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I can't beat games anymore without a walkthrough :(
- Thread starter randomengine
- Start date
SoundPulse
Banned
I'll use a guide if I'm either really stuck or the game's decided that it's time to go collect collectibles and I can't really be arsed to find them myself. Recently, for example, I came back to a Metroid Prime save that was after the Omega Pirate but missing four of the artifacts. I just looked up where they were, and beat the game the following day.
I'll also use one for visual novels after I get a natural ending and want to get the rest of them. I really probably would not have bothered with Rin Tezuka's route from Katawa Shoujo otherwise.
I'll also use one for visual novels after I get a natural ending and want to get the rest of them. I really probably would not have bothered with Rin Tezuka's route from Katawa Shoujo otherwise.
PaulBizkit
Member
Come on, that's sad. If you want to play a game, then just play it. If you don't have the time to play everything you want, then pick one or two games and focus on those.
As regards to the topic: in which games did you use a guide?
The only time i said "ok i wont bother with this at all, where's the solution??" Was at the very end of Remember Me with the statues.
I consider it ok to use guides on parts that, for the game at hand, dont matter that much. For example: searching for a puzzle solution in an action game like god of war.
Where's the fun then? Just watch it on Youtube.
I don't usually use a guide unless I'm insanely stuck or something is really vague, which is a rarity in games these days.
What games have you used a guide to beat OP? There's not many that actually need guides anyway so they must be few and far between.
Edit: Like why would you use a guide for The Evil Within? It's a straight forward linear shooter.
What games have you used a guide to beat OP? There's not many that actually need guides anyway so they must be few and far between.
Edit: Like why would you use a guide for The Evil Within? It's a straight forward linear shooter.
thoseAREmySHOES
Member
I'm pretty much the same way, OP. No shame in enjoying a video game in a way that works for you!
matrixman92
Member
I'm fine with newer games, but older games I am guaranteed to use a walk through. I played the first three silent hills games and followed a guide line by line
-MD-
Member
I used guides when I was really young during the N64 (OOT, Majoras Mask) days but not since. Using a guide for today's games doesn't even make sense to me, most games go out of their way to hold your hand or make the game as linear as possible.
It's so true lol.
It's so true lol.
If all you want to do is see the game then watch letsplays. It's entirely pointless to play games if you're actually lacking a desire to play the games. (Not saying you shouldn't buy them, still.) Complaining that the game demands you play it to progress seems to me like missing the point.
Memorabilia
Member
As I've gotten older I've noticed that I can figure out what to do in games much easier than when I was younger. But, at the same time, I have less patience (probably from having less free time). So, depending on the game I'll play it on easy mode if I just want to see the story thru to the end with the least frustration and/or I'll use a guide if need be to get me past a particular section asap.
I really just hate feeling stuck in most games bc I think most games do a piss poor job of creating legitimately fair & challenging situations that make u feel a sense of giddy accomplishment for figuring it out. Games like Portal 1&2 are exceedingly rare in this regard.
When u get stuck in most games its usually bc of some lame or arbitrary design decision or unfair mechanic or illogical puzzle that doesn't make u feel good for getting past it, it just makes u want to throw your controller at the screen.
So, dont feel bad. Its a combination of u getting older, having less time, and most games not being designed to properly challenge u. Getting frustrated bc of a dumb design decision is never rewarding. So there's no shame in beating that bullshit & progressing by any means necessary. For me, the stories are always the best part anyway (assuming the story is well done).
I really just hate feeling stuck in most games bc I think most games do a piss poor job of creating legitimately fair & challenging situations that make u feel a sense of giddy accomplishment for figuring it out. Games like Portal 1&2 are exceedingly rare in this regard.
When u get stuck in most games its usually bc of some lame or arbitrary design decision or unfair mechanic or illogical puzzle that doesn't make u feel good for getting past it, it just makes u want to throw your controller at the screen.
So, dont feel bad. Its a combination of u getting older, having less time, and most games not being designed to properly challenge u. Getting frustrated bc of a dumb design decision is never rewarding. So there's no shame in beating that bullshit & progressing by any means necessary. For me, the stories are always the best part anyway (assuming the story is well done).
TheSpoiler
Member
I don't have to for newer games usually. Not that they are somehow overbearing in telling the player what to and what not to do, but more like the older games are uselessly obtuse in getting you from point A to B.
itchyass86
Member
Right?
In terms of gaming it seems that I've been craving more challenges and more mental stimulation involving puzzles and environmental exploration. These are the kinds of things that I had a knack for when I was little - I would explore my surroundings before and afterschool, but it never applied to gaming. I used to just charge through games and try to finish as fast as I can using the quickest and easiest ways possible. Nowadays, I'm more willing to take the scenic route. It seems much more fulfilling to ride off of the beaten path and find something unusual, peculiar, or difficult-to-reach.
JudgmentJay
Member
This. I'm 32 and I wouldn't dream of using a guide. At most I'd look up a very specific piece of information to help me along if I got stuck for long enough, but that's pretty much impossible with games nowadays. No offense to people who use guides, but I hope I never reach that point.
