The best video games are impressive unions of multiple systems and moving parts working together in tandem. It’s only natural that some of these mechanics can miss the mark.
One bad mechanic doesn’t ruin a game, but it can certainly stick out in a great title. With this in mind, here’s a selection of fantastic games with baffling ideas that stick out like a sore thumb.
10Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelhad big shoes to fill coming off the heels ofBorderlands 2, and most would agree that while it’s not as good, it’s still a fun looter-shooter.
One of the big issues fans had with The Pre-Sequel is the Oxygen system.Players are basically on a timerwhen they are in space, and it’s a mechanic that feels restrictive and unnecessary in a Borderlands game.
You could technically bypass the mechanic altogether by playing as Claptrap, who doesn’t need Oxygen as he’s a robot.
After playing through the entire game, Oxygen is mostly a non-issue later on. Still, the mechanic wasprominent in the marketing and universally hated, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some fans just ignored the title because of its inclusion.
9Need For Speed Underground
Rubberbanding AI
Need for Speed: Underground
TheNeed For Speedseries offers some of the mostintense arcade-style racingon the market, and there’srarely a duff title.Undergroundis a fan favorite but also showcases a frustrating racing game staple.
Rubberbanding is common in racing games, and it’s a system thatforces AI drivers to slow downif you fall behind so you still have a chance. On the flip side, rubberbanding also speeds those drivers up if you’re getting too far ahead. The mechanic keeps races tense but also means your opponents can blast past you even if you perform perfectly.
Rubberbanding isa necessary evil in racing games, but I recall it being particularly egregious inNeed For Speed Underground, hence its inclusion on this list. It’s still a superb racing game, but some losses feel unavoidable.
Flashlight On, Flashlight Off
Doom 3is an anomaly, but I actually enjoy its admirable attempt at injecting horror into the franchise.
Corridors inDoom 3are often dimly lit and claustrophobic, offering any monsters dozens of ways to sneak up andscare you senseless. Fortunately, you have a trusty flashlight to illuminate your surroundings, but it comes with one major caveat.
You must equip your torch to use it, and while this absolutely makes sense from a realism standpoint, it’s dreadfully awkward in practice. You can choose between being defenseless but being able to see or shooting into the darkness, and it can be frustrating when you’re already low on health.
A togglable flashlight isn’t a bad idea per se, but there’s a reason why many horror games give you a clip light on your jacket or just light up your surroundings like a magic head-mounted torch.
Even with the flashlight woes,Doom 3remains a superbhorror game set in spaceand is absolutely worth your time.
7Monster Hunter 3
Underwater Elder Dragons
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 3is an ambitious title on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, pushing the handheld system to its limit. I can’t imagine going back to handheldMonster Hunter, but they were incredibly well-made considering system limitations.
One Part ofMonster Hunter 3that was known for its awkwardness wasunderwater combat. While the system introduced fan-favorite monsters like Lagiacrus, combat was stiff and often unenjoyable.
There were even grand Elder Dragon battles underwater against Ceadeus and Gold Ceadeus. These behemoths were intimidating, but thefight mechanics were finicky, thanks to the underwater controls.
It seems Capcom read the room, and there hasn’t been underwater combat in aMonster Huntertitle since.
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6Pokémon Series
Version Exclusives
Pokemon Red
I enjoyPokémongames so much that I even playcommunity-made ROM Hacks. One mechanic that’s as old as the series itself isVersion Exclusives, and it’s existed for so long that it seems to get a pass.
If you’re unfamiliar, whenever a newPokémongame releases,it comes with two versions. The titles are functionally identical, but a small selection of Pokémon are exclusive to each one, usually including a flagshipLegendary.
In practice, this means that if you want to “catch ‘em all,” youmust have a friend with the other versionor own both yourself. Version Exclusive woes are slightly alleviated with online trading in the newer games, but it’s still a barrier that exists because that’s just howPokémongames work.
I get the interactive aspect of this mechanic, but few other game series would get away with releasing multiple versions of each mainline title.
5Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Random Tripping
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawlis a wonderful celebration of all things Nintendo, where characters from multiple franchises fight in chaotic battles.
