Annoying Videogame Clichés I could do without.

[FPAlpha]

Save points

I get it as a relic from a past time where technology wasn't as advanced and it was easier to just have certain points at which you could save making the whole process easier on the programmers.

Nowadays there's no excuse to have save points at all and granted, i haven't encountered them as much lately but a game automatically got tuned down a few pegs if it had a save point system instead of letting me save whenever and whereever i wanted.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

So Batman has to get to 10,000 XP before he can use his Bat-a-rang? Seems silly to me.

Interestingly enough I hear that won't be a problem in the sequel as you start out with all the weapons and gadgets from the first game.

 

[Sephiroth]

^that was also a nice touch for Banjo-Tooie, you get all the moves from the previous game at the start, plus a ton of new moves

 

[Mistral]

Trying to tell the story like it's a goddamn movie.

Being immature about sexuality.

Shallow characters/plots.

Being the most uber powerful character in existence.

Best summation I read here....

 

[Kadratis]

Realism is necessary in some games. Racing sims, flight sims, wargames--those hinge on having a reasonable degree of realism.

Where you don't want realism is in things that are boring. No one wants to play an air combat sim where you spend hours flying from A to B. You want to get up in the air and shoot some bad guys down. But many people do want realistic flight physics, avionics, and weapon behavior. You just want the right things to be realistic, and to take out the boring ones.

QFT

Realism and fun aren't mutually exclusive concepts. It's all about the genre.

Yeah, just look at Mass Effect. Story is a big piece of that game too, and it's story is spot on like a film, only more epic. Even the soundtrack is awesome!

 

[captcalhoun]

siletn protaganists. particularly annoying in MW2 when Soap spends the entire fucking game jammering on until you start playing as him and he suddenly reverts back to being in MW1 with Price jammering on.

not being able to see your own goddamn feet in an FPS when you look down. or your legs.

 

[SPCTRE]

siletn protaganists. particularly annoying in MW2 when Soap spends the entire fucking game jammering on until you start playing as him and he suddenly reverts back to being in MW1 with Price jammering on.

Hm, I would agree in this particular case, but silent protagonists in FPSs can work (I would cite Half-Life and Halo 3: ODST as more recent examples) if done well and consistently.

In the context of RPGs, the question becomes trickier in some respects.

It is a matter of personal preference more than anything, as well as an artistic choice - for example, Dragon Age (as a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate) quite intentionally used a silent protagonist. Thus, the game's conversations feel more like a traditional RPG with the player pausing to think about the choices, as opposed to Mass Effect, which favors a more fluid and more cinematic approach to its dialogues.

 

[Random_Spock]

I hate that end-game feel that you get towards the end of pretty much any game that allows you to improve your character over time; every creature except the toughest monsters in the roughest corners of the Overworld is a total pushover.

Yep. I had that happen in Golden Sun. Only the toughest bosses towards the end are really tough. The rest were just too easy.

4. Cave-ins, locked doors or drop-offs. Why do paths have to be locked behind me?
There are very few games that will let you re-trace your steps most times a rockslide will happen, a huge, mysterious wind will slam (and lock) doors behind you or you will drop five feet of a broken stairwell or mini cliff…What, being a ultra elite, ultimate badass super soldier (or whatever) I can’t climb back up?

Again... happened in Golden Sun. Don't mind the game... but hate the fact that you can't back to places that you've been to before.

6. The annoying side kick or squad that is always in need of rescue, blocks doorways, block your bullets or thinks they are Rambo.
What is even worse is when you are personally responsible for them so when they die your game is over…Ugh, Why can’t I just continue on without their annoying @sses if I so choose?

Definitely. This one is annoying. Especially if you're in a game and they're making it so you can't get to where you need to get to.

 

[Evil Twin]

1. The ultra elite, ultimate badass super soldier (or whatever) that can't swim.
I mean really what is more annoying than getting near water of any kind and instantly dying?
Am I related to the wicked witch of the west or something? I'm melting, I'm meeeeellltinnng..... Ugh.
If you don’t want me in the water then don’t have any in your world.