For open-world RPGs, I will freely read wikis to get a sense as to what stats I should be leveling, what gear to keep an eye out for, good side-quests to tackle, etc. That goes doubly so for Souls games, where you can permanently mess stuff up if you slip up someplace.
For linear games, I seldom look anything up during my first playthrough. My SOP is play the game on normal the first time and just enjoy it for what it is. I tend to replay those kinds of games multiple times, and I'll look online for little tricks and strategies on subsequent runs. (Uncharted is a good example -- I can't see why I would need a guide just to beat the game since you can't really go wrong, but no way am I going to track down every freaking treasure on my own).
For linear games, I seldom look anything up during my first playthrough. My SOP is play the game on normal the first time and just enjoy it for what it is. I tend to replay those kinds of games multiple times, and I'll look online for little tricks and strategies on subsequent runs. (Uncharted is a good example -- I can't see why I would need a guide just to beat the game since you can't really go wrong, but no way am I going to track down every freaking treasure on my own).
Who are you to judge what is sad and what is not?
If he enjoying the game, does it matter whether he is using a guide or not?
I have the opposite problem with a lot of the games I play. In the 90s, I often broke out a walkthrough when I got stuck. Now it's pretty hard to get stuck in most action/adventure and RPGs. If there isn't an arrow over your head literally pointing out the way to the next area, you have journals hotlinked to marked out maps. Puzzles have also gotten dead simple. No more of those bastard sliding tile puzzles from things like Onimusha.
Obviously there are some exceptions, and Indie games can still be quite difficult.
Obviously there are some exceptions, and Indie games can still be quite difficult.
Adventure games. I used to have a lot more patience with solving puzzles or wandering around until I happened on something I haven't tried yet. Not so anymore. I find these games more fun with walkthroughs.
Same with Zelda games, too. I like using guides to 100% them.
Most of it is because of time, or lack thereof.
Also it's funny reading comments from early-30YOs thinking you're old. You're not.
Same with Zelda games, too. I like using guides to 100% them.
Most of it is because of time, or lack thereof.
Also it's funny reading comments from early-30YOs thinking you're old. You're not.
If he's not enjoying the act of playing through it, then can that even be called enjoying the game? There's a point where I'd say it becomes "Game as Movie" when people just shoot for the cutscenes, or at least only value the "seeing and hearing" aspects, and treat that as "the experience". That's what I meant by "You might as well just watch a letsplay."
But he is playing it, not the way you are playing through it. You have to keep in mind he may not have the time, or the patients to actually fumble through a frustrating act to get to the good part. He is experiencing it, just from a relaxed perspective.
Just because you don't think he has to, hands-on, go through literally everything, doesn't mean he is not having fun and he is not playing it.
There is a reason Uncharted games are popular, you just shoot people and experience the cutscenes.
Do you play jrpgs? I don't think I could have platinumed persona 4 without a guide or spending a ton more time on it
Dr. Zoidberg
Member
I've come to terms with this. I am a so-called "content tourist". I want to experience the game and what it has to offer as far as story, music, graphics, art, etc. I enjoy the interactivity and I enjoy a challenge as long as it's not too time-consuming. What I absolutely cannot abide is too much forced repetition. Having to play through the same 15 minute level or boss multiple times only to get killed and have to start over (or worse, lose progress) is just not something I enjoy anymore. Glad those games are out there for those who like them but that's no longer me. People always bring up 8-bit games as a classic example of this but that's bullshit as a Mario or Sonic level is nowhere near as long as a modern level in something like Demon's Souls. Far less lost time when you die.
You're arguing against a different point than the OP is making. Even after the advantages of a walkthrough (or easy mode, or whatever), he or she may still enjoy all the mechanics of gameplay that are lost when watching a Let's Play: running around the map, attacking, collecting items, changing equipment, etc.
Edit: basically what Zoidberg says above ^^^.
I've said this before, but I'm 100% convinced that the Souls games are supposed to be played with the help of the wikis and forums. Those games are so deliberately opaque that I see sharing information and tips with other players as part of the community-based aspect of this franchise. Playing them blind isn't really what the developers had in mind.
I'd say there is a stark difference between playing a game and performing a game, especially if the end goal is just to see all the cutscenes, rather than to experience the full gameplay experience. Following a formula and solving a problem are not the same thing in any regard. If you are needing a guide to make it through a game, then you're skipping most of the experience in just letting someone guide you through the entire thing. Another metaphor: You're basically on auto-pilot and not actually flying the plane as a pilot.
I would argue those are two different kinds of experiences. One is active, one is far more passive. (With letsplay watching being the far most example of passive enjoyment of game content)
JudgmentJay
Member
Going for 100% is a different beast.
JudgmentJay
Member
The only people who play a Soulsborne game truly blind are those who play them offline in addition to not using any other resource. Player messages give more than enough information and hints to get anyone through the game.
texhnolyze
Banned
It's the other way around for me.
I don't need walkthroughs anymore as games nowadays are more simplified with lots of handholding all over the place in pretty much every genre.
