10 Gaming Cliches You Couldn't Live Without

Though gaming is inherently an expression of creativity and technological innovation, it's safe to say that there are a number of core tenets that ably qualify as cliches of the medium.

You'll be hard-pressed to find players who don't roll their eyes at arbitrary fetch quests, pesky water levels, stealth missions, rubber-band AI and perhaps the king of the loathed cliche: the !*$% escort mission.

Not all cliches are bad, though: often it simply reflects the popularity of a gaming trend or mechanic, to the point that while it may be difficult to take seriously nowadays, it's still enormously fun to play, especially if the game executes it in a self-aware fashion.

From the dominant action aesthetic of today to classic staples that have been around for decades, these cliches might give you a perverse chuckle when they show up, but you'd definitely miss them if they weren't around.

Here are 10 gaming cliches you couldn't live without...

The Cliche: You're being fired upon and taking serious damage from the enemy, but all you have to do is lie low for a few seconds and your health will magically restore to normal.

Popularised by the Halo and Call of Duty franchises above all else, and it's now extremely prevalent in first-and-third-person shooters save for some games that still rely on health packs in order to intentionally hearken back to the "good old days".

Why It's Awesome: Health pack management may add another level of tension to your experience, but it can also become tiresome and irritating needing to find extra health, or alternatively save-scumming your way through a tricky section so you don't need to reload a checkpoint.

Regenerating health may make games easier and "casualise" the experience, but it also cuts down on busy-work and trite repetition. Plus, finding a place to restore your health isn't always easy, and it's clear that modern shooters have adapted by hurling more enemies at you to compensate for the regenerating health.