10 Hidden Video Game Mechanics With MAJOR Consequences
Your actions might cost you more than you think!
The main thing that differentiates video games as a medium from movies and novels is the fact that the player has a say in what is going on in the story.
Your impact on the game is usually blatantly obvious. However, there are also games that like to hide just how much your decisions matter by using hidden mechanics.
Some titles include secret scripts that don't show up in any menu or HUD, even though they meticulously analyze everything that you do. You don't realize you're being judged about these things at all until the mechanic finally comes into play and determines your fate in ways you couldn't even imagine.
From hidden morality points that judge if you're worthy of getting the good ending to secret companion scripts that determine how they behave, all of these mechanics are deliberately obscured so that you aren't aware of them, even though they can completely change the course of your playthrough.
If you're curious to learn how they work and perhaps prepare for them ahead of time, the following list is for you!
10. Hidden Reputation Can Cost You Allies - Assassin's Creed Shadows
Although Naoe and Yasuke are feudal Japan’s powerhouses, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows you to recruit allies that can aid them in battle with special abilities.
There are six recruitable NPCs in the game, but what the game doesn’t tell you is that some of them may not want to join you due to a secret reputation mechanic.
Despite being an Assassin, you don’t actually have to kill every enemy you encounter, and in fact, you shouldn’t. This is because several of the NPCs you can recruit will not join you if they consider you too bloodthirsty or they realize you’ve murdered something specific.
The mechanic can come as a shock, considering there is really not much difference between a lethal and non-lethal playthrough in most other aspects of the game. It’s an even bigger surprise to find out not being a pacifist can cost you someone with a really useful skill.
It’s not just Naoe who deals with the heavy guilt of taking people’s lives. You can also end up regretting being a murderous bastard, although it will probably be for more pragmatic, gameplay-related reasons.