[subversus]

Tiny and Big - this game would be MUCH more fun if I knew that I can cut boulders in half when they are thrown at me. Now I'm so pissed that I want to replay it.

Heavenly Sword transformed from the worst game ever into a decent hack and slash after I figured out that you can turn off sixaxis in the menu and control everything with sticks.

your examples?

[TranceKuja]

I think the first time I properly figured out how to use the Junction system was actually the fifth or so time I've played though Final Fantasy VIII.

[water_wendi]

In before Fallout 3/New Vegas hacking symbols.

[SecretMoblin]

It took me a while to get the Super Metroid wall jump down, and by the time I did it didn't matter anymore.

[subversus]

In before Fallout 3/New Vegas hacking symbols.

what about them?

I still don't know how to play this game btw. I just max out my skill and guess. Sawyer wrote something about that but I didn't understand it too.

[Mauricio_Magus]

Xenoblade, I didn't know you had to have one of those bars in the combo/party gauge to revive someone till THE FINAL BOSS, yes against the final boss I figured out that I needed to keep some bar to revive my party members.

[Dark Stalkers]

something in xenosaga 2, i forget

[weird]

Many people didn't know that you can warp nearly anywere in xenoblade.
that must have been horrible!

[Rekubot]

Not a super important mechanic, but I didn't figure out you could sprint in Skyrim until the end. Would have made the game a lot better paced if I'd realised.

[subversus]

I heard about a guy who didn't know about active pause in Baldur's Gate games.

[ctrayne]

.

[Lancehead]

In before Fallout 3/New Vegas hacking symbols.

You mean the parenthesis? I knew about them but never used them.

[Alfredo]

I found out how to properly level up materia in FFVII 13 years later. My first time through as a kid, I didn't really understand the AP growth properties of weapons, so I would often equip ones that had zero growth and wondered why the heck it took so long to level up my materia.

I buy the game as PS1 classic on the PSP many years later, and keep double AP weapons/armor and I've got high level magic waaaay earlier than I got it when I was a kid.

[JaseC]

It wasn't until the end, but:

When playing The Witcher for the first time, I initially wasn't aware that Geralt's steel and silver swords were meant to be used against humans and monsters respectively, so it wasn't until I was well into Chapter 2 -- at which point the aforementioned and embarrassingly rudimentary piece of knowledge managed to seep into my feeble brain -- that I stopped using the steel sword exclusively.

The Hellhound fight at the end of Chapter 1 was tough. At the time, I just chalked it down to the game's difficulty rather than my own stupidity.

[elfinke]

I played through an awful amount of Baldurs Gate II without knowing there was button, right there on the hot bar, to identify/disarm traps.

I went through the game basically walking into - and setting off - traps with my highest HP character instead.

[SMT]

The first time I played Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Subsistence, I never did CQC, I didn't even know you had to hold O for CQC. 6 years later I'm playing the HD Version and going 'HOLY SHIT' because I missed out on this awesomeness.

It also makes the game a helluva lot more fun. *Blood Gushes*

[Danneee]

How to activate the gag ball statues in Brutal Legend the ones that upgrade your health.
I went through almost the whole game thinking I needed some special solo for that...

[abstract alien]

Street Fighter 3 - the parry

It turned into a completely different game when I found out about the parry. Didn't know it existed until way after I began to play it. Moments where you were normally helpless were no longer as such. It really became a game of reading and nit being able to be read. Oh you wanna through that genetic fireball while im in the corner with no healthy? You go right ahead, so I can read it like a book.

There is no "end" to a fighter, but eh, figured it fit the criteria.

Honestly, I wanted to make a post about Dark Souls, but so much of that game didn't click with me until DAYS(in hours format) later I didn't know where to begin.

[Spring-Loaded]

A friend of mind played through all of Batman: Arkham City without the grapnel boost. Our exchange was pretty funny when I asked him about it.

