Gameplay

Is there a time in anyone's memory banks when you played a game not because of the stellar gameplay, but rather simply because you wanted to get through the game? 
 
Kind of like a book in a foreign language, playing through nearly broken games because something was indeed worth the time and sanity investment? 
 
Maybe it was a unique story. Maybe you felt like you were breaking ground, treading where no gamer has yet had the patience to dare. Maybe you were training for a career in video game testing. 
 
Regardless, achievements and trophies now make video gaming time a weighted decision based on available time to game. 
 
What is most important in this evolved era of gaming? The number of points associated with each reward milestone? Or the sheer reward itself? 

Is there a time in anyone's memory banks when you played a game not because of the stellar gameplay, but rather simply because you wanted to get through the game? 
 
Kind of like a book in a foreign language, playing through nearly broken games because something was indeed worth the time and sanity investment? 
 
Maybe it was a unique story. Maybe you felt like you were breaking ground, treading where no gamer has yet had the patience to dare. Maybe you were training for a career in video game testing. 
 
Regardless, achievements and trophies now make video gaming time a weighted decision based on available time to game. 
 
What is most important in this evolved era of gaming? The number of points associated with each reward milestone? Or the sheer reward itself? 

Suffering through Tartarus to keep the story going in Persona 3.

I've been writing about my experience with Arcanum.  The gameplay is not stellar, although it's better and worse than I had anticipated.  I do it because I want to experience this thing that some like and some hate, and see just what's going on with it from my perspective.
 
I've tried to complete games I bought, out of a sense of guilt, or borrowed, because time was running out.
 
I don't feel the need to do this as much anymore because I don't buy many games.  It's actually sorta liberating :)
 
Thing is, it's hard to have an impression of gameplay until you're already a good way through the game. So it's more about finishing than just playing, I think.  Often if the mechanics frustrate me I give up, but that usually only happens when I have nothing else to hold on to.  Even if Arcanum's mechanics become unbearable I think I'll still push to beat it, since I'll look at it as a challenge, and so I don't have to concern myself with spoiler warnings anymore.

Yeah, I think I've certainly suffered through parts of some games to get to better bits. I felt like that with portions of Red Faction: Guerilla and Brutal Legend.

Myst^^

Deadly Muthafuckin Premonition.

Halo 3. I bought it and I wanted the achievements. But it was an awful campaign. Returned it as soon as I completed it.