It’s always nice when a game allows you to play your way. If a game gives you the autonomy to make decisions and shape your adventure, it’s hard to be mad at the developers. After all, plenty of other games would happily hold your hand and treat you like an idiot.
9 Best Games Where You Take A Road Trip
Some games take you on a road trip, whether for fun and personal enrichment or to save the world or yourself.
For that reason, I will alwayschampion a player-led approach. But, the one downside is that being allowed to make your own decisions also means you’ll be capable of making your own mistakes with no guide rails to stop you from falling flat on your face.
That’s what this list is all about. Those harsh lessons that select games taught all of us, making us regret our actions almost immediately.
Sometimes it leads to chaos and hilarity, while in other scenarios, it makes progression an uphill battle. However, whatever the mistake, I assure you that these will all be relatable.
10Picking Charmander
Pokémon Red/Blue
Pokemon Red
Pokémon, as a series, has garnered a reputation as a kid-friendly game, and rightly so, as that’s the direction the series has taken in recent years. However, before appealing to the lowest common denominator, Pokémon games were actually quite challenging.
Due to Game Freak not quite having their now iconic systems refined, things were already quite tricky for budding trainers. But if you happened to choose Charmander as your starter, you inadvertently made things a whole lot tougher right out of the gate.
Due to Brock’s rock-type gym and Misty’s water-type gym serving as your first two challenges, this puts you at a major disadvantage. Sure, there were some other Pokémon you could catch and train to ease the burden, but not being able to lean on your starter was a real pain for anyone who fell into this trap.
9Exploring The Tomb Of Giants Lampless
Dark Souls
Fextralife Wiki
We could have doubled up with Pokémon Red entries here and put those who entered Rock Tunnel without Flash on blast. However, I have an even more punishing mistake to spotlight.
The Tomb of the Giants is a tough area in Dark Souls. Granted, all of them are, but this one is notorious even among the list of hostile localesthis classic Soulsborne offers.You see, this area is home to three irritating things.
Grotesque skeletal beasts, zero light whatsoever, and, of course, Patches.
This area is just about manageable with the Skull Lantern, which you might uncover if you fall victim to Patches' tricks. But if you happen to run in there, somehow stumble upon a Bonfire, and fail to find the Skull Lantern, you’ll effectively be resigned to the darkness. I know Dark Souls blindfold runs exist, but at least those guys were complicit.
If you happen to have the Lord Vessel and access to fast travel before this point, this should be no issue. But, just imagine how infuriating it would be if you didn’t. Or worse, if you didn’t know the Skull Lantern existed.
8Flying Over Military Airspace
Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto 5
The GTA series is a sandbox series that allows you to cause unparalleled levels of mayhem. But if you do, you may expect a satirically unhinged and trigger-happy police force to take you down by any means necessary.
Usually, when you accrue a massive wanted level, you’ve more than justified your notoriety. But if you happen to be flying a plane, or even making use of the jetpack cheat, you could fly over military airspace, and let me tell you, you’ll get the shock of your life.
You’ll instantly achieve a high wanted level, and before you know it, SWAT vehicles, helicopters, and even tanks will converge on your position. It’s crazy that such a simple action can get such an aggressive response, but then again, this is GTA we are talking about here.
7Leaving Kvatch Until Later
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Thanks to the recent remaster, everyone and their mother were talking about The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as if it were 2006 again. But I double-checked, and The Black Eyed Peas are completely irrelevant. Thank god.
Oblivion is a game that features numerous dated design choices, which have an oddly endearing charm. However, one that is much less palatable is the leveling system that scales with the player.
In theory, getting better rewards at higher levels is a good idea. But the enemy scaling is ridiculously unbalanced in this title. So, if you happen to avoid the main story and return to Kvatch later down the line, you’ll be up against extremely powerful Daedra that will give you a hard time, even on the lowest difficulty.
I get that the various guild quests are much more exciting than hanging out with Martin Septim, but bite the bullet on this one before you get distracted.
6Fighting Ganon Immediately
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I love a game that boldly allows players to fight the final boss from the very beginning. It essentially says to players, if you think you’re good enough, have at it.
