- 25/05/2025
For the love of the journey and the destination.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00As gamers, we all know that sometimes a title can really get its hooks in you.
00:04You might not have thought about it going into a game,
00:06but we've all had those moments of total clarity where we realise,
00:09yeah, I think I'm going to 100% this.
00:12Whether that comes midway or after you've completed the story and aren't ready to put it down,
00:16the optional content around games is truly what keeps us invested for longer periods of time.
00:21Some people totally complete titles for the rewards and some people do it for the love of it,
00:25and there's certainly no right or wrong reason.
00:28I'm CypherWattCulture and these are 10 of the best video games to 100%.
00:33Horizon Zero Dawn is an awesome marriage of an incredible story, exciting gameplay,
00:40and most importantly, perhaps of all, a gorgeous open world.
00:43Whilst many games' idea of realism is dark, gritty and gloomy,
00:47what makes the Horizon series stand out from its contemporaries is just how flipping pretty it is.
00:51Once it gets a hold of you, you may not want to leave.
00:54There's a certain school of thought that says that the journey itself can be the reward as opposed to the destination,
00:59and if any game applies to that ideal, it's Horizon.
01:02Even when the story finishes and you're dropped back in front of the game's major city,
01:06many players find the allure of Horizon's beautiful post-civilisation world a hard one to depart from.
01:11Outside of the main story, there are plenty of things to do,
01:14including completing hunting trials, cleansing corrupted zones, and a buffet of side quests.
01:19Horizon Zero Dawn does have some collectibles to account for, but it's not an overabundance,
01:23and it's just another excuse to throw Aloy on the back of a robotic horse
01:27and delve deeper into the world's jungles, deserts, and mountains.
01:30With gameplay as engaging as this, and a map that few open world games can compare themselves to,
01:35Horizon deserves this tip of the cap.
01:37Number 9, Brothers A Tale of Two Sons
01:40Starbreeze's 2013 adventure Brothers A Tale of Two Sons has that indie title charm in spades.
01:46It's got a great visual design, it feels like no other game,
01:49with each character controlled by a different thumbstick,
01:52and it moves at its own very chilled pace.
01:54No doubt the shortest game on this list, what makes this entry even more special
01:58is that you don't even have to finish the game to get all of its achievements slash trophies.
02:02Unlike many modern titles, Brothers Trophy List isn't about demonstrating your gameplay skills,
02:06and instead is a small checklist of unique events.
02:09Ranging from covering a sheep in soot to turn it black,
02:12to returning stranded turtles to their mother,
02:14Brothers asks the player to really explore the world and take notice of their surroundings.
02:19Instead of demanding increasingly more difficult playthroughs or time-intensive riddles like other indie games,
02:24Brothers leans into what makes it special by providing a checklist quite unlike any other game.
02:28Can't imagine there's too many video games that reward you for skimming stones on the ocean.
02:32Brothers A Tale of Two Sons is a reminder that a great 100% completion
02:35doesn't always have to be about massive time investment.
02:38Sometimes thinking outside of the box is more rewarding than a massive scavenger hunt.
02:43Number 8, Resident Evil 4.
02:45Despite being a horror series, Resident Evil has always kept its focus on fun gameplay in mind,
02:49and even the original PlayStation games had plenty of unlockables to keep players coming back for more.
02:54New costumes and weapons are an established and expected part of every Resi game,
02:58and perhaps few more memorably so than Resident Evil 4.
03:02What makes getting to full completion with RE4 so rewarding is how much of a breeze it is to play.
03:07The game's award-winning combat system is satisfying in itself,
03:10and even though the campaign isn't exactly punchy,
03:12there's enough variation to see you through to the end, where the unlockables will start rolling out.
03:17Beating the game once will give you a few costumes, weapons, and some new modes.
03:20Working your way through these will net you the infinite ammo Tommy Gun,
03:24and the ability to dress the vulnerable Ashley Graham in a literal suit of armour so she can't be harmed.
03:29With these two things alone, it's worth trudging back into rural Europe and causing some mayhem.
03:34But if you really want to get it all, completing a clean run of the game's professional mode will also net you the PLR-421,
03:41a widespread laser blaster that kills basically every enemy and boss in one hit.
03:46Hasta la vista, Los Ganados.
03:48Number 7, God of War.
03:50The 2018 reboot of God of War propelled the series to new heights.
03:54Whilst the original games have their value,
03:55this new iteration not only shakes up a tired formula, but blows the doors off of the franchise.
04:00It exposes Kratos and the player to a huge world of possibilities.
04:04The story and gameplay is deeper than ever before,
04:07and the variety of locations players are able to visit is wonderful.
