Summary
- Bloodborne's flawed Blood Vials mechanic detracts from its great gameplay, requiring tedious farming for healing items.
- Resident Evil 4's static shooting limits player movement, making gunfights tedious and boss battles trickier than necessary.
- Breath of the Wild's weapon durability system forces constant switching, turning combat into a game of choices over action.
Video games have their ups and downs, and there are a few games out there that have flawed mechanics or problems that turn what is a great experience into a troublesome one. Whether they make things feel clunky and unresponsive, or just detract from the enjoyment of the game, it can be a shame when one wrinkle disrupts the whole thing.
Often, these mechanics originate from experimentation and attempts to break the mold, where the leap of faith either results in a triumph or a failure for the game. And while these games can be widely considered some of the best of their kind, removing certain features could push them even higher than before, turning a 9/10 into a 10 in no time.
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Blood Vials (Bloodborne)
Unnecessary Grind That Pushed Many Players Away
Bloodborne
- Released
- March 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Bloodborne has long been a fan favorite in the soulslike community for its breathtaking art direction, intense action, and beautiful world-building that pulls players into a gothic Victorian world that is as unforgiving as it is enticing. But the game isn't without its shortcomings, one of which is the strange decision to remove refillable healing in place of a finite resource called Blood Vials.
For a game that pushes difficulty to great heights and punishes mistakes as heavily as it does, having to farm for heals early on can be discouraging. This mechanic turns otherwise exciting battles into stressful encounters that either end in victory or another farming run. The mechanic is offset slightly by the higher capacity and rally system, but it still feels out of place in such an amazing game.
Static Shooting (Resident Evil 4)
Slowing The Game To A Halt
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
RE4 is one of the best games in the franchise, bringing in far more action whilst maintaining just as much horror as the previous entries. Yet in a game all about shooting enemies, the fact that the player cannot move and shoot at the same time can make gunfights feel far more tedious and bosses far trickier than they need to be.
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This problem was fixed in the remake, showing that the game could be even more incredible than it already was with a few quality-of-life changes. Still, the original remains a classic in the horror genre, even if it suffers slightly from some clunky moments and mechanics.
Weapon Durability (Breath Of The Wild)
More Annoying Than Immersive
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Breath of the Wild is a breathtaking open-world adventure that takes the kingdom of Hyrule and opens it up with so much verticality and variety that players will struggle to ever run out of things to do. One of the best parts about the game is the combat. Players have no shortage of weapons to choose from, each with their own strengths and abilities to help them fight against the evils of the world.
But something that holds the game back from true perfection is the durability system. This forces players to switch between weapons or find new ones, rather than allowing them to stick to one for their whole playthrough. It is fine to switch between items, but it can get tedious at times, knowing that a cool weapon will soon be gone, which turns the combat into a game of choices instead of action.
Hollowing (Dark Souls 2)
Additional Punishment In An Already Brutal Game
Dark Souls 2
- Released
- March 11, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
While it might be considered the black sheep of the franchise, Dark Souls 2 is still an exceptional game that has so much going for it. It features everything from a huge number of bosses, to weapon classes that allow players to feed into any fantasy of their choosing.
No matter how much praise the game gets, however, the hollowing mechanic remains a bizarre addition. It might have interesting lore implications, but it makes the game feel way worse upon every death. The fact that the player's health bar can be reduced to half of its maximum just for dying a few times is frankly absurd, especially considering how tricky the game can be. Still, the rest of the gameplay more than makes up for the downside, even if it can be frustrating.
Intentional Input Delay (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Adds Realism, But Takes Away From Gameplay
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
RDR2 is up there with the greats, redefining what an open-world game can be in terms of realism and narrative excellence. Everything from the characters to the environment is meticulously crafted with authenticity in mind, resulting in a realistic western world that invites players to explore every corner of it at their own pace.
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But with a giant step forward into reality comes a big step back in terms of gameplay. As animations have been given more weight to appear closer to how they look in the real world, certain basic actions like shooting or riding a horse can feel sluggish and unresponsive, which puts a dent in overall enjoyment. The game is still amazing, but the complaints are justified, as the mechanics' slowness certainly does more harm than good in the long run.
Negative XP (Starfield)
A Consequence That Discourages An Entire Playstyle
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Starfield is the open-world space game that Bethesda was destined to make. It takes all the RPG goodness that makes the studio so well-loved and thrusts it into the stars, delivering a rewarding and immersive game that gives players all the tools they need to play whatever role they choose in the galaxy.
Yet for a game that's supposed to be all about choosing whatever path the player wants, negative routes like becoming a space pirate are penalized so much harder in ways that feel unfair. After breaking laws and being imprisoned, players receive an XP deficit, which massively hurts progression. The rest of the game is fantastic, so players just need to be careful about what items they choose to steal and who they decide to keep alive.
Status Effects (The First Berserker: Khazan)
Adding Artificial Difficulty To Every Fight
The First Berserker: Khazan
- Released
- March 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Neople
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
But something that becomes quite tiresome is the number of status effects that the game introduces to the boss fights. Nearly every boss in the game has at least one effect, meaning that if the player doesn't have a cleanse on hand, they will suffer the consequences. The fights are satisfying and rewarding, but the statuses can be annoying after they happen for the 10th time.
Lack Of Consistent Fast-Travel (Hollow Knight)
Backtracking Over And Over
Hollow Knight
- Released
- February 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Hollow Knight sets a new standard for the Metroidvania genre, gifting players with a remarkably beautiful world that hides a deep and rewarding combat system underneath a shroud of mystery. Everything from the characters to the world design is perfectly woven together, creating an intimate feeling where the player and the environment blend together effortlessly.
Yet in a game about exploring and traversing unknown areas, the limitations placed on fast-travel can make the movements around the map more tiring than exciting. If a player wants to backtrack to a specific location, they need to first walk to a train route or elevator and then walk all the way there. This can be satisfying for some players, but for others, it adds an extra step that can easily be avoided with more accessible modes of transport.
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