Guide, Dang It!

[pkmin3033]

Have you ever used a walkthrough to play through a video game? Do you own any physical guides, or do you rely on digital walkthroughs on websites such as Gamefaqs and/or Youtube videos when you want a guide?

 

[Caite-chan]

Only on Pokemon and use to do it all the time as a kid. I've used an online guide for Bravely Default.

 

[Fleurdelis]

Quite a few times, especially with things that have crafting cause my small brain never can figure out what makes what.

Also iirc I once owned a whole guide on Black Ops 1... actually that makes me want to find it again.

 

[XNaut]

I have used a players guide walkthrough for Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask, Pokemon Snap, and Diddy Kong Racing.

I have also used digital walkthroughs on websites for Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess and Legend of Zelda Wind Waker.

 

[gimmepie]

I've never owned a physical guide, but I'm not above using an online one to get me through a patch where I'm stuck or to speed up some stuff so I can enjoy the plot more.

 

[Hermione Granger]

I have some physical guides, but I use them just as reading material. Though if I get stuck, I look up gameplay for that section of the game as a guide.

 

[Lunar]

I have some old physical guides for a couple of Pokemon games and Black Ops 2. I use online guides a bit for games that have a few more puzzles and stuff, most recent example was BOTW!

 

[pkmin3033]

I own several physical game guides, because I used to collect the hardback ones in particular when I was younger...honestly I probably still would collect them if they made them for games because they were usually very high quality (if they weren't made by Bradygames, anyway...) and very useful as reference material. I hate missing things, but I also hate wasting time. Sidequest markers are not a given in RPGs (although more have them than not these days) and having to talk to *everyone* in an area when they have nothing relevant to say - and sometimes in a specific order! - really gets on my nerves. Guides have always been more of a reassurance tool and checklist for me than anything else: a way of making sure that I haven't missed anything important that I would want to do if I knew about it.

These days I'll go on Gamefaqs if I have a general query about something (usually where to find a particular item) and if I can't find a location I may watch a Youtube video on how to get there if one is available, but it's been quite a while since I used a guide to tell me what to do in a game. They're more for optional side content, at least for me.

 

[faf]

I own physical guides myself but they are mostly Pokemon.

TBH, the only times I use guides (I do use GameFAQs as well) is if I am stuck in a place for a lengthy period of time or I forgot where I was going.

 

[Sammi]

If it's a JRPG I probably have a GameFAQs guide bookmarked. I get lost easily, and some games are just sidequest hell -- looking at you, modern Tales games. Other genres I'll try to do things on my own, but if I get lost, I'm looking it up.

I've personally never picked up a physical guide for any game because I'm cheap.

 

[Zeostar]

When I first look at a guide it becomes hard to stop for me, so I avoid it as long as I can.

 

[Fairy]

Had to walk my terrified butt through Dead Space the first time lol.

After than and many subsequent replays it became one of my favorite series. <3

 

[Cherrim]

I used to buy physical guides a lot more but even then I would often use online ones for ease of searching. Back before I had a laptop, sometimes I'd actually print guides out--or at least parts of them--so I could use them while playing on the couch.

In the past, I used to have a strict "no guides allowed" rule until I'd finished a game and then I could use a guide to 100% it on a replay but... who's got time for that as an adult, you know? So now I don't hesitate to look up a guide if I get a little lost. Or even when I'm not lost and I just want to finish up as quickly and smoothly as possible, I'll just play along and check a guide to make sure I'm on the right track.

The only physical guides I buy and use these days are the Ultimanias that Square Enix puts out for their games. They're like these thick bibles that cover the whole game and have data for every item/character/enemy/world in the games but their real beauty is the interviews and trivia within. I buy them just for that, but their thoroughness is always a welcome bonus when I'm replaying the games. :)

 

[Venonat in Space]

I used youtube to help me find Lugia in VC Silver and some online guide to help me through the rest of that game...i'm sure i've used other guides for other games but that one sticks in my mind.....

 

[Sheep]

I used to use some physical guides back in the day! a guidebook was how I found out about unlocking the regis in rse. ohh man good times, back then I thought very few even knew how to do it unless they owned the book themselves, lool.

nowadays I tend to google things if I can't solve something in a try or two. I'm not the most patient with constantly retrying until I beat something in a game, since I mostly game for story and not for challenge, so I really appreciate being able to look stuff up easily now.