Completing games

[Ridge]

I actually leave games unfinished a lot - just too many games to play or sometimes I lose interest. But funny this thread should appear now, because about two weeks ago I decided to save up for an Xbox One and while doing that I started playing Halo from the beginning of the series, all on legendary. So the past couple of weeks I've been burning through legendary runs of Halo 1, 2, 3, ODST and Reach, just started 4, and got the Xbox One with 5 to play that when I get there.

Point is, this is really fun. I should finish games more often. Especially if the writing is as good as with the Halo games.

 

[Taleweaver]

Ehem

...so? Even if you only go about getting the highest possible scores (of which I've got to admit they're mighty great *), it's not like everyone goes about 4 years on a single city builder game.

And even then: playing these kinds of games is more a form of expression. I'm still of the opinion that "beating a sim city game" is like creating "the ultimate painting": no matter how good you score on all the fields by which painters are judged, someone may still like a different one better.


(*I once recreated mattropolis on sim city 2000...I can't but imagine how much work it is to mathematically get to this sort of compositions)

 

[FAST6191]

No argument there. I just wanted to share an amusing thing I once saw.

On arcade game high scores and such then at times it feels like mastering chess would to me. In as much as I am certainly not going to disrespect it as a hobby, however I think I would so much rather go broad than deep.

 

[Cyan]

When I was young, I had very few games but plenty of time to complete them again and again and again (at least 5 times before buying another game, because of game price).
Then came the piracy era (PS1) mixed with Adulthood where I had money to buy my games but no more time to play (due to work needed to earn money! haha). This is when I started collecting games I liked and these games were released faster than I could play, so as I was always waiting for some game, I started it right away without taking time to complete the previous one.
I now have a very big backlog (500+ games?, no not all pirated, I now pay for them, I even buy the one I pirated long time ago) and I started to feel sorry that I never could enjoy the game I expected so much before release, and ended forgetting them before completing them.

So, like you, I decided to stop running after new games, and only focus on the games I REALLY wanted to play instead of wanted to try everything even for 1 hour, and play them until I complete them.
Instead of one game at a time, I'm doing one game on console and one game on handheld. (so, 2 at the same time max, but one max per console)

By doing that, I started to complete the games again
And by doing that, I started playing my backlog ! I enjoy doing that and playing my old collection better than playing newer games.
Of course I also like new games, but not as much as before. I don't try to collect and play everything, I focus on one game at a time.

I'm not a completionist and I don't try to 100% every games, I enjoy playing the story and try as much as I can to find all there is to find, but I'm not losing my time on things I can't unlock or find. I won't spend 50H on a single enemy hoping it will drop a rare item, etc.
I mark my games are complete when I think I played enough of what there is to see.
It all depend which games I play (for example, I spent 6 years to complete picross DS 100%, but I won't complete all trophies in Star Ocean games)

Here is a list of games I completed these past years thanks to "focusing":

Spoiler: 2012

Xenoblade. after 6 months and 235H!
Little king Story (Wii)
Zelda Skyward Sword (Wii)
The Last Story (Wii)
Kid Icarus (3DS)
Muramasa (Wii) (completed only the first story, half of the game... I don't feel like it's complete but I hadn't had time to return to it yet)
Luigi's Mansion (GC).
Starfox Adventure (GC)
Glory of Heracles (DS)
Castlevania Lords of shadow (PS3)
Catherine (PS3)
Dot Game Hero (PS3)
Shadow Complex (Xbox360 XBLA)

Spoiler: 2013

Journey
LaMulana (Wii)
The World End With You (DS)
KnyttStory (and addons) (DS)
TombRaider reboot (PS3)
Picross 3D (DS)
FlOw (PS3)
Luigi's mansion 2 (3DS)
Torchlight (PC .. one of the rarest game played on PC)
Lego City (WiiU) (story at 47% item collection. stopped playing there)
The Last of Us (PS3)
Remember me (PS3)
Lego Lord of the ring (Wii)
Cave Story (wiiware)
Beyond Two souls (PS3)
Picross DS (DS) (ok that one wasn't a "nothing else until I complete it". 6 years to complete it)
Nanashi no Game (DS)
Lego Marvel super hero (PS3)
From the Abyss (DS)
Castlevania Mirror of Fate HD (PS3)
Zelda A link between worlds (3DS)

Spoiler: 2014

Tingle's rosy rupeeland (DS)
Castlevania Lords of Shadow2 (PS3)
New super Mario Bros. U (WiiU)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Limbo (xbla)
Child of Light (xbla)
Bastion (xbla)
One Piece Unlimited World Red (WiiU) (Coliseum only, 100%). Played on someone else console, so didn't play the story mode.
Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
Naya's Quest (browser)
La Pucelle Ragnarok (PSP)
Brothers a Tale of Two sons (PS3)
Eternal Darkness (GC)
Brave Story New Traveler (PSP)
Rhapsody A Musical Adventure (PS1 on PSP)

