BCClicSwit

Not just push the button. Oh, no. You can
also PULL the lever, FIND the key, LOCATE
the door release mechanism or SEARCH for
the Gem/Emerald/Anything else of high
monetary value. They all send you where
you don't need to go.

There's little more frustrating in a game than
getting past a tough section, reaching a
door, and finding out you need- for no
reason- a YELLOW key to open it. Not a
red one. No, that will never do. Only a
yellow one will do it.

And, strangely enough, somebody has
helpfully left said key on the floor in the next
room.

But why is this done? Why are we forced to
do this? It's pointless. It's dull.

Maybe it's for 'Variety'. A lot of games
feature little mental work, so rather than
devise some proper puzzles, they make
simple Find the Key Objectives to fool
people into thinking they're learning.

Maybe it's to increase playtime. Treading
the same grounds over and over repeatedly
makes it easier for developers to make a
longer game.

And maybe, probably in fact, it's to give the
player a feeling of purpose. Rather than
wonder about aimlessly for hours, players
have a target. It breaks the monotony. It
keeps the player interested. Does it make
for a better game?

Maybe.