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 get that way sometimes in Minecraft, when I’m under ground exploring then I get lost and feel trapped. After I get back out I then wonder why I left lol
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.
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.)
The Chaurus are worse IMO.
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?
Same
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.
