As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the games mentioned here have truly revolutionized the way we perceive death and failure in video games. Each one has its unique take on how to make losing less frustrating and more enjoyable, adding depth and replayability to their gameplay.
While participating in a game, everyone strives to make as few mistakes as they can, primarily because our small mammalian brains yearn for the serotonin released after a successful confrontation with a challenging boss character, which subsequently leads to the rewards received.
In games, losing or failure situations can be equally valuable as winning moments. They help us understand what not to do, compel us to grasp the game’s mechanics thoroughly, and significantly heighten the sense of urgency in the action.
As a player, I don’t view losing a game as an insult or a reflection of my abilities. Instead, I see it as a part of the game design that adds depth to the gaming experience, making the immersion even more captivating.
Indeed, let me demonstrate that experiencing defeat, loss, and game-ending moments aren’t necessarily negative experiences by showcasing some games where failure can be enjoyable:
11. Hades
Dying Enriches The Experience
In many skillfully crafted roguelike games, if you excel at the game to such an extent that you effortlessly conquer it without ever meeting defeat, you might be missing out on the authentic gaming experience.
For a game like Hades, this statement rings particularly accurate. The unpredictable skirmishes and fluid battles while navigating the underworld are engaging and ensure no two runs are alike. Yet, it’s the tranquil intervals between the action that truly sets Hades apart.
Upon death, you’ll find yourself back in your underworld abode, where you’ll be warmly welcomed by your fellow inhabitants. You’ll have the opportunity to deepen your relationships with them by exchanging gifts, and you’ll also get some fantastic upgrades for your deck, making your next journey a bit smoother.
Additionally, the hub location in the game shifts following every demise, ensuring that each death provides a new and exciting challenge, much like embarking on an escape mission. Dying in Hades is actually quite rewarding, though it’s always better to make an attempt at escaping before meeting your end.
10. Outer Wilds
The Ultimate Interstellar Puzzle
Time-loop games provide an engaging and satisfying experience through their intricate fail states. This is largely due to the process of trial and error that players encounter during gameplay, with learning and understanding being key factors in progressing through the game.
In the game Outer Wilds, you’ll discover that unraveling the mystery and breaking the time loop requires investigating an entire universe for hints. Completing this task within a single time loop without resorting to outside help or solutions is quite challenging.
This will inevitably lead to you crashing your ship and running out of oxygen, getting buried alive on the Hourglass Twins, or simply running out of time and witnessing the universe implode.
However, each time someone dies, you acquire fresh insights and become more adept at unraveling the puzzle that lies ahead. It’s an enriching journey, one I would gladly repeat without any prior knowledge.
9. Elden Ring
The Most Accessible Souls Struggle
Instead of many gamers quitting out of frustration upon death in a video game, Souls enthusiasts have a different constitution. Due to the challenging and harsh characteristics of these games, setbacks are simply an integral aspect of the experience.
Each supervisor is a trial of endurance and determination, while each fresh location presents hidden mechanisms to grasp and deceitful maneuvers to dodge. Even common foes in groups can teach you a lesson in humility.
You might assume this experience could lead to annoyance and a difficult time. However, the sense of accomplishment a player experiences upon conquering seemingly impossible challenges and triumphing over tough stages is truly unique.
If I could buy and stockpile that sensation, I’d go for a whole crate of it. But if you find the Souls formula hard to digest, Elden Ring is your best bet since there’s usually an alternate boss or fresh territory to discover, empowering you to overcome the challenging area you’re currently stuck in.
8. Session: Skate Sim
Do A Kickflip
In video games, a “fail state” doesn’t necessarily mean seeing the infamous ‘Game Over’ screen. These fail states can be quite brief and still serve an important purpose within certain games.
For instance, consider Session, an immersive skateboarding simulation that has kept me hooked for quite some time. In this game, you need to perfect intricate control systems and execute precise maneuvers to excel at tricks, discover fresh paths, and overcome in-game obstacles.
As a skateboarding enthusiast, I can attest that starting out, I could barely manage an Ollie over a curb or execute a basic pop shuv. But, as I took my fair share of falls and fumbled through slides and grinds, learning from mistakes by doing the incorrect trick now and then, I built up that muscle memory to pull off any trick at will.
Learning a skill while skating in real life is quite similar to this: mastering a trick requires going through various trials and errors, which are essentially small setbacks. It’s these mishaps that help bring you closer to achieving the ultimate victory. So, embrace the process, take each fall as a lesson learned, and eventually, you’ll perform that trick with style and grace.
7. Dead Space 2
Dumb Ways To Die
Even though many of these games make death less painful compared to others, it’s still not enjoyable when it happens instantly.
Yet, certain video games strive to ensure that each time you die, the event feels distinct and engaging, and Dead Space stands out as one of the best at crafting unique dying experiences.
As a hardcore gamer, I can honestly say that this game series is unmatched in its grisly and intense portrayal of violence. Every time Isaac Clarke meets his gruesome end – whether it’s being brutally torn apart by a Necromorph or having a botched intricate eye surgery lead to a violent demise – it never fails to send a shiver down my spine.
The main point is that if you’re a fan of gruesome scenes and particularly enjoy the brutal finishes in Mortal Kombat, then you will find plenty to appreciate about dying in Dead Space.
