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There's nothing worse than an amazing RPG that came close to perfection, but stumbled at the last hurdle, due to how it has one major issue that derailed the experience. These flaws can sour what would otherwise be some of the best games ever released.
This list won't mention unintentional issues, like bugs and glitches, or elements that were officially removed or altered in patches. No, these are issues that are present in the game forever, and can only be changed via modding.
Pokémon Red & Blue's Psychic-Type Balancing
The original Pokémon games created an unrivaled media empire, all from a duo of games released on hardware that was already antiquated. The allure of catching them all in Pokémon Red & Bluewas too strong, however, and fans lined up in droves to explore the Kanto region, battling every trainer along the way.
The biggest issue with Pokémon Red & Blue was the gameplay balance, as Psychic-types were overwhelmingly powerful, with few weaknesses. The player only needed a single Kadabra or Alakazam to carry them through every encounter, as few enemy creatures could stop them. Thankfully, Pokémon Gold & Silver addressed the issue by introducing Dark and Steel-type Pokémon, but that didn't help the people who stormed through the Kanto region, riding on the back of a spoon-wielding bulldozer.
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines Throws Stealth & Speech Builds Under The Bus
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines is one of the greatest cult classic video games of all time, one that was hamstrung at launch by its bugs. The glitches were eventually fixed by fans, but there is a bigger issue with the Kindred of Los Angeles, as the game is extremely punishing for certain builds.
Like the tabletop game it's based on, Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines isn't about combat, and it's possible to create social undead that talk their way out of situations, or stealthy characters who avoid problems altogether. The problem is that there are some mandatory fights that are hard for dedicated combat builds, and can make the game borderline unwinnable for players who aren't prepared for them, leading to softlocks and full resets for people who want to play a seductive or sneaky vampire.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion's Level Up System Screwed Over New Players
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is one of the best RPGs of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era, with a vast world that lets the player craft the character they want to play. The game introduced a unique leveling system to reflect this, as the player gained strength by increasing skills, which they did by using them over and over again, such as casting spells or swinging swords.
The problem with the Oblivion level system is that all enemies became stronger when the protagonist leveled up, meaning if the main character wasn't running an optimal build or had shoddy equipment, then there was a good chance they'd become a meal for the next enemy they encountered.
Persona 3's Tiredness Mechanic Slowed Down The Game
The main gimmick of the Persona series is that the player has to balance dungeon exploration and monster collecting with a standard high school life, where they have to study for exams and hang out with their friends. The packed schedule can lead to overworking, which was reflected in the Tired status effect in Persona 3.
If the protagonist burns the candle at both ends in Persona 3, they will earn the Tired status effect, which is meant to discourage them from visiting the dungeon or studying too much. The end result is that the player is pigeonholed into doing tasks they might not want to do, as Tired limits how often they can explore the dungeon. Thankfully, the Tired mechanic was finally scrapped in Persona 3 Reload, making it the definitive edition for those annoyed by how restrictive the original game was.
Secret Of Mana's Pausing For Items/Spells Kills The Multiplayer
It was rare for JRPGs to receive an international release on the SNES, and rarer still for them to have multiplayer options. This is why Secret of Mana is so beloved, especially in Europe, as it was a JRPG available in multiple languages, and could be played through with friends.
The problem with Secret of Mana's multiplayer mode is that it's an action RPG, but the game pauses whenever a character selects an item or a spell, something they'll be doing often. This makes the game extremely frustrating, as the action keeps being frozen without warning, as one player tries to heal, while the other is in the middle of performing an attack or dodging an enemy blow.
Deltarune's Lack Of An Escape Button Makes Some Battles Tedious
Undertale is infamous for letting the player go through the entire game without slaying an enemy. This could be done by befriending them, or, if things are getting dangerous, just running away. The player can attempt to flee from battle, giving them the breathing room to use healing items on the overworld.
For some unknown reason, Deltarune has no escape option in battle. This means players can be forced into battles they don't want to partake in, especially if they've already recruited a monster for their town. The end result can be losing health and needing to use healing items to survive until the next save point, as they have no choice but to go on the defensive and repeat the tricks from previous encounters that let them calm the enemy down.
Dark Souls Has A Shoddy Fast Travel System
The original Dark Souls is one of the most important video games ever made, but it's clear that FromSoftware was still perfecting the gameplay formula. Possibly the biggest issue with Dark Souls that was addressed in later games was the fast travel system, as it's not unlocked until the player defeats Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough, two of the hardest bosses in the game, and acquires the Lordvessel.
Not only does the player have to go through a good chunk of Dark Souls without fast travel, but even when it's unlocked, it only accesses a few areas. This means there's a ton of unnecessary running around between areas, leading to a lot of boredom when all the player wants to do is upgrade their gear or visit a shop.
Baldur's Gate Ends When The Bhaalspawn Dies
In the first two Baldur's Gate games, the protagonist is the child of Bhaal, the God of Murder, who had lots of children and implanted a piece of his divine essence into them, as part of a grand plot to return from the dead. This is given as a reason for the instant game over that happens when the protagonist dies, even though allies might have resurrection spells, as the divine essence destroys the body.
The problem is that anyone playing a Mage or a Thief character is going to be way squishier than the other Baldur's Gate party members, meaning all it takes is a single critical hit from an arrow to bring about a game over. The issue becomes less prevalent over time, as the protagonist gains levels and better gear, but the threat of an unfair reset hangs over every battle.
Final Fantasy 8's Draw System Wastes The Player's Time
Final Fantasy 8 had to step out of a massive shadow and be as distinct as possible from its predecessor. This might be why the game has so many bizarre systems, like Junctioning magic and learning abilities from equipping summon monsters, as the developers wanted to make it as distinct as possible.
One annoying system in Final Fantasy 8 involves acquiring spells, as the easiest way to get them is to steal magic from enemies using the Draw command. This process can take forever, especially for players who want to max out their spell count, as the easiest way to boost stats is to equip a full magic stock to one of them. Thankfully, modern remasters of Final Fantasy 8 have an option to speed up the gameplay, making the process easier, but it's still incredibly tedious.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Needs A Minimap
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won a seemingly endless selection of awards in 2025, but it didn't deserve any of them. Sure, it's a great game, but the developers are still being willfully obtuse over its lack of minimap, despite fans asking for one. This means there's a lot of needless backtracking around the more confusing areas, which is never fun in a game that's already quite long.
PC is by far the best platform to play Clair Obsur: Expedition 33, as there are mods that add minimaps to the game world. Those with a choice of platforms to play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should pick the PC version, install the mod, and never look back. Ignore what the developers have said about maintaining a sense of discovery during gameplay: this is about not wasting the player's precious leisure time, and preventing them running around the same corridors in search of an exit or a treasure chest.
