When Do I Use a Walkthrough?

Walkthroughs or FAQs are great, they offer information about everything you need to know to complete a game. This is true for RPG games that require alot of puzzle solving to complete, for platform or FPS games, walkthroughs are not that important as practice and skill are the main ingredients needed for the completion of this type of games. A walkthrough is really helpful, still, a true gamer does not or seldom refer to this walkthroughs. I know a couple of friends who would start a game with a walkthrough already on their lap and then later on brag about completing a game like they are Gods or something. This is just so wrong. Game developers spend hundreds of hours conceptualizing and developing games, and the least we can do as gamers is to show our appreciation by actually playing the games. I don't see using a walkthrough all through out a game as playing at all, yes you may have the controller on hand but the game is actually being played by someone else, by the person who wrote the FAQ. 

I would be lying if I claim to have never used a walkthrough before, but when I do, the following are my reasons.

I am realy, really, realy, REALLY lost.

When I say really, really, really, REALLY LOST, this means that I am stuck somewhere in the game probably for weeks (in most cases probaby a month or two) and I already visited and revisited every NPC in the game and still don't understand what the hell am I suppose to do next. When this happens, I wonder if there may be a problem in the game or perhaps I may have been really stupid to have overlooked something. Then, I have no choice, I need to use a walkthrough to get me right back on track.

Aiming for 100% Completion

  

I'm missing something

Like most gamers, completing the game is not enough. I want to have every item in my inventory, every sidequest completed, reached the max level for each character and collected whatever it is that needs collecting in the game. Of course, don't jump into using a gamethrough to achieve 100% completion, try completing everything yourself, but of course sometimes there's that 1 or two item that eludes you. Perhaps you might consider asking a friend or if you don't have any, then consulting walkthrough is fine as well.

For most games where I used walkthroughs, I never actually feel the same amount of fullfillment or satisfaction as the games that I have completed on my own. Walkthroughs are great, but playing the game on your own is better. It may take longer to complete the game, but the satisfaction of exploring and discovering something new is an experience that would always be remembered. That is simply priceless.


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http://rodrigopessanha.deviantart.com/art/Batman-no-pants-353117502