[FliXFantatier]

Invisible walls, god do I hate it if one could "normally" in the game easily jump over a certain object, but no, not here the developer thought you should better not jump on/over this...
-.-

[spliced]

End boss fake death. By the end of games I'm ready for it to be over, don't make me fight the same guy over and over again.

Cut scenes. Don't make me watch your terrible movies.

Extreme secrets that the average person has no chance of finding without a walkthrough.

Scripted parts that take away your control.

Pointless talk from NPCs.

[KAOz]

Different difficulty-modes (easy, normal, hard). Mostly it changes only the number of enemies or their reaction time. I think that this is very lazy game design. Why not make a game that can be played by everyone? And when you can't achieve a goal in the game, you just don't play it right and have to adapt or learn how to. See the Mario- and Zelda-games as good examples for no different modes.

So, kind of like Assassins Creed then?

[Patrick Bateman]

Um, right, AC had no different difficulty modes, too.

[ThoseDeafMutes]

- Useless pistols

Pistols should only be situationally useful as sidearms, not a viable primary weapon. The problem arises when you have generic "weapon slots", and you get the choice between a handgun or a sniper rifle as the backup for your assault rifle.

[bomma_man]

Prioritising length over good pacing. It's hard to think of a non-indie game that hasn't done this since 3D gaming began.

[Dice]

Prioritising length over good pacing. It's hard to think of a non-indie game that hasn't done this since 3D gaming began.

MGS1 best game of all time
Tomb Raider series

[Yaska]

- Idiot squadmates in every single new FPS
If I am in a squad, I expect rest of the squad to do something as well, instead of sitting and randomly shooting now and then. Why include squadmates if they're just random moving props.

[Dice]

- Idiot squadmates in every single new FPS If I am in a squad, I expect rest of the squad to do something as well, instead of sitting and randomly shooting now and then. Why include squadmates if they're just random moving props.

One of the things that amazed me in Skyrim was the companions that actually fought for real. Hell, Marcurio would run off and fight battles with groups I wasn't even interested in, finish them, and come back. I actually can't think of a game before Skyrim that had allies fight for real.

[Coxy]

level scaling in RPGs just screams of "we couldnt be bothered trying to balance this or plan it out so just have this shit"

[RockmanWhore]

The more it goes, the more I hate the hidden collectables hidden in linear games like Uncharted or Gears of War. It might sounds like a good idea to enhance the replay value on paper, but on practice, you just end up looking for every nook and cranny in every levels. Which is bad, especially when there are tons of invincible walls and platforms that you should be able to jump to if it was in the main path (it's especially true in Uncharted considering the scripted nature of the platform "gameplay").

[NBtoaster]

Restriction of freedom and control. The Far Cry 3 burning building trailer is a good example of this bottom end of interactivity in games.

[kafiend]

The more it goes, the more I hate the hidden collectables hidden in linear games like Uncharted or Gears of War. It might sounds like a good idea to enhance the replay value on paper, but on practice, you just end up looking for every nook and cranny in every levels. Which is bad, especially when there are tons of invincible walls and platforms that you should be able to jump to if it was in the main path (it's especially true in Uncharted considering the scripted nature of the platform "gameplay").

Its true in just about every game. If I have to go from point A to point B I will go EVERYWHERE except point B until I have satisfied myself that there is literally no stone unturned, drawer unopened, wall slid across, and corner inspected.

It results in the fact that by the time I get half way through a game I have burnt myself out on it by pissing myself off with my own mostly fruitless search for "stuff." This is why I leave many games unfinished.

[beje]

The standard design I'm starting find more and more annoying is the asumption that every player has perfect hearing and eyesight. I find really baffling that only Valve (not always) and some random indie devs are adding accesibility options to the games. Stuff like closed captions for random noises (something like **telephone rings** or **glass shatering** to be activated independent from subtitles) or alternate colour modes for daltonic people should already be freaking standard.

[TUROK]

Clicking the left stick to run. Stop this shit.

Don't mind linearity. There are some games that shouldn't be very open.

[bomma_man]

MGS1 best game of all time Tomb Raider series

Well yes, you could probably throw RE4 in there too, but they are certainly the exception. If games were 3 or 4 hours long and half the price they are now I think the general quality and variety of experiences would increase significantly.

[Mr_Zombie]

I actually can't think of a game before Skyrim that had allies fight for real.

Sheva is sad :(
(although her ambition very often could lead to her death :/)

[KMD]

The first hour/2 hours of modern 3d Zelda games. Nintendo's insistence on treating everyone like its their first video game drives me nuts.

I almost didn't make it past the tutorial in skyward sword because I was so bored.

[UncleSporky]

level scaling in RPGs just screams of "we couldnt be bothered trying to balance this or plan it out so just have this shit"

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

[Durante]

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

That's exactly how it should be.
Start a new game of Fallout:NV and try to walk north. (Ignoring all the warning signs and people telling you not to)

[Mr_Zombie]

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

Why not? If said area is described as being a really dangerous one, then it can have a lvl 45 enemies because it's justified ("we told you it's dangerous!").

