Beating a game...How do you like play?

[thalaw2]

I'm the kind of gamer who likes to drag a game out for as long as possible.  It takes me several weeks to beat a game.  Maybe it's because of my busy schedule, but I think it's more becuase I like enjoy a game and explore the bounderies of the universe within it.  I just don't understand people who buy a game and try to beat it in one day.  What up wit dat?

[bat1987]

It depends. I tend to finish as much as side missions (if available) as possible. On the other hand if I`m hooked (good story is a big factor here) I finish the game in a day or two. But there are games that I finish really fast no matter what, usually linear games which are not that hard in the first place (Wanted: WOF is the most recent example).

[bredon7777]

Since I almost never replay a game I try to make sure I discover as much of the plot as possible.  I'll redo plot stuff I missed, but not silly things like collectibles or achievements.

[Tortuga]

I'm a completist, but sometimes the story just compels me to forget about side-quests for a spell.  Once I hit 75% through the main story in Fallout 3, I couldn't stop focusing on the story.  Same thing is happening in Fable 2 at the moment.  The story gets so good that you want to find out what's next.

I've never ever completed a game in a matter of days.  I mess around waaay too much for the first chunk of the game for that to happen.

Tortuga

[captmorgan72]

I like to squeeze out as much as possible from a game. I want to experience everything possible before I finish it.

[TheMarvell]

I try to get the most out of my games, but sometimes a game I thought I'd love ends up being fairly average, in which case I'll at the very least beat the main campaign and then move on to something else. That way I can at least say I beat the game (although some games I just couldn't play through...*looks at NWN2*)

But yeah, I don't understand at all why a lot of people want to breeze through a game and move on to the next one in the matter of days. I suppose this would be the case when renting a game. If you can breeze through it in a rental period, there's not much point to actually buying the game unless you want to replay it multiple times.

[Reepicheep]

I can take or leave side quests, especially when they're the kind of 'collection' side quests with no real reward besides some Xbox points or something. I only do them when I need to level up to proceed with the main quest safely, or when I know beforehand that they're worth doing.

[thalaw2]

When i play a game even if the story is good I am not satisfied with continuing until I have explored every corner of an area.  Even fairly straight forward games like Doom 3 take me more than a week to finish.  It took me a few months to get through KOTOR 1 because I kept exploring everything.  I can't help but play games this way.  I remember once my friend got frustrated with me when he let me play Final Fantasy VII on his PC.  He had nearly beaten the game and thought he was superior to me.  He got angry that I didn't follow the main story in the very beginning of the game and went around exploring...I discovered something he had never seen and it blew his mind.

[lugaru]

I'm a role player and I dislike it when games encourage you to become the master at everything while befriending every faction. Most of my characters are specialists who move in specific social circiles, but I often watch my friends have characters who run both the warrior and mage guild while wilding every magical weapon in the game.

[Camma]

I always draw games out as long as possible.  I get too attached to my characters and the end of the game is for all intensive purposes the end of the character.  Luckily my wife is the same way.  We play a lot of Final Fantasy games and we usually get to about 85% in the main story and then go do every side quest we can find.  It always makes me sad to finish a game, despite replay-ability.

[Cardmaster]

I grew up playing adventure games, so when I play a game I have. to. interact. with. every. single. object. in. every. single. way.

Games for me take FOREVER. Because of that, I only play games with truly gripping stories. Oh, and funny. I usually require them to be at least a little funny too, heh. But seriously, games'll take me forever because I need to get every little thing and hear every bit of dialogue. I feel like I'm missing out if I don't.

additionally, I'm willing to forgive even the worst-playing game its flaws if it has a good story, but not the other way around. I'll play a complete piece of crap if it makes me laugh and keeps me entertained, but if something bores me, not even the coolest, tightest gameplay can keep me engaged, heh.