What's *Finishing a Game* to You?

Surely finishing a game just means finishing a game...

usually seeing the ending cinematic, if it's a story game.

I endure through credits rolls just in case it pulls a Metal Gear Solid on me.

It really depends on the game. Particularly if it's narrative-driven or not. If it has a strong story component, I'd say I've finished it when I've seen the end of the story. Anything I do beyond that is ancillary. On the other hand, if a game with no specific end like a puzzle game, I just play it until I've had my fill for the time being.

Beating it.

Granted i'll try and soak up all meaningful content out there, but once i beat it, i beat it.

Finishing a game and beating a game for me are different, but its really just semantics. I consider myself finished with a game if I don't want to play it anymore, possibly ever. I beat P3FES but I'm not "finished" with it because I plan on going back and doing the S-links that I missed. On the other hand, I played through two levels of Battlefield 3 and consider myself finished with it because I'm not going to play any more of it.

Finishing a game = finishing it, 100%ing a game = 100%ing it. S rank included DLC for absolutely no reason so I don't really consider that part of the repertoire considering 95% of DLC isn't worthwhile.

Most of the time roll credits is finishing it, but then there are cases like Persona 4 Arena, where credits roll like 25 times (13 campaign playthroughs and 12 arcade playthroughs). Or Valkyria Chronicles 2 and 3, where the story is short compared to the end game content. I've played those for a couple hundred hours each and still have things to unlock but I finished the story at like 60 hours deep.

Seeing all the content that is created by hand to be seen might be a closer definition to finishing a game. If there are infinite procedurally generated missions or areas then that shouldn't count. If there is an entire block in a city that only exists to fill space and doesn't have an event that happens there then seeing that block shouldn't count.

Getting to the credits.

Having seen the ending / Credits Roll.

How unhelpful.

Usually when I finish the "story" of the game. I don't have much gaming time and rerely, if ever, 100% a game.

I side with the credits roll. That means I've finished the main path, and to me that's the main part of a game. Even if there are multiple endings, I still think you've finished a game by that point. Everything else is secondary and optional.

There's never an end to a multiplayer game, so let's assume we're talking about single player. In that case, it's when you've experienced all of a story's narration. If there's an ending which requires you to do something specific beyond seeing the first instance of credits - the "true" ending - I would count that. Just play any visual novel ever or, more specifically, any of the Infinity or Zero Escape series. You will reach the credits before you have any clue what is going on. Western developed games also often have some element of the "bad" ending and the "good" ending, for those who put a little more effort into digging through the story elements to unlock it.

Apropos finishing a game. I just sat through the credit roll of Ass Creed 3 (that's like half an hour), I really want to deinstall the game. I did most of the boat and homestead stuff, otherwise I found all the side activities that I've sampled rather bland (well, the homestead missions were rather boring too). What side quests are especially worthwhile? I bet Pegleg's side quest is pretty good, if I go through the hassle of getting all the trinkets.

I'd be glad for any tips. Or just tell me to deinstall the game and get on with my life. Please tell me to. *wimper*

I don't need to 100% a game to finish it. I just hit those credits and close the book.

Generally just the 'credits roll', unless it's a game like Civ V or Total War. Then I consider 'finished' my having completed/won at least one campaign, especially as they take ages. That doesn't mean the game is 'done' or that I am actually 'finished' in terms of playing it, but I feel that I have at least finished what was intended.

If I don't like a game all that much, I consider it finished when the credits rolls, no matter how much extra content is unplayed. If I really enjoy a game... it's NEVER over...

Just kidding, if I really like it I will consider it finished when all content is done. Not necessarily an S rank or anything, but when all meaningful content is completed, like side missions, finding all the rare weapons or items, etc.

Do it! Do it now. I'm really glad I got rid of that game as soon as I finished it and I tend to collect everything.

The Pegleg missions are the best stuff in that game. It is insane how that stuff is locked behind meaningless collectibles. They showed parts of those missions in the adverts for the game

@gunstarred: @mikkaq:

Aight. I'll do Pegleg, and then I'll scrub my HDD with fire. Seems like the thing to do.

Your comment, on the other hand, was very helpful.

@beachthunder:

I didn't comment on the utility of my own past; merely the lack of it in yours.

It really depends on the game for me. If I really like the the game I don't consider it finished until I've done everything in the game. If the game isn't that great I would say just finishing the story.

Usually when the credits roll, but if a game really intrigues me I won't rest until I get 100%.

I consider finishing a single-player game to mean seeing the ending to that game, regardless of how much optional content you might have missed on the way, and regardless of whether or not there are alternate endings or New Game+ endings.

Simply reaching the normal end counts, to me, though if I played a game long enough to get to that point, I probably enjoyed it enough that I'm going to do most of the optional content anyway. I'm usually not done with games when I finish them.

For me its the Credits roll. I might still continue playing the game afterwards though, if the game lets you continue playing it. But thats just extra.

Mostly when the credit rolls but if their are a shit ton of things to do and they're fun, I'll keep playing it. Sometimes even go for the platinum trophy. Example would be Sleeping Dogs. Beat the story and I wanted the platinum so I did the rest of the side content. So unless the game has fun side content or an easy platinum, I'm done when the credits roll.

Beating the story, usually.

Usually it is "story complete" which is often around the "Credits Roll".

I'm one of those guys who needs that Platinum trophy /100%, but I draw the line where I know I'll never reach that goal for certain games.

Kinda depends on the game for me. I finished blacklist doing all the missions. I didn't bother trying to gold all the styles though. With Rayman Legends however, I've seen the credits but I won't be finished until I've got all 700 teensies.

Lost odyssey I beat all optional bosses and learned all the skills and stuff, but didn't go beat the final boss simply because I couldn't be bothered, but I consider myself to have finished that game.

Dragons dogma, I've finished (credits+daimon in aa) that game like 7 times, but I still don't feel that I have everything I can get out of it yet.

Option B I guess?

@seppli: The multiplayer is the best part of the game, it is quite a bit better than the Last of Us' multi (which is still quite good).

@canteu: You should start playing Star Ocean 4, would only take like 700 hours to 100% it.

I feel like I've seen a thread similar to this not too long ago...

For most games it's when the credits roll, but there are times when I want to do more after that.

So: Credit rolls. / Whenever I feel like I'm done with a game.

Can't imagine me liking it better than The Last of Us, with all of Assassin's Creed's abhorrent autopilot mechanics. I certainly didn't enjoy it all too much trying it out in Brotherhood and Revelations. I guess the mind games are bound to be cool, but I'm usually more of a frontline kind of guy. *Here I am! Fight me!* is my style. Works a lot better with with guns. It's quite exceptional that I enjoy The Last of Us as much as I do.

if the game has meaningful post credits content, like the extra chapter in Tales of Graces (or any of the option dungeons in Tales games) then I don't consider myself done with it until I've finished that as well.