If you take one look at my Xbox Live profile, you will notice one striking pattern. I do not finish many games. First, I must define what I mean by finish. Some hardcore gamers will say that you have not finished a game until you have achieved 100% status, whether it is 120 stars in Super Mario 64, or collecting every little orb in Crackdown. For me, finishing a game means beating its main featured game mode, whether that is “story” mode, or even just the series of core levels. My pile of shame is massive. I even call myself a fan of some series where I have not finished critical games. So here and now, I will confess to some big ones; are you ready?
Super Mario Bros.
I never have played the original Super Mario Bros. for NES from beginning to end and beat the game. Perhaps it was because I was not playing many video games at the time it first came into our house, but I have had many chances over the years to play and finish it. I have taken it for a spin here or there for nostalgia, but never all the way through. One day, when I get some free time outside of the deluge of fall gaming goodness and school, I will sit down with my virtual console and finish this classic. I think my invincible star tattoo will burn a hole through my arm if I do not do this.
Bioshock
For the love of all that is good and holy, why did I not finish this game!? I was enraptured by the demo! I love the setting, the gameplay, and I was having a blast. After about 8 hours in, I stopped playing and never got back around to finish it. I traded in my 360 copy, but it is waiting for me on Steam for the day I head back to the depths.
Metroid Prime(s)
Metroid Prime suffered a similar fate to Bioshock, but I have a Wii and a gamecube controller if I ever want to go back. I played a third of Metroid Prime 2, but quickly grew tired of going back and forth between the two dimensions, especially when one of them sucks away at your health. I have not given enough attention to Metroid Prime 3 because I rented it and only played it a couple of hours. However, when I want a good game to play on the Wii, I’ll go back to it.
Final Fantasy IX, X, XII
In middle school and most of high school, I was a Squaresoft nut! After FF8, I played FFIX to the third disc and then lost my will to continue. However, Vivi and Freya are amongst my favorite FF characters and the music was outstanding. After that, I could not get into X and XII as much as the others. I believe this also has something to do with the fact that I gradually was introduced to Western RPGs which offered more freedom.
I love Freedom
The list above is only a sampling of the ones I regret not finishing the most. However, for as many games on my list that I did not beat, there are those that I do finish, or games whose nature does not allow for completion. I trade in a lot of my games; I find it a good way to recycle those I know I am not going to be able to play. However, there are titles that I will keep coming back to, and I will not trade these in.
Recently, I have noticed my tastes as a gamer lie with open world and open ended games. I am vastly attracted to games such as the Sims, Spore, Civilization, and long RPGs like Fallout 3. Sometimes I feel like I have a burden to beat a great game, just because it is great. However, I have found that I get much more satisfaction out of those games that have no end because I can not burden myself with it. What about you? Is there a masterpiece that tops your pile of shame?
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For me it depends on how good the game is.
I really think you missed out not finishing Bioshock though. It is an excellent game in all aspects.
We share the FFIX syndrome, although I got to the fourth disc pretty much before the final dungeon. I don't know what it is. I love the game, its setting, its characters, but I never feel compelled to go back to it.
I don't know how long Bioshock clocks out but it seems like I've been playing forever and still haven't finished it! Still love the game, though.
Finally, play Metroid Prime 3. I thought it was the best of the series. The only thing I didn't like was the overly-campy ending.
Never beat the first Mario game either. I can remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old my dad would play with me to help beat it but our combined powers were never enough to get past the last Bowser. Beat the living hell out of Mario 3 though.
I've found myself skipping around from game to game for the past couple of years, especially on the 360. Don't know why but most games can't hold my attention for very long anymore.
Everyone has ADD.
The big RPGs are the ones I seem unable to finish. I get so far into the story, then I sort of drift away to other things, then completely forget where I am in the game and what's going on.
I've started Final Fantasy VII tons of times and each time I stopped playing for some reason or another. Never finished it.
It's the same way with me, my interest used to drop as soon as new game came out and I would throw the old one to the side. I'm much better about it now.
I have gamer ADD.
Don't bother finishing Bioshock, the ending both sucks and blows.
But I suffer from the same affliction. I find it good though. It means I always have a constant stream of entertainment to keep me happy.
I'm the same way. I cant finish a game unless its really, really good. A few examples:
All of the Halo games.
Bioshock
Dead Rising
Battlefield Bad Company
Portal (GASP)
Oblivion IV
You know, after I got Dead Space and had a good, long time to sit at my 360 since nothing new was coming out...I finished only TWO games and started re-playing one. I finished Dead Space and Fable 2 and tried to finish Assassins Creed. I also wanted to do Mass Effect, but I thought that was too long of a game.
I don't even want to talk about all the games I have for PC I don't finish...
@ Beefy: WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN MENG?
Seriously, the first Super Mario Bros.??? How did you avoid that the whole time we grew up together. The nice thing is, you can probably play the whole thing through without warping in under one hour. That's not much of a commitment. Just do it already.
This is such a funny article to see coming from you, because I know how true it is. You've probably played 5 times the number of games that I have, because I'm so methodical about finishing most of the ones that I play. So while you feel shame, the flip side is that I feel jealousy for all the cool game experiences you've already had. You're missing out on a lot of fan service though. Game endings can be a pretty huge pat on the back for all the hard work.
@Elitechief
I got the 1/4 ring of death. My xbox has died. Its gonna be awhile before ill be back on. Gotta save up for an arcade.
I too have end game syndrome D: I never finish a lot of good RPG's since I've stopped somewhere near the end of games and never finish them. You should really finish Bioshock, it's a good one~ :3