wandrewhughes said:
One and Done
An argument against replay value.
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Really great article.
I've really soured to the idea of games being marketed based on their "replay value." That can either mean you're able to "go on past the ending" (
Skyrim, Just Cause 2, etc.) or that you have reason to literally replay with a different character or path (
Skyrim again, or
Mass Effect).
The first type, you're usually hunting collectibles of some sort, and it becomes mind-numbingly repetitive. As much as I enjoyed getting around in
Just Cause 2, I would never have the sheer force of will to trudge through to 100% (which is why I appreciated that they awarded the achievement at 75%).
The second type, particularly when it's "different path through the same story," feels a bit trudgy as well -- so many sections are repeated as you just try to shove your way through to the various crossroads to make the other choice.
But in both cases, I've begun to notice that the more a game depends on this replay value, the less satisfied I've been with my first playthrough. I don't want to have to play through three times to feel I got my $60 worth. If I pay $60, I want to feel I got my money's worth on the
first play... or I'd like the game to be less than that.
I guess for me it's less about feeling that I've cheated the narrative, though I feel some sense of that, too. It's more that I'm beginning to feel the depth drained from my first playthrough because the game is saving that extra room for a second (usually less fun) playthrough.