The Unwritten Rules of Video Games

It goes without saying that video games aren’t a very good reflection of reality. From day one they represented a new way to experience unrealistic things in a realistic way so it’s unsurprising that there are some classic video game traits that reflect that. These are some of the blatantly ludicrous examples of those traits that seem to find there way into every genre of gaming. We sincerely encourage you not to try any of these at home.

Unlimited Stamina

In many games you can cut through scores of enemies or run great distances without so much as breaking a sweat. Stamina is thrown completely to the wind and gamers can happily put their character through their paces without worrying about waiting five minutes for them to catch their breath back. Although completely unrealistic (especially considering the stereotypical gamer demographic) the unlimited stamina rule, that’s most commonly found in hack’n’slash games, is probably there more for convenience and a more fluid gaming experience.

Face Hits Hurt As Much as Foot Hits

This little rule is the bane of many gamer’s lives. Most commonly noticeable in the Call of Duty games, getting shot in foot unbelievably does the same damage as a bullet to the face. Logic would obviously dictate that this isn’t the case (please don’t go about trying to prove us wrong) but many, many games seem to think it’s okay that you can die from a shot to the foot. An innovative system that identifies where you’ve shot/hit a player should be standard for all FPS games, they’ve evidently implemented methods to make headshots more damaging so it’s about time they made foot shots less so.  

Anything Can Be Ingested With No Consequences

Many games that run a health bar mechanic normally have items laying around that are more common than med packs but heal less health, the problem is that many of these items are actually incredibly obscure and often inedible items. Bioshock Infinite is one of the more recent examples, you’re able to scavenge bins and chomp down on some rotten apples to heal that slither of crucial health. Fallout 3 is also a good example as you’re basically able to have an irradiated banquet without so much as a tummy ache! Although it’s helpful from a gaming perspective it’s also quite worrying that we’re all so okay with eating stuff off the floor, has nobody heard of the 5 second rule?

Bullet Wounds Heal In Seconds

Another classic trait of the FPS genre, this is where your character gets loaded with lead, hides in a corner and after a few deep breaths is fully recuperated and ready to kick ass again. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that unless you’re Wolverine your bullets wounds shouldn’t heal instantaneously, however this is a classic and constantly used trait that can be seen in literally hundreds of games both old and new. Granted it’s a pleasant alternative to a med pack/ health bar system (which is just as ludicrous) but it really does remove the feeling of reality from gaming, which ironically is what the FPS genre tries so hard to achieve.

Dead Bodies Disappear

This is the one unwritten rule that is prevalent in almost all video game types. The rule of thumb is that when you defeat an enemy they will disappear, if they don’t disappear then they simply aren’t defeated. It’s a clever method of immediate indication for gamers, helping to maintain the flow, however that’s simply not how things work in real life. Some games take it a step further and make fallen foes disappear in more theatrical fashions like a puff of smoke or an explosion whereas others use the typical fade out or retro “flicker”, very few actually seem to let the bodies pile up. This has been a rule dating back to some of the earliest examples of gaming (such as Asteroids) and is still a fundamental aspect of games today, nearly all games with defeatable enemies follow this rule and probably will until the end of time.

Are there any unwritten rules of gaming that you’ve noticed? Which of your favorite games follow the rules outlined above? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!