10 Most Unforgiving Checkpoints In Gaming History
Is there such a thing as "respawn rage"?
Not to get too dramatic, but dying is a part of life. More specifically, and certainly more commonly, it's also a part of digital life.
Thankfully, largely gone are the days of running out of lives and continues and having to start from scratch. The advent of autosaves and checkpoints has improved all of our lives! For players, this means not returning to the title screen when you make one-too many mistakes, and for developers, it means players are more likely to stick with and finish their games.
However, placing checkpoints is not an art form. In theory, it's very simple. In practice... well, the games on this list prove that that's not always the case.
Whether it's badly timed, infuriatingly placed, or just outright cruel, these games took something as simple as the autosave and turned it into something that haunted gamers' worst respawning nightmares.
10. Prologue - Nier: Automata
We begin with a checkpoint that is quite literally the game’s main menu. Nier: Automata has a 45-minute prologue where, if you die at any time, it’s back to square one.
The abandoned factory section is an absolute tour-de-force for the game: a long, surprising shoot-em-up section to kick things off, some exciting battles, and then a showdown with a gigantic, imposing boss.
If you’re the type to turn your nose up at playing anything on Normal or below, then you’ll be asked to back that claim up. The whole game is brutal on Hard, and the prologue is no exception. A first boss that can one-shot you should really say it all.
To make matters worse, whether you are able to get through the prologue in one go is really important. If you fail, you’ll be going through each part again - complete with lots of dialogue sections - since the first save is three quarters of an hour into the game.
Although hilariously, if you want to get a 100% run of Nier: Automata, you need to die in the prologue at least once to get one of the hidden endings… just maybe do it as soon as possible and not right at the end of one of the most gruelling openings in video game history.