Why do we consume media a second time, a third, and so on? For novels, it's often about reliving the story therein, to get as close as possible to the page-turning captivation that kept hands glued to the spine the first time through. This is essentially true of movies, though another common goal when re-watching a film is to pay closer attention, to learn more about its cinematography, pacing, or characters. So, rediscovering entertainment and bettering our understanding of a work; there are more motives, certainly, but those are the big two. When talking about video games, however, a unique drive comes into the picture: the opportunity to do better. To replay a game is to take the knowledge of a victor and apply it to a familiar challenge. Although the second playthrough may be on a higher difficulty or, for games like Fallout or Dragon Age, from a radically different disposition, it's ultimately the same experience. On the opposite end of the spectrum, something is missing when replaying some games. The still wholly excellent sensation lacks that initial hook, that mystery and its accompanying "Aha!" moments. What's around that corner, what item is in that chest, how hard the next boss is: we can't be surprised anymore. For every moment of satisfaction and validation, there's one of longing, spearheaded by a thought every gamer has mulled over countless times: "I wish I could play this for the first time again."
A freelance games writer, you say? Typically battling his current RPG addiction and ceaseless perfectionism? A fan of horror but too big a sissy to play for more than a couple of hours? Spends far too much time on JRPGs and gets way too angry with card games?
Well that doesn't sound anything like me.
