Favourite use of New Game +

New Game + is one of my favourite features in many games today, although they can be implemented in a lot of different ways. Some games allow you to replay the game with a lot of the perks and upgrades you obtained over the course of the game allowing you to run through the game for an easier experience. Some make the game more difficult to provide an added challenge. And some have a lot more customization in the way you can replay the game such as the Tales series.

What type do you prefer and what games do you personally think have a great implementation of New Game +?

One of my favourites is the Tales series method by allowing you to choose seperate features to take into the new game such as exp multipliers, gold or difficulty modifiers.

Personally, I find it extremely hard to replay a game after I have already beaten it (unless the game calls for repetition like Diablo III). For me, New Game+ would have to add something that was not previously attainable. Diablo III gives me a higher difficulty and access to loot that I could not previously get my hands on.

I liked how 999 and Bastion handled NG+

For me Resident Evil 5 is the best in the NG+ category. Every upgrade you had was kept for the ng+ making the game experience totally different.

It was a shit-ton of fun going back with a maxed out magnum laying waste to bosses in a few well placed shots

I generally don't do that any more, but the Ratchet and Clank games were really good at this. You never had enough bolts to get all the weapons the first time round, so on the next run you were able to get the last weapons. After you beat the game you get to further upgrade your weapons too, so that was pretty awesome.

The Tales games generally have outstanding NG+ modes, with a massive array of options to tweak for your next playthrough. RPG's in general often have the most enticing NG+ modes because they sometimes purposely set the level cap higher than is often possible to hit during a single playthrough, like Borderlands.

EDIT: OK, I admittedly didn't read your post so I missed where you also brought up Tales, so, in that case, I agree :P

Also I usually don't like NG+ in games like RE5 and Dead Space 2 because it often makes them too easy even on the higher difficulties. Plus it's not how I like to play those sorts of games; playing on Veteran from the outset was my favourite way to play RE5. Every time I'd play through again it would be to try out new weapons rather than bring in my upgraded arsenal.

Recettear had a pretty good new game plus, if I remember correctly. Maybe it's more that that game was awesome in general, though.

Resistance Fall of Man opens up a whole new tier of weapons after beating it once. I haven't bothered to beat it a second time, but I wish such a thing could be implemented in a much better game.

Ratchet and Clank Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal both let you keep all of your guns, upgrades, bolts, etc. on a new game plus. It's pretty much the only way to get all of your guns to their max level and pretty much the only way to get the RYNO, the greatest weapon in the whole series apart from the Groovitron. I really like this sort of idea and wish that it would be implemented in a whole lot more games.

Persona 3 and 4 have a great New Game +, letting you keep your persona compendium (theoretically you could have some of the strongest personas in the game at level 1), character stats (now you never won't have enough courage to say something) and max S. Link items, so even if you go for different social links this time around, you can still fuse their max persona.

And while it isn't really a New Game +, the Hector's Story unlocked after beating Fire Emblem is a really great reason to play through the game again, given the extra missions and perspectives it adds.

I was a big fan of Bastion's. Also, (Bastion spuh-hoiilers):

Oh, and the DMC series always does NG+ well. Each difficulty upward is nicely balanced with NG+ in mind, so having all of your weapons/upgrades almost if not finished only means that you're now on par with the increased challenge.

On the flip side, the God of War series has a terrible NG+ mode, only allowing you to bring in your beefed up Kratos into the same or lesser difficulties; you can't even bring over your unlockable costumes. Shadows of The Damned I wish would have had RE5's NG+ mode, too.

I haven't really seen a NG+ that I thought was really fantastic or different. They've all been kind of average, except for Persona 4, which is a let down.

@Red said:

Persona 3 and 4 have a great New Game +, letting you keep your persona compendium (theoretically you could have some of the strongest personas in the game at level 1), character stats (now you never won't have enough courage to say something) and max S. Link items, so even if you go for different social links this time around, you can still fuse their max persona.

