History Main / PointOfNoReturn

* ''BioShockInfinite'' has eight of these, one for each of its major areas. In order:

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass''. After completing the 13 (or so) level dungeon, you cross a bridge which crumbles behind you. Your fairy, Celia, says you can't go back now, and then a portal to the start of the dungeon opens up. In the sequel, if you save after the train segments in the Dark Realm, they are LostForever, including a very cool train BossBattle.
** The Ganondorf battle in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]''. If you save here, there's no going back, as it immediately restarts at the cutscene when you reload. If you're low on life or magic potions or other items, God help you.
*** More recent releases of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' prevented that problem by restarting at the entrance of Ganon's Tower regardless of where and when you save.
*** However, saving after the "gathering of the Triforce" cutscene results in the full version of said cutscene being LostForever, replaced with a shorter version[[hottip:*:(Ganondorf turns around, says two lines and the battle begins, without BossSubtitles while he floats)]]. [[CaptainObvious While not as bad as other offenders]], it's still a pity. On the other hand, people who have died and want to quickly go back to the battle get spared having to go through it again, saving some annoyance.
** Played with in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' when you enter the shadow-infused areas. Midna will tell you that you won't be able to return for a while. The way back to the world of light is closed to you once you enter the shadows, although [[spoiler: you can teleport out using Midna's power, retaining your wolf form, and you can regain your human form by cleansing the shadows from the area.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', before the boss gauntlet, Issun literally tells you you're about to step into "the point of no return", with that exact phrasing. The funny thing is that the game fakes you out with two of these before the two [[DiscOneFinalDungeon fake final dungeons]] before the ''real'' final dungeon.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'', [[spoiler:it's entering Moon Cave 100 years in the past]].
** There's a save point ''beyond'' the final and literal point of no return. If you save there and don't have a backup save that's outside of the area, you're trapped in the final dungeon until you begin a new game plus.
** Issun is also your standard "boss battle ahead" indicator -- stopping Amaterasu to ask if she's really ready just before you charge into danger.
** In ''Okamiden'', the Point of No Return is [[spoiler: falling through the trap door in the Moon Cave 100 years in the past.]]

* In ''{{Okami}}'', before the boss gauntlet, Issun literally tells you you're about to step into "the point of no return", with that exact phrasing. The funny thing is that the game fakes you out with two of these before the two [[DiscOneFinalDungeon fake final dungeons]] before the ''real'' final dungeon.

** ''NeverwinterNights2'' seals some, but not all, areas during the transition from Act I to Act II, and likewise from Act II to Act III. In Act III, speaking to Nevalle to trigger [[spoiler:the siege of Crossroad Keep]] propels the player into the endgame sequence.

* Protocol 10's initiation in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' renders world-exploration highly difficult, but returning to the base of Wonder Tower locks you into the story for the rest of the game.

* Protocol 10's initiation in ''BatmanArkhamCity'' renders world-exploration highly difficult, but returning to the base of Wonder Tower locks you into the story for the rest of the game.

There may or may not be {{Save Point}}s, {{Trauma Inn}}s, or item shops past the PointOfNoReturn. If there aren't, crossing this point without sufficient resources (health, ammo, etc.) to survive the challenges ahead can result in the game becoming {{Unwinnable}} -- ''especially'' if there's a SavePoint beyond it, but no other means to heal or restock supplies.

* The [[LightAndMirrorsPuzzle mirror chamber]] in the final dungeon from ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' is a fairly innocuous-looking PointOfNoReturn; although you theoretically ''could'' leave, Double H will refuse to help you do so "until you complete your mission." When you [[spoiler:rescue Pey'j during the mission]], your spaceship malfunctions and you're stuck on Selene forever; presumably so the programmers didn't have to [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything program reactions for every possible scenario involving]] [[spoiler:your sidekicks that would incorporate both of them]].

* ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' allowed you to move freely between levels in one of the several "units" (hubs) making up the bulk of the game, but once you passed through the exit of a unit you could not return (and the first time the game would warn you about this). Also, the teleporter in the Upper Palace was a more definitive PointOfNoReturn--once you passed through it you went to the final boss arena on Stroggos' moon and could never come back. Unlike in earlier IdSoftware shooters, this can be a problem because you could stockpile items for use later instead of using them the moment you picked them up. Left a QuadDamage behind? You're SOL.

* The final level of ''RatchetDeadlocked'' involves a PointOfNoReturn when you attempt to infiltrate the heart of DreadZone Station to confront [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gleeman Vox]] once and for all. Somewhat justified in that, well, once you leave you won't be able to use DreadZone as your base of operations anymore, not to mention that pesky detail that [[spoiler: the entire place explodes because Gleeman laced it with [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale 'six gigatons of nitroglycerin']]]]. This is the "No more save points" variety since you still get a weapons vendor right at the very start (and after you defeat Vox, you get to either start a NewGamePlus or go right back to just before you left), but you can still get "stuck" here if you didn't grind enough earlier to max out your weapons / ammo / nano.

* A mild example of a "tough" PointOfNoReturn in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius''. One of the secondary objectives involves gathering four pieces of a totem, each of which has a a negative effect on nearby minions. However, if you get them all and put them near each other, they will combine into one totem with a strong positive effect. The problem (or a bug) is that the pieces will combine only on your first island. While the game doesn't force you to move to the second island until you're ready (although you still have to do it to continue the main storyline), it doesn't warn you about the totem thing either, which means you get stuck with four negative loots that can only be negated by putting them into a freezer (or if you get them stolen by burglars).

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', as long as you have the EXIT spell, there is no PointOfNoReturn. As long as you don't speak to [[spoiler:Garland/Chaos]], you can walk right out of his room and cast the spell.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has a miniature PointOfNoReturn in a sense in two places: once you enter the second world, and then the merged world after it.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' has a PointOfNoReturn for the first part of the game; once you start the cutscenes [[spoiler:involving the activation of the Statues/Warring Triad and the Emperor's death]], you can't get back to the [[spoiler:World of Balance because it's destroyed]], meaning any enemies you didn't encounter yet or items exclusive to it (which admittedly isn't that many) are LostForever.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the last PointOfNoReturn is at the bottom of the Northern Crater, where the player can place the last Save Point.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', approaching the Tower in the Dead City triggers the PointOfNoReturn, although there's only a crystal-dodging minigame between that point and the FinalBoss anyhow.

** The last dungeon in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', the Mantellan Crux, would be considered a PointOfNoReturn, if it weren't for teleport spells. There is no portal ''inside'' the dungeon and the only way out is to complete the main quest by collecting the Mantella. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' seems to pay homage to the Mantellan Crux with the Chimer stronghold, Indoranyon.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', you cannot turn back after you enter the Phase Distorter II and attempt to teleport directly to the CosmicHorror. Oddly enough, entering the Phase Distorter ''III'' (essentially a time machine) shortly thereafter is more hyped up as the PointOfNoReturn, what with you being transformed into robots, the whole concept of TimeTravel, and even the line "There is no turning back now," though that's probably because you run into a save point immediately afterwards. However, Dr. Andonuts does at least stress "You might not be able to return. So, make sure you are optimally outfitted" before you enter the Phase Distorter II.

* In ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'', enter Metropolis Zone and you're not coming back, [[spoiler:allowing you to miss picking up Cream the Rabbit]]. Enter [[spoiler:the Twilight Cage]], and the same thing happens there, [[spoiler:and you can miss Omega for it]]. Ditto for entering [[spoiler:the Nocturnes lair]], and a ''fifth'' PointOfNoReturn occurs [[spoiler:when you go to fight the final boss]]. Thankfully items and rings [[spoiler:(though not additional party members)]] carry over, into NewGamePlus allowing you to get everything you missed, or miss it again.
* BioWare games often have a PointOfNoReturn in the final act, where all incomplete sidequests and previously visited areas become unavailable:

*** In the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion, the PointOfNoReturn is telling the seneschal that you're done with your preparations for the darkspawn attack on Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. The darkspawn are polite enough to [[TakeYourTime wait until you're ready]].

* ''VideoGame/WildArms5'' has a PointOfNoReturn that the game is kind enough to warn you about at the top of [[spoiler:Volsung's TF System Tower, right before fighting Volsung the first time]]. Once you pass that point, you actually have several bosses and a whole VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon to run through, so chances are you'll want to save at some point...but if you do, you can't return to Filgaia until the NewGamePlus.

* In ''[[VideoGame/AvencastRiseOfTheMage Avencast: Rise of the Mage]]'', don't go through the [[spoiler:shimmery interdimensional portal if you ever want to go back... despite the fact that the other end stays open, and every other
such portal you encounter later can be used repeatedly.]]

* ''QuakeII'' allowed you to move freely between levels in one of the several "units" (hubs) making up the bulk of the game, but once you passed through the exit of a unit you could not return (and the first time the game would warn you about this). Also, the teleporter in the Upper Palace was a more definitive PointOfNoReturn--once you passed through it you went to the final boss arena on Stroggos' moon and could never come back. Unlike in earlier IdSoftware shooters, this can be a problem because you could stockpile items for use later instead of using them the moment you picked them up. Left a QuadDamage behind? You're SOL.

** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' is more insidious; after a certain point in the first Memory of Sequence Eight, the game puts you on a roller-coaster ride straight to the end of Sequence Nine with no option of declining missions and resuming free-roam. Then comes [[spoiler: finding the Apple under the Colosseum]] and the... nasty fracas that ensues. When you finally get back to free-roaming, while other sidequests are still open, [[spoiler: you cannot exit the Animus to Monteriggioni any more.]]

** Finding the key in ''AssassinsCreedIII'' kicks you back to the real world, where you are forced to [[spoiler:activate the planet shield in return for Desmond's death and [[SealedEvilInACan releasing Juno]] into the world]]. However, after credits and Connor's epilogue, you can continue to roam the Frontier and the cities again, but you can't exit the Animus. In fact, at this point, you can play mini-games that require finding certain "pivot points" in the game world that are, essentially, cheats. Finding those is not easy and requires a lot of ground-pounding, especially since [[spoiler:pivot points are placed by other players doing the same thing as you]].

* ''{{Wolfenstein}}'' places an arms dealer almost within sight of the point where you infiltrate the zeppelin, and helpfully informs you that this will be the last time you'll be able to buy upgrades or ammo.

