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?
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I blame my ancestors who were mainly miners but I am actually quite comfy underground. Be it in games like Minecraft or real life.
I dream of being able to sleep deep underground in a mine. Warm and completely dark. So dark that you cannot see your hands in front of your eyes. Water dripping in the background. That is my mental safe space tbh.
Not afraid of things coming out of infinitely deep chasms?
What about animals / bugs? Or even other human?
Nope. If you are deep enough surprisingly few things are alive down there. And if I’m alone in the dark my hearing starts to compensate for my lack of sight. Been under the earth a few times.
I would prefer a lantern or something next to that I can turn on at any time though.
Ahan, that’s interesting.
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.)
The Chaurus are worse IMO.
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.
For me, it’s the heat. As someone who has lived in some hot areas, any desert level / scene just make me think of how hot it will be, and how thirsty everyone will be.
Don’t avoid them or anything. Just a feeling it generates.
I hear that. Playing games set in snowy areas make me feel cold, so I grab myself an extra blanket and turn on the fireplace for those levels/areas. If your brain is reading underground=confined then it’s not something a blanket or sweater helps. Even if you don’t feel trapped perse it makes sense that you crave open areas. I’m curious whether games that are set in huge dungeons like Hollow Knight, or some of the Skyrim dungeons, trigger the same emotions.
Do not play Deep Rock Galactic.
Rock and stone to the bone
I’d also struggle to find anyone to play co-op with anyway!
I could never get into 3D “dungeon crawler” games that entirely take place in dungeons. I like open worlds where I can discover dungeons and caves to explore.
I think It’s the maze like endless aspect of dungeon crawlers that I dislike. I need breaks to see the virtual sky.
Depends on the game. I don’t mind being underground, but the small area can fuck up the viewing angle and cause the view to jump around if not done right.
Then you may not like Abiotic Factor, even though it’s very large.
It’s like a mix of Half-Kife and SCP, but it’s a survival crafting game that takes place in a huge secret underground research facility. The story is it’s under attack and you need to escape the containment breach.
The human brain is weird about claustrophobia. I coerced a 3D engine out of an 8-bit machine, and it literally did not support ceilings… but I still felt constantly cramped because the HUD was at the top. Scrolling it to the bottom was instantly better.
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.
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?
Not really, no. I think it’s the overall “vibe” that grates on me. Spending time somewhere dingey actively repels me.
Well, no Rock & Stone! for you then :P
No Diablo, either!
how do you feel about space exploration games?
They don’t have the same problem for me at all. I really enjoyed Freelancer, for example.
For me, outside correlates with an open world, and underground correlates with a linear progression. I generally prefer the vibe of open world stuff. Underground stuff can sometimes have a lot less variation as well, which can get tiring. The general vibe is often designed to have a somewhat oppressive feel.
Another difference is the sense of being cut off from a safe place (whether real or imagined)–outside feels more flexible with retreating to safety or restocking supplies while dungeons can limit your ability to “return to home base” as it were. I disliked dungeons a lot more when I was younger, turned out to be a generalized anxiety disorder. I enjoy a wider variety of games these days.
Out of curiosity, have you played Baldur’s Gate 3? There’s a large area that would be interesting to see what you think of it.
It’s an odd one for me. I think it’s related to how I like to spend my relaxation time. I don’t want any significant challenge (I have lots of other stuff in my life that scratches that itch, often too much…) and I don’t want to be particularly uncomfortable. I hate games that try to grade my performance (league tables, onscreen timers, ranking systems). I’m not necessarily bad at them - I just do not like the approach.
I’ve not played Baldur’s Gate 3, unfortunately, so I can’t comment on that.
I’m trying to figure out why I don’t find The Binding of Isaac uncomfortable. It might be because I disable the oppressive soundtrack and know that the maps are actually quite sprawling, often with many ways to approach problems. Hmmm…
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.
