The Genesis of Replay: Uncovering the First Game With New Game Plus
The concept of New Game Plus (NG+) is a beloved feature in modern gaming, allowing players to revisit their favorite titles with previously acquired abilities, gear, and often, increased difficulty. This enhances replayability and offers a fresh perspective on a familiar world. While the term itself became popular with Chrono Trigger in 1995, the core mechanic existed well before. So, which game holds the honor of being the first to implement this innovative feature? The answer, although not definitively labeled “New Game Plus,” is Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, released in 1987 for the Nintendo Famicom.
While Chrono Trigger popularized the term, Megami Tensei employed the core principle of carrying over character progression into a new playthrough. In Megami Tensei, players could restart the game retaining their character levels and demon companions, a clear precursor to modern NG+ mechanics. This provided a massive incentive to replay the game with a power advantage and explore different narrative choices or strategies. Thus, while Chrono Trigger popularized the term, Megami Tensei delivered the experience first.
The Evolution of New Game Plus
Early Implementations
Though Megami Tensei stands as the earliest known example of an NG+ like system, several games around the same era featured elements that presaged the modern concept. Games like The Legend of Zelda (1986) offered a “Second Quest” after completing the game, which while not carrying over gear, provided a remixed layout of the world and dungeons, offering a significant change for replay. Titles like Ghosts ‘n Goblins (1985) and Super Mario Bros. (1985), though less explicit in their carry-over, provided replay incentives through increased difficulty and the pursuit of optimal scoring or speed-runs. These elements, while not NG+ in the modern sense, planted the seeds for the feature.
The Modern NG+ Standard
The mid-1990s saw the emergence of what we now consider traditional NG+. Chrono Trigger’s adoption of the term and its straightforward execution, allowing players to keep their levels, stats, and equipment, set the standard. Since then, NG+ has expanded, with different titles adding their unique twists. Games like Nier introduce new narrative elements in subsequent playthroughs. Titles like Dark Souls escalate difficulty, offering a significant challenge for experienced players. Modern implementation of NG+ features include new equipment, alternative storylines, and remixed encounters.
Current Trends
Today, NG+ is practically a staple in many role-playing games (RPGs), action-adventure titles, and even some indie games. It extends the lifespan of these experiences, allowing players to further engage with worlds, characters, and mechanics they have come to love. The feature allows gamers to experiment with different builds and skill combinations, discover missed secrets, and appreciate the story from a different perspective. As gaming technology continues to evolve, so too will the interpretation and implementation of NG+, creating even more enticing ways for gamers to replay and enjoy the games they love.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What exactly is New Game Plus?
New Game Plus (NG+) is a gameplay feature that allows players to start a new playthrough of a video game after completing it, usually retaining certain aspects from their previous playthrough. This commonly includes player levels, skills, abilities, and sometimes equipment or in-game currencies.
2. How does NG+ differ from a standard new game?
A standard new game typically starts the player with a clean slate, forcing them to acquire all skills, abilities, and items from scratch. NG+ on the other hand, gives the player a head start, often making the initial gameplay segments faster and easier.
3. Does every game have New Game Plus?
No, not every game has NG+. It’s a feature more common in RPGs, action-adventure games, and titles with a strong narrative focus that would benefit from multiple playthroughs.
4. Is New Game Plus always a free feature?
Generally, yes. NG+ is commonly included in the base game at launch. However, some games may offer it as part of a downloadable content pack (DLC). For example, The Witcher 3 released its NG+ mode as a free DLC.
5. What are the common benefits of playing NG+?
The most common benefits of NG+ include starting with an advantage, faster progression, the ability to explore alternative story branches, discovering secrets or missed content and increased difficulty for an added challenge.
6. How does NG+ affect the difficulty of the game?
Many games increase the difficulty in NG+ mode, often by increasing enemy health, damage output, or introducing new enemy types. This ensures a challenging experience even for players who have already mastered the game. Games like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series are well known for their progressively harder NG+ modes, capping out at NG+7.
7. What is the point of NG+ in Starfield?
In Starfield, NG+ lets players retain their skills and abilities while restarting the game, allowing for faster character progression and a different perspective on the main story and exploration. There are unique elements to each NG+ playthrough.
8. Does Red Dead Redemption 2 have a New Game Plus?
Yes, Red Dead Redemption 2 has a New Game Plus that allows players to retain some elements of progression. This adds replayability to the vast open world.
9. Can NG+ overwrite my original save file?
No, NG+ typically creates a new save file. It will not overwrite your main save data from your initial playthrough. The old manual saves are generally safe, but auto-saves from your previous play may be overwritten.
10. What are Phantom Necromorphs in Dead Space NG+?
In Dead Space’s NG+, Phantom Necromorphs are introduced. They are more advanced and dangerous versions of existing enemies, presenting a much bigger challenge.
11. Is NG+ considered DLC?
NG+ is not typically DLC. However, as seen in The Witcher 3, NG+ can sometimes be released as free DLC. NG+ itself is a feature of the gameplay, rather than new game content.
12. Does Skyrim have New Game Plus?
No, Skyrim does not have a traditional New Game Plus mode. When players start over, it’s from a completely new character, with a brand new save.
13. Is there a limit to how many times you can play NG+ in some games?
Yes, some games, like the Dark Souls series, have a limit on how many times you can go into NG+. Usually, the difficulty increase scales up to a certain point. In Dark Souls, the difficulty caps out at NG+7.
14. Can you romance or marry characters in NG+?
Yes, in games with romance options, such as Starfield, you can romance and marry characters during your NG+ playthroughs, allowing for different choices and interactions.
15. Why would I want to play NG+?
Playing NG+ can enhance replayability, provide new challenges, unlock exclusive items, experience a new game with more power, and explore different outcomes of your decisions in games with branching narratives. Ultimately, NG+ provides a way to continue your journey with your existing character, skills and abilities, adding further value and enjoyment of the games we love.