-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Finishing games is overrated
- Thread starter nynt9
- Start date
chicken_pasta
Banned
Agree OP. Some games bore me before the end, so I never finish them, even if they're short.
There are a LOT of games that aren't worth finishing and a LOT of games that are worth playing.
I agree with OP completely. If you don't have access to many games, by all means, finish what you have. But it's better to have played 500 great games than to have finished 50 or fully completed 20.
I agree with OP completely. If you don't have access to many games, by all means, finish what you have. But it's better to have played 500 great games than to have finished 50 or fully completed 20.
MonorailCat
Member
I played 1100 hours of EUIV and never played it to the end. So yeah .. not all games need to be finished in my eyes 
smoothj
Member
I would take games that take 15 hours or so to complete any day over those 60 hour slogs.
I game like 5 hours a week maybe 8 hours if I'm lucky. As we all get older and have more responsibilities, playing shorter games becomes more attractive to be honest. Dont get me wrong, I do enjoy some lengthy games. I just beat Witcher 3 and cut wait to jump into the dlc. I also just beat Inside and the length, while more like 3-4 hours. Was eye opening for me in this regard to beating games.
I really liked what they did with Hitman episodes. Something of the like would be absolutely perfect at this point of my life. A quick game I could beat from a Friday to Sunday.
I'm part of the core generation that grew up on nes, snes, and N64. 32 years old and notice my generation being the biggest in gaming I would say. With that, developers will likely pick up on this playstyle and accommodate gamers in my situation. I'd love to finish more games and making some of them shorter, for me, would be a great thing.
I game like 5 hours a week maybe 8 hours if I'm lucky. As we all get older and have more responsibilities, playing shorter games becomes more attractive to be honest. Dont get me wrong, I do enjoy some lengthy games. I just beat Witcher 3 and cut wait to jump into the dlc. I also just beat Inside and the length, while more like 3-4 hours. Was eye opening for me in this regard to beating games.
I really liked what they did with Hitman episodes. Something of the like would be absolutely perfect at this point of my life. A quick game I could beat from a Friday to Sunday.
I'm part of the core generation that grew up on nes, snes, and N64. 32 years old and notice my generation being the biggest in gaming I would say. With that, developers will likely pick up on this playstyle and accommodate gamers in my situation. I'd love to finish more games and making some of them shorter, for me, would be a great thing.
UncleMeat
Member
It probably depends on how far along I am. Plenty of games I've noped out of in the first hour but if I'm over 80% finished with the story but am sick of the game I'll probably keep going to the end just to finish.
I was bored last week and decided to finish AC:Unity that I hadn't touched in 2 years "just to finish". It was a mistake, that game sucks and is probably the worst game I've ever played to completion. Hopefully that will teach me that finishing just to finish is pointless.
I was bored last week and decided to finish AC:Unity that I hadn't touched in 2 years "just to finish". It was a mistake, that game sucks and is probably the worst game I've ever played to completion. Hopefully that will teach me that finishing just to finish is pointless.
I like to finish games if I'm enjoying them, but I rarely feel obligated. Even if I really like a game up to a certain point, it's my leisure time so I do what I feel like. And sometimes I'm 50 hours into an RPG and decide I'd rather be shooting something or hopping on things or whatever. Not gonna force myself to sit there doing something I don't feel like doing.
I think my mentality comes a bit from renting a lot as a kid. I like to try different things and jump around to other genres, only finishing games that really hold my attention.
I think my mentality comes a bit from renting a lot as a kid. I like to try different things and jump around to other genres, only finishing games that really hold my attention.
Definitely, to that first sentence. Many games have pretty awesome premises or mechanics worth experiencing. That doesn't mean they all end up being long, full games. Sometimes a game has a cool idea but doesn't know how to make it last as long as the developers decided to make the game. I don't owe anything to the game to finish it if it's not keeping me engaged. If I got from it what I wanted, that's good for me.
J_ToSaveTheDay
Member
Yup, I like to experience games but not necessarily completely finish them all the time. I put about 65 hours into MGSV and never even reached Act II. By the time I was ready to start moving forward with the story, I had worn out most of the appeal of the game just wandering around and completing side missions. I went ahead and just read spoilers for the rest of the game, watched analysis videos, etc... ended up thinking the story seemed kinda stupid, so I'm glad I didn't play that game with the express purpose of experiencing the "closing chapter" of MGS, because it seems like a massive letdown in that regard... But I don't regret putting 65 hours into it.
