It was almost gone. Weapon durability has slowly been leaving major games as a common mechanic, and those of us who despise limits on our weapons could almost celebrate. However, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is on the horizon, and the debate over weapon durability has returned.
Why is Weapon Durability Bad for Open World RPG Games?
Before jumping into the thick of it, we should differentiate which games shouldn’t have to limit durability on tools. One of the recent examples of a game that has great use of limited tools is the Resident Evil 4 Remake. Utilizing the knife in that game can make you unstoppable and learning how to parry is integral to becoming a deadly Leon. The knives will eventually break though, and you’ll have to use something else until a repair is possible.
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Is Weapon Durability Artificial Difficulty?
The way that many gamers at this point in time see difficulty has changed, mainly with generations. Games used to have much more emphasis on item management, which leans heavily into the tool limitation. It was important to be able to choose your battles and your items to make it through a game. In something like Resident Evil 4, none of the fights are mechanically difficult by any means. It’s the lack of tools and choosing what you should use that creates the challenge.
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Why do Players Like Weapon Durability in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?
On the other side of the debate, the durability of tools forces players to engage with everything in the game. Your spear broke? Now you have to utilize that sword you found 20 minutes ago. You’re out of ranged options? Time to throw some bombs and hope you can move onto the next stage. Instead of hoarding all the items they find along their travels, everything is used, much like a survival game.