"Light" version of AAA games

[bry422]

Anyone else in a situation like me where you really want to play games like The Witcher 3 or GTA V or <insert very long game here> but know it is not a possibility due to time/family/career??

Would you enjoy a "light" version of those type of games? I would. I find it pretty frustrating that I really can't experience those games. I know my wish probably doesn't make financial sense to big game companies, but I'd kill for a 25-hour Witcher 3 or 25-hour DA: Inquisition version of each game.

Could I play and finish a game like Witcher 3? Yeah, it would probably take me a calendar year to play 100 hours, though. Sigh.

Man, if I was 15 now rather than 42... I would be in heaven thanks to the quality game experiences that exist now.

[woodjer]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

I'm in this situation, too. While I would like the opportunity to play more than I do, I don't know that I'd want to sacrifice too much of the story by going with a "light" mode. Honestly, for a lot of these types of games, I play on easy (or normal, if it's TOO easy) so I can experience more of the story with the time that I do have. Since I'm not usually playing to brag that I beat a game in under XX hours or anything, I don't really care. Plus, it actually let's me mess around with unique combinations and such.

Bottom line, if I have time to play, I don't want to spend it being overly frustrated.

Now, I do have a pretty decent backlog of games that I need to start making a dent in before I can even begin to justify getting The Witcher (which sounds amazing) or any other non-sports game. Went a little too purchase-crazy when my wife bought me a PS4 for Christmas a couple years ago...

[pietasterp]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Totally understand, with you 100%. Many people are in a similar situation, I think.

I will say, if you want to tackle some of those games, it's worth it to just pick it up one day and start playing it, without thinking about whether you will ever finish it or not. I know it seems daunting, but there have been many games I thought "no way am I putting 100 hours into that game", but just picked it up anyway, and over the course of 6-months to a year ended up finishing it. Or not. Either way, even if you abandon ship halfway through, it's still a fun side-project / time-waster and for a good enough game, worth the effort. You just have to get past the idea that you will finish everything you start (hard habit to break for a lot of us, I know).

Think of it like a good book. I'll pick one up and just read it over the course of a few months whenever I have idle time (rare for a lot of us I know), but eventually you'll get to the end and you won't think about how you got there. Even if you bail to move on to something else, it was still worth it for the part you got through (even if only to realize you don't like a certain style, author, etc).

[Graphik]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

I have PC and Xbox(1st gen) games I haven't finished due to life taking over. It sucks cause I refuse to play a game that's less than 20 hours for the most part. I have witcher 3 and at the rate I'm going, part 4 will be out lbs. The hardest part is finding decent time for two uninterrupted hours. Second is the motivation to pick up and play after a week break from playing.


Also, as much of a Elder Scrolls homer I am, I cant buy ESO. I simply don't have the time for a MMO of that scale.

[mgoblue]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

I have PC and Xbox(1st gen) games I haven't finished due to life taking over. It sucks cause I refuse to play a game that's less than 20 hours for the most part. I have witcher 3 and at the rate I'm going, part 4 will be out lbs. The hardest part is finding decent time for two uninterrupted hours. Second is the motivation to pick up and play after a week break from playing.

Exactly, Graphik. I find I get an hour or two max on weekend mornings. Staying up late isn't as good of an option now, because that ends up being our TV time while kids sleep. Plus I have to sleep sometime.

I now just get up when I would for work and have a bit of time free from everything.

Because of my realities, I pick and choose. Right now I'm addicted to Fallout 4 (I've got like 1 day and 10 hours into it, a ton for me since launch). I'm resisting buying more games, forcing myself (a bit) to continue on this.

It's hard though, when you're off for a week then it can be tough to want to get back into it...There have been periods of a month or so where I'd rather watch some movie vs. play a game....

This helps me though because I don't get most things at launch, so I save a ton of money.

[mrclutch]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

I'm with you. 41 and a very time intensive job/career. I don't have the time I would like so games like Witcher 3 will never happen. I even feel guilty when I do game a couple hours here and there because my family time isn't what I'd like either.
All that said I find myself games that aren't that deep and that are easy for me to pick up and play. For me that's either games like 2k (that I've played for years) or Shadow of Mordor because it honestly pretty easy to pick up where you left off.

[Graphik]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Exactly, Graphik. I find I get an hour or two max on weekend mornings. Staying up late isn't as good of an option now, because that ends up being our TV time while kids sleep. Plus I have to sleep sometime.

I now just get up when I would for work and have a bit of time free from everything.

Because of my realities, I pick and choose. Right now I'm addicted to Fallout 4 (I've got like 1 day and 10 hours into it, a ton for me since launch). I'm resisting buying more games, forcing myself (a bit) to continue on this.

It's hard though, when you're off for a week then it can be tough to want to get back into it...There have been periods of a month or so where I'd rather watch some movie vs. play a game....

This helps me though because I don't get most things at launch, so I save a ton of money.

Yea it does save money in the long run cause I do the same thing. For instance I neglected buying the Division cause I just got Witcher and I'm still knee deep into 2K. My usual weekday gaming hours only stretch from 9-12 and only till 12 if I'm not fighting sleep. The weekend is usually more free but by then, I'm tryna get drunk lol.

[mgoblue]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Yea it does save money in the long run cause I do the same thing. For instance I neglected buying the Division cause I just got Witcher and I'm still knee deep into 2K. My usual weekday gaming hours only stretch from 9-12 and only till 12 if I'm not fighting sleep. The weekend is usually more free but by then, I'm tryna get drunk lol.

lol yeah...

I can't do the online games as much, not on consistently. It's hard to not want to play the latest hotness, but fun to really get into a game and finally beat it.