Spoiler: 2015

Xeodrifter (3DS)
Steamworld dig (3DS)
Valkyrie Profile - Lenneth (PS1 on PSP)
Contact (DS)
Okamiden (DS)
Valkyrie profile - covenant of the plume (DS)
Wind of Nostalgia (DS)
Beyond the Labyrinth (Labyrinth no kanata) (3DS)
Broken age (my first PS4 game)
uncharted 1 (ps4)
uncharted 2 (ps4)
uncharted 3 (ps4)
Life is strange (ps4)

Spoiler: 2016

Radiant Historia (DS)
Xenoblade Chronicles X (WiiU)
Grim Fandango (PS4)
Toren (PS4)
Knack (PS4)
Scurge Hive (DS)
Transistor (PS4)
Ratchet & Clank 2016 (PS4)
Never alone (PS4)
Gravity Rush remastered (PS4)
Star Ocean 4 (PS3) (started in 2010, finally went back to it this year)
Mass effect 1 (PS3) (started in 2013, finally went back to it this year)
Vagrant Story (PS1 on PSP)
Oxenfree (PS4)
Kingdom Heats Birth by sleep (PSP) (started in 2013, finally went back to complete it!)

I started Furi (PS4), but I'm so bad at shooters/battles.... I tried it only out of curiosity on July's PS+, but I'll probably play another game instead.
I also bought Geometry wars 3, but not as a game I want to complete before playing something else. it's more "one level from time to time ..." one level every month ahah.
I'm so bad, I'm stuck at : Furi (boss3) and GeoWar3 (boss2).

I'm currently not playing any game, I just completed mass effect (console) and vagrant story (handheld, played on PSP). I tried to play Vagrant Story newgame+ a little without cheat codes but ... no, I went to the same point I went without cheats. even with newgame+ it's not easier, not even playable. one hit = you die.

I still have to much to choose from.
There are too much games I bought but never even played once.... ni no kuni (PS3), Pikmin3, Tearaway, Uncharted 4, Heavy Rain, many Telltall games, Witcher series (I will probably skip 1 and 2 as it's PC only), Watch Dog, Axiom verge, Star Ocean 5, I am setsuna, Beyond eyes, and so many more.
PSN has always some sales that retail shop don't have, it's always tempting to buy new games ... an never play them.. damn you PSN!
At least, now I'm completing lot of games, even if they are old.
I choose the next game to play based on my free time. I'll probably play Beyond eyes now; that's the shorted on my list

 

[[^Blark^]]

I try to do this same exact thing. I have so many games and jump around a lot or just never return to beat them. so I do what you mentioned. I'll delete one save file and start completely over if I can't remember the story and events that took place. and it's even worse when it comes to games with #'s (FF,DQ for example) I like beating games like those in order. I mean I have played games like that out of sync at times but if one of the newer ones has a great story or gameplay mechanics I want to see the original where it all began. so I "try" to beat them in order.

 

[VitaType]

I complete games which are fun to complete and don't complete games which are not fun to complete.
This are games they are supposed to be fun in the first place...
I'm so confused by this whole topic.

(Some people have problems )

 

[vayanui8]

I used to justend up playing a little bit of a game and never finish them. I would just download a rom, play a little bit and then download another shortly after. It was completely unfulfilling and unmemorable, so now I make it a point to finish every game that I play. The only time I don't is if I really dislike a game. If I like it, I make sure to finish it and get the full experience.

 

[mashers]

This is a job for a SPREADSHEET!!!

 

[SomecallmeBerto]

When I was a kid I had all the time in the world so I played the game 5 games 100 times 100% them. However now that I'm older I can really only play through them once then I have to move on. I have a lot less free time but much more money so at one time I had over 30 games that I have yet to touch. Since then I have sold them off and only buying and playing games 1 at a time. I'm currently working through my Steam library(can't sell those) and I'm about 60% done. My goal is to complete them all before I buy anything else UNLESS a game I know I'm going to play right there comes out( agro sun and moon)

 

[astrangeone]

Older = less time to play games, and more responsibilities. So mostly, I've been playing less RPGs (although Pokemon will be another time sink when it comes out), and the same with MH which is a huge time sink. Like, hi...did you want another life with that?

Right now I'm working through the Phoenix Wright Trilogy, and will be doing Spirit of Justice as I'm finished. Same time sink as an rpg although!

 

[Armadillo]

I've got a couple of games unfinished and a huge backlog.

I blame it all on Rocket league though. At the moment, I just play that, instead of finishing other games. Just have a quick game of Rocket league....oh where did that 3 hours go