What's the worst reward for 100%'ing a game?
There’s something immensely satisfying about fully perfecting a game, and uncovering all its secrets--reaching 100% completion. Whether that’s getting every map tile for 200.6% in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, or collecting the 120 Power Stars in Super Mario 64, it can feel like a huge accomplishment, especially when it’s accompanied by a shiny achievement or trophy. Some games even give players a fun little bonus for doing all that extra work, like how getting A ranks in every stage in Sonic Adventure 2 will unlock a playable 3D remake of Green Hill Zone. Not only do these rewards feel special, but they’re fantastic inclusions to give players that one last feeling of excitement before they move on to another game.
Some games, however, completely miss the mark. For example, in Assassin’s Creed 2, you’re given the optional task of collecting 100 feathers throughout the sprawling maps of Renaissance Italy. These tiny collectibles can be incredibly hard to find, and you’re never given a map marker at any point in the game, nor are you informed as to which ones you’ve already collected, which can make getting every single one a complete nightmare. Getting every feather should result in you getting an amazingly overpowered cool weapon, at least, right? Absolutely not. For all that meticulous work, you get the Auditore Cape, an equipable item that serves only to make every guard instantly aware of your actions at all times, in all areas. Your reward only makes the game more annoying to play in every aspect, which feels like a complete letdown.
And let’s not forget the entire Pokemon franchise, which tasks you with collecting every single Pokemon out there. At this point in time, that’s 898 creatures. When you do catch ‘em all, your grand prize is, in almost all cases, a “diploma”, a mere static image that says, congrats, player name, you filled the Pokedex. That’s all.
Some games, however, completely miss the mark. For example, in Assassin’s Creed 2, you’re given the optional task of collecting 100 feathers throughout the sprawling maps of Renaissance Italy. These tiny collectibles can be incredibly hard to find, and you’re never given a map marker at any point in the game, nor are you informed as to which ones you’ve already collected, which can make getting every single one a complete nightmare. Getting every feather should result in you getting an amazingly overpowered cool weapon, at least, right? Absolutely not. For all that meticulous work, you get the Auditore Cape, an equipable item that serves only to make every guard instantly aware of your actions at all times, in all areas. Your reward only makes the game more annoying to play in every aspect, which feels like a complete letdown.
And let’s not forget the entire Pokemon franchise, which tasks you with collecting every single Pokemon out there. At this point in time, that’s 898 creatures. When you do catch ‘em all, your grand prize is, in almost all cases, a “diploma”, a mere static image that says, congrats, player name, you filled the Pokedex. That’s all.
So, have you ever 100%’ed a game, only to be met with utter disappointment? Which game was that, and what lackluster reward did you get for all your hard work? Let us know in the comments!
