10 Secret Exploits That Ruined Your Favourite Video Games
If you get all the money in the world, what then?
Exploits are a common occurrence in gaming, some incorporated into the games themselves – bunny-hopping for instance, which involves quickly crouching and jumping to increase speed, actually started out as an exploit in Quake II, before being adopted by the developers. In these instances, the exploits are welcomed augmentations, enhancing the gameplay experience.
Sometimes however, exploits are game-breaking, negating any semblance of challenge or accomplishment by allowing players to manipulate technical loopholes, allowing them to gain unfair advantages against online opponents.
In some cases, these become detrimental – despite their novelty – harming your continued investment in a given game, and eventually causing you to lose interest altogether.
Exploits are usually unintended, meaning some are downright hilarious, and others are easily ignored, but there are numerous exceptions that wreak havoc with the mechanics and functionality of classic video games, ruining them in the process…
10. Psycho Cyan (Final Fantasy VI)
This particular exploit – which rendered the playable character, Cyan completely overpowered – was infamous, somewhat breaking the game in the process.
Essentially, it was performed by having the character incapacitated by a physical attack during combat. Once revived, Cyan would begin mercilessly pummelling his opponents into submission – including some of the game’s most challenging bosses – until nothing whatsoever remained.
Psycho Cyan was an unstoppable monster – rendering any sense of accomplishment mute – and breaking the game in numerous and considerable ways. Trouble was: the exploit was too effective – meaning the moment you found yourself in trouble – you’d exploit the oversight, without exception.
The prospect was too enticing, the character completely overpowered, easily available and easily manipulated into an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction.