Game Mechanics That Drive Us Loco

"Missions with time limits, and other high stakes scenarios are usually challenging, but when a goal is unreachable due to lazy development, that’s where PL has an issue." -Play Legit

[ziggurcat]

one thing i would like to see die a horrible death are races.

i'm glad AC finally did away with them. now if only GTA would follow suit...

[hay]

Not stricte a mechanic, but in overall:

THE SAME MECHANICS(as in previous iterations).

Launching sequel two games apart from the last iteration you've played, despite running it on next-gen, pretty much nothing changed in core gameplay and if it wasn't for new additions, we'd fell asleep.

Namely: Combat and freerun in Assassin's Creed.

But that begs for inclusion of "retardation of mechanics".

Loved that strong new IP debut? Waiting for sequel, which finally gets released dumbed down sometimes to a point of butchering?
Liked how Deus Ex Invisible War was nothing compared to original? How Hitman, while being a solid title, was not completely a Hitman game? How Xcom felt lackluster in comparison to classics?
How Street Fighter IV gradually sells the same stuff Capcom has thrown at us intensively in the 90s.
How AI worked in Killzone2 and not so much in 3rd.
How from huge Final Fantasy XII we fell to Final Corridor XIII.

That's what happens when mechanics get hit too many times in the head.

Stretching the pointless parts of the game(excessive backtracking, squeezing game time out of chores)

Completed mission and just had to go to the almost opposite part of the map? A sure way to make an "wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube game".
Had a hunch that newer games like 4th Assassin seemed to be slower by small degree? Slowed down animations to give extra 5-10% "length".

Guilty: Grand Theft Auto 5, Saints Row 4.

But I'd complain most about "mission mechanics".

Double standards(game mechanic separate from world mechanic):

Stealthy mission.
You have to be quiet, but AI paretner can execute with loud firearms without raising suspicion. Scene later, stealthy one gets into trouble, loud one is ok.

Lack of realistic consequence.
Trained military professional is unable to produce competent results, gung-ho player character solves the problem without any use of knowledge, education or tactics just by doing 'pew-pew'.
Different outcome results heavily scripted, depending on the stage one's in.
Entire Killzone 3 story.

Zero context.
Finished a mission and those two choppers, swat team and 10 police cars suddenly go for a donut.

The only way, right way.
Death cause of a wet shoe, just because the river is out of bounds.
Banana peel slip of doom, just because that area is only to be seen from a distance.
Jogging in place, trying to bypass invisible walls.

Following missions.
Does not matter if you seen the NPC go behind the corner and is displayed on the map, there's only one way out from the corner he went into. Cutting his path, suspect lost.

Chasing someone? Will shine through the environment from several miles away and is almost impossible to lose.

Pointless quick time events.
Have a QTE section in which your character gets his arse handed to him? When you fail, there's a game over, when you succeed, you still fail but in directed manner and continue the story. Either game over or scripted failure. This was done well in Heavy Rain, but Mass Effect or Killzone?

[barb_wire]

Everyone's favorite..

Escort a braindead companion who walks too slow, blocks door ways and always, always stands in front of you when enemies are on screen.

[Callediceman]

or the old follow this person/car and if you get too close they will see you, but to far and you lose them.. always a chore and/or total borefest