Support NeoGAF

[Ellite25]

As long as I can remember I've always been a person that has felt I had to finish any game I started. Even if I didn't like it, I felt anxious if I stopped playing it before completion. I would get a nagging feeling that I have to go back and finish, sometimes doing so just to get rid of that feeling.

This year I've decided I'm not going to care as much. I'm in grad school, I have friends and a relationship, I work and have an internship; my time is limited to say the least. And now that I've made the decision to not care, I feel such a sense relief. If I'm not hooked by a game, then I'm not going to finish it. Maybe I played for 8 hours and enjoyed it, feeling like I've had my fill of the game, so I'm not gonna finish it.

So for everyone out there that lets gaming feel like a chore sometimes because you feel you have to complete a game or work your way through a backlog, do yourself a favor and stop caring so much. Let it go. I promise, it'll feel good.

 

[Dead_Pixel]

I felt compelled to complete Polemon Y, despite hating every minute. Never again!

I think I kept expecting it to 'get good' and that I'd miss that if I gave up.

 

[rrc1594]

I half to finish what I start. Still crawling my way through thief

Spoiler

It's reason I still read bleach

 

[ShutterMunster]

This was me in 2014. I got so many games for ridiculous prices. I didn't beat Wolfenstein. Stalled several times, pushed to get to the last boss, which was stupid and said "yeah this is the end, I'm done". Got 2hrs into Alien Isolation and didn't finish, got it for $10 so no loss.

Didn't finish Sunset Overdrive, though I'm pretty sure I'm close to the end. AC: Unity was a technical mess and a bore so I barely got 3 hours into that. Got Dragon Age for $30, haven't made it an hour in. Plenty of indie games on here like Transistor, CounterSpy, and this quirky Xbox One title that has you playing a boy jumping into some portal to try and rescue his little brother?

I find I play my consoles increasingly less. I'm kind of bored of them. Waiting for something to really grab me. The only title I keep jumping back into is DRIVECLUB, still haven't got that damn P1 yet.

 

[Kikujiro]

This just happens naturally as you grow up.

I just buy less games despite having more money, I know what games I'm going to like and I never buy just because of "hype" (but definitely for good words of mouth, like Deadly Premonition). My backlog is still big due to years of playing very little, but I decided to just drop some of these games.

 

[Phat Michael]

Yep same here. Sunset Overdrive, Alien Isolation, Halo MCC. All huge games on my radar and i havent put more than 5 hours into any of them. Got utterly bored with them and now that i have forgotten all the controls and where i am, i just gave up.

Instead i went back to play Gears of War 3, my X360 cave games and last night started ME3 again. Games i actually like and it's amazing to play them. After this, Warhammer on 360.

 

[Kouriozan]

I always try to 100% my games simply because I like them.
I know what I'll like or not simply based on gameplay footage, and never regretted any purchase so far.
It never felt like a chore, just getting the most of what I like.

Also, I almost never play AAA games, I can see why people can be bored with those as they are really similar.

 

[Chastten]

I don't have that issue since, you know, I only buy games I'm interested in and I'm pretty sure I like. I enjoy and finish a good 80-90% of the games I buy/play.

For those with PS+ and Steambundles and stuff I guess this is a good attitude though, so good for you.

 

[BocoDragon]

I've been on this train for well over a decade.

Always raised an eyebrow to the "backlog" craze of a few years back, where people seemed to regard every game they owned, but hadn't beaten, as some kind of personal shame. Sounded like making your game collection into a list of chores.

And what does "beating" a game actually get you? If you play a game, and have fun... what does it matter that you haven't watched some dumb cutscene and credits?

If you like a game, want to play it until it's over, then by all means. Otherwise why force it?

 

[Beren the Empty-Handed]

I play a game until I stop having fun (although I might take breaks). If that means 100%, just story mode, or a couple hours, then so be it. In that way I 100% completed Wonderful 101.

The exception is if I'm playing a game as a challenge to myself. Kid Icarus would be an example of that. It felt really good to beat that game.

 

[redcrayon]

This just happens naturally as you grow up.

I just buy less games despite having more money, I know what games I'm going to like and I never buy just because of "hype" (but definitely for good words of mouth, like Deadly Premonition). My backlog is still big due to years of playing very little, but I decided to just drop some of these games.

I found the way to look at it is that a backlog isn't a pile of great games you have to spend hundreds of hours working through to validate the money you've spent on your hobby, it's a pile of games that weren't even the most interesting thing you had to play back when you were most interested in them.

