Modern games promote freedom of choice in a way that has never been seen before, with most RPGs allowing players to do everything possible to attain their goals. The idea ofgiving players multiple options to tackle any given objectivemakes these games such a blast to play through, with the simple act of opening a door also being made possible in several ways.
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For starters, players can find a key to open said door or blast it to smithereens if making noise isn’t all that much of an issue. Of course, another course of action that players can take is to silently lockpick these doors to gain access instead. Lockpicking has taken onmany forms throughout the history of video games, mainly in the form of minigames that can range from engaging to downright frustrating. Examples of the latter are listed below.
9Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2is a great title that expands on its predecessor in several ways. However, after a point, the bland open-world flavor of this title becomes pretty uninspiring after a point.
Even the lockpicking in this title is pretty basic, replicating the same mechanics seen in titles like Skyrim. Opening chests over and over again makes for a frustrating time, especially if players are tired of this one-note minigame.
8Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacyis easilyone of the bestHarry Pottergames around, but there’s no denying that this title does fall into the conventional trappings of most modern open-world games. Somehow, even the magical use of Alohomora didn’t escape the lockpicking minigame treatment.
The idea of having to play a generic locking minigame after casting Alohomora grates players to no end.Hogwarts Legacymight have several things going for it, but the padding is something that most players don’t really appreciate.
7Fallout 4
Fallout 4isa great open-world RPG, even if some people feel like the game didn’t reinvent the wheel as much as it should’ve. The fact that the lockpicking mechanics have remained unchanged since theSkyrimdays is proof enough of this.
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There’s no denying that lockpicking in the game is functional and effective… but that simply isn’t enough for players. Changing up this minigame quite a bit would’ve been more warmly received by players.
6Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The New Orderis a great game that is full to the brim with incredible shooting action. The relentless action is part of what makes this game so special… so players were genuinely puzzled to see the game forcefully slow down its breakneck pace with lockpicking minigames.
This happens if players choose to sacrifice Fergus and save Wyatt. This allows B.J. to lockpick certain doors across the campaign, which is about as exciting and welcome as one might expect.
5Judgment
Judgmentreally leans hard into the whole concept of a detective working to solve a crime while beating up baddies along the way. So, it’s only a given that this game would feature lockpicking mechanics as well.
This mechanic features the patented tumbler mechanic where players must lift and position the tumblers of a lock in place. It’s definitely not the most egregious minigame on this list, but mostplayers who want to mess about with the combat systemwill be less than elated at the prospect of opening locks in the game over and over again.
4Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Unchartedis a series known for its amazing action set pieces that are a joy to behold.Lost Legacyserves as a standalone expansion to the fourth game which is pretty interesting in its own right.
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This game also features lockpicking, with its mechanics being fairly well-presented if somewhat uninspired. Given how the main draw ofUnchartedis exploration and action, lockpicking will be far down the list of priorities for most players in this game.
3Thief (2014)
TheThiefreboot had the chance to be something really special but ended up being a pretty mediocre title. It’s a shame since Garrett could’ve come out swinging after a long hiatus only to be forgotten once again.
The game’s stealth mechanics itself were pretty uninspired, and this stretched to lockpicking as well. While the idea of being caught at a moment’s notice while lockpicking was pretty strenuous, this was the only bit of depth in a mechanic that had been done to death and was handled way better in the first twoThiefgames.
2Risen 2: Dark Waters
Piranha Bytes are known asthe makers of theGothicseries, one of the most immersive open-world titles ever made.Risenwas pretty much a spiritual successor of sorts, with the games being quite enjoyable in their own right.
However,Risen 2: Dark Watersdecided to add a lockpicking mechanic that was anything but great. For a studio known to be unique, the fact thatRisen 2’s lockpicking mechanics involved the same tumbler players have seen time and time again was pretty disappointing.
1Elex
Speaking of Piranha Bytes,another title that they developed isElex, a game that combines both science-fiction and fantasy into one seamless package. Despite its issues,Elexbecame a cult classic with players loving all the new spins to its gameplay and the Piranha Bytes formula as a whole.
However, the lockpicking was anything but ingenious, serving as a reskin of what was present in theRisengames. It’s a small blip in what is otherwise a pretty fun action RPG that players can enjoy as long as they ignore the game’s jank.
