Alright (insert game here), how the FUCK was I supposed to know that?!

[BehattedWanderer]

I was playing Pixel Junk Shooter last night, for the first time since buying ages ago. There's a level where you have to tunnel through the rock you created using your spin move, which so far was only ever shown used to pick up distant coins, and draw them in. I kept getting stuck on the level, until I looked it up, and found out the spin also grinds you through certain rock. Never even thought of that as a tool device.

I think your Sonic 3 example is a good one. And no, you're not the only one who got held up at that point. Me, and all my friends, always had trouble with it too.

Well, I could spout the names of several different adventure games and call it a day (Riven, in particular, jumps out at me), but I've got another good one.

In one of the X-Men games for the Genesis (I forget exactly which one it is at the moment), when you get to the end of the game, you basically reach a dead end, with no way to proceed. The solution? Hit the reset button on your console. THAT will take you to the final screen.

What in the flying name of FUCK would lead you be believe that would work?

Oooh, I hated that one! You had to *tap* your reset button, too, not press it. If you pressed it too hard, the game actually reset, instead of the in-game console with that command.

At least devs can't pull that kind of prank now. I think.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Every Zelda game has issues with signposting how to advance the story sections.

Worst offender being that random rolling Goron in Ocarina. How the fuck was I meant to know I had to bomb him??

 

[Scarim Coral]

Every Zelda game has issues with signposting how to advance the story sections.

Worst offender being that random rolling Goron in Ocarina. How the fuck was I meant to know I had to bomb him??

Speaking of Legend of Zelda-
In the recent Skyward Sword. There was a chest behind bars (last time I remember) and there were two eyes that follow your sword. There was riddle mention about their line of sight.
There was NOTHING of a hint about making the eyes dizzle from making a repeated circle motion from your wii remote. This sort of hint sound like a job for FI oh wait she only utter useless information and percentage!

 

[zidine100]

same problem on sonic 3, but instead i exploited a glitch where if you turn into super sonic at the right time you could go straight threw the platform.

But for a more extreme example, im just going to point you in the direction of gothic, just.... play the game.... you'll understand... but then again that's half the fun of it and its awesome. Here's an example it doesn't tell you how to trade one item instead of a stack.

 

[RJ 17]

I think your Sonic 3 example is a good one. And no, you're not the only one who got held up at that point. Me, and all my friends, always had trouble with it too.

Well, I could spout the names of several different adventure games and call it a day (Riven, in particular, jumps out at me), but I've got another good one.

In one of the X-Men games for the Genesis (I forget exactly which one it is at the moment), when you get to the end of the game, you basically reach a dead end, with no way to proceed. The solution? Hit the reset button on your console. THAT will take you to the final screen.

What in the flying name of FUCK would lead you be believe that would work?

that one reminds of one from Metal Gear Solid...specifically when you're fighting the psychic guy that cheats by knowing every button you press and reacts accordingly, making him invincible.......unless you plug your controller into the player 2 slot.

Now I've never played MGS (I played MGS 2, but by all accounts that's one that is best left forgotten ) so I don't know if there's any hints or tips that you have to plug your controller into the 2nd player slot. But if there isn't, I can't imagine how the hell you're supposed to think to do that.

You know how you were supposed to know that? Because, the Colonel actually tells you how to do it, straight up! The only way you could not know how to do it is if you were to mute the game and turn the captions off!

Anyway, I can remember a bit in Half-Life where I seemed to be at a dead end (and this happens dozens of times). My path was blocked by a gigantic hole with fanblades at the bottom. Somewhere, you're actually able to turn this fan on. And the blades move a bit slowly. So, how was I ever able to know that I was supposed to jump into the fan's wind current and it would blow me up to the ceiling where I could crawl into an air vent!? It didn't look in the slightest like that fan could lift Gordon Freeman's weight!

Captcha: No way. Wow... That seems to be almost true here.

Yes, yes, you're not the first to inform me that if you take long enough while fighting the guy, you get a call specifically telling you what to do. But as I mentioned: I never played the game myself so I didn't know that's what happened. Still, I thought it was a bit ridiculous that part of defeating a boss involves having to plug your controler into the 2nd player slot.

