Save Limitation Mechanics

[Spukrian]

Alien vs Predator (1999) had some system where you could only save a certain amount of times in a level, but I think they removed that in later versions.

AvP had no saves at all during gameplay at first, but they added a limited nr of saves (depending on difficulty) in a patch.

 

[Momock]

All RE wanabees have limited saves with consumables (Tormented Souls, Them and Us, etc).

Evil Within 2 has save points like Alien Isolation but instead of making you wait/do things between two saves, it only incentivise you to wait/do things before saving again by making the save point heal you if you waited enough (and it also has checkpoints, because of some long sessions without saves and bosses, so meh).

TR3 uses save points + limited crystals to use them (and you really have to find them, they are like the secret artifacts in the other games), but only on consoles (PC casuals have save anywhere crap + crystals heal instead).

 

[Moaning_Clock]

Das Geisterschiff has limited saves. In Legend of Grimrock 2 you can achieve limited saves with a combination of single-use crystals and ironman mode I think.

 

[Norfleet]

If you die, the saved data is deleted.

If you die, YOU are deleted.

 

[Modron]

If you die, the saved data is deleted.

Rated fake news because your steam cloud will outlive you probably.

 

[Zombra]

Zizka There are waves of Resident Evil-type games that use similar save mechanics. monilloman already mentioned ALISA, a game so good that the rest of you are all officially criminals for not having played it yet. Also there's one called Them and Us, which I didn't like, and the excellent Tormented Souls. Plus many more I'm sure.

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gurugeorge, the difference between "limited saves" and "limited slots" is simple but important. A "save slot" is just another name for a save file.

Example, you and your roommate can each have your own saved game in Resident Evil, each on a different slot. Or you can have one playthrough, where you have let's say Game State A saved in Slot #1, then play for a while and save the game (in Game State B) either in Save Slot #1 (overwriting Game State A), or in Save Slot #2 (creating its own timeline branch). If you save State B in Slot 2, you can still load Slot 1 and return to State A, then make different decisions and in effect create a new timeline: C, distinct from B. If you save that in a new Slot then you can still go back to A and create timeline D, etc.

Some games only have one Slot, meaning you and your roommate can't each have your own save at the same time, or just a few Slots so you can't keep a million different save states on file. This is a completely different limitation than spending in-game resources, such as typewriter ribbons, to save your game; or only being able to save in certain locations, etc.

 

[Hag]

Northern Journey has a nice compromise : you can save anywhere anytime except during fights or when interacting. As such it prevents most savescumming and makes boss fights a serious challenge, while doing away with checkpoints or autosaves.

 

[HansDampf]

Because I'm currently playing it: Majora's Mask. The game goes through a 3-day cycle, and you can only save by going back in time to the beginning of the first day. There is also a save&quit function, a temporary save state that gets deleted when you continue.

 

[Zizka]

TR3 uses save points + limited crystals to use them (and you really have to find them, they are like the secret artifacts in the other games), but only on consoles (PC casuals have save anywhere crap + crystals heal instead).

Sorry, what’s TR 3 pray tell? I’d like to add it in.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

TR3 uses save points + limited crystals to use them (and you really have to find them, they are like the secret artifacts in the other games), but only on consoles (PC casuals have save anywhere crap + crystals heal instead).

Sorry, what’s TR 3 pray tell? I’d like to add it in.

Tomb Raider 3.

 

[Momock]

Yeah that's Tomb Raider 3, sorry.

 

[Norfleet]

If you die, the saved data is deleted.

Rated fake news because your steam cloud will outlive you probably.

I feel like this is going to be a real problem for cloud services in the future, which will end up storing the data of all these long-dead people forever.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

If you die, the saved data is deleted.

Rated fake news because your steam cloud will outlive you probably.

I feel like this is going to be a real problem for cloud services in the future, which will end up storing the data of all these long-dead people forever.

Prepare for "Restore" as a service.