How do you Playthrough Each New Video Game?

What I mean from the title is, let's say that you've just purchased a brand new video game that you have never played before.

Would you prefer that new game blindly, or, at some point, would you rely on a guide for some help on a part that you might get stuck on? On that note, do you consider using guides in games "cheating", or just a way of assistance? Or does it simply depend on the game itself? If you have other thoughts you'd like to share, feel free to!

I try to do all new playthroughs blindly. I'll look up a guide if I'm totally stuck but for the most part I never want any kind of spoilers, so I do my best to go through on my own.

However some games are just boring or frustrating and if I've stopped having fun without resorting to a guide or asking for help, I have no qualms with giving in. I first and foremost wanna enjoy myself and if I'm too bad at a game to figure it out on my own, there's nothing wrong with cheating. ;P Back when I played Oblivion I definitely remember abusing the hell out of noclip when I got lost a couple times. No regrets.

I'll look at a guide to see what is missable to make sure I don't miss it, but otherwise I tend to play blind unless the game has puzzles in it, in which case I will use a walkthrough, because I hate puzzles. I play JRPGs mostly, and those are timesinks with a lot of potentially missable events or quests. I like doing everything in games, and I'm not going to want to replay it a second time to pick up what I missed if I just sunk 40+ hours into it. I like knowing what I need to watch out for, but otherwise nothing specific. Surprise me, but don't irritate me, I guess? xD

Blind, no walkthroughs. But if there are some complex mechanics or formulas that I need to be aware of in order to advance through the game much easier such as crafting formulas, material lists, and etc. I don't like spoiling myself out of a game's story, even if the story isn't that great because it takes a lot of the experience out.

As for RPGs. I determine my own EXP farm spots depending on how strong my team is. Kill speed x encounter frequency is a must to consider when claiming a farm spot.

As for action games with puzzle solving, i tend to do my best to just solve the puzzles on my own.

Also, i tend to NOT rush through a game's progression very quickly as I like to make my money's worth. I actually do my best to explore every nook and cranny there is and surprise myself with sudden encounters or sidequests before eventually plowing my way to the final battles/missions of a game.

Regarding games that are more "mission" based like a Dynasty, Samurai, Gundam, whatever warriors game from KOEI, i tend to not grind a lot in order to make progressing to the higher star battles a lot easier and i usually focus one particular character (Say if I played a Dynasty Warriors game, I select the Wei Kingdom and pick Xiahou Dun through and through).

regarding the use of walkthroughs, basically the most cliche as it is = used only as a last measure and when clearly stuck for the last couple of hours, sometimes even days. I don't think using walkthroughs is a scrub way to play, but reading beyond up to the ending is really harmful to experience.

Basic process in my mind



Technically I go through every game blindly cause I want to be able to figure out things for myself so I learn them better.

It depends on the type of game. Most games I'll do a blind playthrough for as long as I can, and when I get stuck I'll try all the different things I can think of, but then I'll probably bust out a guide. I do think of using a guide as cheating, but sometimes your brain just doesn't work and you have to cheat. I ended up looking up a guide for FF XIII back when I first played it because I couldn't beat the Dahaka and then after reading I just realized I was way too underleveled. And then I busted out the guide again when I got to the end and was fighting the Bandersnatch and Jabberwocky (I think). Not long after that I ended up accidentally erasing my save file though and yea. Anyways. I hate using guides or walkthroughs because I think it's best to at least give the game a chance to screw you with a blind run. It's not as fun when you know everything that's going to happen and just how to beat it.

RPG types are usually at a slow and safe pace between kills.
Action RPG titles are ones i like to observe the maps
Shooters test my patience

New Pokemons are usually shooting for a speedier run first time with starters, gifts, and in game trades only & HM slave and a Pickup

Guide, Dang It!

I could have sworn we had a topic about this already, but I can't seem to locate it...so, here we go. How often do you find yourself resorting to using strategy guides for video games? Are you the type of person who likes to buy super awesome collectible hardcover guides (or just regular ones) when they're released along with the game, or will you just look up the answer to a moon logic puzzle when you encounter one or something similar?

If I reckon I'll have no problems going through a particular game, I'll avoid using a guide. If I am playing a game that's a bit outside my comfort zone, or has a huuuge learning curve I'll resort to using a guide then and only then.

Does anyone else still buy game guides? I haven't gotten a non-Pokémon one in ages but for me they're always nice to look through as you're playing the game.

I would prefer to go through blindly, although I'm not above going to look up hints and parts of walkthroughs if I end up in a spot where I can't figure out what to do next.

I remember when I first played FF7, I bought a guide to the game before I ever had a copy of the game - and when I finally did get the game, I pretty much never played any part of it without consulting that guide every step of the way. I think it was after that that I decided I was never going to play a game like that again - with a guide like that - since while it was still fun, it probably would have been more fun had I not read what to do every step of the way. :P So yeah, while I don't think looking up what to do is cheating in any way, I try not to do it unless I'm getting frustrated or really don't know what to do next.

Not only because I'd like to figure things out on my own if possible, but also because, at least in the case of rpgs, I don't want to accidentally get spoiled at all (since that is a concern at times).

I might use a guide if I get stuck, but that's pretty rare because if I beat a game using a guide then it... It's not nearly as satisfying.

I just... play it. Don't overthink it, don't purposely go for spoilers, just enjoy it. Maybe a checklist if something is permanently missable, but otherwise no

I just jump right into it, reading every instruction and every thing the NPCs have to say, even if it's useless. Especially in games like Fallout and Pokemon, and even if I replay an older Pokemon game I still like to go every NPC and see what they have to say.