Even worse, the protagonist who FORGETS how to swim.

Thief 1/2 ---> Thief 3

At least Assassin's Creed 2 remedied 1's Water of Doom (granted, setting part of it in Venice, they were sort of obligated to. )

 

[SPCTRE]

Even worse, the protagonist who FORGETS how to swim.

Thief 1/2 ---> Thief 3

Oh god, did you have to remind me of the fact there was a Thief 3...

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

Even worse, the protagonist who FORGETS how to swim.

Thief 1/2 ---> Thief 3

Oh god, did you have to remind me of the fact there was a Thief 3...

I haven't played thief 3 (I've had it on my shelf for ages but haven't played it) is it any good???

 

[Kelthaz]

Realism is necessary in some games. Racing sims, flight sims, wargames--those hinge on having a reasonable degree of realism.

Where you don't want realism is in things that are boring. No one wants to play an air combat sim where you spend hours flying from A to B. You want to get up in the air and shoot some bad guys down. But many people do want realistic flight physics, avionics, and weapon behavior. You just want the right things to be realistic, and to take out the boring ones.

I understand why some people enjoy realism, but I never have regardless of genre. That's not to say I won't play realistic games, but I much prefer arcade physics and cartoonish graphics in every game I play. I can't even think of a a single exception to that rule.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

I like both. Zealous adherence to one ideal of what makes a videogame good is a Gaming Culture Brain Bug I could do without.

 

[SPCTRE]

Even worse, the protagonist who FORGETS how to swim.

Thief 1/2 ---> Thief 3

Oh god, did you have to remind me of the fact there was a Thief 3...

I haven't played thief 3 (I've had it on my shelf for ages but haven't played it) is it any good???

It received favorable reviews over all, but I hated it due to the engine switch to Unreal Engine 2 and some mechanics. I guess I'm a Thief 1&2 purist

 

[JarodRussell]

At least Assassin's Creed 2 remedied 1's Water of Doom (granted, setting part of it in Venice, they were sort of obligated to. )

Speaking of Assassin's Creed... I love it how he can't climb a tiny rock or a tree. And that every little thief and every guard can climb the buildings as well as he can.

 

[RoJoHen]

7. Developing your powers along the way.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone likes the challenge of building your character, armor, superpowers, guns or whatever but some games a just annoying with the way they have you do them.
So Batman has to get to 10,000 XP before he can use his Bat-a-rang? Seems silly to me.
Plus the fact you are an ultimate bad @ss by the end of the game with no-one to really fight, Yeah sure you may fight some sort of boss at the end but wouldn’t it have been nice to use those powers throughout the game?

I don't mind the idea of developing powers as long as it makes sense. Batman not being able to use the stuff in his belt doesn't make sense.

And as much as I loved that game, I really hated the end. Here I am, Batman, champion of Arkham Asylum, with tons of powers and points and shit, and there's nobody left to fight! I get that the game is over, but I still have this huge world that I can explore. I want to be able to beat up some goons while I do it.

Speaking of exploration, I hate having to "collect things" after the game is over, especially when nothing is gained by doing so. After I beat the story of Arkham Asylum, I went back to find all of the Riddler puzzles and whatnot, but when I did, absolutely nothing happened. There was no prize. I was expecting to actually find the Riddler and have to kick his ass. Fucking lame.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

I hate NPCs that keep walking into walls and using up your health packs

 

[6079SmithW]

The final boss battle takes place in a small, narrow, confined area with limited mobility and cover. There are also real or invisible walls which force you to remain in the small, narrow, confined area.

 

[JarodRussell]

When you get to the final boss and the game creators realized they made it way too hard to beat, so they give you unlimited ammo and health refill zones/boxes in that area. Elite Force, Crysis, etc...

 

[captcalhoun]

making bosses who you just kill by circle-strafing.

CF: RTCW and EF1.