Computer games and the save checkpoint system

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

My aversion to save checkpoints is preventing me from enjoying a couple of games. I installed Mass Effect: Andromeda, which seems like a quite enjoyable game to this point. The inability to save when I want or need to has had me wander back to an old nearly finished Pathfinder: Kingmaker save instead. Before Andromeda, I had started and completed Avowed. Good fun, not a classic. But no save checkpoints!

Before that, I had tried for a second time to get into Red Dead Redemption 2. It's an absolutely amazing game (at least the intro and second mission)... a classic. But I got through a massive gunfight in the second mission, had to go deal with real life... but the mission wasn't done, so no save point. I had no idea how far away that checkpoint was... so I quit the game. Haven't touched it since. That's how turned off I am by this save checkpoint business.

I (sort of) understand the save checkpoint system for games like Call of Duty... but for a CRPG? When one of the main purposes of the game is to get immersed in the story? Why you gotta be like that?

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[Deset Gled]

Anyone else feel this way?

Kinda yes, kinda no.

On the one hand, not being able to save when you want to is definitely annoying. The number of times I cursed at Resident Evil for not having access to a typewriter or running out of ribbon is not trivial.

On the other hand, being forced to play through an entire section at once is one of the things that makes it a game. It's supposed to be a challenge, not a movie. Part of that challenge is completing the sections as prescribed.

There are so so many games these days. When I don't like [insert any specific mechanic] in a game, the choice is either to suck it up or simply not play that game. I don't think anyone is forcing you to play RDR2. And if you just want the story you can watch plays on YouTube or Twitch.

Anyone wanna hear a rant about weapon breakage in Breath of the Wild? I can do a pretty good spiel on that.

 

[MarkB]

I can't think of any recent games which had obnoxiously ungenerous save checkpoints, and some modern consoles make things even easier in that respect (if you put the PS5 into Sleep mode instead of shutting it down completely it'll preserve your game state in memory so you can pick up exactly where you left off).

However, this is why I've never tried Fallout 4's Survival mode despite hearing lots of praise for it. I need to be able to drop in and out of a game when I want, on my terms, so only being able to save by sleeping in a bed is an automatic no-no.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Kinda yes, kinda no.

On the one hand, not being able to save when you want to is definitely annoying. The number of times I cursed at Resident Evil for not having access to a typewriter or running out of ribbon is not trivial.

On the other hand, being forced to play through an entire section at once is one of the things that makes it a game. It's supposed to be a challenge, not a movie. Part of that challenge is completing the sections as prescribed.

There are so so many games these days. When I don't like [insert any specific mechanic] in a game, the choice is either to suck it up or simply not play that game. I don't think anyone is forcing you to play RDR2. And if you just want the story you can watch plays on YouTube or Twitch.

Anyone wanna hear a rant about weapon breakage in Breath of the Wild? I can do a pretty good spiel on that.

I know no one is forcing me to play! I do like RDR2... I might have to make accommodations. Wish I didn't have to though.

Like I said, there are certain games where save checkpoints work better than others, where the story is secondary to the gameplay concept of completing 'missions' (Call of Duty, or Resident Evil I guess, never played it). They are never necessary though... just add something to the experience for certain types of games, and for certain types of players of those games. It would be nice if save checkpoints was optional in any game that offered it though. Just my opinion on the matter.

Sure, let's talk about weapon breakage in those Link games. My younger daughter plays Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. That weapon breakage is a mini-game she could do without.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I hate save checkpoints because it’s impossible to get my kids off the game. “Not yet, I’m almost at a check point!!”

 

[Mad_Jack]

Yeah, I was never much of a fan of checkpoints, mainly because I've always been one of those folks who always seems to need to leave/do something else right dead center between two checkpoints.

 

[GMMichael]

On the other hand, being forced to play through an entire section at once is one of the things that makes it a game. It's supposed to be a challenge, not a movie.

Yup. If the mountain is flat, what are we really climbing?

I (sort of) understand the save checkpoint system for games like Call of Duty... but for a CRPG? When one of the main purposes of the game is to get immersed in the story? Why you gotta be like that?

The Rainbow Six Siege system is fun: leave during a game and you get banned for 24 hours. Fortunately, there's a "quick game" mode that avoids this penalty.

Have you tried changing the game's difficulty level? Watch some Angry Video Game Nerd on Youtube for more commiseration.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Unless it's a Soulsborne game, give me the ability to save whenever I want.

Kinda yes, kinda no.

On the one hand, not being able to save when you want to is definitely annoying. The number of times I cursed at Resident Evil for not having access to a typewriter or running out of ribbon is not trivial.

Same. Having save points is one thing. Having save points and having to manage your ribbon inventory (on top of a generally miserly inventory system) was just too much.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Unless it's a Soulsborne game, give me the ability to save whenever I want.

Disagree strongly unless you just mean save-and-quit (rather than save/reload).

There are a whole swathe of games where checkpoints make sense. Anything which is intended to have combat that is in any way challenging for starters. It's a lot better than a binary full savescum or full ironman scenario too.

I think you can make a better case against savepoints than checkpoints, generally - they tend to be misused or mishandled more, in my experience.

Yup. If the mountain is flat, what are we really climbing?

Exactly. You can always watch the game on YouTube if you just want to see what happens.

Yeah, I was never much of a fan of checkpoints, mainly because I've always been one of those folks who always seems to need to leave/do something else right dead center between two checkpoints.

Yeah this is the one real issue I see - sometimes you need to go do something else, and if you can pause, great, but that's not always practical (i.e. you don't want to leave the PC running in some high-graphics game for 12+ hours whilst you do stuff). I am under the impression the Xbox Series X/S has the ability to like "pause-save" any game, and some other checkpoint-based games can save-and-quit anywhere (Elden Ring, for example)

 

[MarkB]

Disagree strongly unless you just mean save-and-quit (rather than save/reload).

That is what pretty much everyone in the thread has been referring to - the ability to save at any time to resume later without losing progress. You're the first to reference savescumming.