Do you start to long for the endgame?

[FP]

I have noticed that over the last few years I start to get annoyed with games about 2/3s of the way through them and hope the end of the game is near. This happens with most games but especially the longer ones like Zelda and GTA4. I start to wish the game would end soon because I simply stop having fun playing them. The repetition and lack of original content makes me want to stop playing but I really hate leaving games unfinished.

Anyone else get this feeling too?

I can't figure out if it is just me getting older or something about the games. Super Mario Bros was definitely repetitive but I could play it for months.

 

[Drekce]

I agree, and think it is an age/time thing.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I think it's the repetition / cookie-cutter missions not the overall length.

KOTOR 1 could easily have been another 10 hours longer (one more planet) and KOTOR 2's cut content is sorely missed. Both games made each planet feel different, and the game changed on you as your characters progressed. 2 was especially good with the changes to crafting, powers, and from influence on your party.

Oblivion held my interest for quite a while despite the repetition of oblivion gates, because the creatures changed and so did my character (spells, alchemy & armor set / enchantments). Once I'd maxed out the gate creatures and my equipment it did get boring.

 

[purbeast0]

not really to me.

the only one i can think of in recent times i wanted to end was COD4 because other than like 2 levels the single player was pretty lack luster IMO.

ratchet and clank is probbaly the longest platformer i've ever played, and i did not want that game to end.

i also didn't want uncharted to end, that is one of the best games in recent years i've played.

same with gears of war and halo 3, i didn't want either of those to end single player wise, i just wanted more.

other than those, hot shots golf and burnout paradise are the other games i've played to completition, and i didn't really play hot shots for single player in general (although i completed it), and burnout paradise i kind of wanted to end solely so i could have 101% and all the stuff unlocked. also, it took me over 80 total hours of gameplay (both online and offline) to unlock EVERYTHING heh.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Funny, for me, I feel this way with games and movies all the time, but it's not because I'm getting frustrated or bored by them. In most cases, it's because I enjoy the game or movie so much that I just can't wait to see how the story is resolved. Then, of course, disappointment hits me when it actually is resolved because I know there's no more left, but there's always something new around the corner.

 

[RandomFool]

Unless the game is really good or has lots of variety, I start getting bored with it after 4-5 hours.

Then other games, like No More Heroes, absolutely suck me in no matter what. Once I got into it I couldn't stop playing it until I beat it no matter how repetitive or unpolished it was.

Twilight Princess was another game that just grabbed me. TP pretty much jump started my single player gaming habit before that I hadn't gotten into a single player game since half life two was released.

Super Mario Galaxy was just about the perfect length for me, I made it to the final battle almost exactly when I started getting a but bored with it.

That's one thing I like about the idea of episodic gaming, the installments seem to be short enough where by the time you start getting bored the game is over.

 

[BassBomb]

I am with you on that, I used to love making sure I beat something 100%. Now it is just simply too time consuming and hard to.

When I was playing WoW, I was trying to do every quest I could possibly do!

Right now in like Assassin's Creed I hate the flag gathering in all the cities. It is sooo time consuming but I wish I could finish it all

 

[TecHNooB]

Not if the game is good. If the game is good, I wish it never ends Or is lengthy at least (like FF7).

 

[VashHT]

As other people said it depends on the game. Some games I play for 5 or 6 hours get bored and stop for a long time, other games I just can't put down until I beat it. I think games held my attention longer as a kid, lower expectations maybe? I could play through old NES games over and over and still want more, but if I try to play those games now they get boring once the nostalgia wears off.

 

[Yourself]

I was just thinking about this subject this morning. I am 80-90 % done with the missions in GTA 4, but I just don't think I can muster the interest in finishing the game. I felt the same way with DMC4 lately and a few others.

Self

 

[Schadenfroh]

Game developers realize this and games are becoming shorter (while the price remains the same or is higher).

 

[Beev]

Depends on the game type for me. I didn't want MGS4 to end at all (assuming the story kept on being just as good as it was). I rarely want my RPG's to end. Pretty much if the game has a good story, it needs to go on forever

 

[nakedfrog]

Sometimes.
Uncharted - WAY too short (although if they'd made it longer by adding more of the zombie things, then it would have been too long)
Mass Effect - A bit too short, could have used another 10-20 hours
Dragon Quest VIII - I put 90+ hours into this, and if I hadn't reached the end, I would have put in more.
Psychonauts - I think this was a good length
KOTOR - Also a good length

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I think it's the repetition / cookie-cutter missions not the overall length.

KOTOR 1 could easily have been another 10 hours longer (one more planet) and KOTOR 2's cut content is sorely missed. Both games made each planet feel different, and the game changed on you as your characters progressed. 2 was especially good with the changes to crafting, powers, and from influence on your party.