* Before going into the [=DXI=] ruins in ''TheNamelessMod'' your MissionControl will let you know that exploring the ruins will take some time, and that if you got something else to do before hand, now is the time to do it.
* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestV'' you must ride a sled over an ice chasm. The sled is very old, so it shatters on impact. You're stuck on the far ledge, so if you [[GuideDangIt forgot something]] you're gonna have to revert to an older save file. That's hardly the only one, though. The desert cave is a point of no return too (you can only enter once), as is the Forest of Doom at the beginning, and the Ice Castle, and the beach after the giant bird, and the harpy island, and the final island, and the dungeon maze on the final island. Of course, most of these require you to have obscure items from earlier parts of the game.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** In most installments, the point of no return is a BigDoor that will warn you pretty clearly of that fact. The one in the first game is in a room called "Final Rest" (which comes after a room filled with several waves of enemies), just to make it absolutely clear.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]'' notably doesn't do this, at least not overtly. It pretty well implies that the final boss is at Keyblade Graveyard but upon going there you can still run around and leave until you enter an otherwise unimportant looking area which will immediately thrust you into your respective character's FinalBoss fight with no clear forewarning (unlike other games in the series which outright tell you "Entering here will start the final boss fight"). Though to get to the final boss, you have to walk through a ''long'' foreboding tunnel. Likewise once you start the final chapter of the game, you can't return to Radiant Garden without starting the TrueFinalBoss battle upon entering so if you need synthesis items from that world you're out of luck.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'' subverts it twice. You're warned that "there may be no going back" right before Roxas leaves the Organization, but all it does is set you on your mission immediately after a cutscene. After that, Roxas starts off in Twilight Town instead of The World That Never Was, but you can still access the shop and all your previous missions before you face the FinalBoss. The warning before that fight is subtler, but there's nothing stopping you from going back for OneHundredPercentCompletion after the credits roll.
* In the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, the point of no return tends to be at the last save point in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', as long as you have the EXIT spell, there is no PointOfNoReturn. As long as you don't speak to [[spoiler:Garland/Chaos]], you can walk right out of his room and cast the spell.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', there are no save points once you go inside the Jade Passage, and you cannot return to said Passage after entering Pandaemonium.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'', the trip into the Dark World is only one-way.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' let you get within a few feet of the FinalBoss before the game automatically starts up the endgame cutscenes. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' requires all three parties to stand on obvious tiles to activate the final cutscene and BossBattle.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has a miniature PointOfNoReturn in a sense in two places: once you enter the second world, and then the merged world after it.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' has a PointOfNoReturn for the first part of the game; once you start the cutscenes [[spoiler:involving the activation of the Statues/Warring Triad and the Emperor's death]], you can't get back to the [[spoiler:World of Balance because it's destroyed]], meaning any enemies you didn't encounter yet or items exclusive to it (which admittedly isn't that many) are LostForever.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the last PointOfNoReturn is at the bottom of the Northern Crater, where the player can place the last Save Point.
*** The Fort Condor battles each take place at certain points during the plot of the 1st and 2nd discs, often in [[GuideDangIt very small timeframes]]. Advancing the plot before completing the battle will force the villagers to defend themselves, depleting their funds by 3,000 gil each time, and leaving the player missing out on any item or equipment reward they might have earned. Only the final battle is part of the main plot and once completed no more battles can be fought there.
*** Flying over Midgar at the end of disc 2 (to parachute into it) is another big one, for it marks the last time you can do the Wutai sidequest, as well as fight an optional battle with the Turks, and generally return to disc 2 (it ends in Midgar, and you can't leave until you finish it).
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', there are two major points of no return. The first one is the room past Mobile Type 8, where you fight Seifer for the fourth time. Once you fight Seifer, you cannot exit Lunatic Pandora until Time Compression occurs, by which point most major locations will be sealed off. The second one occurs just before [[BigBad Ultimecia]]'s throne room; passing this point begins the very long FinalBoss battle.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', you cannot return from [[DiscOneFinalDungeon Terra]] until you finish the plot arc there, and by the time you do, you're on disc 4 - some areas are locked off (as in [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII the previous game]]). The game is merciful enough to warn you of this fact.
*** Earlier on, when you hit the final switch to exit Fossil Roo on the Outer Continent, the game warns you that you can't go back that way. You are stuck on the Outer Continent for the remainder of the disc.
*** On disc 3, you are tasked with finding the Desert Palace (arguably a DiscOneFinalDungeon in its own right), and equipped with a ship to do so. Once entering, you are captured by Kuja and forced to take his airship (which you don't control) to the Forgotten Continent. And of course, you can't leave until you finish the [[AntiMagic somewhat difficult]] dungeon there.
*** You can go all the way to the end of [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Memoria]] and the showdown with the BigBad (he is actually the penultimate boss), beat the snot out of the dragon-monster he throws at you, then just turn around and save or even teleport out entirely as long as you don't try to talk to him (which would trigger the final boss fights). He's a patient guy it seems and will just float around waiting for you to come back before trying to unmake all of creation.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', approaching the Tower in the Dead City triggers the PointOfNoReturn, although there's only a crystal-dodging minigame between that point and the FinalBoss anyhow.
** Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2''. Approaching the portal in the Farplane Abyss triggers a "Continue forward?" option, with the implication that this is the Point Of No Return. However, there is a save point further on where you can return to the airship, and you can in fact fight the first couple of stages of the SequentialBoss and still return.
** In ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', the end of the eighth chapter is the PONR. Better unlock the missions that need to be found in Midgar first, for you're never coming back past this point.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' doesn't have any save points in the final area, although it makes sense since the final area only consists of at least 3 or 4 rooms. The game clearly warns you that once you go for the final area, you cannot go back, probably a first in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series. Not only that, but saving at certain parts of the game will have the game advise you to save to another file if you are in a certain point in the plot where you can't go back for a while.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', you generally can't go back to any previous location once you enter a new chapter (or sometimes, progressing far enough in a chapter). The only exceptions to this rule are Gran Pulse (Chapter 11), parts of Eden (Chapter 12), and the first area of the final dungeon (Chapter 13).
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' has Nasty ones in multiple places--you can go back afterward, but it's possible to save the game and get yourself stuck between very difficult fights with no way to regroup, buy new equipment, or grind levels. The infamous Riovannes Castle portion, for example, puts you in three battles in a row, and lets you save between each of them. The first is standard fare, but the second is ThatOneBoss at best, and flat out {{Unwinnable|ByMistake}} if you don't have the right equipment or skills. The third is a {{Luck Based|Mission}} EscortMission--if you don't have some speedy characters handy, it's not just possible, but very ''likely'' that you will lose before you ever get a chance to act. Even if you are prepared, it can be maddeningly difficult because of the suicidal AI of the person you're trying to protect..
* The inside of [[spoiler:Lavos]] in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' may or may not be one of these, depending on your method of ingress.
* ''[[BatenKaitos Baten Kaitos Origins]]'' has a Nasty one. Right as you're heading to a new continent (you've done this few already), the game prompts you to save, and suddenly the game prompts you to put in the second disc of the game. Other than the save prompt, this is completely unexpected, as there wasn't a DiscOneFinalDungeon and your approaching the continent seemed normal. After a few cutscenes, you have to fight the [[ThatOneBoss Holoholobird]], who also doubles as a FlunkyBoss. You can't go back and grind or get new items, because the disc just changed. Many a player has been forced to restart their game to get around this.
* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' has an Autosave of No Return ([[LampshadeHanging that's what an in-game prompt actually calls it]]) near the end of the game immediately after you [[spoiler:free Lili.]] Luckily, it's saved as a separate file, just in case you weren't totally ready [[spoiler:to sneeze your own brain out and enter a creepy mishmash of yours and the bad guy's childhood fears.]]
** You can still revisit any of the previous levels to collect missed goodies for HundredPercentCompletion, though. Just be sure you cleaned out the hub level or you're boned.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' has a few of these. The first is [[spoiler:Babel Tower]], the PONR for getting a number of useful rare items from a certain shop (the only one that carries them, naturally). The second is [[spoiler:before entering Solaris]]; continuing after that point denies you access to the world map until the very end of the game.

* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'' uses and subverts it. Right before the final bosses, your [[NinjaButterfly talking suitcase]] warns you that it's the point of no return, but at any save point thereafter, he gives you the option of going back in time to before you passed the point.

* The final level of ''RatchetDeadlocked'' involves a PointOfNoReturn when you attempt to infiltrate the heart of DreadZone Station to confront [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gleeman Vox]] once and for all. Somewhat justified in that, well, once you leave you won't be able to use DreadZone as your base of operations anymore, not to mention that pesky detail that [[spoiler: the entire place explodes because Gleeman laced it with [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale 'six gigatons of nitroglycerin']]]]. This is the "No more save points" variety since you still get a weapons vendor right at the very start (and after you defeat Vox, you get to either start a NewGamePlus or go right back to just before you left), but you can still get "stuck" here if you didn't grind enough earlier to max out your weapons / ammo / nano.
** Though you can "cheat" by reseting your console. In that case, the game brings you back to the hub, and you can resume the final mission from right after the last mainframe destroyed.

