Fancy Clown
Member
The only new game I've finished this year has been Resident Evil 7. I just don't have the time or patience to complete like 50 hour long open open world games, which is what the other games I've bought this year are.
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Finishing games is overrated
- Thread starter nynt9
- Start date
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
It's also a waste of time to finish the other half of whatever if one is hating it and not getting any enjoyment out of it.
I'd rather cut my losses and move on to something I enjoy rather than waste even more time than I already have.
bananafactory
Banned
Agree with you OP. Gaming has become so much more relaxing and carefree since I came to this realization on my own.
daninthemix
Member
I agree entirely. I think a lot of gamers are obsessed with finishing (or worse still 'completing') games, to their own detriment. As a hobby, it attracts obsessive behaviour more than most. To adopt your attitude would result, quite simply, in gaming being more fun, imo.
Octavianus
Banned
I just play games whenever I feel like it and stop playing them when I don't. Sometimes I'll stop playing a certain game for a couple of months or even years before going back into it.
I usually do end up eventually finishing the games I play these days though but that's mainly because a lot of the games I'm still interested in are like 5 to 10 hours long.
.... Some games I play don't really have an ending either.
I usually do end up eventually finishing the games I play these days though but that's mainly because a lot of the games I'm still interested in are like 5 to 10 hours long.
.... Some games I play don't really have an ending either.
shawnbuddy
Member
Games aren't about learning new mechanics, though. They're about mastering them. In some of the most satisfying games you can learn all the mechanics in a couple of minutes, the fun is in getting good enough at using them to complete all the challenges.
Lakershead22
Member
Complete games that i like and quit the ones that begin to bore me.
Yes, but many times the mechanics in a game have no depth to them.
shotgunbob04
Member
I think playing a game as long as you're enjoying it is definitely the way to go.
Can't say there haven't been times where I've felt obligated to finish a game because I spent money on it, though.
Can't say there haven't been times where I've felt obligated to finish a game because I spent money on it, though.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
People play games for different reasons.
This. Since a few months now I find it hard to finish games (and I used to practically finish/complete them all) that I'm not enjoying or enjoying as much as I hoped I would. This has the positive effect that I can now try new, hopefully better, games earlier and get through my backlog but the downside is that it all just cost me (lots of) money in the end. Most of the times I've played these games over 2 hours or I'm way too late to ask for a refund. So I've stopped purchasing lots of indie/smaller games that I know I won't or wouldn't finish in the first place. Best decision ever as it saved me lots of money already and I still have tons of games to play from waaaay back.
decoyplatypus
Member
If the player reaches a point where he/she can look ahead and see that no additional game mechanic, challenge, or story development is going to be worth the time it takes to see the game out, of course he/she should drop the game. It's the same with any art/entertainment. I regularly walk out of plays during intermission (even competent productions) because I've seen what the production has to offer, know what to expect from the remainder, and think I can do something better with my time. (Of course it's possible to be wrong--some books/movies/albums do grow on you, but that's a reason to be thoughtful about quitting, not to persevere through hours you're highly confident will not do anything for you).
Havoc2049
Member
True. Mastering the mechanics and becoming skillful at a game is extremely satisfying. Throw in some cool characters, interesting level design and decent story/universe and you have a great game that you want to finish or a multiplayer game that you want to keep playing.
Knowing yourself as a gamer and doing research on games that you find interesting also helps to minimize playing bad games or playing genres that you don't like.
Quitter!
Actually agree in as much I a) avoid games I'm not interested in and b) will skip filler content and/or dump the game itself
I do try and finish games that have a conclusion - narrative driven games - but I'm not going to force myself through anything.
Luckily I'm good enough at a) I rarely invoke b)
Actually agree in as much I a) avoid games I'm not interested in and b) will skip filler content and/or dump the game itself
I do try and finish games that have a conclusion - narrative driven games - but I'm not going to force myself through anything.
Luckily I'm good enough at a) I rarely invoke b)
macchatmax
Neo Member
I'll stop when it gets boring. Who cares what games I've finished or not besides myself?
As long as it is bearable, I finish them. It's unusual for me to pass that line, but when it happens I drop them too. That said, if I played only as long as there's REAL enjoyment, then I'd probably stop playing, since most of the time it feels like the game is playing me. But that happens with movies, anime, books too...I'm probably just broken inside.
Steam is an excellent platform in this aspect, I can play and finish things in less than 10h and then jump to something else, not even 50 purchases to justify or whatever.
Steam is an excellent platform in this aspect, I can play and finish things in less than 10h and then jump to something else, not even 50 purchases to justify or whatever.
Cool that you feel that way OP but I disagree
I like seeing the story to the end, and games are designed with a difficulty curve and pacing
Granted, not all games have a good difficulty curve and are paced well, but I would find it hard to take someones opinion on a game in general seriously if they have only played 25% or 50% of a game
I would get a lot more out of beating 10 games than I would from playing the first half of 20 games
In fact the first few hours of most games are the worst part (loads of cut scenes, tutorial levels, easy encounters, lots of breaks in play, not all the mechanics revealed etc)
I like seeing the story to the end, and games are designed with a difficulty curve and pacing
Granted, not all games have a good difficulty curve and are paced well, but I would find it hard to take someones opinion on a game in general seriously if they have only played 25% or 50% of a game
I would get a lot more out of beating 10 games than I would from playing the first half of 20 games
In fact the first few hours of most games are the worst part (loads of cut scenes, tutorial levels, easy encounters, lots of breaks in play, not all the mechanics revealed etc)
skLaFarebear
Member
Yup, when i was a kid i always finished shit, but now that im an adult that works full time along with attempting to balance a gym life and a bit of a social life, I value my free time much more. If I'm not enjoying it anymore, no point in playing it. I enjoyed persona 5 but really have no intention of going back to it after finishing the 5th palace and putting 50 hours into it already. I got what i want out of it and enjoyed my time but felt really bored everytime i wanted to jump back in and just decided to move on.
You always have the option to come back whenever too which makes me never feel like im in a huge rush to finish something.
Most games also have really bad endings and aren't worth finishing anyway if you're not enjoying the experience. Not everything is Drakengard 1.
You always have the option to come back whenever too which makes me never feel like im in a huge rush to finish something.
Most games also have really bad endings and aren't worth finishing anyway if you're not enjoying the experience. Not everything is Drakengard 1.
Orakio Rob
Member
I agree with you, OP, but I still feel the urge to finish games. So, I've created a system that works great for my Steam backlog.
I have created a "DONE" category on my Steam library. Whenever I beat a game or stop having fun with it, I write a Steam review and set the game as DONE. This might seem weird, but reviewing + setting the game as DONE gives me the feeling of closure I seek.
I have created a "DONE" category on my Steam library. Whenever I beat a game or stop having fun with it, I write a Steam review and set the game as DONE. This might seem weird, but reviewing + setting the game as DONE gives me the feeling of closure I seek.
Came in here to defend that fishing controller with my life
Same. Playing an unenjoyable game is a total waste of time.
Life is too short and time is too precious. There are millions of things you could do other than slogging through an unenjoyable game. It's not productive and, contrary to popular opinion, it's not maximizing the monetary value you've invested in purchasing the game.
Gaming time is unproductive enough. When it's not fun it starts approaching the stereotypical image that non-gamers have of gamers.
I'm generally quite careful with my purchases and have a good idea of what I like, so it's rare that I buy a game and don't finish it. Last night, for instance, I finished Yakuza 0 and I'm very happy that I did because those characters and that story mattered to me. Similarly I find that even with games where story is less consequential I find I derive a sense of personal satisfaction from finishing them even if the whole experience isn't "fun."
Having said that, there are assuredly some games that I've spent more time with than I should have, but to me those are the exception and not the rule.
Having said that, there are assuredly some games that I've spent more time with than I should have, but to me those are the exception and not the rule.
funroll-loops
Member
Usually I've seen all of the mechanics and can guess what happens at the end of the story well before the end of a game, so I just drop it there unless it's so good I'm planning on replaying it anyway, or so short I'm not expecting to hit the ending.