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

Plenty of ways to manage this, as many old games can easily prove.
For instance you can have a world where most of the main roads and city hubs all across the landscape are mostly safe, but things become more and more dangerous as you venture deep into more wild areas.

Also, a "growth system" not built around the idea of quick and exponential increases of strength helps a lot.

[Dead Man]

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

I would be happy with that. I would also hope devs would put in some local legends about the giant ghost monster of smelly cheese, or whatever the local danger is.

[megashock5]

I don't get how so many people can say they hate bosses. What kind of games do you play? I can't imagine action games without bosses.

But in Monkey Ball? It doesn't need to be in puzzle-type games.

[daxy]

Infinite enemies, a section you have to lose/cannot beat, rubberbanding in racing games, insane AI drivers who will take the optimal path regardless of whether you're in their way (racing games), unskippable cutscenes (after checkpoints), stealth sections in non-stealth games and no manual save option.

[Aguirre]

half life / far cry: can't see arms when driving a vehicle - steering wheel/handles magically move by sheer will power

over powered turret level where everything explodes. YAWN

[Wildesy]

Back tracking of any kind

[KenOD]

"Mash button as fast as you can". It's an awful carry over from the arcade machines of three decades ago, it's defining moment was Hudson shmups and perhaps Track and Field, but it's never been worth it nor fun.

It's a terrible thing that instantly makes me dread doing it more than once (screw you Resident Evil 5, screw you), and yet despite being an outdated mechanic that adds nothing to the experience, it's continued to be used both by the old guard and new in development.

Water levels I may not like, but people are always trying to improve concepts and I can't fault them for that, but there is nothing to improve with "mash button as fast as you can".

Again, screw you Resident Evil 5, especially trying to play it on harder difficulty settings. It's not fun and makes an okay game a terrible game in my mind alongside your turrets (but we have another thread about turrets).

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

"Mash button as fast as you can". It's an awful carry over from the arcade machines of three decades ago, it's defining moment was Hudson shmups and perhaps Track and Field, but it's never been worth it nor fun.

Oh Christ, YES, I hate this so much.
It's not just annoying as game mechanic, it's also potentially harmful for your hardware.

[PAULINK]

That annoying beeping noise in rpgs (only one that comes to mind at the moment is pokemon).

YES I KNOW! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMIND ME EVERY SECOND!

[Eusis]

How would you do it in an open world game where you can go anywhere at any time? You'd be cool with getting slaughtered by level 45 dudes if you accidentally go somewhere you shouldn't?

You inadvertently suggested one way: listing the level of enemies, at least when selected or whatever. Basically do it like Xenoblade, show enemy levels when you select them/they're in your cursors, or at least some indication of strength, and if you should die you respawn at zero penalty from a safe spot. That way you can do it without being excessively unfriendly to players.

Back tracking of any kind

Problem is some degree of this necessary for good exploratory games, Metroid Prime was blasted for it but it was only really bad with the arbitrary MacGuffin hunts, the other end of this are games like CoD, Uncharted, or almost any modern shooter that's pure forward momentum.

Mind, what I DO hate is when they make backtracking annoying (IE random encounters in an RPG you can't avoid at all through items or abilities), obnoxious obstacles you have to keep overcoming, and/or simply not offering shortcuts at the end, something Dark Souls was usually good at providing.

Oh Christ, YES, I hate this so much. It's not just annoying as game mechanic, it's also potentially harmful for your hardware.

Worse when games do this sort of thing on the DS touch screen, at least on an iOS device you're using your finger though I STILL think it's terrible to do there. But seriously, no, design the fucking touch screen games to err towards careful use, mashing buttons probably isn't good but it's probably easier to make durable buttons than durable touch screens.

[Midou]

"push button x or die" QTE

I think 80% of my deaths in normal mode bayonetta were QTEs... I don't mind them in some games, well I do actually, I mind them in all games except like Shenmue, since they were done a lot better in that than in modern games.

The tutorial for half the game thing makes me think mostly of FFXIII.. I hate that **** too. 2 or 3 hours is the farthest into a game it should need to introduce a mechanic. Constantly showing you what button to push for an attack or action after the first few times should be off by default. Having to grind is always pretty bad, I do like grinding in some games, but it has to be like for skill points or something, so I can expand what I can do without becoming too powerful.

[Evershade]

On screen effects that make no sense, especially the dusty eye syndrome your character seems to have in Battlefield 3.

[ScepticMatt]

QTE and cut scene overuse Stealth Half Life 2 brag

[injurai]

The shaved head protagonist.

The angsty haired teenager.

[Ivan A Nguyen]

Metroiding me.

This is where my character, resident bad ass, has all his gear/skills taken away after the start of the game. It sucks every single time. It broke my heart in God of War 3.

[BHZ Mayor]

Final bosses that are nothing more than reskinned standard enemies with a zillion hitpoints.

Its true in just about every game. If I have to go from point A to point B I will go EVERYWHERE except point B until I have satisfied myself that there is literally no stone unturned, drawer unopened, wall slid across, and corner inspected. It results in the fact that by the time I get half way through a game I have burnt myself out on it by pissing myself off with my own mostly fruitless search for "stuff." This is why I leave many games unfinished.

To add to this, I hate when there's a fork and there's no indication whatsoever which is the main path and which is the side path, and the main path triggers a cutscene and you can't backtrack afterwards.

[EatinOlives]

Invisible walls, god do I hate it if one could "normally" in the game easily jump over a certain object, but no, not here the developer thought you should better not jump on/over this... -.-

RAGE (yes, I'm rambling about RAGE now in this topic :P) is TERRIBLE about this. Invisible walls everywhere and 99% of doors being painted on went a long way in killing all sense of exploration the game might have tried to go for. Looking for deck cards in obscure corners of the levels was a test of sanity, since practically any corner I wanted to look in for secrets was "LOL INVISIBLE WALL'D", except of course for the one obscure corner that DOES have the secret so you obviously can go in.

[Leondexter]

See the Mario- and Zelda-games as good examples for no different modes.

Mario? Sure. Zelda? Hell, no, not since Majora's Mask. Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess would be great games if they weren't swaddled in Easy Diapers (TM).

[Dr.Hadji]

Mario? Sure. Zelda? Hell, no, not since Majora's Mask. Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess would be great games if they weren't swaddled in Easy Diapers (TM).

Wow, MM isn't easy now? MM gains more and more abilities as the years pass.

[To Far Away Times]

Take your standard, flavor of the week FPS game:

2 heavy weapon limit, plus a pistol and grenades, each mapped to a direction on the d pad
regenerating health
straightforward, "story tube" level design
red jello on the screen

If you've played one, you've played them all.

[Orayn]

Thought of a new one - Inappropriate boss fights. As a fan of Monster Hunter and the Souls games, I *love* boss fights. When I got to one in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I was disgusted. It completely broke the mood, screwed up the difficulty curve, forced me to "kill" the target, and just made a mess of everything.

[Zefah]

intrusive hand-holding or word boxes over letting you learn mechanics through gameplay in a cleverly designed level with that "tutorial" purpose.

This one right here.

Any time the game stops with a big text box telling me how to play, I get annoyed.

It's even worse when the game doesn't actually stop, just pops up tutorial text on the screen while the action is still going on, and then has the box disappear after the timer is up. Right now, the early hours of Dragon's Dogma are especially frustrating in this way. Text popping up all over the screen trying to explain the game's various systems.

[McNum]

I see unwinnable fights has already been mentioned. I don't mind those too much, but there's a variant I really don't like.

The fight you have to win so you can lose.

You've seen it, you fight some really tough enemy, and he wipes the floor with you. Fair enough, you go back and fight him again, going all out and winning handily. Cue cutscene where he beats the crap out of you anyway. So, why didn't they just let losing to him continue the game?

As a good counter-example, Tales of Symphonia did something really smart with this. In the end of act 1, you fight a tough boss that you have to beat. Then you fight another tough boss that you CAN beat, but it's really tough. Losing to him will allow you to progress. Then the main villain shows up in person and one-shots the party. Note, he will also do that if you lose to the second boss, you'll just start the fight with 1 HP. Loading the fight takes longer than losing it in that case.

[LeleSocho]

Multiplayer in every fucking game.

[Riposte]

Different difficulty-modes (easy, normal, hard). Mostly it changes only the number of enemies or their reaction time. I think that this is very lazy game design. Why not make a game that can be played by everyone? And when you can't achieve a goal in the game, you just don't play it right and have to adapt or learn how to. See the Mario- and Zelda-games as good examples for no different modes.

Zelda is brain dead easy and boring for for it. Mario's difficulty is very inconsistent across games.

EDIT: Assassin's Creed, also an incredibly easy game to the point of being dumb.

[Wiz]

Filler quests that do not advance the main story. (Not sidequests)

[Jotamide]

Unskippable cutscenes (even worse, checkpoints before an unskippable cutscene).
Screen turns red when damaged/close to death (now not FPS exclusive ಠ_ಠ).
Check for online connection even for SP games, and spend 5 mins hitting "no" on everything just to load your save.
This might be nitpicking, but loading times that unnecessarily break immersion in a game (Mass Effect 2).
Also, every FPS must be CODified in order to survive these days.

[spandexmonkey]

Cinema like experiences.

For the most part, tired of dialogue and story in general. Give me a loose reason to play the game, goals to achieve, and freedom to explore the world.

[Orayn]

Zelda is brain dead easy and boring for for it. Mario's difficulty is very inconsistent across games. EDIT: Assassin's Creed, also an incredibly easy game to the point of being dumb.

To be fair, Mario's uneven difficulty is meant to be like that. The "trunk" of the game is generally quite easy and accessible to everyone, while the "branches" contain the challenging content that only enthusiasts will bother to complete. It's not perfectly executed in every case, but it's a pretty logical way of putting together a game.