* The last door in each ''MegaManBattleNetwork game'' is a point of no return; the 3rd game onwards break the 4th wall to tell the player to save first.
** Only in the sense that you then have to fight the FinalBoss. The games feature ExtendedGameplay so you don't actually lose the ability to return to earlier areas afterwards.
** The SpiritualSuccessor to this series, ''MegaManStarForce'', also does this, with the second game going so far as to force the player to save before moving past.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'', once you enter the final chapter of the story, you can't go back until you beat the final boss. On the plus side, beating the game DOES unlock extra armors for X and Zero in the end to retrieve.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', returning to the Imperial City with Martin and entering the Elder Council chamber triggers the final fight sequence. From that point on, you either complete the main quest or you die. Completing the main quest immediately causes every other Oblivion gate to close, so you can never retrieve the powerful Sigil Stones or other treasure they contain.
** The last dungeon in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', the Mantellan Crux, would be considered a PointOfNoReturn, if it weren't for teleport spells. There is no portal ''inside'' the dungeon and the only way out is to complete the main quest by collecting the Mantella. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' seems to pay homage to the Mantellan Crux with the Chimer stronghold, Indoranyon.
*** It is a horrible idea to use a Teleport Spell to leave the Mantellan Crux since you won't ever able to go back in, therefore you can never finish the game without using cheats.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' has the Skuldafn temple as this. The only way to get there is by riding a dragon, and he tells you he can't stay there.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' you can save during the scene ''after'' you beat the final boss, which prevents you from doing anything else in the game. The second game does not allow you to save during that scene.
** There's also a temporary version in the first game; it's impossible to go through [[TheMaze Mogall Forest]] in reverse, so once you've left it the only way back to earlier areas is to pass through Lamakan Desert.
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' drew much criticism for having no less than three of these, making just under '''one third''' of the Djinn and '''half''' the unlockable summons LostForever.
*** Four. The second one is often ignored because '''''almost''''' everything that gets locked out after you hit it becomes available again once you've passed the fourth one, and there are in fact some items that ''require'' you to return to those areas after [[spoiler:the Grave Eclipse]] to obtain. Technically you could even call it five because the Cloud Passage (just past one of the points of no return) can't be returned to once you've left it, but the only treasures in that area are items that can be bought cheaply at any shop, so there's nothing really lost if you don't clean it out while you're there.
* ''VideoGame/{{Ys}} V: Lost Sand City of Kefin'' has two points of no return, one when you go through the portal to Kefin, and the second when you go into TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. The good news is that, as with ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', you can't save yourself into an {{Unwinnable}} situation in the latter area, the bad news is you have to fight [[SequentialBoss three bosses in a row]], the first(Karion) and last(Jabir's OneWingedAngel form) of which are ThatOneBoss. Use your health items wisely.
** In ''Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim'', the point of no return occurs when you ride the Wyvern from Kishgal to the Ark(also TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon). Any sword upgrades or items you missed will be LostForever, god help you if you don't have an extra saved game, as the boss fights may be rendered {{Unwinnable}}. Good thing Olha tells you beforehand.
** These games also often prevent you from using [[WarpWhistle Warp Wings or Warp Magic]] to make it a true point of no return. Averted in ''Ys IV: Mask Of The Sun'', where you can still use the warp wing after jumping off the Iris Tower into the Golden Temple, which you can't otherwise return from. The raising of the ancient city does partially play this straight, as it destroys some previous locations such as Fire Mountain.
** Darm Tower in ''Ys I & II''. Averted in Book 2, where you can use the [[WarpWhistle warp magic]] to return to previous areas even after entering the final dungeon.
* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', you cannot turn back after you enter the Phase Distorter II and attempt to teleport directly to the CosmicHorror. Oddly enough, entering the Phase Distorter ''III'' (essentially a time machine) shortly thereafter is more hyped up as the PointOfNoReturn, what with you being transformed into robots, the whole concept of TimeTravel, and even the line "There is no turning back now," though that's probably because you run into a save point immediately afterwards. However, Dr. Andonuts does at least stress "You might not be able to return. So, make sure you are optimally outfitted" before you enter the Phase Distorter II.
** However, there is a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAJ_JAmTKpg glitch]] in the ''Mother 1+2'' CompilationRerelease that allows this to be averted.
** In Earthbound's sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', the game's final chapter is also a point of no return. The exact time it activates is when the vines guarding the sixth needle are removed, which can be done anytime after the preceding boss. After defeating said boss, anything that you want to do must be done before moving on with the plot.
*** That final chapter even has its own Point of No Return within it, which happens when [[spoiler:Lucas and company fall down a ridiculously long elevator shaft in the Empire Porky Building after defeating the Porky-Bots]].
*** In fact, every chapter in the game serves as a point of no return, due to the constant plot advancement where Nowhere Island is constantly changing, following the events caused by the Pigmask Army. This however, makes it harder to obtain certain items (like the Mystical Shoes or the Friend's Yo-Yo) and complete the Battle Memory, since some enemies are only available during certain chapters.
** Even ''Earthbound Zero'' has a borderline point of no return. A word to the wise: [[spoiler:do not talk to Queen Mary with all 8 melodies in tow unless you are sure you can defeat the final boss, as Magicant disappears once you talk to Queen Mary to teach her the song. If you lose to the final boss, certainly do not save or you will have to fight through the mountain full of DemonicSpiders to reach him again.]]
* After a certain point in the [[spoiler:Shibuya River]] in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', you cannot go back. In fact, you can't ''save'' after that point, either, because there are no enemies between you and the FinalBoss, which means no LevelGrinding if you can't beat him. Appropriately, the cutoff room is called "Rubicon."

** ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'' is worse. Enter Metropolis Zone and you're not coming back, [[spoiler:allowing you to miss picking up Cream the Rabbit]]. Enter [[spoiler:the Twilight Cage]], and the same thing happens there, [[spoiler:and you can miss Omega for it]]. Ditto for entering [[spoiler:the Nocturnes lair]], and a ''fifth'' PointOfNoReturn occurs [[spoiler:when you go to fight the final boss]]. Thankfully items and rings [[spoiler:(though not additional party members)]] carry over, into NewGamePlus allowing you to get everything you missed, or miss it again.
** In the earlier Sonic platforming games, getting close to the end of a level limits the camera scrolling to that area, making the player unable to backtrack. ''SonicCD'' used a sign before the goal posts to mark the point in which this happens.
* BioWare games often have a PointOfNoReturn in the final act, where all incomplete sidequests and previously visited areas become unavailable:
** In ''VideoGame/BaldursGate II'', you could back out of the final locations right up until you engaged Irenicus in battle. After that, you were limited to defeating him, [[spoiler:getting dragged to Hell together with him, completing several minor quests, fighting Irenicus and a few major demons ''again'', and... watching the credits]], in that order.
*** This carried through to the expansion, as [[spoiler:you do return to the land of the living, but]] you can no longer access the areas from the main game. The only shared area is a BonusDungeon that is unrelated to the plot, but requires a fairly powerful party to complete..
*** On a side note, the first game allowed you to backtrack from every point of TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, up to and including the FinalBattle, to visit the surface, heal, and buy more supplies, marking a complete aversion of this trope.
** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' did this several times, with little to no warning before hand: accepting Canderous' offer to help you infiltrate Davik Kang's estate seals off the rest of Taris; finding the third Star Map seals off Dantooine; heading to the Star Forge seals off the rest of the galaxy.
*** In ''Knights of the Old Republic 2'', going to the Jedi Council room on Dantooine after [[spoiler:gathering together or killing the surviving Council members]] put you on a one-way track to the end of the game.
** ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect|1}}'' had a softer version. After discovering [[BigBad Saren]]'s destination, [[spoiler:visiting the Citadel temporarily sealed off the rest of the Galaxy, until you got the ''Normandy'' back under your command]]. The Citadel remained sealed off after that. Setting course for [[spoiler:Ilos]], however, put you on the one-way fast track to the endgame.
*** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' made its point of no return very obvious from the beginning: going through the Omega 4 Mass Relay and engaging in the Suicide Mission ([[DownerEnding potentially ending with everyone dying]]). However, if Shepard survives, the game subverts this trope by [[PlayableEpilogue giving access to all the unfinished quests and locations back to you again]]. Also, although the Omega 4 Relay is the point of no return, the Reaper [=IFF=] mission will set in motion events that will influence what kind of ending you get, making it a "soft" point of no return [[spoiler:combined with VideoGameCaringPotential]].
*** This, however, deserves to be explained in a touch more depth, as it really is a somewhat unique case. You're not told that getting the Reaper IFF will lock you in to the endgame, and unless you've consulted a guide beforehand, you might not know that you'll have just perhaps one mission of relative freedom left. Now, you obtain a new squadmate during the IFF mission, Legion. You'll want everyone to be Loyal to you during the endgame, so you'll spend your grace period doing Legion's loyalty mission. Once the Collectors invade the Normandy and kidnap the crew, you can either keep doing missions to get stuff you missed, or go straight through the Omega-4 relay, which as mentioned, is defined in no uncertain terms as the point of no return. So if you want your crew to survive, you'll do it right away. What ''isnt'' made clear (making this part potentially a little cruel) is that for every major ship upgrade you did not buy (exempting the facial reconstruction thing), one of your major squadmates will die on approach to the base. These are cutscene deaths; you can't do anything about it. Up to three, so if you neglected your upgrades, you may be putting yourself in a bad place from the jump. From there, you need to make a lot of hard choices about what squadmates to assign to what tasks in the base, and wrong choices will get your partners killed (in some cases, they could get killed anyway). And, of course, this is all the more stressful for any player who wants to import their Shepard character into Mass Effect 3, because every decision they make here has the potential to screw up their [=ME3=] file (Your favorite character is Garrus? Too bad, you just got him killed and now he's not going to be in [=ME3=]!) unless they're willing to keep reloading the file before the game can autosave.
*** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has a two-stage "endgame", the first stage being [[spoiler: the assault on Cerberus HQ]]. Admiral Hackett warns you that once you start, you're committed - there's no going back. After that mission, you go back to the Normandy, but you have only one place left to go from there: Earth.
*** Additionally, ''3'' had a minor (but fairly nasty) example; completing the Tuchanka arc causes [[spoiler:Cerberus to attack the Citadel]]. After that, many available sidequests are permanently closed off.
*** ''From Ashes'' DLC: Finish Javik's recruitment mission without gathering all the Eden Prime intel? Better start a new game if you want that achievement.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' also has a soft point of no return after starting the Landsmeet, upon which some quests and locations became unavailable. However, the real point of no return is travelling to Redcliffe after finishing the Landsmeet, which puts you, again, on a one-way fast track to the end.
*** In the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion, the PointOfNoReturn is telling the seneschal that you're done with your preparations for the darkspawn attack on Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. The darkspawn are polite enough to [[TakeYourTime wait until you're ready]].
*** Additionally, in ''Origins'', securing the help of one of the factions for the coming fight seals off the town of Lothering, which, storywise, has been overrun by the Blight. Also, if you go to the Circle of Magi and agree to enter the tower, the doors shut behind you, forcing you to complete the quest line. You're warned about this, though.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is merciful regarding the points of no return in the first two acts: Before starting the expedition at the end of Act I, you are told to resolve any outstanding business in the city. Before visiting the Arishok in Act II, Aveline tells you pretty much the same thing. Act III, however, ends without a warning: Accepting the letter which gives you the third main quest in this act, and then going to a certain part of the city triggers the endgame.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' contains a controversial point of no return in the final story mission ''Take it Back!'' Once the player enters the rotunda of the Jefferson Memorial, there is no way to exit. Activating Project Purity (or running out of time, causing it to explode) will result in the game ending, but because you cannot exit the rotunda, you have no choice but to activate it and receive an ending. In response to this jarring departure from the open-world nature of the game, modders took it upon themselves to design addons to allow PC players to continue their adventures in the Capital Wasteland after activating Project Purity. However, the Broken Steel DLC expands the main story, so regardless of your choice at the end, you can do sidequests after the main story's completion.
*** You can't play past the end of VideoGame/{{Fallout 1}}, although if you were fast enough, you could switch to turn-based combat and go into Vault 13.
** VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas gives you a warning right before going into the final battle at Hoover Dam, asking you if you're committed to a specific ending. There is no option to play past the ending even with DLC, since the effort to implement the incredibly dramatic changes would be pretty astronomical for the developers.
** Both ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' present Merciful points of no return early on. In these cases, after having played with your character for a bit, you're given a chance to reconsider your appearance, attributes, and skill loadout before they're committed permanently. You're allowed to back off and save at these points as an added precaution. Also in both games, when you're about to leave the main Wasteland and enter a DLC area, you're warned about the things you won't be able to do once your cross the threshold and given a chance to reconsider. The general warning given is, ''"Once you go, you can't return until you finish."'' However, in ''Lonesome Road'' you are able to leave The Divide even before you complete the storyline, although there is a point of no return when you enter Ulysses' Temple. ''Point Lookout'' also allows you to go back to the Wasteland if you can pay the [[GetOnTheBoat ferry toll]], and you have to return to the Dunwich Building for one of the sidequest objectives.
** There's two tough Points of No Return in the ''Fallout 3'' DLC ''Mothership Zeta''. Once you go up to the upper level of the mothership, you can't go back to the lower level, and once you reach the Death Ray Hub, you can't go back to the preceding areas. Some areas can be revisited after completing all of the quests, but others, such as the Cryo Lab, Waste Disposal, Research Lab, Weapons Lab, and Biological Research areas, which contain many of the Captive Logs and a number of unique weapons, are LostForever.
** As with Vault 101, once you leave Raven Rock, you're permanently locked out, and thus if you missed the Energy Weapons Bobblehead or other items, they're [[LostForever gone forever]]. Raven Rock itself has a point of no return when you enter the Control Room, immediately after you pass the room with the bobblehead.
** During the Reilly's Rangers sidequest, there's a nasty one when you enter the Statesman Hotel through a one-way drop; you can't leave until you reach the rooftop and fix the [[DoorToBefore express elevator]], fighting through hordes of Super Mutants along the way. If you run out of ammo, you're up the {{Unwinnable}} creek.
** ''Operation: Anchorage'' has several of the Nasty type, as the result of locking doors or {{invisible wall}}s, preventing you from retrieving any Intel cases or weapon pickups you missed, or using previous ammo or health stations.
** In ''Honest Hearts'', once you start the final quest, you are warned that you won't be able to do any previous uncompleted sidequests.
** ''Dead Money'' has one when you enter the Casino, and another after using the basement security terminal, which locks the elevator until Elijah comes down. After completing the story, you have one last chance to explore the Villa before returning to the Mojave.
* After assembling the Golden Warpship in ''VideoGame/SolarJetman'', you can't go back and pick up any treasures that you missed on the last planet. You now have to fly the super-cruiser off the planet in one shot, and colliding with the planet's surface will kill you and end your game, since that warpship is the [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup only one of its kind]].
* There are three points of no return in ''VideoGame/IllusionOfGaia'': [[spoiler:Getting on the Incan ship, going to the Sky Garden, and the cutscene immediately before Dark Gaia]]. You also cannot go back into Edward Castle after [[spoiler:escaping its dungeon]].
* In ''VideoGame/JadeCocoon'', there is no warning that after completing [[spoiler:the Moth Forrest]] you're cut off from any previous areas in the game.
* ''FarCry 2'' has a particularly evil point of no return. The final mission briefing requires you to enter a prison to get your objectives. After you accept the final mission and carry on with the game, it warns you that you can't turn back if you go any further and to make sure you have everything you need, however if you try to go back, you'll find you can't leave the prison.
* ''VideoGame/{{Grandia}}'' has a doozy at the end, where one scene starts a chain that prevents you from going to any previous area, and leaves you stuck with access to the final dungeon only if you save.
* The Little Sister EscortMission in ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' is a completely unmarked point of no return and you're not told this until after you're given [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen health and ammo refills.]]
* ''{{Quest 64}}'' has one, sort of: at the end of a hallway in Brannoch Castle, there's a door to a room with [[spoiler:Brian's father, battered from combat thanks to Shannon]]. You'll know you're in this hallway because halfway through there's a door leading to a room with Leonardo who provides an opportunity to rest. The only way to visit any previous areas if you go past this point is to die before saving again, so that you get sent back to whichever rest person you rested with last. Of course, [[spoiler:Epona]] provides an opportunity to rest near the end.
* The General Ross boss battle in ''TheIncredibleHulkUltimateDestruction'' is one, for you will be thrown immediately into the next two story missions with no chance to freeroam in-between until you complete them since they involve [[spoiler:the Hulk breaking out of the Vault and escaping his captors]].
* ''QuestForGloryII'' operates on a 30-day cycle. The caravan to [[WretchedHive Raseir]] leaves at dawn on day 17, and you are locked into the endgame for the rest of the adventure.
** In the third game, it's after the Tarna peace conference with the Simbani and Leopardmen. [[spoiler:After the Leopardman leader (possessed by a demon) and the Laibon kill each other at the conference, the gates to Tarna close, barring you from ever entering the city again.]] You also can't enter the Simbani Village anymore, thus railroading you to the jungle and to the Lost City.
** In the fourth, it's the Dark One Cave once you finally enter it again.
** And in the fifth, it's the mansion of the BigBad.
* In ''[[VideoGame/AvencastRiseOfTheMage Avencast: Rise of the Mage]]'', don't go through the [[spoiler:shimmery interdimensional portal if you ever want to go back... despite the fact that the other end stays open, and every other such portal you encounter later can be used repeatedly.]]

