Enjoying the start of a game more than the end game

My New World/Division 2 Characters. Border made in Paint!

Starting a new game is always exciting! Everything is new, every enemy an unknown, and every item an upgrade. The settings are sometimes vibrant and other times grim. I love starting a new game because currently the possibilities are endless!

The first group of enemies seen in Division 2

Lost enemy NPC in New World

Obvious weapon upgrade in Division 2

Once I spend more time in a game some of the glamor wears off. I know the story, the enemy, my characters purpose and goals. The end/after game is usually a drag for me. The story is complete, I've fought every enemy type, only certain items are upgrades and even then its only a slight increase. The feeling and impact of the game doesn't hit as hard and my motivation to play starts to dwindle.

Enemy Hyena group in Division 2, focusing the technician before they setup is key

Two enemy Spartans, tough but not impossible

The games are fun but if my only incentive to play is to achieve "The Highest Number Possible!" Then I am probably done with the game for a while. If I'm playing with a group then I'll continue playing with them to see if we can complete any unique/difficult portions of the game but beyond that I am finished. This isn't even mentioning the amount of loot comparisons and storage organization that beings to occur and are a "key feature" of many end games.

Ah, The many possible 'upgrades'!

One of these might or might not be an upgrade depending on the item traits and the build.

Returning is always a possibility whenever the game has massive updates or expansion packs on the horizon then I will work towards it because playing towards something motivates me to continue playing. I just can't stand the grind anymore. if the only aspect of the game is to grind for meager growth then I usually have to take a break just to rebuild that enthusiasm to start up the game again. The story was interesting, the gameplay fun, but having a purpose and goal beyond a loot grind is, I think, important to maintain a players attention.

I've used Division 2 and New World as examples because they are games that suffered from these issues but have, in my opinion, grown past it (Also because they are currently installed!).

---End---

Writing this post out gives me the opportunity to clearly identify what drives me to continue playing a game. It isn't the grind, but the purpose behind the grind. Anyway, if this post was enjoyed or captured some curiosity, I would love to hear other players thoughts on what I've spoken about to get their opinion and to hear which part of the game is their favorite and why.

Thank you for reading!

Happy Gaming!