[bry422]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Totally understand, with you 100%. Many people are in a similar situation, I think.

I will say, if you want to tackle some of those games, it's worth it to just pick it up one day and start playing it, without thinking about whether you will ever finish it or not. I know it seems daunting, but there have been many games I thought "no way am I putting 100 hours into that game", but just picked it up anyway, and over the course of 6-months to a year ended up finishing it. Or not. Either way, even if you abandon ship halfway through, it's still a fun side-project / time-waster and for a good enough game, worth the effort. You just have to get past the idea that you will finish everything you start (hard habit to break for a lot of us, I know).

Think of it like a good book. I'll pick one up and just read it over the course of a few months whenever I have idle time (rare for a lot of us I know), but eventually you'll get to the end and you won't think about how you got there. Even if you bail to move on to something else, it was still worth it for the part you got through (even if only to realize you don't like a certain style, author, etc).

Very good advice... and you mentioned the hardest part for me, which is to start a game that I'm pretty sure I won't finish. I really do try to enjoy the ride, but man, there is always that part of me that nags while I'm "enjoying it"... "Man, this is fun... I'm 30 hours in.. still know I'm never going to finish it.. just quit now.. those 30 hours could have been used to actually finish 2 or 3 shorter games" LOL

[pistolpete]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

I know exactly how you feel. I work full time, have 2 kids and a house. The convenient thing is last year I had these same things, but also was finishing a mechanical engineering degree. I can actually get in an hour or so and still feel like I have lots of time. With that said it's difficult to finish games. I have actually managed to finish 3 in the last year.

I think the key is consistency. Keep playing and finding little goals to keep moving on. Every now and then you'll hit up a weekend bender and really cut into the game. Some you may even finish. In the last year I was able to find enough time to get through Assassin's Creed 3, Tomb Raider - 2013, and now Rise of the Tomb Raider.

I currently have a few pending epics too. The issue now is I want to get Quantum Break, especially if the reviews are great, but I literally have no hard drive space. I promised myself I will finish (2) games before I get it.

I actually have come up with a decent plan for getting through the Witcher. I am thinking of it as multiple games in one. Each game is made up of each act. I am trying to complete each act, or do as much on the map as I can before I move into the next. Then I take a break and move onto a different game.

[canes21]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

My backlog is ridiculous and it drives me crazy. I had a pretty bad habit of playing a game for a bit, then picking up something new and telling myself I'd go back and finish the previous game while playing the new game. I never did.

Now that I don't have as much time as I used to I've hardly touched anything singleplayer just because I didn't think I'd finish anything. Multiplayer games get stale if that's all you play, though, so that got annoying too. I decided to force myself to pick one game that is singleplayer and keep going at it. I chose Mad Max since I loved it when I first got it. I started over and the first few nights playing ti I was worried I couldn't get back into it playing it here and there, but now a week later I'm sitting here itching to play it when I can. 30 minutes gives me enough time to knock something out.

Once I beat it I'll move onto Sleeping Dogs probably, then Fallout 4, then who knows, maybe the Assassin's Creed series. I did something similar a few years ago when I had more time and beat GTA III, VC, and IV before V came out. I recently played Mafia II again over the winter. Now I'm back to playing games I haven't beaten and I have a long list of games to play. Steam Sales are so nice, yet so evil.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Same here. 46, job, son, travel baseball.

I have no time table. I just pop it in and play.....it took me a year to finish Alien Isolation.

It took me a year to finish Far Cry 4

It will take me probably 2 years to finish The Witcher III.

I play so much MLBTS (and Madden 16 has been huge for me as well) that non sports games are my escape and break from sports gaming. I just enjoy them like a long novel that I read and eventually finish.

Hell I sunk 50 plus hours into Fallout 4 and that has been on the shelf for almost 2 months.....I will go back to it though...and pick right up from where I am at...I will finish it whenever.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

My backlog is ridiculous and it drives me crazy. I had a pretty bad habit of playing a game for a bit, then picking up something new and telling myself I'd go back and finish the previous game while playing the new game. I never did.

Now that I don't have as much time as I used to I've hardly touched anything singleplayer just because I didn't think I'd finish anything. Multiplayer games get stale if that's all you play, though, so that got annoying too. I decided to force myself to pick one game that is singleplayer and keep going at it. I chose Mad Max since I loved it when I first got it. I started over and the first few nights playing ti I was worried I couldn't get back into it playing it here and there, but now a week later I'm sitting here itching to play it when I can. 30 minutes gives me enough time to knock something out.

Once I beat it I'll move onto Sleeping Dogs probably, then Fallout 4, then who knows, maybe the Assassin's Creed series. I did something similar a few years ago when I had more time and beat GTA III, VC, and IV before V came out. I recently played Mafia II again over the winter. Now I'm back to playing games I haven't beaten and I have a long list of games to play. Steam Sales are so nice, yet so evil.

Same here....crazy stupid. I end up picking up games on the cheap every Christmas (Amazon lighting deals) 19.99 AAA titles from the previous year. I horde them.

I have tons to play. I will get to them all eventually.

[mgoblue]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Same here....crazy stupid. I end up picking up games on the cheap every Christmas (Amazon lighting deals) 19.99 AAA titles from the previous year. I horde them.

I have tons to play. I will get to them all eventually.

Gold/PS+ games rock now....like I'm getting Sunset Overdrive and I never played that....over time there'll be other awesome games I can play.

Same with EA Access....

[Armor and Sword]

Re: &quot;Light&quot; version of AAA games

Gold/PS+ games rock now....like I'm getting Sunset Overdrive and I never played that....over time there'll be other awesome games I can play.

Same with EA Access....

Oh yeah PS+ is great. Ton's of great games I have in my DL que LOL.