I got a decent bit into Shin Megami Tensei 4 a few years ago, but ended up dropping it because of a combination of frustration with the encounters in the area I was in and I was having a hard time figuring out what to do next to progress. I kind of want to give it another shot, but of course I have even less of a sense of direction now when I load up my save, and on top of that I have no idea what sort of strategy I was going for with my party. It's a little tempting to just start a new game from scratch, but I remember the beginning being pretty slow and frustrating, plus I don't want to lose all the progress I made. What do you usually do in situations like this?
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How do you approach coming back to a game you never beat after a long time?
- Thread starter gardfish
- Start date
I always tell myself i need to restart, but unless the controls/mechanics are obtuse and you can't figure them back out on your own, i find it's actually not that bad to just pick up where i left off and finish. If you need to, maybe watch some cutscenes on youtube to refresh your memory.
HawthorneKitty
Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
I start over because I don't know what the fuck I was doing and then drop the game altogether after a few hours.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
yeah, SMTIV is a gem
SatoAilDarko
Member
In Summer 2011 I finished Xenosaga Episode I and Episode II. Then Spring 2012 I started Episode III during school which was a mistake.
I was at the end of Chapter 6 of 9.
I will face that one day.
But not today.
I was at the end of Chapter 6 of 9.
I will face that one day.
But not today.
This happened to me with Doom3.
I played the first couple of hours a few times and just couldn't get into it. Eventually, after about 8 months of not playing it, I can't recall if I restarted or just picked up from an hour or two in, but sat and played all the way through. Ended up loving it. Once the environments got a bit lighter anyway.
I played the first couple of hours a few times and just couldn't get into it. Eventually, after about 8 months of not playing it, I can't recall if I restarted or just picked up from an hour or two in, but sat and played all the way through. Ended up loving it. Once the environments got a bit lighter anyway.
Vincent Alexander
Member
Just about 100% of the time, I restart from scratch.
Tralosdean
Gold Member
, i have got a shitty youtube channel (AwesomeMeat
PossumMeat
I usually restart it. Then I find out why I left it originally and quit again. I call this Witcher 3 syndrome.
SciencePilot
Member
I played through all the main stages (but not the final stages) of Mega Man Zero 3 before getting interrupted by Pokemon Sun. Then I played through 120+ hours of Pokemon Sun. Then I went back to Zero 3 and finished off from where I was. I thought I would be at a disadvantage in the boss rush part that is always in the final level, but it wasn't that bad!
I had this with FFXIII but it was actually super easy. I knew things "opened up" at Gran Pulse. So I pushed real hard to get to it in the last couple days before going home to visit my folks for Christmas. I got hit that chapter and thought "oh yes, I made it" but then spent a couple weeks away from the game. Then I just never restarted it because it was a bad game.
Like nine months later I popped it back in and there were enough new things to learn that it felt like a new game entirely and my enthusiasm carried me to the end.
That's... not really gunna work as a general strategy tho. Really, it's the only time I successfully returned to a ("beatable") game after significant time away (of course something like Spelunky is easy to dip in and out of).
Like nine months later I popped it back in and there were enough new things to learn that it felt like a new game entirely and my enthusiasm carried me to the end.
That's... not really gunna work as a general strategy tho. Really, it's the only time I successfully returned to a ("beatable") game after significant time away (of course something like Spelunky is easy to dip in and out of).
Usually restart, which means I have to really want to play the game, because it's not easy to just casually just jump back in and losing all that progress is a little discouraging.
It's something I think more about now, because even though save data is like progress and achievement, unless it's a favorite game you know and come back to, it doesn't mean anything if you don't remember what all that progress means. Maybe I need to take notes for where I leave off in a gamr.
It's something I think more about now, because even though save data is like progress and achievement, unless it's a favorite game you know and come back to, it doesn't mean anything if you don't remember what all that progress means. Maybe I need to take notes for where I leave off in a gamr.
I'm trying to get back into The Witcher 3 after only finishing the Blood Baron (?) questline and its difficult. I'm skipping early conversations because I vaguely remember them and try to beeline so I can advance the main story as quick as I can to where I was before but even then its difficult not to get bored.
At least with RPGs, if I don't beat them when I first start to play I find it very difficult to come back to them and complete, almost like apathy.
At least with RPGs, if I don't beat them when I first start to play I find it very difficult to come back to them and complete, almost like apathy.
web_slinger_62
Member
If I haven't played in 6 months, I restart
CompC
Member
Usually I just don't.
I've done it though, but only a couple times. Final Fantasy X, I got to Sin and then stopped. I finally picked it up and finished it a year and a half later.
But usually I just don't come back to a game... it's just hard to get back into something. If I do go back I usually will start the game over, even if I got pretty far in.
I've done it though, but only a couple times. Final Fantasy X, I got to Sin and then stopped. I finally picked it up and finished it a year and a half later.