Gamers are prone to confusing being a collector, and carefully curating that collection, with buying games to play at a high price they have no realistic chance of getting around to. Particularly as we get older, have more money but less time, and remember what is was like when we had nothing new to play for months on end.

It's a bit like that Twilight Zone episode where all a guy wants to do is have time to read. A nuclear war happens, he finds a bookshop, thinks 'great!',

Spoiler

and then he stumbles and breaks his reading glasses

Actually, maybe its not like that at all..

 

[GHG]

Yep same here. Sunset Overdrive, Alien Isolation, Halo MCC. All huge games on my radar and i havent put more than 5 hours into any of them. Got utterly bored with them and now that i have forgotten all the controls and where i am, i just gave up.

Instead i went back to play Gears of War 3, my X360 cave games and last night started ME3 again. Games i actually like and it's amazing to play them. After this, Warhammer on 360.

This is a big thing for me.

This is why we still need user manuals. Or even just an insert in the box with the default control mappings.

I've come to accept that I will also probably never play 90% of my backlog on steam. I will just never have the time. No point in forcing it even if I don't fancy playing something.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

I finish about 2/3 the games I start I think... even 1/2.

Then there's games I go back to like Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age, Skyrim, Fallout 3/NV... I've put 1000's of hours into re-playing these games, and love every second.

Replayability is such a huge thing for me.. I would rather replay a classic anyday than force myself to finish something I'm not digging.

 

[NEO0MJ]

It's rare but there are times where I just drop a game because it doesn't work for me. Last time it happened was with FFX PSV and before that Skyrim PC. Skyrim especially I wish I could love but it wasn't meant to be. Might come back to it later with mods.

 

[The Mango Sentinel]

Nah I think I'll always feel the need to finish my games. I have gotten less ocd about it though. I used to have to 100% them and now I just blaze through the shit until I see credits.

I just finished Shadows of Mordor and I think I only had like 35-40% or something.

It was a nice compromise.

 

[Creamium]

I feel like I always have to finish what I start. I only throw in the towel when I'm really not enjoying myself.

 

[British Monsoon]

This happened to me a few years ago - my friend's always making fun of the fact that I've 'finished' a bare fraction of my game collection, but I just play them until I'm not having fun any more and then move onto something else.

 

[Forerunner]

I haven't beat a game in quite sometime. Last one was Bayonetta 2, when it was released in September. I'll play the games for a few hours, then I'll go back to the games I regularly play (GW2, CSGO, and Destiny). And I end up never touching them again.

Never made it pass the Hinterlands in DAI, and I only made it up to the starting village in FC4. However, I really have no desire to play them.

 

[TwiztidElf]

Research your purchases properly. Finish the games you buy. It isn't hard.
Yes, don't finish games you don't like - don't buy them in the first place.

 

[NEO0MJ]

Research your purchases properly. Finish the games you buy. It isn't hard.
Yes, don't finish games you don't like - don't buy them in the first place.

Sometimes it's hard to know if you won't like a game. I mean when it comes to niche games sure caution is advised but a super popular game in a genre that's considered easy to get into?

 

[Betty]

Probably a good idea since so many games are going to be pretty big this year, Persona 5, Xenoblade X, Witcher 3 will probably takes almost 100 hours just to see the ending.

Then we have games like No Man's Sky where there technically won't be an 'end' in the first place.

 

[Kyonashi]

I'm the kind of person that keeps track of his playtime on HL2B as well as having a spreadsheet list of my backlog, so I'm very much in the category of 'playing to tick off a list'.

I can see your point and I do agree that it can feel like a chore, but it's not always bad. If I'd given up at the Undead Asylum like I did the first THREE times I tried to play Dark Souls, I never would have played it. But because it was on my backlog and I knew I wanted to play it I gave it another shot on PC and just finished putting a solid 80 hours into it, and loved it.

Backlogs and be stressful and feel like a chore, but it also helps me not miss out on games I might forget about or be too lazy to play. I consider it like my film backlog, or listening to music. There might be titles that don't grab me at one point, but I know I *should* play them because if they hit at the right time everything can click. If I don't keep pushing through a bit I might not be keen on I might miss one of the bits that make it one of my favourite games.

 

[tringworldso]

I know this feeling. Been happening since last year ever since the deluge of "games requiring patches to play properly" started. By the time a game is fully patched, I have lost all interest in playing it.

