10 MORE Cruel Tricks Video Games Played On RPG Players
7. Losing The Ability To Hug - Pathologic 2
Survival horror RPG Pathologic 2 imposes penalties on the player every single time they die, courtesy of supernatural theatre director Mark Immortell.
These penalties include debuffs like reduced immunity and maximum health, which can only be easily removed by restarting the game, yet one of the earliest penalties you receive seems hilariously frivolous - that is, until it isn't.
One of your first deaths will see you punished with the inability to hug, which sounds like a joke given that hugging isn't an apparent gameplay mechanic.
But as it turns out, this pays off quite ruthlessly near the very end of the game, when a crestfallen Lara falls into a pit of despair, believing herself to be useless and requiring comfort.
One of the player options is the ability to give Lara a hug, but if you've received the aforementioned penalty, you'll be denied the opportunity.
Completing a "hug run" of the game, where you keep your death count low enough to retain your ability to hug Lara, is a major badge of honour among Pathologic 2 players, and a seriously harsh challenge on the part of developers Ice-Pick Lodge.