A new challenge to gamers

[Kirchhoff42]

This is a challenge that practically popped up in my head:

Rules:
-never buy anything.
-never upgrade/level up anything.

Exception:
-when you need the upgrade/thing to progress in the game.

ex. in Assassins Creed II when you need to buy medicine
or
in Ratchet and Clank like the hookshot.

the questions is:
-is it possible or completely insane to even try?
-it needs a fancy name too?

 

[Keoul]

Completely possible, especially for a game like Dishonored. With just blink (mandatory ability) and patience you'd still breeze through the game as long as you allowed yourself to kill, if not then it may be slightly harder.

And indeed it requires a fancy name, best to let inspiration come to you instead of forcing a name. Nuzlocke run sounds amazing and was named after the first pokemon the guy lost. Just wait for the name to hit ya.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Nothing is insane when you get down to it. People have stupid things like...well, let me get the links.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/41101

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/44960

But even I myself have completed Final Fantasy VII using only Cloud except for the two mandatory boss fights for Barrett and Yuffie. Fighting bosses that could one shot individual characters, like Reno, was balls.

Gamers are a crazy lot by nature, I reckon.

 

[Zantos]

Nothing is insane when you get down to it. People have stupid things like...well, let me get the links.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/41101

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/44960

But even I myself have completed Final Fantasy VII using only Cloud except for the two mandatory boss fights for Barrett and Yuffie. Fighting bosses that could one shot individual characters, like Reno, was balls.

Gamers are a crazy lot by nature, I reckon.

Bwah? That's just, not right... That's, urgh.

OT: It sounds interesting, though my main motivation in these sorts of games is "Buy new shiny things!!!!!" Especially Ratchet and Clank. Yeah I don't think I'd see this challenge through. Good luck to anyone trying though.

 

[krazykidd]

I used to do challenges like this all the time .

I LOVE doing , starting/no weapon runs . I remember playing legend of legaia with no weapons , or FF6/7 with starting weapons . And by now everyone has at least tried the 4blackmage/4whitemage final fantasy runs . People seek challenge when the game becomes too easy .

You example is entirely possible . The difficulty would vary depending on which game you want to do it for .

Gamers are crazy . There is this one guy that wrote a guide to beating SMT: Nocturne , on hard , without using demons , while getting the true ending . That guy has balls .

 

[Tharwen]

Easy. Let me just start up Modern Warfare 2...

 

[Issurru]

I've done that for a few games, not buy anything and just grind your way into high heaven to make up for the fact you have piss poor everything.

Then there's also another challenge. If you die you restart the game, I've done that with a few games too, hell there are a few games that actually enable that in the options (I think the Witcher and/or The Witcher 2 does this)

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Did this for Fable on xbox. Never upgraded a skill, never purchased an item. Only using what you find on enemies and in chests becomes really hard. Luckily there are potions you can find (one early on too) that increase your maximum health. But in the late game, you would find yourself getting oneshotted by the standard bandits. Learning how to judge attacks, block/dodge then strike is essential, but it is completely possible and very rewarding to play that way

Captcha: "Wide Berth"

I had to give many encounters a wide berth on this play through.

 

[Vorlayn]

There was this dude (can't recall his name) who leveled a WoW troll that way, no armor, just the starting club. Took him ages, I believe.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

Completely possible, especially for a game like Dishonored. With just blink (mandatory ability) and patience you'd still breeze through the game as long as you allowed yourself to kill, if not then it may be slightly harder.

I'm probably not the first to have thought of this, but I'm wondering if a playthrough without the use of any powers is possible. With the way climbing onto stuff works, it seems like you could jump to nearly any location given some time. Then you could thumb your nose at The Outsider and his flashy antics.

It might be fun to get a list of games people have beaten with absolute minimum upgrades. I'm not a fan of the JRPG stuff like FF7 with initial weapons, but some people put themselves through it.
-My addition to the list would be Crysis &/Warhead Delta nokills (except objectives) and only suit speed.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

That's pretty much what speedruns are. Difference there though is, speedrunners may obtain an optional item just to get a much needed boost.

 

[DugMachine]

There was this dude (can't recall his name) who leveled a WoW troll that way, no armor, just the starting club. Took him ages, I believe.

There was also another person who leveled her gnome on just exploration and professions. No kills at all

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

-it needs a fancy name too?

I hereby label this challenge the Kirch Run!!

 

[Fappy]

This strategy is actually severely overpowered in Oblivion if you do it right ;P

 

[Atmos Duality]

Minimalist Challenges are not new, though the number of games where they are feasible and fun are fairly limited.

If you want to see truly awesome minimalist challenges (no tools), I'd start with HydeofBeast's youtube channel.

His Megaman X6 run in particular is eye-opening and an analysis of both planning and mechanical skill.

(incidentally, the hardest minimalist challenge I've done was Secret of Mana. You simply cannot appreciate how painful such and undertaking is until you're tried to beat that game with no armor. It's an exercise of suppression and targeted magic abuse)

 

[Guffe]

Never uppgrade OR level anything...
The Pokemon games just got a hell of a lot harder...

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I'm certain a friend of mine did an AssCreed 2 run only buying Medicine and using only his fists, switching to hidden blade or sword only if necessary.

 

[pffh]

Completely possible, especially for a game like Dishonored. With just blink (mandatory ability) and patience you'd still breeze through the game as long as you allowed yourself to kill, if not then it may be slightly harder.

I'm currently doing an expert, clean hands, ghost, mostly flesh and steel, no piero upgrades and no bone runes run in Dishonored and let me tell you that shit is hard.

If I finish that I might do another where I will try to only knock out mission targets.

 

[recurve6]

I've always thought of doing a Big Boss Extreme + No Kill run on MGS4, but I'm nowhere near good enough at it to get very far without rage quitting.