Poll: What percentage of game completion do you go for?

[SoreWristed]

Hello, people of The Escapist forums.

I'm writing an article on game completion and I would like to add in statistics from as many people as possible, being otherwise limited by my own opinions and experiences. *edit : it's done, go check it out.

What I'm looking into is what drives people towards game completion and hunting for collectables.
As I personally end up with a completion of 75%, I never feel the need to go any further to get that platinum trophy. Unless I somehow notice I am already close to completing an achievement, I'll almost never actively pursue it. So I'm curious into what drives people to go for that 100%.

On the poll, the completion percentages I'm talking about do not reflect the game's tracker, but more the explanations I've given next to the options.

And if you've been so good as to fill in the poll, here are some follow up questions. Please tell me the poll option you've chosen with your answers. And ofcourse, feel free to discuss the options or pointing me to any options you feel I may have skipped over.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?
- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)
- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?
- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?
- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?
- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?


Note : this article is not intended for monetary gain, or somehow being used for game development or the like. Simply for entertainmnent purposes. If you wish to see the results, feel free to keep an eye on my blog, http://soregaming.blogspot.be/

Thank you!

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I voted 99% - assuming it's a game that I'm enjoying. I like to get the most for my money, so I like going for the full experience. The only reason I didn't vote for 100% is because I generally don't want to find glitches in games, so I don't hunt for them. I don't really care about achievements or trophies or any of that e-peen nonsense.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

I'll let you know when the day comes where that's an experience I encounter.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

Not really. I don't compare achievements with other people. The only situation where it would bother me would be if said achievement were used as a trigger for something else occuring in-game, since I'd feel like I'm getting ripped off of some content.

- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

I'd count that as getting ripped off of some content.

- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

Yep. For example, I just played through the first two episodes of Tales from the Borderlands multiple times so that I could have multiple save files with different choices made throughout the game. One for my "real" playthrough, and one for my "alternate" choices just to see what would happen. I'm sure it'll end up just like The Walking Dead where in the end none of the choices change anything of significant importance, but at least I'll get to experience all the fun character moments and jokes that I'd otherwise miss out on with just a single save file.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

I've never seen that happen. I have no idea if it's even a common thing, because I ALWAYS complete all side content before moving on with a main story on the off chance that the events of the main story make some of the side content unavailable.

- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

Sure, assuming I enjoyed the game. But I'm still going to try to make my money go further by completing all that the game has to offer.

 

[Merrik Waters]

Depends on the game. A game like Skyrim I have 200+ hours and have barely touched the main story. Games like dark souls, screw completion. Games like Pokemon. Gotta catch them all. ALL OF THEM.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

I never really care, I just want to enjoy the game.

For me it's all about retaining my interest, the longer a game does that the better I think it is, but that's really all about substance rather than percentages.

I can't remember the last time I reached 100% on a game, most seem to be so full of dull filler now I can never be arsed.

 

[Pyrian]

I never really care, I just want to enjoy the game.

Yeah, seriously. There are plenty of games that I never even finished the main story line because I got bored. Then there are games like FTL and Mark of the Ninja where I've unlocked all the achievements and all the collectibles and I still keep playing.

 

[Bizzaro Stormy]

I figure if I don't finish the main story at least than why did I buy it? I go for side quests and collectibles if the fun of it outweighs the annoyance factor. I can happily replay the main story several times and ignore the collectibles for most of the games I own.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I used to be a trophy hunter. In fact I still am, but not nearly as driven as I was. The big reason for my decline is because I lost that driving force. You see, before I didn't really care. "Oh, I got a trophy. Sweet." That was my take on them. But then, these two friends of mine at work started comparing their trophies, and ribbing me about how much higher their level was on the PSN, and how I was still a "n00b" because I wasn't near them. It was all in good fun of course, but it drove me. I started seeking trophies out, and I went for platinum on as many games as I could. One of them even got a Hannah Montana game from Gamefly just because it was an easy plat. That's how serious we took this. I even got the platinum on Resistance 2, which if you look at the multiplayer trophies, you'll understand.
Eventually I passed the first guy, and then I finally caught the second guy...and then they both quit. It wasn't because I caught up to them, it was just that we had all gotten older and they had lost interest. One now only plays Destiny, day in and day out, and the other just...I think he games mainly on the PC now, if that. It was actually really depressing, because I enjoyed the competition. I have another friend who still likes to hunt trophies with me, but he's nowhere near my level and he's not as driven as I am/was. The three of us used to discuss strategies, and how annoying it was to get some, and that feeling of accomplishment when we finally got it. Without them there to push me, I lost a lot of drive.