I don't need walkthroughs anymore as games nowadays are more simplified with lots of handholding all over the place in pretty much every genre.
i think there is a difference between
i cant finish a game without a walkthrough/yt/gamefaq
and
i cant 100% a game without a walkthrough/yt/gamefaq.
i rarely 100% a game and i play a game until i dont feel to play that game anymore.
fuck the whole achievement shit.
on the other side, when i read stuff like, how to obtain the final weapon in ff12, i wonder how a mortal being should come up with stuff like that to actually get the item without the use of a walkthrough...
i cant finish a game without a walkthrough/yt/gamefaq
and
i cant 100% a game without a walkthrough/yt/gamefaq.
i rarely 100% a game and i play a game until i dont feel to play that game anymore.
fuck the whole achievement shit.
on the other side, when i read stuff like, how to obtain the final weapon in ff12, i wonder how a mortal being should come up with stuff like that to actually get the item without the use of a walkthrough...
ClayKavalier
Banned
I'm the opposite, I had zero patience as a kid and would open GameFAQS if I got stuck for a few minutes. Now, I'll either give it some time or just stop playing if it's consistently frustrating.
axisofweevils
Holy crap! Today's real megaton is that more than two people can have the same first name.
Games are meant to be fun. Play them how you like and don't beat yourself up.
Theanine3D
Member
This is becoming increasingly the case for me too.
When I was a kid, and had no income to buy my own games, I was stuck with whatever my parents bought me. And as a result, if I was stuck in a game, I had no choice but to keep at it, because that game was all I could play anyway.
Now that I'm an adult with an income, a constant backlog, and very limited free time, if a game is frustrating me, it feels so tempting to just uninstall it and switch to another. But I don't like letting my purchases go to waste, either, so a walkthrough solves the problem. It gets me through the game and lets me experience all that I paid for.
I've never bought into the notion that walkthroughs are a form of "cheating", though, even when I was younger. Everyone plays videogames their own way, due to differing lifestyles, availability of free time, etc. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it.
Games are supposed to be about fun, above all. If a game is frustrating you instead of entertaining you, then you just gotta do what you gotta do.
When I was a kid, and had no income to buy my own games, I was stuck with whatever my parents bought me. And as a result, if I was stuck in a game, I had no choice but to keep at it, because that game was all I could play anyway.
Now that I'm an adult with an income, a constant backlog, and very limited free time, if a game is frustrating me, it feels so tempting to just uninstall it and switch to another. But I don't like letting my purchases go to waste, either, so a walkthrough solves the problem. It gets me through the game and lets me experience all that I paid for.
I've never bought into the notion that walkthroughs are a form of "cheating", though, even when I was younger. Everyone plays videogames their own way, due to differing lifestyles, availability of free time, etc. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it.
Games are supposed to be about fun, above all. If a game is frustrating you instead of entertaining you, then you just gotta do what you gotta do.
That pretty much sums it up.
ClayKavalier
Banned
Is going through the motions with a walkthrough really fun though? It's one thing to check on a hard puzzle or two, but if I'm already not having fun with a game sitting there reading instructions and then following them seems totally unappealing.
Theanine3D
Member
Yeah, walkthroughs can definitely kill the fun of games, but it's a case-by-case thing. If I'm needing a walkthrough 100% of the way through a game, then it probably just isn't a game for me and I won't play it anymore. But if it's only a few sections in the game, then it's fine. I think it's a shame if you miss out on the rest of a great game just because 1 or 2 parts are leaving you stumped.
Games like classic Resident Evil (1-3) for example - I wouldn't want to play those with a walkthrough the entire time. The mystery and exploration is what makes them so compelling, and having a walkthrough always tell you what creatures/hazards are in the next room totally kills the point of playing them. But I'd still want to have a walkthrough handy for those times I've spent countless hours looking for a certain key I needed to proceed.
Typically I only use a walkthrough as a last resort, only after many tries at completing the game without it. And after I've finally overcome the rough parts, I continue the rest of the game without the walkthrough.
UltimaWeapon
Member
This makes me feel much much better.
fivepersondude
Member
I use them when I pick a game back up after a week or two and forgot what was going on.
on the contrary to OP, i am 33 this year, playing games since i was 6............and i haven't got used any guide for a long time. While Bloodborne may push me to go to reddit to discuss some of its intricacies (platinumed that 2 months ago) but overall, i am doing pretty well on my own.
Platinumed shadow of mordor by myself in a single weekend among other games.
Platinumed shadow of mordor by myself in a single weekend among other games.
akachan ningen
Member
But what if what the game has to offer is exactly what you don't want? ie, learning to overcome the difficult sections and opportunities to explore. Those are some of the things that make gaming great to me.
If you just want to see the game then maybe just watch LP videos, like so many people do.
Chezzymann
Member
Had to do this with majoras mask a couple times when playing with a friend. Got confused on some dungeons and didn't want to waste time wandering around aimlessly with the whole three day cycle thing (even with the slow speed)
