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[randomengine]

It might be because I am an old man now, but I cannot seem to beat any games anymore unless I have the help of a walkthrough. I get easily frustrated by impediments to my gaming progress. I don't want to have to die on in a segment 10 times in order to learn how to overcome it. I don't want to have to wander for hours exploring an area just so I don't miss something. I simply want to see the game and what it has to offer.

I think what exacerbates the problem is that I am a one-and-done gamer. I rarely revisit games. I want to play through them once, get the most out of them, and move onto something else. I don't have the interest in playing a single game over and over again (unless your name is The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and your content locks are based on beating the game over and over again).

 

[Cathcart]

I hear you, man. I'm old by GAF standards and I just gave up on beating my head against one part of a game for hours. If I fail on a boss a few times and it's obvious there's some trick I'm missing I'll just look it up online.

But whatever, when I was a kid I had Nintendo Power telling me where to find stuff and other kids in the schoolyard telling me where things are. Not sure why but at some point in I guess I decided to stop using guides but they're just the modern equivalent of what I had as a kid.

Anyway, screw it. If you're having fun don't worry about it

 

[Goliath]

Your just impatient and don't have hours to dump on a game like you did when you were a kid.

I am no "young buck" but find myself being impatient with dying in a game as well. However then you play a Dark Souls game and realize everything else is easily managed in 12-15 hours of trial and error.

 

[GamerJM]

As a kid I could rarely beat games without a guide, now I can but I usually like looking up a puzzle or two so I don't get stuck for too long. Also like looking up the stats for enemies in RPGs when I play them so I don't overlevel or underlevel.

 

[Producer]

What type of games are you playing?

 

[DottyHead]

It is a major problem because if I don't use one I feel like I might miss something.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Wow, thats just sad man....

 

[Acerac]

If I need to use a walkthrough to beat a game I'd usually rather just stop playing it.

 

[Fraeon]

...pick easy mode?

Though to be fair, I haven't played a lot of single player games lately that didn't shove solutions right in your face.

 

[Haunted]

What were some of the recent games you've beaten that were examples of this?

 

[Chastten]

Same. If I'm stuck in a dungeon for like an hour I just look up how to continue. Don't have an entire night to waste on something like this. There's just not enough time.

 

[kng3025]

What were some of the recent games you've beaten that were examples of this?

Yeah, wondering the same.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

Same here......I don't have hours on top of hours to spend on a game anymore.

 

[Amentallica]

Oddly enough I find guides to be necessary in some games that have waypoints or markers that designate your next destination, however are not entirely clear what to look for when you arrive at the destination. What's worse is that I've found myself in some games scouring an entire section enveloped by a marker or containing a marker in search for my next objective, and the damn thing just won't disappear - "WHERE IS THIS MARKER TELLING ME TO GO OMGWTF"

 

[Alcoholikaust]

Every game-or certain games?

Also I need to know your definition of Old Man- been gaming the last 34 of my 39 years on the planet and have only used guide/web/fellow gamer help in dire situations-

 

[BiggNife]

If using a walkthrough helps you enjoy the game because it mitigates frustration, then that's fine. Really, what matters is having fun playing the game. If you need a guide for that, then whatever! Who cares.

I've never been a fan of people who look down at others because they're not good at a certain game. Different people have different skills.

 

[Chobel]

Even linear games?

 

[randomengine]

What were some of the recent games you've beaten that were examples of this?

Danganronpa - If I messed up a trial or took too long (even though failure has no disincentive) I would consult the walkthrough to overcome what I wasn't getting right.

The Evil Within - I played it to Chapter 3-4 without a walkthrough, then I stopped playing. It was becoming too hard and gave me too much anxiety. With the walkthrough, I could manage. I could overcome any of the challenges. Without the walkthrough, I would have simply never returned to the game and I play it on Casual.

Games which have perfect learning curves don't get this treatment and they are extremely rare.

 

[Ferrio]

Sounds like some crazy OCD. Just cause you miss stuff doesn't mean it's any less of an experience.

 

[GuardianE]

Danganronpa - If I messed up a trial or took too long (even though failure has no disincentive) I would consult the walkthrough to overcome what I wasn't getting right.

Aw come on.

 

[randomengine]

I am starting to go through Chrono Trigger with the intent of playing Chrono Cross right after. I have done it with a walkthrough the entire way. The same goes for future Final Fantasy games, I am hoping to beat in the future on my Vita. I have owned every single Final Fantasy game and yet I have never beat a single one.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Not enough time from being an adult + too many games from being an adult =

 

[bennywhatever]

I'm the same as you, OP.
As I get older, I realize how valuable my time is. If I'm stuck for a while, I'll either quit the game or get a guide. I don't have time for longass RPGs anymore, either.

 

[randomengine]

Aw come on.

I would know what the correct answer was, but sometimes the game can be esoteric as to what the correct combination is. In those circumstances, I consulted the walkthrough, instead of exhausting every possible answer combination.

 

[silver.tongue]

That sounds awful OP. Do you care about trophies?

