Let's talk about beating games

[MrPopo]

Since starting my Backloggery I've tried to be good about not picking up games I'm unsure of whether or not I'll like them. But the big exception has been the deep sales GOG does on old games. I've got a collection of PC games that are now in a provisional category for me, where they're installed but they aren't part of the Backloggery yet. I want to spend some time with them to see if they play good enough for me to want to keep going; at that point they become full games.

[Forlorn Drifter]

1) Do you have problems focusing enough on a game to beat it?
Hardly ever. The only time I run into issues if a game comes out and I've been particularly hyped/excited about, and it comes out before I finish the one I had been playing.
2) Other than losing interest, is there any recurring reason why you abandon games?If the game happens to be really bad, or mechanics are terrible. I don't run into this too often, but it happens on occasion. I also have the occasional problem of buying games for multiplayer only, leading them to be dropped after a while.
3) Conversely, is there something that makes you far more likely to beat a game?
I'm more likely to finish a game if it is linear, has good gameplay, or engrosses me in the story. Its usually the first two, few games have all that good of a story.
4) Do you finish bad games or games you are not enjoying too much?
Generally no. I used to much more often when I was young and could buy games much less often, but as I've gotten older and gotten more money, that has changed quite a bit.
5) Have you ever tried to beat a whole series? Which one? Did you succeed?
I've beaten the Mass Effect series, Portal series, and I guess you could argue the Left for Dead series. I often don't buy all the games in a series, or run into issues with series with a ton of different titles.

Bonus X) What's the game that required more effort from you to beat?
Probably LoZ:Wind Waker, simply because I did not know you needed a memory card when I first got my Gamecube, and played through the whole game over a 3 day weekend. Not a normal reason, but hey, it counts.
Bonus Y) What game you would really love to beat but won't for the foreseeable future?
I'd have to say 3D dot Game Heroes and XCOM:EU, simply because I have trouble staying with them, for no particular reason other than they take quite a bit of time, and I get distracted by other games that come out. You could throw in Skyrim, and possibly Fallout 3 into there, although Fallout 3 just got picked up because I'm excited for Fallout 4, and hoping it actually comes out well.
Bonux Z) Aren't you ashamed when you open your Steam library? Shaaaame
Don't have one. I have about 4 PC games, 3 of them being the old school Fallouts. Probably won't get any further in them than I already have just due to using my computer to game being uncomfortable, and also because the mechanics cause me to get bored. No fault of the games, just because it doesn't work for me.

[Nemoide]

1) Do you have problems focusing enough on a game to beat it?

Sometimes. I'm normally pretty good though. Backloggery helps because when I say I'm playing a game on that, it typically means I WILL BEAT THAT GAME. There have been exceptions though: a harddrive died while playing Planescape: Torment, I gave up on a few...
I normally have a decent amount of discipline though.

2) Other than losing interest, is there any recurring reason why you abandon games?

Difficulty! Some games are just brutal and I'll put them down and think "maybe I'll try again someday." Like how Metal Slug 3 for Xbox lets you start on the final stage but that one stage IS ABOUT HALF THE ENTIRE GAME. I just have to put the controller down and step away...

3) Conversely, is there something that makes you far more likely to beat a game?

Well being fun certainly helps. Being easy obviously helps too.

4) Do you finish bad games or games you are not enjoying too much?

I try to finish everything. I'm kind of a masochist like that. I don't always succeed but I interpret my failures as something I'LL RETURN TO.

5) Have you ever tried to beat a whole series? Which one? Did you succeed?

Oh yeah! When Final Fantasy XII was new I set out to beat all the main numbered games in that series: now I'm nearing the end of XII and will consider that series beaten once I've done. I'm also only one game away from completing the main Dragon Quest series (and I suspect that I *will* get to all the spinoffs eventually).
I beat all the 8/16-bit Phantasy Star games, I've beaten all the Panzer Dragoon games except Mini, I've completed trilogies like Toejam & Earl, back in the DOS games era there are a bunch of Apogee titles that were kind of series like Commander Keen I've beaten (but not the GBC Keen)... I guess part of this question depends on interpretations of the term "series" - is Torneko: The Last Hope really a Dragon Quest game? Do the post-Saturn-era Shining games really count as the same series as the earlier ones? Are X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel vs. Capcom the same series?

Bonus X) What's the game that required more effort from you to beat?
I don't like how many retro games don't have continues. I started DJ Boy for Genesis and it seemed kind of fun, but I don't want to re-start the first level a billion times. Hard arcade-style games with limited continues = I'm not so sure I'll end up beating them. Something like a dull visual novels? GIVE ME TIME BUT I'LL GET THROUGH 'EM! With at least one ending.

Bonus Y) What game you would really love to beat but won't for the foreseeable future?
Probably Zillion for SMS. It's a really fun 8-bit Metroidvania and I made pretty decent progress once... but it's slow going. I don't know if I want to commit to that game again! And if memory serves, there's no saving or password system. @_@

[BoneSnapDeez]

I'd say Torneko is primarily a Mystery Dungeon game.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... ideo_games

[CFFJR]

1) Do you have problems focusing enough on a game to beat it?

