God Mode: the paradox of a game.

I've been playing a bit more of Mercenaries for the PS2 recently and I just finished up the first ACE mission. So far, this game is a BLAST to play, mind the pun. However, I must admit I used a few cheats to help me through, mainly the $1 million dollars cheat (I used this multiple times) to get enough funding for massive airstrikes and the like, as well as the enable all weapons and vehicles cheat. I didn't want to activate the infinite health mode, since it did give a warning this might affect game play and save data.

I must admit that it was very fun to blast through with the Anti Air Launcher (basically your BFG type Rocket Launcher that can take down a bunker or high rise apartment with only one round), but after a while, it became mindless running and rampaging. There was no longer the feel of danger because my weapons were so overpowered. What was once a very dangerous threat of the T-52 North Korean tank turned into a play thing and I was basically Godzilla. This is where I find it get's rather paradoxial, is that you want to be able to get better weapons and the like, and you want your character to be stronger as well, but then once you attain that position (usually with cheats) then it becomes almost a joke to play the game and looses its value.

What experiences have you had that made the game turn unxpectedly unfun due to God mode? This could be because you don't need any more strategies to get through, nor do you feel any "gaming pride" for the tasks that you undergo doing what was once a very difficult mission.

Other games that I've felt like this are GTA: San Andreas and most first person shooters.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I honestly haven't even used cheats while playing most of my games, but there have been a few games where I have. I did it on all three PS2 GTA games, but I never felt that the games weren't fun because of it. Other than that, the only ohter game that I really cheated on was Twisted Metal: Black. And I have to admit, it started not being fun after awhile. It was just mindless driving and blowing other cars up. I have thought about replaying the game without cheats, but I doubt I'll do this anytime soon since I have so many other games that I haven't played yet.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I cheated in Twisted Metal :black too.

It was too hard for me... maybe because I sucked at it...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I think this is one of the reasons why I like how most RPGs don't have real "GOD MODE" cheats that make your character at like level 9999 or some ridicious thing. From what I know, most, if not all, FF games do not have cheats, which is a good thing, because I'd hate for XII to be reduced to CAST ULTIMA, next enemy, ULTIMA again. etc.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I suppose "God Mode" can be applied whenever I go into a final boss battle in an RPG at the highest level with the best equipment. I only did this for three games, and I found that the final battle wasn't as challenging as I had hoped. Now I tend to just attempt a final boss as long as I see that I'm still able to advance in the game.

I don't like using cheats when going through a game. The challenge is always what I like to go for instead.

How ya doing, buddy?

You're still playing fair game in my books if you can get the weapons and the equipment through normal conventions, ie earning it through side quests. Sure the Celestial weapons in FFX slayed most enemies in one slice with over 30000 some damage, but it was a pain to get them, and working for them made it more so satisfying.

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While I agree that being grossly ovepowered is bad and can ruin the experience and fun of a game, being underpowered can be also. While I know some will disagree with me, I felt that when i play Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Bethesda made the A.I level up with you. This caused the enemies etc to always be around your level or a step above. While some might like this feeling i didnt. Work hard for that glass bow? yeah next time you go to town theyve got Ebony bows. Finally overcome that hard minotaur in the wilds? next time you go you might find a dryder. Basically what im saying is, underpowering can diminish the feeling of accomplistment in a game.

FELIPE NO

Cheats are fun and entertaining for awhile. But I would never, ever save a game after using cheats. If it's something like a Megadrive or SNES game, it doesn't really matter, since there's no saving.

But if it's something like Vice City or Ace Combat, and you're using an action replay/gameshark, it really takes the challenge out of the game. Someone in high school told me "Cheats are what make the game" and I still can't make sense of that.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Spatula

What experiences have you had that made the game turn unxpectedly unfun due to God mode? This could be because you don't need any more strategies to get through, nor do you feel any "gaming pride" for the tasks that you undergo doing what was once a very difficult mission.

Turok 2 is the last game I remember actively seeking out god mode for, and I remember that after I had seen all the different weapons for myself, the game seemed rather empty in retrospect.