I have a few friends with that problems but it's mostly due to "trophy addiction" and trying to get all trophies on a single playthrough and other non-sense.

I actually had this problem for a while. It feels very liberating when you manage to get rid of that "addiction" and can play games just for the funsies.

 

[secretanchitman]

If using a walkthrough helps you enjoy the game because it mitigates frustration, then that's fine. Really, what matters is having fun playing the game. If you need a guide for that, then whatever! Who cares.

I've never been a fan of people who look down at others because they're not good at a certain game. Different people have different skills.

Pretty much this. I needed one more militia checkpoint in Arkham Knight to finish the side mission and I could not figure out where it was after scouring the entire island on foot, in air and in the batmobile for an hour. Had to resort to looking it up but I felt much better afterwards - there was no way I was going to waste any more time on it because I had the rest of the game to complete.

 

[EBreda]

Man, don't play The Fall then. I had the same problem with it, gore bored after 30 minutes of obnoxious puzzle solving and went the guide route.

I like when mechanics are interesting and hard to a point, but when gamne design forces me through a linear out of the box thinking path, I just give up thinking I have no time for this.

I feel ya bro.

 

[randomengine]

That sounds awful OP. Do you care about trophies?

I have a few friends with that problems but it's mostly due to "trophy addiction" and trying to get all trophies on a single playthrough and other non-sense.

I actually had this problem for a while. It feels very liberating when you manage to get rid of that "addiction" and can play games just for the funsies.

Nah, not really. I just want to experience all the content. I want to see what the game has to offer from beginning to end. When I get stuck, it is hard for me to brute force through it. I might as well just play something else that doesn't frustrate me. A walkthrough helps me through frustration.

 

[brickarts295]

That's me with games like Dark Souls or most JRPGs. I mostly just use maps, I tend to dislike reading walktroughs because most of them tend to be too long or too detailed for my taste.
I also try my best to do point n click games without a walktrough but god damn some puzzles require an insane high level of intelligence or just plain f-ing luck (looking at you Broken Sword)

I can beat them fine, but I go straight to a guide once it comes time to get collectibles. I can't be fucked trying to find that shit on my own anymore. It's time consuming for the sake of being time consuming.

This, some open world games hide collectables way to damn well.

 

[Motooni]

I usually try my damn-est to beat a game by myself, or else I have a certain feeling of being defeated if I wander over to google. That said I don't bother myself with trying to experience everything the game has to offer, since games like Assassin's Creed and Xenoblade Chronicles actually prove detrimental to the experience in trying to do every side quest. I try and find the balance.

There are of course certain games I like enough that I will try and see everything, guide or no guide.

 

[stolin]

Nah, not really. I just want to experience all the content. I want to see what the game has to offer from beginning to end. When I get stuck, it is hard for me to brute force through it. I might as well just play something else that doesn't frustrate me. A walkthrough helps me through frustration.

Engage or become Ninja Dog !

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

I can beat them fine, but I go straight to a guide once it comes time to get collectibles. I can't be fucked trying to find that shit on my own anymore. It's time consuming for the sake of being time consuming.

 

[CountAntonius]

Most modern games have built in guides. It's when i go back and play older games that i am completely lost. Today's game have made me a lot less patient and dumber than I used to be.

 

[Jeronimo Jones]

So how old is old?

I usually just play and try to figure stuff out, but I will look for help if necessary. To me, following walkthroughs step by step is only marginally more fun than just being stuck.

 

[randomengine]

When I was primarily a PC gamer during the FPS era like Doom and Half-life and even the Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim games, I enabled cheats so I could play through the game without anxiety. I didn't want to have to die and restart. The joy in the games wasn't the combat or the gunplay, it was in exploring the game worlds. I guess maybe I have always been this way.

 

[Auto-Reply]

It is what it is I suppose, nothing wrong with that if you have no regrets... you make it seem like you have some tho.

When I watched Kays let's play of Dark Souls I realised that I've grown impatient and played it safe on many occasions when I've played the game before, I blamed the game for not explaining enough of it's world and enemies. I thought there is a lot of stuff in the game that you can't possibly find out yourself so a guide was recomenndedd, but that let's play proved me wrong big time.

 

[Acerac]

Nah, not really. I just want to experience all the content. I want to see what the game has to offer from beginning to end. When I get stuck, it is hard for me to brute force through it. I might as well just play something else that doesn't frustrate me. A walkthrough helps me through frustration.

Maybe watch longplays on youtube? Faster than playing yourself and you get to see all the content without worrying about getting stuck.

 

[Arkhanor]

I'm almost 29 and I'm having this sort of "relationship" with Dark Souls. While I love the game, I don't have a lot of free time to "immerse" myself in the trial and error design. So I play and mostly look at the IGN guide and the Dark Souls wiki - to make a nice build - and enjoy the game. I just avoid looking at guides when I play adventure/puzzle games. In fact, Dark Souls is the firts game in many years that made me pick up a guide to "explore everything" in the game avoiding the eternal "go and die there" sort of thing. Don't feel bad, bro. If that makes you enjoy the games, go for it!

