC. Back before all shooters turned into CoD clones. The original Rainbow SIx and Ghost Recon are on GOG but unfortunately Rogue Spear is not, and Rainbow Six 3 is still playable on Steam. But it's not the same.

Either that or Tenchu: Stealth Assassins for the PS1. Sad that one never came to PSN.

Super Monday Night Combat

And i really miss Age of Empires Online

You can do the old trick, look at a speed run and notice if you get the halberd early, the rest of the game is easy mode. All fights go down in one hit. Bosses like 4. Add the flip cartwheel ring. And you can dodge out of everything. I find dark souls playable as you age if you still keep patient. Also drake sword for the win.

@drbroel: Cant you play super monday night with bots.

Mine would be games that are old and no one likes anymore jet set radio future, hard to keep playing when there's no sequel or game like it, same with power stone 2, otogi 2, crazy taxi, shemnue but good not shemnue 3, the feeling i cant get back of playing those games at their prime. New games just dont excite like they use to even if their good. Last few were witcher 3 after you got into it, or a good rpg. well see.

@av_gamer: Your not missing much the online hype was hyperbone cause it was kojima and all, but If you still wanna play it I would say go online and find the fan made demos. They are pretty identical and would showcase what your missing. Going in circles and getting 3 jump scares. Still nice demo thou.

Marvel Heroes. Was some good mindless fun.