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I can't beat games anymore without a walkthrough :(

Sometimes, I revisit a game using cheats or trainers to completely change the experience. Skills and weapons can be used infinitely without worrying about managing mana or ammunition, and I can explore the environment at leisure. Enjoying a game is sometimes only possible when you reject how the developers wanted you to experience it – which, of course, speaks for the quality of the game itself.
 
My general rule is: don't go running to walkthroughs at the first sign of frustration. Give yourself time to be "stuck", frustrated, and exhaust all of the options you can identify. Then think creatively about different possibilities. This at least gives you the possibility of getting that "AHA!" moment and the satisfaction of knocking out a tough obstacle.

If you really give it an honest try like that and are getting nowhere at all, then consider looking it up. Especially if you have that tingly feeling that your being blocked by some cryptic bullshit; it's kind of a sixth sense you get that the game's being unfair.
 
Don't feel bad, OP. I use a guide to work my way through games like Suikoden I and II. Cuts down on time wasted trying to find all the stars.

Of course, games like inFamous, Middle-Earth: SoM, and Watch_Dogs I did like 99% solo but I don't think games like that need guides?
 
I usually play the first time without a walkthrough to avoid spoilers, etc.

But when I am trophy hunting, I don't turn a damn corner without consulting the walkthrough opened on my kindle. "Crap! I opened a door! Was I supposed to? Did I miss a collectible?"
 
Just do what I do and watch "Let's Play" videos instead of actually playing video games.

It's way better and you never get stuck!

I still play video games, but LPs really are a great alternative
 
Sounds like you just don't enjoy the "game" part of your games anymore. Even in the easiest games, gameplay is learning, and learning takes a certain amount of time. Doesn't seem like that time is worth it for you anymore.

Id say you should put more focus on easier games instead of playing games that are difficult with walkthroughs.

But ultimately you should do what you can to enjoy them, so you're a better judge of that than me.

Also, people should really try to get over getting 100% in games. I understand that some people have legitimately crippling ocd, but the rest of you should learn to enjoy a game without the need to complete every single aspect of it. (Especially when you consider emergence and how you'll never really see all a game has to offer regardless of what the percentage tracker tells you)
 
I mostly play RPGs and I absolutely hate missing items. I often use an item list for each area or something to that effect.
 
It's absolutely fine. Your time is more valuable than the bragging right of having finished a game by yourself. That little satisfaction you get is not worth the feeling of frustration and of wasting time you get sometimes.

theJohann said:
Sometimes, I revisit a game using cheats or trainers to completely change the experience. Skills and weapons can be used infinitely without worrying about managing mana or ammunition, and I can explore the environment at leisure. Enjoying a game is sometimes only possible when you reject how the developers wanted you to experience it – which, of course, speaks for the quality of the game itself.
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This is true and why I got into cheating into the first place. Unlimited health/lives is crap, but unlimited resources can be a godsend in some games.
Unlocking unfinished content, starting a game with advanced options or different characters, or just mod away that stupid game mechanic you can't stand, are the best things to do when revisiting a game (and the reasons why the memory of my Action Replays was always full)
 
I feel the same when I play Zelda games. I've finished two of them so far (Ocarina of Time 3D and Minish Cap) and I guess I'm slowly getting better, but I'm just not at good at those puzzles. I had to use walkthroughs quite a few times, even with Minish Cap.

And it seems every single JRPG needs to have atleast one really cryptic moment during the main storyline and I can't figure out where I'm supposed to go without a guide at all. I think Pokemon games (I've played so many), Chrono Trigger and Persona 4 are an exception. Tbf, I didn't grow up with those type of games, so I haven't actually played that many of them yet (same thing with Zelda and many other series, but I'm getting there).
 
Looking up something in a walkthrough isn't different from asking a friend or someone on GAF. It's pretty normal. From the title I expected OP meant following a guide for every little thing.
 
Games are so easy nowadays, I only have to use guides for Trophies. Back in the 90s, though, I used GameFAQs for everything (once it existed).
 
I am a one and done gamer myself, but generally speaking I can beat most games without a walkthrough still. I have some time, although it is little and precious, to explore. A lot just depends on the game.
Like Batman Arkham Knight and Dying Light, I beat both without any guides. Just looked things up a few times but did not consistently use a guide.
Bloodborne however, whole different story. I tried for about 4 hours not to use a guide, then I caved in and now I am sticking to it.
So really I would say it depends on the game.
But I no doubt agree about one and done.
 
I use a guide if I've been stuck for a while or if an otherwise good game has some puzzle that I don't enjoy solving. Generally if there's some thing the game wants me to do which I do not enjoy doing.

