Forums » General Gaming

Favorite way to experience games?

    • 708 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:07 AM EST

    Here's a debate I've gotten into with quite a few people recently: your favorite way to experience a new game. From what I've gathered, there's 3 predominant ways:

    1. Have someone/something tell you about everything in the game, such as a website or a friend (I'm sure we've all had that experience where you're playing a game with a friend and pointing out pretty much everything to them). This ensures that the player can get through the whole game and not miss anything. I absolutely hate this, I'm typically a player that will go searching around alot myself and I really love that feeling of discovery.
    2. Be informed about the game, but experience most of it for yourself. For example, most of us here on the Skyrim Blog would have been up to date with Skyrim stuff up to a year or more before it came out - it was no surprise that we became the Dragonborn, defeated Alduin, etc etc - we knew quite alot about the game before we even played it. I'm typically in this boat, intentionally or not.
    3. Virtually no prior knowledge of the game. Imagine you were given Skyrim with absolutely no prior knowledge of the game, you hadn't watched any trailers or read anything about it. Imagine your surprise when you got saved from your execution by a dragon or became the Dragonborn. This is by far my favorite; I bought the Witcher 2 last week purely off the basis of 'I liked the first one, heard the sequel was good'. I hadn't watched trailers, or read anything - it was one of the most amazing gaming experiences I'd had in a long time. I've had several sources (including here) in which I've accidentally glanced across unmarked Dragonborn stuff like spells, shouts, cool gear and baddies, etc, so you can probably imagine why I haven't been so active

    Thoughts?

    • 1913 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:19 AM EST
    I don't like having little to no knowledge on a game... Last time I did that, I ended up with final fantasy 13... Ever since then I watch gameplay videos and how to get rare items videos to make sure I will like the game
    • 81 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:19 AM EST
    The third one is definitely the best. When I got Oblivion I knew absolutely nothing about it, I hadn't seen any trailers, I hadn't played any other tes games and all I knew was it's name. The moment I came out of the sewers and saw that I could go basically anywhere I was amazed. It was one of the best gaming moments I had ever had.
    I usually do it the second way, but it all depends on how badly I want the game.
    • 81 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:21 AM EST
    Final fantasy 13 wasn't that bad...
    • 966 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:26 AM EST

    I prefer the third way, but I can't stop myself from looking into the game.

    Good to know the Witcher 2 is good though, I'm giving it a try shortly and don't know anything about it. Had that same experience with Kingdoms of Amalur. And ofcourse Oblivion, although I was 9 then..

    • 773 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:37 AM EST

    The problem with the 3rd approach is that you end up wasting money on games that turn out to be rubbish - or are just not what you want to or enjoy playing

    So, if like me you're working with limited spare cash, it really has to be number 2 

    • 342 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:50 AM EST

    I like a mix of both 2nd and third. if someone recommends that i have to try out this game (and I know they have decent taste in games :P) I'm willing to fork out the cash for the game i have also used feature articles and believe it or not web comics are sometimes the basis for my choice.

    the third choice however is a bit of a mix bag which is pretty awesome. just to be able to browse the shelves and get a game purely on what the cover art looks like and story outline on the back says. I've found some real gems over the years with this method and quite a few duds but I can always trade them back in for money on my pre-orders :P

    • 40 posts
    January 9, 2013 8:59 AM EST

    I was at work one day and someone asked me what I wanted for Christmas. It couldn't be a gift card but had to be something under 100 bucks. I knew I wanted a game but had no idea what game to get. I hurried up and looked for a RPG sandbox game, googled it. I knew virtually nothing about Skyrim but the cover of the box looked cool so I said I wanted it for Christmas. When I almost got my head chopped off and the dragon appeared I was in shock.

    Usually I like to look at the trailers to get a general idea of the game itself or read reviews. See how popular it is before I invest to much money into it. So I guess I am part of 2, but mostly a 3.

    • 1913 posts
    January 9, 2013 9:04 AM EST
    You are a terrible liar...
    • 1913 posts
    January 9, 2013 9:05 AM EST
    There is no mix with number 2 and 3. If you research it, then you are 2 (even if it is for one or two things). If you don't, then you are 3
    • 342 posts
    January 9, 2013 9:11 AM EST

    I only research some games, like i might see a trailer or hear about it and then look into the game  and its story and the mechanics of it what other people thought of it etc etc.(skyrim uncharted and assassin's creed sequels, just to name a few have been found this way) and then sometimes i'll go into the store with no idea what sort of game i'm after or genre or even play style and just pick one off the shelf that catches my eye.