That said, it’s almost always a bad idea, and in the case of Breath of the Wild, it’s essentially like signing your own death warrant.
Without any decent gear, no powers, and a general lack of understanding of the game’s many systems, you’ll basically walk into Calamity Ganon’s boss arena and be flattened in seconds.
Not only is it a massive waste of time, but it’s a humbling experience. Yet, I would wager that the vast majority of us let our hubris get the better of us.
5Taking The Teddy Bear
Super Mutants have played a role in just about every Fallout title in some shape or form, but none of the modern Fallout games have shone a brighter spotlight upon the big green nasties quite like Fallout 3.
This is epitomized by Behemoths, the super-sized variants that were most terrifying when encountered in this Fallout title. Usually, they are pretty easy to avoid as you’ll see them coming a mile off. But many will fall victim to this surprise Behemoth attack.
If you happen to pick up a Teddy Bear found near the Jury Street Metro, its owner will appear, and just in case you hadn’t guessed. They won’t take kindly to you stealing their cuddly companion.
It’s funny, it’s terrifying, and it’s a recipe for disaster if you don’t have the firepower to adapt on the fly. Fingers crossed you have some mini-nukes handy.
4Killing Toriel
I’ll be the first to admit that when I first met Toriel and got settled in her cozy home, I was pretty reluctant to leave. But, after a few minutes of monotony, my gamer brain kicked in and I impatiently looked for a way out.
Which, as many will know, triggers a certain Cathy Bates in Misery response from Toriel. So, many would think that you simply need to kill them to get out, and you should think nothing of it because this is a typical RPG.
Well, if you thought that, to paraphrase the words of Dr. Zoidberg, you’re bad, and you should feel bad.
you’re able to spare Toriel, and you should. If you don’t, you’ll kill the one true protector you had in this hostile world, you’ll lock yourself out of the pacifist run, and most importantly, you’ll feel like a scumbag. Murdering a sweet old lady minutes into the game, shame on you.
3Staying Out Too Late
When you start out in your little bucket of bolts boat in Dredge, it’s very easy to get caught up in the addictive resource management gameplay.
You want to catch more fish, make the most of your time out on the water, and make as much money as possible. Which, for more daring players, usually leads to an instant moment of regret.
You see, Dredge is a cozy fishing game, albeit one that doubles up as a surreal Lovecraftian horror. So, if you stay out past curfew, you’ll be at the mercy of the terrors of the deep, often leading to sightings of ghostly apparitions that inflict real damage, or perhaps a tentacled beast wrecking your hull.
The best you can hope for in those situations is to find land before these horrors drag you under for good. But that won’t be before they give you something terrifying to sing a sea shanty about.
2Starting Unemployed
Football Manager
Football Manager 2024
This might be a preference thing, or perhaps the built-in impatience of my aforementioned gamer brain. But starting off as an unemployed gun for hire in Football Manager is a better idea in theory than it is in practice.
You see, paying your dues, starting from the bottom and plying your trade is an admirable and noble approach. But, this often leads to months upon months of simulating through endless fixtures, transfer updates, and internationals before you get a job offer.
Plus, if you decide to build a save with a massive database and multiple countries selected as ‘manageable’. You’ll be in for a long and tedious wait. So, just do yourself a favor, pick a team before you start, because waiting for one to pick you is dull as dishwater.
1Quitting Without Saving
Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Modern Animal Crossing fans may not realize how easy they have it. Sure, you still have to endure the capitalist demands of ol' Tom Nook, and you might get stung by bees if you shake too many trees. But let me tell you, none of these mild annoyances compare to Mr Resetti.
You see, in older AC titles, you would need to head to bed and save the game before turning off your console. But, if you didn’t, you would leave your house the next time you played, only to be given a lecture by Mr Resetti.
Lectures that would get longer, more detailed, and more frustrating with every repeated occurrence of not saving your game. To the point you might get a ten-minute long lecture before you get to head beyond your front door, or have to type out the words ‘I’m a loser’ just to be allowed to play again.
Nintendo isn’t exactly known for punishing and cruel mechanics, but the sight of Mr Resetti still gives me trauma today, and I know I’m not the only one.
