Ever played a game only to realize you were playing it wrong?

Azureth

Azureth

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
5,323
Ever played a game and only until later realized you were playing it wrong either by not understanding how a part of it worked or a feature you didn't know you had/could use?

One memorable one for me was when I played Star Wars Republic Commando. During the game I found enemies very difficult to take out but figured that was just how it was...until half way through I realized I can press a button and have all of my squadmates target onto the person and shoot and enemies started dropping like flies. LOL. Amazing game though!
 
I know when I played Timeshift I wasn't doing things "properly". Sometimes having too many things you can do is a bad thing.

I played Republic Commando too. It was difficult trying to fight off enemies and tell my squad what to do too. I remember there being one part that I couldn't beat so I had to put in a cheat code for invincibility until I got past it.
 
Batman! I played through all of Asylum and was having a horrible time with the combat, but I never chose the Critical Strikes upgrade (because I thought it sounded dumb...) until the very end! definitely played that wrong, next time I got it very early and made things so much easier!
 
Usually only happens in boardgames. :)

Though, I argue most people don't like FFVIII because they're playing it wrong. It's a game with semi-complicated mechanics. Once you figure out how to break it, the game becomes a lot more fun to actually play. At least, from a mechanics point of view. Story issues will still be present.
 
Only the game of life. Been playing it wrong from day one and will continue to play it wrong apparently.
 
I think a lot of people learn this about Dark Souls. Especially if they started playing without going online first.
 
Two games for me. Bioshock: Infinite - I had no idea I could swap guns out once I had picked one up. I played all the way through with only using what I picked up throughout the levels and the immediate swap option.

Creep World 3 (I'm a sucker for tower defense): Didn't realize I could move my turrets until I had played through at least 2 dozen levels.
 
All the time.

The last game that I picked up and was incredibly wrong for a while was Elder Scrolls Online.
I had no idea that the "thing" to do was wear armor sets. For almost a year, I was mixing and matching random shit, and I always wondered why everyone around me was killing things at a much higher rate.
I spent a fucking year in an mmo, getting by at best. Until one day a player asked me what I was wearing, and BAM!

For instance, with other Mmos that I've played, wearing 2,3 or even 5 pieces of the same set was not necessary to maximize your build. With ESO, it's a must.
Total fail on my part. Also didn't help clicking through all the bs dialogue either. Haha

0MeykyR.jpg
 
Last edited:
Eshelmen said:
All the time.

The last game that I picked up and was incredibly wrong for a while was Elder Scrolls Online.
I had no idea that the "thing" to do was wear armor sets. For almost a year, I was mixing and matching random shit, and I always wondered why everyone around me was killing things at a much higher rate.
I spent a fucking year in an mmo, getting by at best. Until one day a player asked me what I was wearing, and BAM!

For instance, with other Mmos that I've played, wearing 2,3 or even 5 pieces of the same set was not necessary to maximize your build. With ESO, it's a must.
Total fail on my part. Also didn't help clicking through all the bs dialogue either. Haha

0MeykyR.jpg
Click to expand...
In a similar vein, I first played the original NES Final Fantasy probably around the turn of the century. I went all the way through the Earth cave until figuring out I had to equip the equipment my characters were carrying. Up until then I was thinking that the game had certainly earned its reputation for being hard. Don't get me wrong: the game was still challenging, but not near impossible like it was playing the game without any equipment.
 
Armenius said:
In a similar vein, I first played the original NES Final Fantasy probably around the turn of the century. I went all the way through the Earth cave until figuring out I had to equip the equipment my characters were carrying. Up until then I was thinking that the game had certainly earned its reputation for being hard. Don't get me wrong: the game was still challenging, but not near impossible like it was playing the game without any equipment.
Click to expand...

LOL. Yup. Same kind of feeling. Even with PvP, I eventually accepted that every player opposing me was automatically stronger, so I always had to go the extra mile to defeat them.
After my dramatic change in what I was wearing, it made the game significantly easier, both PVE and PvP.

Too funny.

Great topic OP.
 
No bullshit.. Diablo 2.

First played it when it dropped and then LOD. Both stints I would get to nightmare and get totally rocked. I would use stat points as I got them and pump what i needed to wear the gear I was saving. Also would just put skill points in where ever.

It wasn't until my third stint back on the game that I realized you had to plan your build from square one and know your end game gear for stat points (just enough and dump the rest in vita). Also know how to "make builds" by saving up skill points. Then I found rushing and farming etc.
 
atarumoroboshi18 said:
The original Max Payne...let's just say I played through the first half of the game in "real-time"...
Click to expand...
I can't remember what game it was, but it was a more recent one where slowing down time was also a core mechanic. I knew about it, but never used it because it actually made the game worse...
 
Oh yea, I play games wrong all the time. Actually I never play them smart until I spend enough time with one to figure all the ins and outs. So I never really play any game right until after spending a lot of time with it.
 
Yeh the Hitman franchise (mostly Hitman 1 and 2). I'm always impatient so rush out and shoot and get my cover blown. I gave up till I found some cheats and trainers. Hitman 3, Blood Money and Absolution I did better on and actually completed the games.
 
atarumoroboshi18 said:
The original Max Payne...let's just say I played through the first half of the game in "real-time"...
Click to expand...
I remember that game, I saw the NY minute option and was like, hell yeah I'm from NJ and I'm gonna do that. Never made it to the next checkpoint.
 
With the virtual disappearance of instruction manuals, this can happen more and more. I can't tell you how many times I've had to Google the most basic of game mechanics because games neglected to address them. People whine about tutorials, but without one you're often left clueless.
 
The one I distinctly remember is Empire Earth. I didn't read the manual at all (it's just like Age of Empires, I can handle it) and I was getting crushed by the AI repeatedly, even on the easiest setting.
Went to look into what I was missing and found out you could populate your buildings with the plebs to speed up the production of that particular building.

Doh.
 
Cant remember the name of the games but I know one you were supposed to sneak a lot and I snuck none, and the other there was some kind of timeshift that slowed time and I never used that either.

Several games that had 'secrets' that I knew nothing of nor found any!!
 
One I just thought about was the first Tekken. The manual only listed 3-4 moves for each character and we were all used to Street Fighter and MK which mirrored that.
I thought it was a steaming pile based on that. It wasn't until 5-6 months later that I started seeing guides that revealed each character had dozens and dozens of moves. I'd already returned the game and Tekken 2 was only a few months away so I never did play Tekken 1 again.
 
Yes Overwatch. I can only play Junkrat and Lucio. Too lazy to learn all the other heroes. It's like when I played WoW my only toon was a dwarf rogue. Never played another class. Never leveled up another toon.
 
n370zed said:
Yes Overwatch. I can only play Junkrat and Lucio. Too lazy to learn all the other heroes. It's like when I played WoW my only toon was a dwarf rogue. Never played another class. Never leveled up another toon.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt consider either of those as "learning" to play them :D
 
I played way too far into FC:BD storyline without taking over any other bases / getting any weapon upgrades. Must be why some hated the game, and others thought it was cheap fun. I blame the non-obvious transition point where you don't have to follow the prompting any longer.
 
World of warcraft, The Burning Crusade (the first one btw) i was questing and kept dying. bitched about it in guild chat and a guild member said it's impossible with your class and gear you have on. They came to me, watched what i did, brought me back to life, handed me a wand and told me to try again.

i should get some kind of credit for making it to level 15ish by hand to hand combat, no?

now? wands mean nothing but a buff to your stats. No one uses to kill anymore :(
 
Finally started thinking about life, Azureth?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top