10 Video Game Tropes We're Sick Of

9. Enemies Hiding Behind Explosives

Natalya Goldeney
Nintendo

Really? REALLY?

Look, this is super convenient for the gamer, but whoever's in charge of these henchmen needs to be reported to a manager. This is a health and safety nightmare and Sue from HR is going to have an aneurysm.

The rationale behind such placement is curious. Are the game developers just trying to make things easy for me? Do they just want to provoke a fun spectacle? At this point, it might just be a bit of meta humour.

The most common type of explosive found in this situation is the bright red barrel with a handy warning plastered on its side which draws the player's eye and results in a few scorched limbs. Whatever the reasoning behind this trope though, it's tired, almost lazy. There's a whole slew of convenient ways to murderise a game's enemies; why not mix things up a bit?

Contributor

Professional idiot. Only doing this to support my financially crippling addiction to scented candles.