Has NG+ Ruined Returning Adventures for You?

Avatar image for nightriff
nightriff

7248

Forum Posts

1467

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 7

Persona 5 is coming. Really. Next year. Can't fucking wait!

So I decided this year to play through all the games. I currently have played through the ones I never touched (except 1 because that game is just unplayable to me). Anyways I have now approached a conflict on how I should approach 3 and 4 which I have already played, and have already played quite recently too. The convenience of playing those games with maxed stats and having a full compendium are extremely tempting as I try to decide what I should do, should I play a fresh save or just bowl through the game with maxed level personas.

But I have always ran into this issue, once i beat a game and it has a NG+ mode, I just can't find it in myself to start a unique save. I beat RE4 dozens of times with only one original save, all the other times where NG+. RE5 and ME Trilogy are the exact same way. As much as I would want to start a fresh save I can't find it in myself to NOT take the convenience of weapons, levels, and stats already done and I don't have to worry about it.

Part of it has to do with, I don't have time like I used to, to invest in these long games were you start out with nothing, especially when I have a leg up right there. I have a family, school, and job now that takes up a lot of time and I really want to play FES and P4, but the advantage of not really having to worry about fusing or money (while also being able to play the portable versions in a more variety of scenarios, i.e. home, work, travel, etc), makes it really hard to decide on how I should play those games.

How do you approach NG+ as you go back to play previous games?

Avatar image for belegorm
Belegorm

1862

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Depends on the game, but while Dark Souls has a new game plus mode, I tend to be able to easily start a new character because I want to play with a completely different kind of build.

Avatar image for dichemstys
dichemstys

3957

Forum Posts

16891

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

#3  Edited By dichemstys

Most of the games I end up replaying don't have new game plus but there's no shame in indulging multiple times in the NG+ stuff. You already beat the game legitimately at least once, I feel like after that you've earned it.

Avatar image for entreri10
Entreri10

581

Forum Posts

15

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 10

I run into this as well, but It doesn't bother me because I still love having the NG+ option and I wish more games had it.

Avatar image for pabba
Pabba

471

Forum Posts

12099

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 9

I beat Transistor a few weeks back, saw the message that I could now play it all over again in NG+, and haven't gone back since. However, I immediately played through Bastion a second time after playing it. I think some games are just different, some don't have enough hooks to get me excited for a second trip through...

Avatar image for wrighteous86
wrighteous86

4036

Forum Posts

3673

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 1

#7  Edited By wrighteous86

I almost always want the "full experience" and never wind up using my NG+, but I admit that it's really stupid.

Same reason I usually don't wear "alternate costumes" and stuff, because their "canon" outfit is their default one.

..I'm a bit crazy.

Avatar image for fredchuckdave
Fredchuckdave

10824

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

#8  Edited By Fredchuckdave

Case Specific, impossible to generalize.

I don't have any problem playing any of the Souls games on NG or NG+ depending on what I want to do. For something like Dragon's Dogma the beginning of the game is super super boring so there's basically no chance in hell of me making a new file.

For Valkyrie Profile 2 every NG+ is a different difficulty level up to NG+50, generally I have the most fun with NG+ files but NG is fine too for messing around with crappier abilities/einherjar and NG++/NG+++ are both interesting for their own reasons; beyond that its pretty grindy.

I beat the Last of Us on Normal and Survivor without going back to do the NG+ versions of either, and while I might eventually it doesn't really seem like a good game to overplay aside from near-launch multiplayer.

For Vagrant Story NG+ is good once or twice but just playing the game normally generally has the most appealing results, unless you're trying to get all the break arts or titles or what have you.

Avatar image for bisonhero
BisonHero

12787

Forum Posts

625

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 2

@pabba said:

I beat Transistor a few weeks back, saw the message that I could now play it all over again in NG+, and haven't gone back since. However, I immediately played through Bastion a second time after playing it. I think some games are just different, some don't have enough hooks to get me excited for a second trip through...

I had to really force myself to play Transistor through to completion that second time. Especially since you get all of the other achievements related to max level, and getting all the challenge rooms done, about halfway through a NG+. So I basically had everything but the "beat the game on NG+" achievement shortly before, like, the Spine, so man, did my patience wear thin. Yes, yes, Asher, blah blah blah, OK, now Royce, OK, let's get on with it.

I slightly appreciated having a full set of functions to play with on NG+, since Transistor's combat is really dull until you have at least 6-7 functions and more memory, but man. At least Bastion had the two endings, so you could look forward to seeing whichever one you didn't choose. Transistor just has that same ending where I don't really give a shit, because I know fuck all about Red or mystery boyfriend, and honestly felt like I knew twice as much about who the Camerata were as people.

The Swapper also has two endings sort of like Bastion does, but since it is basically a Portal-style narrative puzzle game, I really wasn't in the mood to play through it a second time when I more or less know all the puzzle solutions (though I kinda blundered my way through a couple of them), and I already knew all the story twists. So I just looked up the other one on Youtube. Man, that game. Those endings are both pretty dark. That game is really good.