That was pretty much the end of codes for me, at least as far as gameplay-altering codes go. I'll always use any codes that allow me to access more content, like extra characters or levels.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Ironically, I find MMORPGs suffer from this issue, although in a different way. It seems like for the entire game, you try to get the highest levels, the best skills, the most powerful equipment, and complete as many quests as possible. Your entire game existance is basically spent getting more powerful...and then in the end, once you're the most powerful character you can possibly be...what's the point? There's no more reason to advance when you've reached the top, the world of possibility you saw when you were weak turns into looking down and seeing that everything is below you. Sure, you can complete a few quests or go adventuring with a bunch of other high-level characters, but why bother when there's no more reason for advancement? Even though you did spend time earning the "god mode" status, once you reach that stage it does kinda seem as pointless and empty as if you've used cheats in a game.

I guess I prefer games that are a combination of growth and skill. To use Monster Hunter as an example: at the start of the game you don't know how to fight properly, and the equipment you begin with is pitiful at best. But as you play the game, you understand the combat system and enemies more, as well as devise strategies and find more efficient ways to take down monsters, and your equipment improves along with you so that your new skills can be put to good use. I guess I like games that have a balance between in-game advancement and player skill: you should be forced to advance both of them equally in order for the game to be truely rewarding. When you do something that grossly unbalances one aspect, the game seems to loose it's purpose. The "God mode" paradox certainly causes that to happen.

On another note, I found Gun had one of the most confusing rewards ever related to this. After you clear every quest in the game, you get a special gun which is super-powerful and can basically be used to lay waste to anything. Only problem is, you've cleared every quest and have nothing to use it on.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

"God Mode" was almost vital in Space Channel 5 Special Edition, with all the "secret" button presses and the exact timing needed for them. You'd have to be crazy to unlock Pine's, Jaguar's, Pudding's (etc.) outfits, which required 100% on the stages you played, meaning you needed to get all the secret presses. If you dig around in the profiles like no one does, then they give you obscure and not-so-obscure hints on when to press, but actually having perfect timing and reflexes is easier said than done. Add to the fact that stages can reach upwards of 10 minutes and the fact that you probably won't like every song in the game, Ulala's invincible auto-button press cheat was highly welcome.

In FFX, I consider getting Magus Sisters to be the part where you can mow through the game unfairly (not counting secrets). You didn't have to save up for the Delta Attack overdrive, since Sandy's Razzia quickly starts to do 99999 damage by itself. It wasn't overly hard, although I guess you had to look at a faq to not miss any of the requirements.

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I only cheat in RPGs if money is a pain. I NEVER use levelling codes or health ones. That completely wrecks RPGs IMHO.

Armored Cores, as of late, I have cheated in almost nonstop. Health, no over-heating, infinite boosters, infinite cash, never overweight... It's fun to build the best damn thing possible and not worry about its repercussions =p

I cheat in FPS games rarely. I'm very, very good at them. Call of Duty doesn't even *need* a God mode. I've played on the hardest difficulty and died almost a handful of times in a complete run-through. I've played Jedi Academy on the highest difficulty and didn't get killed until about halfway into it. And that's supposed to be damned hard on highest difficulty.

I do use it on console games very often at times, though. For example, Resident Evil's. I could *never* get used to the clunky control scheme. Even #4, in all its awesomeness, I had a gripe with not being able to move while aiming a la Splinter Cell. I got ganked my first time playing because I didn't know the controls.

Played on through it with god mode and I still fucking loved that game to death. I got to the hardest difficulty and played on through somewhat. I admit, the chainsaw dudes pissed me off. They could still kill me with god mode and the couple times they got me really left me uneasy =p One of those was...

Spoiler:

They give you two paths to take, left & right after a house is stormed that you take defense in. The left path has allll the zombie guys and if you go into this ladder-pit, chainsaw guys come out of EVERYWHERE. I assume you were supposed to die here.

But anyhow, I cheated the whole way through. It didn't bug me. But once I got to the hard difficulty, I found I had become damn good at playing it. You'd think god mode would make you get sloppy, but I was melee'ing and head-shotting every other trigger-pull.

Oh yeah. I cheated to get infinite money in it too, as well as health ;D Still loved it.

It can diminish shooters. FPS games are all about reaction and in some cases, thinking on your feet if its your first play-through. I'll cheat on some action games. Hell, it's become a habit of mine to cheat on horror games. Dunno why, but I like getting a kick out of a freaky scene and not get killed at the same time.

