Can you can still have fun using a guide.

[super_etecoon]

If I can’t play and beat the game on my own I’m not sure 1) I deserve to play the game, 2) I have invested enough time to understand the systems and techniques required to play the game or 3) the game isn’t broken, which doesn’t happen for wide releases generally.

The best thing a game can do for me is to make me feel confused and disoriented. It’s why I love the backtracking nature of Metroidvanias. And the feeling of overcoming that difficulty spike, puzzle, or path is half the reason I enjoy playing videogames.

Now I understand people don’t have time for that. This isn’t a condemnation of the way other people play. I have, on occasion, made as small of a Google search as I possibly could to spoil the secret of a game to pass an area that I was stuck on. And almost every time I do, I say to myself, “you’re an idiot.” It’s almost never because the puzzle solution was impossible to solve or the path forward wasn’t marked. I hate that feeling so I put it off as much as I can.

I do think that some people give up way too easily. My girlfriend does this. When you get stuck in a room you need to walk around it a bit, study it, see what sticks out or doesn’t fit. Don’t just look at something that is confusing and say, “since I don’t understand it, it’s not there.” But her stress level doesn’t allow her to take in the room this way. She starts feeling stupid and frustrated and like she isn’t smart enough to play the game. I also understand that emotion and how off putting it can be. I help her get through a lot of those situations and that’s why I’m thankful that guides and walkthroughs exist. They really help open the world of gaming up to people that otherwise might be kept out of the fun for not having the emotional capability of overcoming those frustrations. We are all very different people and that isn’t an indictment of any of us.

But for me, personally, no guides thank you.