White whales: Fans discuss games they loved but never finished

Completing a game is no easy feat, especially if it has a lot of “distractions” for you to stumble upon and explore. Some games, regardless of how good they are, are bound to be left unfinished.

In a Reddit thread on May 19, gamers came together to talk about the best games they’ve ever played but never managed to finish. “For me, it’s The Witcher 3. I love the game, it may even be my favourite,” the original poster wrote. “But I spend so much time exploring and doing side quests that I get fatigued and life gets in the way.” They added they would come back a year later, start the game anew, only to do the same thing again.

Another person wrote about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and many agreed they play Skyrim not for the story, but to enjoy the gameplay and freedom of doing whatever you want. A player wrote they purposefully skip story elements to immerse themselves in the world: “Any new play through I don’t ever kill the first dragon at white run. The story does not progress, and there are no dragons in the game, which are more annoying then anything.”

Baldur’s Gate 3 also made the list for similar reasons. If you’re the kind of player who loots every corner and picks up every side quest, BG3 is a true test of strength. “I got fatigue from opening every single container and trying to talk to every single NPC,” one player wrote. “I’ll definitely go back and finish it eventually though.” Famous last words, if this thread is anything to go by.

Open-world RPGs seem to be a trend here, and it’s easy to understand why. Those games often have vast open worlds with multiple locations, collectibles, and quests that encourage spending time away from the main story. In cases like Skyrim, the side activities may even replace the main story completely. This is exactly why I keep coming back to try and complete Assassin’s Creed: Origins for the fourth time. One day, maybe. One day.