I generally don't even put 20 hours into most games, I have to actually care about something beyond the gameplay at some point to keep going past 20 hours, whether it be the people I'm playing the game with when it comes to multiplayer games or the story or sometimes just pure appreciation for what a game is trying to do. That said, I usually don't even regret getting to that 20 hour mark and kind of being like "yeah this game seems good, I just feel like I've done everything with it that I find appealing already." That feeling doesn't bug me at all, and I never feel an expression of regret over the purchase or time investment, and I pretty rarely feel like it means that a game is bad.
I generally don't even put 20 hours into most games, I have to actually care about something beyond the gameplay at some point to keep going past 20 hours, whether it be the people I'm playing the game with when it comes to multiplayer games or the story or sometimes just pure appreciation for what a game is trying to do. That said, I usually don't even regret getting to that 20 hour mark and kind of being like "yeah this game seems good, I just feel like I've done everything with it that I find appealing already." That feeling doesn't bug me at all, and I never feel an expression of regret over the purchase or time investment, and I pretty rarely feel like it means that a game is bad.
ThatStupidLion
Member
if youre not gonna finish why even buy?
Because often games are on sale, so I pick them up cheap as I figure I'll get a few hours out of them at least. I also rent games.
Crayon
Member
I feel the same on all those points. I could play a short game 3 and a half time through for 50 hours, or I could play through just half of a long rpg for 50 hours. Either way, I feel pretty satisied with the game if it entertained me for 50 hours. The "length" of the game means nothing next to how much time I actually enjoy it.
Because many games are worth experiencing even if you don't finish them? Also you can't really know if it's worth finishing before buying? Many times a game just falls off a cliff after a strong start or halfway into the story.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
I feel guilty when I don't finish a game.
I got about 15 hours into Shadow Hearts 2 recently, and I just had to drop it. I actually enjoyed the game and the dumb story they were spinning, but I just wasn't in the mood to play a JRPG.
I got about 15 hours into Shadow Hearts 2 recently, and I just had to drop it. I actually enjoyed the game and the dumb story they were spinning, but I just wasn't in the mood to play a JRPG.
It is extremely rare that I would drop a game without completing it, it would have to be due to a game breaking glitch or horrible controls or the like before I would even consider giving it away.
I know my tastes well enough to know what I will like and what I wont like (avoid MP centric games like the plague) that I haven't encountered a point where I just stopped having fun.
Start a game, 100% it, move on to the next.
Worked well for me so far, though it means my backlog is massive!
I know my tastes well enough to know what I will like and what I wont like (avoid MP centric games like the plague) that I haven't encountered a point where I just stopped having fun.
Start a game, 100% it, move on to the next.
Worked well for me so far, though it means my backlog is massive!
Yabberwocky
Member
I used to be someone who maybe only finished about half the games I'd started. I had gotten into the habit of finishing every game I started in the last year or so, which I found to be extremely satisfying. That being said, none of the games were excessively long, and when you get burnt out on a behemoth of an RPG... Persona 5 broke me, I'd already put in 45 hours+ couldn't imagine another 40+ hours. I think I've still got another four dungeons to go? I'm hoping to come back to it before the end of the year.
I think there's a bit of an line between finishing what you started, yet also knowing that downtime is very valuable, I could be playing something I was enjoying a hell lot more. Bit bummed P5 broke my game finishing streak, I just really, really needed a break.
I think there's a bit of an line between finishing what you started, yet also knowing that downtime is very valuable, I could be playing something I was enjoying a hell lot more. Bit bummed P5 broke my game finishing streak, I just really, really needed a break.
synchronicity
Member
I think of games on a 5-star scale. My wish is to play and finish games that I consider 4 or (obviously) 5 star works. Sometimes I'll finish 3-star titles because some of them just barely keep me hanging on and before I know it, I'm done.
Life is too short to spend on things that don't resonate with you imo. So, by all means, I'm in agreement. If it's not really connecting for you, why would you want to continue? I have no problem moving on once I am clear about how I feel about a game - when it's less than very good/great to me. Drop it like the mess it is and clear it from your mind.
Life is too short to spend on things that don't resonate with you imo. So, by all means, I'm in agreement. If it's not really connecting for you, why would you want to continue? I have no problem moving on once I am clear about how I feel about a game - when it's less than very good/great to me. Drop it like the mess it is and clear it from your mind.
I definitely have a tendency to finish everything regardless of how much I enjoy it, whether it's a game, book or TV show. But I'm coming around to this point of view. There's just so much out there, why not spend my time on things that are genuinely compelling hour to hour?
Like I played the Mafia 3 demo last night. Really enjoyed spending a few hours in that world but given the mixed reviews around its repetitive structure, I was happy to leave it at that.