* ''VideoGame/WildArms5'' has a PointOfNoReturn that the game is kind enough to warn you about at the top of [[spoiler:Volsung's TF System Tower, right before fighting Volsung the first time]]. Once you pass that point, you actually have several bosses and a whole VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon to run through, so chances are you'll want to save at some point...but if you do, you can't return to Filgaia until the NewGamePlus.
* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' lets you wander freely through unlocked areas right up until Griffith Park. Once you head off for that quest, you're locked into a sequence of three to four endgame missions. The game does allow you to buy blood, weapons and so on in between stops.
* {{Pokemon}} does this with the Elite 4. You can save halfway through or whatever if you like, but you might find yourself in a losing battle where you won't be able to win. But once you go through the first door, you can't go back.
** But if you lose, it just sends you back to the Pokemon center outside, and you can still go anywhere in the game after you win.
** The first gen games also have a temporary example. After you leave Mt. Moon, there's a ledge with no ladders or stairs going back up. Once you jump down, you're effectively locked out of that area until later in the game.
* In ''EndlessFrontier'', you can neither save nor leave after [[spoiler:entering the Einst world]]. This means that you must win three boss battles in a ''row'' to complete the game, with no chance to save. Fortunately, [[RecurringTraveler Koma]] comes with you, giving you access to both a shop and a means of free healing.

