Games Guides: Good or Bad?

[Shadow]

I've found game guides (walkthroughs, let's plays, etc.) fascinating for a while now. On one hand, I really dislike them--they're too easy to rely on instead of playing the game itself and it can really ruin the plot of the game--but, on the other, I find them useful for when I've trying to get all the collectables in a game (or I'm lost and can't figure out what to do next).

What are you guys' thoughts on them?

 

[Demi-fiend]

I find them to be absolutely crucial in some games. Video walkthroughs (100 percent completing the game, I mean) are also a must, in my honest opinion.

 

[lorddemolatron]

Same opninion like one above but well to add I sometimes collect and buy those one printed thats are rather guides to game, for collectable purpose since in mine native country most Game Guides well look bland in comparison of ones i import whose have nice addons like sometimes in them concept arts and etc.

 

[Absent Nova]

They are pretty helpful for completing annoying task like the feathers in AC2

 

[Innsmouth]

I try to do it on my own. I only use guides for collectibles or trophies.

 

[Foxtrot94]

Third option.

*cough cough* Witcher gear in Witcher 3 *cough cough*

 

[KRSkull]

Well They are useful for collectables, When you are getting stuck and wanting to know what the story of the game is but can't afford them.

 

[Angel]

Game guides are invaluable - and it's not like you're being forced to use them, so I don't get the furore over them. Try playing Morphopolis without a game guide - it doesn't come easy.

If you never need help, great. But I do and kudos to those who take the time out to write/video/whatever so that others can benefit.

 

[Director Bison]

i almost always beat the game first and if there are collectibles and the game doesn't give good tools to find them myself i use a guide

but once in a while i get one of those moments where i'm stuck

like i was playing one of the PSP god of war games
and it was obvious what i had to do

i had to jump on a hanging stone and jump to the next part
i tried jumping 20 times it would not for the life of me work

then i look at a video guide and they jump on the stone perfectly fine
so after seeing it i try again and low and behold it magically works now

 

[Kusanagi7]

I finish and do everything I can by myself and then do another playthrough with a 100% guide. Usually only with rpg games tho.

 

[Director Bison]

20hrs of gameplay & some pop tutorial or shimmering effect tells me something i've figured out in the first 5minutes.
Lame & annoying especially when tutorials can't be skipped or turned off.

makes me miss the day's were games had the option to play the tutorial or not before starting a new game
and sometimes the tutorial was a really fun level
one of my favorites being the first spider-man movie game's tutorial
it was really funny

 

[Meg]

Guides are great! I used a guide pretty extensively while playing Dark Souls 1 & 2 and it definitely improved my enjoyment of each game. :happy:

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

When I was a kid I used one to beat Ocarina of Time.

After that, the only time I felt I really wanted the help of a guide was my first time playing Elder Scrolls.
Any game as complicated as one of those is justified in releasing a bible about it.

I wouldn't get one just to find collectibles or hidden secrets. It just feels too much like I'm giving in to marketing for me to justify the purchase.

 

[berto]

I use guides when a game is incredibly long and playing it again would just be too taxing. Last time I used one was for FFX to find certain stuff I wanted but it was taking me too long.

 

[DieCobros]

I only really use them for knowing where to go if I'm lost or finding a solution to a puzzle typically because I'm too dumb to come up with it myself.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

I only really use them for knowing where to go if I'm lost or finding a solution to a puzzle typically because I'm too dumb to come up with it myself.

Yeah, same here. I could probably try to figure out the puzzle myself and most times I do. It's just sometimes you get lazy, you know what I mean?

I was going to stroll in and be like "No game guides needed. I'm too pro for that". But I gave up on that idea.

 

[Angel]

I keep using one for Professor Layton games. My brain isn't very logical and I struggle with a great many of the puzzles.

 

[Shadow]

I mainly use game guides for Batman. All those Riddler trophies, ermagerd. I don't feel like hunting down all the informants, either. >_>

It's interesting no one's actually said they don't use them ever.