The 25 Most Useless Unlockables In Gaming History

Many in-game unlocks are just for fun and don’t significantly change how you play. This guide highlights those extras – things that are purely visual, add a small novelty without affecting gameplay, or are only available after completing everything else. For each unlock, we’ll explain what it is, how to get it, and why it won’t make you better at the game. Consider them collectibles – enjoyable to find, but they won’t help you beat levels or win battles.

Big Head Mode – ‘GoldenEye 007’

This cheat makes all character heads appear much larger. You can unlock it by completing missions quickly. It’s purely a visual effect – it doesn’t affect how weapons work, how enemies act, or the mission goals. Once turned on, it applies to all game modes and doesn’t change how the game is played.

Auditore Cape – ‘Assassin’s Creed II’

You get the cape by finding all the feathers and completing the related side quests. When you wear it, your notoriety instantly maxes out in every city, meaning guards will immediately come after you. It doesn’t make you stronger, tougher, or faster – it’s purely a reward for players who want to make the game more challenging and only affects you while the cape is equipped.

Ice Arrows – ‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’

These special arrows are an optional reward from the Gerudo Training Ground. They instantly freeze enemies, but you won’t usually need them to solve puzzles or defeat bosses. The game is designed to be completed using other items, so you can finish the story without ever relying on these arrows.

100% Completion T-Shirt – ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’

Once you finish everything, a special t-shirt will show up in the wardrobe at the Ocean View Hotel. It changes what your character wears and how they look, but doesn’t affect their abilities or stats. Your weapons, health, and current missions stay exactly the same. The shirt is mostly just a fun reward to show you’ve finished the game.

Gold Camouflage – ‘Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’

Gold camouflage patterns are earned by finishing all the challenges for each weapon type. These camos only change how your weapon looks – they don’t affect how it performs. Things like accuracy, recoil, and damage stay the same, so it’s purely a cosmetic upgrade to show off your progress.

Closet Key Costumes – ‘Resident Evil’

Completing the game in a specific way unlocks a special locker. Inside, you’ll find new outfits for the main characters. These outfits are purely visual – they don’t change your character’s stats, weapons, or inventory. You’ll only see the new costumes while playing the game and during story scenes.

Luca Theater Playback – ‘Final Fantasy X’

The Theater lets you buy and rewatch cutscenes and listen to music you’ve unlocked in the game. You’ll gain access as you play through the story and collect certain items. It’s purely for enjoyment – it doesn’t affect your character’s stats, skills, or gear. Think of it as a special collection separate from the main game.

Gold Wheels – ‘Mario Kart 8’

Gold tires become available by completing Time Trials and defeating staff ghosts. While they offer a small handling adjustment – increasing traction but decreasing acceleration – many players don’t use them because of this trade-off. Most players choose gold tires for their appearance rather than any performance benefit, as other wheel options usually offer better stats.

‘Praise the Sun’ Gesture – ‘Dark Souls’

You can unlock this emote by joining a particular covenant or reaching certain stat levels. Once unlocked, it lets you perform a special praise animation whenever you want. This animation is purely cosmetic – it doesn’t affect your stats, gear, or how enemies act. It’s mainly used to express yourself while playing with others and leaving messages for them.

Image Gallery – ‘Metroid: Zero Mission’

New art galleries become available as you complete the game on different difficulty levels and within certain timeframes. These galleries showcase concept art and the images shown after the game’s credits roll. Importantly, unlocking these galleries doesn’t affect your gameplay – things like suit upgrades, missile capacity, or the game map remain unchanged. You can find the unlocked artwork in the extras menu, separate from the main story.

Spectre Apartment – ‘Mass Effect’

Now that the combat simulator is finished, you’ll unlock a private quarters. This area features a firing range and a place to display trophies earned from completing challenges. It’s mainly for showing off your accomplishments and doesn’t add any new missions, abilities, or better equipment. Think of it as a cool showcase, not a way to get ahead in the game.

Doughnut Drake Skin – ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’

You can unlock this character skin by playing the game and reaching certain goals. When equipped, it changes Nathan Drake’s appearance to a funny, over-the-top version of himself. This skin doesn’t change how he plays – his shooting, health, or movement aren’t affected. You can see the new look in the campaign and some other game modes by turning on the cosmetic option.

