10 Overused RPG Mechanics That Must Die Next Generation

This entry has become a huge part of many games, some not even specifically in the RPG genre. Tank-like enemies, bullet sponges, you know them, you probably don’t like them, unless there’s a quick way to get rid of them. If an enemy has a lot of health just because, then there’s something painfully wrong in the design of said enemy. Throughout this list the word motivation has come up plenty and I feel it works here, too. Why is this enemy such a tank? If it’s because they’ve got a lot of armour, perfect, that makes sense. If it’s because they’re big, I might also accept that as an answer.

What won’t be accepted is them having a lot of health being their only characteristic. Make this type of enemy unique, give them a weakness or even… multiple weaknesses, thus lining up with the role-playing side of the game. A certain kind of spell they don’t like, a chink in their armour you can shoot or a mannerism you can exploit. It’s not rocket science and having a larger-than-normal enemy with more health is not exciting, nor does it make us look forward to the next boss.