I use to play the players guides for Nintendo 64 games just for the pictures, I think I only used a walkthough for the first boss of PoP;The Sands of time
I got Advance wars Dark Conflict (or Days of Ruin depending on where you live), on the day it came out. I played it tons but then got stuck. A load of other games came out and I forgot it, but after those, I went back to it. I was so stuck that I broke down and read a walkthrough. It wasn't very helpful, but it gave me the general idea of what to do.
When the game goes from being challenging to just plain frustrating, assuming it has hooked me enough already that I even care to go farther at that point.
"when i have completed the game at least once, i then use the walkthrough/cheats to find stuff that i missed and didn't do the first time around etc."
Exactly what he said. I have got to go through a game completely without using a guide, ya know, figure it out myself. Then once I've completed that game, I may use a guide to find all the hidden shit, like in COD4 the intel & such. Or in GTA4, all the jumps & flying rats & what not. And cheats, ONLY after I've beaten it will I use cheats.
Yeah, when I used to play the pokemon games, i would complete it at least once, then cheat and do it again with infinite level-up rare candies and master balls!
If I'm stuck and remain completely stumped at a certain part in a game then I'll go seek out a walkthrough..
However, in the case of the Resident Evil games, I always print out walkthroughs or have one on screen before I even get the games. I just don't mess around when it comes to Resident Evil games because I know I'm going to get stuck on some stupid puzzle at some point.
To me, games like Grand Theft Auto were meant to be played with cheats, so in that case you'll find me nose-deep in a walkthrough or a cheat FAQ.
In terms of being stuck, I'm really stubborn about abstaining from guides. That results in a general increase in overall frustration and stress, but I feel much more relieved about conquering the challenge after the fact.
Yeah, either when I am going on a completist spree or if its too the point where I have just been wandering for like an hour with no idea on what to do!
I don't just buy them with the game, or grab a FAQ or Guide while I sit down with the game, but where there are some puzzles or something I missed earlier, it is nice to just have a little bump in the right direction instead of just getting frustrated, then bored and then finally throwing the game on the shelf!
From the very start, but this is because I generally don't play a game more than once unless it's something totally amazing that beckons more than one playthrough. I try to get everything on my first go, and while at times that can be somewhat difficult, I generally don't mind it. However, when it comes to an RPG I live by those for things such as, what stats to increase, where do I find this specialy guy who unlocks this special side quest.
I generally have no problems using them, for the most part I tend to go on ahead, then consult the strategy guide for what I should look for.
"when i have completed the game at least once, i then use the walkthrough/cheats to find stuff that i missed and didn't do the first time around etc."
Same here, although I'm majorly against cheats, I break out the walkthrough on second playthroughs.
As a side note, I actually collect official strategy guides for my favourite games. I think they're fantastic when they're related to games you hold dear, really informative and usually filled with great official artwork.
I use a walkthrough or hints when the game gets to the point of frustration and I have died like a hundred times trying before I go insane and kill someone, that is the time I use them which is once in a blue moon.
When I've lost all motivation to play the game, and want to complete it as quick as I can, or only interested in the story. Though I would never use cheats.
I do occasionally use a walkthrough from the get go, sometimes I feel the experience is improved by doing so.
I got out an FAQ for Braid, and it was the first time in ages. I generally just use walkthroughs to ruin adventure games for myself... not so common anymore!
If I'm really genuinely stuck or a game gets too frustrating for me to play without. Case in point is Lost Odyssey, I'm playing through that and I love it, but the dungeons in it (like in most JRPGs) suck the big one. So I bought a walkthrough when I was in the dungeon at the end of disc 2, and have basically been using it by my side ever since. I just hate not being able to explore a dungeon for treasure and things leisurely and getting sucked into random encounters every few steps, it makes solving puzzles and things annoying as hell. I am actually enjoying the game way more with the walkthrough, so, whatever you gotta do, y'know?
I only use it for RPGs cus I hate to miss stuff, like a powerful weapon, rare item, secret boss etc. so I use walkthroughs for that. I hate when I beat a game to find out I missed something, and I don't want to play through 20+ hours just to get it.
If I'm going for a specific ending on my first time through I'll be sure to read up on how to get that ending. Like Dead Rising for example. But I don't ruin the story or key plot points. I usually don't want to play through the game twice so I try and get it the first time through.
Now I only break out a FAQ when I'm stuck and being stuck is getting in the way of my enjoying the game. Most of the time figuring it out for myself is a rewarding experience and I try to stick it out for as long as I can. For example I'm stuck on two puzzle pieces in world 6 of Braid. I'd rather figure it out because it'll be more satisfying that way. God of War II has many moments where I'm tempted to look up a FAQ but I'd rather use my brain..sure its a little frustrating but worthwhile in the end. Not a bad thing to actually USE your brain when playing a game.
When I have to collect a ton of stuff scattered throughout the game world. Most notably the hidden packages in GTA or smashing all of the gates in Burnout: Paradise.
When I've spent an hour trying to get past just one small part of a game and can't seem to find the way to do so. Then I pop online for the Walk Through.
I almost always end up using one for RPG's. I don't find it fun to die at a boss once just to figure out its weakness only to have a checkpoint/save point hours before said boss. I'd rather know the weakness now thank you.
I have to be stuck in one place for about an hour before I look it up online. Puzzles and bosses are really easy to figure out in most games so I rarely have to look at a walkthrough.
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