Some of the Most Frustrating Puzzles in Gaming
Are puzzles just about the most fun thing about gaming? We think so. They’re a welcome break from the combat, the platforming, and the fast-paced action that makes up a lot of our favourite titles. Puzzles appear in just about every type of game, from the Zelda games to adventure games and more, and they’re an enjoyable part of gaming.
But then you’re faced with a very difficult one, and your opinion of them might change. We’re not even talking about the hardest ones ever, or the ones that have stumped the internet for years; we mean puzzles that are so obtuse, so impossible to figure out with only the crudest of hints, that you’d rather throw your controller against the wall and start again. Here are the most frustrating puzzles in gaming.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - The Laser Gate Puzzle
The hardest puzzle in the entire Metal Gear series tasks you with getting past a laser gate. This is where things get absolutely ridiculous, as you have to convince the guard at the gate that it’s nighttime. That’s it. That’s the only thing you have to do. If you’re ever stuck, just try to convince the guard that it’s nighttime. No, seriously.
This puzzle appears in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. To get past the laser gate, you need to find a key on an electrified subway track. So, you have to first return to your apartment, then you need to use a gold ring to get a clamp. The gold ring is in a fish tank, and you need to use a water pistol to get it. The water pistol is in your bathroom, and you need to use a banana to get it. The banana is in your kitchen, and you need to use it to get a carrot. The carrot is in your fridge, and you need to use it to get a fork. The fork is in your bedroom, and you need to use it to get a fish. The fish is in the fish tank, and you need to use the clamp on it. The clamp is in your bathroom, and you need to use the water pistol to get it. The water pistol is in your kitchen, and you need to use the carrot to get it. The carrot is in your fridge, and you need to use it to get a fork. The fork is in your bedroom, and you need to use it to get a fish. The fish is in the fish tank, and you need to use the clamp on it.
That’s just to get the key, where you have to distract the guard with a soda can and throw the key at him to get it. You then need to use the key to open the gate, walk through it, and get electrocuted. If that doesn’t sound like a hassle, we don’t know what does.
The Goat Puzzle
The Goat Puzzle is simple in theory, but frustrating in practice. You’re stuck in a room. Outside, an aggressive tethered goat is obstructing your path. You need to find your way past it.
This is easier said than done, as when you approach the goat, it charges at you, making it impossible to get past. To get past the goat, you need to find a way to get it to charge at you, but not kill you. To do this, you need to find a way to get it to charge at you, but not kill you.
This, in itself, is a frustrating task, as you have no weapons, no way to defend yourself, and you have to be so careful. However, the true challenge isn’t even in getting past the goat, it’s in new game plus, when you attempt to collect all of the red cubes.
The Longest Journey - The Electrified Subway Track Puzzle
The most convoluted puzzle in The Longest Journey begins with a key that you need to reach, but it’s on an electrified subway track. So, you need to return to your apartment, then use a gold ring to get a clamp. The gold ring is in a fish tank, and you need to use a water pistol to get it. The water pistol is in your bathroom, and you need to use a banana to get it. The banana is in your kitchen, and you need to use it to get a carrot. The carrot is in your fridge, and you need to use it to get a fork. The fork is in your bedroom, and you need to use it to get a fish. The fish is in the fish tank, and you need to use the clamp on it. The clamp is in your bathroom, and you need to use the water pistol to get it. The water pistol is in your kitchen, and you need to use the carrot to get it. The carrot is in your fridge, and you need to use it to get a fork. The fork is in your bedroom, and you need to use it to get a fish.
This is just to get the key, where you have to distract the guard with a soda can and throw the key at him to get it. You then need to use the key to open the gate, walk through it, and get electrocuted. If that doesn’t sound like a hassle, we don’t know what does.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy - The Babel Fish Puzzle
Babel Fish are among the best fishes the industry has ever seen. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy game, it seems easy – at first. You can get a Babel Fish from a dispenser, and toss it at a group of enemies to defeat them. That’s all well and good, but when you look at the bigger picture, it’s anything but.
To start with, you need to hand over a bunch of gold to a dragon, including items such as a gold belt buckle. Once you’ve done that, you can get the dragon to sleep, so you can sneak past him. The problem? You need to use the Babel Fish to communicate with the dragon, which means you need to find one to be able to communicate with him.
Silent Hill 3 - The Shakespearean Name Puzzle
The developers of Silent Hill 3 decided that everyone playing their game on hard must be very knowledgeable about Shakespeare. In order to progress through the game, you need to figure out a four-digit code to a door, with your only clue being a poem. Guessing somebody’s name with no real clues is less of a puzzle and more of an impossible task.
Fez - The Cube Puzzle
The puzzle that makes Fez the hardest puzzle game around is fairly simple in the grand scheme of things, but still one of the most frustrating. You need to find a series of cubes, but they’re all in out of the way places.
To do this, you need to use a special ability that allows you to rotate the world to change the location of the cubes. The only problem is, you have no idea where to look, and the game doesn’t give you any real direction.
