10 Hated Video Game Mechanics The World Was Wrong About
7. Backtracking - Metroid/Castlevania
If you've ever heard of a game referred to as a "Metroidavania", it's because of these two. The portmanteau of their names is shorthand for any time a game has you going back to previous areas that were either inaccessible or required a certain item/higher level.
To the uninitiated, it looks like an absolute ballache to traipse back to somewhere you'd already been for something that may or may not be worth it. But to those that like adventure, or unlocking everything, it adds life to a game. First introduced in the aforementioned, loads of games have taken this on as a way of expanding their run times.
The Tomb Raider reboot(s), Shadow Complex, the Resident Evil 2 remake and even the latest Star Wars Jedi offering, Fallen Order, all have mechanics in place to hide things from you until later on. There's usually good reason for it... at least 90% of the time.
So instead of seeing it as unnecessary backtracking, see it as an opportunity to come back and explore what you'd missed the first time round. It's always rewarding.