Poll: How important is to play a game unspoiled?

[CaitSeith]

While reading the comments on a Persona 5 review, someone wrote that the review was too vague to be useful to someone not familiar to the series. No details on how the game is played, how the combat works, how the social interactions between characters are implemented, etc... A reply suggested to follow their example and play 100% blind. Then I remembered a recent comment below a Youtube video about the plot of Shadow of the Colossus with a complain about the footage spoiling the weak spot of one of the enemies.

All this got me thinking: how important is to play a game unspoiled? Personally I like to play games I was interested since before release as blind as possible. But in games that I ain't predisposed to buy, I like to get a general idea of the plot and the mechanics (specially if there is something interesting in either of them). So, what's your opinion about game spoilers?

 

[CritialGaming]

Depends on the game for me.

A lot of games I don't feel the review needs to go really deep into the mechanics of the gameplay for any reason other that to say whether or not the mechanics are good or bad. A story synposis is fine as well because it tend to give the review context.

But otherwise there is no reason to spoil anything. I believe you can express your feelings on a game without spoiling anything for potential players.

However there are situations in which Spoilers with a warning are okay. Like some unfathomly bad thing happens in the story that is so retarded you just have to talk about it. Things of that nature.

 

[Saelune]

Well, I mean, a plot spoiler is a plot spoiler.

And solutions to puzzles are solutions to puzzles.

Otherwise it depends, ie gameplay. Some things I wish I knew while playing certain games for the first time. I wish I knew how to stealthfully play Hitman the first time I played Bloodmoney. I didnt, and hated the game. I eventually brute-forced (mowed everyone down) my way through the game to nab a few achievements, but then I looked up how to beat each level on Silent Assassin, and then fell in love with the game. Unfortunately by the time I knew what I was doing, I knew how to beat each mission.

I was excited about Absolution just cause I wanted to take advantage of knowing how to play minus knowing the plot and levels. Shame it was so linear, but I did do way better from the start cause I knew how to play.

Morrowind too, my favorite game, is hard for alot of people to get into. Having that game be a new experience is something many of us Morrowind fans envy, but if you cant even get into the game, then whats the point? But some people get way too pushy of borderline cheating tips that I think it spoils the game.

As for say, Shadow of the Colossus, well, if a review is there for players who want to know how to play, spoiling the first Colossus is fair. Dont know which was spoilt, but I mean, the first is a tutorial boss anyways. After that though, its a bad spoiler, since the entire game is about figuring out how to beat each one.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

I absolutely have to know about camera perspective and gameplay controls/mechanics beforehand because they often make or break a game for me.
During gameplay I often look up recipes for crafting or hints to difficult puzzles/enemies because my emphasis lies in having fun, not challenging myself into a wall headfirst.
The story, overarching plot or any twists, is something I'd rather avoid and enjoy experiencing for myself but it doesn't break the game for me.

I just want to have fun playing a game, simply put.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Well the thing that always make me stop caring about spoilers is that games are usually terribly written. My brainstorms and headcannons are usually way more compelling and interesting than what actually happens.

The last time I was actually surprised by a game was KOTOR when it turns out you're Revan. Since then? Telling me a spoiler is like telling me Iron Man wins in the end of an Iron Man movie. Go figure.

So to me, makes virtually no difference.

Now I usually do play games unspoiled simply because I barely ever read reviews unless its something I know I'm already interested in, and I never watch lets plays on the Tubes.

 

[Borty The Bort]

I always like to play a game blind. My favourite joy in games is figuring out little tricks(say, for a strategy game like Civilisation) to boost my city's growth/culture/production etc. I love trying to figure those tricks out, and death to those who spoil them on me.

 

[Sing]

Really depends on the game for me. I don't like to get spoiled in games that focus more on narrative and story, atleast not untill it has been out for a while (like, 4-6 months). But if the game in question has less emphasis on story, who cares?

I accidentally spoiled parts of Planescape: Torment to my friend last week, (it's 18 years old by now and he doesn't strike me as someone who would enjoy PS:T) and we argued wether that was fair game, since it is such a narrative-focused game (reads more like a book than plays like a video game in my humble opinion).

