Seemed like a good idea at the time

Following on from an earlier post about Steam achievements, I've been doing some comparisons between the achievements scored in the games I've played against everyone else.
It was then that I saw a pattern emerging: It seems the most unlocked achievements are those that detonate certain progress through the game itself. But in the terms of progress achievements, it's the first in a series.
What this means that it seems that people got part way through a game before giving up and not bothering to go back and complete it.

To back up this claim, let's take a look at the following:

Eversion:

Gemini Rue:

Secret of Monkey Island 2:

The Stanley Parable:

True my claim may be BS as I've been relying on games I've scored perfects on to base this theory. And again this theory is BS as I too have been guilty of playing a game so far before giving up on it completely. And finally, I've included The Stanley Parable here even though the achievements in that game aren't really designed to be unlocked without some near -insane level of commitment.

However there is some weight to the theory that there are so many games available on Steam and many of which are designed to be played quickly without the need for a massive time investment. Thus, one can expect, in amongst the Steam users, that there are the kind of users that download a game, give it a go before deciding the game wasn't for them and give up on it and then move onto the next game.
Indeed, one can imagine this to be a side-effect of having so many games readily available: With so much variety, the time committed to a game is subsequently on the wane. After all, why spend hour on a game when something potentially better is within easy reach?

Still I would like to think that the people who played Eversion only to gave up were traumatized victims of being broken by the game itself.

I will rue the day

Recently I had the pleasure of striking another game from my Hall of Shame. And which title is out on their rear end? Yet another indie/adventure/Steam game: Gemini Rue!

I find this game impressive on a number of fronts: Firstly it was the product of one guy. Secondly the art direction is simply staggering, with some truly beautiful backgrounds and some well-crafted environments. Thirdly, the atmosphere is superb what with being drawn heavily from the likes of Blade Runner and a suitably moody soundtrack. Finally the sense of immersion is compelling enough for me to finish the game all the way through.

But in spite of what I may have said about the plot, I do take issue with one aspect of it: What did Saiyuki and Six do before they were incarcerated? It is particularly infuriating at the conclusion for Saiyuki to   have a change of heart. And it’s suggested the Six did play a part in the Gemini War but what was this role? Was he a deserter? Or a soldier that had gunned down hundreds?

Now I kind of like stories that don’t give straight answers as it invites the reader to draw their own conclusions. Indeed, I have enjoyed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus – two games that have thrived on presenting one half (or less) of a story while keeping the other half tantalizing out of reach. However I didn’t get that with Gemini Rue – I just came away feeling somewhat empty. I didn’t find the same sense of mystique I found within Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, I just found myself feeling empty. I don’t know if this is a fault of the story or if the game didn’t make that great enough impression, but somehow I didn’t find myself theorizing about what Saiyuki and Six did before their incarcerations. A true warning sign of anything.

Still in spite of my gripes, I did enjoy Gemini Rue and found much to admire. So it’s fine by me.