Collectables- Collecting'em All

deathrider

I just finished another games last night, and it worked the same way as many do. Beat through it on normal mode, and if I'm feeling up for it, hit it again on hard mode while collecting all the collectables. I just got me thinking, in most games it takes me far longer to hunt all these collectables down than it does to beat the game- Even when using a collectable findo guide. I never really found much fun in it, though I'm a sucker for achievements, so I wouldn't like to skip them and wind up missing that one last achievement in a game. Sometimes it's worth finding them as they increase your health bar and what not, but most of the time they do actually do squat, as far as gameplay goes. And as for collectables in open world games, don't even get me started!

So, does anyone actually enjoy looking for all these collectables? If not, then why are they present in most game?

Zero-Cool

I hate it! Only game I didn't mind it was Assassins Creed 2 with the feathers cuz it was a joy to free run around the map but still became shiit when you only have a few feathers left and go looking for them. The 2 worst kind of trophies are for collectibles and and MP ones.

djkeogh

I'm like you OP, a sucker for the cheevs. I don't like it but if I enjoyed the game and feel up to it I'll usually do it. The only difference is that I'd play through a game on Hard first and then blast through it again on easy collecting whatever there is to get.

Duggy747

I don't think I've ever bothered to go after collectables / achievements in any game. If I come across them, then I'll grab it but I've never actively gone out seeking to complete them.

I just play the game for the game, not trophies that are meaningless to me.

Gunmonkey

I dont mind them as it gives me a reason to explore the game but only if there is some form of system to help find the last ones, like the shard radar in inFamous or the list of regions and the total feathers in Assassins Creed Brotherhood.

Worst offenders are games like Assassins Creed 1 and the flags (oh hi, theres 1 of 100 left somewhere in this city, good luck) and the GTA games hidden packages/ pigeons.

J. Marston

I usually can't be arsed with them but in the odd game, I collect them. As mentioned, I've done the feathers and blast shards. The blast shards because they helped lengthen the power bar and the feathers because....dunno, I just like climbing around.

GTA 4 can feck off with their pigeons. San Andreas had hundreds of collectibles too, stupid things like the oysters.

RobertFoster

Not particularly a fan of collectables, but I do still collect them For a few games I've actively tried to avoid them (GTAIV) until I'd everything else completed, and then gone back and used a guide.

There's nothing worse than collecting a few here and there as you progress, then not being sure exactly which ones you've got by the time you start using a guide. Miss one, and you could end up stuck on 99/100 without a clue of where to start looking again.

The collectables in Gears 3 had me asking myself "WTF are you doing?!". Instead of following my team on to the next section once the stinger went, I found myself zig-zagging back across the map looking for anything I might have missed

Raze_them_all

Collectables can fook right off. Collect 200 this and thats, fook off

Professey Chin

I despise most of them but the Riddlers ones in Arkham Asylum I absolutely loved!

Zero-Cool

+1 on riddler trophies. Loved collecting every siingle one and will b doin the exact same in arkham city

johnny_ultimate

Collecting 200 useless flags for an achievement seems beyond futile to me. It's excess padding disguised as content. It's very poor game design. Sure, in Gears I did look around before moving on, but they're worthless at the end of the day. At worst, they can distract you from the main game. A really confident designer would either remove them or have a tangible benefit to collecting items (Batman, for example).

That said, games can he entirely built around collecting. Diablo or Disgaea - the drive is loot and that slow increase in power or stats.

F1ngers

Anyone remember collecting Dog Tags in MGS 2?
Probably will be a Gold or Silver Trophy for collecting them all in the upcoming HD remake.
Each level of difficulty had a different set - some were game designers/producers and they also had a competition for players to have their Dog Tags included.
You also got rewarded for collecting a certain amount - bandana and stealth among them - so was a good incentive to go after them.

deathrider

I've been putting off replaying Alice: Madness Returns for quite some time now. I absolutely love that. It's one of my favourite games in recent years... But it's got more collectables that you can shake a stick at, and I just don't know if I could really be bother collecting them. At the same time, I'll feel I haven't really finished it without them.

Also, Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows with it's 2000+ little Spidey icons? Bite me!