The first time I played Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Subsistence, I never did CQC, I didn't even know you had to hold O for CQC. 6 years later I'm playing the HD Version and going 'HOLY SHIT' because I missed out on this awesomeness. It also makes the game a helluva lot more fun. *Blood Gushes*

Same. I found out almost near the end. You have to like, lightly press and hold O, right?

[Nosgoroth]

"What do you mean I can long jump in Super Mario 3D Land? I'm already in S-7 and you tell me this now?"

"Man, Orcs Must Die was such a fun game, let's replay some levels. What does this button do? HE SPRINTS?"

[Dynedom]

Many people didn't know that you can warp nearly anywere in xenoblade. that must have been horrible!

Surprisingly enough, I used it as an opportunity to level up and catch missing sidequests.

I was still pretty :facepalm: when I figured it out.

[Prophet Steve]

The first time I played Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Subsistence, I never did CQC, I didn't even know you had to hold O for CQC. 6 years later I'm playing the HD Version and going 'HOLY SHIT' because I missed out on this awesomeness. It also makes the game a helluva lot more fun. *Blood Gushes*

Ah thanks, just started with it and was wondering why there wasn't a similar option.

Make time go faster on the world map in Mount & Blade: Warband blew my mind when I saw somebody do it. He also was made aware by somebody else.

[protonion]

Xenogears, the combo command. I thought it was there just to show the deathblows you have learned. I didn't figure you could chain them until my second playthrough...

[Loofy]

I played MGS4 like a shooter, there was maybe 1 area out of the whole game where I didnt trigger an alarm. Needless to say I dont know any of the stealth tactics.

[MattKeil]

I was nearly 40 hours into Skyrim when I discovered the sprint button.

Friend of mine was talking about how much he hated Oblivion. He finished it but just couldn't understand why everyone loved it so much with all the walking around over and over. I asked him why he was walking everywhere instead of fast traveling. The look on his face was priceless.

[Margalis]

A friend of mind played through all of Batman: Arkham City without the grapnel boost.

Am I your friend?

No idea that the grapnel boost is. Is that what you get by doing those gliding challenges?

Whatever it does it can't be that much considering I beat the game on hard and nothing about the navigation was particularly difficult.

[UrbanRats]

MGS3's CQC on my second playthorugh.
Oh you have to slightly press the button?!

[BurnOutBrighter]

Am I your friend? No idea that the grapnel boost is. Is that what you get by doing those gliding challenges? Whatever it does it can't be that much considering I beat the game on hard and nothing about the navigation was particularly difficult.

If you do all the AR missions, you unlock an enhanced grapnel - double tapping the jump button while in a grapnel swing will let you boost over the edge you each, letting you boost and glide continuously. Makes getting around a lot faster, especially for Zsasz missions.

[snap0212]

Not something I couldn't figure out but my buddy played through most of Resident Evil 4 not knowing that he could run as well. I remember someone on GAF had the same 'problem'.

[Bricky]

MGS3's CQC on my second playthorugh. Oh you have to slightly press the button?!

The same story for me in MGS4. I just always tried to go around everyone without even having to fight, touch, or shoot them, so I didn't really need it anyway. :P

[MrT-Tar]

Another Xenoblade Chronicles one, I didn't know about item trading with NPCs until about 80 hours into the game

[JADS]

Final Fantasy 8 Junction system. Restarted the game and found out that using junction and keeping your levels low is pretty much easy mode for the game. Trow in some Tripple Triad and the game is utterly broken a few hours in.

[ubercheez]

The Blindside mechanic in Star Ocean 4. I thought it just referred to hitting the enemy from the side or back, but no, it was an actual tactic you had to be specifically going for. Never would have figured it out if not for a boss battle that required it, which I ended up going online for help with.

[Jader7777]

Anyone remember this?

[abstract alien]

Anyone remember this?

Oh God...

[mclem]

I didn't, but I bet there will be some Xenoblade fast travel answers in this thread. Maybe also some Valkyria Chronicles mid-mission saves.


One I *can* say, though, is Mystic Artes in the Tales series, I finally got a handle on about ten hours from the end of Tales of the Abyss. After already having played through Tales of Vesperia not being able to use them

The Hellhound fight at the end of Chapter 1 was tough. At the time, I just chalked it down to the game's difficulty rather than my own stupidity.