Oblivion held my interest for quite a while despite the repetition of oblivion gates, because the creatures changed and so did my character (spells, alchemy & armor set / enchantments). Once I'd maxed out the gate creatures and my equipment it did get boring.

I agree about KOTOR 1 and 2.
They were made with the same depth and story quality of the Baldurs Gate games, but didnt have nearly enough optional content. About 3/4 of Baldurs Gate 2 was optional, and it made the game much better overall.
There werent enough "extras" in KOTOR and KOTOR 2 was a mess when they released it.

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

I feel that way when I hear that a game is short. I play through thinking "(insert publication/site here) said this game was short. When the hell is it going to end?" and eventually get frustrated.

 

[warcrow]

I read the thread title probably 8 times trying to make sense of it before I finally just clicked on it to find out what it meant.

Anyway--certainly. There are games that I've played that I just couldnt wait to finish up because I've felt obligated to compelte because the game was sent to be by a publisher for the Podcast. I sorta felt like I couldnt speak on it unless I comeplted the expereince I guess? I've now tossed that practice aside because it's just not worth it and I'll mention the fact if the game is discussed. It's just not worth it anymore.

I have to say that there are games I've played that I didnt want to end either.

 

[shingletingle]

I used to love the Final Fantasy games but I no longer have the patience for them. I also believe it's an age/time thing.

I like shooters mostly now. Probably because the campaigns can be finished failry quickly and multiplayer allows you to jump in and out of a game to get a quick fix.

I do like a game with a good story though. I really liked Mass Effect. Again, probably because it was a mix of a shooter and an RPG, while keeping the main story somewhat short. I didn't do many of the optional quests.

 

[Joemonkey]

I stopped playing WoW recently and wanted to play the games I had missed. So, and realize these are on the PC and I'm posting in Console Gaming, but I think all these are console ports except CoH... I decided to pick up Bioshock, Overlord, Company of Heroes, Mass Effect, COD4, and Assassin's Creed.

Bioshock was awesome, finished it completely and was never bored with it (well except when I couldn't find that last piece of the big daddy suit)

Overlord became too repetitive, I never even finished it

Company of Heroes is good, but I don't have the patience for it any more I don't think... I'm at the mission where you go to save Dog company in X amount of time, and I'm frustrated that I can't hold every resource

Mass Effect is growing on me, I was bored out of my skull the first time I went into the city, but I think the more I play it the more I will enjoy. Should I have picked something other than Engineer to start with?

COD4 single player was just long and hard enough (joke to be made there?)

Assassin's creed I just can't get into. Controls on the PC are frustrating, I can't get pickpocketing to work properly, and I really don't feel like finding 100 flags...

 

[imported_Imp]

Only with games I get from the bargain bin, don't really like, are too long or if I bought something else and just want to finish it so I can move on. The "just end already" feeling came on in GTA4 a few times, but more often than not, one good mission got me interested again. The worst offender on PS3 for me so far is Ratchet and Clank. There is no variation, just blast, change weapons and blast. You even going back to the same levels with no reason other than some retarded character in the story (I'll never forgive the green dude). However, I must admit that both these games were 20+ hours with me clocking 50 hours into GTA4.

As long as the story is reasonable, a game is almost 'perfect' if it clocks in at 15-20 hours. After the 10 hour mark these days, I start getting suspicious and look for signs that the game is about to end. If it lasts another 5, I am usually pleasantly surprised.

Uncharted was too damn short, but at the same time, it was just right cause of the lack of variation. At around 8 hours, you got to shoot a lot of stuff, visit enough locales, use enough weapons and do enough puzzles. Any longer, and it would have felt dragged out. Unfortunately, I only played it through twice so far.

MGS4 I've played 3 times over, totaling about 40 hours. My playtimes were 20, 12 and 4 hours. Without cutscenes, it feels a tad short, but just right. So all in all, it depends on the game and its execution.

 

[potato28]

Depends on what genre the game is and how good the game is in my mind. Most PC FPS's are "...NOOOOO ITS OVER/!!/1?!??! IT WAS TOO SHORT!!!", but the PC RTS's are "boring, boring, boring, fun, boring... end". Console FPS's are just a huge frustration unless they are great, and racing games in general have to be 50 hours or more to satisfy my need for speed. Burnout Paradise was way too short, because that last license is just a huge grind for what? 70 gamerscore. So I gave up on that.

 

[Spankthru]

I am definately feeling this way since I am trying to get through God of War II for the PS2. I am currently on 21 hours and a couple levels away from getting to Zeus.
If it weren't for the story, I'd probably not finish it.