I probably end up beating like, 1 in 20 games I play. I enjoy learning how to play new games and seeing new things a lot more than actually finishing them. Most games have too much padding anyway
I probably end up beating like, 1 in 20 games I play. I enjoy learning how to play new games and seeing new things a lot more than actually finishing them. Most games have too much padding anyway
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I agree, Op. I made peace with the fact that some games are gonna remain unfinished because while they weren't bad games and were, in fact, worth beating, I either stopped having fun with them at some point and wanted to play something else, or I couldn't be bothered to continue. There is one game where I gave up at the last boss because it was too hard (Bound By Flame). I didn't want to lower the difficulty setting just to see the ending because the story sucked anyway. So whatever, it's unbeaten and I don't care.
It's OK to stop playing a game without seeing the credits and move on to another. I wish my boyfriend could understand that... but instead his backlog is 300+ games big. Sigh.
It's OK to stop playing a game without seeing the credits and move on to another. I wish my boyfriend could understand that... but instead his backlog is 300+ games big. Sigh.
MajinSweet4
Member
If you think finishing games is overrated, maybe the problem is you're not playing good games?
Autoignition
Member
I'm pretty much the same as you, OP, though I do actively look for things to enjoy when I play games and try my hardest not to drop them if I can. But there has to be something in it to keep me invested, or I give up -- even if it's just one single character. Just something to cling to. That was actually the reason why I finished FFX-2. I knew we were going to the Farplane at the end, and I powered through that mess of a shitshow while clinging to hope that I'd be able to see Auron again. Totally worth it for his two disembodied lines of dialogue. Kind of. Almost.
Plowing through a game that gives me nothing in return isn't something that I'm interested in. That's why I don't play many games in general. I maybe only buy/play a max of 10 new games a year, and I generally check them out a little on YouTube first before I make my purchase. I know that my attention span is dreadfully poor, and it's a waste for me to be buying games that I'd just drop.
Plowing through a game that gives me nothing in return isn't something that I'm interested in. That's why I don't play many games in general. I maybe only buy/play a max of 10 new games a year, and I generally check them out a little on YouTube first before I make my purchase. I know that my attention span is dreadfully poor, and it's a waste for me to be buying games that I'd just drop.
nekkid
It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
I'm so glad that wasn't just me.
AgentOtaku
Member
OP speaks the truth
Even more apparent to my 34 year old ass
Even more apparent to my 34 year old ass
MaddenNFL64
Member
I may quit on a game and move on, but I always come back, and finish those bastards.
OmegaTreeFish
Banned
I finish most games i buy but i will certainly drop it if i lose interest. I have just found that over many years of gaming i know what i like so the odd of getting a game i wont finish are fairly low and i buy a lot less games.
Basically i am with you OP. But if i start losing interest but the end is near i will often force myself to finish just to see it through.
Recent games i didn't finish are Arigami and salt and sanctuary. I liked both games but both felt to samey about 50-60% through so i stopped. No big deal.
I am prob more likely to finish a game if it is pushed along by a half decent narrative. Both games i mentioned i stopped i cared basically nothing for what ever story it was telling and so once the mechanics got old i had nothing to keep me going.
Basically i am with you OP. But if i start losing interest but the end is near i will often force myself to finish just to see it through.
Recent games i didn't finish are Arigami and salt and sanctuary. I liked both games but both felt to samey about 50-60% through so i stopped. No big deal.
I am prob more likely to finish a game if it is pushed along by a half decent narrative. Both games i mentioned i stopped i cared basically nothing for what ever story it was telling and so once the mechanics got old i had nothing to keep me going.
Honestly depends on the game we're talking about. I can see that in cases like any open world game like Fallout or Elder Scrolls, that "Finishing" a game doesn't really do much since the idea is that there is this whole world out there, and you stayed on the narrow path and didn't explore what else was out there. Other cases where the game might not be so open though, I can't say as much there since there isn't really as much exploration in the game as it is to "beat it."
I'll admit though that in times where a game can get under my skin or if the interest is completely lost, I don't feel like there is an obligation to finish it (unless if I know I am actually a stone's throw away from the end; to which I suck it up and just finish it so that I can move on to something else).
I'll admit though that in times where a game can get under my skin or if the interest is completely lost, I don't feel like there is an obligation to finish it (unless if I know I am actually a stone's throw away from the end; to which I suck it up and just finish it so that I can move on to something else).
Did the same lol
And I completely agree OP. If I grow tired of a game mechanically or if I'm not invested in the story, I shelve it. Simple as that. My backlog is too huge to force myself to complete games I'm not having fun in.
