10 Things Open-World Games Need To STOP DOING

Developers often mark out certain NPCs as being un-killable, either entirely or up until a certain point.

And they are one of the most self-serving mechanics the gaming world has ever conjured up.

Usually designed to keep an NPC around either to serve the plot, give out quests or help players in the case of companions, what makes them so frustrating is that they often come alongside plenty of non-essential characters that can be killed at a moment's notice. A game like Skyrim, for example, can have a whole slew of characters removed from the game on the back of a dragon attack, but the likes of Delphine or Esbern will survive no matter what.

Alternatively, having bosses marked as essential until a final encounter also feels cheap. If a player can beat Alduin before Sovngarde, Bethesda should congratulate them on their skill, rather than refusing to allow it.

Whereas in a game like its predecessor Morrowind, every single character is essentially fair game. Whole questlines can be removed on the back of a character's death, giving the game some much higher stakes and a realistic feeling of consequence.