10 Overpowered Items That Broke Video Games

Some rules were made to be broken.

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EA

At their core, the majority of video games are power fantasies. They’re designed to make you feel superior to everything else around you, and even the most challenging experiences are ultimately supposed to be about overcoming adversity. In order to help you cope with rising difficulty curves, games usually throw you a lifeline or two in the form of a powerful weapon or item that’ll make you significantly harder to kill.

But sometimes, that very lifeline is enough to completely break your immersion in or enjoyment of a game. It might make things too easy for you, too hard for other players, or just render an otherwise lengthy and worthwhile game disposable.

The time spent retrieving these items is usually a lot more fun than actually wielding them. After all, as much effort as it might have been for King Arthur to pull Excalibur from the stone, it probably made chopping up bad guys far less satisfying.

10. Slugthrower - Star Wars Battlefront

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EA

In Star Wars lore, a slugthrower is a weapon that fires ballistic projectiles rather than energy beams. They’re seen as old fashioned, but useful in situations where energy shields are present. In Star Wars Battlefront's multiplayer, this particular slugthrower is an abomination that can pretty much ruin what might be a great round.

Unlike the cycler rifle or the scout pistol, which are incredibly powerful weapons at long and short range respectively, the slugthrower seems to work wonders at any distance. Bearing a striking resemblance to the incredibly powerful Trandoshan shotgun from Republic Commando, this slugthrower can rip through energy shields and take out multiple enemies in one hit with its powerful spread. Combine it with a jumppack, and you’ve pretty much unlocked the secret to raining hellfire down upon your unsuspecting foes.

If you’re lucky, you might encounter one player on your server using the aforementioned deadly combo. If you’re unlucky, everyone in your game will be jetting off to the slugthrower party, pretty much rendering any and all ground combat fruitless and frustrating.

 
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Liam is a writer and cranberry juice drinker from Lincolnshire. When he's not wearing his eyes away in front of a computer, he plays the melodica for a semi wrestling-themed folk-punk band called School Trips.