Collectibles, fun or frustration?
It takes me quite some years back to think of a game that didn´t have any collectibles, well these days you also have games without collectibles but usually your average popular game has some collectibles one way or another. I think they started as something fun, like collecting something nice and view that in your inventory or discover that way more about the game and the characters. I understand that and I actually like that, because I like to delve deeper into the game and read about the backstories of characters and read about the world they live in. As an rpg lover I like to get to know the characters I´m playing with so I can easier put myself in the shoes of the main character. But over time collectibles became more and more a way to keep players busy in the game world. For example collect a certain amount of objects because we say you have to. You´ll probably get a reward at the end but you really have to wonder if that was worth all the trouble. I´m not saying that it´s difficult to find collectibles, but the time it takes is usually time you´d rather spend just playing and enjoying the game instead of searching every nook and cranny for a collectible.
I find collectibles especially frustrating in mmorpg´s, because it´s just something to keep you busy and the reward is often a joke! The worst part is when you have to find a certain amount of collectibles but other people in the open world are also looking for them, then it becomes a finders keepers game. It´s frustrating and annoying, not to forget a complete waste of time! I´d rather go on adventures and discover new places, but when I have to look everywhere for the collectibles I don´t always notice that I´m in a new area or get the chance to discover it while hunting down collectibles.
So why should you do it? Well a lot of collectibles are tied to achievements/trophies, at least on console games, and if you want to fully complete a game that also means you have to find all the collectibles. But it´s not always that bad, some games go easier on you by giving you a way to detect collectibles on your map. In some games you don´t have to get all collectibles for the achievement, something that is a big relief when you have trouble finding the last couple of collectibles. I do think most people in console games get the collectibles for an achievement/trophy, but sometimes collectibles can also make you stronger. For example collect this many collectibles and you get new powers or you can make your powers even stronger. I´d say that´s a good reason to find them, but it doesn´t take away that it´s a time consuming hobby in the game world. A hobby that can be quite frustrating, but it´s not impossible. Also if you have trouble finding them then there is usually someone on youtube that has made a video for you to help you find them all. Something most people don´t give them that much credit for, because the comments aren´t always that flattering or full of complaints. I´d like to mention that making a collectible video is a time consuming and boring task, so a bit of gratitude might be welcome for them!
Sometimes you also have games that have a ridiculous amount of collectibles, whenever it´s over 500 then you know that you´re busy for quite some time. But it´s not always that bad, because with some help from the game and paying attention to your surroundings you´ll find a lot of them without too much trouble. For example in Saints Row IV you have to find over a 1000 collectibles, that seems like a nightmare in an open world. Suprisingly it wasn´t that bad, because a lot of collectibles you´ll find when travelling through the city jumping and gliding around. You´ll also get a collectible finder in the game after doing a couple of missions, so that definately helps. That makes a 1000 collectibles less scary, because you can do it in a day if you make good use of your map. But you also have games where things are not so good, then collecting collectibles can be horrible! When I think about the green orbs in Crackdown and pigeons in GTA IV then I don´t have pleasant memories.
I´d like to see games where collectibles are not tied to achievements/trophies, where they´re optional and don´t do anything special. So if you want to get them then you can get them, but for the love of all that is holy don´t make it tied to the story or achievements/trophies! The last thing you want is to spend hours on finding something because there is a reward for it you want, while it would´ve been so much easier if you could get the same reward by completing a mission or a challenge. I do think that collectibles are a good idea, but it doesn´t always work well in every game or the collectibles are just a reall nightmare to get. So for situations like that I don´t even bother, because why spend days on finding something that doesn´t really mean that lot. because as much fun it is to get an achievement/trophy or reward, it´s not worth spending days of frustration on! Some might disagree and say that they don´t mind that or even like that, well I´ll take my hat of to you and probably call a mental institution if they´re missing someone.
I find collectibles especially frustrating in mmorpg´s, because it´s just something to keep you busy and the reward is often a joke! The worst part is when you have to find a certain amount of collectibles but other people in the open world are also looking for them, then it becomes a finders keepers game. It´s frustrating and annoying, not to forget a complete waste of time! I´d rather go on adventures and discover new places, but when I have to look everywhere for the collectibles I don´t always notice that I´m in a new area or get the chance to discover it while hunting down collectibles.
So why should you do it? Well a lot of collectibles are tied to achievements/trophies, at least on console games, and if you want to fully complete a game that also means you have to find all the collectibles. But it´s not always that bad, some games go easier on you by giving you a way to detect collectibles on your map. In some games you don´t have to get all collectibles for the achievement, something that is a big relief when you have trouble finding the last couple of collectibles. I do think most people in console games get the collectibles for an achievement/trophy, but sometimes collectibles can also make you stronger. For example collect this many collectibles and you get new powers or you can make your powers even stronger. I´d say that´s a good reason to find them, but it doesn´t take away that it´s a time consuming hobby in the game world. A hobby that can be quite frustrating, but it´s not impossible. Also if you have trouble finding them then there is usually someone on youtube that has made a video for you to help you find them all. Something most people don´t give them that much credit for, because the comments aren´t always that flattering or full of complaints. I´d like to mention that making a collectible video is a time consuming and boring task, so a bit of gratitude might be welcome for them!
Sometimes you also have games that have a ridiculous amount of collectibles, whenever it´s over 500 then you know that you´re busy for quite some time. But it´s not always that bad, because with some help from the game and paying attention to your surroundings you´ll find a lot of them without too much trouble. For example in Saints Row IV you have to find over a 1000 collectibles, that seems like a nightmare in an open world. Suprisingly it wasn´t that bad, because a lot of collectibles you´ll find when travelling through the city jumping and gliding around. You´ll also get a collectible finder in the game after doing a couple of missions, so that definately helps. That makes a 1000 collectibles less scary, because you can do it in a day if you make good use of your map. But you also have games where things are not so good, then collecting collectibles can be horrible! When I think about the green orbs in Crackdown and pigeons in GTA IV then I don´t have pleasant memories.
I´d like to see games where collectibles are not tied to achievements/trophies, where they´re optional and don´t do anything special. So if you want to get them then you can get them, but for the love of all that is holy don´t make it tied to the story or achievements/trophies! The last thing you want is to spend hours on finding something because there is a reward for it you want, while it would´ve been so much easier if you could get the same reward by completing a mission or a challenge. I do think that collectibles are a good idea, but it doesn´t always work well in every game or the collectibles are just a reall nightmare to get. So for situations like that I don´t even bother, because why spend days on finding something that doesn´t really mean that lot. because as much fun it is to get an achievement/trophy or reward, it´s not worth spending days of frustration on! Some might disagree and say that they don´t mind that or even like that, well I´ll take my hat of to you and probably call a mental institution if they´re missing someone.
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