Who would’ve thought it could be so addictive? Who would’ve thought that little water droplet sound would be so very sweet to the ears, and that small trophy icon so seductive to the eyes? Yes, ladies and germs, we’re talking about Achievements in Xbox 360 games, and they’ve captivated me.
Rich and I have been in a recent arms race with a friend of ours (whose gamertag is most certainly NOT Tygerfyr) to get the higher Gamerscore, the numeric representation of achievements earned in Microsoft’s vision of gaming. Having the Xbox 360 since launch, we’ve been slowly building several thousand Gamerpoints, and it has quickly become apparent how very valuable they are. How so, you say? Can you trade them in for Microsoft Points? A free month of Live? A jacket? An honorary merit badge? Nope. Just bragging rights. I know; I thought it was silly when I first heard it, and no, I can’t explain the "why" around it, but start playing a few well-crafted games with some well-thought-out achievements, and you’ll be hooked (Burnout Revenge & Condemned come to mind).
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some games with what I’ve considered to be lousy achievement ladders, whether it be the "nickel-and-dime" variety (we’re looking at you, PDZ & GRAW), or the "thanka-yo-foor-to-playeeng-dis-gaim" flavor (Yes, Kong, sadly…you). But it doesn’t ever stop you from thirsting for that next thirst-quenching dollup of gaming notoriety.
So what’s your favorite game’s achievement structure?
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