04:10Truly, God of War deserves to be one of Sony's biggest first-party IPs.
04:14What makes God of War's completion checklist so good is variety.
04:17It truly does feel as though it has it all.
04:20Collectibles, errands, challenges,
04:21and perhaps most exciting of all, the eight hidden boss fights with the Valkyries.
04:26God of War's combat system is addictive and rewarding,
04:28so being asked to spend more time with it isn't exactly a chore,
04:31even if these boss fights might test your mettle to its fullest extent.
04:35And let's face it, nail-bitingly hard boss fights are in God of War's DNA.
04:40Don't expect anything more than a quick thank you from Sindri for dusting off that 100%,
04:44but saving the realm and having an awesome time doing it is enough to make this journey worthwhile.
04:48Number 6, Super Mario Galaxy.
04:51Taking Mario out into the stars seemed like not only a strange, but also a bold choice.
04:55The plumber had mastered the 3D platforming genre before,
04:58but how would that translate to topsy-turvy and often zero gravity?
05:02Brilliantly, as it turns out, Super Mario Galaxy somehow rides a perfect line
05:06between a really relaxing game to play and also having plenty of unique challenges to it.
05:10With that Nintendo stamp of quality,
05:12it's very easy to want to pick up all 120 Power Stars and bask in your rewards.
05:16That being said, 3D Mario has a weird history with completion.
05:20Doing all there is to do in Super Mario 64 gets you 100 pointless one-ups to spend on a game you've just finished.
05:26Even worse was the game's sequel, Super Mario Sunshine,
05:28where 100% completion earns you merely a postcard.
05:31Super Mario Galaxy finally figured out the kinds of rewards their players were hoping for,
05:35and when you're done, you can give Mario a break and play through the whole game again as Luigi.
05:40Mario diehards are sure to appreciate how this seems to pay homage to Super Mario Bros. 2,
05:44as, just like that game, Luigi can jump higher than his brother but is easy to lose control of,
05:49making a second run of the game just different enough to be a genuine consideration for any player.
05:545. Hades
05:55Supergiant's 2018 dungeon crawler Hades won several end-of-year awards for its aesthetic prowess
06:01and just how good an overall package it is.
06:04Set in the underworld of Greek legends, it's a fresh take on the genre and is oozing with personality.
06:08The idea of totally completing a roguelike with all of its randomly generated dungeon goodness
06:13can be a daunting task.
06:14Thankfully, due to Hades' addictive gameplay,
06:16you'll find yourself filling up that 100% completion goal without even really thinking about it.
06:21The just-one-more-run-before-bedtime mentality is strong in this one,
06:25and it's all too easy to spend entire nights just trying to get that little bit further.
06:30What keeps players so invested in Hades is the variety of combat styles
06:33and the fact that the game isn't shy to reward or offer progress to the player.
06:37The more times you fail, the stronger you become,
06:39and new conversations with the game's wonderful cast open up along the way.
06:43Over the many times you gear up for your next great underworld escape attempt,
06:46it's impossible not to grow closer to those around you.
06:49As such, the game becomes not just about your own survival,
06:52but about fulfilling the requests and stories of Hades' incredibly well-written
06:55and well-performed cast of characters.
06:584. Assassin's Creed 2
07:00When you think of 100% completion, you no doubt think of open worlds,
07:04and when you think of open worlds, you no doubt think of the Assassin's Creed franchise.
07:08There are a few reasons why Assassin's Creed 2 specifically stands out from the pack.
07:12First of all, it's not one of the latter games.
07:14That's not a criticism of the quality of newer AC titles,
07:17but games like Valhalla and Odyssey are such massive time sinks
07:20if you want to call yourself a completionist.
07:22The average completion run of AC 2 will set you back 35 hours,
07:25compared to 2020's Valhalla, which is an estimate of 135 hours.
07:30Unlike other games in the series, Assassin's Creed 2 is just not as grindy.
07:34Moreover, some of the collectibles in AC 2 actually have story-relevant impacts.
07:38After literally being silenced by grief,
07:40finding all of the feathers across the game's multiple cities
07:43and delivering them to Ezio's mother Maria
07:45will gain you an exclusive cutscene where she finally speaks again.
07:48You also get a swish new cape,
07:50but story ramifications for collectibles is something that is all too rare
07:53when many games just dump hundreds into their worlds to bulk out the playtime.
07:57Assassin's Creed 2 is one of the most popular entries in the series,
08:00and it's hard not to see why,
08:01as it improved upon the original in every single way,
08:04100% completion included.
08:06Number 3, Grand Theft Auto V.
08:09As a series, Grand Theft Auto really laid the foundations
08:11for many open-world games to come.
