Spiral Perspective

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OK, so there are some games that turn me into a mad obsessive-compulsive; hell-bent on getting every elastic band in Bully, on a crusade to collect every flag in Assassin’s Creed and set on getting all those damned Bobbleheads in Fallout 3.

Certain games seem to awaken “the madness” in me. Sometimes the most obscure titles change me from my usually casual self into a collectable hunting maniac. Take Bully (or Canis Canem Edit for us poor Brits), I must have completed that game six times over. I don’t mean completed the story, I mean 100% the damned thing! Not just on my Playstation 2 either, on my Xbox 360 when Scholarship edition was released too. No doubt if I had ever bought a Wii I would have done the same with that. There was something about that game that would drive me into a mad elastic band hunting, costume unlocking nutter.

When I first bought it from GAME 3 years ago, little did I know that this average game would reshape my gaming habits forever. Ever since “The great Bully addiction of ’06″ whenever I get taken by a game I would strive to fully complete it. The next game I fell victim to was Assassin’s Creed. I didn’t think, or hoped, that there would be another game that would drive me as crazy as Bully. But I was wrong. As soon as I collected one flag I was hooked! I spent hours exploring and looking for those sodding flags. I still curse Patrice Désilets for putting the damned things in. But it wasn’t just the flags, it was the Templars too! I finished the entire thing. It took so long. Then I moved home after a rather sour break up with an ex and left my old gamer tag there. It was foolish but part of me was exciting about hunting it all down again. Good lord.

Luckily I prevented myself from going on another Assassin’s Creed binge and I moved on to other games. I picked up Tomb Raider: Underworld not long after release and although I quickly became compelled to go after the Treasures and Relics, I soon gave up after spending HOURS looking for the last two treasures. That was one game I couldn’t bring myself to complete.

It was a good while until another game drew me in. This time it was Fallout 3. Oh man I loved that game! I must have put around 200 hours into that game now. This game was harder to keep tags on my over-all progression with collectables. But everything I picked up that had a number associated to it, for example the Keller Family Transcripts, made me note down how many I had found. Yes, I started to keep notes on the game! I’m still mildly depressed that it’s over but now I have a new addiction:

MASS EFFECT.

The note pad has already emerged and is slowly filling with notes. How far will this addiction take me? Is there a cure? Do I want one? Well, whatever happens I know that these games are superb and that I don’t get obsessive over games very often.

Most people see collectables as a way for developers to artificially lengthen gameplay. This is the case in some games, it felt especially obvious it in the Lego games, Star Wars, Indiana Jones Etc. The task of collecting studs, Red and gold blocks, the minikits and powerups seemed very tedious. That didn’t stop me trying though! Certain developers such as Patrice Désilets have joked that they added collectables to “prove” that gamers will do anything to get achivement points. I don’t think the reward of gamerpoints is the main reason gamers persue collectabels and 100% completions. Hell, some of the games I’ve put the most time and effort into have been on platforms popular before online gaming. Bully is a classic example of that. I will admit that I do like the added reward of achivements/trophies. I feel like they add another level to game completion, but some focus on them far too much.

For me, the reward of hitting that 100% mark is enough. I feel a real sense of achievement for fully completing a game. Of course not all games make me feel this way. For example, although I love the Grand Theft Auto series I have never felt the urge to pursue the collectables. The game environment and setting usually takes a big role in the games that  send me on my collectable quests. Fallout, Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed and Bully all have interesting and varied environments to explore. Often they are littered with humours or interesting characters that make the search less tedious. In addition the stories are excellent and have kept me gripped right up to the end.

For now I’ll keep working on Mass Effect. If anyone would like 1000G in Bully, feel free to ask. No doubt I’ll feel the urge to do it all again!