Why do you give up or not complete video games?

[DarthNader26]

If I get the feeling of Deja Vu while playing a game, my time with that game is coming to a close. Let me clarify. If I feel like I've already played this game before just with a different art director and level design, I'm finished with the game.

A few exceptions and why:

Stalker - Unique, atmospheric, and a blast. I hadn't played many RPG/FPS hybrids before Stalker, so everything was new and fresh. I really liked it.

Half-Life 2 - I was so sick and tired of FPS games before I found HL2. It doesn't seem any different than the hundreds of other FPS games out there with your standard pistol/SMG/shotgun/rocket launcher/machine gun weapons and the fairly standard back story (human screw-up leads to alien invasion), but there was something about it that sucked me in and still hasn't let me go. The story is the commonly touted bit, but it's not just that. The world of HL2 is so believable, and you get the feeling that you are just scratching the surface of this massive universe. Plus, the weapons were all so well designed and fun to shoot (.357, bitches!) that the game was a blast from beginning to end. Alyx's ass helped too. ;D

Halo - My first real introduction to the FPS genre. Before Halo I was caught in a loop of platformers and adventure games (Super Mario Sunshine/Windwaker/Metroid Prime). Halo opened a new world of twitch reflexes and brilliant storytelling to me. It and HL2 are the two gems in a sea of boring bullshit. After Halo, everything copied Halo. I kept getting this feeling that I had already beaten this particular game before. Boring.

KotOR - I usually hate turn-based RPGs due to their slow pacing and uninvolved combat, but this one really sucked me in. Star Wars aside, the characters, story, and mechanics were brilliantly pulled off. I've played through it a dozen times, and it's still interesting to go back to from time to time.

On the flip side:

Bioshock - Dark, intimidating corridors? Check. Superpowers? Check. Same old firearms we've been using since DOOM? Check. I kept feeling like it was underwater Halo with superpowers. Lost interest pretty quickly.

Any RTS game - Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge RTS fan, but I have NEVER, EVER played through the campaign in any RTS I have ever owned. I hit the tutorial level then start pounding the skirmishes. RTSs (like RPGs) should focus on letting the player form his own story, not forcing them to go through the motions with a boring-ass campaign.

Most online-only games (HL2DM, TF2 and L4D excluded) - Dealing with the internet's idiots usually turns me off of a game pretty quickly, no matter how good it is.

 

[CIA]

I have only ever completed one Final Fantasy game, yet I am a big fan of almost all of them. Now that I think about it I don't complete many RPGs. I like to think of them as an investment for the future, saving (haha get it?) up for a rainy day.

 

[Vlane]

I give up when the game gets boring. The best example is GTA IV. I'm a huge fan of the GTA series but GTA IV was so boring I'm maybe half way through the game and I haven't touched it for 2 months.

Another example is Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. I just felt that I played/watched this whole thing before.

 

[DYin01]

I gave up on Ninja Gaiden, simply because I couldn't get past Alma. I almost got past her twice, but after that it just got TOO frustrating. Swimming that entire distance first, then fighting three ninja's and knowing you have to beat them without getting hit once if you want to stand a chance against Alma. NOT COOL

 

[Alone Disciple]

Two things usually make me give up:

1) When a level or a boss becomes impossible for me to be as a casual gamer. Personally, I don't use cheat codes, or exploits....I like/relish the inherent feeling that I acomplished something on my own with no 'extra' help. But if a boss or a level becomes nigh ridiculous unless I use an exploit/cheat/unitneded buff because my 38 year old reflexes aren't as they were when I was 18....forget it. The frustration level sucks out any enjoyment I may have had up to that point.

2) Something new and shiny. I have a history of buying console games and getting so close to the end, and then moving on to the next biggest and baddest thing that just released this week. Happens to me more than I'd like to admit. I stll have Xbox originals I never finished because 360 came out. I still haven't finished GoW 1, CoD4, Crakdown, Fable II, RB1, etc.

I think the only games I've actually finished so far are Mass Effect, Halo 3, GH III (medium). I'm very close on Super Paper Mario, but I moved on to other stuff sadly.

I did promise myself I would not get GoW 2 or CoD5 until I finish their predecessors first.

 

[imPacT31]

Generally I give up on games when either the gameplay becomes incredibly repetitive or I lose all interest in the story.

A fine example of this was GTA4, which simply lacked the diversity to keep my interest outside the storyline, it wasn't holding onto it in the story either, and was missing the series' typical redeeming qualities.

Currently I'm debating whether or not to finish Dead Space and, to a lesser extent, Mercenaries 2. The former is entirely one track and only really holds my interest in regards to inventory management whereas Mercenaries has a pathetic story but huge rampage potential.

 

[this_was_a_mistake]

I never finished Final Fantasy XII. When it comes to RPG's I always get stuck on this one boss because I'm not at a high enough level, and I can't level up because there's usually no way out of this place so you are forced to fight this guy that I am clearly not awesome enough to beat. I don't like exploring because I believe it is a waste of time and I just want to get through the story.

 

[TaborMallory]

Guitar Hero 3, on several occasions.
First was when I tried to beat Slash on hard.
Second was trying to pass Raining Blood on Hard.
Third was trying to beat Lou on hard.
Fourth is trying to beat Raining Fucking Blood on expert. Getting VERY close though!
I don't think I need to think about beating Lou on expert. Dammit.

When I first heard about the second Zelda game, I thought to myself, "Well, it can't be that bad. Maybe it's like super mario, but with zelda characters (hence the sidescrolling aspect)." I played it for 5 minutes and promptly chucked it at my bookshelf, where it now lays collecting dust.

For the most part with me, I always finish games unless:
A) It's too hard and I've spent several hours on one single part (but I usually come back to it later with renewed vigor),
B) It's boring enough to put me to sleep, or
C) It's unbelievably bad. Like Legend of Zelda 2.
For all other games that don't fit into either quota above, I feel like there's a huge gap that must be filled if I don't finish it.

 

[UltimateXShadow]

The circumstances that lead me to "abandon" a game vary. These are the most common reasons for me to do so:

1) I find myself unable to beat the game because it is either too challenging or I am too stubborn to look up walkthroughs on GameFAQs.
Ex: Trauma Center: Under The Knife - This game is so immensely fun to play, but I just can't keep up in the later levels. I'll eventually tackle this game again.

2) The game-play becomes more tedious than fun, so playing it makes me unhappy.
Ex: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - I hate the grinding system. It's less fun than the grinding systems in games like Final Fantasy because it is so much easier to die in Zelda II.

3) I lost the game or lost/erased the file accidentally.
Ex: Megaman Battle Network 5: Double Team DS - I lost it in December 2006. I was so upset that my progress was lost that I decided to not buy it again. But, I may do so someday.