I loved Pokémon Trading Card Pocket – until I didn’t

BackgroundOr months I was in the pocket of the Pokéon shopping card. This is a devilish sliding mixture of fees with cards and the battle, which forced me to obediently open the application on my phone at least twice a day from the date of its launch. Virtual cards are perfectly made; Especially rare art maps with their pastoral scenes of Pokemon in their natural habitat. I also spent many hours in battles, honing decks and chasing victorious series to earn victorious emblems. I got most of my friends in this, waiting for her manufacturers in Dena finally allowed me to trade so that I could fill out the last couple of holes in my collection.

This week, on the day when trading trade lived, and the expansion of rather new cards was introduced, I left. I made a couple of transactions for the exaurs ex and Machamp Ex, which dodged my captures, despite the opening Hundreds From the packages made a screenshot of the “Complete Collection” screen, and since then I have not opened it. I’m done.

I did not go in protest in protest against the modest, dear character of a new trade function, or because the new maps mainly represent monsters from the Pokemon era, which does not have a nostalgic force for me. I just had enough. I enjoyed every minute that I spent with the game … until I was. Usually you know that you finished the game when you finished it, but in this era of the game we must forever choose When to leave. Sometimes this happens overnight for me. Once I enjoy the game, the next day I was already getting out.

It is inconvenient, I am aware of this by about 75% of the way in the game campaign. Especially with the names of the open world, the best watches are those that in the middle where you played enough to understand the unique ideas and systems of the game, but No Enough to fully master them; There comes a moment when you know that you are approaching the finale. Suddenly, the friction between me and the world of the game world – “stickiness”, as they call gaming designers – disappeared, and everything seems smooth and easy, and I lose interest. (That’s why I love Software so much from Dark Souls to Elden Ring – they never become light or predictable.)

Here is a small selection of games over the past year, which I refused in this way, shortly before the end: Indiana Jones and a large circle; Dragon’s Dogma 2; Paper Mario: a millennial door; Zelda: Echo of Working; Like a dragon: endless wealth. I could sit with any of them for several evenings and hone them – some of them are already there, months after they left them unfinished – but it always looks like a routine. Meanwhile, I played in the Lonely Mountains: snowshifters, Balatro and Hades, for a long time after their completion points, because the stickiness is still there.

I often force readers to write to ask when you can leave the game. For me, the answer “whenever you stop having fun.” I rarely left because I got stuck; Instead, I left when I stop Storing when I feel that I saw everything significant that the game can offer. I think that it is easy to continue to play something, which has lost its attractiveness from a sense of obligation.

Studies of trophy statistics and achievements over the years showed that only 15 to 35% of players (PDF) actually complete any game. I feel that the developers make content hours that people will never see, but for everyone who can hardly accuse people of that they have not found time for all this, accessible to everyone. Some players are proud that they end every game that they start, but for the rest of us? This is normal to stop.

I felt for a while when I finished with a card game with Pokemon, the same feeling that I feel when I finish a good romance. Part of me also felt lightweight to be freed from a daily habit. On my day, he opened a little space for something new -and something new Always What am I looking for when I take a video game.

What to play

This week two huge historical games are released in time: The kingdom came deliverance 2The ruthlessly complex simulation of the 16th century bohemia, which really rubs your face into manure, in the beginning, and Civilization VIIThe next one in the respectable, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, he challenges you the history of mankind. (The latter may seem especially attractive right now, since we seemed to have done this omnipotent disorder.)

Available on: PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5
Called game time: 100+ hours

What to read

• Third Sonic Movie It has just become the second most box office of the video game, for Mario Film 2023, bringing $ 462.5 million. (I swallowed my pride in the Nintendo Nintendo of the 90s and took my children to see it for Christmas. This Great.) Also on the way to the overtake of Bruce Almighty as the most box office films by Jim Kerry; If this happens, it will do big Question about the quiz in the pub.

• In IGN, Rebelyca Valentine explores a phenomenon Multicap game This appeared in the crowds in console digital stores and receives this incredible quote: “As soon as I am at the door, I can make the Perdusky Perdusky fart: the game and, perhaps, ultimately removed it.”

• Among the more high -ranking winners in Grammy There was a soundtrack for video games: it is interesting that this year the reward of this year went to the composer Winifred Phillips for the soundtrack to magic, RPG from … 1981. The landfill has an explanation of how the long -term game ultimately received a repeated and winning Grammy.

What to click

Question block

The question this week comes from Natalie:

“It took me a lot of games and unfinished before I realized what all my loved ones had in common: a convincing narrative. Can you recommend me one of the best stories of the whole time of video guns? “

The stories of video games come in many forms that this is a difficult question: many of the best stories in games are those that we find for ourselves. Nevertheless, the Games correspondent Kit Stuart and I recently updated our best games for games on all current consoles, so my favorite narratives about the last years are fresh. Author’s stories that I remember best from the current game generation: The last of us, parts I and II; The god of war and its continuation; Immortality; And Alan Wake 2 (mainly for the way this is said). Great shorter stories that you can play on Nintendo Switch include: Oxenfree; Wandersong; On the moon; Night in the forest; Place for unrelated And AttackYou can also try the field Citizen is a spoke If you like science fiction. As for the purposeful: NestIN Chrono -triggerIN Portal and his continuation, What remains of Edith Finch And Fallout New Vegas There for me.

What will be your three? Please write to tell me about pushbuttons@theguardian.com – and ask me more questions. I apply myself to a serious And Stupid questions of video games with equal severity.