Poll: lack of cheat codes in most games

[Starke]

Personally, I use cheats almost constantly in some games. Fallout 3 for instance. There is a reason though, I'm working on multiple mods, and its the only way to test out what they're doing without having a level 20 save kicking around. In STALKER and Half-Life 2 I cheated to make the weapons do more damage (Player AND AI). So, yeah, I love cheat codes. Mostly when I'm modding stuff, though.


I still use them in some other games. I love the crytek god cheats. (It doesn't actually make you invulnerable, but it does keep track of how many times you've been reduced to 0 health.) Actually I love the options for Crysis cheating, pretty much across the board.

I used to cheat constantly, 15 years ago or so, but, I got pretty good back then. Good enough that when games started coming out with no cheats I could generally finish them anyway.

That said, I do love mucking about with cheatcodes. A full weapon unlock from the beginning in FarCry 2, or the crytek godmode returning would both be welcome options. But, I already beat the game, so going through again with cheats would just be for my own entertainment.

 

[Theon Tonarim]

I always set a goal to finish games without using any sort of cheat codes.
Once I've done that I'll use codes to generally mess around and have fun. A good example would be GTA:SA and GTA IV.

 

[geddydisciple]

In my mind the only time it is ok to use cheat codes is after you have beat the game and you are just screwing around. Or when its really funny.

 

[quack35]

There's nothing "wrong" with cheating in a single player game.

Hell, it made GTA4 fun for me.

 

[BubbleGumSnareDrum]

There is no reason for cheats and console commands not to be in games. That's half the fun of the Source engine on PC.

I only use cheats to mess around with a game I've already beaten. My first playthrough is always legit, for the sake of learning how the game works.

 

[Stryc9]

Yes the lack of cheat codes in modern games is a good thing and here's why.

I'm glad they're dying.

It's like people who beat Starcraft with cheats on and say they're good at the game.

Despicable.

I know a guy like that, he would play every game he bought with the cheats and then complain every time I opened his skull in multiplayer, or he'd whine the map was too small and want to change. I could never get him to play RTS games with me, he's never played a single RTS ever and even though I told him I'd show him how to get started he would always complain of an unfair advantage.

EDIT for full disclosure: I do play games like GTA with the cheats on but only when I'm just messing around in the game world. I keep a separate save for using cheats then play the game through without too.

 

[thePyro_13]

I don't cheat personally. But i really think you should at least try it without cheats before you go and take the challenge out of it.

Case in point: My brother got Fallout 3 earlier today. The first thing he did after creating his character and spawning as an infant was using the console to unlock the door to the room and go wandering off into the vault. Then he gets lost and bored and asks me how the hell he supposed to know where his "dad" is.

I mean common, the game dev's gave you restrictions to make the game more fun or to help the difficulty flow.

But i don't see the point in unlocking cheat codes. If i get good enough at starcraft so that i can play though all the campaigns on the N64. And unlock the cheats. then why would i need the cheats. once I'm that good i'd take pleasure in defeating the AI on my own. All those unlocked cheat would do is allow my little bro to pretend he can play the game.

 

[Slift]

What about the games that feature unlockable cheats?

Personally I like motoring through a game, finding all the secrets, then going back and toggling on the hard earned cheats for some fun.

Lego Star wars for example? Yes, you can enter the code, but it's much more fun going around finding the thing that unlocks the cheat, going back, buying it and then using it.

...In that respect, i guess they're not much more than toggle upgrades to a certain extent.

Saying 'Cheats are bad' is not exactly the smartest thing to say. Saying 'Using cheats to boast' is something that morally yes, is wrong. Going on a rampage with infinite ammo and invincibility however? That's game lengthening and hilarious fun.

 

[Iskenator67]

I wish there were more cheat codes in games. Most games I can beat by myself. But some games are especially hard and I'm glad when there is a code or two available to give me that extra push I need to get through it. Plus, some games are greatly improved with some cool extra features that you can get for fun.

Also, what is with all this hateful bashing people are giving cheat codes? If you don't like them fine, don't use them. But that doesn't give you an excuse to fill my ears with how much you hate them and think they suck. Just say your piece in a decent manner, move on, and stop acting like a twat.

