October 14th 2023.
Elden Ring – what do you count as beating a game? As readers discussed their usual tactics for beating video games and how they decide when to give up and when to multitask, this week's Hot Topic was suggested by reader Fennel, who asked what you count as beating a game and if it just means having completed the story or everything 100%.
It seems everyone has a slightly different approach when it comes to their gaming. Most agree that getting to the credits screen counts as beating a game, but some like to go further and earn trophies and achievements.
Impossible Mission
As someone who has amassed thousands of games over the years, there’s no way I can complete all of them. There are some games I play that I feel I have experienced all they have to offer within the 15 hour mark and just give up on but it’s rare that I stick to one game to completion and play nothing else. The last game I did this with was Elden Ring last year, which I played for a solid month to 100% Steam achievement completion. I’ve played other games to completion since, but not in between playing others.
I’ve become more cautious in the past couple of years when it comes to my game purchases, too. I need to make sure I’ll have the time to finish them. As much as I’d love to dive into Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Breath Of The Wild took me over 120 hours to complete, so I don’t think I’m quite ready yet.
Stick to the Plan
I tend to be quite tenacious when I start a game and usually finish it. Because of this, I only buy games that I’m confident I’ll be able to complete. I plan which games I start based on that, and thinking about the games I’ve bought recently, I think I’ve finished them all. This does mean I won’t start really long games after finishing a long game recently, but it provides nice palette cleansers between the longer games, like Inscryption and Inside, and the longer games such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom.
I’ve tried the Game Pass but find I’ll start so many games and not even try and finish them. It feels more like window shopping; downloading it, having a look at what it’s all about, and then moving on to the next fairly interesting game, without really seeing much of any of them. For that reason, I’ve decided to go back to the more considered approach of reading reviews and buying and investing my money and time in a game I’ve chosen.
Staying Power
I try to beat every game I play. This is a stark contrast to my gaming youth, where I rarely finished anything. I’d say that during a prolific year of my 30s I’m sure I beat more games than the whole of my childhood, teens, and twenties combined.
As a general rule, though, if I’m really not enjoying a potentially long game I’ll stop. A recent example of this is Immortals Fenyx Rising, which I started to find a bit repetitive about five hours in and dropped. Earlier this year I played through Dark Void, an Uncharted clone that couldn’t be more generic, because it was a short experience, and I don’t think I can accurately form an opinion about a game unless I’ve seen the credits.
I’d advise everyone to try to see a game through if they’re 70-80% there. It’ll leave a more lasting impression and make any potential sequel more appealing.
I try to at least finish, and be that getting to the credits screen, every game I own. Even online shooters like Apex Legends have a natural end for me. After all the achievements were awarded and a handful of wins, I found it had reached its end for me. I don’t see the point of buying a game and not finishing it. I can only remember one game I never finished as it was so difficult, I gave up on it.
When I was younger and only got a handful of new games a year, I’d play everything through to completion. These days I’m quite happy to abandon a game I’m not enjoying. Two recent examples would be Red Dead Redemption 2 and Deathloop. I gave them both three to four hours but found them very uninteresting so moved on to something else. There are too many other games I want to try to bother continuing.
I try to complete the main story of every game I play. But the story and the gameplay needs to be compelling! These are the games I am currently working on: Final Fantasy 16 (good story/boring gameplay; progress stalled), Aliens: Dark Descent (OK story/fun gameplay; progress stalled).
Going by the achievements, it seems I’m on the lower percentage of people doing this now. I finished the new Turtles game and I think it was under 20% of people who had the achievement. This is a two-hour game and people can’t play through it? It's baffling.
Anyway, no matter the approach, I hope everyone has a good weekend!
Elden Ring - what do you count as beating a game?
This week's Hot Topic has sparked a great discussion among readers about their usual tactics for beating video games and how they decide when to give up and when to multitask. Fennel suggested the question: What do you count as beating a game? Do you count only story completion or do you go the extra mile for trophies and achievements?
The answers were as varied as the people who gave them. Most agreed that getting to the credits counted as beating a game, but others wanted to take it farther. With thousands of games in his collection, the first reader admitted that he couldn't complete them all. He shared that the last game he completed was Elden Ring last year. He played it for a solid month to get the 100% Steam achievement completion.
The second reader shared his tenacious approach to gaming, where he tends to finish a game once he starts it. He also admitted to being more wary with his purchases and reading reviews and previews to make sure he would have the time to finish them. He has tried services like Game Pass, but found that he didn't invest himself in the games, so he decided to go back to the more considered approach of buying the games he wanted.
The third reader shared that he now tries to beat every game he plays, in stark contrast to his gaming youth when he rarely finished anything. He shared his advice to try to finish a game if you are 70-80% there and that it will leave a more lasting impression.
The fourth reader shared that he tries to get to the credits of every game he owns. He admitted that he only remembers one game he never finished because it was too difficult and he gave up. He also shared that he usually only buys used or from key sellers, and that he is currently playing Final Fantasy 16, Aliens: Dark Descent, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
The last reader shared that he tries to complete the main story of every game he plays, but only if it is compelling. He shared two examples of games he recently gave up on - Red Dead Redemption 2 and Deathloop - because he found them uninteresting after a few hours. He shared that since he only buys games when they are cheaper, it's no big loss if he only plays them for a short while.
Overall, everyone had slightly different tactics for beating video games and deciding when to give up. Most agreed that getting to the credits counted as beating a game, but some liked to go further for trophies and achievements. Some people are tenacious and try to finish everything they start, while other prefer to read reviews and previews to make sure they will have the time to finish the game. Ultimately, everyone has their own approach when it comes to beating video games.
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