And while it isn't really a New Game +, the Hector's Story unlocked after beating Fire Emblem is a really great reason to play through the game again, given the extra missions and perspectives it adds.

I disliked P4's NG+ since you start at level 1 and you can't keep Izanagi-no-Okami so you need to get to level 93 to get it again.

DMC series NG+ and RE5's NG+ are probably my two favorites.

Borderlands and Arkham Asylum/City have done it well to me. Who doesn't want to get orange colored high level weapons?

And in ACs case I can play as Batman Beyond, hell yes.

Tales of Graces f was the most recent game to use it well that I went through, while also including endgame+ content. It pales in endgame material to what Star Ocean 4 had on offer.
 
Pick up SO4 and get all the achievements, it's a fun little trip if you like JRPGs.

Nier is the best use of NG+ because it adds to the story so much and makes you feel ten times worse for playing it.

Arkham City. You get all of your gadgets from the start, but the game ratchets up the difficulty a lot. Makes it much more challenging.

The NG+ reveal in Fez BLEW MY GODDAMN MIND.

I jumped up and said I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT, FEZ.

I CAN'T FUCKING DEAL WITH IT.

I'm surprised the Metal Gear games haven't been mentioned yet, as they usually have some fun bonuses for a new game. I think my favorites are probably Borderlands, Diablo 2, and the Disgaea series.

Dark Souls, there's just something awesome about being on NG++++++++.

Dark Souls and Nier

Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon & Ninja Gaiden

@ExportA said:

Dark Souls, there's just something awesome about being on NG++++++++.

This

Definitely RE4, doing single weapon runs was awesome and it was fun to stockpile an entire case worth of eggs.

I know it's become cliche to talk about this game, but Shadow of the Colossus had an interesting take on NG+. If I remember correctly once you beat the game you unlock time trial battles for the Colossi. You could unlock different items for beating these time trials, which really blew my mind. To have a player do an entire run of a game, neverusing different items, than suddenly open that up on the second run.. wild.

@JTB123 said:

Definitely RE4, doing single weapon runs was awesome and it was fun to stockpile an entire case worth of eggs.

Probably this, if anything... Although it would have been nice to have a choice to change the difficulty between playthroughs.

@Sparky_Buzzsaw said:

I'm surprised the Metal Gear games haven't been mentioned yet, as they usually have some fun bonuses for a new game. I think my favorites are probably Borderlands, Diablo 2, and the Disgaea series.

Finally beating MGS3 on European Extreme difficulty then replaying with the Patriot and invisibility camo was a great reward.

@zombiebigfoot said:

Arkham City. You get all of your gadgets from the start, but the game ratchets up the difficulty a lot. Makes it much more challenging.

You thought it was a lot harder? The only difference I saw was the lack of a counter indicator, which frankly you shouldn't need by that point.

As for me, I really liked NG+ in Demons Souls. I made a badass sword that I think you could only forge in NG+. Can't remember the name of it for the life of me, but trust me it was cool.

@Animasta said:

Nier is the best use of NG+ because it adds to the story so much and makes you feel ten times worse for playing it.

i dont really like new game +. i generally just like to play the game again with a fresh start instead of going in with crazy bonus crap

I like the NG + in Disgaea.

Final Fantasy is one of the only games I've ever replayed. I can't stand it usually. I've heard that Nier does it pretty well though. I'll have to get that at some point.

DEAD RISING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

/THREAD CLOSE

Persona, Bastion. 
 
I've never played 999, but from what I've from what I've read, that wins this thread.

TWEWY.

They were pretty cool in general with letting you tweak stuff most games lock down tight, like drop rates, difficulty, level select, etc.

I'll say Bastion because I think its the only time I ever played through a NG+.

Edit: Oh, and Borderlands. And I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

Ehh it all comes down to either how much you can stand relaying a game or if the game was made to be replayed over and over