Completing a videogame?

[MrShowerHead]

Hey guys!

This might seem like a very random thread, but better to have different threads than "LOLPLOX ME3 ENDING HURRDURR!"

Anyway, about 2 days ago I finally finished my first playthrough of Dark Souls. After feeling like a total badass for several hours I told my internet buddy about this great achievement. However, we ended up in a quite long argument about the definition of "completing" a game.

According to him, to complete a game, one has to do a 100% run. This includes all achievements, for example. He used this argument to say that I haven't completed Dark Souls, just finished one mode of it (There is a New Game mode, which is simply a new game with your old character. You can keep your armor, weapons, stats, etc. And all the enemies are tougher) Since this doesn't bring anything new to game( I think?) I would say I've completed/finished Dark Souls.

Well, the argument ended with the usual "Agree to disagree" method, but this got me wondering... How do you guys define what it takes to complete a game?

 

[Squidbulb]

Complete the main story. Achievements don't matter and 100% completion is for lunatics. Just get to the ending and you're done.

 

[Aircross]

My brother and I are different too.

He finished playing through Dragon Quest IX's main quest, clocking in around 50 hours and hasn't touched it since.

I, on the other hand, have about 350 hours on my copy since I have an unhealthy tolerance to grinding.

 

[MrShowerHead]

My brother and I are different too.

He finished playing through Dragon Quest IX's main quest, clocking in around 50 hours and hasn't touched it since.

I, on the other hand, have about 350 hours on my copy since I have an unhealthy tolerance to grinding.

Yeah, I guess it differs from game to game. From example, would you say you've completed Skyrim when you finish the main questline? With Dark Souls it different, since there only is that main questline (Except for few sideareas/bosses)

 

[Redd the Sock]

I have 3 levels:

beat: saw the ending

Complete: did all side quests

Master: max levels, all items, trophies, ect.

 

[roushutsu]

Achievements, mini games, and side quests are optional, so to me completing a game is completing the main story/campaign/what have you. If I beat the story and want more out of it during my next round (should I play it a second time), that's usually when I go back and do those mini games, side quests, and achievement hunting.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I admit I'm a bit of a completionist. If I haven't done everything that a game has to offer, then I haven't completed it yet.

I may have finished it, but I haven't completed it.

Needless to say, there are quite a few games that I haven't completed yet, despite finishing the story.

 

[DoPo]

Complete the main story. Achievements don't matter and 100% completion is for lunatics. Just get to the ending and you're done.

This. The game is (usually) the campain/story mode/equivalent. Unless replying it leads to a completely different thing (not a different branch or a different ending - a completely new experience of some sort - areas, story) then no - new game+ doesn't matter.

And 100% completion is not how you finish a game. It's the equivalent of reading a book, or reading a book so thoroughly to be able to reference exact pages for specific quotes. Tell me which one of those is considered "completinga book"?

 

[Limecake]

to me a game is truly not complete until you've unlocked all the side stuff/gotten all the achievements/rescued everyone and gotten to the end of the game.

but then again, nobody is forcing you to complete the game, if you don't want to play after the main story then don't. if that's all you want out of the game then you don't have to play anymore.

But finishing a game is different to completing a game for me.

 

[MrShowerHead]

to me a game is truly not complete until you've unlocked all the side stuff/gotten all the achievements/rescued everyone and gotten to the end of the game.

but then again, nobody is forcing you to complete the game, if you don't want to play after the main story then don't. if that's all you want out of the game then you don't have to play anymore.

But finishing a game is different to completing a game for me.

But I reached the ending. I owned the final boss, chose the good ending, got the ending credits and the ending achievement. Sure, there is the New Game, which I already started playing, but I would say that I've completed Dark Souls.

 

[Limecake]

But I reached the ending. I owned the final boss, chose the good ending, got the ending credits and the ending achievement. Sure, there is the New Game, which I already started playing, but I would say that I've completed Dark Souls.

but the problem lies in the definition of 'completion' I would say that you finished Dark Souls but you didn't 'complete' it. There are very few video games I've actually 'completed' but I've finished more than my share.

For example I completed Bully a couple years back, I had found every secret, achieved every achievement and became king of the school. There was nothing for me left to do, I had literally done everything that could be done in that game.

But again, there's nothing wrong with simply 'finishing' a game, more than a few games would take months to complete (skyrim? Just Cause 2?) the option to complete them exists but I don't want to 100% those games, the story will be more than enough for me. This doesn't even count games that don't hold my interest through multiple playthroughs

 

[Dalek Caan]

Completing the main Storyline for me is completing a game. Side Quests, Collectables and Achievements are all secondary to beating the game. Although I still make sure to do them as well.

 

[dimensional]

If you get to the end and finish you have completed the game as far as I am concerned it probably wont be 100% complete but its still completed there is no hard and fast rule on this someone could use cheats or glitches for instance to get to the end of the game almost immediately then finish it and they would have completed the game but its hardly a satisfactory completion.

Also how do you complete a fighting game or an open ended sim game?

 

[daveman247]

snip

I would say you have completed the game, but not 100%'ed it. Still, well done, I havnt finished it yet

Sounds to me like your friend was trying to come up with a reason to say you hadnt finished it, im guessing he hasnt finished it yet?

 

[teqrevisited]

If I finish a game it's a normal playthrough: from intro to credits, usually missing some or most of the optional stuff. Completing a game is every collectable, secret and challenge aced.

I'll finish a game I like but I complete games that I love.

 

[MrShowerHead]

snip

I would say you have completed the game, but not 100%'ed it. Still, well done, I havnt finished it yet

Sounds to me like your friend was trying to come up with a reason to say you hadnt finished it, im guessing he hasnt finished it yet?

Hehe, actually he doesn't have the game. Howeve I got him interested enough that he might buy the PC version when it comes out.

Lets see when he gets there... He will yell "I'VE RISEN FROM THE GROUP OF AVERAGE GAMERS TO THE REALM OF GODS!" just like I did when I COMPLETED the game

 

[Scarim Coral]

I always view "completion" as in finish the story wise well whatever it take for you to see the credit.
Stuff like collecting all items and achievement is more like making it whole which doesn't really add more to the completion other than adding digits to the percentage.