Sitting down to play a top-tier game is the highlight of being a gamer. Every year, a handful of elite titles shape the industry, and playing them gives us a glimpse of the future of gaming. But sometimes, these games also have elements that are better left in the past. In this list, we break down the top 10 ways even the best games can miss a beat.
10. Encumbrance (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Skyrim is all about creating your own adventure. You use the skills you like, undertake the quests that sound cool, and travel to places that look interesting. The sense of discovery is thrilling...but stopping off at your house to drop off a payload of magic items, dragon bones, and giants’ toes is not. For a game so focused on exploration, you spend a surprising amount of time in menus managing your items to avoid over-encumbrance and retain your ability to use the fast-travel option.
9. Being A Big Daddy (BioShock) 
You spend the whole game living in fear of the dreaded Big Daddies. The behemoths are the fiercest foes in BioShock, roaming Rapture’s corridors and ready to attack. Late in the game, you must become a Big Daddy yourself. After a quest that involves collecting the necessary pieces, you finally suit up and…nothing. No drill, no rail gun, no cool powers…just an escort mission waiting to be completed. What a let-down.
8. Vehicles (Bayonetta)
If you want a finely tuned, over-the-top, stylish action game, you can’t go wrong with Bayonetta. However, you also have to be okay with a few levels that have nothing to do with why you want to play the game. Bayonetta occasionally holsters her guns and sheathes her swords to hop on a motorcycle or in-flight missile. For these segments, you just need to grit your teeth and plow through, because plenty of good stuff awaits you on the other side.
7. Gummi Ship (Kingdom Hearts) 
Most people think of the original Kingdom Hearts solely as an action/RPG, but those people have blocked the awful shooter segments from their memory. Customizing a spaceship is a cool feature in lots of games, but when you’re anxious to get to the next grandiose, Disney-inspired world, the last thing you want to do is waste time tinkering with a machine with one of the Rescue Rangers coaching you along.
6. Creepers (Minecraft)
Minecraft wouldn’t be the same game without Creepers. In that sense, it’s hard to say that they are a bad feature. However, their ability to destroy blocks doesn’t target your character; the in-game damage from an explosion is nothing compared to the heartbreak you experience as a player when your beloved home, statue, airship, or other structure is partially destroyed. Yes, it adds tension, but wouldn’t it be nice to play Minecraft in Survival Mode while just taking the Creepers out of the mix?
Next: The top five worst parts of otherwise great games...