Do you even *have* a silver sword by that point? I thought you got your first at the start of Chapter 2?

[Hasemo]

Ys: Oath in Felghana which I finished today on the PSP. Didn't know you can select the "always dash" option in the menu and had to fight bosses over and over again because I couldn't run away fast enough.
Found the setting while fighting the last boss...

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

I didn't know how to properly duel in RDR for a while, resulting in me winning by pumping a full clip into my opponent. I later figured out I was doing it wrong on the later, more difficult duels.

[JaseC]

Do you even *have* a silver sword by that point? I thought you got your first at the start of Chapter 2?

Actually, you may be right. I think obtaining it is part of a quest.

[blowred]

I didn't, but I bet there will be some Xenoblade fast travel answers in this thread. Maybe also some Valkyria Chronicles mid-mission saves. One I *can* say, though, is Mystic Artes in the Tales series, I finally got a handle on about ten hours from the end of Tales of the Abyss. After already having played through Tales of Vesperia not being able to use them Do you even *have* a silver sword by that point? I thought you got your first at the start of Chapter 2?

You had to use creams for your sword and stuff to make the fight easier, didn't really help, the boss fight is still a pain in the ass.

[taizuke]

Usually by the end of every RPG.

[Vulcano's assistant]

- The thingy that helps you find arrowheads and the thingy that removes the webs in Psychonauts.

- How the get demon fangs from monsters in Okami.

[kittens]

I thought weapons and armor in FF7 were one time use, so I didn't even bother with them until my second playthrough.

It was my first RPG. :-|

[sonicmj1]

I didn't properly understand the fishing game in Nier until the final side mission. I thought you couldn't reel when the fish was pulling the rod left or right, and had to just wait.

Made an already boring side mission even more time consuming.

[Wok]

In A virus named Tom, I did not understand a chain of energy pellets would result in a higher score. In Hamilton's Great Adventure, I did not notice the capacity to run of Hamilton and the fact Sasha could double the points of each flipped coin. In Frozen Synapse, I forgot soldiers could duck. In Counter Strike, I would shoot as soon as I spot an ennemy, but I did not understand the shots would not hit him if I kept shooting for severals seconds. In 1000 Amps, I did not understand why, each time I used the power of teleportation, some lights were switched off and some others were not. In Ziro, I forgot about the rules and played this puzzle game at random after a while. In Aquaria, I discovered cooking just before fighting the last boss, it would have made the game a lot easier. In SpaceChem, I would never move the starting blocks, which explains why I could not be as good as some people in the graphs shown after each puzzle. In FF7, I did not grasp the concept of materia slots in the weapons: I thought only the number of slots matter.

[blowred]

In FFIX I didn't you had to equip items to get ability's lol.

[Chrono Helix]

I've heard of people not knowing you could reassign skills you've learned from enemies in Devil Survivor.

[JokerOfSpades]

"What do you mean I can long jump in Super Mario 3D Land? I'm already in S-7 and you tell me this now?" "Man, Orcs Must Die was such a fun game, let's replay some levels. What does this button do? HE SPRINTS?"

Super Metroid, man.

EDIT: Beaten like a horse. A horse that is dead.

[Spring-Loaded]

Am I your friend? No idea that the grapnel boost is. Is that what you get by doing those gliding challenges? Whatever it does it can't be that much considering I beat the game on hard and nothing about the navigation was particularly difficult.

Yeah, it's not reequired, but he beat the Zsasz missions without it. He was talking about how intense it was and I just laughed. He answered the last phone with one second left or something.

[Pikma]

I didn't properly understand the fishing game in Nier until the final side mission. I thought you couldn't reel when the fish was pulling the rod left or right, and had to just wait. Made an already boring side mission even more time consuming.

To this day, I still haven't figured out how that works :(

In FFIX I didn't you had to equip items to get ability's lol.

OMG this too, I didn't remember this, I was like 8 years old when I beat FFIX.