8 Default Settings In Video Games That Drove You MAD

2. Yellow Paint

Resident Evil 4
Capcom

One of the more fascinating gaming discourses of recent times has been the debate about yellow paint, which developers often use to nudge players in the right direction - or, as many will argue, excessively handhold them.

And indeed, in 2025 it's quite the immersion breaker to see yellow paint slapped all over the shop in the middle of a survival horror game like Resident Evil 4. 

Even if you're not fussed about having the path forward neon-signposted, you have to ask yourself - who the hell did all this painting?

Now, there's nothing wrong with yellow paint as an accessibility feature for players who need it, but it should absolutely be something which players are asked about upon booting a game for the first time.

Hell, in many games there's no option at all to turn it off, but even in the ones that do offer a yellow paint toggle - like, most recently, Star Wars Outlaws - it's typically activated by default. 

It instantly undercuts a game's atmosphere to have this distractingly "game-y" feature enabled from the moment you start up.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.