 

[SpinningBirdKick]

Games are supposed to be entertainment. As soon as the game begins to feel like work rather than entertainment I stop playing.

Just don't buy games day one and you'll get them so cheaply you won't even give it a second thought when you abandon them.

Life is too short to waste time on things that you don't enjoy.

 

[BocoDragon]

Games are supposed to be entertainment. As soon as the game begins to feel like work rather than entertainment I stop playing.

Just don't buy games day one and you'll get them so cheaply you won't even give it a second thought when you abandon them.

Life is too short to waste time on things that you don't enjoy.

Bingo.

 

[Blablurn]

The feel of finishing a game is such a good feel. I love it. The amount has become less. But it still feels good. I was a little proud when such a casual like me finished Persona 4 The Golden.

Even if I played it on easy : D

 

[DOWN]

I'm struggling with Dying Light. I have been good about slowing down the backlog growth lately though.

 

[JimmyRustler]

That is a tricky analogy. Would I roll like this, I'd have never truely enjoyed the magnificence of Dark Souls. Some games just need to be struggled with for some time before you get into them. So I still stick to the "finish every game you started" analogy.

On the other hand, what I do not care about any more is if I play every game I have in my backlog.

 

[Ossom]

I started doing this a few years back.

Several recent skips include:

Lego Batman 2 - The AI characters were slowing me down and not being very cooperative. I decided that I was not enjoying it so stopped.

No More Heroes 2 - Great game. Got all the way to the last boos but not having upgraded any skills, and the fact that some of his attacks are near impossible to dodge meant that it was going to take some time if I wanted to beat him without leaving the level, upgrading and then re-do it all again. I elected to save myself the time and watch the ending on youtube.

Evil Within - I tried, but after 10 hours or so one last frustrating section saw me get trade it in.

Anarchy Reigns - Repetitive gameplay, with a game world which felt lacking. I only played for just over an hour.

I have also slowed down the rate with which I buy games. If it isn't a must have title I will wait until it is either ridiculously cheap, I have the time to play it or both.

 

[elelunicy]

I hardly even play games that can be finished. Pretty much any game that has a clear goal/end feels a chore.

 

[thequickandthedead]

I wish I was like you but when I buy a game I feel like I have to get my money's worth even if the game itself is average.

 

[Haunted]

As long as I can remember I've always been a person that has felt I had to finish any game I started. Even if I didn't like it, I felt anxious if I stopped playing it before completion. I would get a nagging feeling that I have to go back and finish, sometimes doing so just to get rid of that feeling.

This year I've decided I'm not going to care as much. I'm in grad school, I have friends and a relationship, I work and have an internship; my time is limited to say the least. And now that I've made the decision to not care, I feel such a sense relief. If I'm not hooked by a game, then I'm not going to finish it. Maybe I played for 8 hours and enjoyed it, feeling like I've had my fill of the game, so I'm not gonna finish it.

So for everyone out there that lets gaming feel like a chore sometimes because you feel you have to complete a game or work your way through a backlog, do yourself a favor and stop caring so much. Let it go. I promise, it'll feel good.

yeah but what if the game gets amazing five minutes past your stopping point

 

[Shuggananas]

Me too, dota 2 and diablo 3 are too hard to finish I just gave up finishing them.

 

[Skelter]

I stopped caring about finishing games after the first time I experienced a Steam Winter sale.

 

[Nestunt]

nevah!

I have to see the credits at least

 

[disappeared]

The moment you stop taking video games seriously is the same moment you begin to really enjoy them.

 

[TheMoon]

I misread this as "stopped caring about fishing games" and got excited to read a tale of someone who was all about dat bass. Now I'm disappointed.

 

[Sadist]

Unless I really dislike a game, no.

I want to complete as many games as I can.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Some games are really hard to get back to after a break, but as another poster said, I think it's something that happens as you get older. Your income is greater meaning that £40 you spent on a game doesn't mean so much as when you have less. Your time is likely lesser, meaning you can't commit to them as much.

 

[DSix]

Yeah, if you're having a bad time, don't force yourself and stop it right here. It NEVER gets better, ever.

 

[teddymeow]

I tend to only buy and play shorter games anyway. Single player, story led titles (Uncharted, Last of Us, The Order, Bayonetta etc) so that there's a good chance I will finish them.

The longest game I've played recently is GTAV which I did manage to finish but usually I get bored of that open world, sandbox style of game.

This year is going to beevenmore about the shorter experience where I'm not likely to get bored or forget what was supposed to be doing as I've a baby on the way so gaming time is going to be significantly reduced.