Occasionally. It depends on how many games I'm dividing my attention between. Stuff falls through the cracks, sometimes for months on end.

2) Other than losing interest, is there any recurring reason why you abandon games?

Distraction by other games (see 1). Tedium. Certain games have a level of repetition in their goals that seriously bores me. More on this in a minute, I have an example that applies to another question.

Also, just about any game with an isometric perspective drives me batty. Its very difficult for me to get past that. It is surprising that I love Harvest Moon as much as I do, as 2 of the series best games are isometric.

3) Conversely, is there something that makes you far more likely to beat a game?

Not in particular. Compelling and fun. Interesting environments to explore. But I look for those things in games anyway.

I dunno. Call it the secret ingredient.

4) Do you finish bad games or games you are not enjoying too much?

Eventually yes, though its worth noting that I can't think of any game that I consider to be outright "bad". But ignoring that and just looking at enjoyment, usually I will try to revisit a game that lost me, even if it takes months or years. As others have said, sometimes the time makes the difference and you fall in love. I guess its a mindset thing, but I'll damned if I can figure out what the quirks are.

5) Have you ever tried to beat a whole series? Which one? Did you succeed?

I've never set out with the goal of doing so, but a few, sure. Trilogies here and there, things like that. Its probably worth noting that I've beaten all of the Sonic games, with the exceptions of Lost World and Boom, simply because I haven't gotten to them yet.

Bonus X) What's the game that required more effort from you to beat?

Eh, there's a few, but none are coming to mind in particular right now. I can predict one though. I have plans to beat at least 1 RTS game this year, which I've never done before. I've bought and played a couple, but I don't know yet which one I'll end up finishing. I do know that will be a trial no matter what because the little past experience I have with such games has proven that I suck at them.

Bonus Y) What game you would really love to beat but won't for the foreseeable future?

This might ruffle some feathers, but Diablo 2. I want to beat it so I can say I have, but for all its legendary status, I find the game to be kinda boring. Beat the game on normal, get loot. Move on to the next difficulty, get loot. Play the next next difficulty, get loot. Continue until you puke. Max level! Get loot! Start over!

Yeah I'm simplifying a helluva lot, but what I'm getting at is I play Diablo 2 and find myself thinking, "What's the point?" That's not a good sign. The isometric perspective doesn't help.

Bonux Z) Aren't you ashamed when you open your Steam library? Shaaaame

Nah. I only have something like 30-40 games in my Steam library, and a few of them are cherished games from childhood that I've beaten before anyway.

My Steam library will probably never grow too much. I'm obviously willing to buy digital games, but it bugs the shit out of me (strictly because its digital), and as a result I'm a total miser about it. I'll see a game on sale for 75% off and think, "Maybe I'll buy it at 90%". Not always, but usually.

Sometimes I feel stupid that way. I'll drop 150 bucks on a hard copy of a 20 year old game, but I get too pissy to spend 10 bucks on the digital version of the same game. I'm much more likely to actually play that hard copy though!

[BoneSnapDeez]

You should be playing Phantasy Star Online instead of Diablo II.

[Gamerforlife]

2) Other than losing interest, is there any recurring reason why you abandon games?

Difficulty! Some games are just brutal and I'll put them down and think "maybe I'll try again someday." Like how Metal Slug 3 for Xbox lets you start on the final stage but that one stage IS ABOUT HALF THE ENTIRE GAME. I just have to put the controller down and step away...

There's a new version on PSN that lets you save anywhere. Probably the easiest version of the game in existence, and an easy Platinum trophy I've heard.

[Xeogred]

You should be playing Phantasy Star Online instead of Diablo II.

Or Universe!

Oh wait Sega hates us.

[CFFJR]

You should be playing Phantasy Star Online instead of Diablo II.

That would be indeed be time much better spent. I love PSO.

Where oh where are you PSO 2? Sega, why have you forsaken me?

[Erik_Twice]

It seems a lot of us have found stuff like Backloggery or the Games Beaten thread useful.
I mean, the main problem here is not time, or willingness but focus and being able to discuss the games you play and so on really helps in that regard.

It also seems Ack hates himself.

This might ruffle some feathers, but Diablo 2. I want to beat it so I can say I have, but for all its legendary status, I find the game to be kinda boring. Beat the game on normal, get loot. Move on to the next difficulty, get loot. Play the next next difficulty, get loot. Continue until you puke. Max level! Get loot! Start over!

You know, I beat Diablo II two or three times when cybercafés were still a thing and, looking back, I don't think I ever got anything out of it. The entire game is a matter of right-clicking in the general direction of enemies just so you get bigger numbers so you can right-click in the general direction of the same enemies but with a different colour palette. I know I've said this of many games but geez, Diablo II is the epitome of it.