10 Video Game Tutorials That Played Cruel Tricks On Players
Don't trust ANYTHING.
Tutorials are the sections at the start of video games where players are given a brief introduction to how the game that they’re about to play works.
From introducing them to an overview of the plot and outlining the basic control scheme and game mechanics, tutorials are the players chance to get to grips with the game in a more forgivable environment before they’re set loose upon it.
Since these gameplay sections are intended to ease players into the game, tutorials are usually easier and more laid back than what’s to come. Players know that they won’t be put through their paces at this early stage, and therefore they trust developers to honour this unspoken rule.
However, while most games are content with giving players the space they need to brush up on their skills, there are some games out there which have taken advantage this trust to pull some cruel surprises on players who thought they were safe from these sorts of tricks.
From poking fun at players whose only crime was following the instructions set to them, to pulling the rug from under their feet, these tutorials deceived us all.
10. Elden Ring - Missabe Tutorial
As brutally difficult as Elden Ring is, even the cruel and genius developers at FromSoftware weren’t heartless enough to throw players into the Lands Between without a crash course in the basics.
But getting to the tutorial in Elden Ring wasn't a straightforward task. In fact, so many players missed the tutorial completely that FromSoftware signposted better it in an update shortly after the game's release.
Upon awakening in a cavern after being annihilated by the game's first boss, players will see a ghostly figure sitting by a precipice in front of them. Previously, the game didn’t inform players that getting to the tutorial area required jumping into this hole that would spell death in most games. Without being equipped with the fundamentals, players were wandering out into the world less prepared than they should have been.
Thankfully, players are now greeted by a prompt which tells them to “jump down the hole ahead” to “learn more about game controls and basic actions, as well as other tips that may be helpful during your adventures in the Lands Between."
Unfortunately, the tutorial doesn't warn players about the Tree Sentinel patrolling just outside the front door. Players have to learn that the hard way.