To fully enjoy the story, one must fully understand it. A story arc is needed, this can be done by slowly building to the climax, then hitting it and making a turning point, and eventually the resolution arrives and closes everything out. And how can anyone forget the details (after all, the Devil is in the details)?
Horror games are known for having suspenseful stories, dragging their players into the realm of darkness, depression, and potentially survival. Needless to say, not all horror games have "well-written" plots (or any game for that matter). As a result, they can leave players scratching their heads, questioning what just happened, and trying to place pieces of the puzzle together.
The following slideshow lists five horror games that have weird plot holes, be it in the general plot itself, or the little, yet crucial details. These have been selected for obvious reasons like: Why doesn't the character go through this, or do this instead? The games don't incorporate such details, and might be overlooked. However, they are there and when noticed, don't make a whole lot of sense!
5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The game is considered to be the most haunting, depressing and scary Zelda game ever released. Why? Well, here are a few reasons:
- One of its major themes is the five stages of grief. Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression and Acceptance. Check this video out for more info.
- Link is mostly surrounded by characters that are either dead, that are dying, that are in depression or have suffered some kind of loss.
- Majora's Mask itself isn't exactly the most festive mask to wear. Just look at the slide image (behind the Z)!
- It's also the home to BEN drowned, so there's that!
Though a Zelda classic, few things need to be cleared up. Whenever Link plays the ocarina (Song of Time to be exact), he is sent back through time to the first day of the game. However, he loses items like money, arrows for his bow, etc. But... he doesn't lose any of the masks he acquired. Now, why is that? From the game's perspective, they are key items so they aren't supposed to be lost (especially the boss masks that are very important to the plot). But from a logical perspective, if he's going back in time, how is able to keep things he acquired after the first day (his destination from time travel) if he's going back to that first day?
I don't want to get into the whole issue of time travel and time paradoxes since those can cause confusion and puzzlement.
4. Outlast
A popular first person survival horror game, Outlast takes place in an asylum, where a reporter has to investigate what is happening inside. Though the game does make you feel like you're being watched or chased all the time... you do know that technically, he can escape the place, right?
Sure, the door is locked and he has to get in through the window, but... he can also use that window to get out. And yes, the gate is also locked, meaning that he can't escape, but he actually can! Just get out of the window, get into the car and ram the gate! Or, find a way to climb over the gate (which looks possible). He is an investigator, and the sole purpose is to find out what is going on, but if your life is in danger, and you want to get out of the place as quickly as possible, then the option is right there! All this could have been avoided with that simple idea in mind.
3. Friday the 13th
This one is an NES classic. Based on the movies, Jason is present at Camp Crystal Lake where he tries to kill all the children and/or all the camp counselors. As a result, the camp counselors must try their best to stop him before either group meets a grizzly end.
Some of you might that that why are we picking on this game when it was released years ago? Well, there is actually a good reason for that. While you're searching for Jason, he might "spawn" inside one of the cabins and begin to slaughter the innocent. As a result, the game alerts you and basically tells you to go and stop him. Question is though, how do the counselors find out? Are they equipped with some sort of psychic powers that allow them to immediately know that the children are in danger? Or, is Jason's mom helping them...? If so, why?
If you're far away from the camp, you can't possibly know what is going on. Even if the victims scream their lungs out, it'll still be impossible to hear them. Yet, you are notified due to... reasons. It doesn't really add up if you ask us.
2. Five Nights at Freddy's
Honestly, the entire game is just one big plot hole. The character that you're playing realizes at one point that the animatronic animal robots are roaming the restaurant, and are actually trying to kill him... yet, he continues to do his job by showing up the next night to monitor the security cameras. The obvious question here is, why? His life is in danger, yet he doesn't quit his job. Yes, he's getting paid, but I don't think that the salary justifies the stressful (and that's an understatement!) experience that he must go through!
From a personal point of view, if I was the guy, I would quit right after the first night. Forget about the money, I don't care how desperate I am to find another job! My life is obviously more worth it... or any other job that is not as dangerous as this.
1. Video Game Zombies
If zombies aren't a horror cliche, then they sure are something else. We all know them as these brain-eating reanimated corpses that search for humans to kill. They have been in countless movies, TV shows, and video games.
This plot hole pretty much applies to the majority of horror games that deal with zombies. If you get bit by a zombie, you're supposed to turn into one, right? So, how come some horror games like Dead Rising or Resident Evil ignore this obvious fact? I said it once, I'll say it again: once bitten by a zombie, you're supposed to turn into one!
And how long will you keep using the excuse that, "Oh, they're immune!" Or, "They have injected themselves with the cure!" Yeah, that's totally not a cliche in itself. All what is being said here is that people have to turn into zombies once they are bitten in horror games about zombies. But for whatever reason, they don't, and simply walk away or kill the threat. That kind of logic doesn't really make any sense, and obviously leaves a giant, gaping hole in plots.
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What are some other horror games that you played through, and have experienced weird or unexplained plots that made no sense? Let us know down in the comment section!
Published: Dec 6, 2016 03:07 pm