Replayability is something that is considered by everyone in the video game industry.
Of course the customer wants a title with longevity so they don't feel as if they have wasted their money, but customers also want to be able to enjoy the gameplay, story, and world during a second time through the game, and a third time, and consequently as many times as they are enthralled in the world.
Developers want their games to have great replayability. They want the audience to enjoy themselves for a long time and they want the audience to come back and by a sequel to their product later on. If they have failed with replayability, a large chunk of their audience will choose to either rent the sequel or they will wait to buy it used or at lesser price, thus not profiting the developers.
But where does replayability draw the line? If you don't have the cash to purchase games all the time, of course you will get your money's worth and replay through the title as much as you can. If you really enjoy the game you will replay it more than others also.
I am currently on my second playthrough of Mass Effect. I loved the game the first time, it was terrific, epic and I can't wait for the sequel. During this second run though, I have begun to grow tired of the game. And this game has choices! You can have different powers and skills, and your character can be entirely different. I first played the game as a good biotics character, now I'm playing as a bad ass soldier. Yet the game has the "been there, done that" feel to it.
The Halo franchise is a favorite of mine, and I play through the campaign numerous times. I believe I played through Halo 3's campaign a total of five times. Played through it on Heroic and Legendary by myself, and then Legendary on co-op with one other person two times and with three other people another time. It was fun, but each time I grew more and more tired of it.
Another game I have replayed multiple times is Kingdom Hearts 2. A total of three times actually but I don't think I could play through it again any time soon.
When I replay a game, I get the feeling that I could be playing an entirely new experience instead of reliving an old one. Sure the game was fun the first time, but playing through another time doesn't have anything new to show me. I can go for different weapons or a different ending, but I've done all of it for thirty hours already, after that everything just grows stale and I think I should play something else.
That then goes to the question of is there anything else available?
Now why does that question come up? This blog is something I was wanting to do as a System Wars topic, but I decided to make it a blog first to see if I have a point. While on System Wars I have read some people have played games countless times. Someone had played Shadow of the Colossus ten times. People have played Killzone 2's campaign six or seven times and the same goes for Mass Effect.
Is this a mark of a great game with terrific replayablity? Is it just gamers that fell in love? Or could it be that some gamers have nothing else to play?
Like I said, I've played through Halo 3's campaign about five times. Once was my initial playthrough on Heroic, and then I wanted to try and beat the game on Legendary. Alright, there's two times. My next two times was with two different people, once was co-op on the night the game was released and the second was with a friend of mine who hadn't played through the game yet. My fifth time was with two and three other people, four player co-op was a fun experience.
But even those five different experiences, all of which were for different reasons, grew tiresome trekking through the same levels and same enemies.
Now how does someone go through a campaign like Killzone 2 seven times? I didn't like the game personally, but that is not why I'm asking how someone can do it; I am not bashing the game. How can someone go through a campaign that many times when it is pure singleplayer, no co-op offered and only one type of enemy really with limited vehicle segments. How? Is it really that you find the game that amazing or is it because you don't have anything else to get on the console? Maybe you can't get anything else. Understandable. But its crazy to think that you'd go through it that many times.
How about Shadow of the Colossus? Its a terrific game. I absolutely loved it. But its a puzzle game and once you figure out how to get to the weak points on the Colossi you are pretty much golden. How do you go through it ten times though? Its explore the countryside for a bit, ride your horse to the Colossus, defeat it, and do it all again. Its insane. Maybe its a mark of a good game but I don't understand how anyone could do a game like that ten times.
Maybe there isn't much of an argument or discussion topic here. You play what you like is what it really comes down to. It is insane to think how many people replay these games countless times when there are many other games out there to put your hours into and see if you enjoy something else or find a new interest. I could just lose interest in things faster than others though. :P
Log in to comment