There’s nothing quite like booting up a brand-new game and wondering what kind of experience you’re going to have — will you love it, or will you hate it? The same can be said when you finish the game, and as the credits roll, you realise that you’ve just discovered one of your new favourites.

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But there’s also a lingering sadness behind it all because you’ll never have that same experience again. Even if you start up a new game and wipe the slate clean, you know what to expect now. Sure, you can try to find hidden details or attempt a secret, post-game boss, but that initial feeling of exploring, with everything being shiny and new, is gone forever. If it were possible to erase my memory of them, these are the games I’d play again for the first time.

5/5 Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Building my town in Animal Crossing: New Leaf was an experience. It looked nowhere near as good as my island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (I hadn’t even figured out how to use custom paths), but the time I spent playing it is honestly something I’ll never forget. The only Animal Crossing game I’d played before was Pocket Camp, and from that, I knew my favourite villager was Fauna. And who was to greet me at the train station when I first arrived in New Leaf? None other than the adorable deer herself. We were already off to a good start.

Then, as my town started to fill up with villagers, a new name appeared on one of the plots: Agent S. Little did I know that I was about to meet a villager who just might top Fauna as my favourite villager. Playing the game little by little every day, and not knowing who might move in next, made the whole experience that much more special.

4/5 Kingdom Hearts

By Kingdom Hearts, I mean the entire series. Yes, even the ones that come between each numbered game. When I took on the mighty task of playing through the series from the start, I had very little knowledge of the story, other than the brief parts of the first game that I’d played as a kid. And boy, was I in for a ride.

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How do I sum up the story of Kingdom Hearts? It’s heartfelt (pun intended), dramatic like any anime-adjacent game should be, and purely fun. Trying to understand the difference between a Heartless and a Nobody, in between some surprisingly difficult boss fights, is what it’s all about. Experiencing the games again without knowing any of the big reveals? If only it were possible.

3/5 Spiritfarer

Spiritfarer is a cosy indie game where you help those who are dying to come to peace with what their lives have been and move on to the next place, wherever that may be. As Stella the ferrymaster, you upgrade and customize your boat to suit the needs of the people you meet, making sure they’re comfortable before they go.

While it may seem like an ordinary management sim on the surface, the characters are truly the heart of the game. Each character who becomes a resident on your boat has a story to tell, and saying goodbye to them when it’s their time to leave is truly difficult. Getting to know each of the characters individually was a one-of-a-kind experience that I don’t think can be replicated on a second playthrough — learning more about them bit by bit as they warm up to you was just as satisfying (if not even more so) than getting the next upgrade for your boat.

2/5 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a massive game with literally hundreds of side quests, and I did my best to complete every one I could. The world and the characters drew me in, and exploring the vast lands of the Bionis and Mechonis (mostly to find those shiny blue collectibles) was an experience I sunk many, many hours into, and would gladly do again.

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Somehow, I’d managed to avoid almost any spoilers for the story too (quite a feat, considering it’s a decade-old game), so seeing the narrative unfold without knowing literally anything that was going to happen was a treat. But then again, Dunban saying “But what does this have to do with Shulk?” seems to be funnier every time I hear it, so maybe there’s something to be said about playing it again anyway…

1/5 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

What is there to say about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that hasn’t already been said? This game takes you on a journey where often it’s just you, the armour on your back, the huge collection of homemade meals you can somehow keep fresh in your pocket, and Hyrule Castle looming in the background.

Adventuring through the Calamity-ravaged Hyrule and excitedly uncovering every secret on your first playthrough is something that just simply can’t be replicated. By the time I’d finished up the game and (finally) headed over to Hyrule Castle to beat Ganon, I’d already covered every inch of the map I could. A few months later, I decided to take a crack at Master Mode, and I found I didn’t really need the map to find my way around. What was once a huge, sprawling, endless map was all familiar - it was just like finding your way home. It wasn’t quite the same, and the mystery of what might be hiding at the top of that hill (let’s be real, it’s a Korok) had gone. If I could wipe my memory of Breath of the Wild and play it again completely fresh, though, I absolutely would.

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