Also, I'm getting older now, and when I look at some of these trophy lists, I don't see challenges, I see work. And I just go, "Ugh. Forget it."

However, I do still hunt them. If a game seems possible for me to get 100%, or I enjoy playing it enough that it's not a big deal, I will get it. My most recent platinum was Lords of the Fallen, and I'm gearing up for the PS4 Inquisition platinum--already got the PS3 one.

Question and answer time:
1) I used to. Sometimes, I still do. I got furious at that rail shooter level in Spec Ops: The Line. The one where you're riding on the side of the truck with the grenade launcher. I could not, no matter how many times I tried, beat it on the hardest difficulty. And it was killing me, because that was the one level that was stopping me from getting my platinum. I had my friend eventually come over and do it. But now, if it's too hard, I just go, "Moving on." I did it with Lightning Returns. I couldn't kill that timed ultimate boss, so I just gave up. Only trophy I don't have, which is a pity, because I platted the other two in the series.

2) Oh God in Heaven, yes. There are few things that tick me off more in games than when a trophy doesn't work. Dragon Age: Origins has that glitch that doesn't pop for when you kill 1,000 Darkspawn if you have ANY of the updates installed. This meant I had to delete ALL the DLC, patches, everything, and start a whole new game while playing offline. Assassin's Creed III didn't count one of my almanac entries at camp, so that meant I would have to play through the whole game again and hope I got everything (thankfully they patched that before I had to). Skyrim's bugged Thief Guild meant that I couldn't even START the questline because the Guild Master wouldn't leave his stall no matter what, so goodbye to all those trophies until a second run. Most recently was Dragon Age: Inquisition, where the trophy for killing ten dragons doesn't pop. Thankfully there's a work around for it, but still. Nothing is more frustrating than putting all that work in and then not having it pay off.

3) I'm assuming you mean should you get a reward in-game for the trophy? Nah. I'm cool with just getting the little digital badge.

4) If it's worth it, and not too much trouble (as in, I don't have to start all over), then yes. Like I said, I still hunt, just not as aggressively as I used to.

5) I've never had this problem actually, because I'm the type of person who will go around and do as much as I can in terms of side quests before I continue the main story. Inquisition is a nightmare because of this, because my character got so overpowered that by the time I went to the ball and the...other place, enemies fell before me in waves. As long as the stuff doesn't feel like too much busy work--oh, we're sorry, but you need 135 of these items that only drop once every fifty kills before you can continue--then I don't mind having to take sidequests. I actually like the concept of you have to raise enough money for the party in Dragon Age II.

6) Oh yes. There are plenty of games that I know I cannot get the platinum on (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 comes to mind), that I still feel like I got more than my money's worth. On the flip side, I'm sure there are plenty of games out there that you can 100% and still feel like you got cheated. I've never played one, but I know there have to be some.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I don't aim for a percentage; or more specifically I aim to avoid one percentage - 100%

- Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

Nope. I enjoy being challenged by my games, and a 100% success rate is a sure-fire indication of a game that didn't challenge me enough (or, indeed, at all).

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

No. I get my enjoyment from the game itself, not from some empty electronic pat on the head.

- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

Couldn't care less. See above about playing for the experience, not the reward.

- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

I'll replay RPGs in a different manner if I develop an interesting new character concept, but I won't have a character act out of type just to unlock a quest.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

Mixed. On the one hand making the player jump through hoops before allowing progress can turn the game into a grind, on the other hand if progress requires no effort it ultimately cheapens victory.

- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

Most definitely. A game that can be 100%ed in a single play-through typically has limited replay value, and replay value is what I look for most in a game.

To sum up: If I feel that by going back to a game I can play it in a different way, uncover new missions, perhaps find new secrets or just in general have a different experience I'll come back to it again and again, precisely because there's something new to uncover. If I feel that a game has nothing new to offer (or if the game tells me that I've already uncovered 100%) I won't. It's why I still enjoy delving into Morrowind even though it's nearly fifteen years old and why I stopped playing Oblivion a month after release.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Assuming I'm really into the game I usually strive for 100% but rarely actually make it. There's usually some tedious or overtly difficult optional thing that I can't be bothered dealing with. So I voted 90%.

Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

Maybe for a couple of minutes then I get over it.

Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

No. I don't care about achievements

And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

Well then I probably would be a little bit annoyed.

Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

If the game encourages backtracking then sure. If it involves loading an earlier save then I wouldn't bother.

Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

Not sure if I've played a game that does that. I'm not a fan of the concept but it would depend on how long I had to spend doing side quests and how enjoyable they were.

Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

Absolutely.

 

[FPLOON]

Meh... It's usually ends up being an "Any%" run until I feel the need to go for more and/or I really love the game to the point of going for that legit 100%...

- Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

Sure... I mean, especially if the reward's something interesting and shit... Otherwise, I give up and never try it again...

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

That has never happened to me yet... but, unless it was a trochievement that was more annoying than difficult, then maybe...

- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

Exactly! I mean, unless it's supposedly canon in-game, it should, at least, come with some form of gratification instead of dissatisfaction overall...

- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

More times than I could count at this point... and, it's usually annoying if you can't and it leads to certain consequences you can't get out of and/or can't progress through in the long run...

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

Only when it's not even fun to do the sidequest in the first place... Otherwise, it's padding for the sake of padding in my book...

- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

If it was fun, then I don't care... If not, then I demand a refund... or trade-in credit, I guess... (I'm negotiable...)

 

[EHKOS]

I went with 90%, but this is assuming it's a game I like. I usually start out with the mindset of getting a platinum trophy and then toss it to the wind if I see any of the following. Multipla-NO. Beat the game on the hardest dif- Not happening besides inFamous 2. Do this thing >1000 times.
I collected every single thing in Watchdogs and got stopped at 98% due to the last drinking game. I mined every ore in RF: Guerrilla. I like collecting things.

Yes I get mad when it doesn't tick, I would have a platinum on Skyrim but the Oblivion Walker trophy never popped and I'm not dumping another fifteen hours into that. Because it takes THAT FUCKING LONG. And yes, I did EVERYTHING right. I checked and double checked.

I feel slightly disappointed in myself, but then I remember it's just a digital score that will someday cease to exist.

I'll backtrack a bit if it's an easy bronze or I want to try to get the most points out of a game.

I feel like I've gotten my moneys worth once the main story has been beaten and I have had fun, but am now bored.

 

[DementedSheep]

I use to be obsessive about getting 100% but I'm not any more though I probably spend longer than average looking for every little thing and checking I didn't miss anything. As it is I usually do main and side quests unless there are a shit-ton of side quests. I tend to get most, if not all collectables through normal play. I only really go for 100% if I like the game and it doesn't require anything too tedious (I'm not collecting all the damn flags in Assassins Creed for example). I will ditch a game mid way through if I don't like it rather than forcing myself to play to the end like I use to because "I paid for it damn-it! so instead of just wasting my money I'll waste my time as well!". Too much free time was an issue I had as a kid when I had more free time than games to fill it, now I'd rather use my free time playing something I like.


-Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

If it's specifically because of difficulty yes.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

Not enough to rage about it but yes. If I decide to go for an achievement it's going to annoy me if it doesn't register.

- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

I don't mind if it dose or doesn't though it is nice to get in-game rewards. I go for many steam achievements and it gives me nothing. My profile for steam isn't even public so it's not like anyone but me even sees the achievements. A tedious achievement I don't want to do I won't do for an item unless it's a game changer.


- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

I used to do that even for small things, now? not so much. I'll look out for it I decided to replay and if it's a lore/story thing there are wiki's and youtube.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

Depends what they are, if I have to do the same side quests between every mission or it's like what Skyrim has for some guilds where it is boring radiant quests yes.

- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

Whether I actually got 100% or not makes no difference if it's worth the price. The amount of time I played and the enjoyment I got out of that is what determines worth.

 

[aozgolo]

I think it's important to note that completion on any scale does not drive all gamers. I have "played" hundreds and hundreds of games... but of those I've beaten, just at a random guess maybe 10% of them? There are games I absolutely LOVE that I've put hundreds of hours into, and never beaten them because in a way I don't want them to end. I am kind of considered a "completionist" gamer in that I want to experience all the content a game offers, though it's a bit hypocritical given how rarely I actually try to finish games.

For gamers like myself the "journey" is more important than the "destination" as it were, and completing a game, no matter how fulfilling the ending might be often spells an end to that game session, even in sandbox games where you can keep playing, the ultimate driving force for the game's story and tension being removed tends to make the game less interesting.

