10 Optional Sections In Games We All Skip

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Some gamers dislike acknowledging a harsh reality – after shelling out between $50 and $70 for a game, they often find aspects of the title they don’t play. It leaves them feeling like they’ve wasted their money.

When I splurge on a game, I strive to make the most of every penny spent. However, it’s true that there are certain additional features or sections within the game that don’t quite resonate with me, and I often choose to bypass them.

Certain areas within games can seem unnecessary or lengthy. It appears as though these sections might have been included primarily for stretching out gameplay duration or boosting player interaction, potentially at the cost of game quality.

To check if we’re all in agreement, let me point out some optional game parts that we typically bypass together.

To identify the frequently ignored optional parts in games often skipped by many players, we examined popular social media discussions and online forums where players openly expressed their opinions about sections they deemed unnecessary, tedious, or time-wasting.

10.
Oxenfurt – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Coolest College In The Book Resorted To Boring Nothing-Scape

As a devoted fan of the books, I must admit that I was slightly disappointed by The Witcher 3’s portrayal of Oxenfurt, given its reputation for having some of the richest lore in an open-world game.

In the novel, Oxenfurt is depicted as a bustling university town rich in culture and activities. However, upon exploration by players in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the city appears rather sparse in terms of engaging content.

The city’s pride, its college, stands shut off and unreachable. Furthermore, there are scarcely any adventures within this place that significantly influence the central plot.

To put it simply, Oxenfurt doesn’t offer much that would make a visit worthwhile. Given its underwhelming nature, it might be wiser to avoid it entirely.

9.
Malis – Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

The Frustrating Volcano Climb Ain’t Worth It For A Crafting Location

One thing that makes Assassin’s Creed Odyssey really appealing is the ability for gamers to traverse different Greek isles and explore historical cities. Being a history enthusiast, I found this feature of the game incredibly enjoyable.

To put it into my own words, let me confess that even I crave a solid motive for exploring some of the more secluded isles. However, there’s one exceptional island that I wouldn’t dream of missing – it’s called Malis. Malis, without a doubt, is worth making a detour for.

In the given locale, there is just one captivating spot, namely Hephaistos’ forge, where you can enhance your engravings on weapons and armor. To be frank, due to my numerous other tasks in Odyssey, venturing to Malis often didn’t seem valuable enough.

Every time I need to forge my gear, I’ve got to scale a smoldering volcano, which ain’t exactly a walk in the park. Frankly, I’d say that region’s not worth the trek.

8.
Pacifica – Cyberpunk 2077

Former Resort Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

The metropolis of Night City possesses a vibrant, alive atmosphere that effortlessly draws me in, making it feel as if I’m partaking in a real-life simulation. With an abundance of activities such as taking showers, dining out, and performing various tasks at my disposal, I can almost transform it into a bustling city where life unfolds naturally.

In another aspect of Cyberpunk 2077, there’s one location I found disappointing and not worth exploring – Pacifica. Originally designed as a bustling resort destination within Night City, it was intended to attract tourists but failed due to financial constraints, leading to its seizure by criminal gangs instead.

It appears that place might offer an exciting adventure with numerous intriguing tasks. Regrettably, though, it doesn’t seem to live up to expectations.

In the Night City, you won’t find a way to burglarize the deserted stores in Pacifica, as the NPCs there are similar to those found elsewhere. I had a thrilling time on the rollercoaster ride in that area, but for most players, it might be better to concentrate on exploring other parts of Night City instead of focusing on Pacifica.

7.
Woodfolk Ruins – Elden Ring

Avoid If You’re Not Into Survival Horror

At the outset, I never anticipated that my immersion in the fantastical realm of Elden Ring would transition into a survival horror adventure. However, this is precisely what transpired during my journey through the Woodfolk Ruins.

Apart from being known as a rather dismal locale, it’s also where the Lesser Wormfaces reside. These creatures are quite unsettling to behold (it’s best not to search for their images if you haven’t already encountered them), and they produce eerie noises that will send shivers down your spine.

“The Woodfolk Ruins are overflowing with them.” Since there’s nothing particularly valuable to find in this location, I’d recommend giving it a miss. At the very least, “you’ll steer clear of any potential nightmares.”

The Woodfolk Ruins are brimming with them. As there’s no special loot to be found here, I advise moving on. At the very least, “you’ll manage to skip the terrors.”

Instead of saying “you’ll avoid the nightmares,” you could also say “you’ll dodge any potential horrors” or “you’ll be able to bypass the terrifying experiences.

6.
The Reach – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

So Many Forsworn, So Little Time

It’s clear that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim boasts one of the most engaging open worlds for exploration. Yet, certain regions often go unexplored by gamers.

One of the frequently encountered regions is known as “The Reach“, encompassing Markarth and serving as a dwelling place for numerous Forsworn.

Or, more casually:

One often-encountered territory goes by the name of “The Reach“. It includes Markarth and is home to many Forsworn.

