Phobias and video games. (Pls don't post images that may generate reactions)

[KrigareN-]

I have arachnophobia, and it's so extreme that I stopped playing Skyrim even after applying a mod that replaced spiders with bears. Just the thought of spiders underneath those silly bears coming at you in droves gave me goosebumps all over my body. I literally ran out of the room while shaking my arms and making silly sounds to wash away the horror when a giant spider drop on me pre-mod. I never went back to the game after my session post-mod.

Horizon ZD also had spider-like enemies, but after exposing myself to the design and convincing myself that it's not a spider, I managed to desensitize myself to the initial fear.

In truth, The Witcher 3 is the only game I have finished with spiders as enemies. Admittedly, I deliberately avoided parts of the map that had spiders and reconciled on the fact that I would have to skip on the expansions which featured many spider enemies. Yes, I loved the game enough to actually finish the base game--complete with goosebumps and heavy, elaborate breathing during accidental encounters! Whew.

And now, when Bloodborne has finally given me enough reason to try out a souls game in spite of the difficulty, which I am sensitive to, I find out that there are spiders in the game. As someone who loves PS4 exclusives, Bloodbhorne remains the only notable title that I have decided to skip on because of my phobia.

I strictly avoid Fantasy RPGs since they can't seem to get enough of spiders!

How about you? Do any of your phobias disrupt your gaming?

 

[dadjumper]

Trypophobia is occasionally a problem when playing certain games. The only example I can think of off the top of my head is that one glitch from some baseball game that people post around here ocasionally. Revolting.
I know there are certain games with weird holes in walls that also made me feel ill, but I forget the specifics.

I'm also afraid of spiders, and feel a bit iffy when I fight big ones in Skyrim, but I can deal with it enough that it's not disruptive.

 

[DocSeuss]

I have friends who are arachnaphobic and while I am absolutely afraid of real spiders, I feel nothing about it in games. It's a blessing. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

 

[Hentailover]

I am fairly sure that if you avoid chalice dungeons there's only two encoutners with spiders in bloodborne... Like I am not belittling your phobia, jsut wondering if it'd be possible for you to have somebody else play through spider parts. and then give you controller after they are done?

 

[Deleted member 4359]

Hyper tweak games

Like - this isn't a phobia though my OCD can go insane if a game has a million things I can choose from, it makes games like CS way easier to pick up than any new COD or Battlefield or Destiny 2, though I want to play that game I often intentionally set up classes in ways I don't want to to appease OCD.

 

[Deleted member 18407]

I'm terrified of heights and some games can trigger that fear in me, but it can get really bad in VR. My head started to swim like crazy in Arkham VR when I looked off the edge during the Penguin sequence.

 

[AlexBasch]

Not sure if it's a phobia but I can't deal with anything about the eyes.

So as you might guess, I will never EVER replay Dead Space 2.

 

[LonestarZues]

I'm terrified of heights and some games can trigger that fear in me, but it can get really bad in VR. My head started to swim like crazy in Arkham VR when I looked off the edge during the Penguin sequence.

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That was me as well! I'm scared to try Bound in VR for that very reason.

I dislike rats/mice and I really want to play A Plagues Tell: Innocence when it releases next year, but I'm not sure I can get past all those rats. Reminds me of the Uncharted 3 spiders that you have to keep away with the flame. Although spiders don't bother me.

 

[MegaBeefBowl]

Aquaphobia! It's not super intense, but it prevents me from being able to swim. I start having a panic attack the moment my feet stop touching the ground in water.

As for games, its effect is not as bad as real life. I feel uneasy, especially if I don't have control, but I can handle it if it isn't too long. I don't have any issues with submarines or boats. Just humans in water.

Movies are closer to real life. I couldn't finish Dunkirk. Had to leave the movie!

 

[DocSeuss]

I am fairly sure that if you avoid chalice dungeons there's only two encoutners with spiders in bloodborne... Like I am not belittling your phobia, jsut wondering if it'd be possible for you to have somebody else play through spider parts. and then give you controller after they are done?

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I mean, once you kill Rom, who is a spider, aren't there giant spiders literally everywhere in the form of Amygdalas?

 

[Hentailover]

I mean, once you kill Rom, who is a spider, aren't there giant spiders literally everywhere in the form of Amygdalas?

Click to shrink...

You know what, yeah, Amygdala does kinda look a bit like a spider, so nevermind.