Like I played the Mafia 3 demo last night. Really enjoyed spending a few hours in that world but given the mixed reviews around its repetitive structure, I was happy to leave it at that.
Mostly I try to finish my games but sometimes, there is just something missing or something really annoys me where I stop playing and just spoil myself.... Last time this happened for me was Horizon Zero Dawn. While I liked the GFX, I really didnt like the battle system and the controls. Every enemy I encountered was either very hard to beat or just very tedious so I just stopped playing.
There are games I have dropped early on only to go back and find to be amazing. Knights of the Old Republic, Witcher 2 etc. I don't always finish games but I think that sometimes I might be missing out on something if I don't give a chance.
The whole "it stopped being fun so I stopped it" thing makes me think you might be robbing yourself of a great experience. After all, tv shows and other media have dud seasons, slow beginnings etc. This isn't always true but it might be sometimes.
The whole "it stopped being fun so I stopped it" thing makes me think you might be robbing yourself of a great experience. After all, tv shows and other media have dud seasons, slow beginnings etc. This isn't always true but it might be sometimes.
Bc life is more about the journey than the destination?
Sure, but there are so many good experiences out there that missing out on one to play/watch another good experience isn't really a loss per se. Obviously there's a reasonable balance, I don't just drop games the moment they slow down. I give them another shot, I look up online to see if there's more to be experienced, and I experiment a little bit. But sometimes what a game offers is pretty clear. Far Cry 4 for example. I did finish that game, but in hindsight there were several points I could have dropped it and not missed out on anything. The story isn't really a big deal and the gameplay never evolves. And if I really cared I could just watch the ending on YouTube. But after a certain point that game just becomes a set of variations on the same gameplay premise and there's no real benefit to continuing it. Same with ROTTR. In the indie space, Hyper Light Drifter felt like that to me. Beautiful game, feels decently fun to play, but has a lot of backtracking and the combat is mostly the same. Even when it slightly improves it doesn't gain much more depth. And the game doesn't convey a lot of story either. And it's not like I have time to regret not finishing these games. I'm too busy playing other games I enjoy.
krameriffic
Member
Forcing myself to continue playing a game that I'm not enjoying agitates me FAR more.
prag16
Banned
Yep.
I guess I somewhat understand the irrational compulsion some people may have with regard to this.
But a little surprised to see the amount of vehement opposition the OP has been met with.
Our time on this rock is too short to spend playing games we don't really enjoy, or enjoy significantly less than numerous other things we could be doing.
I put the blame on two things here. Our need to have things completed, and the fact that so many games come out where the developers are either not experts at game design, not good writers, or they make their game longer than it should be. The former comes from comparisons to movies, but I think TV shows are a better analogue there. A game often lasts as long as a several-season TV show, and very few shows actually maintain quality over more than two seasons, especially not consecutively.
As for the latter point, we often have games that are not fully conceived. The desire to have a work of art, a product, and something that justifies the price of entry by its length are all things that are usually at odds. Coming up with good mechanics is hard, but making sure those mechanics retain their depth and engagement throughout 30+ hours is harder. And story. There are many good writers out there, but there aren't many good writers who can write a good video game story. The length, repetition and contrivances of a video game put a lot of pressure on the story. It takes a certain kind of story to thrive despite those, or even better, thrive because of those pressures.
As such, video games are a pretty unique medium and the concept of finishing them should be reevaluated and not just ported over from, say, movies.
Tizoc
Member
Fair enough
Ive had this same feeling with uncharted 2 but i still need to finish it to give it proper judgement
OmegaTreeFish
Banned
Finishing a game only makes sense if its in regards to the story.
Any other aspect of the game, the end is irrelevant. Just play till its not fun anymore.
Take far cry 4. I liked the hunting, towers etc but gave zero fucks about the story. So when i had done all that interested me in the first half of the game and it tried to force me to play the story to continue i just stopped playing. I had done the bits i found fun and had my fill. I also got the game for about £12 so that obligation because i paid full price wasn't there.
Unaha-Closp
Member
If my interest is not held in a game for even the briefest moment I'm out. Life is very very short. Finishing a game you started just because you think you should is madness. Movies, books, tv shows - I'll bounce out if I'm not enjoying them too. These are all disposable entertainment products. That says it all really. Tick tock goes your life as you sit there doggedly finishing every game.......nah son I bail if I'm having no fun. It feels really good to dump a thing and be free.
Yeah, but mostly not the same games.
I feel that a game worth playing is generally also worth finishing.
It's one thing if you hate the game but giving up instantly once you're not having fun often means you end up robbing yourself of a more rewarding experience in the end.
