So, it's exam period for me, which means doing ridiculous old gaming stuff in order to avoid getting addicted to current gaming stuff, because as we all know, that would be very bad for my grades.
One of my favourite games ever is No One Lives Forever (the first one, I actually despise the sequel), and I've beaten it a couple of times. Just, you know, shootin' around and enjoying the story. But I decided to go for fullblown ultimate hardcore difficulty by beating it on Superspy (ie. the highest) difficulty setting and getting all the intelligence items, thus receiving Superspy rating on every mission.
And I must say, I'm almost through, and it's been going quite well. I must be quite the hardcore chap amongst today's QTE-grown gaming youngsters. Some snags here and there, but I've pulled through. I'm now on The Indomitable Cate Archer - Scene 4, and knowing the game, I'm confident I will make it. Volkov and the end fight won't be easy, but I'll get them eventually. This game won't have any secrets left for me when I'm done with it. And I will be able to study for my Psychology exam. I really will.
Actually, there's one little thing. Normally I never cheat, but I had to during the Armstrong fight. You have to hit him 30 or 40 times and he's got you dead in 3 or so. He's got an unavoidable move. There's a glitch where, according to gamefaqs, he can't hit you when you jump on one of the beds and you can just pummel him, but they don't mention that he just starts chucking grenades at you. I was despairing at the 50th attempt (I've marked them, don't ask), but at the 70th I simply gave up, looked up god mode, activated it, finished the thing, then deactivated god mode again. Further difficult parts (like the timing on that snowy ledge before getting your stuff back) required save scumming, but that's normal. I haven't touched a cheat since, nor will I. I will complete the game, then lie restless, because there was this one bit where I cheated. My success will not be complete.
It will be my life's mission to defeat that bastard on Superspy difficulty without cheating. Maybe save scumming. Because that's what I did on the parachuting scene (goddamn that's hard otherwise), but No Cheating.
(And no, you youngsters, save scumming isn't the same as cheating. You still have to do the thing and if the thing's difficult...)
Magnus Armstrong, on Superspy difficulty, of the game No One Lives Forever, is my White Whale.
So what's yours?
A challenge, any challenge, you just cannot overcome, but are determined to do so before you die.