What games have you played that you actually enjoyed more on a second playthrough than on the first?

For me, the starkest turnaround was The Witcher 3. I enjoyed my first playthrough but it just didn't grab me as being this near-flawless masterpiece everyone said it was. However, I decided to start an NG+ playthrough last summer and as I get close to finishing the base game's MQ for the second time, I look at it and I truly see why everyone loved it. It went from being a game I was certain must have been overrated, to a game that is in my top 10 favorite games of all time.

Granted, some of that is because I've been enjoying the rest of the series as well (the games, as well as the show and the books) so the story makes more sense to me, but even from a gameplay and world building perspective, I can't even begin to describe how much more enjoyable it is this time around and I'm not even to the expansions which, in many ways, I enjoyed more than the base game on my first playthrough.

Overall, I've found that running this second playthrough (partly thanks to NG+) has really helped me to focus, to take my time and pay attention to absolutely every detail. I've found myself enjoying simply walking to and from places, rather than running to save time. I spot tiny little details in the environment that blur the lines of immersion. I hear artistically repeated motifs in the soundtrack (which took even longer than the game to actually grow on me) that just make me grin. I read notes or books or listen to dialogue that just makes me laugh, sometimes because the humor is great or sometimes because I actually understood the world/story references that are being made. The list goes on. It's not the ONLY game that I've enjoyed more on a second playthrough but it's most definitely the strongest turnaround I've ever experienced in my gaming life. I never hated the game by any means but it went from being "another open world" to one of the best games I've ever played.

So, are there any games you've found yourself enjoying a lot more on a second playthrough?

Hm no. There are a few that were just as fun the second time around, like Deus Ex 1 or Dishonored, probably because they allow for vastly different playthroughs... but actually more fun, don't think i remember any. I rarely replay games in general though.

The novelty factor is just gone on repeated playthroughs i guess.

Normally, it's more me than the game. I've played games I haven't been in the mood for the first time around and they've been a huge slog. Coming back to them years later, I found them great fun.

First time round, I wasn't a huge fan of Witcher 2 - I loved the first game, but the second wasn't clicking. I tried it again last year and really loved it (could also be because I finally had a PC that ate it for breakfast).

Ever since I bought a gsync screen, I'm also enjoying gaming more - I'm sensitive to stuttering which tends to give me headaches. With the microstutter gone, I'm able to play a much wider range of games and enjoy them.

Jedi Academy. The first time I found it very frustrating, because I didn't really understand what moves you should be using and just was swinging around wildly with the lightsaber. The 2nd time was much better, because I read some guides and had a better idea, which attacks worked against certain enemies (also did fun stuff like grabbing enemies with Grip and dropping them over chasms, which hadn't occurred to me on my first run).

I generally don't like replaying games. I have a hard time even remembering what games I ever did replay (apart from The Secret of Monkey Island, but I didn't have many other games at the time).

It did happen several times though that I abandoned a title in the first hours or mid-game because I couldn't really get into it or got distracted by something else, then started from scratch a few years later and played through the whole game consistently in a shorter time and enjoyed it. I guess I wasn't really ready the first time, in the wrong mood, or just too impatient. Bioshock was among these titles, and, I think, Bastion. Lots more probably.

Games that offer New Game + modes with unlocked harder difficulty options.

The Devil May Cry series for example has a few unlockable difficulty modes. Some like Dante Must Die make the game a real challenge while others are more for the masochistic crowd or real cracks, in Hell and Hell enemies tank like crazy while you die in a single hit. Never made it past a couple missions in DMC 4.

Dead Age - bonuses obtainable with medals (new classes, a bit improved character/equipment you're starting) are making a big difference. I guess it's not a big surprise that my first run wasn't succesful, but second was much more enjoyable and better in results.

Reflux/Robo Rumble - first attempt was a failure, because I didn't had contact with strategy games, so it was definitely a wrong title to start with this genre. But couple of years later, after playing multiple games in this genre, second attempt was more interesting and longer.

Fallout 4 and Skyrim. First playthrough gets boring on normal difficulty. 2nd time around I use mods and possibly higher difficulty.

