Lockpicking and hacking in games

squallsnake

squallsnake

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Jan 27, 2013
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Does anyone really like all the lockpicking and hacking that are in current games?

For example, Fallout 3 had a ton of hacking and lock picking. Deus Ex had plenty of that too.

I guess I don't mind it but can get repetitive quick. At least it is better than blowing into the stupid mic on DS games...
 
Part of the thrill is wondering what is behind the door/chest that your are about to open. The lockpicking process may be boring, tricky and annoying, but it helps add to the satisfaction you get when you uncover some sweet loot at the end! :D
 
To be honest, I didn't really have a problem with it, as long as there was something worth it once you finish the lockpicking activity. Games such as Bioshock and Mass Effect had some of these lockpicking and safecracking activities. I thought they were fine, and didn't really hinder the game potential. What does irk me is if something just straight up needs a certain "level" to pick with no skill whatsoever. You should have lockpicking activities, and you can spend experience points or whatever to make the activity easier.
 
It depends on the game, some mini games can be obtuse and frustrating, but if the developer finds the right balance between challenge and ease of completion then they can be a gratifying experience, especially if the reward hidden behind the minigame is sufficient enough to make the lockpicking or hacking worthwhile. Personally I feel that this sort of mini game should never really take much longer than 30 seconds once the player is familiar with the rules of the minigame. Anything longer is just counterproductive.
 
I can't remember off hand but there was one earlier Splinter Cell game that had a bad lock picking mini game. But again, I would rather pick a lock and get some loot than be forced to blow into my DS Mic or using forced gyroscope controls.
 
Some games are really good at implementing lockpicking/hacking, but some games make it incredibly tedious and repetitive.
I think Fallout 3/New Vegas and Deus Ex were very successful with implementing these "minigames". In both of the games, it adds to the immersion and picking a lock isn't incredibly tedious (usually takes around 5-10 seconds in Fallout).
However, there are games that definitely overdo it and cause you to avoid locked doors just because it's so annoying to hack or pick a lock.
If any of you have played Warframe, hacking in it is incredibly simple and you can do it in around 3-5 seconds. Now that's the right way to implement lock-picking in your game!
 
Depends on the game. If it's hacking system is fun, I don't mind. Like the little mini game you play in Saints Row 4. It's nothing more than Pipe Dream from back in the 90's, yet it's still fun for me. Despite it coming up like 30+ times. Now, if it's like that hacking game in Mass Effect 1...I hate it. I hate it with a burning passion. You either did it or use up medi-gel.
 
I always liked the lockpicking or hacking in the games if these were hard enough. If it was challenging I was so into it that I always wanted to do these things. Sometimes it didn't feel like I would do it in real life, but it's hard to expect a game to be the same as the real life.
 
Fallout 3 definitely implemented the lockpicking/hacking the best. AC3 had lock picking, but it was kinda finicky, and the hacking in Watch Dogs wasn't really that great, but it was a good puzzle to say the least. BTW, if you're bored and you wanna do some Fallout 3 hacking, go to http://mitchellthompson.net/demos/terminal/ and practice. It's pretty fun.
 
Depends on which game we are talking about. Lock picking in games like Fallout 3, and Skyrim, seems to get too repetitive, and sometimes I find that it gets kinda boring. But some people find it entertaining, so I guess it also depends on the type of person you are.
 
I quite enjoy this in games and I've certainly played alot of different games implementing this feature. I quite liked the lockpicking in Oblivion, although that turned quite easy once you got the hang of it (at least for me, I remember friends that never actually figured it out) but I thought that was actually a pretty great lockpicking system. I think the Fallout lockpicking and hacking was quite good as well.
 
I remember back in the day the game genie was great to have. You could bring new life into old games. I'm wondering why they don't make those things now. I would love to have unlimited ammo in games like Call of Duty.
 
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