Top 10 Video Game Logics That Don't Make Sense

We love video games, but sometimes even we're a little confused by their logic. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 Video GameLogic That Doesn't Make Sense.

For this list, We're drawing attention to the cliches and elements of video games that have endured for quite some time, yet when examined closely are bizarre at best and utterly nonsensical at worst. We won't be fixating entirely on the logic of a particular series or game, but rather logic that applies to a wide range of games.

One doesn't have to wonder why this is unbelievable. Many a role-playing game grants the player access to a wide range of weapons, powers, and equipable items, as a means of empowering them. In theory this makes sense... except that “empower” in this context means retaining the ability to jump, run, and perform other feats of agility while wearing hundred-pound armour. What's more, there is little indication that armour causes any strain on a game character's body whatsoever. While we get the sentiment of power fantasy, it's still bizarre.

Apparently hair salons use magic spells – or it's just questionable design. Regardless, sandbox games tend to let players customize their characters, down to hairstyle. Thelogical problem with this is simple: with the more elaborate haircuts like mohawks or afros, where is the extra hair coming from? This leap in thinking also has an impact on immersion; developers aiming for realism, like “Grand Theft Auto” developer Rockstar Games, have to account for every moment where suspension of disbelief is at risk.

Ever wondered why burly or combative characters don't just break down doors? Well, that's an active design choice. Wooden doors are universally made to be impenetrable via brute force, even if you're playing as a muscle-bound soldier or a sword-wielding warrior. Instead, the player must find an alternate route around the door... or find a key... or another obscure solution. Rarely does a game take the straightforward path of having you teach the door a thing or two.

For all the setup, enemies sure are stingy about ammunition. Gamers know this scenario well: it's the end of a fierce battle, with your character running low on rounds or assorted ammo. All your foes have been downed, leaving their weapons and supplies for the taking. You run over to claim the goods for yourself... and surprise, you get little more than a few rounds for your trouble. Worse yet, said foes had unlimited ammo for the duration of the fight, making this both an insult and an eyebrow-raising leap in logic.

It's amazing what people will shrug off over the course of a game. Iconic heroes are something of a given in video games, from the robe-clad Assassins of “Assassin's Creed” to vigilante Corvo's skull mask from “Dishonored”. Yet their truly awe-inspiring visual design comes at a cost: subtlety. These characters stick out like a sore thumb in crowds... but for whatever reason, the average civilian isn't gaping in surprise or running in terror. Instead people just go about their everyday business, not paying any mind to the robed man running across rooftops.

We'd understand lava or acid, but water? Yes, somehow water became the de facto instant death substance in games, with characters dropping dead instantly the second they venture too far into its depths. What makes this more of a quizzical design decision is that it's contrary to the survival capabilities of many game heroes; ex-outlaw John Marston of “Red Dead Redemption”, for example, can survive multiple gunshots to the chest. But if he steps in water – oh no, that's completely unreasonable. The concept of a human drowning isn’t all that far fetched, by why does Frogger croak the second he gets wet?

Stealing is fun... is what we would say if we were role-playing game heroes, apparently. Many classic RPGs put the player in the shoes of an allegedly noble hero, sent to do good and inspire the masses. But since new equipment isn't cheap and rewards from battles can be hit-or-miss, it's time to hit up the local homes for goods. Players can simply enter people's homes and loot their belongings without consequence, potentially leaving families in an impoverished state. Yep, definitely feeling heroic right now.

One of the more timeless elements, this is nevertheless intriguing. If you've played a classic platforming game, such as 1985's “Super Mario Bros.”, you may be familiar with the one-hit death mechanic. It goes like this: if your character so much as lightly touches an enemy, they instantly die. Other games have expanded on this, by making your character take damage if they come into contact with a foe. Nice effort, but that doesn't explain why physical contact immediately equates to pain and potential death.

It's astounding what game developers will decide to limit and what they'll keep open. Take the inventory system of many games: it dictates that a character can pick up and carry countless large or heavy items at once. Yet in terms of ammunition, said character cannot retrieve and use more than a set amount – for instance, in the first-person shooter “Doom”, the player is limited to holding 50 shotgun rounds at a time. It's weird enough that some games allow you to carry over 10 weapons without a trace on your person.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

The perilous Chest-High Wall
Bikini Armour
Lit candles and torches in ancient temples
Quest rewards exceeding the quest's worth
Blowtorches can fix a flaming tank

We were perplexed enough by defibrillators acting as the cure to mortal injury. But in video games, it's food that has the more bizarre role. As it stands, consuming food in a game heals your character of any and all ailments. What's more distracting, however, is that it can heal a character at any given time; whether they're in pitched combat or experiencing a lull period, food instantly improves their health. Why this became the go-to cliche for healing items, we'll never quite know.

Do you agree with our list? What video game logic makes you scratch your head in confusion? For more inquisitive Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.