 

[vocab]

I am starting to go through Chrono Trigger with the intent of playing Chrono Cross right after. I have done it with a walkthrough the entire way. The same goes for future Final Fantasy games, I am hoping to beat in the future on my Vita. I have owned every single Final Fantasy game and yet I have never beat a single one.

Just read lparchives, and save your self the time. You need a guide for chrono trigger? Really disappointing to hear. A true disservice to one of the best games ever made.

I don't want to hear this age bullshit. I'm about to play fallout 1, and gothic 1 for the first time without guides.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Walkthroughs are perfectly fine for hard games like Bloodborne. It feels good beating a certain segment of the game without any hints but if I'm stuck then I'll have to go to YouTube to find a way out.

 

[Jawmuncher]

You do you OP. Whatever gives you the better experience is what you should be in for. I play games with guides and I don't feel that they take away from the experience.

 

[randomengine]

Maybe watch longplays on youtube? Faster than playing yourself and you get to see all the content without worrying about getting stuck.

I actually considered this, but I felt something was missing. First, it is hard to find them without some guys screaming commentary, but silent plays do exist.

When I disregarded the guide for a single room in The Evil Within, I could see the joy of playing it without the guide, but I knew that without the guide I would not be able to play the game much past that room. So there is that trade-off. Watching a long-play is another step removed from the game entirely, so it is even less fun than playing with a guide. Something feels lost. I feel like I am still engaged with a guide, even if the experience is a bit more muted than without one.

 

[Burkatron81]

That sounds awful OP. Do you care about trophies?

I have a few friends with that problems but it's mostly due to "trophy addiction" and trying to get all trophies on a single playthrough and other non-sense.

I actually had this problem for a while. It feels very liberating when you manage to get rid of that "addiction" and can play games just for the funsies.

I have this affliction and I don't even have that many trophies, tried to break the game but the game broke me ;( it's total nonsense like you say but I'm ill god damit!

 

[Kuro Madoushi]

I can't beat games period anymore.

I simply don't have the time or energy for boring grind and trial and error. The young me LOVED doing this but I just can't justify it now that I'm older and have to spend all that time for a small payoff.

I'm turning into a casual gamer... :/

 

[Slurmp]

Most games nowadays are just linear corridors filled with cutscenes and QTEs; how could you need a guide for that?

I'm not trying to trash all games here, but most games don't even think about letting your miss something so I just don't see the need for a guide...

Linear games aren't bad either, a game like Metro 2033 or Metro Last Light are aboslutely amazing, and those are linear, to a degree. Just.. most games aren't that "special brand" of linear.

 

[silver.tongue]

Walkthroughs are perfectly fine for hard games like Bloodborne. It feels good beating a certain segment of the game without any hints but if I'm stuck then I'll have to go to YouTube to find a way out.

Well, there are some "spoiler-free" walkthroughs out there that I don't mind much.

They basically say "go here". Now "go there".

They don't really spoil anything or force you to play a certain way.

Those are ok I guess.

I have this affliction and I don't even have that many trophies, tried to break the game but the game broke me ;( it's total nonsense like you say but I'm ill god damit!

It's just OCD and it's awful. You know how I did it to get "free" from this?

I stopped playing PS4/3/V for a while and played on my old 360 and my bother's Wii U. the idea was just to finish whatever game I was playing. No need to get 100% on it.
It felt good and I was able to go back to my PS pltaforms a lot more relaxed.

Don't get me wrogn I still care about trophies, but I'm not obcessed with them anything.

 

[Viridian6]

No shame in using a walkthrough man.

 

[Acerac]

I actually considered this, but I felt something was missing. First, it is hard to find them without some guys screaming commentary, but silent plays do exist.

When I disregarded the guide for a single room in The Evil Within, I could see the joy of playing it without the guide, but I knew that without the guide I would not be able to play the game much past that room. So there is that trade-off. Watching a long-play is another step removed from the game entirely, so it is even less fun than playing with a guide. Something feels lost. I feel like I am still engaged with a guide, even if the experience is a bit more muted than without one.

Fair enough. I can understand that, when I played Star Control 2 I turned the ship combat to automatic. Ship combat wasn't why I was playing the game, I was there for the cool exploration and discovering the game universe.

Granted, looking up spoilers hurts that feeling of discovery for me, but if you just want to experience the game world worry free, I totally get it. Not everyone plays games for a challenge.

 

[randomengine]

Playing through chapters 3-4 without a guide in The Evil Within, I thought the game was really hard. I couldn't stealth worth shit. I couldn't do anything worth shit.

With the guide, I actually look forward to some combat and stealth segments. I am on chapter 8 now and looking forward to playing more. That wouldn't have been possible without a guide to ease me through any rough patches.

 

[UltimaWeapon]

I hear ya OP

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (still didn't finish it because it was soooo fetch-questy)

LoZ: Majora's Mask

Any of the "Tales of" games on the second playthrough. These are the only games I revisit due to New Game+