Yeah, I definitely get what you mean, there are some games that I don't enjoy much at all on repeat playthroughs because as you said, the novelty is gone. I know what you mean, I've had games that took longer to truly sink in. For example, Dragon Age: Origins - I didn't really enjoy it on my first three tries to get into it, despite the fact that I loved Inquisition. Then, I got the ultimate edition from a giveaway here and since then, it really has sunk in and I'm loving it so far. Funny enough, I had a similar issue with Outcast! I grew up on Academy and the first Jedi Knight game but Outcast's level design always confused me. I spent more time in the multiplayer as a kid than I did in the campaign which, for me, is weird because I'm mostly a single player guy lol. But yeah, Academy gets better after you learn all the combos and start figuring out the way the maps work! I absolutely know what you mean, there are actually some games I still need to give a proper second chance (you mentioned Bioshock which reminds me that I need to give Infinite a second go). I absolutely love when games offer NG+, it's a great way to encourage different playstyles without taking up too much extra time! I really need to check Dead Age out, I have it on Steam and planned to play it but just never got around to it. I'll keep that in mind re: the medals and the second playthrough, thanks! I think it mostly depends on what a person's difficulty tolerance is but I understand what you mean. After thousands of hours in Bethesda's various games, they do tend to stop feeling challenging over time and mods can help for sure!

Can't think of an examples on second playthroughs. Second attempts though, here I can think of The Sims and its sequel. In both cases I lost interest fairly quickly, after only a few ingame days. This was followed by a break of 1 or 2 days, after which I found myself with a sudden urge to play again, and then finally a mild case of Sims addiction.

Openttd perhaps also counts. There aren't really any playthroughs of course, unless you count playing up to the point where you unlock all vehicles and can convert all your trains to maglev. That I've done multiple times, but in my current game I think I am hooked more than I've ever been before, and I think it has to with having taken the time to understand signals and figure out how to make more impressive stations. Also, not upgrading to monorail and maglev keeps everything looking nice and industrial in the late game. Now I am slightly obsessed with the game, trying to create a massive network that efficiently transports the max output of several specially chosen industries. Easier said than done though (I'm at over 500 trains already, and I think I will eventually reach a cool 1000)

OpenXCom too perhaps, if that counts, though that is in comparison with the original game.

Was it? It was basically my first strategy title as well but I had no problem clearing it, despite not really having a clue what designs etc were any good.

Not one for second playthroughs and I also don't think that games really have the depth that would make it worthwhile.

Might and Magic III, VI, and VII, Planescape: Torment, Alpha Centauri, patched/modded Fallout 3/New Vegas, Daggerfall, Dishonored (done a ghost run first, and turns out it's so much more fun to play omnicidal psychopath there).
Even Mortal Kombat 4 and Rockman X7, while very rough and stumbling with their attempts at trying new things weren't so bad on the second go.

I find quite a few games are fun the second time around; Mind you NG+ along with more knowledge of what's going on elsewhere and little hints and subtle entries in conversations of what is going on that you'd miss the first time.

Although that depends on the length of the game and how grindy it is. If it's long and/or heavy grind then it will not be enjoyable the second time through.

Totally recommend it, I was positively surprised how enjoyable it was. Although marching through entire zone (with all battles) can be tedious.

IMO it's too different from standard RTS games. You have in theory replenishable funds, but you can't increase their amount per mission. Plus destroying enemy units is not as crucial as in other RTS games, and you still have to do it in clever way (e.g. one of first missions for Firepower, where attacking the robot standing in the middle of the road, with "wave" weapon will damage your base). Not to mention that at some points it's almost like a puzzle game, since you have to figure out a pattern to actually get to enemy base and damage it.

For me back when I was in basic school, it was too complex title to make some decent progress in the game.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky. Difficult to get into first time around, an improved experience during the second run. It wasn't so much about playing on Master (that's how I play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. anyway), but about difficulty spikes: I will never forget the machine gun nest at Cordon, Red Forest at night, Limansk proper or the Deserted Hospital. Clear Sky can be easy to handle at times, but also brutal and this can happen in a heartbeat if you do not pay attention. It certainly has its charm, but it is also the weakest entry in the series (despite improving upon Shadow of Chernobyl in certain aspects). I guess the lack of balance is Clear Sky's biggest problem. This is a game built in reverse: rough start, acceptable in the middle, easy towards the ending. Instead of offering more challenge as you advance, it takes the opposite route and will occasionally drop some spikes, just for the fun of it. Oh, and how could I forget all those perfect grenade throws? "You like fruit? Here's a pineapple for you!"..."Let's play... catch a grenade!"..."Snack on this, you turds!"
Still, I am happy I stuck with Clear Sky, because I have even more appreciation for SoC.