The Scary Level Fad

[Drewby]

This has been popping up a lot recently. Games have been throwing in one or two creepy, dark levels. I think it can be fun if used properly, but sometimes it just feels so out of place.

Take HL2 for example. Ravenholm. It was a fun level, but really deviated from the game's atmoshphere and just seemed like a waste of time. Scary? Yes. Necessary? Not at all.

I just noticed this to playing Riddick EFBB. They had a level in there where you are underground complete with pale-skinned, zombie like humans to boot. It wasn't a bad level, it just felt a little out of place.

What do you guys think of the scary level fad?

[OldsterHolster]

I don't mind a scary level or two thrown in to add variety, but, as evidenced by Doom 3, too much of a good thing gets boring, fast. I didn't mind the Ravenholm level in Half-Life 2, although I agree that it wasn't necessary or relevant, and I actually laughed when I was able to smush some zombies with the falling car. Heh, heh. The underground zombie level in The Chronicles of Riddick was kind of lame, though, and it was more of a "learning your way in a hurry" puzzle, than anything else since there wasn't enough ammunition to kill them all.

I guess the developers of these games have a really tough time trying to please everybody, so I try to cut them some slack most of the time. Variety, and especially any new twist on blasting baddies, is probably not nearly as easy to come up with as most of us think. Personally, I like pretty, satisfying, and funny, over scary; but sometimes these levels just make me appreciate the rest of the game, more. Go ahead and throw some zombies at me, but then give me a hotrod airboat, or Riddick's ability to sneak up on a guard and silently break his neck, and I'll handle it every time. Edward.