I don't use guides much because I usually don't enjoy playing a game like that. There are exceptions, like La-mulana, which I played with a guide through most of the game's ridiculously puzzles, and I don't regret that at all. I still try to play as much I can of the game without help at first, even in the case of La-mulana, because I think it's fun to solve puzzles, find secrets and come up with strategies for the bosses etc on my own. Without that I see little reason for me to play the game. If I have to use a walktrough all the time I see it as a strong indicator that it is a game I do not enjoy playing.
 
randomengine said:
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.
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You used a walkthrough for Danganronpa? The either mechanic of that game is figuring stuff out. Are you playing these games on easy? If not, maybe you should try that instead. If so, my God.
 
I pretty much feel the exact same way you do and agree with your whole post OP. Especially the part on wanting to get all the items and experience the entire game the first go around so you can get onto the next one. Time is precious as is. 32 years old here.
 
I've become much more reliant on walkthroughs and whatnot as I've gotten older, but largely for things like JRPGs or adventure type games that have miss-able things in them, or "true" endings, or things locked behind the need for specific stats at specific points in the game, or locked dialog trees, etc.

When I was younger I would play through everything blind and never know that I was not getting the ultimate weapon or the "best' ending or whatever, but these days I care more about seeing everything the game has to offer.


I kind of hate this, but at the same time I'm never going to play through a 20+ hour game twice these days so I've got to be sure I get everything out of 1 run.
 
So my problem is that I can beat a game without a guide, I just can't play them without guides in fear of missing content. I really hate how RPG's (JRPG's I'm looking at you) are bad about hiding their content behind obscure "gating" mechanisms. And if you didn't do X way back at the beginning of the game, then you are fucked when time Y arrives. I like to use non-spoiler walk-through (I don't like being spoiled the story, but directions for side quests and whatnot don't bother me).
 
Acerac said:
If I need to use a walkthrough to beat a game I'd usually rather just stop playing it.
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This is how I feel. If shit is obtuse in a game and I need a walkthrough, I usually stop playing the game. I don't mind hard gameplay, I just don't like games where is it is very easy to screw up you character or miss a lot of shit if you don't do certain things. Needless to say I wasn't a fan of say Demon Souls, but I did enjoy Bloodborne a great deal. Not saying either is right or wrong, just my preference.
 
randomengine said:
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).
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No worries, im 40, and always check online for a part i cannot pass by myself. I beaten Demon's and Dark Souls series by looking online, and im trying to convince myself to beat Bloodborne without hint, and guess what, it wont happen!

I dont remember a game that i play twice to beat it again, and its probably that i always resell my games after. I know i will play them again, but i know i wont get to the ending again. Companies probably need to think of a way to make you play the game again, and the only thing im seeing, is something i boycott most of the time, its call DLC.
 
Baron von Loathsome said:
I tend to use walkthroughs for games that require me to think, like adventure games.
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Same here. I used a guide for some of 999 because at times I was more interested in getting to the next plot point than banging my head against the wall on a puzzle that had me stuck for ages. Not to say I didn't give them the good old college try when I begin them. But some puzzles just go right over my head and I don't feel ashamed at all at throwing my hands up in defeat to go read a walktgrough.
 
I have always followed walkthroughs for action adventure/adventure/RPG/horror games and the likes. It has been like this for as long as I have an internet connection. I just can't be bothered to roam around without knowing where I have to go or what exactly I have to do. My time is valuable. Plus, I find no enjoyment in discovering stuff by myself, I play these kind of games for the escapism aspect mostly. Like, I would have NEVER finished Zero Escape without a walkthrough. The puzzles were crazy hard to me. >_>

Platform games are the only single player-focused games that I play blindly, really. Oh, and the Souls games, because I didn't want to have the bosses designs spoiled.
 
Nah pretty much the opposite of the OP for me.
When I was a kid I was easily frustrated, suffered from game-rage, and just wanted a smooth ride to the ending.
I'm 40 now, and these days I love mastering games, the satisfaction of figuring out puzzles, memorizing areas, feeling my skills improve, and those sweet moments of triumph.

But I sympathize with getting bored when you're sitting at 99% completion and there's no indicator of which cave the last hidden thingamabob is even located in.
 
Playing through FFXII recently with a guide has made it a million times more enjoyable because the world is too big and I'd rather just go from Point A to B as fast as possible with minimal distraction. And knowing about the whole Zodiac Spear thing ahead of time is nice too.

I just would rather play most games with a walkthrough honestly. RPG's, Visual Novels, Adventure games, don't really care what genre it is. I just want a smooth ride while missing as little as possible. Zelda games are the exception but I look for one if I'm trying to get pieces of heart, or other collectibles.

Games just aren't as fun to me if I'm left on my own.
 
I remember when I was in high school, playing Ocarina of Time and I beat the game without a walkthrough and a friend of mine while I was visiting, I saw he had an Ocarina of Time guide. I might have given him a hard time about it, but if I did, looking back on it now, it was an asshole move. We each have our own way to play and enjoy games.

