Things That Annoy You In Gameplay

This could be anything from check points, radars, kill streaks, guns, etc....  It can't be about EA, purchasing DLC, cut scenes, etc...  

It has to be gameplay related.

FIFA games difficulty.  It's not that I don't find myself good at the games, because I am very much good at them, but I hate the way harder difficulty = cheaper computer.  They have 5 difficulties I believe (amateur, semi-pro, pro, world class, legendary), and the last one is just cheap.  When they have a lead, they literally could pass the ball around for the remainder of the game and I don't think there would be a way to get the ball back.  The only reason I do is because after so long they do finally attempt to attack, and my keeper will save it.  If I'm in a cup game, no matter how great I am playing, they will do anything to favor the computer.  A goal that normally would score is surprisingly saved.  An easy completed pass isn't completed, and in some cases my player doesn't even attempt to pass until a defender is on him.  I score a goal to tie or take the lead close to the end, and they will drive down and immediately tie it up.  It's pathetic.  The only reason I play it is because world class is too easy, but I'm tired of the cheapness that is legendary.  I couldn't even tell you all of the ways the computer cheats on legendary, it is just that bad.

Fuck you cutscenes.
Fuck you gameplay for completely ignoring the narrative.
Fuck you constant rank up systems.
Fuck you +5000XP for breathing systems.
Fuck you easy gameplay.
Fuck you 99% of DLC.
Fuck you games with illusion of choice.
Fuck you video games, I hate you.

...I wonder when I'll get an email about being in DmC2 now.

Well, that was productive.

Anyway, the thing that's been grinding my gears lately is minimaps that just have so much on them. It just feels like a replacement for good level design in open world games. It's like "Eh, instead of making a city where you'll just...know the city because it's well laid out and has distinct areas, here's 1200 dots to look at."

One of the problems I have with open world in general I guess. More to do, but each thing is more and more watered down. Also, half baked exploration movement (especially in RPGs). I HATE when you get like "jump over" commands or "jump up" commands instead of just having a jump button. It's hard not to get annoyed when you can't tell what clearly climable thing is actually gameplay designated climbable and what's not. Breaks immersion a bit.

"It can't be about EA"

I am sad now

Button prompts. Especially big ones. At least make them small and subtle if they have to exist. QTEs are included, but especially QTE boss fights. Especially if they end the game. UUUGGGGHHH.

Being rewarded with gameplay advantages in multiplayer simply for playing longer.

I'll think of more.

QTEs are definitely on my list. What I really hate are overly simplified controls (Assassin's Creed) or Overly complex controls (Splinter Cell). Auto-aim is also annoying. Fixed cameras.../shudder.

Greenman's answer will probably be everything in Assassin's Creed III. In that event, I, for one, would concur.

All good answers.  Except for QTE's, those don't really bother me for some reason.

The reason I don't want it to be EA is because they don't have anything to do with actual gameplay.  

Games that add stealth moments when they have no business adding them.  The two that come to mind are the Shinra section from Final Fantasy VII and the Hyrule section of Ocarina of Time.  The controls of those games aren't stealth friendly.

avidacridjam wrote:Greenman's answer will probably be everything in Assassin's Creed III.

You sir, are correct. Except the sailing. That wasn't so bad.

Here's a big one: When a game limits your control for some bullshit story purpose. If you want to do a cutscene, do a cutscene. But don't have me just walk my character around at half speed through a narrow corridor. It's not engaging or fun in any way. It just makes me want to shut off the game. Tomb Raider in particular was terrible with this.

I'm not saying it's not stupid, but it's usually hiding a load time.

Yeah, but I'd really rather have a load time.

Haha... fair enough.

Hey Bret. What do you actually like about QTEs?

The part in Uncharted where you get thrown into a river and dodge branches or whatever was annoying. Or the mash button parts but that is in tons of games. I've gotten so good at the button mashing crap over the years that sometimes the ai decided I was cheating. (Using a turbo controller)

Maybe I'm the only one old enough to know what that means...

I own many a turbo controller. Even a Genesis one that had an auto button. For when you were too lazy to even hold the button. Just flip a switch.

Yeah, the Genesis and SNES controllers are what I was talking about. But I didn't use those in the games that had code against them and still got fucked because it said I was using turbo. Bleh.

Yeah, QTEs are annoying. Fixed camera...CAN be annoying. But games like Silent Hill and the old Final Fantasies definitely wouldn't be the same without it.

but most of the time...yeah.

Silent hill added to the atmosphere and FFVII was more isometric. I meant more of the platforming stuff. When twitch reaction is paramount, having a wonky camera results in death. Crappy. Sorry for not clarifying.

What I like about QTE's is how it makes you sometimes feel apart of the cut scene.  Like in God of War when Kratos is killing shit, and he's doing some epic kill and you're apart of what looks like a cut scene.  I don't like all QTE's, but when done right I do like them. 

I hate the ones in Resident Evil 4 and 5, because they will just come out of no where and you'll die because of them.

You guys know how much I hate multiplayer unlocks. Especially when part of a game is completely inaccessible because of them like in Battlefield 3. most games don't go that far with them, though

Oh my fucking god, the QTEs in RE4. Everytime I play that game I forget about them because the rest of the game is so damn good that I don't think something so shitty can be in the same game.

Also, I wouldn't say that's gameplay ajapam...but annoying none the less.

I've got a really nitpicky gameplay thing...jump arks. Like when the physics on jumping in a platformer/action game isn't just right and it doesn't have that nice momentum filled ark it just drives me crazy. Certain indie platformers are like that, the jumping is jsut too quick or too heavy. 

Jump arks guys, jump arks. No one will understand me in this but I press on anyway.

No, I get what you're saying. I've reviewed a few indie games where momentum doesn't mean shit. None of them were good.

The ones in Resident Evil 4 didn't feel accurate as well.  

I also think I'm one of the few people that didn't absolutely love Resident Evil 4.  Probably because I played it like 4 years after it was out.  

Another thing that sucks but is rare anymore is when a game doesn't let you tweak controls.  I like inverted and I'm used to it, so when I can't do that in a game it makes it harder than it needs to be for me personally.

I never had a problem with RE4's accuracy, it just needed you to mash way too fast. Just mashing would have been bad enough.

Ps3 shooters that make you use R2 to shoot... What's up with that? It's not an Xbox controller

I definitely agree on that ajapam.

I hate when they don't give you the option to do that. I bought PS3 trigger grips for a reason

The trigger attachments worked pretty well when I got them, though eventually they fell off...but while they were there I couldn't help but wondering why Sony didn't modify the two shoulder buttons for the PS3. I want Xbox concave sticks, sony's face buttons and the xbox triggers. MAKE IT HAPPEN SONY!

That feeds into the complaint about not being able to mod controls. There's no reason not to. Did anyone see that article where this one disabled guy was campaigning for the option because it was the only way he could play some games?

It's especially heinous in PC games if they don't give you the option. 

Also, this one is PC specific but when you're in a menu or something and they don't just let you hit Esc/double click...you know, intuitively get your way through a menu because it's being all console-tastic. I seem to recall getting annoyed at certain things in Mass Effect for this reason.

I'm an L1 and R1 kind of guy for aiming and shooting.

Yeah, I hate when it's that "aim by pressing down the analogue stick" nonsense. I lack the dexterity for that.