But usually I just don't come back to a game... it's just hard to get back into something. If I do go back I usually will start the game over, even if I got pretty far in.
This happens to me all the time, and my answer varies.
Usually though, I will restart the game. There are a handful of games I have been trying to beat since the PS1 days that I have restarted a frustrating number of times.
On the other hand, I have jumped right back in to an older game on several occasions. It really comes down to how well I remember the game. Generally, if I have only had the game on the back burner for a year or two, I feel more confident jumping back in where I left off.
Usually though, I will restart the game. There are a handful of games I have been trying to beat since the PS1 days that I have restarted a frustrating number of times.
On the other hand, I have jumped right back in to an older game on several occasions. It really comes down to how well I remember the game. Generally, if I have only had the game on the back burner for a year or two, I feel more confident jumping back in where I left off.
Elitist1945
Member
me af
It really depends on the game. If I can't remember the story beats or spend too much time wondering around directionless I might consider restarting. When I was younger I restarded all the time but with so many games and so little time these days I find this option less and less appealing.
Youtube videos can also help with getting the grips of mechanics again.
If I'm lost in a game I might consider a spoiler free walk through and skimming through from the beginning to see where abouts I am up to.
Sometimes I might restart a game to get some early gameplay and help me warm up. Then I'm loading that old save file again.
Youtube videos can also help with getting the grips of mechanics again.
If I'm lost in a game I might consider a spoiler free walk through and skimming through from the beginning to see where abouts I am up to.
Sometimes I might restart a game to get some early gameplay and help me warm up. Then I'm loading that old save file again.
I usually restart, but since OP's example was an SMT game, I'll mention that I quit and restarted Persona 4 Golden about ten times. That opening is just such an incredibly slow burn. I'd get most of the way through to the first dungeon, take a break, then come back 3-5 months later and say, "Well, I should probably restart."
Finally I just decided I'd seen the opening enough times, so I just kept on from my last save, and finally beat it. Amazing game, once you get past the slow setup.
(I didn't have this problem with Persona 5, because it's not as slow, and I know now that when it is slow, the wait will be worth it.)
Finally I just decided I'd seen the opening enough times, so I just kept on from my last save, and finally beat it. Amazing game, once you get past the slow setup.
(I didn't have this problem with Persona 5, because it's not as slow, and I know now that when it is slow, the wait will be worth it.)
If it's not a game I care for terribly I will just reload my latest save and do this. I probably shouldn't but it helps me get my bearings and make it past whatever made me quit.
Fahzgoolin
Banned
I often spend more time feeling anxiety in returning and my potential struggle, but then pick it up and my brain recalls stuff I didn't know was there just takes care of the rest. Lol
Just jump in and feel it out!
Just jump in and feel it out!
Same here. Looking forward to do this with Nier and Nioh cause of Persona, yay.
D
Deleted member 465307
Unconfirmed Member
- If I'm not too far: Restart.
- If I'm fairly far in a long game: Watch cutscenes and LPs or read plot synopses and guides to remind myself of where I'm at and mess around in the game a bit to familiarize myself with the gameplay.
- If it's Radiant Historia: Just jump back in time and play through the game again, skipping parts when I remember it. (This game's system is ideal for resolving a problem like this.)
- If I'm fairly far in a long game: Watch cutscenes and LPs or read plot synopses and guides to remind myself of where I'm at and mess around in the game a bit to familiarize myself with the gameplay.
- If it's Radiant Historia: Just jump back in time and play through the game again, skipping parts when I remember it. (This game's system is ideal for resolving a problem like this.)
NoblesseOblige
Banned
Fire up Cheat Engine and speed through to where I had left off.
Kadin
Member
If it's been a long time and I don't remember hardly anything, I'll start new but keep the old save and will load it back up once I'm reacquainted with the controls, UI, etc. If I can still remember vaguely what I was doing, I'll just load up the save and usually stop playing again within a few days...
Wesley-Sigma
Member
Play it on the hardest difficulty.
weemadarthur
Member
.
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mcwizardry
Member
I'm thinking about this currently with Okami and I'm probably gonna start over.
Reluctantly. lol But still:
Just do it. And I think it's kind of fun trying to remember just what the hell you were​ doing.
Just do it. And I think it's kind of fun trying to remember just what the hell you were​ doing.
This..
Chubzdoomer
Banned
This is me.
UnlimitedRulebook
Member
It's hard for me to jump in after leaving a game. The one time I did was Tactics A2, loaded up after a year. Was maybe 3 missions from the end and had no problem finishing it.
I usually just restart the game. I must've restarted Final Fantasy 10 7 different times. Still never finished it. I just enjoy the ride in that game I guess.
I usually just restart the game. I must've restarted Final Fantasy 10 7 different times. Still never finished it. I just enjoy the ride in that game I guess.