Video Games That Get Better Every Single Hour You Play

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It’s rare for anyone to say a video game is flawless. Even the best games have moments that shine and moments that fall flat – their quality can go up and down as you play. Luckily, many great games actually improve the more you play them.

Man, there’s nothing quite like getting totally hooked on a game that just keeps getting better the more you play. It’s a tough trick for developers to pull off, but when they do, it feels like perfect game design. A lot of the games everyone loves nail this, but I’ve put together a list of ten that really stand out as prime examples.

Resident Evil 4/Resident Evil 4 Remake

Leon Kennedy’s Journey Through Rural Europe Is Both Scary And Thrilling

Resident Evil 4 is often considered one of the greatest games of all time, and for good reason. It’s famous for pioneering the over-the-shoulder camera angle in third-person shooters – a style you see in many games today – and for creating a truly creepy and suspenseful horror experience.

Resident Evil 4 begins with a fun and engaging premise: Leon battling infected villagers and a dangerous cult in rural Spain. It quickly ramps up into a thrilling, over-the-top action game with memorable villains, scary creatures, and increasingly impressive set pieces – each chapter feels better than the last. Even the section where you control Ashley Graham enhances the intense survival horror experience. Resident Evil 4 is a near-perfect game, and the good news is that the Resident Evil 4 Remake is just as excellent, and arguably even better.

Kingdom Hearts 2

A Beautiful Disney Adventure From Beginning To End

Some players aren’t big fans of the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, where you play as Roxas in Twilight Town. However, this section is actually very immersive and moving, particularly if you enjoy the story. Plus, if that’s the worst part of the game, everything else can only be an improvement.

Kingdom Hearts 2 is a thrilling action game with a fantastic combat system, and also a charming RPG where you explore worlds inspired by classic Disney films. The gameplay and story continually improve as you unlock new abilities, items, and keychains for Sora, which you’ll need for challenging battles against iconic Disney villains and the members of Organization 13. The game really shines at the end – many consider the final level and boss fight to be among the best ever made, a huge leap forward from where the game begins.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Quintessential Western Open-World RPG

The line, “Hey you, you’re finally awake,” is a famous opening that players will recognize instantly. From the moment you begin a new game in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, it’s clear you’re about to experience a truly epic open-world RPG. The game starts with impressive scenes and introduces the fearsome dragons, and it just keeps getting more exciting from there.

Unlike other games on this list, Skyrim offers a unique experience because its gameplay improves based on the player’s choices in its open world. The game features a huge, fascinating map packed with interesting places, memorable characters, great side quests, and plenty of powerful gear and magic. This ensures players will enjoy it more and more as they play. Plus, after finishing one playthrough, they can easily start a new one with a different character and make new decisions for a fresh adventure.

Pokemon Black 2 And White 2

An Excellent Mainline Pokemon Game That’s Full Of Content

What makes the Pokemon series stand out from other role-playing games is how much variety it offers. While the games sometimes begin with a gentle pace and lots of guidance, they gradually become more challenging and engaging as you progress. You’ll encounter stronger Pokemon to capture and tougher trainers to battle, and this holds true for nearly every Pokemon game. This progression is particularly noticeable and well-executed in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, which are considered among the best in the series.

The Pokemon games from Generation Five offer a great mix of exciting action and a compelling story. While both are excellent, the sequel stands out slightly due to its larger collection of Pokemon and more things to do. Players begin as novice trainers, eventually rising to become the region’s Champion. However, they must first stop Team Plasma and its leader, Ghetsis, from using the legendary Pokemon Kyurem to cover the Unova region in ice. It’s a wonderfully crafted Pokemon adventure with a perfect flow, and it becomes even more enjoyable with optional extras like PokeStar Studios and the Pokemon World Tournament.

Bayonetta 2

Every Chapter Of This Hack-And-Slash Game Is More Bombastic Than The Last

Honestly, when it comes to action games, PlatinumGames just gets it. They’re masters at making these crazy, over-the-top experiences that are just so much fun to play. For me, Bayonetta 2 is their best game, hands down. The first Bayonetta was great too, a really solid hack-and-slash, but it had a couple of levels that dragged a bit. The sequel, though? It’s perfect from beginning to end. No dips in quality at all.

