Worlds Without End: Most Replayable Games of All Time

Happily for computer gaming enthusiasts, there's no shortage of index-finger or thumb-numbing gaming hits specifically designed to keep the fun going for hours on end. Now, you'll also find hardware available to match, in the form of the ROG Spatha, ROG Gladius, and ROG Sica, professional gaming mice designed to go the distance, and last for years and years on end. (Among our favorite new features: swappable switches and a 20 million–click lifespan that'll see you through countless engagements, whether fragging your friends online, carving out virtual empires, or building an entire simulated civilization the likes of which the world has never seen.) Wondering which gaming hits offer the most value for your money, and which you're likely to log the most miles on while clocking in endless hours on these new hardware offerings? Check out our list of the 10 most replayable games of all time. You could literally spend years immersed in these babies, and still find new things to love, no matter how many times you keep coming back for more.

Diablo II (Blizzard Entertainment/Sierra Entertainment)

Like fantasy role-playing games and atmospheric dungeon crawls? This all-time classic takes the best elements of both, and melds them with furious hack-and-slash-style action so brutal that it's guaranteed to put any mortal mouse to the test. Credit its click-happy blend of melee combat, spell-casting, and loot collection, as you follow a main quest (or dozens of optional side adventures) that sends you scurrying through a dungeon occupied by thousands of monstrous foes. Making the RPG more accessible — you essentially point and click your way through everything from moving to carving up opponents and solving epic quests — it also makes it far more entertaining. Still as playable today as the day it first shipped back in 2000, this one's a must-try if you're to call yourself a true PC role-playing fan.

 

Civilization V (Firaxis/2K Games)

It's a simple formula: choose a civilization, decide whether you'll follow a path of trade or war to drive expansion, and build an empire designed to last for centuries. Although the premise of countless PC games, only this franchise — one of the field's earliest genre pioneers — has truly gone the distance and stood the test of time. Amazingly, its latest installment hasn't just carried the torch into the modern era, it continues to carry it as we speak, thanks to ongoing expansions and updates, which offer endless paths to victory. And while Civilization VI may be the latest, it's already a given fact: Civilization V will be a game that's still enjoyed for many years to come. Naturally, with a turn-based, click-heavy title like this, having a mouse that can stand up to the rigors of play, all the while keeping you comfortable as you carve out an armchair empire, is clearly a must.

 

Rome: Total War (The Creative Assembly/SEGA)

Rome wasn't built in a day, and this strategy-wargame can't easily be won in a day (or mastered even over the course of several thousand, for that matter). Credit an endlessly repayable — and endlessly engaging — game setup that offers both a turn-based grand strategic campaign and quick down-and-dirty real-time tactical battles that let you evoke your inner Caesar. Conquering the known world, and taking the fragile Roman Republic from its humble origins to the most powerful empire of its day, proves no easy feat. Happily, as you'll see, with the right amount of cunning, a slight taste for blood, and the ability to see ahead of rivals, you'll slowly but surely gain the skills needed join the ranks of Agrippa, Trajan, and Constantine. An instant hit with gaming fans, it's still being enjoyed by many to this day. Give it a whirl, and you'll quickly see why, as you crush, kill, and strategize your way to victory on the field of battle.

 

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (Chris Sawyer Productions/Atari)

Dream of building a theme park to last the ages? So did Atari way back in 2002. Luckily, your ticket to ride is still good, as this highly celebrated installment in the popular franchise allows you to build the most epic, crazy, and over-the-top coasters in the world and even experience them from a first-person point of view. And, as you'll quickly discover, mastering this game requires you to combine the business skills of a Rockefeller with the imagination of a Disney. Done right, you'll have audiences lining up at your park time and time again; done wrong, and you'll quickly see why the title is so hard to master — and so hard to put down. Trade secret too: don't go placing any hotdog stands near any high-speed loop-de-loops, or you'll have to hire more janitors to clean up unfortunate post-ride messes! Needless to say, this one remains a top attraction.