 

[Dfskelleton]

Three words:
Sierra
Adventure
Games
The puzzles... I can't even begin to... ugh...

 

[Something Amyss]

You had to survive long enough before Colonel calls and tells you I think... either that or some people didn't realize that when Naomi said "Seriously, Snake. We're here to back you up, so call if you need some information or advice." she really did mean call when you're stuck (including boss fights).

Which still isn't really less obvious, it's just so specific. They frequently gave you "puzzles" and the "answer" basically right away. It'd be one thing if you had to actually figure them out, but it's not even really a puzzle.

It's one thing to ask you to think outside the box. It's another to change the rules in a way that you readily explain.

 

[chimeracreator]

Strange. That event is (supposed to be) on a timer and not a particularly generous one either. AFAIK it's the only one of its kind in the game. The idea was that if the player took too long getting to the VTOL to start the mission, it would be too late to get the good outcome. Maybe t'was a bug in your case as everyone else I know who played it had the same experience as I did first time thru.

As for the one that didn't make it, they probably had it coming :-D

Haha, well, what deficulty were you on? I usually start my first play through on easy, because I like to experience a story first.

Maybe that was the reason? Makes some sense to me.

(and that one person was because I let the robber go out of my good mind)

I never even knew that was a possibility. That said I'm guessing I spent under 30 minutes there because it seemed like as the head of security I shouldn't be breaking into every office... I mean that did sort of happen later in the game but not when I first started.

 

[Singapore Sling]

Every point and click adventure game ever made ever. . . yup that about sums it up.

The Longest Journey. *punch the wall*
I'm playing it atm, lured by all the "it's a lifetime experience" and "April is one of the best female character ever".

I know, I know, those kind of games have a logic of their own, but Good God !!

An example : A private detective (the ever so original fat and rude kind) stands in your way. He asks for something "sweet and chewy". Ok...
(You could ask yourself how giving him food will get him to go, but oh well.)
I gave him some candies I had in my inventory. Easy, right ? He took them, eat them, but still asked for a "sweet and chewy" thing.
Ook...
Well, knowing that the main character works at a café, and that she even said that the "food is amazing here", I thought : well, I should get him something there. Go to the café, impossible to get anything.
I then searched the streets for a convenience store/ice cream stand/candy store/ANYTHING. Nope. Nothing.

I had to (silly me !) dip one of my candies in some kind of garbage puddle (just in front of the cop, mind you) and give it to him. He then, disgusted, spit it on the floor, only to be chased by a guy who happens to be cleaning nearby.

Of course !! Child's play !!

PS : I feel that my verbs tense might be off, sorry about that.

 

[Dogstile]

Strangely enough that never happened to me. I went around the office for a good two hours...and everything was ok.

Well, one died, but that's another story.

Strange. That event is (supposed to be) on a timer and not a particularly generous one either. AFAIK it's the only one of its kind in the game. The idea was that if the player took too long getting to the VTOL to start the mission, it would be too late to get the good outcome. Maybe t'was a bug in your case as everyone else I know who played it had the same experience as I did first time thru.

As for the one that didn't make it, they probably had it coming :-D

They do tell you to hurry, I just assumed they meant it and actually went. I figured i'd be coming back to HQ later

 

[SD-Fiend]

Trying to figure out the Regi puzzle in Pokemon R/S/E.

No one could. No one. Barring looking it up, I would safely bet the my bottom dollar on there not being a SINGLE person who did it on their own, no cheats, no outside help.

Simply impossible.

OT: Halo CE. A lot of times. Those maps, they confused me, most notably the Library.

It wasn't entirely impossible since they gave you an in game alphabet.But going with the thread how would you know what it meant?

 

[silver wolf009]

Trying to figure out the Regi puzzle in Pokemon R/S/E.

No one could. No one. Barring looking it up, I would safely bet the my bottom dollar on there not being a SINGLE person who did it on their own, no cheats, no outside help.

Simply impossible.

OT: Halo CE. A lot of times. Those maps, they confused me, most notably the Library.

It wasn't entirely impossible since they gave you an in game alphabet.But going with the thread how would you know what it meant?

