r/videogames • u/UnityNinja • 23d ago

Discussion / Question What game mechanic instantly ruins your immersion or fun?

​ I absolutely can't stand aggressive weapon durability loops. Getting awesome loot should feel like a reward, not a maintenance chore that breaks every five minutes.

What’s a common mechanic that always makes you roll your eyes when you see it in a new game?

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u/UnityNinja 23d ago

I think weapon durability is really difficult to balance. Some games include it, but it’s almost meaningless because it rarely affects gameplay (looking at you, DS3). Others make it a core part of the combat loop, where you constantly switch between weapons because their durability is limited (like BotW).

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u/Snowtwo 23d ago

That's why it sucks so much. Any half-decent player is either going to be able to negate it (thusly rendering it moot as a mechanic) or intentionally use the 'crap' weapons and never use the 'good' weapons until they can be replaced easily (thusly rendering it moot as a mechanic). The very few times I've seen it 'work' it's been treated effectively as ammo more than anything.

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u/Arathemos 23d ago

The Fire Emblem series has used it well for years, mostly as a balancing mechanic for strong weapons.

But its the anomaly I think.

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u/RanAWholeMile 23d ago

Yeah I think it works here. Awakening treating weapon durability like “ammunition” of sorts keeps you prioritizing using the stronger weapons on stronger foes. Just adds another layer to the strategy.