 

[Weiss]

Man it's a good thing you didn't buy Hollow Knight because one of the areas in that game is basically Tomb of the Giants with spiders.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

After I saw Jurassic Park as a child I was afraid of T-Rexes. I would have nightmares about them in kindergarten, though I also thought they were the coolest.

To this day, I feel a rush of adrenaline whenever I run into a T-Rex enemy in a game. I wouldn't call it an actual phobia, but it's interesting. Other big enemies don't illicit the same response.

 

[Deleted member 14002]

I really wasn't a fan of the Snake forest in Bloodborne.

I was playing through the area with a buddy and he said I was being hyper-aggressive. I didn't notice it but I guess that was my way of dealing with it.

I have friends who are arachnaphobic and while I am absolutely afraid of real spiders, I feel nothing about it in games. It's a blessing. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

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I also dislike insects in real life but am fine with in game depictions. The above story has me questioning if that's actually the case or not because while I might feel normal it may be effecting the way I interact with the game.

 

[Reven Wolf]

Spiders for me.

I will always remember my horror in Might and Magic Dark Messiah.

Also more recently the boss from Hunt: Showdown had me actually scream in horror. My teammate had a good laugh at that, but he jumped a few times too.

 

[Fairy Godmother]

Trypophobia is occasionally a problem when playing certain games. The only example I can think of off the top of my head is that one glitch from some baseball game that people post around here ocasionally. Revolting.
I know there are certain games with weird holes in walls that also made me feel ill, but I forget the specifics.

Click to shrink...

Baseball game glitches? I wonder which game you meant.

Do in game bullet holes make you feel sick too? Just curious.

 

[MrConbon210]

I am fairly sure that if you avoid chalice dungeons there's only two encoutners with spiders in bloodborne... Like I am not belittling your phobia, jsut wondering if it'd be possible for you to have somebody else play through spider parts. and then give you controller after they are done?

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Nah. There's that one room where you walk in and tons of spiders from down from the ceiling before Mensis. I don't even hate spiders that much and that room still freaked me out.

 

[KrigareN-]

Man it's a good thing you didn't buy Hollow Knight because one of the areas in that game is basically Tomb of the Giants with spiders.

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No way. Really?

This is laughably unfortunate. Lol

 

[thewilddeadhero]

Emetophobia has sadly made me fairly averse to intense VR experiences. I found out that I'm affected by VR sickness because I took a VR concepts course at University, oddly enough. Our professor bought some Oculus Rifts, which we needed for a project, and we had a demo day where we just played games to get a feel for the kit. Five minutes into my demo and I was already getting dizzy and a headache. So if I didn't have to have the headset on to test our project, it was not on my head.

 

[Love Machine]

Trypophobia is occasionally a problem when playing certain games. The only example I can think of off the top of my head is that one glitch from some baseball game that people post around here ocasionally. Revolting.
I know there are certain games with weird holes in walls that also made me feel ill, but I forget the specifics.

I'm also afraid of spiders, and feel a bit iffy when I fight big ones in Skyrim, but I can deal with it enough that it's not disruptive.

Click to shrink...

If you have even mild trypophobia and arachnaphobia, don't even think of Googling Rom, the Vacuous Spider from Bloodborne.

Seriously, don't do it.

 

[Reven Wolf]

If you have even mild trypophobia and arachnaphobia, don't even think of Googling Rom, the Vacuous Spider from Bloodborne.

Seriously, don't do it.

Click to shrink...

Oddly enough I have both those but that fight didn't bother me in the slightest.

 

[The Kidd]

There is a MAJOR spider encounter in Bloodborne towards the end. I have never had problems with spiders in games, but that specific part freaked me out and think I legitimately screamed entering the room.

As great as Bloodborne is, if your phobia is as severe as you mention, it may be better to avoid it.

 

[Reven Wolf]

There is a MAJOR spider encounter in Bloodborne towards the end. I have never had problems with spiders in games, but that specific part freaked me out and think I legitimately screamed entering the room.

As great as Bloodborne is, if your phobia is as severe as you mention, it may be better to avoid it.

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Now that specific room did scare the shit out of me.

I basically hauled ass past it lol.

