Board 8 > Is a game that's only fun if you use a walkthrough still a good game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

To clarify, I'm not talking about getting stuck at a certain section and looking up the puzzle, or looking up hidden secrets. I mean that when a game basically requires you to use a guide the whole way through.

This topic brought to you by Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.

It may not be well-designed, but I determine how good a game is by my enjoyment of it, so if I'm still enjoying myself while using a guide, then yeah.

If I had fun in the end, then sure. All that matters is that I enjoyed my time with it.

can be good, yeah, but it makes it less good than it could be

Even with a guide, Simons Quest isnt a good game.

WazzupGenius00 posted...

Even with a guide, Simons Quest isnt a good game.

I won't argue with that. I also recently played Ys I & II while heavily relying on guides. Not sure if they're good either, but still better than SQ.

i mean if it's fun yeah

No, although I'm more forgiving with older games because technological limitations prevented them from putting hints into the game directly

I guess it depends why you are consulting the walkthrough and whether or not that's something you regularly do.

Some people like overly cryptic shit to begin with so it can be subjective.

I actually regret using a guide on Simon's Quest, even if it was just for that one thing. Figuring things out is part of the journey specially if a game is more Adventure rather than Action.

Define need.

The only way I can enjoy Persona games is if I'm using a guide to get a full social link run on the first playthrough.

But I don't need that guide to beat the game. In fact it has nothing to do with beating the game! But I would have astoundingly less fun without it.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

The only way I can enjoy Persona games is if I'm using a guide to get a full social link run on the first playthrough.

true point, ain't no damn way anyone's playing Pokemon and figuring out some of these evos solo

It can be good but it can also be one I haven't the energy to bother with.

Sure, and it isn't even necessarily a problem. It just gives a more linear straightforward experience, as opposed to a self-challenging self-discovery style of experience. But sometimes that's what you want.

Grimlyn posted...

true point, ain't no damn way anyone's playing Pokemon and figuring out some of these evos solo

I refuse to believe any person organically discovered the Bisharp evolution

We're on GameFAQs. This is a community built on the FOUNDATION of needing walkthroughs to complete games

Yes, but I always use guides anyway

I voted yes, but I will definitely use a guide if I encounter impedance.

Johnbobb posted...

can be good, yeah, but it makes it less good than it could be

this is a pretty great way to put it.

MZero posted...

No, although I'm more forgiving with older games because technological limitations prevented them from putting hints into the game directly

this is also true as well

WazzupGenius00 posted...

I refuse to believe any person organically discovered the Bisharp evolution

Discovering it sure, but knowing what they did, absolutely not.

I'll use walkthroughs to give me a little boost if I'm stuck. With the sheer size and amount of games anymore not using a guide just feels inefficient.

I would've loved to play Elden Ring completely blind, but with how quickly the Internet was spoiling things I had to start using hints.

If a walk through is needed to even finish the game then no

If a game needs a walkthrough to beat it, then i would stop playing it

I use light walkthroughs for trails game to make sure I don't miss any sidequests (I usually check near the end of each section) and I don't mind it.

Yeah there are too many games where I will use supplementary material to help with shit that's usually optional or about a deep mechanic. It's not a guide for getting over some specific campaign material, but usually something grindy, or making sure I don't miss something.

7 or 8 year old Lopen beat Simon's Quest without a guide. His teenage friend had warned him about the kneeling down whirlwind thing. That's about it though. I'm pretty sure he didn't even mention the crystal you needed to be kneeling with though this is a long time ago. The townspeople DO tell you things and it CAN help even if it is Engrish.

My point is how cryptic it is is completely overblown and I have played games that were more rough in this regard. I would consider it a decent game. Shadowgate on the NES I felt was harder to figure out without a guide.

Anyway a game can be good if it "needs" a guide. It just depends what it's trying to be and what you need the guide for specifically.

I have used walkthroughs for many games. None in particular had a negative effect on my enjoyment.

Yes it can objectively still be a good game but I probably wouldn't bother with it personally.

I needed to look up some puzzle answers in Hypnospace Outlaw in order to progress, and I can say that not being able to beat the game would have hampered my enjoyment of the game and also that I consider it an objectively good game.

They can be.

I was completely stuck in OoT until I looked up what you were supposed to do- that is, play saria's song to the Goron leader

I was pretty annoyed at the time, but I enjoyed the game overall