How do you feel about missable materials or key items?

I

  • Always Hate it

    Votes: 52 48.1%

  • Always Love it

    Votes: 4 3.7%

  • Usually Hate it

    Votes: 33 30.6%

  • Usually Love it

    Votes: 19 17.6%
  • Total voters
    108
cormack12

cormack12

Gold Member
Playing through TLOU Pt 1 again, and it's probably the easiest example to recall with the training manuals or supplements.

Obviously there are countless other examples as well, Johnnys gear or thr katana in Cyberpunk, Final Fantasy games, old resi games etc.
 
I usually like the prospect of there being enough in a game to reasonably miss some stuff.

But I think what's even better is the when you have to make concious permanent choices about your character. JC Denton in Deus Ex comes to mind with the augs.
 
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I'm currently playing King's Field and I love it.

I hate it when games try to hold your hand on everything. :(
 
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Hate it sometimes. I get frustrated when i spend too much time checking every little area in a big map, like in Robocop for example, and end up missing a chest or something that contains upgrades. But if it's just a meaningless item where it's sole purpose is to unlock a trophy then i wont bother.
 
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Things like this do annoy me a bit but I suppose it's all part of the charm of exploration and feeling you are rewarded for looking in every nook and cranny.
 
If you don't find the Stim Canisters in Fallen Order, you're gonna have a bad time.
(I haven't played Survivor yet. I assume it's the same.)
 
It really depends on the implementation, but generally I like it.
I think having relevant elements (be it weapons, armor, upgrades or even bosses and levels) be missable is a key component of making exploration actually feel rewarding.
When devs worry too much about all players getting and seeing everything you end up with exploration that only rewards you with boring currency you don't really need, or randomly generated loot that's crap 95% of the time or sidequest that have nothing to offer except maybe a decent story (if you are very lucky)
 
Depends on how it is done. Also, when I think of missable I think no back tracking will get it, it's gone and you need another playthrough to get it
 
In gaming, few things are more defeating than realizing you missed that item/event, and you don't have a save that will let you go back to get it, so the only option is a full new playthrough. I usually just make peace with it and move on at that point, but it's not a good feeling.
 
Usually hate it but it depends how it's implemented.

- unique item that's in a treasure chest in some dungeon that's inaccessible after you beat it? That sucks. At least give us SOME way to get it another way, even if it's more of a PITA

- RPG where your choices can result in you getting or missing some key items, or ask you to choose one or the other? That is usually pretty cool.
 
I like it, it's makes the act of exploring rewarding.

I'm also type of person who enjoys playing games multiple times so even if missed out some stuff in my first playthrough then I can get excited get things I missed out on my second playthrough.
 
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It ticks me off when it has no clear use or causes a butterfly effect. For example, there is a mysterious liquid in the original Silent Hill that is tied to the best ending.
 
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Its generally a good thing imo and shows you have mastery/knowledge of a game when you acquire said items. I understand in today's environment of dogshit 60 hour open world games nobody replays games anymore, but typically in past gens you play a game more than once and discover new things the second or third time through :)
 
During the glory days of Sierra adventure games, fucking yourself by missing a key item was simply considered part of the gameplay.
"Al Lowe says save early, save often!"

I think LucasArts started the trend of making that impossible in their titles, no "walking dead" states.
 
Fbh said:
It really depends on the implementation, but generally I like it.
I think having relevant elements (be it weapons, armor, upgrades or even bosses and levels) be missable is a key component of making exploration actually feel rewarding.
When devs worry too much about all players getting and seeing everything you end up with exploration that only rewards you with boring currency you don't really need, or randomly generated loot that's crap 95% of the time or sidequest that have nothing to offer except maybe a decent story (if you are very lucky)
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Some RPGs you'll obviously stuck being underpowered /less skilled if you just rely on main missions like Skyrim, the game literally wants you to get lost in the map and discover new areas out of curiosity.
 
It's cool, provides replay value, can generate old schoolyard rumors which by extension creates word of mouth and exposure. I mean, let's face it, bros. Gaming is never going to truthfully evolve if the gold standard metric remains "Become movies,"

We've got streamlined saving, checkpoints, crossplay, suspend play, remote play, multi platform games that allow customization of every possible variable in gameplay (think TLOU2) and the more recent move to include easy difficulty on Soulsborne titles and eliminate fucking game overs in Dragon Age. I mean, I get that there's a portion of the audience whose going to come home after a long day of real life, get insulted by their videogame and go postal, but for everyone else, they'll be pointing accusing fingers at you when the newest Gaming qol feature is autoplay.
 
Being a roguelike fan I love having to backtrack several floors or dungeons to find that missing item for the next floor. But I completely understand if it's not everyone's cup of tea.
 