08:13Every entry in the franchise since GTA 3
08:15has had plenty to find, see and do
08:18tucked away in its cities and countryside,
08:20but it doesn't come much bigger than the second best-selling game of all time,
08:24Grand Theft Auto V.
08:25Due to the sheer scope of the game,
08:27getting to that magical three-digit number in GTA V is no easy feat,
08:31and this one should only be attempted by those with the commitment to do so.
08:34Side missions, stunt jumps, knife fights, hobbies,
08:37and dozens of collectibles,
08:39Grand Theft Auto V is a huge game in every respect.
08:42A game of this magnitude doesn't need to offer much for its full completion,
08:45because players that make it this far should only do so if they're still enjoying the game.
08:49No point subjecting yourself to such a massive task if you're not having fun.
08:52That being said, there are a few goodies including a 100% completion shirt
08:56and one more Strangers and Freaks mission.
08:59Harkening back to the San Andreas myth of a Sasquatch in the Los Santos mountainside,
09:03players can finally find the truth of the matter in this cherry on top of GTA V's massive to-do list.
09:09Number 2, Red Dead Redemption.
09:11The worst examples of 100% completion are when the goal seems impossibly far away,
09:16and even hours of work feels as though it hasn't made a difference.
09:19Red Dead Redemption 2, as incredible as it is,
09:22is such a huge game that trying to hit that finishing line is a truly daunting task.
09:26Not that Red Dead 2 didn't keep players captivated,
09:29but its hyper-realism made for a much slower pace to fare.
09:32Thankfully, the same can't be said about its predecessor.
09:35Whilst there's plenty to do in Red Dead 1 to keep you going,
09:37it's a far snappier game by comparison.
09:39Better yet, compared to many other open-world games,
09:42it isn't filled with a needless number of collectibles.
09:44Mostly the game's checklist is interesting side missions and mini-games,
09:47and even the buried treasure isn't all that time-consuming compared to other games of its ilk.
09:52You could absolutely complete Red Dead Redemption just for the pure joy of it,
09:55and many people have.
09:57However, there is a reward for 100%ing the game,
09:59and the Bureau uniform finally lets you off the leash in true Rockstar Game style.
10:04You've done everything else there is to do,
10:05so now that you're above the law,
10:07go out into the West and do whatever you damn well please.
10:10You earned it.
10:11Number 1, Spider-Man.
10:13The idea of a modern open-world city combined with the Spider-Man franchise
10:17was something that seemed like a no-brainer,
10:19so in retrospect, there was almost no way Insomniac Games' 2018 title could really have failed.
10:25Even taking out the main story of Spider-Man,
10:27you could enjoy it on its optional content alone.
10:30Heck, plenty of us would still buy it just for how wonderful its web-swinging system is.
10:34With a smorgasbord of different Spidey costumes to don,
10:36you can spend entire evenings just exploring and navigating the city.
10:40Thankfully then, when you drop to the streets below or find yourself running across the rooftops,
10:44there are plenty of things to do.
10:46Stopping random acts of crime,
10:47completing Taskmaster's challenges,
10:49and clearing out Kingpin's hideouts.
10:51It turns out that a lot of players found their way to this 100% mark,
10:54as the Platinum Trophy for finishing everything in the game is sitting at a strong 10%.
10:58It might not sound like much,
11:00but 1 in 10 players who booted up Spider-Man have experienced everything the game has to offer.
11:05Not a lot of open-world games can claim this high of a number.
11:08And that's the list.
11:10Let us know what you thought of this video down in the comments below.
11:13Which of these games have you 100%ed?
11:15And which other games did you truly enjoy getting that completionist feeling?
11:19Make sure you like this video,
11:21share it with your friends,
11:22and hit that subscribe button.
11:23I've been Cy for WhatCulture,
11:25and have a good week.
11:26Let's see.
11:26Let's see.
11:27Let's see.
11:27Let's see.
11:28Let's see.
11:28Let's see.
11:29Let's see.
11:29Let's see.
11:30Let's see.
11:31Let's see.
11:32Let's see.
11:33Let's see.
11:34Let's see.
11:35Let's see.
11:36Let's see.
11:37Let's see.
11:38Let's see.
11:39Let's see.
11:40Let's see.
11:42Let's see.
11:43Let's see.
11:44Let's see.
11:45Let's see.
11:46Let's see.
11:47Let's see.
11:48Let's see.
11:49Let's see.
11:50Let's see.
11:51Let's see.
11:52Let's see.
Recommended
10:43
|
Up next
11:00
10:38
10:34
11:03
3:30
1:59
8:15
11:50
11:31