As video games constantly evolve, they attempt to outdo themselves on the whimsical impracticality of inventions. These are prominent in sci-fi titles, in which weapons take the center stage on what players can use for themselves, against the many growing forces of evil in sci-fi games.
There’s an abundance of inventions in video games, and many may have audiences scratching their head at the practicality of their usage. Whether it’s a gun that shoots lethal music, or a gun that’s attached to a chainsaw. Some games can be entirely wild and campy, and that’s what makes them so brilliant and fun.
8 Gravity Gun, Half-Life 2
One of the many talented inventions in the Half-Life universe is the Gravity Gun. This tractor beam-type device was designed to handle hazardous materials, and heavy lifting. On paper, the Gravity Gun is a good idea, as it helps people to do their jobs easier, with less risk.
However, it’s entirely impractical. Not only is it made from material and energy that Earth does not have access to, but it can be used, as is used, for more gruesome purposes. The idea of making a gun that can throw people around like a ragdoll is entirely irresponsible and impractical for the workplace it was intended for.
7 BFG9000, DOOM
Featuring in 5 of the DOOM games, the BFG9000 stands for something that is too rude to utter, but the picture is pretty clear on what that could be. The gun itself, a bulky steel-grey gun, fires giant balls of green plasma. It’s the most powerful weapon in the games and acts like a nuclear device that can power through enemies like a knife through butter.
Despite the power of this weapon, one has to question what it was created for. In what world would humanity need a weapon that is capable of shooting a hole into the surface of Mars? The BFG9000 is too dangerous to be a practical weapon in war, as casualties may be from every side.
6 Beam Katana, No More Heroes
Much like the lightsabers for Star Wars, the Beam Katana is an energy sword with a metal hilt for No More Heroes. The weapon is featured prominently in the games, with the length varying between models. There are many different constructions of the Beam Katana, which vary in efficiency and power.
A normal katana is a practical and elegant weapon, but an energy katana is capable of so much more. Some depictions of the weapon can cut through most matter with little to no resistance. This makes the weapon far more dangerous than a normal katana, as even by touching it, the player could lose an arm.
5 EX Grenade, Death Stranding
Trust it the genius Hideo Kojima to come up with such a silly weapon for Death Stranding. The game requires the protagonist, Sam, to go to the bathroom and bathe. It turns out that Sam’s bodily fluids can be used as weapons against the mysterious threat of the BTs. This includes his toilet waste.
No game seems to be like Death Stranding, in the fact that players will be able to convert their number ones and number twos into lethal weapons to throw at enemies. It’s an impractical invention, as throwing them at enemy MULES just makes them feel gross.
4 Chainsaw Lancer, Gears Of War
A gun is a practical weapon in itself and has been featured throughout history. Most sci-fi adaptions of a gun just turn them into blasters. Yet, in Gears of War, there’s a notable lack of blasters. Instead, guns are far heavier, because they have a fully functioning chainsaw attached to the barrel.
There’s no need for a chainsaw on the end of a gun, it’s entirely impractical, but it gets a pass for being so cool. No wonder most characters in Gears of War are full of muscle because they have to carry around a gigantic impractical gun.
3 Dubstep Gun, Saints Row 4
Saints Row is no stranger to wild and impractical weapons. The series is built upon the madness that wouldn’t be possible in a more serious tone. Saints Row 4 features the Dubstep Gun, a powerful weapon that turns energy into the beat of a dubstep song, sending out powerful blasts to damage vehicles and people.
There’s no practical use for this gun, and its creation is odd and bizarre. It’s unknown who funded such a weapon’s creation, but they must have a great love for dubstep. A weapon that fires music in deadly force to anything in front of its barrel, is impractical as it gets.
2 Fat Man, Fallout
A devastating infantry weapon, Fat Man is a hand-held catapult that launches a portable nuclear bomb. It fires “mini-nukes” from the shoulder, and weighs as much as it damages. The weapon is greatly effective at taking out targets, but players need to be cautious of the area of effect, considering it could kill them too.
It’s outrageously powerful and extremely impractical. In the real world, the Fat Man does not make much sense. Firing a small nuclear bomb could have massive repercussions for the land where it had been fired, due to the radiation, and the surrounding area. It’s an invention from Fallout that doesn’t make much sense.
1 Foam Finger, Dead Space 3
This invention is more of a confusion than it is impractical. For a series built upon the horror of Necromorphs and environmental spooks, it’s interesting that one weapon in Dead Space is a Foam Finger. This finger is a weapon that can obliterate the limbs of enemies with one press. The weapon even makes fun “BANG” noises when fired.
It’s a pretty practical weapon against enemies, but how it works just makes no sense. It’s a foam finger that practically disintegrates body parts. In the hands of many, this weapon could take over entire planets, all whilst being entirely comfortable thanks to the foam padding.