The opening of Bayonetta 2 – where the main character, Bayonetta, fights angels on a jet and then a massive demon on a skyscraper – is actually one of the calmer parts of the game. This highlights just how over-the-top and spectacular the game becomes as you play. Each chapter introduces new weapons, challenging enemies, and amazing boss fights that take the already excellent combat to the next level.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

The Open-Ended Design Keeps The Open-World Gameplay Engaging

Similar to games like Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a massive open-world adventure where how much you enjoy it depends on the choices you make. But the game’s world is incredibly unique and interesting, and the gameplay is so well-designed, that you’re guaranteed to have an even better experience the more you play.

As a gamer, I can tell you Breath of the Wild totally changed the open-world game. It lets you go anywhere and do anything, pretty much from the start, which is amazing. What really hooked me is that there are tons of ways to beat puzzles and enemies – it all depends on what gear and powers I had at the time. Whether I was trying to take on the Divine Beasts in a certain order, speedrunning to Ganon, or just wandering around Hyrule, there was always something fun to do. That’s why it’s so addictive – I just couldn’t put it down!

Monster Hunter World

Overcoming The Difficulty Curve Leads To An Unforgettable Experience

Historically, Monster Hunter games have been known for being very challenging, making them hard for new players to pick up. But Monster Hunter World changed that by adding several helpful features, making it the most approachable and popular game in the series so far.

At first, Monster Hunter World seems like a typical action RPG with a large world to explore. But the game really shines as you team up with other players to defeat increasingly difficult monsters. You’ll use the materials you collect to create better weapons and armor, letting you take on even bigger threats. This creates a fantastic gameplay loop, culminating in incredible battles against some of the most impressive and well-designed creatures ever seen in the Monster Hunter series – and gaming as a whole.

Hades/Hades 2

The Roguelite Gameplay Is Designed To Gradually Increase The Player’s Enjoyment

There are lots of fantastic roguelite games, but Supergiant Games’ Hades and its upcoming sequel, Hades 2, stand out as some of the very best. Both games are beautifully designed with a striking art style, incredible music, and a charming cast of characters inspired by Greek mythology, which explains their huge popularity.

What truly sets both Hades and Hades 2 apart is their roguelite style of play. Players attempt to progress through challenging levels, gathering power-ups and items to overcome enemies and bosses. When they inevitably fall, they lose everything and start over. This cycle is surprisingly engaging, encouraging players to try different strategies and making each playthrough feel fresh and addictive.

Final Fantasy 16

It May Not Be A Perfect Action RPG, But It Certainly Gets Better Every Hour

Similar to Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy 16 is an action RPG from Square Enix that begins at a measured pace. The game dedicates a significant amount of time to establishing the world of Valisthea, its impressive creatures called Eikons, and the eight individuals known as Dominants who can control them. Final Fantasy 16‘s story is rich, moving, and captivating, but it unfolds gradually, so it’s helpful to become familiar with its different parts.

The game really finds its rhythm after the initial time jump, and it consistently improves as Clive Rosfield gains new Eikon powers. These abilities not only enhance the already fantastic combat, but also lead to incredibly impressive and cinematic boss battles against other powerful characters. The only significant downside to Final Fantasy 16 is its somewhat slow and repetitive side quests, but thankfully, these are optional, and players who find them dragging can easily skip them.

Astro Bot

An Inventive 3D Platformer With Many Aces Up Its Robotic Sleeve

The win for Astro Bot as Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards surprised many, but players who’ve tried it believe it truly earned the award. While it initially appears to be a standard 3D platformer, Astro Bot is remarkably innovative and cleverly designed. The game gradually unfolds, revealing hidden depths and consistently impressing players with its ingenuity.

Astro Bot is so enjoyable because it takes what made classic platformers like Mario great and puts it into a series of fun, well-crafted levels. Each level feels fresh and introduces a clever new idea that will keep you hooked. Plus, the game is packed with appearances from characters in other popular video games, giving you even more reasons to explore every nook and cranny and aim for 100% completion.

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2025-12-07 06:10