So everyone has them. Those few tropes, those repetitive WHY elements that are consistently stuck into otherwise awesome games. We shake our fists angrily at the screen, moan, whine, plead for it just to be over so we can get back to what we liked about the game. Eventually it is, but it's only a matter of time before that level just pops up in a new game, ruining your rhythm and totally messing with your enjoyment again.

My personal peeves are:

We took all your cool guy stuff, and you have to complete a level using restrictive/alternate gear in order to get it back. HAHAHA YOUR LEARNED TACTICS MEAN NOTHING. Notable Abuser: Alan Wake's "You only get flashbangs now" level.

You know what this game needs? Racing. Yeah, we know, this is a third person action game. But screw it, everyone likes racing. No, you have to win or you can't go on to the next level. Sorry. Notable Abusers: Sly Cooper and the Thevius Raccoonus, Beyond Good and Evil

So you had a blast playing this game right? I mean really, you've played all the way through to the last level, you MUST enjoy the gameplay here. So we're going to shake things up a bit, and make the last bit of the game COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than the game you've been playing so far. Have fun dying repeatedly, turning your dramatic escape into a cavalcade of trial, error, and rote memorization. Notable Abusers: Devil May Cry, Halo, Portal


Now, don't get me wrong, I am not calling any of these games bad. In fact, they are ALL among my favorite games. These are just some of my personal pet peeves when it comes to game design. You have anything that just makes you say "Oh hell, this again?!" ten seconds into a level?