This is a little bit of a negative topic…but to answer the question: Up until recently, my go-to answer would’ve been Mario Galaxy. The linear gameplay approach felt like a massive downgrade when compared to the more open-ended SM64 and SMSunshine; the controls felt far less comfortable; etc. It just wasn’t for me.
Though I’m happy to say that this is no longer my perspective: I’ve grown to really appreciate the simplicity of Mario’s feel in Galaxy; the simplicity that comes from linearity makes for a far less “taxing on the mind” experience (i.e. I’m not needing to devote excess brain power processing the environment, exploring around, etc.), alongside helping each level feel very fresh; the music has and always will be the greatest of any video game ever… with the exception of maaaaybe MKWorld.
If I were to give a game I still feel this way about? TLOU:p2. Gameplay loop felt very same-y and lost a lot of its luster compared to the first game; story was a tremendous step down from the previous game; etc.
