I played Horizon Zero Dawn a year after it released and had this reaction. I guess getting my plat in Demon Souls is a more recent example.

But honestly, the biggest suprise to me was Gears 5 when I got my Series X. I had heard so much crap from haters, that I was genuinely suprised how great the game actually was. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect...the open areas in general with the glider needed a bit more to them. But from visuals to gameplay, it was a great experience for me that I did not expect before hand.

Hollow Knight for me, nowadays its one of my favorite games of all time and I originally played it a bit over a year after it released for consoles, late in 2019.
Which I gotta say, in retrospect, sounds weird, because I knew about it before it released, and im a huge metroidvania fan. Everything about that game felt like it was gonna be my cup of tea. Yet I waited around until I gave it a chance.

Doom eternal. Only just beat it and the DLC which came out last year.

I really liked 2016 too but Eternal turns it up to 11. Looks amazing on the Series X. Dynamic 4k and ray -tracing? Crazy.

Non-stop balls to the wall action that's super well polished.

If I am delayed at playing a game from launch, it isn't usually 12 or fewer months I am delayed, but multiple years. I have had plenty of games that fit into the category of "I can't believe I didn't play this game in the last 3-10 years", but hardly any of "I can't believe I didn't play this game last year". The reason for this is all entertainment loses its luster to me shortly after launch. If I don't see a movie in theaters within the first two weeks of it coming out, I lose most excitement and almost always don't watch it until it comes out on streaming after that window. Just how my brain works, I guess lol.

Although the game is from 2017 (Switch port in 2019), I got Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! last year and what a blast.

It is a time management/food tycoon game that is literally littered with QTE in which you wiz through menus via button shortcuts. As time goes on, you memorize the button combinations as each recipe has a consistent process, at this time you reach a kind of zen state while flying through the orders. If you don't get good enough through normal gameplay, the easy "zen" mode will help you learn those button combinations.

Tons of variety in the recipes via the extended content in restaurant levels and the infinite model. This last game mode you can design your own restaurant as in the menu selection, plus look and style of the place; all these are unlocked as you play along.

How could I forget the music, nice tunes in there. And did I mention it has co-op, win win!

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Waited until it got a Switch port.

Practically every game I ever play these days. I almost never play games the year they are released anymore, and more often than not I'm at least two or three years behind in playing most of them. The only exceptions to this rule from the last decade are Final Fantasy VII Remake, which I bought only about six months after release, and Elden Ring, which I'm currently just waiting to arrive at some point this week.

It has only been 3 months! But I guess the games I played this year that I wish I played last year would be Valkyria Chronicles 4 and Persona 5 Strikers.

Both fantastic games that deserve more support than my delayed purchase and "purchase".

Undertale. I played in 2016. I couldn't believe it completely flew over my radar until then. One of my favourite games ever. It literally changed my life xD

Waiting 6 months to a year to buy a game is actually my usual MO because I want to have the best, most bug free experience possible.
However, I had a revelation just a couple of days ago playing What Remains of Edith Finch, a game that is *multiple* years old.
I had overlooked this game because it's an indie title and it's a "walking simulator" with very simple controls, a type of game that I usually don't find very interesting to begin with.
Holy crap, what a journey. The storytelling, the atmosphere and the sheer creativity in how all the little stories are presented in such different and unique ways. Emotionally haunting. Wow.