Can’t do games without a pause button anymore

Is not being able to pause a game a dealbreaker for you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 23.5%
  • Somewhat, I find it difficult to play games that don’t allow me to pause

    Votes: 26 38.2%
  • No

    Votes: 26 38.2%

  • Total voters
    68
I've been on the fence about ARC Raiders, but I already took long breaks from Sea of Thieves, D2R, etc for the same reason. I just can't handle games that don't let you pause anymore. It's a shame because I love these games.

Life's full of random interruptions now, and being locked into a session where I can't step away for five minutes stresses me out more than it relaxes me. These days I'm leaning hard toward single-player games where I can pause, save, and come back later.

Anyone else hit that point where no pause button has become a dealbreaker?
 
not completely but I only get to play them at night after everyone has gone to be. Parent first.. games third.
 
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Er, is it that common a thing? Most games have that, one way or another, if you're not playing online, obviously. I guess if you're a souls-like fan that'd suck (at least for From's games, many of their clones do have pausing) but you probably aren't.
 
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It's not a dealbreaker but I've always found it rather annoying.
Even as a huge Fromsoft fan, I've never felt like not being able to pause their games is enhancing my experience.
 
For me, the fact that a Solusgame (yes, FROM, you started to create this BULLSHIT) does not have a pause button but can be played offline is idiotic. If I'm playing offline, there is no reason I cannot pause the game and make a number 2 at peace in my home, god damm it!
 
As someone who plays Dark Souls often

I am not sure what a pause button is
If I need a break, bonfires aside, I can find some corner somewhere and chill.

Noice. Only took five posts to not only get to Souls talk, but also by someone with the avatar.

Excited Gold GIF
 
Hahahahahahahaha How The Fuck Is No Pausing Real Hahahaha Dude Just Walk Away From The Screen Like Dude Close Your Eyes Haha
 
For me, the fact that a Solusgame (yes, FROM, you started to create this BULLSHIT) does not have a pause button but can be played offline is idiotic. If I'm playing offline, there is no reason I cannot pause the game and make a number 2 at peace in my home, god damm it!
Find a bonfire or a corner somewhere young hollow
 
I've been on the fence about ARC Raiders, but I already took long breaks from Sea of Thieves, D2R, etc for the same reason. I just can't handle games that don't let you pause anymore. It's a shame because I love these games.

Life's full of random interruptions now, and being locked into a session where I can't step away for five minutes stresses me out more than it relaxes me. These days I'm leaning hard toward single-player games where I can pause, save, and come back later.

Anyone else hit that point where no pause button has become a dealbreaker?
You are playing an online multiplayer game and asking for a "pause"? Thats strange. I mean you have to "log off", as in every other mp game as well. 🤷‍♂️ (or search a dark corner and pray no one finds you)
 
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I carefully pick my time to play online MP games. Shit still happens but I mean I just go sit in a bush or die, I don't care. There's no realistic way to let random players pause so that's my issue if I commit to a match and have to go.
 
You are playing an online multiplayer game and asking for a "pause"? Thats strange. I mean you have to "log off", as in every other mp game as well. 🤷‍♂️ (or search a dark corner and pray no one finds you)
Where did I ask for a pause button? I simply said these sort of games aren't for me anymore. I never asked that they make changes to these games.
 
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Small annoyance but not a deal breaker.

What I really hate is games that have a pause feature, but don't auto-pause when the gamepad runs out of battery.
 
Not a deal breaker for me at all. I mean, it makes sense as to why there's no pause in an online environment as it's just not possible.

Worse comes to worse, if I have to step away and I'm unable to pause I'll find a spot that appears safe and then go AFK.
 
There is no reason soulslikes played offline shouldn't have a pause button. It's impossibly stupid and doctrinaire.

(have played and finished Bloodborne, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, Elden Ring, Lords of the Fallen)
 
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I've gotten to the point where I realise whatever is happening on the screen isn't really all that important, if something else needs my attention and I can't pause
Boomer Reaction GIF
if the penalty is marginal, I usually don't care.

For games like Diablo 2 where I really only play hardcore mode, a death means my character gets deleted. I could switch to softcore but I've been doing hardcore mode for 25 years. It's really apples and oranges as the game feels completely different in hardcore mode. I acknowledge that it's self-inflicted to a certain degree as I'm choosing to play hardcore.

For Sea of Thieves, if you don't make it back to a outpost to sell, you could literally lose a days worth of work in seconds

Lots of games without pause menus are incredibly punitive by design

I'm not complaining and I'm not asking that they add a pause option because I understand the lack of it is an essential part of the gameplay. I'm just saying I can't really play these games or these modes anymore.
 
Doesn't bother me. I'll step away and whatever happens happens. I don't play multiplayer games anymore but when I did I'd let my team know if they were friends and if they weren't then I didn't really care.

Edit: since tc mentioned hardcore D2, server lag worries me far more than needing to step away.
 
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Definitely hard for me, I have a baby and toddler. So a baby monitor makes noise, I gotta drop MP or pause a SP game, and when they're sleeping about about my only game time.
 
i'm fine if it's singleplayer. but i dont have much time these days either, so i like to play games with short autosave or manual save option.
 
I'm soooooo glad Monster Hunter Wilds added pause. When you play single player mode, there is no excuse not have pause option.
 
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