10 Video Game Solutions You'd NEVER Get Without A Guide

2. Save The Rat Or Die - King's Quest V

Castlevania 2
Konami

If you fail at completing a difficult section in most games, you can try again. However, if you didn't perform the right action or complete certain criteria in King's Quest V, the game becomes unwinnable. If you think that's crazy, the player doesn't realise until hours later!

One example of this is when you see a cat chasing a rat beside a bakery. To help the rat escape, you need to hurl your shoe at the feline. When you are tied up in the Swarthy Hogg Inn later, that same rodent will return to nibble through your ropes, allowing you to break free.

If you didn't rescue the rat earlier, you cannot progress beyond this point. If you saved your progress after the rat was killed, you have to restart the entire game.

How frustrating would video games be if they demonstrated the same level of unfairness as King's Quest V? Imagine reaching the final boss of a Super Mario game only to receive a Game Over screen because you didn't pick up a specific coin hours earlier.

Ironically, King's Quest V was criticised upon its release by some magazines including Computer Gaming World because it was deemed too easy!

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows