Earthbound. It’s been my favorite game since I first rented it from blockbuster

Easily Majora’s Mask

Edit: upon further speculation, Final Fantasy X is tied

Dark Souls.

But I suck and this time I don't get sucked into the entire series. That oughta save me some time and money.

If I had to take a Retro game, Chrono Trigger for sure.

Earthbound. Even on my subsequent yearly-ish playthroughs, it's so easy to get immersed into the beautiful quirkiness of the world.

Mass Effect trilogy.

Or maybe Bioshock.

Either/both.

Very late edit: Deus Ex. I still play it every once in a while and while the graphics are terrible, it's a lot better with GMDX and you get used to it very quickly. That game is still a masterpiece.

Metal Gear Solid on PS1

Probably Planescape: Torment

Gothic

My first open world game, unmatched freedom to do what you want and to go where you want, exploration rewarding with handplaced loot everywhere. I lived in that game for a whole year.

Definitely Subnautica in VR. I didn't play it on flatscreen, only in VR, and it was the most immersive and amazing experience out of any game.

Monkey Island 2: lechuck's revenge.

Death Stranding

I still have dreams about that masterpiece of a game. There's just so few like it.

Baldur's Gate 2. Would love to re-live the feeling of wonder and suspense this game offered, although it'd probably help to forget about modern RPGs too, to keep with the nostalgia.

Either Oblivion or Fable: The Lost Chapters

I wish I could experience Portal for the first time again.

Doki Doki Literature Club. Because I got spoiled the first time I played it.

Half Life or Command & Conquer for me

Freelancer

System Shock 2 or Thief: Dark Project. Those two were the games that impressed me most in my 40 years of playing games.

Honourable mention: Minecraft. The first few weeks playing that come very close.

Either:

1. Mario 64 - seeing a fully realised 3d world for the first time was mind blowing. Great music, adventure, and fun.

Or

2. Morrowind - what a wild and rich world to explore for the first time. My best friend and I rotated shifts for weeks during school holidays. Great memories.

The first Mass Effect. That moment when Sovereign speaks... instant goosebumps. ("Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding.") This also presupposes that I haven't played the other parts as well of course. I actually played the second one before the first one back in the day.

CrossCode

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Inside

BioShock

All great stories with some very powerful moments.

Minecraft, botw

Roller Coaster Tycoon, 2 preferably. Like, if OpenRCT2 could magically time travel back and exist on 12 year old me's computer, it would be bliss.

There's a couple I'd have to choose from on this:

Portal 1 and 2 (if it can only be one game and not the series then portal 2),

Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the wild maybe,

Prey,

Firewatch,

Fallout: New Vegas,

FRACT OSC,

Donut County,

... This may have been more a list of my favorite games rather than play for the first time again...

Final Fantasy 7 or 9, Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Phantasy Star Online

Super Mario Galaxy

Final Fantasy 6

Super Mario 64

Super Mario World

Resident Evil

VVVVVV

I know it's not really retro yet, but either Nier game. True perfection those two.

Everquest. No other game I've played before or after instilled that feeling of exploration and wonder that this game did. I'm so glad I got to experience that before I got older.

Champions of Norrath on PS2. I played through the entire game with my dad and it was the most fun I ever him.my mother said he used to play video games all the time, but then stopped (having kids probably does this to many). So when he said he’d play the game with me i was very excited. i only wish i could have found the games sequel, return to arms, before heading off to college. that would have been a summer to remember.

i don’t know why he never shared his love of video games with either me or my sisters. some dads are weird like that. i bought him a series s for the holidays and while i don’t think he plays it, he enjoys watching his grandkids play.

Portal or Minecraft.

I've played so much Minecraft that I have everything down to a science.

Like quickly making a wooden pickaxe, mining exactly how much cobble I need for a furnace and a stone pickaxe, and how to find coal and iron in less than 5 minutes.

Wood and stone tools, outside the two pickaxes, are skipped entirely.

Before the end of the first night I am almost entirely decked out in iron stuff.

Farming cows for bookshelves for enchanting is quick and easy, and then getting fortune 3 and looting 3 pretty much makes the game easy mode. You print ores and food.

Not to mention you can get mending from a villager easily. Just pick up and put down the job station until they give you mending. It's not skill, it's just luck. You can get it in less than 2 minutes if you're lucky. Now you'll never have to worry about anything ever breaking again. You can also get fortune and looting this way as well, removing the need to waste time and materials on the enchanting table.

It's sad. I wish I could erase my knowledge of it, and play Minecraft how I used to. By savoring my enchanted items, creaming my pants at the sight of diamonds, and grinding hard for food.

Super Metroid

Half Life 2, New Vegas and MGS all blew my young mind and would be great to relive.

Ultima Online. It was my first MMO. I could own a friggin house that other people could visit! I've been chasing that high for 20+ years now.

Factorio