Comments on: Pile of Absolution

By: Bowlby

Bowlby — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:03:21 +0000

You’re not alone in this, certainly. I’ll also join Tony in being underwhelmed with Chronicles of Riddick. It took me most of Butcher Bay to properly get used to the controls because there’s something about the way Riddick moves – or “lumbers”, more like – that feels a awkward. Part of this also lies with the graphics engine, where you can feel the slowdown and I find it difficult to work around.

In general, though, not engaging with a game doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad or that you’re wrong, and it’s an interesting dilemma that you can face when reviewing a game. However, if you’re not playing a game for review and you’re not enjoying it, then by all means put the game down instead of trying to force yourself through it. Not all “good” games suit the tastes of all people, and you may as well just spend your time playing something else that you find enjoyable.

By: thearchyteck

thearchyteck — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:55:22 +0000

I abide by this fact: Games are suppose to be fun. If a game is no longer fun than I have no obligation to finish it.

I don’t care if a game I don’t like has garnered perfect 10s in all game magazines. I don’t care if my friends go on and on about how crazy awesome that game is. If I play it and gets to a point of becoming a frustrating mind-numbing affair (i.e. not fun), I’ll quit and won’t feel any sort of shame or guilt.

Now when I mean no longer fun, I don’t mean I’ll quit because its too challenging. Challenges is what makes playing games fun. However, when its “hard for no reason,” “challenging with little or no pay off,” “way too easy,” or just plain boring to play that’s when I quit. Because really life is way too short and I’ve been playing games far too long to settle for mediocrity. Even playing the worst game in the world requires a strong amount of time and effort to muddle through it.

This is why I’m so glad for eBay and Craigslist. If I buy an awful game that’s less than a few weeks old, I can either sell it to get 80% of my money back or trade it away for a better one. If I’m feeling generous, I can donate it or give it to a friend. So, gamers nowadays don’t have to be stuck with a bad game unless they really want to.

By: Woodoggies

Woodoggies — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:43:54 +0000

Wow. So many games not finished. These days I am proud if I actually finish a game rather than disappointed if I don’t. With multiple difficulty levels and achievements/trophies when can you consider a game finished?
There is something inside that tells you if you are really going to go back to a game. There are so many games that once put down are only ever picked up to move to another shelf or worse still, a drawer or box where it wont even be glanced upon.

For me the pile of shame is also the pile of absolution. Very few games make it out, and only when there is a real lull.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:29:27 +0000

…yeah I ment “IS considered a masterpiece”….I’ll proof read next time

By: Joshua

Joshua — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:23:38 +0000

Yeah, I agree with a lot of what you said. I mean it’s the same with films, there are those iconic films that everyone tells you to watch becauses they are mind blowingly awesome, and most of the time you agree. But everyone has at least one film that isn’t considered a masterpiece that they just can’t get into, or just hate. Games I can’t really get into include the earlier grand theft auto’s (to my delight, I enjoyed 4) and the street fighter games. I can understand why people like them, but something about them turns me off. I know this next comment goes against the spirit of the article, but stick with shadow of the colossus, you will not see the ending coming, I can promise you that. You think metal gear solid 3 had an emotional ending, wait until you complete this game.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:23:28 +0000

This was a really great read. I reached this point a while back where I realized that if I honestly am not enjoying a game (after giving it an honest chance) then it’s time to stop. I’m too old to play crap I don’t like at this point. I have a job and a husband and a slew of other crap going on and it really limits the time I have for games. I feel like my game time should be something I enjoy not hours spent on games I’m just not having fun with.

P.S. – I may have teared up a little bit at the fact that you don’t like inFamous. I’ll try to be strong.

By: Steven Jones

Steven Jones — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:08:39 +0000

Great article Alex. Is this not almost where nintendo is going with it ‘self play’ mode though? Get so far into a game, become frustrated with it’s control mechanism, or annoying gameplay, then just flick a switch and watch the game play itself so you can at least see the story? Of course there is always YouTube videos for that, and it’s probably only possible in some games, but it might at least get you through. I have the original Metriod Prime (GameCube) still unfinished as i could never beat the pre-end boss dragon.. but I know I will never return to try it again.
I guess it’s always more difficult when it is a game you have bought, and you want to get your moneys worth out of it, and also there is no one demanding you to get shut of the title, so it’s the easy option to just leave it on the shelf, knowing it is always there should you ever, oh I don’t know, loose all reasonable thought and start over with an aged game that really doesn’t deserve it.
In some ways things are worse in this respect on the PC. At least with console games you might move on to a new console, and get rid of the old console, or at least have it in moth balls. On PC however you can normally, quite easily, install and play a game from over a decade back with little fuss. I have so many PC games in the loft which I will never touch again, but I just can’t let go because they remain unfinished.
Next time I’m having a sort through, I will call on this notion of absolution and hopefully loose a few very poor titles, Inferno I’m looking at you, metal tin case or not!

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:12:46 +0000

There is one problem I’m having with a lot of games at the moment – boredom. I’ll give you an example. I’ve been playing the PS3 import hit Demons Souls recently. Its a very good game but 15 hours in I have lost any motivation to play it. There just isn’t anything to keep me interested in playing it to completion. So I end up with half-finished games that I’ll come back to months later (like Mass Effect) or not at all. I wish more developers thought about keeping their gameplay interesting beyond the first couple of hours.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:54:53 +0000

Alex, its really simple, you know that at least two thirds of those games you have there you’ll never pick up again. Since 3D gaming games really have aged badly. PS2 and XBOX games have their limits and only a handful are worthy of your full attension. Why not start organising you’re collection and make some choices, trade some games in? charity shop?

Every time my collection starts to ramp up with titles I end up having a pick at all of them and rarely finish any. I picked up Assassin’s Creed, Dead Space and new Prince of Persia. I got horrible frustrated with Creed, bored to death with Dead Space and never even put POP in the XBOX. So i cleared out the crap and picked up Wheelman (a lot of guys i worked with made it, and its pretty good )

anyways, hope you get well soon, enjoy PAX

By: David

David — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:45:19 +0000

This is a great article, i really enjoyed it.

It’s especially appropriate considering me and a friend are in the middle of a project to play all the great games of of the past 2 generations (psone, ps2 era- plus a few real oldies) that we missed out on, enjoyed, or have heard are classics now that they’re all going cheap. so i know the immense feeling of having a mammoth “to play” list, that definitely needs a filter.

Also, play shadow of the colossus, it’s absolutely glorious. that, and also you can have pretentious conversations about its parallels with the tower of babel.