10 PAINFUL Secrets In Open World Games
These open-world secrets crushed us all, one way or another.
The very appeal of open-world games is the freedom they grant the player, and the virtually limitless possibilities for developers to populate said worlds with unforgettable content.
After all, it's much easier for developers to hide sneaky secrets and cunning Easter eggs in open world environments than more contained, linear games, given that the majority of players simply aren't able or inclined to spend time sniffing them all out.
Sometimes, though, it's fair to say that developers go a teensy bit overboard by making their secrets so absurdly difficult or time-consuming to access that the end result is pure psychic anguish on the player's part.
On the other hand, perhaps the secrets don't require tons of busy-work, but are actually so legitimately heartbreaking as to make you wish you never saw them.
Pain can mean many things of course, and in that respect these 10 video game secrets all left players in a right state, perhaps even straight-up cursing the developers for their choices.
Much as open world games basically beg players to be inquisitive completionists, these secrets all prove that some doors are simply better left shut for your own good...
10. The Zodiac Spear - Final Fantasy XII
There are few video game secrets more agonising than the Zodiac Spear in the original version of Final Fantasy XII.
By far the strongest weapon in the game, it could only be obtained by players who didn't open four specific chests throughout the game, but with said chests giving no indication of their "forbidden" status, it's impossible to figure out without using a guide.
And so, many players speculate that Square Enix made the Zodiac Spear such a pain in the ass to find in order to sell more official strategy guides.
For those who played through the game unaware that it had a missable ultimate weapon, though, the realisation was absolutely crushing.
The blowback was significant enough that Square Enix ultimately made the Zodiac Spear much easier to obtain in the Zodiac Age remaster, though because they couldn't be too kind, they also nerfed the weapon so it was no longer the strongest in the game. Shucks.