Avatar image for zeik
Zeik

5434

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#10  Edited By Zeik

If anything I have a problem actually playing a NG+, as I rarely enjoy the idea playing the same content over when I'm completely overpowered and everything is a joke. I've played P3 like a half dozen times, but I've never completed a NG+, because it's just not any fun. Games that increase the difficulty to match your high level characters are much more interesting, but even then I find I usually just want to start over. I've made tons of characters in every Souls, but I've never finished a NG+ playthrough, because by the time I complete my first playthrough I want to try different builds and different weapons. I've come to realize that actually building up my character from scratch is one of my favorite things about RPGs. Once the game stops providing ways to make your character stronger a lot of the fun is gone. I have a very bad habit in games with custom characters where I constantly want to make new characters but then only play for a few hours.

A few exceptions are Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross, because I wanted to see the different endings, and games like Diablo 3 or Phantasy Star Online, where you pretty much have to play through several difficulties to reach the "real" content.

Avatar image for veektarius
veektarius

6420

Forum Posts

45

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 1

I almost never play a game that has NG+, and I use the option less often still.

Avatar image for goldone
Goldone

180

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Very much depends on the game for me. I recently beat Guacamelee twice and on my second playthrough I found myself wishing they had included a NG+ just to see how quick you can get through the game with it all unlocked from the get go. But in the game they do have sort of a nice compromise in that all of the outfits you unlock in your first go are there from the start and they all have different abilities tied to them which sort of helped.

When I beat Human Revolution I would have gone through that game a second time too if it had NG+. Basically games where you level up and gain new abilities I'd like to have the feature, I don't know if I'd make it all the way to the end a second time but to see how much easier it is is fun for me for whatever reason. Having said that I think a game like infamous or the Arkham games it would be weird to include NG+ because of how the powers and upgrades are usually story dependent. Even though it'd make sense for Batman, I mean why leave the batcave without all of your gadgets?

Avatar image for ll_exile_ll
ll_Exile_ll

3382

Forum Posts

25

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

I almost always want the "full experience" and never wind up using my NG+, but I admit that it's really stupid.

Same reason I usually don't wear "alternate costumes" and stuff, because their "canon" outfit is their default one.

..I'm a bit crazy.

I'm the same way. I also never use pre-order or DLC items which seem too powerful in order to preserve the intended experience.

Avatar image for nux
Nux

2898

Forum Posts

130

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 2

Not at all. I find that NG+ adds more replay value for games and make me want to replay a game that I would of otherwise not play a second time.

Avatar image for slag
Slag

8308

Forum Posts

15965

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 45

Ruin? Heck No

If it weren't for NG+ stat retention I'd never ever replay some games.

Avatar image for a_faceless_name
A_Faceless_Name

172

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I love NG+. Some games I may not use it, but others, man. Singularity needed NG+ in the worst way. You get some awesome powers near the end you barely get to use. I want to go power tripping. I want to use those powers and feel like a badass.

Once a person beats the game, I see no reason to not let them break it. It is an option, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Enable cheats/toggles, give me all my previous power ups, let me go wild. I already beat the game, watched the story and the credits. I saw it as you wanted it presented. Now let me play it like it is a GAME. Let me screw with gravity, change skins, and be a digital god. And ya know what, if you do that, I am more likely to stick with your game (Hi Diablo 3 addiction). And more so, man, sometimes I want to relive your awesome story, but don't want to invest the time with your enemy encounters, so let me be a slaughterhouse.

Avatar image for wemibelle
Wemibelle

2742

Forum Posts

2671

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 76

User Lists: 11

NG+ is hard for me just because I often don't want to start playing a game immediately again right when I finish it. I'm the type of person who likes to play a wide variety of games, moving to the next upon completion. Furthermore, I feel that if I don't play a NG+ right away, I tend to forget enough about how a game plays that I want to start it over again.

Avatar image for sethphotopoulos
SethPhotopoulos

5777

Forum Posts

3465

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 8

I almost always want the "full experience" and never wind up using my NG+, but I admit that it's really stupid.

Same reason I usually don't wear "alternate costumes" and stuff, because their "canon" outfit is their default one.

..I'm a bit crazy.

I don't like wearing alt outfits either. It always seems wrong to me.

Avatar image for hermes
hermes

3000

Forum Posts

81

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 7

I am on the opposite side... I almost never consider replaying a game if it doesn't have NG+.

At least with NG+, I can cruise through the game to see different choices or endings, without having to grind...

Avatar image for mannymar
MannyMAR

662

Forum Posts

3

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

I'm actually the opposite, I usually would rather start a fresh save then use NG+. I think the only games I that I did play NG+ are the Souls' games and Chrono Trigger.

Avatar image for peritus
peritus

1155

Forum Posts

175

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

I like NG+. I like trying to make the perfect save. In persona 3 and 4 its near impossible to do everything in one go. ( not sure if its actually impossible but it sure seems that way. ) So go with NG+ ! You should have more time for S.Linking that way too, wich is my favorite part of those games.

Avatar image for rorie
rorie

7887

Forum Posts

1502

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 3

It's not really a factor for me. I'm not sure I've ever completed an NG+ in any game.

Avatar image for mikejflick
MikeJFlick

452

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

#23  Edited By MikeJFlick

Long games that don't have NG+ bum me out, because sometimes after playing 20-40+ hours of a game, I want to play it again to do what I missed without having such the grind that caused me to miss out on stuff the first time around.