* In ''{{Persona 4}}'', on the very last day, [[spoiler:you can choose to chase the True Ending by entering TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon instead of going home. If you do so, once you enter the TV world, you won't be able to explore Inaba anymore; if you try to leave, you'll only have the choice to go to Daidara or Shiroku (and even then you get a fade transition when you go to either, rather than walking there manually).]]
** Averted in the Normal Ending. From the time that [[spoiler:Adachi's]] dungeon opens, you can choose when to finish the dungeon and can return as many times as you want, regardless of your progress. Even if you put it off to the final playable day and then return home, you will get a NonStandardGameOver and go back in time instead of being forced to move forward.
*** Then again, one may argue that this ending's Point of No Return is chronological instead of physical: namely, 7 days before the final day to beat that dungeon is the point Igor can return you to if you get the NonStandardGameOver. If you haven't saved before that point, then, it becomes a Point of No Return.
* By contrast, in ''{{Persona 3}}'', entering the final dungeon on the final day is compulsory, and once you enter Tartarus, you cannot leave even to shop. During the final week, your characters continually remind you [[RainbowSpeak in bright red letters]] to stock up before that day arives.
* The VideoGame/{{Fable}} games have several of these, and the player is ''usually'' explicitly warned about them, such as [[spoiler:the final (or first, if you're playing The Lost Chapters) battle against Jack of Blades, as well as the lead up to the true final battle against him in TLC]] in the first Fable, and [[spoiler:going to the Tattered Spire and then again later when meeting with Reaver]] in Fable 2. But then there is the infamous [[spoiler:Day 121]] in Fable 3, after which the game progresses immediately to the endgame with hardly any warning, and if you haven't [[spoiler:put enough money into your treasury]] by that point, you're doomed to the bad ending.
** Actually, in ''Fable 3'', you can return very easily by [[spoiler:turning around and walking into the fog, which sends you back to Day 121]]. Honestly, it's revealed just by panning the camera around.
* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', at the start of the final Sequence you are given the option to go to Rome to [[spoiler: hunt down Rodrigo Borgia aka Pope Alexander VI.]] Once you accept, you cannot return to the rest of Italy until you complete it.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' is more insidious; after a certain point in the first Memory of Sequence Eight, the game puts you on a roller-coaster ride straight to the end of Sequence Nine with no option of declining missions and resuming free-roam. Then comes [[spoiler: finding the Apple under the Colosseum]] and the... nasty fracas that ensues. When you finally get back to free-roaming, while other sidequests are still open, [[spoiler: you cannot exit the Animus to Monteriggioni any more.]]
** Subverted in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' though; while the Animus Island [[spoiler: dismantles near the end]], watching the credits will [[spoiler: allow the Animus Island to rebuild itself,]] so you could play as Desmond in those platforming puzzles for as long as you like after you beat the game.
** Finding the key in ''AssassinsCreedIII'' kicks you back to the real world, where you are forced to [[spoiler:activate the planet shield in return for Desmond's death and [[SealedEvilInACan releasing Juno]] into the world]]. However, after credits and Connor's epilogue, you can continue to roam the Frontier and the cities again, but you can't exit the Animus. In fact, at this point, you can play mini-games that require finding certain "pivot points" in the game world that are, essentially, cheats. Finding those is not easy and requires a lot of ground-pounding, especially since [[spoiler:pivot points are placed by other players doing the same thing as you]].
* Deliciously averted in many of the {{Tales|Series}} games:
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'': Upon reaching the deepest level of [[spoiler:Derris-Kharlan]] and witnessing the second-to-last scene of the game before the FinalBoss, you can still return to the overworld--either the way your came or by solving a puzzle that opens a warp which teleports you back to the entrance.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'': After you [[spoiler:reach Eldrant and defeat Asch in a {{duel|Boss}}, and witnessing his YouShallNotPass scene against the oncoming Replica soldiers in order to allow Luke to proceed and confront the BigBad]], it's still entirely possible to return to the world map.
*** In fact, in both games you NEED to view these scenes in order to unlock some sidequests in the games.

