View source for Point of no return (video game term)

[[Image:Final Fantasy VI - SNES - Screenshot - End of the World.png|thumb|256x256px|A major point of no return in ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]''.]]

In [[video game]]s, a '''point of no return''' occurs when a section of the game becomes inaccessible thereby preventing the player from achieving any subsequent goals in that section. Although a point of no return is an important mechanic of game design, it can be difficult to implement in such a way that it doesn't cause an [[unwinnable state]].

==Definition==
The term "point of no return" is typically applied to games where the story plays an important role like [[Adventure video game|adventure games]] or [[role-playing video game]]s, and only if significant sections of the game become inaccessible. Te be "significant," the inaccessible section of the game should be large in size, or contain something that is necessary to progress the story. Also, it's only worth mentioning a point of no return if there is still a decent percentage of the game left to play. It doesn't make sense to bother with the term "point of no return" if a single unimportant room is closed off, or if the player can't return to the beginning of the game after they've entered the final dungeon, these are not significant

Also, while action games which use discrete stages or levels also prevent the player returning to earlier maps, this is their expected play mechanic, so the term is rarely used on them. Some web sites, like [[TV Tropes]], list many games with such minor points of no return, even stating that the partial [[ratchet scrolling]] used in ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' counts as a point of no return multiple times in each level. I find this usage unhelpful because it would mean that a game like ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' has a point of no return each time a coin is scrolled off the map, rendering the term moot.

==Usage==
There are many reasons for why a game designer may implement a point of no return. The most common use is because it's a requirement due to the progression of the story. For example, halfway through ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' the entire world is torn asunder in a massive cataclysm. Obviously, if the player could return to the towns and forests that were just obliterated, it would completely ruin immersion, so all those sections of the game become inaccessible out of necessity.

Another popular reason for instituting a point of no return is to help eliminate boredom by forcing the player to progress through the game. Once a player has achieved every goal in a major area, there is no reason for them to return since no additional progress can be made, and, if a player hangs around such an area, they find it quite dull. Developers could mention this through dialogue or by showing a completed checkbox in a map screen, but it's more effective to simply lock them out of the area entirely. Doing so helps push the player into exploring new areas of the game making it harder for them to become bored.

A point of no return can be an effective storytelling tool, but it also introduces a lot of potential design problems. The biggest problem occurs when the player is allowed to cross a point of no return before they finish a goal that they cannot complete after the point of no return. When this happens, the player has entered an [[unwinnable state]]. For example, in the game ''[[King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!]]'', using a sled sends the player to the bottom of a hill where they cannot climb back up, locking them out of the first half of the game. If the player does this before acquiring several key-items, they will become stuck without a way to get back to those items. And, if they overwrite their save game, they will have no choice but to restart from the very beginning!

Some games attempt to resolve this problem by making it clear to the player that they're about to cross a point of no return, and then asking them to confirm that they're ready. For example, near the end of ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'', the game asks you, "Once you leave for Bahamut, you will not be able to return. Continue?" I don't like this method for two reasons: first, it breaks the fourth wall, and second, since the player won't know if they truly have everything they need, it doesn't actually prevent them from missing an important item.

A cosmetic downside to a point of no return is that it locks the player out of an area they may enjoy for sentimental reasons. In games with good atmosphere, players often have favorite areas where they just like to look at the scenery, listen to the music, or battle the monsters, and they don't like being unable to return to those areas.

==Personal==
Although I had played dozens of games growing up which have a point of no return, the first game where I clearly remember there being a major transition was in ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' where entering the World of Ruin closes off the majority of the game. In fact, in one play through attempt, I got up to this point, and, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back, spent so much time in the World of Balance trying to find any missed side-quests, that I actually got bored of the game and stopped playing!

I appreciate games where the player can backtrack as far as they like, ''[[Loom]]'' is a great example because you don't reach a point of no return until just before the very end. However, I also understand why a point of no return is a necessary aspect of telling a good story because they add a sense of permanence to the events. When a point of no return exists, I absolutely hate it when the designers allow the player to miss plot-crucial items. For those games which feature such points of no return, I prefer to have their plot spoiled for me rather than get stuck in an unwinnable state.

==Examples==
: For all games with a point of no return, see the [[:Category:Game Mechanic - Point of No Return|category]].

{| class="wikitable"
! Title !! Description
|-
| ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' || A major point of no return comes after the player enters the World of Ruin locking them out of the World of Balance. A lot of secondary stuff can be missed because of this, but nothing crucial to the story. Interestingly, if the player doesn't open various chests in the World of Balance, their contents will have been replaced by superior items in the World of Ruin. This was an interesting game design choice made to reward players for being patient.
|-
| [[Half-Life (universe)|''Half-Life'' series]] || Although large sections of each game allows for a fair amount of back-tracking, all of the ''Half-Life'' games feature frequent points of no return which force story progression. Also, if something prevents you from missing a plot-crucial event, your game will end immediately.
|-
| ''[[King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella]]'' || If you wait too long, the game transitions to night, and several characters and rooms become inaccessible. If you haven't solved most of the game's puzzles and acquired a large portion of the items, the game also becomes unwinnable.
|-
| ''[[King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!]]'' || Using the sled locks out the first half of the game which may prevent you from getting multiple necessary items making the game unwinnable.
|-
| ''[[King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow]]'' || There are several points of no return in this game, all of which can create unwinnable states.
|-
| ''[[Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero]]'' || If you defeat a particular character, you won't be able to enter the castle, and therefore you can't do any of the side-quests within it.
|-
| ''[[Terraria]]'' || Defeating certain bosses permanently alters the shape and contents of large sections of the map.
|}

==Links==
{{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PointOfNoReturn}}


[[Category: Game Terminology]]
[[Category: Game Mechanics]]
[[Category: Tropes]]