Kind of a long question/example. I uploaded it into a pastebin. Curious to know what you think, even though you might not talk about it too in depth since I mention Sekiro. https://pastebin.com/LY9LPfUv
I don't want to get into Sekiro right now but I agree with your overall premise and we're not alone in this feeling. At least one person told me they have trouble enjoying JRPGs after getting into Shin Megami Tensei and another asked a question here about trying to find a new platformer after Dustforce. A large part of the reason I recommended Dustforce/Zachtronics/Riven/Rain World over other games is because they've all had this kind of eye-opening influence on me.
As I said recently, Rain World is the gold standard against which I'll judge experiential games going forward. Of course it feels good for me to pass that experience on to others who also enjoy it but I'll admit my reason for doing so is also partly selfish. If nobody knows about Rain World then they can't incorporate its ideas or try to best it in the future. If you want to aim for the top, you need to know where the peak is.
As a player, stumbling across one of these games can actually suck for a while. I had the misfortune of playing Rain World and another outstanding game back-to-back which really did a number on me. This is where it helps to have broad tastes and branch out more because while some games sit at the "peak" there are actually many different peaks to be found. There's lots of things a game can be good at, although of course it doesn't have to be the absolute best to be worth playing.
I feel your pain but I encourage you to press on in the pursuit of new and better things because you don't know when one is around the corner. You may not enjoy some games to the same degree anymore but after having been through this enough times I find it reassuring to know I have so many favourites I could cycle through them all and never get bored. It's a tradeoff, one I think is ultimately worth taking.
As I said recently, Rain World is the gold standard against which I'll judge experiential games going forward. Of course it feels good for me to pass that experience on to others who also enjoy it but I'll admit my reason for doing so is also partly selfish. If nobody knows about Rain World then they can't incorporate its ideas or try to best it in the future. If you want to aim for the top, you need to know where the peak is.
As a player, stumbling across one of these games can actually suck for a while. I had the misfortune of playing Rain World and another outstanding game back-to-back which really did a number on me. This is where it helps to have broad tastes and branch out more because while some games sit at the "peak" there are actually many different peaks to be found. There's lots of things a game can be good at, although of course it doesn't have to be the absolute best to be worth playing.
I feel your pain but I encourage you to press on in the pursuit of new and better things because you don't know when one is around the corner. You may not enjoy some games to the same degree anymore but after having been through this enough times I find it reassuring to know I have so many favourites I could cycle through them all and never get bored. It's a tradeoff, one I think is ultimately worth taking.