    • 34 posts
    January 9, 2013 9:36 AM EST

    when the xbox 360 came out I spent all my money on the console and didn't have any left for games so I was renting them all the time (remember blockbuster?), my friends brought over Oblivion and I HATED it. I ended up renting it again since that's all my friends would talk about, Oblivion ended up being my first game I purchased for xbox 360 and didn't buy another game until 3 months later. The best game purchase I ever made to this day. (other than steam deals, $170 worth of games for $25 is just crazy awesome)

    • 952 posts
    January 9, 2013 12:39 PM EST

    For me it's usually 1 or 2. I do like to know what I'm buying so that requires some investigation but for most games I don't really inform myself more than needed to buy it.

    • 131 posts
    January 9, 2013 1:14 PM EST

    A mixture of 2 and 3 for me. I like to know some about a game to know if it's something I really want to buy or will like at all. Otherwise I like experiencing a game for myself for the first time with minimal to no information about the plot, characters, fights, etc.

    • 111 posts
    January 9, 2013 2:23 PM EST

    3rd option works for me pretty much every time. I too bought Witcher 2 based on my experience with the 1st one. I thought it even more immersive and just loved it to bits!! Bought Skyrim for the same reason (TESIV hadn't played Morrowind). I thought Skyrim was worth the money and the hype (some of which I picked up via the trailer(s) only)but a bit disappointed on the poor RPG element and lack of conversational options for quests/guild membership

    Personally I wouldn't entertain option 1 at all as for me that would be a major spoiler to my enjoyment and if anything put me off buying it. I much prefer to experience the game myself

    Usually I listen to or read reviews on games before I consider buying them but tend to be pre-selective about them. For example I still follow with interest games coming out of Bethseda, Bioware, or Valve based on the enjoyment I have had from playing the products coming out of their studio (eg Oblivion, Baldur's Gate, NWN, or Half Life) 

    I realise that there is a crossover between options 2 and 3 , but I do not walk into a store and buy a game just because it is the latest one out or because anyone else has recommended it. Another example is WOW . I played Warcraft Tides of Darkness (the single player one), but refuse to multiplay. For me single player will always be the thing - don't like being in a gang

    • 291 posts
    January 9, 2013 4:59 PM EST

    I'm a 2.  I don't always research EVERYTHING about a new game, though if it's one I reaaaally want, I may end up crossing over into 1.  Some games, especially simulation games, cannot be spoiled by researching them.  Usually I approach these with a bit of a plan anyway, so the more I know, the better I'll feel.

    RPGs are almost always 2.  Before I bought Skyrim, I watched gameplay videos, read up on the lore, checked out screenshots of all the cool locations, basically researched as much about the holds and their environments as I could.  I didn't give a flying flip about the quests involved, though.  And I usually don't.  With RPGs I almost always end up sitting down and going, "Okay, so...where am I gonna spend most of my time wandering around?  Where's my super secret fortress of solitude?"  and "Who am I gonna be?"

    • 708 posts
    January 9, 2013 5:20 PM EST

    I'll typically only buy a game I haven't read about if I hear it's really good from quite a few others (a few of my friends and plenty of people here recommended the Witcher 2 for instance)

    • 37 posts
    April 9, 2013 7:15 PM EDT

    I go in category 2 but back during the dial up internet days i was close to 3, usually small news here and there from nintendo power (remember that magazine?)

    • 40 posts
    April 9, 2013 7:40 PM EDT

    I was option number 3 with this game. I knew nothing about it at all. Didn't even know who made it or nothing.

    This guy at my work walked up one day and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. He said the company typically liked to spend around 100 bucks and I said I had no idea what I wanted. He said there is this new game out that is really popular and a lot of fun. I asked him the genre and he said it was a fantasy role playing game and he loved it. I said that sounded like a fun game..count me in.

    Imagine my surprise when I found out that I had played Oblivion and that this was similar. I still don't know all the lore. Still learning.

    So every minute has been new for me. Every expansion somewhat of a surprise to some extent. I knew more about the DLC's then the original game.

    I have found that this is the way I like to find games to play. I don't like knowing too much going in. So far it has been a great gaming experience that is still going. I still have not done all the faction quests or went in most of the caves LOL.

    This is not to say I like to blindly buy games as I don't have the money to do that without knowing something so usually I wind up at least seeing a trailer before I decide but I have to say I have had the most fun being an #3 person.

    • 1 posts
    April 9, 2013 8:06 PM EDT
    I knew nothing about the TES series. I saw the original commercial for Skyrim and just knew I had to get it. Skyrim actually made me go try Oblivion. Might just have to find Morrowind and try it out.
    • 360 posts
    April 18, 2013 8:23 AM EDT
    Third option is generally a gamble, but if you get what you bargained for it is the greatest i remember my absolute best gaming experience being playing through dark souls with no guides or help, it felt amazing, trully a wonderful acomplishing experience, plus it adds tons to roleplaying and character imersion