A lot of challenge based games are also designed around mastering them, where they don't really start to shine until you invest time and effort.
That's more of an issue with the design of Far Cry 4 though IMO, in that there's no real challenge or escalation to the gameplay, and also the story isn't that great.
I think Nier Automata is an excellent recent example of a game where a lot of people give up too quickly and the joke is on them because they missed out on all the best stuff.
FFXV I think was definitely worth playing, but not worth finishing. The story just falls apart. There are some great moments in there, but the whole experience is a mess. Same with MGSV. That barely even has an ending, and the back half of it is just repetition. The gameplay is good enough to keep going, but there's no real point to actually finishing it. Still worth playing though.
Not every game is worth mastering, honestly. I've probably played more than a thousand games throughout 23 years, and it's pretty easy to see where a game is trying to go mechanically. Mastering mechanics in itself isn't necessarily a driver either unless it actually feels engaging.
And again, I'm not talking about giving up instantly. You can use experience and some outside-game research to figure out if it's worth pushing forward.
I feel satisfaction when I complete a game, so I do try to finish games when I can. That said, if a game is simply not fun at all or too frustrating, then I will just drop it. That doesn't happen often, but I can't force myself to slog through something I'm finding absolutely no enjoyment in. If it's just a case of repetition sinking in, then I tend to just play something else for a while and come back to it later when I'm in the mood again.
TwiztidElf
Member
When I read the thread title I was enraged. I was ready to come in here and claim "Worst thread ever", but you put up a solid perspective OP, I'll give you that.
But ultimately I am on board with the excellent first response:
But ultimately I am on board with the excellent first response:
This. I feel satusfied conpleteting games. The same reason I always aim to plat a game when I start it. Usually only 2/10 and up being plat'd.
It's not overrated, people often finish games to get closure on the story, gameplay etc of a game. Maybe the better terminology is that you can judge and evaluate a game without needing to finish which there might be a better reasoning for.
But if the game has one bad area or hour or two where you aren't having fun after hours and hours of having fun, why drop it so prematurely?
But if the game has one bad area or hour or two where you aren't having fun after hours and hours of having fun, why drop it so prematurely?
I don't like reselling games unless I really, really hate them, at which point I do it out of spite. But I disagree with the assertion that games that aren't worth finishing aren't worth playing. I think MGSV and FFXV are absolutely worth playing to experience either the gameplay, the world, the characters, or other aspects (depends on which of those we're talking about) but there's absolutely no point to finishing either of those IMO unless you really want to hate-watch the non-story end. I've spent like 40+ hours in MGSV but finishing it not only didn't add anything meaningful to my experience of it, it actively detracted from it. I should have quit way earlier, I think.
When one goes deep into a game, it gets hard to pull oneself out and go "why am I even playing this at this point?" and recognize that maybe we're just playing it to see it to the end. That's not a healthy use of one's time. That doesn't meant the first 5 or 20 hours of the game were bad. Sometimes they're great. But the ending point for many games is arbitrary. And many times it's after the mechanics expire.
I've clarified several times that it's not just a matter of one or two bad moments. I wish people would stop using this straw man.
I didn't read all 5 pages and responded simply in the initial post and the title........no need to get snarky.
Now, I do agree that if you continuously play a game where you feel burnt out, than you really have to consider taking a break from the game. Like I could not go through countless open world games and or JRPG games nowadays with a full time job occupying myself but I do as much as I can and hold off until the time is right when I am fully energized back up to finish a game. To me, there's no rush in finishing a game and being apart of the crew that finishes a worldwide released game asap. I don't know how people do that. I finish a game, when I finish a game.
I don't know if I can recall a time where I was so deep into a game and the final boss was that bad that it felt like I wasted ____ hours just to not finish up a final boss. But that's the textbook example I can actually agree with. If a final boss is just that ridiculously tough and you can't call for help, than that's a really tough call because no game is worth stressing out over.
I think SMT Nocturne(True demon path) sadly was the last time I can recall this....that or SMT Digital Devil Saga. Nocturne had this cheap gimmick that you needed to have you and your demons grind to have one ability to do damage to the boss and I think with DDS while I can beat the final boss, I was in a mode that I wanted to do EVERYTHING in the game and that included grinding all the way to ridiculously high levels to take down the secret bosses of the game. Should have finished DDS 1 at the very least admittedly.
I think it's a huge turnoff to tell me after playing so many hours of your game that I need to now GRIND to beat the last boss since you get overwhelmed. If I got as far as I did, why do I now need to stop and grind? Persona 1 too I think fell in this bracket. Curses Atlus!