10 Impossible Video Game Side-Quests That Cost You 100%
8. Old School Ghoul - Fallout New Vegas
Journeying into a new part of the map and getting your head kicked in is an effective way for a game to shuffle the player in a particular direction and teach them not to stray too far, too soon. It was true of 1987’s original Final Fantasy and it’s still seen today in open-world titles.
Wandering too close to Black Mountain in Fallout New Vegas will prompt a new quest line but chances are the Super Mutants in the area will make you turn tail and run. That’s fine, right? After all, there’s lots more to do and see and the beauty of a game like Fallout is the ability to work through the game’s content as a player sees fit. Therein, however, lies the problem.
Ghoul mechanic Raul can be found in Black Mountain. Like other companions, Raul has a couple of quests tied to his story but when the game launched players had issues launching Old School Ghoul.
Having journeyed through the world beforehand, speaking to specific NPCs previously would cause a bug where this quest wouldn’t start. Raul, who it turns out is some kind of prima donna, wouldn’t engage in conversation with certain characters if the player had already spoken to them.
It was like being punished for exploring the game and, despite a major patch, players still report issues with this quest line today.