Everybody has that one game that they never quite finished. Sure, you always meant to, but things happened - maybe you moved, or another game came out, or one of a hundred other possibilities - and that game’s just been quietly sitting there, waiting for you to roll the credits.
For me, that game isSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.I got all the way to the final boss, but could never actually beat Isshin, and eventually I moved on. After seeing the samurai soulslike demolished this year at Summer Games Done Quick, though, I’m giving it another go, from the beginning, and you should dust off your “game that got away” too. Here’s why.
8You’re Better At It Than You Remember
Even if a hard boss fight or an infuriating puzzle isn’t the reason that you put the game down,you’ll still have a much easier timewith the game on the second go than you did with the first. That’s practically guaranteed. This time, you’re going in with prior knowledge and maybe even some old muscle memory that’s still there, so the learning curve won’t be nearly as steep.
Once you dust off the cobwebs, you’ll be back in top form, ready to push through the early game in no time. You might even have lost some bad habits from your first playthrough, or be able to see builds in a new light, to the point whereloading your old save will make you wonder what you were thinking.
7You Already Have A Copy
Games are getting more and more expensive, just like everything else. With less room in the budget for new games, there’sall the more reason to play the ones you do have, especially if they’ve been staring at you from your home screen like a vengeful ghost in a candlelit mirror.
In the old days, you might have traded in the disc, but let’s be honest - most of your games are probably digital copies now. It’s still on your account, so unless you managed to get yourself permanently locked out of your entire collection, you don’t have that excuse.
6More Achievements / Trophies
Even if you’re not an Achievement hound, you probably still get that (admittedly Pavlovian) shot of dopamine every time the unlock sound goes off in a game.
Just about every game under the sunoffers an Achievement or Trophy for finishing the main story, and you might even be able to pick up a few more along the way, so why not add to your collection?
A few games don’t even have awards for side objectives; if yours is one that offers Platinum just for getting to the end, what are you waiting for?
5There’s A Reason You’re Still Thinking About It
Like I said earlier, for me, the game that got away is Sekiro. Whichever game it is for you, the title probably sprang to mind the moment you opened this list. It’s surely not the only game you’ve left unfinished, sowhy did your brain go to that one in particular?
Maybe you still want to see how it ends, and you’ve been avoiding spoilers for years. Maybe you just want to prove that you can finally take down that boss. Maybe you already know the game inside and out, watching content creators play it for ages, and you want to try it for yourself. Whatever your reason is, that reason is good enough.
4It Might Have Been Rebalanced
If there was a particular part of the game that was giving you trouble, it might be worthlooking at the patch notes.If you were having trouble, other players probably were too, and if it was an actual game balance issue not working as the devs intended, it could have been patched.
On the other hand, if the challenge is meant to be hard, the patch notes might still offer new strategies that weren’t available on your initial playthrough.Maybe there’s a new trick or combo that you can try,or a change to your skill tree that’s worth exploring!
3There Might Be New Content
Granted, new content often comes in the form of paid DLC, but that isn’t always the case. Games get free content all the time as well, specifically with the goal of bringing back lapsed players like you. Why not take a new run as an opportunity to check it out?
If you’re considering buying some paid content as well, consider that the game is probably a few years old by this point, too. That means there’s a fair chance that DLC could go on sale, depending on the platform you’re using. It’s worth keeping an eye on - you never know!
2It Might Not Be Around Forever
It’s a sad fact that we live in an age where games are impermanent. Even if you buy a physical copy, that user agreement that you have to approve the first time you load it up probably includes language that says you just own a license. Depending on the game, it’s entirely possible that one day it will be unplayable forever.
Just ask Anthem fans.
1You Can Finally Say You Finished It
We leave so many things undone. Many of them are small, and we shift our priorities to ensure that we can check all the major boxes, but at the end of the day those tiny unfinished projects continue to bother us.
Finally finishing that one game, even if it’s replaced by another, can be a small victory in a world where we need all the wins we can get. Do it - you’ll be glad you did.