It was braille, wasn't it? Even with the wall of letters, it'd be tough to decipher what it meant, as most kids don't know braille, and those who do have no use in fondling a flat screen.

 

[the abyss gazes also]

Skyrim. How was I supposed to know that selling my first set of thieve's guide armor would mean I couldn't get the next? Level 60... not going to restart.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Thanks Arcanum for not telling me that I couldn't exit a cave without having to fight a very powerful ogre that was way above my level. No indication that it was too difficult for me, no indication that I couldn't escape it. Ruined that save for me.

 

[godfist88]

Pokemon being so tight-lipped about what natures do as well as EVs and IVs. Not to mention how certain pokemon such as Miltoic/Regis were incredibly hard to get unless you looked it up on the net.

I agree, there was no mention at all what natures did, i never heard of IV's and EV's were until i saw a video on competitive game play. what ticked me off the most was when I had made it to mount silver. after i struggled to catch Moltres, I found out later that it had a nature which hindered it strongest stat. it felt like a big up yours to all the work i did.

OT: the boss fights in dead rising, as Yahtzee put it (I think it was him it may have someone else) the difficulty curve turns into a difficulty brick wall when you fight these guys, especially Adam the chainsaw clown. no indication that this side mission i picked was not only a boss fight but also a ridiculously difficult one.

 

[bliebblob]

Final fantasy x-2

The game is split into chapters and if you set certain events in motion in the early chapters, they will flower into interesting stuff in the later chapters.

It sounds like a great idea for an RPG game, but the problem is that some of the event triggers are extremely easy to miss. Only in the later chapters does it become obvious that you missed somthing important. So you google it and than it turns out you had to talk to some guy 4 times or whatever. And now you can't go back. How were you supposed to know? F*** you that's how!

And the stuff you miss out on isn't just some short cutscenes, oh no! On my first playthrough I missed several complete areas as well as some very important plot points and failed to unlock 6 classes and a minigame. Despite being a pretty thorough player (100%-ing all minigames, finding all hidden treasures etc.)

It's like if you would play final fantasy x but because you missed some hidden stuff at the start you never even meet rikku nor wakka, the entire sub-plot of yuna and seymour never happens, you never visit bikanel island, lulu's overdrive never unlocks, you never unlock blitzball and you never find out who or what auron really is.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Every Zelda game has issues with signposting how to advance the story sections.

Worst offender being that random rolling Goron in Ocarina. How the fuck was I meant to know I had to bomb him??

You mean you don't randomly start bombing everything you can find when you're stuck in Zelda?

 

[Vrex360]

I might get some egg on my face but in my experience Silent Hill 2 is a bit like that. I only just got into it and it's true that the atmosphere and writing are really well done but my god I had no idea how to save or where to go. There were virtually no hints of any kind, it was only after my second playthrough that I figured out how to enter the first hotel and that the red squares were the save points.

 

[DiZtAnT]

Ocarina of Time anyone?

As a child, I was excited to finally reach the adult stage, but I was too young to read and really take to heart what the NPC's said.

"There is something in the village that will help you"
Somehow translates to,

go the graveyard and disturb random graves until you find a ghost, then race him until he gives you a grappling hook.

Im sure looking back, there were probably some clues lying around, but my lord did that one take me a long time to figure out as a kid.

 

[Prosis]

Star Ocean 3. Item synthesis. Holy crap.

Costs thousands of fol (game currency). Pretty good chance of just failing outright, and 99% chance of whatever you get being absolute crap.

I'd be fine if it were optional, or for secret bosses or something. But near the end of the game, most random encounters have abilities to oneshot your entire party (you can dodge, but your woefully inept AI partners hardly ever do). Not bosses. Random encounters. Even grinding doesn't ever boost your defense or hp enough to save your sorry hide.

You basically have to sit there with a guide, in front of the item creation screen, for HOURS in order to produce good enough gear that you can actually finish game. But, if you're sitting there with a guide, you know how to make the very best weapons and armor, which make the rest of the game a cakewalk.

So essentially, you cannot advance until you use a guide, at which point you have to be careful not to just outright break the game.