((See Resident Evil 1, hallway at the beginning where dogs leap through the window. Gave me a heart attack when I played that on PS1. And I got slaughtered ;_; ))

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

In FFX, I consider getting Magus Sisters to be the part where you can mow through the game unfairly (not counting secrets). You didn't have to save up for the Delta Attack overdrive, since Sandy's Razzia quickly starts to do 99999 damage by itself. It wasn't overly hard, although I guess you had to look at a faq to not miss any of the requirements.

You know, I've been wanting to get that last set of Aeons, but the requirements make the Anima aeon look so easy. What I didn't like about FFX was seriously where was the challenge after the Sanctuary keeper? The Omega weapon was joke, since I had had anima on double overdrive (Yuna's and Anima at max). The Jeckt boss, despite bad ass looking, was also a joke once you got anima and your celestial weapons. It sort of lost the "OH SH-" feeling when you can almost squish them like a bug.

regarding a very powerful monster in FFXII, according to youtube:

There is an EXTREMELY powerful monster with what I hear is over 50,000,000 HP and the battle lasts for about 6 to 9 hours, IF you are pretty much maxed out stats

the name of the monster:

I think it's Yazmat, and I'm really thinking this might be one of the first monsters that give me a run for my money.

Speaking of RPG bosses, I found the Bloodbane of Valkyrie Profile extremely fun to play against, since he was the toughest boss, amd I'm glad I sweated it out, because of me winning the chances are less, and that's what makes it interesting. Basically it's like watching a hockey game or any sports game. If you've got professionals that play in the national team vs some junior high shcool team, gee I wonder which is going to win. >_>

Originally Posted by Solis

I find MMORPGs suffer from this issue, although in a different way. It seems like for the entire game, you try to get the highest levels, the best skills, the most powerful equipment, and complete as many quests as possible.

Perhaps this is why I play single player RPGS where at least there is an end. Now its also a double edged sword once you beat it, because now you're wondering to yourself what you've just done for the last 100 or so hours, yet if you don't beat it, it seems all your effort was in vain. I can sort of see how the "wandering around aimlessly" when you get to level 100 in a MMORPG feels like now.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I don't really find cheats to be 'cheating' at all, but I'm probably one of the few people who think so.

Of course, I generally don't cheat when I'm playing a game, but there are times when I feel like just wrecking havoc and causing general mayhem without having to worry about such things like health. That's where God mode comes in. People say cheats make the game unfun and dull, but I don't agree with that. Sometimes it makes the games a lot more fun to play without any restrictions, especially FPSs when you can go in like Rambo and blast away with infinite ammo XD.

Normal mode is great, but God mode is also great, depending on my mood.

That's my 2 cents.

How ya doing, buddy?

I agree with everyones comments on FFX. I remember going to Ject the first time and he mopped the floor with me. I spend another extra 20 hrs, cleared the sphere board with most of my characters, had 99 of every potion, got anime, magus sisters and yojimbo and got magus sisters into overdrive before going into fight ject again. Easiest fight ever...first form, ject had like 144,000 hp i believe, magus sisters did something like 200,000...complete overkill. Second form, Anima mopped the floor with him and then the Final Aeon fight thin, I did the Reflect trick and he just killed himself with gravija and healed us lol.

FELIPE NO

Sometimes I enjoyed the days of platformers in the NES days and before where they were so difficult I felt like cheating was necessary and fair just to be on an even par with the game.

In PC games God Mode can be extremely fun. For example, in Blood just runnign around and blowing stuff up in a way that you wouldn't even be able to come close to achieving.

In console games, I've never really felt the need to cheat much from the SNES onward. I do intend to play through Silent Hill 3 again now that I have beat it and can get the Uzi with unlimited ammo, though. It's nice to have the option, at least, to go through the game overpowered after you've beaten it once, but on the first time through it does cheapen the experience for me.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

@Tokubetsu: You had to do all that to beat Jecht in FFX? Wow, you didn't have to go through all that trouble, haha. All you need is Doublecast, Ultima, Copycat and One MP Cost :D

Yeah, he was trouble at first, until I realized how easy it was to beat him with a few neato abilities, heehee.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I usually use cheats for games I've already beaten, just for the fun of it. Like infinite ammo, firing at everything in sight. OR for games I'm just playing because of music ripping purposes. Like the Turok games. But I never use any action replay or gameshark. If it was implanted in the game, fine, but messing with the ram memory, nah.

There's nowhere I can't reach.