It’s incredibly vexing dealing with the Forsworn, as they carry toxic arrows that often prove fatal for characters at lower levels, causing my gaming sessions to end prematurely on numerous occasions.

In many players’ experiences, The Reach region isn’t particularly bustling with activities, even though Markarth, being a Dwemer city, might seem interesting. With Skyrim’s expansive map, The Reach is often overlooked and under-explored in most gaming sessions.

5.
The Hissing Wastes – Dragon Age: Inquisition

A Pointless Area With Nothing Important

Dragon Age: Inquisition presents an unusual disparity between expansive regions brimming with numerous main quests and side-missions, while others seem sparsely populated. One such area experiencing this scarcity is the Hissing Wastes.

This region presents several drawbacks. To begin with, it is situated during the nighttime, which, while serene, can be somewhat less captivating compared to other areas in Inquisition. Additionally, it is a desert, meaning there aren’t many striking landmarks to discover within it.

Here, there isn’t much significant activity or mission beyond the dragon battle. The other side quests are mostly confined to this specific region.

There’s not a lot more than the dragon fight that matters here. Most of the additional tasks are localized within this area itself.

The Hissing Wastes is a wholly optional area that I always skip to avoid wasting my time.

4.
Van Horn Trading Post – Red Dead Redemption 2

This Town Probably Doesn’t Even Need To Exist

Delving into the realm of Red Dead Redemption 2 is nearly as gratifying as the gameplay itself. The towns, in particular, are a breath of civilization amidst the long stretches in the wilderness, always inviting and intriguing.

To put it another way, there’s one town, the Van Horn Trading Post, that isn’t particularly engaging. It has a few attractions such as a saloon and some duels, but it lacks substantial side missions or notable spots worth exploring.

Upon reaching the town, I expected a greater variety of activities or missions compared to the other towns I’ve been to. However, I found myself pleasantly let down by the limited amount of content available in this town.

The town seems almost as if it were added later without much thought, serving only to make certain quests more convoluted. In essence, this place feels so unimportant that I can hardly imagine why it should be included in the game at all.

3.
The Festering Cove – Baldur’s Gate 3

This Side Quest Is So Unwanted That Few Can Find It

In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are several fascinating locations to discover, yet one that experienced players might want to avoid revisiting after their initial playthrough is the place known as The Festering Cove. This destination can be found within Auntie Ethel’s region.

Within, there’s a group of Koa-Toa reverencing someone they refer to as BOOOAL. The crucial choice that lies ahead is whether you’re willing to offer up a fellow traveler in order to win BOOOAL’s approval.

If you’re using Durge, I can understand why it seems enticing; however, in the majority of situations, you likely wouldn’t want to irrevocably lose a party member.

The sacrificed companion also cannot be revived.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s perfectly fine to overlook this specific side mission as it has no influence on the game’s final outcome.

2.
Aite – Mass Effect 2

Skip The Entire Planet To Avoid A Pointless Quest

Planet Aite serves as the location for the Project Overlord task in Mass Effect 2, where gamers explore the possibility of a virtual intelligence (VI) escape. Throughout the mission, players traverse different areas of Aite until they reach the final station, where they must make a decision concerning the VI’s fate.

In my opinion, I felt that Project Overlord was more of a time-consuming endeavor without significant impact, as it has certain narrative consequences in Mass Effect 3 and even Andromeda, yet none that were profound enough to alter the overall storyline substantially.

The experience is quite repetitive and unoriginal as well. You traverse various chambers, engage in battles with the Geth, only to find more of the same. The encounters with the Geth seem endless, and it all feels like a copied pattern.

Because the benefits I gain from Aite and working on Project Overlord don’t outweigh the time and stress involved, I usually choose not to visit Aite and manage Project Overlord.

1.
Hundred Acre Woods – Kingdom Hearts

Nothing But Mini-Games And Nostalgia

In my opinion, Kingdom Hearts boasts an exceptional video game story, but I find it hard to grasp the purpose behind the Hundred Acre Woods. If you’re not particularly fond of Winnie Pooh, then it might be worthwhile to bypass this entire section altogether.

Upon stepping into the enchanted tome, I was always on edge, anticipating a looming crisis. Following every minor mission accomplished, every Winnie-the-Pooh character collected, and each fresh location unveiled in this realm, I continued to assume a formidable foe would eventually appear.

In the end, the Hundred Acre Woods didn’t see any visitors, instead becoming an area filled with mini-games and memories for Winnie the Pooh enthusiasts. I understand why it might be appealing as a peaceful retreat after battling Heartless, but given all the other worlds to explore in Kingdom Hearts, spending time here feels like a missed opportunity.

Re-phrased: It’s notable that Hundred Acre Woods encompasses an entire world rather than being limited to a single region, which makes it deserving of the number one position on our list of areas often skipped over.

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2025-05-26 16:44