

I work on PCSX2 in a small capacity. They’re not my cup of tea, and I feel like they actively hamper a first or second or possibly even third playthrough. However, I’ve had some modest enjoyment adding them to games I beat 50 times over in the PS2’s heyday just to have a better sense of permanence, to see if I’m good enough for the harder-ish challenges of dedicated fans, and to (ideally) see cute puns/references in the achievement names.
I think achievements are actively bad for a first playthrough and only, in that capacity, serve to turn games into a checklist simulator that cynically exploits dopamine pathways. But I also won’t nag the people who do use them for first playthroughs, even though I think they’d holistically enjoy them more without.
On the whole, RetroAchievements clearly breathe new life into games for a ton of people, and I’ve got no problem with that.
Also, the people who develop the RA infrastructure are really cool from what I’ve heard and seen.






















Specifically, look at her left eye.