About Becoming a Platinum Hunter

 or: How I Found My Way as a Gamer

    Maybe I've always had it in me or maybe it's my obsessive-compulsive disorder kicking in hard but ever since I completed a game for the first time, just looking at my trophy list where previously played titles are finished at a concluding 100%, fills me with a sense of tranquillity that Zen monks spend entire lifetimes trying to achieve.

    You see, PlayStation trophies are awarded when a player completes tasks specified by the developer and one usually unlocks a couple of them inevitably when playing a game by killing a boss or progressing through the story. There are also ones that may require you to get all the collectibles, find hidden items or complete certain tasks. Trophies, depending on their difficulty, are three types - Bronze, Silver and Gold but if one collects all from a game's list, a special Platinum trophy is awarded to the player.

    And when that happens, the feeling is nothing short of ascending to godhood!

    Trophies usually encompass the full width of the experience and require players to do nearly everything a game has to offer or play it in ways that they wouldn't otherwise. They are the perfect roadmap for gamers to play something the way it was meant to be played and get a better understanding of its logic, mechanics, and gameplay.

    Going after them can sometimes be quite a challenge but whenever I stumble upon something that seems impossible at first, I always fondly remember the first time I played Bloodborne. It was my introduction to FromSoftware games and lured by its gothic aesthetic and Lovecraftian lore, I was completely unaware of how insanely difficult and punishing they can be. In every game, you can attempt boss fights, challenges, and puzzles unlimited times and if at first, you can't do something, after every failure, you get closer to your goal. Each attempt is both a lesson and a step forward. Games like Bloodborne might initially be punishing but after some time and a large amount of frustration and effort put into them, they become nothing but rewarding.

    Maybe the slogan for the first video game I ever played, Pokémon - "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" planted the completionist seeds in me. I remember trying my best to get all of the 151 Pokémon on my Game Boy Color. My friends and I were obsessing over that task for months, attempting it on both Pokémon Blue and Yellow. The former I remember most fondly but throughout the years was replaced by FireRed as my favourite and the cartridge I keep to this day!

    The first time I ever had to actually push myself to complete a game was when I got my hands on Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and it had everything to do with the story. In it, Wario wrestles Captain Syrup for a genie that can grant him a castle depending on the funds it is given - from a small birdhouse to a giant fortress. And if the player collects all the treasures and reaches the coin limit, he can even receive an entire planet with Wario's face etched in it! I felt that the poor guy deserved this after he'd lost his castle to me and my friends in the previous Super Mario Land where he served as the antagonist of the game!

    I tried a completionist run of Skyrim back in 2016 and after about a hundred Miscellaneous quests I had barely touched the surface of what the game has to offer and had little to show for the days of hard work I'd put into my character. Needless to say, I was lacking direction and in a game so vast this only hurt my playthrough. In contrast to that, my 2021 run of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Anniversary Edition had clear goals set before me, thanks to the excellent trophy list the developers have made for the game. And that is probably my favourite thing about completing games on my PlayStation - the explicitly stated objectives for playing. To be frank, nothing has ever given my gaming hobby a sense of purpose and direction like trophy hunting has.

    And seriously, of all the gaming communities out there - if there's one that I'd consider the absolute best, it's Trophy Hunters. Be it r/Trophies or the PSNProfiles Forum, or any other, none are as oriented towards helping, congratulating, and inspiring each other as The Brotherhood of the Trophy! The love and support one can find there is second to none! Shared struggles, goals and achievements can create an impeccable sense of bonding and empathy, it turns out. Not to mention respect - and that goes not only to the ones who are ahead of you but also the ones who are still catching up to your level.

     Completing games is that special cherry on the top that takes gaming to the next level. It's my way of showing the love I have for the games I play and it is a great excuse to prolong the joy certain gaming experiences can bring. Committing that extra time to a game a player deems worthy proves their appreciation of it and most of all, makes you feel like a conqueror. It doesn't matter how trivial it may seem, my trophies are the mementoes of the memories I've made playing with friends and the battle scars I have to show from certain achievements or difficult bosses and thus are special to me.

    There's a clear release of endorphins when one roots for their favourite sports team or buys a fancy accessory. We all have the things we enjoy for ourselves, the things that make us happy even though they might not make much sense to other people. My thing just happens to be acquiring trophies on my PSN profile for all the feats I achieve playing video games. This, (along with this blog, too!), has helped me create the ultimate history book of my video game accomplishments! Completing games is never easy and often times it is frustrating as hell but it is always gratifying.