Pros
Go Forth and Game
- Victory lies in preparation (Assassin's Creed 2)
- Get all Hidden Blades, Item Pouches and Armor upgrades for Ezio.
- Metal God (Brutal Legend)
- Achieved 100% completion on the stats screen
There are a lot of people that could care less about side missions, unlockable items, or additional material not included in the main plot. What many do not realize is that some poor soul actually worked to code that scene you missed, detail that terrain you never caught a glimpse of, or even voice that character you never bothered to assist. Rewarding players for actually playing the game to the teeth not only nets you a trophy or gamerpoints, but encourages players to see everything the game has to offer. You already paid money for the game, why not see what it has to offer?
Gentlemen Mix-A-Lot
- Tactician (Mass Effect 2)
- Hit 20 different targets with multiple biotic powers to combine the effects
- Raining Zombies (Dead Rising)
- TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Knock at least 30 zombies aside with a parasol
Proof of Valor
- What Are You Trying To Prove? (Left 4 Dead)
- Survive all Campaigns on Expert
- Mile High Club (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
- Sky dive to safety on Veteran difficulty
Gamerpoints and trophies are a great way to show off your gaming accomplishments to your friends and loved ones, proving your utter skill and ability without having to actually showcase the daring feat. They also prove a motivator to actually pursue a certain difficulty setting for bragging rights...or complete a game in general. I'm looking at you Demon's Souls....*shines trophy from well over 200 deaths*
Cons
I Play for Keeps
- Playing to Win! (Street Fighter 4)
- Win 10 ranked matches in a row.
- Winning rush (Dawn of War 2)
- Earn a 5 game Win streak during online ranked play in Dawn of War II
The prime example in this is the dreaded streak of wins. While most would consider this no problem naturally, for a person out for Gamerscore/Trophy glory, they will do whatever is necessary to gain those rewards. This means camping in a corner, exploiting any glitch that would assist them possible, and the worst of all...quitting the game early. If someone is just two wins away from that achievement and is finding the match hopeless after ten seconds of play, out the door they go. In a sense, it is encouraging you to be rude and out for yourself, something an online community already has to deal with.
Spoiler Alert!
- I Promise to Kill You Last (Army of Two)
- Kill Dalton in less than 40 seconds
In all fairness, this issue is being addressed to an extent given the name "Secret Achievement/Trophy" that will unlock as you progress through the game. Yet still in a handful of games, the achievement list itself is littered with spoilers and elements that had potential to surprise you. Based on the example above...apparently I am suppose to kill someone named Dalton. This could be a major plot character, an insignificant thug, or a distant cousin of my character. Regardless, after reading the description I am now sitting in anticipation of this one moment. There could also be potential weapon reveals that I did not realize I would have access to or certain moments that lose their excitement just by reading ahead.
Reassuring Back Pat Unlocked!
- Any Achievement/Trophy Ever
All of these examples are simply based on thoughts and speculation I have observed as my Gamerscore has climbed. Which begs the question, what do you think about Achievements/Trophies in games? Helping or hurting?