Walkthroughs are bad too, unless you've been stuck for the past few days and are in danger of completely dropping the controller and *gasp* actually going outside.

What's your problem with walkthroughs? I pay good money for all my books and I use them regularly. They do more then just tell you what to do. They also provide helpful and vital tips and strategies for those extra hard modes. On a side note, I actually enjoy going outside. I've spent more time splitting wood then I have playing games as of late.

 

[phar]

Because the cheats are there it doesnt mean you have to use them. Bring Mario Kart or Smash Bros around to someones house to play for a night... yeah so much fun having like 1-2 races to play.

The people that are against them are quite ignorant to the casual and multiplayer gamer.

I was going to say that cheats are useless... I guess if people use them to avoid design flaws it could be acceptable.

Unlockable content are design flaws in my opinion. What kind of gamers actually ask to have content on their games locked in the first place?

Not exactly a design flaw imo. Makes you want to play the game to get everything and play around with everything. I dont see why so many people have a problem with them though, you dont have to use them. Say a strategy game for example has a skirmish mode, you might not ever play it.. doesnt mean they shouldnt put it in as an extra. Most people dont like to use cheats doesnt mean they cant chuck them in..

When people work full time and all that rubbish they dont have time to go through RPGs to test possible character builds, they tend to finish it once then cheat and play around with the other functionality of the game.

 

[thePyro_13]

In addition to my earlier post.

I voted wrong. I don't use cheats unless I'm very stuck. I don't berate people for using them, I just don't like using them myself.

I feel like I've accomplished something when i beat a game without cheats. If I'm just gunna cheat though the game i had might as well just watch the cutscenes on youtube.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I play a game to have fun. If a cheat code can increase that then heck yeah I'm using it, why the hell wouldn't I?

 

[Strong Intelligent]

Cheats are bad, but I still use them.

Also, if you dislikes keys to the city (Crackdown) you might need to get your brain checked.

 

[SovietSecrets]

Happy that there are less cheats now, I always fall into temptation and use them.

 

[P00dle]

I am gamer, if I weren't I wouldn't be here on this forum but it sounds geeky even to me to actually play a Single player game to boast about it. I believe i have never talked about how i defeated something or did something in a single player game because it's irrelevant, the only way to really show it to someone is by playing multi player.

With that out of the way, I love cheat codes.
IMHO cheats like infinite boost in saints row 2 is completely fine, it hardly gets you an advantage but will speed up the game a bit. The same goes for the money cheat, i could stand still for ten minutes and just wait for my income to tick up, or i could just get 1000$ with a cheat. It's all about if you are ready to go that extra mile to be able to say i beat it without cheats, whoever you would tell...

 

[Sgt Doom]

I find most of the Source engine's cheat codes absolutely invaluable in Gmod and Source modding in general. In STALKER, however, if I want to test a script in, say, Pripyat, I either have to trek aaaaaaaaaal the way over there, dodging bullets, teeth and claws, just to test if that Monolithian hip-thrusts the player when they go past. (there are mods available designed specifically for mod devs, but having useful commands come with the game is much nicer)

In actual gameplay, I much prefer to play without cheats, unless a certain part of the game is so badly designed it's impossible to get past without it (which I have not come across for a very long time)

 

[Antiparticle]

I rarely use cheats. Never in multiplayer, of course, and in single player games only when I've either already beaten the game the fair way, or when I'm so stuck in a game that the only options are either cheat or toss the game aside and never play it again.

 

[Harry Miste]

It's all dependent. I'd love to get my hands on cheat codes for Action 52, because the game was so broken that you practically NEEDED them to pass some levels. If a game is hard and you are at your wits end, then just activate cheats, get past whatever you were stuck on, disable them and move on.

 

[Nexus424]

I had actually gotten into a bad habit of cheats but I stopped using them for a long time and just beefed up my skill. Now I only use them after I have beat the game on the hardest level possible to have fun and screw up the place.

One example I had always thought I couldn't bet a Grand Theft Auto game without cheats so up until San Andreas I always used cheat codes. However when I was playing GTA IV it was so much like real life (give or take some elements) that I decided to man up and play without cheat codes. Jesus Christ I never knew how shit hard the ga,e could get. It made it all the more fun though.