 

[TheBiInBilingual]

in 2007, I had a near-death experience that included drowning. I'm able to swim in real life. in games however, I get extremely anxious whenever I see an Oxygen-bar drop down. A few games I couldn't finish initially because of swimming underwater sections:
- AC Origins
- Uncharted 4
- Super Mario Odyssey

And it seems like the next Tomb Raider will have a lot of underwater sections as well. ugh.

 

[MrNelson]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.

Baseball game glitches? I wonder which game you meant.

Click to shrink...

They're referring to this glitch from one of the recent MLB The Show games.

Spoiler: Trigger warning

 

[Crayon]

Baseball game glitches? I wonder which game you meant.

Do in game bullet holes make you feel sick too? Just curious.

Click to shrink...

Omg it was from some version of the show a few years ago. I think. Mods had to warn us to stop reposting the pics because it was so disturbing lol.

 

[The Kidd]

Now that specific room did scare the shit out of me.

I basically hauled ass past it lol.

Click to shrink...

It's the SPEED of them. I just watched a video of it on YouTube to see if it was as bad as I remember and the second the large one scittered I quit the video.

 

[Reven Wolf]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.

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This just reminded me that I had to stop subnautica.

It's the SPEED of them. I just watched a video of it on YouTube to see if it was as bad as I remember and the second the large one scittered I quit the video.

Click to shrink...

Yup, you should YouTube Hunt:Sowdown's spider boss.

Ridiculously fast and climbs on most surfaces. The sounds as it skitters makes my skin crawl.

 

[The Doctor]

I have arachnophobia, and it's so extreme that I stopped playing Skyrim even after applying a mod that replaced spiders with bears. Just the thought of spiders underneath those silly bears coming at you in droves gave me goosebumps all over my body. I literally ran out of the room while shaking my arms and making silly sounds to wash away the horror when a giant spider drop on me pre-mod. I never went back to the game after my session post-mod.

Click to shrink...

If anything I think that makes them even more scary.


I'm not arachnophobic, but I can't stand to watch a spider for a long time, I hate them, even writing this is sending shivers down my spine. I even had trouble beating Gohma in Twilight Princess.

 

[Bernkastel]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.


They're referring to this glitch from one of the recent MLB The Show games.

Spoiler: Trigger warning

Click to shrink...

 

[Igniz12]

The fear of success prevents me from gitting gud in games.

I have a lot of real life fears but none of them really manifest in games thankfully. Taking a plunge off a tall building makes me pucker up and idk if it has anything to do with my fear of heights but nothing beyond that.

 

[Bstylee]

I feel like I have arachnophobia also. Powered through dmc3, Skyrim, Witcher 3, and REmake (by far the worst one). I've had RE0 for over a year now and haven't played it because of how bad it was in REmake.

 

[Decarb]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.

Click to shrink...

Have you played Abzu? I don't have Thalassophobia, heck I'm a sailor by profession, but some of the huge deep dark areas with silhouettes of massive whales at the deep end gave me goosebumps.

 

[Fairy Godmother]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.


They're referring to this glitch from one of the recent MLB The Show games.

Spoiler: Trigger warning

Click to shrink...

HOLY SHHH----

 

[ChrisJSY]

I'm terrified of spiders, but in a game I'll get jump scares sure but it isn't there, it's not real; it's not going to vanish under the sofa and then come out when I'm sleeping right next to my face on the wall. (has happened, but cat woke me up and attacked it).
That's what I don't understand, can't you remove fake from reality. I'll scream out like like a baby if there's one in real-life but nothing is going to happen in a game.

Obviously, phobias can be irrational and to me it being a phobia in a game is odd.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

them park mascots are unsettling so never played 5 nights at freddys
and the theme park in silent hill 3 was pretty fucked up

 

[MrConbon210]

I've got Thalassophobia, but it's never kept me from playing any games where you have to explore open water.


They're referring to this glitch from one of the recent MLB The Show games.

Spoiler: Trigger warning

Click to shrink...

Yeah that's just terrifying even if you don't have the phobia

 

[Kudo]

OK, I didn't want to see that MLB image.

I have fear of heights, so bad that when going up and down stairs I literally hug the rail. Games normally don't have any effect on me but in VR I got kinda dizzy the first few times but then got used to it, made myself belief that even if I fall nothing happens to me so it's better.

 

[MrNelson]

Have you played Abzu? I don't have Thalassophobia, heck I'm a sailor by profession, but some of the huge deep dark areas with silhouettes of massive whales at the deep end gave me goosebumps.

Click to shrink...

I have not, but I looked at some of the trailers and it looks pretty neat. Definitely got some Flower vibes from it, which isn't shocking because the store page says it shares the same art director. I'll probably grab it during the summer sale.

 

[Cantaim]

That one baseball game with the faces glitching. I don't know what it falls under but that Shit scares the hell out of me and I put anyone that's posts it on block instantly. Legit made me stop visiting gaf for a few weeks because I was petrified of seeing it.

Also I'm a baby when t comes to spiders in games. If it isn't realistic and goes for a cartoony aesthetic I can han handle it. But if it dips it's toes into realistic and makes the spiders huge or the camera focuses on them. My eyes are off the screen immediately. Really wish fantasy RPG's didn't keep spiders around as a fucking staple enemy.

 

[eloxx]

I don't like snakes. They terrify me when showing up in games. The first problems were in Far Cry 3. These snakes were stationary, so it was kinda OK. But i was always afraid to encounter one around every corner. I remember one sequence that was especially mean: One was waiting at the top of a wall after climbing up.

Then there was AC: Origins. Also stationary snakes, but so well made. I was always afraid while playing. But i pulled through because the game was so good. But man, there were moments... also they were hiding in vases. Scary stuff.

I could not imagine a game where these animals actually move around. I could not play for one second. I hope AC: Odysessy has none of that.

 

[Kyle Cross]

Spiders. Nothing's worse. I also have never been able to play Skyrim.

I feel like I have arachnophobia also. Powered through dmc3, Skyrim, Witcher 3, and REmake (by far the worst one). I've had RE0 for over a year now and haven't played it because of how bad it was in REmake.

Click to shrink...

Oh God, DMC3 has spiders? I was just about to start playing it. Phantom in DMC1 and 2 didn't bother me because I guess the lava aesthetic.

The Resident Evil games are hard on me. I literally have to beat Black Tiger with my eyes closed.

HOW THE FUCK AM I GOING TO BEAT RESIDENT EVIL 2 REMAKE THAT'LL HAVE PHOTOSCANNED GIANT SPIDERS, CAPCOM?!

Also when do spiders appear in Witcher 3? Haven't encountered them yet.

 

[DrBillRiverman]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy does it ever!

I'm afraid of Dogs and just think about how many games feature dogs as enemies.
Call of Duty World at War had a perk were a pack of dogs would swarm the field and tear at you, that was a rough one.

RE4's hedge maze absolutely terrified me the first time through and still gets the blood pumping on replays.

But the worst ever example for me was in the Tomb Raider remake.
It's the section quite early on where your leg is trapped and a pack of wolves are in earshot but just out of sight.
The low growling and rustling of the bushes before the first pounce. Absolutely terrifying!

 

[Hentailover]

Nah. There's that one room where you walk in and tons of spiders from down from the ceiling before Mensis. I don't even hate spiders that much and that room still freaked me out.

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I actually counted it in my initial count. The one I forgot (barring amygdalas) was patches. with him that would be 3. With Amygdalas, that would be way too many.

 

[unicornKnight]

I fear heights and snakes but I have no problem facing those in game, it's a good way to cope with my phobias.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

Afraid of heights person here. Narrow catwalks, Skyscrapers, Floating islands and all those places videogames like you to visit make my hands sweat, other than that I'm good.

 

[Davoid]

I know someone who couldn't continue on System Shock 2 when the spiders started up.

I don't really have any phobias specifically, there are parts of games I find unpleasant.

I think the first game to make feel like... "irrationally scared" was the whole crux of Abadox, ha ha

I don't like maggots though, in real life. I don't mind them tooooo much in games, but the 2nd boss of EWJ2 freaked me out, strangely, even though it is comedic.

 

[Maturin]

I have acrophobia (fear of heights) but it's something I actively like to play around with in games. Tomb Raider and Uncharted give me the chills in high places and make me feel genuinely nervous - but I like to explore this in the safe environment of videogames.

I also don't like to fly - a combination of acrophobia, lack of control and claustrophobia but I've always loved flight games since the 80s. Shame the game industry doesn't anymore.

 

[johancruijff]

you should love Nioh then OP

 

[Tommi]

I don't know about phobias, but I have an irratioinal fear of going out bounds in games. Suddenly falling through the map is the worst jump scare. I guess it's the fear of unknown.