TheSuper Smash Bros. Games find themselves in a unique spot where theycater to both a casual and competitive audience. Nothing upsets the latter more than random mechanics, andBrawlhas one of the most frustrating.
Every character inBrawlhas asmall chance to trip overwhen specific actions are performed. There’s a 1% chance that your character will trip when you initiate a dash and a 1.25% if you quickly turn while running.
These are low probabilities, but they add abizarre gameplay mechanic nobody asked for. We’re hardly shooting for realism inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, and it’s tough to imagine who this mechanic even serves.
You could argue that the randomness might level the skill gap somehow. Still, even the most casual player is going to be frustrated if they miss an opportunity because their characterforgot to tie their shoelaces.
4Monster Hunter World
Online Multiplayer
Monster Hunter World
I feel bad putting two games from myfavorite Capcom franchiseon the list, but this one is a doozy.
Monster Hunter Worldis a phenomenal game and puts the series on the global stage. Nothing beats taking down huge monsters with your best friends by your side, although that experience is sullied when your buddies areplaying catch-up.
If you want to play through the story with your friends, you’d think you can just queue up with them at the start of each quest, right? Well,Capcom decided to reinvent the wheelwith this one.
If you’re about to fight a monster for the first time, you can’t initiate the quest with friends. Instead, you mustload into the scenario aloneand then track the monster down solo. A cutscene will play once you find the target. After that, you can abandon the quest and queue with your group.
The mechanic is particularly annoying because you knowyour friends are twiddling their thumbsin the lobby while you play hide and seek. It feels like an unnecessary barrier, and while it’s a non-issue for quests outside the main story, it’s clumsy if you want to enjoy it together.
3The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Weapon Durability
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomare both incredible entries inThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, but I’ve never seen a mechanic split a community quite like weapon durability.
All weapons are tied to a durability systemin the latestZeldagames, which causes them to break after a set number of hits. The mechanic does make sense in a roundabout way, but it can be frustrating and takes the thrill out of finding a great new weapon, as you know it haslimited uses.
The argument for weapon durability is that it forces you to try new things and engage with the fusing system. The argument against the mechanic is almost the same as some players don’t want to be “forced” into it.
TheLegend of Zeldagames have apassionate fanbase, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw flame wars about this mechanic decades down the line.
2Street Fighter X Tekken
The Gem System
Street Fighter X Tekken
Fighting games are one of my favorite genres because they offer such apure competitive experience. you may’t blame anyone else but yourself if you lose, and 1v1s are a test of skill. No company would be short-sighted enough to mess with this formula, right?
Well, Capcom certainly did with their infamous Gem System inStreet Fighter X Tekken. Each character in the game had three Gem slots, which could bestow buffs like increased movement speed and damage. That’s already enough to raise some eyebrows but get this, you could buy Gemsas microtransactions!
I understand game design is complicated, but who in their right mind greenlit something so ridiculous? The saddest part is thatStreet Fighter X Tekkenwas pretty fun and offered a combined roster fans had only dreamed of in the past.
Street Fighter X Tekkenwas supposed to be a glorious celebration of two juggernauts. Instead, thishorrifically greedy systemovershadowed it, which is probably why we never got a Tekken X Street Fighter.
Auction House
We’ve definitely saved the best for last with a mechanic so terrible it wasgutted completely post-launch.Diablo 3is an addictive loot grinder where players are always chasing that next piece of gear to make them stronger.
As you become more powerful, there are fewer avenues to improve your character, making those perfect items even more coveted and special. Now,imagine a system that takes all of that away.
The Auction House allowed players to bypass that loot grind by trading with other players. Even worse, there was a"real money" systemwhere you could quite literally open your wallet to purchase the best items in the game.
Why players would pay money to skip playing their game is beyond me, butthe Auction House destroyed just about everythingthat makes dungeon crawling feel special.
Nowadays, loot works pretty differently, and Blizzard did far more to fix the issue than just removing the Auction House. Regardless,the mechanic will go down in gaming historyas one of the most terrible things ever conceived for the genre and is a precautionary tale for the future.
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