My Relationship with Game Guides! What's Yours?

Hi guys! I was playing one game of my backlog and got stuck, so I needed to look up some guide online to progress further. This got me thinking about my relationship with gaming guides and I thought it's an interesting topic to talk about and discuss.

When I decide to play a new video game, I try to play as blind as possible. That is: I avoid reading/watching Reviews, avoid Trailers (except when I'm starved for them which happens often for games I wait for years.) I read as little as possible of people impressions about the game. There are many reasons I'm doing this, but one of them is to have unbiased opinion while playing the game.

I'm also the kind of guy who reads Reviews AFTER playing the game. Not necessarily after beating it, but surely after I form an opinion and like to see if that's what others think too... Maybe that's why I like to review older games, because I assume those who read them are like me.

So it's not uncommon for me to get stuck at some point in almost every game. Especially puzzle adventures, or story games that require extensive backtracking or attention to detail. Old school RPGs like the PS1 era's Final Fantasy and the older Persona titles are especially frustrating in that regard.

(Babies and Toddlers section was hard to find in Kingdom Hearts III)

So when I get stuck I try more than a way to find a solution by myself. I go back to previous areas, I talk to everyone, I press all the buttons, and try other things. Until I get frustrated from trying! That usually takes from half and hour to more than a few hours. Sometimes I try for a bit across many sessions and many days before finally giving in and go look up how other people solved the problem.

• My first method is Google: I search the name of the game and some keywords about the level I'm in, like: "KHIII toy story babies and toddlers," "RE3 Water Puzzle," or just "I'm stuck in Half-life please help I beg you!!" The last one is a joke. Usually someone will have asked the same question I have on some forum or another.

• My Second Method is FAQs/Walkthroughs: There are many websites that offer written guides, cheats and walkthroughs. In the past I used to go directly to GameFaqs, but now I'm amazed by how many websites that specialize in certain types of games and shows in simple detail how to %100 each one of them!

• My last resort are Let's Plays: That's when I don't find what I want even on written guides. Depending on the game and the problem I'm stuck in, it might be hard to pin-point which part of a Lets Play shows how to progress past the point I'm stuck in.

• Then There are some games where playing it using a guide is the only way for me to find enjoyment in. Some like old school point-and-click adventure game in which you have to assume what the developer was thinking instead of logically solving anything.

(I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is pretty hard without a guide)

So, that's about it... I tend to avoid using guides, but won't leave myself be frustrated with a game for long. I don't like to Ragequit afterall...

When I do find the solution, (by myself or using a guide,) it is often something obvious I somehow managed to miss, I sometimes feel stupid. Haha... Yeah.

Another thing I want to mention is that there are cases I'd use a guide while still considering myself playing a blind run, is when I look up a solution for a side quest that's not necessary to finish but I want it for my own reasons. The twins requests in Persona 5 come to mind: Figuring out which monsters to fuse to fulfill the next request requires a lot of experimentation or luck, In cases like these I'd try for a while but I eventually look a guide up.

(GOW (PS4) a game that makes you want to Platinum)

Finally, I would definitely use a guide is when I decide to %100 complete a game! I won't even attempt %100 completion without a help! Though I rarely go for a completionist run, doubly so in my first playthrough. I respect anyone who'd platinum every PlayStation game without looking anything online.

So, what do you think?

That's what I have to say about guides... I'm interested in what my fellow gamers on HIVE think. Do you prefer to play your games totally blind? Or look up everything before making any step? Anything in between? I hope to see your opinions in comments!

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Cover image is edited using a base from here. Kingdom Hearts image is taken from here. IHNMAIMS image is from Steam community. God of War image is this wallpaper.

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