Share: 

Slow down and enjoy your games

cgottowhite
September 4, 2013

With so many games coming out each month, it is hard to find the time to play even two or three of them. It is really tempting to just rush through the campaign of a game just to have time for a new one, but take it from me: you'll get a much better experience if you slow down and enjoy every moment.

Read Cape Gazette's Visitors' Guide to
the Cape Region at BeachPaper.com »

I have now played through The Last of Us five times (I have a lot of free time when I'm not in school). No matter how much I would like to, it's impossible to get back the feeling you have during that first playthrough. You have no clue what's going to happen, and that makes you want to rush through to see what the ending is. I made the mistake of rushing through my first playthrough, and I really wish I could go back and enjoy it more. It wasn't until my fourth playthrough that I opened Ellie's backpack, and it wasn't until my fifth playthrough that I found every collectible, artifact, comic book, and Firefly pendant. I didn't want to get every collectible during my first playthrough, as I wanted to focus on the story, but I wish I had slowed down and done every optional conversation. They really added a lot to the story.

In my personal experience, a lot of people try to compete with their friends when they play games by seeing who can get through it the fastest. That is a ridiculous concept; getting through the game in eight hours as opposed to 11 or 12 doesn't mean you're better or that you had a better experience. In fact, you probably didn't get as much out of the game as you could have.

So, next time you play a game, stop sprinting and enjoy the game you’re playing. You will have a much better experience.

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter