VGFacts

I was watching someone play outlast today and saw them hiding inside a locker. This instantly made me think of Alien Isolation doing the same thing, or Amnesia, using closets. The idea of hiding in a cramped space isn't something new but closets, lockers and the like have been all over horror games as of late, to the point of being a mechanic or even a staple of gaming. I might be one of the few, but I find this annoying. I think the idea itself is fine but the way it's used in games isn't. When you play a horror game where you can't fight back, you need a place to hide sure, but that hiding mechanic needs to vary in some way, and lockers are taking that variation out of the equation. The reason for this is probably because you are still standing and can see what's going on outside at least enough to get an idea of what's going on around you. Because of this, they feel safer than say, hiding under a bed or in a dark corner. I'd like to see a way to replace lockers because one thing that makes horror interesting is how game A is different from game B. If the locker becomes standard, it will take away some of that variation, or at least it seems to me like it will. 

After watching an hour of the three games I mentioned at the start of the post, I realized that the only thing that felt different to me, was the monster(s). Everything else seemed so similar, that it almost made other games less scary because of all the time the let's plays I saw had people hiding in things like that. I guess what I'm trying to get at here is one, is anyone else sick of this most basic hiding mechanic? And two, does anyone have an interesting idea that might make hiding in horror games more interesting? I'd like to see some change before this becomes so common practice that it becomes boring and uninteresting, because it feels like it's already started to happen. Perhaps hiding in a place that isn't so closed off and safe feeling would add to a horror game, as opposed to giving you such a good shot at calming down as much as you need to. A horror game is supposed to be scary, so having less time to cool down, should in theory allow for a scarier, and hopefully better experience.   

To be honest I agree with you there. A game I absolutely love also uses this "mechanic" of hiding within a locker.
Deadly Premonition

To show a more recent game, The Evil Within also does this


Without trying to sound bias I have more love for Deadly Premonition because of the team behind it. It doesn't feel lazy can only hide during certain segments (Being chased by The Raincoat Killer). The Evil Within on the other stinks of Bethesda pandering and tampering with what should've been a better game. As a result we do have lockers scattered about everywhere which took me out of the games grasp and atmosphere. It got to a point where I didn't even need the lockers or hiding areas.

I wouldn't say I'm sick of it but I'm not going to deny that it's clearly riding the same ideas as other horror games. It's lazy at best and plays off the idea of "almost being caught" and keeping tension high. It feels half-arsed....but in the case of Deadly Premonition, that game is awesome. 

I don't play horror games typically, and my first thoughts were Metal Gear Solid and Bully. I guess it still fits even if its not the same atmosphere.

(10-27-2014, 03:56 PM)Psychospacecow Wrote: [ -> ]I don't play horror games typically, and my first thoughts were Metal Gear Solid and Bully. I guess it still fits even if its not the same atmosphere.

In my book, any game that uses this mechanic is fit for the conversation, I just turned to horror as a reference because that's where you see it most.

The only game I can think of where you can hide in a locker is Metal Gear. But since its a stealth based game, it works for that reason.

Well, its kind of weird in Bully. You're playing GTA University essentially, and the whole point of hiding in lockers was to get away from teachers and security who would get on ya about your crimes. It was a panic escape sort of thing.

(10-27-2014, 06:06 PM)CLXcool Wrote: [ -> ]The only game I can think of where you can hide in a locker is Metal Gear. But since its a stealth based game, it works for that reason.

Everyone else has mentioned games where you hide via lockers, so that seems like kind of a pointless thing to say. Just take a minute to look at any of the games mentioned and at some point, you will see it happening.

@Psycho: That's the same kind of thing as what happens in the games I mentioned. In Alien Isolation, you cna use lockers to hide from Aliens and people, same as with outlast and Amnesia. I suppose in non-horror games, it's not as big a deal, mostly because you aren't supposed to be scared, but it still gives you time to sit there as long as you need to think and clam down, which actually ends up making the game easier. In horror games, I think this has the potential to be a big problem because a good horror doesn't scare you once, allow you to hide until you clam down, and the repeat the process. Lockers allow that to be a thing that you can constantly do though, and for as long as you like. It's allowing you to break the game's atmosphere and horror in a way I don't think was ever intended. I imagine Bully is the same, preying on the idea of people who are out of school panicking at the thought of getting caught doing something they weren't supposed to. I doubt most people do what the characters in Bully do, but from what I've seen on the game, it does seem like it's trying to make itself harder by making it's players nervous. The lockers give you too much of a break, making that part of the game not work how it was most likely intended.

Even though I have never played the game and only seen small things from the game, the first thing that came to mind is Haunting Ground. The game where you can't trust the "Your fine" sign at times.

I had heard though that with Alien Isolation, the Xenomorph creature can eventually find you in the locker if you hide in there for too long. It may still use this cliche' hiding place, but at least they take this classic idea and finally do something with it that makes you use it sparingly else you get punished for its abuse.

(11-01-2014, 10:13 PM)GameWizard001 Wrote: [ -> ]I had heard though that with Alien Isolation, the Xenomorph creature can eventually find you in the locker if you hide in there for too long. It may still use this cliche' hiding place, but at least they take this classic idea and finally do something with it that makes you use it sparingly else you get punished for its abuse.

Even with that it takes several minutes more than anyone should need to hide from the Alien for it find you. It's a start but there needs to be more done to it.