That said, I finish most of my games, which are mostly RPGs funny enough.
I think I'd have to agree with OP. I believe most games should be finished, especially story-heavy ones like The Last of Us and The Witcher 3, or Horizon Zero Dawn. However, I don't think one should ever force themselves to finish a game to the point that they're just finishing it to finish it, to clean up their backlog.
I finish most of my games, the default course of action is to finish a game I got, of course. It just so happens that every once in a while, there'll be a game that I'll lose interest in or not find time to play more of. If I force myself to go back and finish some games I've stopped playing, it won't really feel good because I'm forcing myself and that kind of takes the fun out of it. Granted, there are some games that I do still want to finish, so that's fine. I really will go back to finish those. But I've lost my interest in some of them, so I'll just leave them be.
I finish most of my games, the default course of action is to finish a game I got, of course. It just so happens that every once in a while, there'll be a game that I'll lose interest in or not find time to play more of. If I force myself to go back and finish some games I've stopped playing, it won't really feel good because I'm forcing myself and that kind of takes the fun out of it. Granted, there are some games that I do still want to finish, so that's fine. I really will go back to finish those. But I've lost my interest in some of them, so I'll just leave them be.
iceblade997
Member
Agree here. I feel like there's a lot I want to catch up on, but I can't play *everything*, so I'm focused on at least giving a chance to the games that I want to try, and if I like them enough, I'll finish them, It's fun to finish games, certainly, and I do feel quite a sense of accomplishment in finishing them, but if not I'll have to drop them and try something else instead. It used to be harder to drop them and I would feel more regret, but it's getting easier with time. The backlog definitely helps with that.
I finish about 95% of the games I start. If I don't go to 100% it's because a game came out that absolutely trumps the one I'm currently playing, and then another one comes out and I can't go back to the first one to finish it. It happened with Resident Evil Revelations 2, because first came Final Fantasy XV and then The Last Guardian and then Nier Automata and then Persona 5 and then Gravity Rush 2 was on sale and so on and so forth. I will 100% finish Revilations 2, just not right now.
But yeah, I'll finish my games. I don't feel I've got my money's worth if I don't.
But yeah, I'll finish my games. I don't feel I've got my money's worth if I don't.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Many players feel the need to finish a game, even if they're no longer enjoying it, because they believe the time they've previously put into the game will have been wasted otherwise.
Basically, the sunk cost fallacy at work. It's a hard cycle to break out of, but once you do, it's a great feeling.
Basically, the sunk cost fallacy at work. It's a hard cycle to break out of, but once you do, it's a great feeling.
InsaneFandom
Member
Well I only finish a game if I'm enjoying it & it's usually for the story
If there isn't much of a story then I really don't mind if I finish them or not, I just play them when I feel like it.
If I like a game & it has a story then I'll want to finish it - if for whatever reason I get distracted and stop playing I consider these games as part of my backlog and do plan on returning to them
I have no problems totally dropping games if they lose my interest though. I play games because I enjoy the experience - if I'm not enjoying it then there's no point
Edit: Also, to me 'finishing' a game means finishing the story. I'm definitely not a completionist
If there isn't much of a story then I really don't mind if I finish them or not, I just play them when I feel like it.
If I like a game & it has a story then I'll want to finish it - if for whatever reason I get distracted and stop playing I consider these games as part of my backlog and do plan on returning to them
I have no problems totally dropping games if they lose my interest though. I play games because I enjoy the experience - if I'm not enjoying it then there's no point
Edit: Also, to me 'finishing' a game means finishing the story. I'm definitely not a completionist
You know, I've been thinking like you OP, if the time I've spent with the game was worth the investment in time and money and it sure makes my backlog weigh a lot less.
Plus I can always go back to something I've gotten tired off a couple of years later instead of buying new games.
Plus I can always go back to something I've gotten tired off a couple of years later instead of buying new games.
princemarth23
Member
I can relate. Once a game starts to feel tedious, I usually drop it. This happens quite often and I could actually say I drop more games than I finish. Much of the time, the issue is that the game is just too long for me; Persona 5 and Tales of Berseria being recent examples- the battles systems and gameplay loops grew really tiresome for me. I do get that lingering feeling in the back of my mind that I should go back to it sometimes, but finding a new game that I'll actually have fun with helps.