The other day, I launched up Mirror's Edge. When I started the first level, I began to ask myself why I really wanted to play the game.
I have about four other games I'm not done with yet, and one has some DLC coming out soon. So why would I choose to spend my playing time on a game I've beaten numerous times, and have come to find myself somewhat bored with in the past?
Because I knew I was good at it. The intense and smooth obstacle course is very unique and allows for easy mastery of the fluid technique involved. After learning the game, I was able to apply timing, muscle memory, and attentive response to obstacles in my way.
The fluid movements of Mirror's Edge creates a very unique adrenaline rush.
That being said, I'm generally not the best gamer. I rarely get first or even top three rankings at the end of multi-player matches, and it takes me a while to get used to a game. But when that rotary finally clicks, I find myself able to acquire replayability through simply knowing that success will soon follow.
Some gamers might soon after find themselves bored when they master a game, but for other gamers mastering a game can instigate a desire to conquer the obstacles, or crank the difficulty up. It can inspire gamers to challenge themselves and explore the entirety of the game, discovering any new possible way of playing.
While the desire to play a game for the sake of simply winning, this might not work for every game. I find myself repeating this process with the games that hold an all around unique style. Searching for a playstyle parralell to most other titles, the desire is generally for something that is fast paced and requires attentive involvement.
Other titles, such as Portal, allow the player to challenge themselves based on their ability to play the game. The shorter titles are what I generally seek, daring me to see how fast and smoothly I can pull off a certain level or a certain area or aspect that proved problematic in past play-throughs.
This certain desire to play video games is — in my opinion — one of the most unique and sparks a special desire to play games. Interests towards gaming like this can increase the overall interest and provide an outlook on gaming in its entirety.