10 Huge Video Games That Screwed Up Basic Things
8. No Mid-Mission Checkpoints - Grand Theft Auto IV
As widely acclaimed as the Grand Theft Auto series has been since the release of GTA III, the earlier 3D games did nevertheless receive flak from some fans who took issue with the lack of mission checkpoints.
After all, as the series became increasingly cinematic and ambitious, it wasn't uncommon for missions to last upwards of 15 minutes, ensuring considerable player frustration if you failed or died during the final stretch.
This reached its grating apex in Grand Theft Auto IV, which naturally touted the most elaborate and lengthy missions in the series to date, the overwhelming majority of which featured no mid-mission checkpoints.
This proved particularly aggravating during the famously tricky heist mission Three Leaf Clover, which takes around 20 minutes to complete, with players forced to start all over upon failure.
Considering that checkpointing was a sure staple of AAA video games by 2008, it felt hugely behind the times for a title as glossy and polished as GTA IV to lack such a basic feature.
Thankfully Rockstar appeared to listen to the vocal outcry, as every major game they've released since has featured a comprehensive checkpoint system.