It is becoming increasingly difficult for gamers, particularly us adult gamers, to keep up with the relentless pace of modern game releases. With numerous games being released every day and AAA titles dropping seemingly every other week, ridiculous game backlogs have become the norm for many.
As backlogs swell, it is inevitable that many gamers will never get around to playing some classic games that others would describe as “must-play” and “essential”. There just isn’t enough hours in the day to consume all of the incredible video games that gamers have access to in 2020.
As adult gamers, many of the Grown Gaming team have been gaming through multiple console generations. While we’ve been blessed with experiencing the growth and evolution of gaming, and have played many of the key classic games that helped to shape the video game industry as we know it today, there are several legendary games that we have missed.
These are the classic games that Grown Gaming’s team have never played:
Moshe Sweet: I’ve Never Played a Final Fantasy Game
Believe it or not, I have never played a Final Fantasy game. Well, that’s not entirely true – I played about 20 minutes of Final Fantasy 7 but that’s about it.
It’s shameful, I know, especially as an avid gamer but JRPG’s always intimidated me, especially as a kid. I couldn’t wrap my head around the turn-based mechanics, or the exhausting amount of menus and item management. I just completely avoided the genre pretty much my entire life, so as time went on and more and more Final Fantasy titles have released, it just became too daunting to jump in.
It’s a shame because the series looks pretty sweet now that I’m an adult gamer, but who has the time to go back and play through these massive games?
The Final Fantasy 7 remake is nearly here so now would probably the best time to jump in but who am I kidding, with a backlog a mile long and no real nostalgia tied to the franchise, I’ll probably end up skipping this one too.
Francesca Poggi: I’ve Never Played the Oregon Trail
If I had to pick one game, I would probably say The Oregon Trail. I don’t remember this being a thing in Italy when I was growing up, and I had different taste in games as a child. However, I do enjoy simulation games a lot more now. There is also the historical element that intrigues me, so I’m quite confident I would have so much fun with it.
Luca D’Angelo: I’ve Never Played Final Fantasy (Before Final Fantasy 7)
I still haven’t played the original Final Fantasy games. I loved Final Fantasy VII and XV, I have played XIII, and I have started both XII and VIII. I haven’t played the earlier games in the franchise. I’ll have to find some time to do so – can’t miss out on those!
John Santina: I’ve Never Played Half-Life 2
I’ve managed to make some good progress with modern “classics” recently, having completed the Last of Us and Journey in the past few months. There is one classic game that I’ve always been interested in playing: Half-Life 2.
In truth, I also need to play Half-Life 1; I played it on the PlayStation 2 but remember very little about it and likely didn’t get very far. At the time, I needed video games to hold my hand and guide me through the story and as a result, I missed much of the more advanced storytelling that Half-Life helped to standardise.
Half-Life and Half-Life 2 have benefitted from an active modding community over the years, so now would be a good time to jump in and play a tweaked version of one of gaming’s classic titles. I’m also tempted to play them in VR…
Tom Svalinn: I’ve Never Played World of Warcraft
If we define classic to mean pivotal games that had an impact on the gaming landscape rather than just ‘old’, then my gaming history has somehow avoided quite a few. Some of this because it was locked behind console exclusivity (for example, as an Xbox player back in the 2000s, I could only gaze wistfully at the Final Fantasy series that was deep in PlayStation territory). But the main one I’m ashamed to say has eluded me is World of Warcraft.
I’m not sure I’d want to dive into World of Warcraft right now, as I suspect what I am really missing out upon is the charged atmosphere that seemed to infect my friends. To be there at the creation of such a juggernaut in MMORPG genre or to be an active player when the iconic Leeroy Jenkins video came out must have been pretty awesome. But perhaps someone can enlighten me, is it still worth joining in now?
Lizzie Fourman: I’ve Never Played Final Fantasy 7
I wish I had gotten into Final Fantasy VII. I never got the chance to play it because my brother hogged the PlayStation when the game first came out, as he did with every console that wasn’t a handheld.
I’m now probably going to play the remastered version that’s coming out in March since the original version is so hard to find (and so expensive) at this point.
What classic games have YOU never played?