 

SimCity 4 (Maxis/Electronic Arts)

Have you ever wondered who was responsible for the crazy way your hometown is laid out? Chances are that person didn't play enough SimCity or else you wouldn't find yourself stuck in rush hour traffic all too often. Happily, if you feel you can do a better job of city planning (and frankly, who couldn't), you might want to consider grabbing an ROG mouse and settling in for the evening (or weekend), because in this city-building simulation, you get to build and run your own thriving metropolis. Essentially, with the right clicks on-screen you can design entire city layouts, plot the flow of traffic, and design an array of comfortable living spaces, all the while juggling tax collection and city services, and keeping overcrowding and pollution to a minimum. Of course, running a town — even your own fictional destinations — isn't such an easy job, as you'll quickly find, but this ultra-addictive game allows you to keep trying. And you don't even have to worry about being booted from office if you botch it.

 

Minecraft (Mojang)

Many games offer the promise of an open world to build and explore, but this one presents a breathtaking playground to shape and mold as you will that's about as extensive as they get. An 8-bit, pixilated visual style and generally lax setup (Minecraft has no specific goals for players, and instead allows individuals almost total freedom) basically disguise what's one of the most addictive and playable titles of all time. Here, you get to use blocks that represent everything from stone to dirt to lava to build an entire world — much like beginning with Lego bricks on a table — and then explore it while adventuring to your heart's content. Plus, the title's impressive achievement system allows players to acquire new materials and continue to build a virtually infinite world as they progress. A must-play for anyone who loves the art of creation, it's no wonder it remains one of the most popular titles ever to be enjoyed by fans of all ages.

 

Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)

True: you could argue that recent series release Fallout 4 — an interactive ode to Mad Max that sees you crawling post-apocalyptic wastelands and scrounging for gear while fending off slavering mutants — offers just as compelling an ode to sci-fi-themed slaughter. But this sucker, among the first RPGs to deliver such an epic and awe-inspiring experience on both PC and console systems, was the first of its franchise to make the jump into the modern era, and to show just how much fun could be had by tagging along with it. Offering a hugely expansive open world of adventures, encounters, and quirky characters to explore, it takes the end of the world as we know it and makes it damn fun, if not downright habit-forming, to get involved in. Between a wildly expansive tale jam-packed with side-quests to follow, a killer combat system, and one of the most endlessly replayable adventures ever experienced in PC gaming history, think of it as your chance to live out all your favorite dystopian cinematic epics in an interactive world gone horribly wild.

 

Age of Empires II (Ensemble Studios/Microsoft Studios)

The Dark Ages were probably a terrible time to live and raise a family in — especially with having to spend all day plowing some rich dude's fields and all that "right of the first night" stuff — but they do provide a glorious backdrop for a real-time strategy game. In this one, you start with just a handful of peasants and must build a new kingdom from the ashes that were once Rome. With more than a dozen civilizations to choose from and multiple single-player campaigns to plow through, it's not only incredibly playable and habit-forming (even for those who wouldn't traditionally classify themselves as strategy fans), it's also one sure to make diehard genre enthusiasts happy to be getting medieval over and over again.

 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)

There are countless high-powered shooters that players just can't get enough of...until the next big thing comes along. But with the legendary title Counter-Strike and its full-blown sequel, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, it's important to note that the gameplay remains timeless and ageless. Among the first team-based shooters to really demand that players work as a cohesive unit, it's still one of the best. What's more, the latest version offers an even bigger array of maps, characters, and weapons to enjoy while remaining true to the series' roots in endlessly replayable online multiplayer mayhem. Few shooters have made playing the same scenarios over and over so compelling, so irresistible, and so much fun — a direct function of how exciting its head-to-head action (best enjoyed in the company of friends) can truly be. Some franchises get old, but this one just continues to get better with age. Sequel after sequel, you can't do better when it comes to ongoing appeal.

 

Deus Ex (Ion Storm/Square Enix)

Even some 16 years after this Blade Runner–style sci-fi role-player was released, it remains a game that keeps calling us back. Credit the dystopian adventure's unique style of gameplay, which combines elements of first-person shooters with stealthy sojourns and forays into long-term character customizability and development — effectively making it one of the world's most fully rounded RPGs. Offering a variety of play styles that cater to nearly every gaming fan, the sophisticated tale (set in the year 2025) sees fans battling terrorists, dealing with multiple plot twists, and making decisions whose outcomes will determine the actual conclusion of the game. Not so much a digital diversion as a statement about just how powerful interactive storytelling can be, it offers so much replay value, you could easily be playing this one well until the cyberpunk-themed future it promises actually arrives in real life. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be upon us very soon, so it's the perfect time to relive the nostalgia before then.

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By Scott Steinberg

 

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