Being a single-player gamer means you prefer the relaxing solitude of adventures like The Witcher, testing your reflexes in Cuphead, or embracing the siren call of Horizon Zero Dawn‘s luscious, post-apocalyptic open ranges. Alone. That’s the key word here. Occasionally, you might play some Overwatch with a friend. But it’s never really your idea and you’re probably calculating how to shave a few seconds off your best time in Sonic Mania the whole time anyway. You can’t really see the point of games that continue on forever, and nothing turns you off faster than the words “team-based”. If this sounds like you, congratulations, you are now a member of the exclusive single-player secret society. Sadly, it does have its drawbacks. Quite a few of them at that, as Falcon reveals.
One of the most frustrating requirements in any given single-player game is of course needing to get past a boss in order to progress. Holy Sephiroth is it painful to have all your hard-earned damage erased and have to repeat the sequence all over again. And again. Another irksome thing is when you choose poorly in a game like Mass Effect or Until Dawn and your decision is irreversible. As a result, all your characters have now been devoured by the Wendigos.
Perhaps, like me, you’ve tried to re-open a memory card or save file with most of the game completed, only to find it’s been corrupted, and will now have to unlock all the levels in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 from scratch. There are no adequate words do describe that kind of agony. But arguably the most cruel, tasteless, and unforgivable crime of the 21st century (at least when it comes to gaming) is making multiplayer trophies a prerequisite to get a platinum in a game where the campaign is centered. No, no, no, this cannot be! How can they allow such inequality!
What’s your least favourite part of single-player games? Share your wisdom in the comments.