6. Celeste
Straight Back Into The Action
As a game enthusiast, crafting a game with an unquestionable end point without making the experience feel like a roadblock to enjoyment can be quite a challenge for a designer. Yet, Celeste manages to navigate this delicate balance with finesse. This game masterfully avoids making defeat seem like a game-killer or a damper on the fun.
In this contemporary platforming tutorial, you’ll frequently encounter failure due to the challenging nature of the gameplay, particularly when you’re trying to find the Strawberries hidden within each stage.
Instead, the game is designed to minimize failure intervals, quickly returning you to the gameplay after a mistake, creating an engaging and fulfilling experience for players in this platformer.
It can be a bummer to mess up a jump, but imagine how much worse it would be with a loading screen between each fail. Celeste side-steps this issue, and it’s all the better for it.
5. Disco Elysium
Embrace The Way Of The Hobocop
Video game failures typically serve as feedback, suggesting you try something different. This is often a consequence of not adhering to the game’s intended playstyle, and it encourages players to explore and interact with the game as the creators intended.
In role-playing computer games (CRPGs), the player’s autonomy takes center stage. Contrary to some other games, setbacks or failures are seen as part of the player’s decisions, not something to be avoided at all costs. This is particularly evident in Disco Elysium.
In this game, you step into the role of Harrier Dubois, a drunken amnesiac. It provides an opportunity for you to explore and act upon those unwanted thoughts that often intrude in your mind. For instance, you might decide to abandon your job as a detective by hiding in a trash bin, or find yourself succumbing to death due to an awkwardly uncomfortable chair. Moreover, it allows you to indulge in various vices, leading you to contemplate and even carry out some of the most appalling decisions one could imagine.
Regarding your decision-making journey so far, I’d encourage you to consider giving this approach a try at least once. It’s a unique experience where even the most epic failures are celebrated, which makes it quite intriguing. In my opinion, such an engaging game is definitely worth experiencing.
4. Neon White
Fast Or Fail
Have you ever attempted to surpass your personal best in a time-trial racing mode, competing fiercely with the spectral representation of your own record? It’s quite likely that this experience is more exhilarating than going up against artificial intelligence, as in most games, the toughest adversary you’ll encounter is often yourself.
Neon White ingeniously blends the idea behind it with the principles of time trials, first-person shooters, and platforming elements, creating a game where you can engage in speedrunning speedrunning itself.
As a player, falling short of the required time to conquer each level might seem like a hindrance. However, these setbacks serve as valuable lessons, nudging me to explore fresh perspectives and uncover hidden shortcuts that could potentially save crucial milliseconds.
The cringe anime-style writing is an acquired taste, but if you can get past that, you’ll be in for a real treat.
3. Burnout Paradise
Crash And Burn
As a gaming enthusiast diving into the high-octane world of racing games, it’s essential to have a unique selling point if you aim for competitive success. Gran Turismo stands out with its unparalleled realism, Need For Speed offers an adrenaline-pumping street racing experience, while Burnout is known for its exhilarating crashes and chaos.
In the game Burnout, when things are going smoothly, it often involves whizzing through city streets at high speeds, causing your opponents to crash. However, if things go poorly, you might find yourself veering off the road and colliding with a barrier instead.
You would think this would suck, but due to how satisfying the slow-motion crashes are, it really adds to the high-octane action of each race. Plus, if you wreck your car, if you take enough risks, you can easily get yourself back amongst the pack.
Wow, this game boasts an arcade-styled demolition derby known as “crash mode,” where the goal is to smash up and inflict maximum destruction. It’s quite a challenge to turn wrecking pricey sports cars into a fun pastime, but Burnout Paradise pulls it off spectacularly!
2. Sifu
Death Makes You Stronger
Dying in a game is rarely something that comes with any consequences other than needing to try again, let alone any positive consequences.
In the martial arts story, Sifu, if you perish, a special Talisman enables you to return from the grave, but with an added twist – you’ll return aged and more knowledgeable. As you can guess, this is both a boon and a burden.
With age, your combat skills will sharpen, increasing the potency of your actions and attacks. But remember, this enhanced ability also results in a gradual reduction of your total health points.
This style turns you into a sort of “glass-cannon” character, which can be beneficial since it allows you to conclude battles swiftly and prevent errors from creeping into your technique.
Nevertheless, these errors may turn out to be quite expensive, as ancient relics only carry you thus far. This fascinating idea transforms death into a fundamental element, and following many martial arts tales, it’s common for the elders to possess the greatest strength, which seems fitting in this context.
1. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Feuds, Rivalry & Revenge 
When you meet your in-game demise, it typically means a single instance that vanishes once you reappear, and your objective then becomes rectifying any mistakes made.
In a different world like Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, when you fall in combat, your foes rejoice and savor their triumphs. These skirmishes ignite sparks of enmity that can flare up into intense, lasting rivalries.
It’s due to the Nemesis system that insignificant, seemingly random NPCs are transformed into formidable Orc leaders and military commanders, consistently posing a challenge for you.
This method offers a thrilling motivation for players to hunt down particular foes, and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as getting your revenge. If you happen to be defeated by them, don’t let anger take over – instead, seek retribution!
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2024-12-16 15:40