Backtracking

I remember meeting a few of those situations in a few games I played in the distant past. I don't remember what games, though.
Yeah, I know the feel. It's very annoying >_<

 

I certainly don't mind, especially in the context of an RPG. After all, the more experience you learn, the stronger you'll be, so you are at least guaranteed to come out of the timeframe stronger than when you began.
In some cases it can be frustrating, especially when there aren't any additional goodies like items or experience to be had, and the only reward to be gained is plot progression (this can be particularly tedious in the Ace Attorney games, in which the investigation will only proceed after interacting with certain people/objects, and you miss only one that you don't notice, you may be stuck going in circles for a while).

But my desire to have things fully accomplished far outweighs any misgivings I may harbour, if any, from having to retrace my steps.

 

I think there's a way to do it right and a way to do it wrong. The wrong way is backtracking just to add a few more hours to gameplay expectancy to talk to a McGuffin like the Paper Mario example. It's just "Hey, do a bunch of walking and super-easy battles and see nothing new! Woo!"

On the other hand, there are two things I think can make it worth while: A plot device connected to the location itself or worthwhile gameplay expansion. General White could just have easily been placed into the next town, as opposed to the one six settlements back, for instance. But if you're going back to see how a village has grown/died because of yours or the villain's actions, then I think that's a worthy excuse to backtrack. A worthwhile gameplay expansion devoid of plot I think usually manifests as a collectible like optional postgame adventures or upgrades. Just as long as it's worth while, I do like to see old places again, so it's not just one and done never see that level-design effort again. With all the man-hours that go into games, I do like to see places more than once.

I'm saying I'll gladly walk the length and breadth of your fantastical land again. I just need a good reason or it's a no-go (or a no-gladly-go).

 

Backtracking gives me nightmares in RPGs. I'm always afraid in case I miss collecting an item that might be needed for a thing or would be handy in some kind of situation down the road. I reckon that's why I take so long to finish an RPG, haha.