Alternate Costume Colors – ‘Street Fighter II’

Color swaps let players customize a fighter’s appearance without changing how the game plays. Activated through buttons or game modes, they only affect the character’s colors, leaving attacks, damage, and speed completely untouched. This feature mainly helps players easily tell each other apart during battles.

Ending Theater – ‘Kingdom Hearts’

Once you complete the game, you can access a theater mode to rewatch all the story cutscenes. This feature is found on the main menu and doesn’t affect your game progress or stats. It’s purely for enjoying the story moments and doesn’t unlock any new abilities or weapons.

Nomad Chest Gear – ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’

These chests can be opened by using a companion app or completing tasks on your mobile device. They contain gear and cosmetic items similar in quality to what you’d normally find in the game. The stats on these items are comparable to those you earn through regular gameplay, meaning the only difference is how you unlock them – it requires using something outside of the game itself, but the rewards are standard.

Vintage Suit – ‘Dead Space’

Finishing the story or buying the skin unlocks a retro-style suit. This suit has the same protection and storage space as the suits you’ve already unlocked. You change to it at a store kiosk – it’s just a visual update and doesn’t improve your defenses beyond what you’ve already upgraded.

Co-op Hats – ‘Portal 2’

Players can earn hats and gestures for their robots by playing cooperatively and finding special items. These cosmetic items are only visible in the lobby and during celebratory moments. The core gameplay – including the puzzles, physics, and portals – remains exactly the same. These new items are purely for fun and don’t give players any advantages in solving puzzles.

Chroma Shaders – ‘Destiny’

Shaders let you change the look of your armor by earning them through vendors, completing quests, or participating in events. When you apply a shader, it only alters how your gear appears – things like its power level, special abilities, and stats remain unchanged. Think of them as purely cosmetic options that don’t affect how strong your gear is.

Starship Recolor – ‘Super Mario Odyssey’

Gathering a large number of Power Moons changes how the Odyssey looks. The ship gets a unique paint job and some visual upgrades. This doesn’t add any new kingdoms to explore, enemies to capture, or moves for Mario. It’s simply a way to show you’ve made significant progress in collecting everything.

Hestu’s Gift – ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’

Once you return all of Hestu’s seeds, he’ll give you a special item as a thank you. This item takes up space in your inventory, but it doesn’t help you in battles or when solving puzzles. It also won’t add any extra inventory slots. Think of it as a collectible souvenir to show you’ve finished his quest, not something you’ll actually use.

152 Emblem – ‘Halo 5: Guardians’

Achieving the highest account level unlocks a unique emblem for your player profile. This emblem is visible to others both on your profile and during matches. It’s purely cosmetic – it doesn’t affect your weapon skills, defense, or movement speed – and serves as a badge to show how much time you’ve dedicated to the game.

Golden Weapon Skins – ‘Gears of War 3’

You can earn these unique weapon finishes by completing challenges, participating in events, or using special codes. The golden finish is available for certain weapons in all game modes. Importantly, these finishes don’t change how the weapons perform – damage, accuracy, and the timing for active reloads stay the same. They’re purely cosmetic upgrades to change the weapon’s appearance.

Golden Tools – ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’

Players can unlock recipes to craft their own tools by reaching certain goals in fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting. These crafted tools have a unique look, but they wear out at the same rate as standard tools and don’t gather materials any faster. The main advantage is that they last as long as higher-quality tools while offering a custom appearance.

Cinematic Filters – ‘Shadow of the Colossus’

Winning time attack challenges unlocks a selection of visual filters. These filters adjust the game’s colors and contrast while you play, but don’t change how your car handles – things like speed, stamina, and grip remain the same. You can turn this feature on or off in the game’s menu.

Stop ‘N’ Swop Eggs – ‘Banjo-Kazooie’

Okay, so I’ve discovered these hidden eggs and a key while playing, and they pop up when you do certain things in the game. Back on the original consoles, finding them was kinda pointless – they didn’t do anything because the hardware couldn’t handle it. Later on, the developers added little perks that carried over between games if you collected them. But honestly, in the first game, they’re mostly just cool collectibles. They don’t really affect gameplay much, you just find them for the fun of it.

Share your picks for unlocks that looked cool but didn’t change the game in the comments!

2025-11-21 08:21