The reason I say this is because I couldn't finish Twilight Princess without a guide, so I had no reason to feel so superior.
 
Goliath said:
Your just impatient and don't have hours to dump on a game like you did when you were a kid.
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This is the crux of it. I can't afford to spend too much time stuck on the same puzzle/battle.

That said, I usually don't bother with guides, and usually don't need them. But there are times I cave, and when I do, it's often quickly, haha.
 
Depends on the type of game. Like original Legend of Zelda and FFXII are just "guide-games" to me.

For Lego Jurassic World I could beat the main game without a guide, but getting everything many things are like "shoot all these random things for no reason".

Walkthroughs are a last resort type of thing when I cannot figure out something.
 
randomengine said:
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.
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There's nothing wrong with this. Most gamers want a full adventure, and you want a guided tour. Honestly, for certain games, I'm with you. I know it's not the same, but if you enjoy it, more power to you (and me)!

I think it'd be great if most single-player games had an invincibility mode -- even as DLC -- so you have the option to experience (even if it's a bit of an ersatz experience) games you might not otherwise play or complete. I have a friend who doesn't game, but who wanted to see The Last of Us played live. So I wound up playing it for him. He could've used this mode.
 
I use guides a lot, but it's not so much that I can't figure out what to do/how to win as that I don't want to miss out on content I might not get otherwise.
 
Truth to tell, I like to think there was a time in my life when I regularly beat games with no help, but that's a lie. From the level maps published in Nintendo Power to other guides and online help, it's been rare that I actually completed a hard game from start to finish with no assistance.
 
It's really really rare that I get so frustrated that I consult a FAQ. Last one I can recall was Breakdown on Xbox, over 10 years ago. That game was anything but hand-holdy.
 
Just by reading your post OP it doesn't seem like the problem is you can't beat games, but rather that you don't have the patience and will to search every nook and cranny to 100% games without a guide.

A sentiment I'm sure you're not alone in no matter the age.
 
I can beat any game without a walkthrough. The problem with me these days are these achievements/trophies that cause me to be so paranoid I have to use a guide to get as many as possible in one playthrough.
 
I've been pleased that Witcher 3 hasn't required me to consult a walkthrough at all. I googled a few times to get some ideas on what might happen from one choice versus another, but other than that it's been pretty straightforward.
 
For me it depends on what I'm stuck on.

If it's some collect x amount of trinkets to advance, and I can't seem to locate the one I'm missing, I'll watch a YouTube clip to see where I missed it.

If it's a riddle or puzzle in something like Professor Layton I'll take as long as needed until I figure it out. For me that's far more enjoyable and worth it.
 
Not sure I'm old by GAF standards (27)

But I agree with you and do feel age (or responsibilities) has a part in it.

Some games are so huge and I for one hardly enjoy doing the same part of a game more than twice. I didnt use to care about this and think this is due to a lack of time.

However, the fact you can just whip out your phone when your on the couch playing a game and look up where that armor is or how to beat this mission definitely plays a big role. It's convenienve.
 
antitrop said:
Games are so easy nowadays, I only have to use guides for Trophies. Back in the 90s, though, I used GameFAQs for everything (once it existed).
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About how I feel. Though I normally check a guide after my first play-through to figure out what I missed.
 
Exact opposite situation for me. Today's games are shockingly easy, most of the time, and I rarely use a walk-through.

When I go back and play old games, I sometimes have to look at a guide briefly just to get my bearings, because games were much more challenging/obtuse back in the day.
 
Depending on the game, there's no shame in this. A completionist run in a game like Tales of the Abyss is literally impossible without a guide. There is some obscure stuff you have to do for some of the side quests.
 
I'll use guides to find certain things, like missable quests in Trails in the Sky or missable puzzles in Professor Layton, or if I'm stuck or lost.
 
randomengine said:
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.
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Yep that's the sort of counter intuitive thing that drives me crazy and I ended up doing the same.

IIRC there was a bit where you had to take a statement from near the end of a testimony then let the dialogue play through to the end. You then had to repeat the scene again but use the statement you took from the end near the start of the dialogue. How the fuck does that make any sense? It's basically rewinding time and goes against the basic structure that came before it.

Of course the problem comes when I think something is badly designed bullshit but when I turn to the walk-through it turns out I was in the wrong.
 
If you can only enjoy games using a Walkthrough, then use it, OP. I've also have been losing patience with games, so I also use walkthroughs from time to time depending on the game. i.e. Souls series: I don't have the patience to trial and error with items and NPC quest lines, so I always end up using a guide to make sure I won't miss a step or do something wrong.

If you want (or have time) to explore everything and discover for yourself, more power to you, but if you want a easier and less time consuming route, using a guide is absolutely fine.
 
I use them rarely when i'm stuck, the only game i gave up without a walkthrough in recent times is La-Mulana. I honestly don't regret using one.
 
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