10 Gaming Mechanics That Developers Should Have Fixed Years Ago

As technology has improved, levels in video games have become more detailed and advanced, meaning many have multiple stages and sections to give the system time to load everything. This is understandable, and given that you’ve probably done everything you need to in previous areas, not being able to walk back to the very start of the stage isn’t always a problem.

The problem is with games that have stage-specific items to collect. Collecting certain secret items often comes with additional perks and character improvements, so you want to make sure you get them all. Unfortunately, the way many developers lay out their levels makes getting these items strenuous. Quite often you’ll come across a fork in the level’s path with two different directions to go in. In many games, if you go down the one that doesn’t lead to the collectible, you’ll trigger a scene that automatically leads you into the next stage of the level, with no way of going back to get the item you missed (as this scene will usually trigger an auto-save).

Players like exploring levels to find hidden items, but having to gamble on which direction to go just in case you trigger the next part of the stage adds an unfair challenge to the game. You shouldn’t be playing a game worried about accidentally completing a level because you went down the wrong path.