As long as the item in question doesn't lead to a "hehe, you got a bad ending/You can't progress, because you didn't look in this obscured, unmarked part of map," (I despise Silent Hill and Chrono fucking Cross) type of trash, I'm fine with it.

I have replayed Final Fantasy 7 (OG), for cool weapons that I missed out on, and only found out later. It was enough motivation. Specially when your game is fun as is.
 
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Depends on the type of game and if the game has points of no return. The last one I remember annoying me was early on in the RE4:Remake. I missed a treasure item and was locked out of backtracking to it.
 
As long as you have a level select after clearing the game to sweep up any collectables I don't mind them.
 
Slighlty offtopic. But missable items that prevent you from finishing the game, after hours of gameplay, unable to get said item. I'm looking at you Sierra, King's Quest and Police Quest.
 
Games today are filled with items I know dragon age origins has a point of no return, you're not beating majora easily without the fierce diety mask.
 
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I don't mind it if the game hands me a gimmie of each type so I know they exist. Just don't put them too out of the way, just enough so I can explore the environment.
 
Making the good but optional stuff (like the training manuals in TLOU) missable is what makes exploring in those games so rewarding.
 
I like it because it makes discoveries feel earned and provides surprises on repeat plays.

I don't need to be spoon-fed and I won't complain if I'm not.
 
Missable in the sense of "sorry you went to this area in the wrong order" or "talked to an NPC too late" (I'm looking at you From Soft) is the worst.
 
Missable is fine so long as the game doesnt cheat you. Like say missing a few Ancient Dragon Smithstones in Elden Ring because you chose one route in a quest rather than another is perfectly fine…But missable because you played a area,level or whatever out of order is horseshit if the game doesnt make it clear theres a legit route to take.
Missable key items though, not many games do that, assuming by key item we mean a 'item needed to progress'
 
Don't care. You only know they exist if you are using a guide or otherwise spoiling the game for yourself. I do neither. I just play the game and whatever happens, happens.
 
Badlucktroll said:
iu
when i find out i have to massivley backtrack in order to do shit for a platinum, or start a new playthrough
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Seriously. I started looking at the Plat trophy guide to see how many playthroughs or what is marked as "Missable" before starting to play. Being able to go back and play levels is okay (and allows post game fun), but linear games that require you do some random thing in a level or you have to start all over again drives me nuts
 
I'm ok with it if it's not integral to begin with but I appreciate games that have a tighter equipment selection that makes you want to fill in the missing pieces. Same for skill aquisition. If the goal is feasible and is readily within reach I will go for it.
 
It's especially bad in FROM's games because of how vague and cryptic the quests in these games are and you have to guess many times what to do, only to realize later that you just locked yourself out of a very good item and the only way to get it now is to do another playthrough.

These are the only games where i check the internet before i make a decision that looks like it's a part of a quest. And even then i still manage to miss something because even something as simple as walking to a place on the map can break a quest or piss off an NPC.
 
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Ozzie666 said:
Slighlty offtopic. But missable items that prevent you from finishing the game, after hours of gameplay, unable to get said item. I'm looking at you Sierra, King's Quest and Police Quest.
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That shit should be illegal. I always hated the Sierra point and click games for it even if they were splendid otherwise.
 
nkarafo said:
It's especially bad in FROM's games because of how vague and cryptic the quests in these games are and you have to guess many times what to do, only to realize later that you just locked yourself out of a very good item and the only way to get it now is to do another playthrough.

These are the only games where i check the internet before i make a decision that looks like it's a part of a quest. And even then i still manage to miss something because even something as simple as walking to a place on the map can break a quest or piss off an NPC.
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I agree, I think it's just plain bad and one of the few things I absolutely hate about their games.
 
If the game allows me to backtrack to it whenever to get it again, I'm fine.
If it's a literal once in a play through chance, then I literally hate that shit.
They do this on purpose to make completions replay that game and lock them in for at least one more play through.
 
I've missed the Resident Evil 4 remake all treasures village trophy twice now because I didn't pick up a small key that's essential to unlock a treasure chest. Worse still is that there are points of no return within the village preventing you from getting them, even if you are still in the village.
 
It's annoying, but I guess that's what NG+ is there for lol

Take Tales of Symphonia. There's a lot of missable stuff, but you can't get 100%in a single playthrough anyway because of mutually exclusive items or even characters. It's still fine in my book.
Then compare with Tales of Vesperia, where not only is there lots of hidden items and quests, but most of these are very time-sensitive, to the point that it probably is impossible to get everything by yourself. While you could theoretically 100% the game in one playthrough, this will never happen without a guide; now this I hate.
 
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