To ensure that games are as enjoyable as can be, developers often have to bend the rules of logic. Action games wouldn’t be much fun if the protagonist died after a single gunshot and open-world games would suffer if the player was forced to take regular breaks from exploring to catch their breath, drink some water, and maybe have a nap.
There are many cases of “video game logic” that most people are happy to accept, despite them often making very little sense. Anyone who has been gaming for years will have almost certainly come across the following holes in logic.
7 Climbable Surfaces Blocking The Way
Gaming protagonists have had to conquer all sorts of powerful enemies over the years, from evil wizards to mythical beasts, to literal gods. However, there is one foe that has bested many of gaming’s most formidable heroes…knee-high surfaces. There are countless examples of these bizarrely impenetrable obstacles halting a hero’s progress, with one of the most famous examples being small bushes in classic Pokemon games.
However, one of the most unforgivable instances of this comes in 2014’s Dark Souls 2, where the protagonist refuses to climb over some rubble on the ground. Because of this, the player is forced to go and kill four of the most dangerous beings in all existence to open a nearby gate, all to avoid a potential grazed knee.
6 Characters With Powers Only Use Them On Specific Occasions
Regardless of whether it’s in books, films, or video games, writers can back themselves into a corner by introducing powers into a story. Time travel is one of the most common powers or inventions that give writers trouble, as it theoretically gives the protagonist the ability to stop almost any villain or prevent almost any event from occurring.
There are endless examples of this to give, though one classic example that many people have questioned is why Sonic never seems to use his superspeed to stop Eggman, which he could quite literally do in the blink of an eye in many of the blue hedgehog’s stories.
5 Various Nonsensical Healing Methods
One understandable issue that game developers face when making an action game is implementing a healing mechanic that makes contextual sense in the game’s world. Although there have been some ingenious healing methods created over the years, they rarely make logical sense, particularly if the protagonist is human.
From healing bite wounds with herbs in Resident Evil 4 to fixing bruises by eating in Yakuza 0 to simply waiting for a few seconds in Call of Dutyfor gunshot wounds to vanish - healing systems rarely make practical sense.
4 Heroes Favoring Fun Side-Activities Over Saving The World From Impending Doom
Open-world games are dominating the industry today, and it’s easy to see why, as the genre offers great value for money with the vast range of quests and activities that are usually available.
However, as much fun as it is to go bowling, fishing, or help elderly people pick vegetables, it seems a bit irresponsible when the player is tasked with saving the world. This is particularly common in Legend of Zeldagames, where the many versions of Link all seem to share only a partial interest in saving Zelda, as the chance to win a few extra rupees by partaking in mini-games often takes priority.
3 Characters Carrying Hundreds Of Items
This entry is quite self-explanatory and one that any RPG fan is familiar with.
Thanks to the wide range of weapons, armor sets, and other objects available to find or purchase in most RPGs, players soon find themselves carrying a range of items that could fill a truck. This never seems to concern the protagonist, though, as they’ll often run and jump around with ease while presumably carrying an entire armory in their back pocket.
2 Friendly NPCs Won’t Just Give The Protagonist Essential Resources
This case of video game logic is particularly common in “collect-a-thon” platformers. The tried and tested mechanic of completing tasks for friendly NPCs to earn resources needed to beat the game works well and is part of the genre’s charm.
However, it calls into question just how “friendly” some of the NPCs really are, as instead of just giving the hero the resources that they need, they blackmail them into completing errands for them instead.
1 Regular Human Kills Hundreds Of People Like It’s Nothing
This entry makes the list for both the physical and psychological aspects of it.
Not only do many games feature a human protagonist who somehow manages to kill hundreds of people without getting as much as a scratch in canon, but they also seem unfazed by the fact that they just murdered the population of a small town. This can also detract from a game’s story, like in Red Dead Redemption 2, where Arthur Morgan is portrayed as a sympathetic anti-hero despite killing almost 1000 people, all because he says he feels a bit bad for it.