It's not even really limited so single genres, I mean of course you can do this with RPGs, but even in Strategy titles I like to put off the "battles" as long as possible to develop my own base.

I'm getting a little off track here, but I just am adding I didn't vote because each choice is built on the assumption that completion is always the goal. Though I guess you can say when I do feel ready to finish a game and see the end, I usually have done at least 75% - 90% of it.

 

[shrekfan246]

None of the above.

More specifically, it depends on the game.

To date, I've only "officially" 100%'ed three games: DmC, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Darksiders. I have a 99% completion game in Batman: Arkham Origins that's never going to tick over to 100% because I'm not going to play the multi-player (which means I won't end up getting all of the achievements either) and I need two more achievements for Sonic Generations (submitting time attack scores for every single level and beating the final boss without getting hit). EDIT: Oh, I need one more achievement in Journey as well (meeting ten+ different people throughout your time playing the game).

I like going for as many achievements as I can, but I'm not too fussed about them in general.

EDIT: I mean, as for the scale presented in the poll, it also depends on the game. If I really love something, like Mass Effect or Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I'll spend an inordinate amount of time hunting down everything I can while I'm playing. But otherwise, I just do what I run across.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry (either with the game or yourself) when you can't complete a side-objective (it's too difficult)?

Sure. I get frustrated in the face of sudden difficulty spikes regardless of it being side-content or main content or even just random encounters. I like challenge, but often it can just feel like a game is being unfair.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when an achievement or trophy does not tick? (does not complete even though conditions are met)

It depends. If I was specifically trying to get said achievement, then possibly. If it is also an achievement that would require me to restart a fairly lengthy section of the game or, heaven forbid, the entire game in order to get it, then I would definitely get mad.

- And if it should reward you with a reward/item/weapon ingame?

Eh, that depends too. Is the achievement for beating some super-secret extra boss? If yes, then yeah, I think it'd be cool to get something in-game for it as well. But if it's just "you found 25 secrets" or something, then I don't really care.

- Do you backtrack if you feel you have missed certain content?

Sometimes. If the map isn't massive or the character can move relatively quickly, sure.

- Do you feel disappointed/angry when a game locks you out of the main storyline untill a certain number of sidequests are completed?

Gated content is obnoxious. I understand side-quests being gated off until certain mechanics are given to the player or certain locations are unlocked, but gating off the central storyline just seems absurd to me.

- Do you feel you got your money's worth if you do not 100% a game?

I routinely don't even complete the story of a game. At least, not when I first start playing it. Too many things to do/play/watch/listen to, not enough hours in the day.

 

[Someone Depressing]

I'll play the main story and sidequests related to whatever route I'm on, along with some other useful things, like the Bobbleheads in Fallout 3 or something like that. Other than that, I probably won't do much else, or I'll save it for a later playthrough.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I generally start at Story+Sidequests+Collectibles. Eventually, I'll probably get bored of the Collectibles and have some Sidequests I don't feel like completing, but I at least try to complete a vast majority of the content. Most games I play tend to have a completion% of around 80-85%. Some games get to 100%, but that is very rare.

 

[zumbledum]

never cared about %'s and achievs i play till its not fun or i get distracted by something new and shiny

 

[votemarvel]

I never really care, I just want to enjoy the game.

For me it's all about retaining my interest, the longer a game does that the better I think it is, but that's really all about substance rather than percentages.

I can't remember the last time I reached 100% on a game, most seem to be so full of dull filler now I can never be arsed.

You Sir have read my mind.

A brilliant post that echoes exactly what I was about to type.

 

[MHR]

It depends on the game. Games I really like though, I strive for the 100%, all side-missions and achievements. Some games are a pain in the ass, so I really can't be bothered to, for example, buy a big mess of DLC just so I have all the DLC and can complete the real 100%. Dark Souls 2 and the Borderlands games are good examples of that.

P.S. I don't count glitches as part of 100%, but I can see how the truly hardcore fan of a game would try and see them all anyway.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I tend to shoot for the high 80s mark. I mean I'm at 88% complete in Arkham Asylum, and that's with completing on easy/medium/hard, collecting all the collectibles and doing all the little quests. All that's left are the challenges, and I'm not about to do that.
Alot of the 100% completion racket is about 'value' and how much 'value' a game has. And for whatever reason I don't see value in replaying the same challenge over and over trying to beat the 2min or 1,000pt marks.