* ''Every'' time you leave a location in China in ''ShadowHearts'' (with the exception of Shanghai), you leave for good. After Dehuai's tower, you leave ''China'' for good.
* ''Left4Dead'' had very few of these, which weren't really anything major unless you missed a health kit or the like. If someone got incapacitated and everyone else had moved on beyond the point of no return, the helpless player can do nothing but bleed to death. The sequel adds many more points of no return, making these a strategy for infected players to use in VS mode.
* PlayStationHome has a hub in the list called "Xi Museum", which is essentially the ending point of the "Xi Virtual Reality game" run back in 2009. Players were allowed to wander around, play games, talk with people, visits random areas, and try and solve the games puzzles. When the player reached the monolith, however, they were given the choice to choose to break it or activate it, or not do anything. Choosing to break or activate it meant that you would never be allowed to do any of the listed actions ever again, forfeiting your world of Xi for awards and a cinematic involving Jesse. Not breaking it however led to the player never getting any awards, and when the virtual reality game was removed, the player was forced to leave anyways.
* In SailorMoon: Another Story, each part of the game is divided into arcs, and there are several areas you can never visit again if you don't get everything from them when you ''can'' visit them. This can be extremely annoying when trying to gather the sailors' character-specific equipment. If you missed Mars' Ruby Tiara, for example, you can't go back for it past a certain point in the game and you've therefore lost the large stat increase it gives.
* In ''ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne'', there are two places where this happens. The first comes from entering the Tower of Kagutsuchi; if you're doing a Neutral, Demon or Reason ending then this is where your ending is confirmed. However, there is a second one which comes from clearing the Amala Labyrinth and being imbued with [[spoiler:Lucifer]]'s powers. If you trigger this one, then it overrides any other ending you would have normally gotten.
* In ''ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', once you approach the FinalBoss's room for the first time and [[spoiler:speak to resurrected Gore, answer his questions (if you qualify for them by not being too extremely Law or Chaos), and kill him (if you qualify as a result of not aligning as Neutral)]], your CharacterAlignment is locked for the rest of the game.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'', you get a warning before you prepare to enter the Tazal Terminals. You're given plenty of time to complete any Proving Grounds weapon challenges you missed, but once you visit the Terminals, you can't go back, and you have to wait for a NewGamePlus to attempt them again.
* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' is ''Merciful''. It tells you whenever you are about to leave an area for good and informs you that any side quests will be cancelled.
** Not only that, but it also stores your last '''two''' auto-saves in the load menu.
*** And save slots which the game orders from most recent to oldest. Amount of said slots varies on your system.
** The DLC, ''The Missing Link'' borders on cruel, however. There are about three spots that, when you pass, you can't return. It makes sense from a mechanical perspective, but there is very little to indicate that these areas are checkpoints. So, woe upon you if you wait to get some more augmentations before you try one of the achievements.
* The first ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' has a point near the end where the voice of Athena tells you that once you will not be able to return until you have gotten what you came for. This is a Merciful rather than a Polite example though, as even once you come back to where you started, you cannot go back to get stuff you missed.
* ''{{Minecraft}}'' falls under the Nasty bit when it comes to visiting The End. Once you go in, there's no way to leave other than to jump off the world and into the void, killing yourself and losing all items on your person. OR, you can hope that what you have with you is sufficient to defeat the Enderdragon so you can find the exit portal.
** Similarly, if a Ghast's explosive fireball hits your portal in The Nether, it shuts it off, trapping you in the hell world unless you were smart enough to bring Flint and Steel with you so you can relight the portal. If you don't have it, you can hope the Ghast will shoot the portal again to turn it on or you have to kill yourself to leave.
*** It's no longer possible to be trapped in the Nether thanks to the Fire Charge, an item that works exactly like the Flint and Steel and is crafted by gunpowder (gotten from Ghasts), coal (gotten from Wither Skeletons), and Blaze Powder (gotten from Blazes). However, if you are playing with generated structures turned off, it also prevents Blazes and Wither Skeletons from spawning since the Nether Fortresses are their homes, effectively locking you in the Nether should your portal be shut off.
* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' starts using temporary points once per chapter after Chapter 4;
** In Chapter 4, [[spoiler:your name gets stolen halfway through the chapter, and without your name, you can't use the pipe leading back to [[HubLevel Rogueport]]]].
** Chapter 5, you're shipwrecked on an island and don't get another boat until you've beaten the chapter.
** Chapter 6 is entirely spent aboard a moving train.
** Chapter 7 starts by [[spoiler:blasting you off the moon]], and you can't return to Rogueport until you find a teleporter in the villain's hideout.
* The ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games have this at numerous points, such as entering or leaving the DarkWorld, one-way trips via car, train or boat, or if the path behind you becomes blocked by a BrokenBridge.
* ''Franchise/MetalGear'':
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', inputting the final PAL card.
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', entering the holds in the Tanker chapter, and rescuing Emma in the Plant chapter.
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', after you defeat The End and climb that huge ladder to the mountains, Snake slides down a slope that is ''just'' too steep to climb back up. Later, the [[spoiler: two trips to Groznyj Grad are both Points of No Return, as is retrieving Sokolov and confronting Volgin at the Shagohod maintenance room.]]
* Completetly Averted with RadiantHistoria since you can go back in time anytime you want to earlier in the narrative, so you can't miss anything. In fact, some sidequests you receive are so time-sensitive you've already failed when you get them, you must go back in time to meet the requirements.
** This is also inverted. The two timelines have certain fixed Points You Can Return To. Some of these are a couple hours' play apart the first time you go through them, and going to Historia in the meantime will set you back to your starting point and reset your fast-travel options, forcing you to get back to where you were the hard way.
* ''QuakeII'' allowed you to move freely between levels in one of the several "units" (hubs) making up the bulk of the game, but once you passed through the exit of a unit you could not return (and the first time the game would warn you about this). Also, the teleporter in the Upper Palace was a more definitive PointOfNoReturn--once you passed through it you went to the final boss arena on Stroggos' moon and could never come back. Unlike in earlier IdSoftware shooters, this can be a problem because you could stockpile items for use later instead of using them the moment you picked them up. Left a QuadDamage behind? You're SOL.
* In tomba 2, once you enter the door with the final pig gate, time will freeze and you can only do the main story. Thankfully, kainen warns you of this before you enter the door.
* ''NetHack'' has one right before the elemental planes, but it warns you beforehand and there are opportunities (albeit limited) for items to drop.
* In the ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' remake, entering the Gollop Chamber with your top [[PsychicPowers psychic]] soldier will start the final sequence. However, the game is pretty '''merciful''' and warns you several times that you won't be able to do anything but attack [[spoiler:the Temple Ship]] from that point on. Any ongoing R&D will stop, and no more [=UFOs=] will show up. In fact, the first time you try to do this, one of the characters will outright tell you that she feels that activating the Chamber will mark the beginning of the end.
* A mild example of a "tough" PointOfNoReturn in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius''. One of the secondary objectives involves gathering four pieces of a totem, each of which has a a negative effect on nearby minions. However, if you get them all and put them near each other, they will combine into one totem with a strong positive effect. The problem (or a bug) is that the pieces will combine only on your first island. While the game doesn't force you to move to the second island until you're ready (although you still have to do it to continue the main storyline), it doesn't warn you about the totem thing either, which means you get stuck with four negative loots that can only be negated by putting them into a freezer (or if you get them stolen by burglars).
* ''{{Wolfenstein}}'' places an arms dealer almost within sight of the point where you infiltrate the zeppelin, and helpfully informs you that this will be the last time you'll be able to buy upgrades or ammo.

* In ''Avencast: Rise of the Mage'', don't go through the [[spoiler:shimmery interdimensional portal if you ever want to go back... despite the fact that the other end stays open, and every other such portal you encounter later can be used repeatedly.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crossingrubicon_9252.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Creator/GaiusJuliusCaesar knows that, if he crosses the Rubicon, there will be no way back]]

** If you forgot some necessary items before entering to the labyrinth, prepare to revert to an old save. And if you haven't kept old savegames, prepare to start the whole game again.

* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' has a temporary one and a permanent one, both qualifying as Nasty:

** The permanent one is [[spoiler: saving at the last save point in the game. After destroying the zombified Core, which takes the Doctor with it, the island will start to plummet. If you complete the two aforementioned sidequests, however, you can enter the house that acted as a rest stop between the Last Cave and the Boss Bonanza you just beat. However, once you save there, the door is locked, you cannot use the bed to heal, you have to go through the absolutely brutal final level and its two bosses without dying, and, perhaps worst of all, the bookshelf, which looks like it can bring you back to before the Boss Bonanza, only brings you back to after it. If you save here, you are completely stuck.]]

** ''Dead Money'' has one when you enter the Casino, and another after taking the elevator to the basement area. After completing the story, you have one last chance to explore the Villa before returning to the Mojave.