I’m not sure if this is controversial or not - but I (mostly) don’t like games that are primarily set underground.
There are a few exceptions to this, Dungeon Keeper and The Binding of Isaac spring to mind, but mostly I find it actively discouraging. Perhaps it’s a desire to explore under the sky, perhaps it’s that it feels claustrophobic, or perhaps it’s the gloom.
I don’t have a problem with the dark or claustrophobia in the real world, so it’s not that. Anything that involves dungeon crawling immediately puts me off. I don’t want to go down into the dark! I want to be outside!
I wasn’t a fan of the Metro series until Exodus, I bounced off Recettear as soon as the dungeon element was introduced. Anything that wants me to spend an extended period underground with monsters is just a massive turn-off for me. Sewer levels and the like also have this, to a lesser extent.
Anyone else have this specific dislike?
I remember being outdoors feeling like a relief in the original Half-Life.
In Far Cry, I definitely preferred being outside. Same with Metro.
I think in most FPS games I’ve played, the player doesn’t have the developer ambush them with stuff outside. Maybe that’s a factor.
I don’t have an aversion to underground games, but I think on some level I don’t love games/movies set out in deserts, whether they’re sandy or rocky. I think in the back of my mind, I’m thinking “man, that looks uncomfortable and dry. I wouldn’t like being there.”
I don’t avoid things set in deserts, and I’m sure I’ve seen/played many good things in that setting, so it may not be as strong as your underground thing, but yeah, I think I have something similar.
Okay, that’s all, now we can proceed to call me Anakin Skywalker.
Mine is snow levels. I feel miserable playing them, like I was sitting outside in Sub-Zero temps.
When I was a kid, one of my friends would refuse to go into caves in Skyrim cause they didn’t like being underground. I remember thinking “damn, you’ve locked yourself out of like 90% of the game but whatever floats your boat”
I had a similar experience with Hollow Knight. Mind you, the entire map is underground, but there are certain very deep parts that are incredibly claustrophobic and I avoided them as much as I could.
refuse to go into caves in Skyrim
Well there’s giant spiders in those caves, so he’s got the right idea.
(I do not like spiders, I do not like giant spiders, I do not like giant surprise spiders the most.)
Games are so real it triggers my agrophobia. Eleden ring in particular. Doing the parkour is scary as heck for me. I can barely stand it.
Same
Unpopular, maybe. Controversial, I hope not. Your opinion and experiences are valid.
Can you pinpoint why it’s a turn off? I understand you’re saying you want to be outside, but is it from a feeling of being limited when you’re inside?
Flipping it: do you prefer playing games that are in the sky like Bioshock Infinite over Bioshock 1/2 that are underground (on the sea floor)?
Hard to say. Perhaps I don’t like having my back (literally) against the wall. I associate being outside with the space to approach a task on my own terms.
There’s perhaps also an element of growing up in places like Wales and Scotland where sunlight is at a bit of a premium!
In the real world I quite like caves…
I find it interesting but there might be no rhyme or reason to it - vibes often just work like that. Does the camera POV have an impact as well? Like first person vs third person vs isometric?