 

[Evonisia]

I don't mind a brief summary of what the game's about and what kind of game it is, but beyond that I like to avoid spoilers. Sure I might still see some things coming, but unlike when I'm told a spoiler I'm not actively anticipating certain things to happen.

The same applies to other entertainment mediums as well.

 

[Pyrian]

I can't think of a time I was upset something was spoiled for me, but I usually only seek out game spoilers if I'm stuck, game mechanics are poorly explained in-game, or I'm otherwise annoyed at the game. Movies and books are another matter; I kind of want to know what a movie's really about before I decide whether to see it.

 

[sanquin]

Depends on the game. Some games I don't mind getting spoiled on at all. Like Dark Souls. I wouldn't have fun if I had to figure out how to beat each boss on my own. Other games I prefer to know the general stuff, but don't want everything spoiled. Which is why I stopped watching a Zelda: BotW playthrough once I decided I wanted to play that game for myself at some point. The mass effect games on the other hand, I didn't want to have anything spoiled on. Both gameplay and story. Though the technical problems and bugs I did want to know about.

So yea, it all depends on how I think I'll enjoy a particular game the most. If I think "I want to explore this game's world" I don't want to have that spoiled of course. If I think "I mainly want to enjoy this game's story" I'll avoid any and all story spoilers. Etc.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm okay with the general knowledge of whatever might show up in a review. I don't recall the last time a critic spoiled anything for me.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

can't remember the last time I had stereotypical nerd rage over being spoiled on something, but I also don't go searching out spoilers either. I would highly prefer to know as much as possible about the gameplay though, I don't like restarting games and it's rare for me to have time anymore to replay them a second time, so getting character/party builds right the first time or not investing in useless skills is a major thing I'd like to know about.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Ahah, but *spoiler alert* spoilers actually enhance your enjoyment...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/aug/17/spoilers-enhance-enjoyment-psychologists

But then again, the most dopamine you can get comes out of anticipation instead of any final result. So weird. The journey's better yadayda destination yaba. Personally, I like surprises, but don't care enough about being spoiled. Can't think of any time it felt like it mattered.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

Ehhhh, it... depends on the game. I don't tend to give too many shits about spoilers for most games, but for a few games I prefer not being spoiled, i.e. Horizon Zero Dawn and Pokemon Sun and Moon (though for different reasons - Horizon since it was a new IP and I wanted to explore it myself, and Sun and Moon because it was doing some different shit to the other pokemon games).

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

If it's a story-based game, spoilers are death.


For example, when persona 5 was announced, I just saw that one trailer to confirm it wasn't a lie and then went in media blackout for 3 years until the Japanese release of the game, then watched Daybreakers which acted as a prequel and imported the game. I fully believe not knowing anything about the plot makes all the events a lot more interesting. Apparently people were figuring a pretty big plot point out of the later trailers but I had no idea so that moment was a ton more interesting than if I had known beforehand.

 

[Souplex]

Only bad stories are harmed by being spoiled.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I only really care about spoilers in shows/movies. If it's gonna take a while for me to play something, I don't care. I just watched a lot of important parts of Andromeda including the final boss, which is terrible by the way, because I figure it's going to take a long time before I play it, and when that time comes, if it comes at all, I won't remember a thing.

Games are so long that I just forget whatever spoilers I saw/read, and when I get to that part I just go "oh, yeah, I remember seeing this in that video X years ago."

 

[FalloutJack]

I must vote the invisible Other category.

You see, I prefer not spoiling, unless I really want to know, but I don't generally complain much or at all if you spoil something, because I have the ability to forget that I heard it right up until the moment it becomes relevent, and then I got "Oh yeah...". So, I'm fairly unique insofar as spoiler stuff goes.

 

[pookie101]

i prefer walking in blind although that is a difficult task these days

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Depends on whether I'm playing a game for the gameplay or the story.

For something like Neir Automata, I'm there 100% for the story, so I don't want to know ANYTHING about it before release.

On the other hand for something like Devil May Cry, or Nioh I'm totally ok with spoilers because that's not what's really important about the game. Those are games played almost purely for the gameplay, so while I would appreciate going in blind I don't mind knowing about some of the story and bosses beforehand, it doesn't diminish my enjoyment of those games.