 

[Jay Sosa]

I could never "force" myself to do that, a game has to be incredibly awful to stop me from finishing it (hell I even completed Fracture despite it being one of the worst pieces of trash I've played in the last 20 years).

However I finally stopped caring about getting all the collectibles or completing every sidequest. Especially if the reward is just some pointless achievement.

 

[pixellated_man]

As long as I can remember I've always been a person that has felt I had to finish any game I started. Even if I didn't like it, I felt anxious if I stopped playing it before completion. I would get a nagging feeling that I have to go back and finish, sometimes doing so just to get rid of that feeling.

This year I've decided I'm not going to care as much. I'm in grad school, I have friends and a relationship, I work and have an internship; my time is limited to say the least. And now that I've made the decision to not care, I feel such a sense relief. If I'm not hooked by a game, then I'm not going to finish it. Maybe I played for 8 hours and enjoyed it, feeling like I've had my fill of the game, so I'm not gonna finish it.

So for everyone out there that lets gaming feel like a chore sometimes because you feel you have to complete a game or work your way through a backlog, do yourself a favor and stop caring so much. Let it go. I promise, it'll feel good.

Good on you OP. I stopped caring about finishing games out of a sense of duty or 'because I have to get my moneys worth', long ago. Life is too short and full of more important things for that b.s. like you, a game has to hook me in order for me to feel compelled to complete it. I do give every game a fair chance though, completing at least 15- 20% and finding out through GAF and sometimes watching YouTube to see if the game will pick up later. This is especially true when I'm considering selling the game.

One thing I feel I should disclose; I never buy games full price. I almost always wait for the game to get cheap (like £15-£10 cheap) whether new or second hand, only occasionally breaking that rule when there's a game I feel I simply have to play right now, like Fifa for example. Even then has to be discounted significantly compared to the full rrp.
My point is that its much easier to sell or drop a game you feel you're not truly enjoying, if you haven't payed through the nose for it.

 

[mtodavk]

I definitely haven't been finishing new games lately. I find myself enjoying trying out new mechanics, and new gameplay more than finishing a game. I think part of the issue is that after I've played most new games these days, I feel like I've fulled experienced what the game is going to offer within the first few hours. The other part of the issue is that I find myself more often returning to multiplayer games like CS:GO, DayZ and HotS.

I finished The Order, but that didn't take too long. Other than that and DeS/DaS/DaSII, I don't think I've finished a new game that I've picked up in a while. Even tried the beat 3 games in January challenge that was going around here, but I didn't finish a single one. I do really want to finish Divinity though...I just haven't really had time to sit and play it for a while...

 

[Dusk Soldier]

I remember during the gamecube era, I couldn't beat any final boss. I play it like 10-15 times and then just give up.

I remember being excited when youtube got big, because I was finally able to see the endings to many games.

 

[Resnais]

2015.. when i stopped downloading/installing games i bought.. (became a collector or something )

 

[Petrae]

Having grown up in arcades-- where it was often less about "beating" a game and more about setting high scores-- I've never been that concerned with playing games to their conclusions. I play a game until it stops being fun or enjoyable, and then I move on.

I've only "beaten" one Final Fantasy game (IV). I never "beat" a Mario game after Super Mario World. I've never finished a Call of Duty campaign. I'm okay with this. If I feel the need to see how a game ends but don't feel like finishing it, I can watch it online.

I definitely don't believe in the "keep playing because it gets better" school of thinking... the one that Final Fantasy XIII is (in)famous for.

 

[Beelzebufo]

I got a PS4 a few weeks ago. It came with LoU and SoM, and then I bought Rayman and Dragon Age when they were both on sale because I still had some gift card money left. So far the only one I've beaten was Rayman

 

[kcp12304]

I was one of those people who felt like they had to finish a game out of some sense of obligation. There was one day where I was telling myself "I should clock in more hours" of a game I was loosing interest in. "Clock in". Why was I treating playing a game like a job?

It was then on where I just won't force myself to get through to the end. I now ask myself, "If I stopped playing this game right now, would I really care?". If the answer is no then I stop. If the game becomes too frustrating, then I am happy to stop.

I also don't force myself to do every side-quest or collect every little thing. I can enjoy a game without having to drag out the experience and finish a game without it leaving a bad taste in my mouth because i wore out it's welcome.

 

[Tregard]

Gravity Rush did this to me, good lord the last fifth of that game is garbage (I assume)